FORMULA 1 2024

[Cleoriff]

So breaking news before the start of the 2024 season:

Lewis Hamilton appears to be making a move to Ferrari for the 2025 season

A major shock as he signed a two year contract with Mercedes last season. So whether it was one year with an opt out clause for 2025 is anyone's guess.

This seems to be anything but a silly season rumour!

MOTORSPORT: HAMILTON TO FERRARI 

SKY NEWS: HAMILTON TO FERRARI FOR 2025 

A lot more news happening but I'll post that later. For now, I need to go and have a lie down 😂

NB As Charles Leclerc has just signed a contract extension with Ferrari, it looks as if Lewis would be replacing Carlos Sainz.

It won't be a popular move. Also, not sure how Mercedes will handle that news THIS year as Lewis is driving for them until the end of 2024.

Will they put all their eggs in George Russells basket? (Hamilton came 3rd in the drivers championship last year and Russell came 8th)

Questions Questions!!🤔

[Cleoriff]

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@pgn wrote:

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@Cleoriff wrote:

SPRINT RACE (OVER 19 laps)

Then the stewards decided he was speeding down the pit lane (behind the safety car when ALL cars were taken through the pits after Norris crashed) He was given a 20 second penalty which dropped him from 8th to 16th!!

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 The old 10% + 2 rule of thumb for speed on public roads probably does not apply on the F1 circuit 😬

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No @pgn ...it doesn't! 😂

The farce of that penalty is this: Imagine 20 cars behind the safety car nose to tail in the pitlane?? How in the name of God can ANY car speed? I've watched it this morning and he was 7th in the car train and I didn't see any speeding at all.. If he had been speeding he would have ass ended the car in 6th place!!

[Cleoriff]

By the way, as I was out last night I had to watch this morning

1) Sprint Qualy

2) Sprint Race

3) Qualifying.

The reason for logging on late!! 🙄

[Oxonian]

Not really a F1 fan myself, but I found this article fascinating :- 

Sid Watkins, Ayrton Senna and Formula 1's safety revolution - BBC Sport

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/c1ejpl7k2lqo

[Cleoriff]

@Oxonian 

I have been a fan of F1 since it started (Over 50 years ago) My dad was a real fan so I followed in his footsteps.

My all time favourite F1 driver was Ayrton Senna. I watched (and cried) at the race in Imola when he died 30 years ago on May 1st.  It was a terrible weekend, full of severe crashes and two fatalities.

On Friday Practice, Rubens Barichello crashed and lost consiousness. His life was saved by Sid Watkins the F1 doctor. 

On Saturday during qualifying a driver called Roland Ratzenberger crashed and died.

Many wanted the race cancelled but the FIA refused.

Ayrton told his race engineer that he had a bad feeling about the race.

He was on pole for the race on Sunday. On lap 6 he crashed into the wall at Tamburello. In those days everything was shown on TV, so the race stopped after he crashed and I watched everything.

I was yelling at the TV, GET OUT, STAND UP. As a nurse I knew  he was dead or dying. He was taken by helicopter to hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

The race continued as they tried to keep his death a secret until the end. Such a tragic waste of life.

Then they vastly improved on safety for drivers.

6 months after his death, the FIA had every video of his death removed from YouTube. (although a few keep re-appearing.)

Nowadays, cameras cut away from a severe crash until they know the driver is safe.

Interesting article by the way. I was aware Sid knew Ayrton but not as well as that.

[Oxonian]

I am glad that you found the article interesting @Cleoriff. 

My first real memories of Formula 1 are the Niki Lauda crash and his rivalry with James Hunt. I think that Lauda's crash put me off Formula 1 for life.        

[Cleoriff]

MIAMI F1 Race

What a race!! A first win for Lando Norris of McLaren. There was a safety car which helped Norris but for the last 20 laps he pulled away from Max and finished with a gap of 9 seconds.

Great to hear the British National Anthem once more.

Oh and Lewis finished ahead of  Russell for once.

[Cleoriff]

Late News :

Sainz hit with 5 second penalty after a lunge at Piastri which caused a loss of Piastri's wing and putting him well out of the points. He was running in 4th at the time.

Perez moves up to 4th and Sainz drops to 5th. (Had it been a 10s penalty which the stewards were handing out all weekend, Lewis would have moved up to 5th and Sainz dropped to 6th. Ah well!! 😂

[Cleoriff]

Imola F1. 

I didn't watcch this as I was away. However, the drivers took to the track for a run. All wearing green and yellow t shirts. Senna's car was taken for a run pre race. Seb Vettel was involved in the organisation of all this.

During Practice and Qualy Max was complaining about the balance of the car. He still managed to get pole.

The race was ok with a few strategy winning calls.

QUALY RESULTS

[Cleoriff]

RACE IMOLA

This shows McLaren are fast catching up with Red Bull. Notice the small gap between Lando and Max at race end. Another lap and it would have been another race win for Lando.

George Russell (who is no team player, has a burning desire to beat his 7x WDC team mate Lewis.)

He started 6th and Lewis 8th. At the start LH jumped Tsunado and was behind his team mate.

About 15 laps from the end Merc Data showed Russell's tyre's would not last to the end.

They pitted him again onto softs and as Lewis was way ahead of Russell, Russell asked if 'LH would give the place back!!

Merc's response was 'No that's not going to happen' Just go for the fastest lap.'

Race Results

So Lando was 0.725 secs behind Verstappen.

[Cleoriff]

Next week Monaco.