General F1 news

[Duke]

Clickety Click

[thornz]

What is the role of the ladies who stand right by the drivers when giving press interviews? Quite often they hold a recorder as well. Is it to make sure they dont answer or say anything they shouldn't?

Not all of them have it, but some of them are pretty much glued to the driver.

[w00dsy]

They like to make sure drivers aren't misquoted. F1 loves keeping data on everything.

[norbs]

And I expect they are media trainers too. I saw one of them talking to that new Williams driver in the background the other day after an interview.

[Duke]

Yep they are the team or drivers personal press/media officers.

Working in F1: The role of a Press Officer

[StanDaam]

How funny was Sainz's post race chat.
"The drink system was stuck on and pumping water through all the time. By the end of the race my stomach was sloshing from side to side"

[Jiminee]

Um - maybe dont swallow?

[StanDaam]

Sure, blame his Catholic upbringing...

[Duke]

F1 and Netflix have partnered to develop a documentary based on the 2018 season, set to air in early 2019.
This will come as good news to fans of the sport, especially those that enjoyed Amazon’s Grand Prix Driver.

Box-to-Box Films will have full access to the F1 paddock to create the 10-episode series. It aims to “reveal the intense fight for the heart, soul, and direction for the future of this multibillion-dollar business”. One of the names associated with the original series is James Gay Rees.
For those wondering, Rees was the executive producer for Senna — a role he’ll play again here. Joining him is Paul Martin, with Sophie Todd serving as the showrunner. This is a promising effort all things considered as F1 no longer appears to favor the elite. Fans will get an inside look of the season behind closed doors, both on and off the track.

Sean Bratches, Managing Director of Commercial Operations shares his opinion on the matter:
“Formula 1 is a global sport that we are actively repositioning from a motorsport company to a media and entertainment brand. The agreement with Netflix serves to chronicle the fascinating story of what transpires behind the scenes during a grand prix season.
“This is a perspective of the sport that has yet to be unveiled to fans around the world. This series will unleash a compelling vantage point to the sport that will delight fans and serve as a catalyst to entice new fans.”

Likewise, Vice President of Content for Netflix Bela Bajaria had this to say:
“This partnership with Formula 1 furthers our mission of working with world-class brands and production partners to produce best-in-class unscripted series. We can’t wait for this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix and to embark on an incredible season across the world.”

[Big Kev]

Formula 1 bosses will lay out their vision for the sport's future to the teams at the Bahrain Grand Prix on Friday.

F1 motorsports boss Ross Brawn will explain the plans of Liberty Media, which bought the commercial rights last year, on cost control, revenue and technical rules.
Plans include ways of cutting costs, creating a more equitable split of revenue among teams, a simplified engine and an increased number of standard parts.
It will be the first time teams have heard this amount of detail on Liberty's plans.

The plan has four main aims:

-reduce the gap in prize money earnings between the top and bottom of the field
-cut the £300m+ budgets of the top teams to about half that
-simpler, cheaper engines that reduce the gap in performance between the best and worst, and open F1 to new entrants
-simplify the technical rules to reduce cost by standardising parts that are perceived to have minimal effect on both performance and the show.

[Big Kev]

Formula 1's proposals at a glance

Key strategic initiatives
Power units (PU)
• The PU must be cheaper, simpler, louder, have more power and reduce the necessity of grid penalties.
• It must remain road relevant, hybrid and allow manufacturers to build unique and original PU.
• New PU rules must be attractive for new entrants and Customer teams must have access to equivalent performance.

Costs
• We believe how you spend the money must be more decisive and important than how much money you spend.
• While there will be some standardised elements, car differentiation must remain a core value
• Implement a cost cap that maintains Formula 1 position as the pinnacle of motorsport with a state-of-the-art technology.

Revenues
• The new revenue distribution criteria must be more balanced, based on meritocracy of the current performance and reward success for the teams and the Commercial Rights Holder.
• F1's unique, historical franchise and value must and will still be recognised.
• Revenue support to both cars and engine suppliers.

Sporting and technical rules & regulations
• We must make cars more raceable to increase overtaking opportunities.
• Engineering technology must remain a cornerstone but driver's skill must be the predominant factor in the performance of the car.
• The cars must and will remain different from each other and maintain performance differentiators like aerodynamics, suspensions and PU performance. However, we believe areas not relevant to fans need to be standardised.

Governance
• A simple and streamline structure between the teams, the FIA and Formula 1.

[Duke]

Umm, just a load of motherhood statements with no relevance to how they will implement them...?

[Big Kev]

I think the teams have been given a lot more detail.

Aston Martin have tweeted

We are extremely pleased to hear today’s news regarding the future of Formula One. These prospective changes support many of the requirements needed for Aston Martin to enter the sport as an engine supplier. This is a very positive step in the right direction.

[Dr. Pain]

There would be a hefty technical document for the teams. We just get a brief statement.

[Big Kev]

I'd like more overtaking, more teams, closer racing and cheaper viewing. That probably can't be too difficult and I have the feeling it's what Ross Brawn wants as well and he's the right kind of person to be able to deliver it. If that means losing Ferrari then fine. I don't think the other teams would mind and then they'll have to come back when they realise F1 can exist without them!

[Dr. Pain]

Ferrari wont leave F1. The Scuderia is why they build and make cars so it's at their heart.

[w00dsy]

Max Verstappen has now done 10 more Grand Prix than Juan Manuel Fangio, who has 21 more race wins, 29 more poles and 5 more championships than Max.

[Jamo]

Pfft utterly incomparable. Maestro v Playstation Jockey.

[DexterPunk]

That’s pretty staggering.


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[Dr. Pain]

It is incomparable but things are very different now. Fangio did his first race in 1938, had a gap for the war then got back into it. The gap and his age worked wonders for him in F1. They only did 7 or 8 rounds in F1 a year. You could work around the short comings of a car and let talent shine and the Master was the best.

Now days it's a package and if something isn't right then you get no where. Hell it's hard to pass. But this is what happens when time comes from seconds per lap difference to 10ths between drivers.

[Big Kev]

Formula 1 will increase race fuel allowance in 2019 to allow teams "to use the engine at full power at all times" and make grand prix racing less conservative.

An increase from 105kg to 110kg, agreed in today's Strategy Group meeting in Paris and set to be ratified by the World Motor Sport Council, will be welcomed by the teams.

They have faced increased fuel consumption due to the higher downforce levels and faster lap times generated by last year's aero changes, which have put an extra emphasis on fuel saving in races, something that is not popular with fans.

Other changes for next season are the separation of the weight of the driver and car - with an 80kg minimum for the driver - and the use of biometric gloves for safety reasons.

[Jamo]

Formula 1 will increase race fuel allowance in 2019 to allow teams "to use the engine at full power at all times" and make grand prix racing less conservative.

Use full power at all times!!! Conservative!!!!!!! Words... They fail me, this travesty used to be Formula 1 for fucks sake.

[DarrenM]

They'll still start with less where they can to get an early advantage and hope to make up for it later with a safety car or just track position. It's been that way for a long time.

Same in Indycar where they still do fuel stops. They don't run 100% the whole race either.

[Big Kev]

Stupid thing is they're limited on engines so they won't go full tilt the whole time. They can't have it both ways.

[Duke]

80kg minimum for the driver

Uh, that would mean all of them would need to wear weight jackets???