Formula1 2016

[Cleoriff]

Channel 4 has taken over the terrestrial viewing for Formula 1 after BBC opted out of the contract.

I love F1 and am a bit dubious as to how successful this will be. However they have stated there will be no adverts during race time (thank god)

Yesterday they officially revealed the presenting team......

David Coulthard, Mark Webber, Alain Prost, Alex Zanardi, Susie Wolff, Karun Chandhok, Eddie Jordan and Bruno Senna; alongside seasoned live presenters and journalists Steve Jones, Ben Edwards and Lee McKenzie.

It also says Guy Martin will be making appearances

http://www.channel4.com/info/press/news/channel-4-unveils-expert-formula-1-presenting-team

[Cleoriff]

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@jonsie wrote:

I wouldn't argue with that though for sheer excitement Verstappen was good to watch,

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Indeed he was....and once he learnt his lesson from early season he was brilliant....

I think he will be the next best thing for 2017

[Cleoriff]

Excuse me while I fall back in shock. NICO ROSBERG HAS RETIRED FROM F1

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/38185846

No wonder Mercedes gifted him the damn win...

[jonsie]

Good lord, never saw that coming...

[Cleoriff]

Nor me. I have been debating who will go to Merc. if Alonso Lewis might struggle cos he is one of the best drivers going.....but then it could be Max 

[gmarkj]

Guy in the office has just mentioned this.
Big shock given what he has just achieved, but as you say @Cleoriff perhaps that is why he did it and why those instructions were issued...

[Anonymous]

I don't think it is such a shock when you stop to reflect on what he's achieved. At least he's going out on a high, in a season where Hamilton was arguably the better driver, but for some untimely mechanical failures which proved costly in the end.

Interesting to hear the amount of support for Hamilton's decision to ignore team instructions, particularly as Mercedes were already confirmed as winning the constructor's championship, and they didn't need to get involved in trying to influence the outcome of that race, as both of their drivers were in with a shout of winning the title.

[MI5]

Not caught up yet but my initial thought is Max. He would be awesome to see in a Merc!

[Cleoriff]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Interesting to hear the amount of support for Hamilton's decision to ignore team instructions, particularly as Mercedes were already confirmed as winning the constructor's championship, and they didn't need to get involved in trying to influence the outcome of that race, as both of their drivers were in with a shout of winning the title.

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I belong to a lot of F1 forums and support for Lewis was defined as to whether you 'liked' Lewis or Rosberg. 

Most came down in favour of Hamiltons tactics though. I am annoyed about Toto again treating us like fools. His comment about it being a surprise to him is absolute nonsense. 5 days after winning he is sitting down with Rosberg at a press conference. Are we really expected to believe goody two shoes Nico hadn't told Merc in advance? This is the reason he was 'gifted' the championship in my opinion. Just think how different the outcome would have been if Lewis's engine hadn't conveniently blown up in Malaysia?

Anyway, I think it will be Max or Alonso who replace him... ..bit exciting that...

[Anonymous]

Yes, opinion is clearly divided on the subject of team tactics in Formula 1, and Hamilton has been embroiled in similar arguments before this latest controversy. This is an interesting article on the subject, written by Damon Hill, no less. I did like the following extract, because it says a lot about Formula 1, and the difficulty many of us have understanding the concept of motor racing as a team sport:

"In Merc's eyes Lewis was in breach of contract. His loyalty should be to the company, in the eyes of the boss. Only this is all wrong. In fact it is the sport that pays and the sport is really owned by the fans, who sit down (or stand) for many hours and days and years in the hope of seeing a real, no holes barred, full on, right to the limits of acceptability, race. They pay the drivers AND the teams, at the end of the day."

[Cleoriff]

In my eyes it made an otherwise boring F1 very exciting to watch......Notice who was cheered on the podium. It wasn't Rosberg....