2022 Formula 1 Season thread

[The-Real-Deal82]

I‘m afraid it’s not going to change either. I don’t see Masi going now, and all the drama with Lewis will be over soon. It’s clear now he was never seriously going to retire in 2022. The FIA investigation is already over just waiting to be released what, 2 days before the start? Does anyone seriously believe they are not doing this aiming directly at Lewis? The FIA is dysfunctional. Period.

If things were serious it would be out by now.

As for Martin Bumble I’m always thankful for the Mute Button on the remote. Johnathan Palmer is the only voice of logic on Sky.

Expect 2022 to be like 2021 from a regulatory standpoint. Anyone who didn’t see this coming when a Media Company took over F1 didn’t do their homework. Lets just hope the new rear wing allows some exciting racing on the fast sweepers.

I now feel it was a mistake selling to a media company but the FIA should not be influenced by this as they are much bigger than Liberty Media. They govern motorsport far beyond F1 and if Liberty are getting involved in decisions and influencing for the sake of entertainment, then they have to go. I know the FIA have always been influenced, most notably by Ferrari throughout the 70’s and 80’s, but in this day and age it needs to be more transparent. That level of corruption should be a thing of the past.

In fairness to Lewis, he’s not hinted at retirement since the last race. Toto stirred the pot a bit and fans were vocal about imaginary sulking from Lewis which was never evident due to him completely going off grid. I considered he might and still think he’ll move onto other things in the next couple of years as I don’t see him doing a Kimi.

I think the result of 2021 will be debated for many years to come, like any controversial event in the sports past. I certainly hope that is Verstappens one and only championship as 2021 changed my perception of his on track ability under pressure and I think he was far too ruthless at times. He is perhaps the fastest driver on the grid, but lacks the finesse of keeping the car on the island when going wheel to wheel. He’s no rookie either. I hope 2022 is an exciting season for the right reasons and we get a close fought season without too much FIA/Liberty Media intervention

 

[Pezimak]

Or the RB pit stops. All teams exploit the rules as much as they can. That’s how you get an edge over the competition.

Pit stops? What are you on about with that? Are you accusing Red Bull of cheating with their pit stops now because they are the fastest crew?

 

[Apple fanboy]

Pit stops? What are you on about with that?

The rules were modified as RB had somewhat taken advantage of part of the safety rules. That’s why their pit stops became much more similar to the rest of the teams after Hungry.

F1’s new pitstop rule: What is it and why is it being introduced?

www.autosport.com

Like I said all teams exploit the rules as much as they can.

 

[Pezimak]

The rules were modified as RB had somewhat taken advantage of part of the safety rules. That’s why their pit stops became much more similar to the rest of the teams after Hungry.

F1’s new pitstop rule: What is it and why is it being introduced?

www.autosport.com

Like I said all teams exploit the rules as much as they can.

You mean the split seconds that have to added onto the pit stops because Mercedes and Toto pushed for it, because their crews are incapable of keeping up with Red Bull’s.
I don’t see that as bending any rules and everything to do with Mercedes being incapable of keeping up, so get the rules changed.

 

[Apple fanboy]

You mean the split seconds that have to added onto the pit stops because Mercedes and Toto pushed for it, because their crews are incapable of keeping up with Red Bull’s.
I don’t see that as bending any rules and everything to do with Mercedes being incapable of keeping up, so get the rules changed.

Well of course you don’t! Red Bull can do no wrong in your eyes. I have a more balanced view of the teams. They all complain about other teams. They all bend the rules as much as they can.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Well of course you don’t! Red Bull can do no wrong in your eyes. I have a more balanced view of the teams. They all complain about other teams. They all bend the rules as much as they can.

Precisely. The whole essence of F1 is that it is an R&D category and part of the competition is exploiting the rules to each team’s advantage. It’s nothing new and part of this involves rival teams complaining. Even the more biased fans need to understand this.

McLaren were the real innovators of the last 20 years when it comes to pitstops. It was ex-F1 mechanic Marc Priestly who engineered a wheel nut gun that operated much faster than the standard guns that were used throughout the pit lane. McLaren kept this quiet for a few seasons before other teams realised. It’s now the new standard.

 

[CWallace]

I honestly feel like Max is a one and done type champ.
Maybe one more title, who knows? I could be wrong...
It just took so much to get him this one I can't see things aligning again like that for him unless he has an absolutely dominant car.

Well having an absolutely dominating car is a prerequisite to win a WDC. You must have skill, of course, but that car allows one to utilize that skill to maximum effect.

As for Max, I think he has a reasonable chance to win more WDCs, even against Lewis and AMG Mercedes. He was a legitimate contender through Silverstone and if not for his DNF there, IMO he would have kept the momentum to have secured the WDC before season's end. Yes he is aggressive and yes he is arrogant, but so was Senna and Schumacher and Alonso and even Lewis.

I believe RBR will field a very competitive car and the engine freeze they successfully lobbied for means that they will have a competitive Power Unit at the start of the season and need not worry about AMG developing a better Power Unit mid-season like 2021.

I now feel it was a mistake selling to a media company but the FIA should not be influenced by this as they are much bigger than Liberty Media. They govern motorsport far beyond F1 and if Liberty are getting involved in decisions and influencing for the sake of entertainment, then they have to go.

Compared to how Bernie and Company managed The Show, I will take Liberty Media 200%. They have completely turned around F1's fortunes here in the United States, turning it from something that could not compete against ostrich racing (in the 1990s) to drawing 400,000 people to Austin during a pandemic.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Compared to how Bernie and Company managed The Show, I will take Liberty Media 200%. They have completely turned around F1's fortunes here in the United States, turning it from something that could not compete against ostrich racing (in the 1990s) to drawing 400,000 people to Austin during a pandemic.

Whether F1 is popular in the US is irrelevant to me and Bernie’s opinions on that very topic were one of the few I agreed with him on.

 

[Pezimak]

Well of course you don’t! Red Bull can do no wrong in your eyes. I have a more balanced view of the teams. They all complain about other teams. They all bend the rules as much as they can.

No it’s nothing to do with that, what exactly were Red Bull doing wrong with having the fastest pit crew? Oh and by the way Williams were faster a few times, are they cheating bending the rules also?
Just look at who pushed for the rule change. Think about it..

Sorry but it’s really really really stretching it to claim Red Bull we’re cheating just because they had a faster pit crew then ‘most’ of the other teams, by a few split seconds.

Bending the rules, and getting away with it, is Mercedes rear wing last year, and the Red Bull front wing till they were called out on it, not a fast pit crew. Please someone tell me just how a fast pit crew was cheating and bending the rules?

 

[Apple fanboy]

No it’s nothing to do with that, what exactly were Red Bull doing wrong with having the fastest pit crew? Oh and by the way Williams were faster a few times, are they cheating bending the rules also?
Just look at who pushed for the rule change. Think about it..

Sorry but it’s really really really stretching it to claim Red Bull we’re cheating just because they had a faster pit crew then ‘most’ of the other teams, by a few split seconds.

Bending the rules, and getting away with it, is Mercedes rear wing last year, and the Red Bull front wing till they were called out on it, not a fast pit crew. Please someone tell me just how a fast pit crew was cheating and bending the rules?

I believe it was to do with an automation for when a task had been completed rather than relying on the reactions of the actual release guy.
But look you love RB. You hate Mercedes’. We all have our favourites.
Lets just hope it’s a WC decided by the fastest guy this year. Not some idiot in the control room. Not long to wait now.

 

[CWallace]

Whether F1 is popular in the US is irrelevant to me and Bernie’s opinions on that very topic were one of the few I agreed with him on.

Yes I understand that, but the US market is critical to the manufacturers and the manufacturers are critical to F1 so getting us (the US) on board in huge numbers, IMO, can only help F1 survive and thrive.

F1 also had zero social media presence prior to Liberty and while I personally view SM as a cancer, it's economic influence is immense and, again, that will only help keep the manufacturers interested and engaged in the sport.

And I also hope that Liberty will help bring F1 back to public terrestrial television in the UK and EU once the current pay TV deals start to roll over.

As for Bernie, all he cared about was enriching himself. Hence the pivot to Asia and the Middle East starting in the 2000s with governments that were willing to pay exorbitant sanctioning fees for a couple of years to use F1 as an advertising and PR program rather than a long-term, sustainable event that would in turn help keep F1 itself as a long-term, sustainable sport.

 

[Pezimak]

I believe it was to do with an automation for when a task had been completed rather than relying on the reactions of the actual release guy.
But look you love RB. You hate Mercedes’. We all have our favourites.
Lets just hope it’s a WC decided by the fastest guy this year. Not some idiot in the control room. Not long to wait now.

That's your opinion, I don't love or hate anyone. But you still haven't really explained how you believe Red Bull cheated with its pit stops by bending the rules.
What automation did they do that broke the rules?

 

[Pezimak]

Yes I understand that, but the US market is critical to the manufacturers and the manufacturers are critical to F1 so getting us (the US) on board in huge numbers, IMO, can only help F1 survive and thrive.

F1 also had zero social media presence prior to Liberty and while I personally view SM as a cancer, it's economic influence is immense and, again, that will only help keep the manufacturers interested and engaged in the sport.

And I also hope that Liberty will help bring F1 back to public terrestrial television in the UK and EU once the current pay TV deals start to roll over.

As for Bernie, all he cared about was enriching himself. Hence the pivot to Asia and the Middle East starting in the 2000s with governments that were willing to pay exorbitant sanctioning fees for a couple of years to use F1 as an advertising and PR program rather than a long-term, sustainable event that would in turn help keep F1 itself as a long-term, sustainable sport.

But then the sport is also at the danger of being changed to suite the US market and not the European one as it was.
I don't watch US sports as I find them too over the top.

Personally I don't think F1 will return to terrestrial TV, Sky has very deep pockets when it comes to sports rights. They don't think twice of spending billions on a single sports rights, with football its a single leagues airtime rights.
I hate that fact and I only hope Amazon or someone will have deeper pockets?

 

[Glideslope]

Well having an absolutely dominating car is a prerequisite to win a WDC. You must have skill, of course, but that car allows one to utilize that skill to maximum effect.

As for Max, I think he has a reasonable chance to win more WDCs, even against Lewis and AMG Mercedes. He was a legitimate contender through Silverstone and if not for his DNF there, IMO he would have kept the momentum to have secured the WDC before season's end. Yes he is aggressive and yes he is arrogant, but so was Senna and Schumacher and Alonso and even Lewis.

I believe RBR will field a very competitive car and the engine freeze they successfully lobbied for means that they will have a competitive Power Unit at the start of the season and need not worry about AMG developing a better Power Unit mid-season like 2021.




Compared to how Bernie and Company managed The Show, I will take Liberty Media 200%. They have completely turned around F1's fortunes here in the United States, turning it from something that could not compete against ostrich racing (in the 1990s) to drawing 400,000 people to Austin during a pandemic.

I simply can’t agree with the end of your comment. NASCAR draws hundreds of thousands of fans during its season. That in no way quantifies the quality of the sport. Which in NASCA is a step above pushing your cart in the grocery store.

Liberty‘s goal from the beginning was to create a F1 Media Circus with controversy, inappropriate influence on regulatory bodies (far more than Bernie) and create a global NASCAR.

The US should have been kept out of F1. We are greedy, only care about financial returns, and love to play politics on the global stage such as F1.

The only positive I see for 2022 is the possibility that the cars may handle better under braking and fast sweepers while following close.

At least IMSA has a super season underway. ?

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Yes I understand that, but the US market is critical to the manufacturers and the manufacturers are critical to F1 so getting us (the US) on board in huge numbers, IMO, can only help F1 survive and thrive.

F1 also had zero social media presence prior to Liberty and while I personally view SM as a cancer, it's economic influence is immense and, again, that will only help keep the manufacturers interested and engaged in the sport.

And I also hope that Liberty will help bring F1 back to public terrestrial television in the UK and EU once the current pay TV deals start to roll over.

As for Bernie, all he cared about was enriching himself. Hence the pivot to Asia and the Middle East starting in the 2000s with governments that were willing to pay exorbitant sanctioning fees for a couple of years to use F1 as an advertising and PR program rather than a long-term, sustainable event that would in turn help keep F1 itself as a long-term, sustainable sport.

I am not sure the US market is that important to F1. It’s a smaller market than Europes and F1 has never been as popular there because of American grown motorsports like NASCAR and IndyCar. I don’t like the way American sports are broadcast and marketed and this is what concerns me with Liberty Media. We can already see this effect with the way British broadcaster Sky F1 have Americanised their delivery over the past few years. I understand for American fans of the sport this new era is great as F1 is finally being taken seriously, but I don’t want to see the sport migrate away from its European roots. Bernie was indeed guilty of starting this and thankfully lost out ultimately when the manufacturers came very close to forming a breakaway series back in 2009.

F1 back on terrestrial TV would be a dream, but it’s highly unlikely. The likes of the BBC putting up £200m for the rights is a slap in the face for license fee payers who aren’t into the sport and my only hope is Amazon or Netflix take over the next deal. Even then I hope the presentation remains British with pundits like David Coulthard and Mark Webber providing a much better experience than the dreary boys club on Sky.

 

[CWallace]

We can already see this effect with the way British broadcaster Sky F1 have Americanised their delivery over the past few years.

F1 in the US is the SkyF1 broadcast (carried on ESPN) so I wonder if they are adjusting their delivery to accommodate the US market (since every cable and satellite customer has ESPN as do probably most streaming customers).

 

[CWallace]

I simply can’t agree with the end of your comment. NASCAR draws hundreds of thousands of fans during its season.

Actually, NASCAR has been seeing significant attendance declines for years (even if it still out-pulls the NFL). But fans watch NASCAR because they are a fan of the manufacturer or a fan of the driver so that does not make them that much different than an F1 fan (F1 does have fans of the teams, themselves, which is not something one sees much in NASCAR).

That in no way quantifies the quality of the sport. Which in NASCAR is a step above pushing your cart in the grocery store.

Liberty‘s goal from the beginning was to create a F1 Media Circus with controversy, inappropriate influence on regulatory bodies (far more than Bernie) and create a global NASCAR.

What makes NASCAR boring is the track configuration (ovals) and that it is effectively a spec series so (aerodynamic) positioning primarily determines performance with driver skill (at negotiating said aerodynamic positioning) being less so.

F1 performance is based on driver skill, team strategy, vehicle and engine design and track configuration (how it favors certain performance factors, including aerodynamic, power, acceleration), et. al. Personally, I do not see the FIA turning F1 into a spec series because it defeats the founding and fundamental purpose of having F1. Besides, that is what F2 is for.

The US should have been kept out of F1. We are greedy, only care about financial returns, and love to play politics on the global stage such as F1.

Bernie and CVC Holdings were no better on those grounds, IMO.

 

[Glideslope]

Actually, NASCAR has been seeing significant attendance declines for years (even if it still out-pulls the NFL). But fans watch NASCAR because they are a fan of the manufacturer or a fan of the driver so that does not make them that much different than an F1 fan (F1 does have fans of the teams, themselves, which is not something one sees much in NASCAR).



What makes NASCAR boring is the track configuration (ovals) and that it is effectively a spec series so (aerodynamic) positioning primarily determines performance with driver skill (at negotiating said aerodynamic positioning) being less so.

F1 performance is based on driver skill, team strategy, vehicle and engine design and track configuration (how it favors certain performance factors, including aerodynamic, power, acceleration), et. al. Personally, I do not see the FIA turning F1 into a spec series because it defeats the founding and fundamental purpose of having F1. Besides, that is what F2 is for.



Bernie and CVC Holdings were no better on those grounds, IMO.

Well, I'm going to respectfully disagree with you. However, I do accept your point on Bernie and CVC.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

F1 in the US is the SkyF1 broadcast (carried on ESPN) so I wonder if they are adjusting their delivery to accommodate the US market (since every cable and satellite customer has ESPN as do probably most streaming customers).

Thankfully in the UK we have channel 4 that do a highlights show. That suits me as it’s a shortened version of the race and the presentation is much better than Sky’s.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Thankfully in the UK we have channel 4 that do a highlights show. That suits me as it’s a shortened version of the race and the presentation is much better than Sky’s.

Absolutely. A Bumble free zone!

 

[pachyderm]

I simply can’t agree with the end of your comment. NASCAR draws hundreds of thousands of fans during its season. That in no way quantifies the quality of the sport. Which in NASCA is a step above pushing your cart in the grocery store.

Liberty‘s goal from the beginning was to create a F1 Media Circus with controversy, inappropriate influence on regulatory bodies (far more than Bernie) and create a global NASCAR.

The US should have been kept out of F1. We are greedy, only care about financial returns, and love to play politics on the global stage such as F1.

The only positive I see for 2022 is the possibility that the cars may handle better under braking and fast sweepers while following close.

At least IMSA has a super season underway. ?

Keep in mind they have 38 races!!

 

[Apple fanboy]

Keep in mind they have 38 races!!

So will we the way we are going!

 

[Pezimak]

I am not sure the US market is that important to F1. It’s a smaller market than Europes and F1 has never been as popular there because of American grown motorsports like NASCAR and IndyCar. I don’t like the way American sports are broadcast and marketed and this is what concerns me with Liberty Media. We can already see this effect with the way British broadcaster Sky F1 have Americanised their delivery over the past few years. I understand for American fans of the sport this new era is great as F1 is finally being taken seriously, but I don’t want to see the sport migrate away from its European roots. Bernie was indeed guilty of starting this and thankfully lost out ultimately when the manufacturers came very close to forming a breakaway series back in 2009.

F1 back on terrestrial TV would be a dream, but it’s highly unlikely. The likes of the BBC putting up £200m for the rights is a slap in the face for license fee payers who aren’t into the sport and my only hope is Amazon or Netflix take over the next deal. Even then I hope the presentation remains British with pundits like David Coulthard and Mark Webber providing a much better experience than the dreary boys club on Sky.

This I can totally agree with. We will have to see how it plays out this year and 2023 to know which direction they are taking the sport.

Wonder if we will have a Russian GP this year? Covid may still play havoc yet anyway with the calendar.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

This I can totally agree with. We will have to see how it plays out this year and 2023 to know which direction they are taking the sport.

Wonder if we will have a Russian GP this year? Covid may still play havoc yet anyway with the calendar.

I certainly think Sochi should be dropped from the calendar as it reflects poorly on the sport right now. It’s also a rubbish circuit that looks like it’s been set up in the car park of a ski resort. F1 doesn’t need any links to Russia IMO.

 

[pachyderm]

I certainly think Sochi should be dropped from the calendar as it reflects poorly on the sport right now. It’s also a rubbish circuit that looks like it’s been set up in the car park of a ski resort. F1 doesn’t need any links to Russia IMO.

100% agreed.