2020 Formula 1 thread

[ZCanadian]

I'm actually stoked for Tracing Point. But I also suspect that Mercedes helped them out on the deal, or they would be the ones protesting. You can copy all you like, but there is a lot of the car that we'll never see (inside ducting, underside of floor) that has significant aero. If you don't understand the "why", then just imitating the shape is only part of the battle. You have to admit, RP nailed it.

To me, this was as brilliant a business move as it was a technical feat, to make a car based on a proven a winner rather than blow a fortune to design one for only one (2020) season (or pull a Williams and just show up with the same car, new livery). We suddenly have a team to take the midfield to the leaders. And, out of sheer luck, Covid 19 has now frozen development for most of the car until the end of next year, so Lawrence Stroll got two years for the price of one.

I think that Vettel would do well to move to Aston Martin Racing Point next year, where he has a very good chance of beating the Ferraris in every race!

Next year may well be a **** show in Formula 1.
- No idea what will happen to Renault but I assume a bailout of some sort from the French government (because that's what you do if you are a French car maker in hard times). The optics of running a several hundred million dollar F1 expense while taking taxpayers' money and closing factories, are not great. And without Goshn at the helm, the alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi is no longer what it was.
-Williams has to be hanging on by a thread and will lose more sponsors this year. Latifi isn't their saviour financially or on the track.
-Ditto Haas.
- If Stroll's ownership causes Aston to pull its title sponsorship from RBR, where will Red Bull be financially? At the very least, they might not have the funds to run a "B" team, so be prepared to see Alfa Tauri sidelined.
- Anybody's guess whether McLaren will be back on the grid next year. The entire company is failing and were it not from a GPB 150 million bailout from the Bank of Bahrain they would have collapsed before the Styrian GP. That money will not last long, keeping the entire organization afloat, and their road cars have taken a huge hit in sales this year.
- Alfa is fast becoming a joke. Not sure if the Angnelli family wants two laughing stock teams in Formula 1.
- I don't see a lineup of other teams wanting in. VAG seems to have decided to commit to Formula E. Formula 1 is a bit of a dinosaur, and definitely a rich man's indulgence. Perhaps a few more UAE teams might step up?

[DLSTR]

Originally Posted by ZCanadian

I'm actually stoked for Tracing Point. But I also suspect that Mercedes helped them out on the deal, or they would be the ones protesting. You can copy all you like, but there is a lot of the car that we'll never see (inside ducting, underside of floor) that has significant aero. If you don't understand the "why", then just imitating the shape is only part of the battle. You have to admit, RP nailed it.

To me, this was as brilliant a business move as it was a technical feat, to make a car based on a proven a winner rather than blow a fortune to design one for only one (2020) season (or pull a Williams and just show up with the same car, new livery). We suddenly have a team to take the midfield to the leaders. And, out of sheer luck, Covid 19 has now frozen development for most of the car until the end of next year, so Lawrence Stroll got two years for the price of one.

I think that Vettel would do well to move to Aston Martin Racing Point next year, where he has a very good chance of beating the Ferraris in every race!

Next year may well be a **** show in Formula 1.
- No idea what will happen to Renault but I assume a bailout of some sort from the French government (because that's what you do if you are a French car maker in hard times). The optics of running a several hundred million dollar F1 expense while taking taxpayers' money and closing factories, are not great. And without Goshn at the helm, the alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi is no longer what it was.
-Williams has to be hanging on by a thread and will lose more sponsors this year. Latifi isn't their saviour financially or on the track.
-Ditto Haas.
- If Stroll's ownership causes Aston to pull its title sponsorship from RBR, where will Red Bull be financially? At the very least, they might not have the funds to run a "B" team, so be prepared to see Alfa Tauri sidelined.
- Anybody's guess whether McLaren will be back on the grid next year. The entire company is failing and were it not from a GPB 150 million bailout from the Bank of Bahrain they would have collapsed before the Styrian GP. That money will not last long, keeping the entire organization afloat, and their road cars have taken a huge hit in sales this year.
- Alfa is fast becoming a joke. Not sure if the Angnelli family wants two laughing stock teams in Formula 1.
- I don't see a lineup of other teams wanting in. VAG seems to have decided to commit to Formula E. Formula 1 is a bit of a dinosaur, and definitely a rich man's indulgence. Perhaps a few more UAE teams might step up?

Clone Point achieved a 'cheap' entry into the top 3. Marko has said if they win the protest RedBull will do the same with Tauri and just set up a new copy. Spec series Mercedes F1 lol. Clone Point will not be able to afford to pay Vettel half his current salary. Seb wants a team that can win. Clone will need to copy the next Mercedes so they will need to be a year behind with the new regs. Their winning days appear numbered for now. 2023 will be the first year they can cheat and clone again if they copy Mercedes.

Vettel will not wait that long and he will not be super young by then. I see him going away for a year and hoping he gets a better seat - there will not be any open though. His only hope is Mercedes after LH.

If he leaves I think he is gone for good. With Clone he is mid pack with a no real name team, Aston or not. Hard to see his ego accepting that. Maybe his 'love' of the sport will overcome his ego for this seat.
Fun to speculate.

-Williams need a miracle - no buyers yet
-McLaren are now the Bahrain National Team. Their money is tied directly to the Government
-Renault are banking on the new reg's and cost structure to stay in the series
-Haas will be the first team to fold up and leave F1. They are debating this now and I dont see Mr Haas finding inspiration any more.