Care to elaborate?

 

Just tired of seeing a certain somebody win again. Not his fault really- great driver in THE best car which is how F1 usually works anyway.

 

The 2014 specs for the cars are drastically different. I believe they're actually installing smaller engines in the new cars. Supposedly, the other teams will be more competitive in the new season. God knows, I certainly hope so. I don't want to take anything away from Vettel or Red Bull for their 2013 performance, but I wouldn't mind seeing McLaren and Williams improving on this past tear's performance.

 

New engines are V6 turbos.

Williams is running Mercedes engines next year not Renault.

Apparently Williams ditched the Coanda exhaust for Austin will be be doing so again this week... Williams never figured out how to get it working right and it was robbing performance instead of improving it.

 

Well the rumor mill continues to grind out news on who will get the coveted Lotus seat due to the departing Kimi Raikkonen moving to the Scuderia...

Maldonado, Hulkenberg keys to 2014 'silly season'

Nov.22 (GMM) Pastor Maldonado and Nico Hulkenberg remain the keys to the last phase of F1's 2014 'silly season'.

PDVSA-backed Maldonado, a grand prix winner, is the powerful 'pay driver' on the move, reportedly with EUR 40 million in tow and on the lookout for a new team after his Williams split.

It is believed that if Lotus' 'Quantum' investment deal falls through, locking the highly-rated Hulkenberg out, Maldonado is in pole position to replace Kimi Raikkonen in 2014.

But Maldonado muddied the waters at Interlagos on Thursday when he told reporters he might not be taking his PDVSA millions to his next team.

"For sure they've been supporting me for a while but maybe they don't want to continue," he said.

"Maybe yes, maybe not."

Maldonado, whose claims he is in the running even in PDVSA's absence raised eyebrows in the paddock, named Lotus but also Sauber and Force India as all "good options" for 2014.

Few, however, believe that, in a straight fight, teams would sign an unsponsored Maldonado over Hulkenberg. Indeed, on Thursday, German Hulkenberg admitted there was a "danger" money matters would leave him without a seat in 2014.

Fernando Alonso, regarded by many as the best driver in F1, said it would be wrong if that happened.

"He (Hulkenberg) is one of the best guys in the field," the Spaniard is quoted by SID news agency, "and not just in the last few weeks.

"He really has a great talent," Alonso added.

TV pundit Eddie Jordan predicted weeks ago that Hulkenberg would eventually be signed by Force India. On Thursday, rumours that a two-year contract is now on the German's table did the rounds at Interlagos.

Hulkenberg, it seems, would not replace his countryman Adrian Sutil, as the German grinned broadly on Thursday when asked about his future.

Asked by Speed Week to rank his worries about 2014 between 1 and 10, Sutil answered: "Zero. I have no worries. I'm very calm."

It is Paul di Resta who is openly worried, and now more strongly linked with his newly-retired cousin Dario Franchitti's Ganassi seat in Indycar than a future in F1.

"I've openly said I would discuss it with Dario," the Scot is quoted by Britain's Sky. "I wouldn't rule anything out."

Force India deputy boss Bob Fernley said the Silverstone based team will not decide its 2014 driver lineup until December.

Here's hoping that Hulkenberg gets the Lotus drive!

 

Pastor's living in a pretty vivid fantasy world if he thinks any team would take him without the PDVSA money...

Quantum continues to insist that the deal is done and that all that needs to happen is for the money to be transferred which is being held up due to regulatory approval...

 

No money, no Lotus seat for Pastor.

 

No money no seat at all for Pastor... His PDVSA money is the only thing keeping him in F1... And after his accusations last week that Williams was sabotaging him (even if he did later retract them) I see even less of a reason that a team would want him.

That being said, Pastor believes that he's the second coming of Fangio and that if he had a good car he'd be mixing it up with the Red Bulls...

 

Indeed! Maldonado's ego far supersedes his ability behind the wheel. Were it not for the backing given him by then Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez and the state backed PDVSA he would have been just another lesser formulae driver seeking F1 stardom.

His performance in the lesser formula ranks was rather lackluster and nothing that stands out in terms of performance. Four years in the GP2 series (2007-2010 finishing 11th, 5th, 6th, & 1st respectively) and one year in the Asian GP2 (no wins/finishing 15th) produced only one championship and is rather a long time serving in an apprentice series. His money was the determining factor IMO for his continued appearance behind the wheel and not his consummate skill.

It's always easy to critique and I don't mean to totally undermine Maldonado's, abilities as anyone who reaches the pinnacle of the sport has proven that they have the requisite skills to pilot an F1 machine, but in Pastor's case his statements and actions (both on and off the track) underscore his garnering a seat with a top line team or for that matter even backmarkers like Marussia or Caterham.

 

It's official. There will not be a Grand Prix of America at Port Imperial in 2014. Organizers for the Formula One race, which was on the preliminary schedule for June 2014 on the streets of Weehawken and West New York, N.J., announced on Wednesday that they were unable to secure enough financing to satisfy F1.

Read more: http://www.autoweek.com/article/2013...#ixzz2mWY2KhNA
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Pastor Maldonado is joining Lotus and Ross Brawn is leaving Mercedes.

 

Well I have to tell you that it does not surprise me when one takes into account Bernie's incessant greed. IMO I'm glad to see that it did not come to pass. F1 does not need another street race. Losing NJ/NYC is no great loss. I'm afraid that it would have resembled ALMS debacle at Baltimore attempting to have cars negotiate a street circuit littered with everyday obstacles such as manhole covers, RR tracks, bumps and curbs. F1 has enough street races what with Monaco, Singapore, Albert Park and Sochi. Call me a traditionalist but I prefer to see F1 on permanent road circuits (e.g. Spa, Monza, Interlagos, COTA, etc.).

Well, Lotus has sold out in favor of Maldonado's petro dollars and once again Hulkenberg ( a great talent) is denied a proper seat with a frontline team.
So where is Ross headed now that Merc has dropped him?

 

Sabre,

I do agree with you in principal, but a race in the Northeast would draw a LOT of people due to the population density on that side of the country. Any increase in US interest is only great for the sport.

What surprises me a little is that Bernie is always talking about more US involvement, and of course, we are the largest market, by far, for the manufacturers. They obviously want as many races as possible here.

I figured even with the greedy BE at the helm, he would have offered some form of help to get this race off the ground.

You are totally right about the Baltimore debacle. Don't want another one of those...I have not been an Indy fan since the days of the real CART ended, but cars going airborne over RR tracks.....really?

I suppose Indy is desparate to get a race anywhere so they took what they could get.

 

It really does peave me that this is a pay-for-a-seat sport....with all of the so-called cost reducing measures F1 put in place, I had hoped this practice would come to an end...

Teams are really so desparate just to participate in F1, they will take the money and usually a lackluster driver, knowing they have no chance of moving up on the grid? How de-moralizing that must be for the engineers and support staff of the team...

 

Personally, I like the street races. I like watching the cars race through a tight urban environment - Monaco and Singapore are two of my favorite races... But, I agree not every city can support an interesting layout, and Monaco only works because of the backdrop it provides...

That being said, I'm not sure the NJ race location was selected for anything more than it's backdrop and I suspect that as a track it wouldn't have been that great. Also, money or not - running an F1 race through a residential neighborhood doesn't seem like a long term plan for success... Anybody remember the Grand Prix of DC? It was held in a parking lot around RFK stadium and there was a lot of screaming from the surrounding neighborhoods over that race...

F1 needs to be in the US though - with the fan base potential that the US has and the size of the country - the US could support a second race. And having more races in the US is probably the only way to build the fanbase here... Actually that's not true - a second race along with competent and comprehensive media coverage is the only way to build the fanbase... NBCSports' craptastic coverage isn't helping to build the series' popularity in the US.

So where does F1 go then? What tracks are closest enough to populated areas to support the investment in upgrading them to F1 standards?

I can't see F1 returning to Indy or Seabring, let alone Watkins Glenn....

On the street side - it would be great to get a race back on Belle Isle in Detroit, but if they couldn't get the NJ race funded there's no way anybody could find enough money for FoM's fees AND to properly upgrade the circuit... (Last time Indycar was there the race was halted when the road surface started crumbling)...

 

I wholeheartedly agree!


Sad to say Z06_Pilot, that the practice of favoring a driver with money has always been a part of motorsports since commercial sponsorship became de riguer. In the case of Maldonado, were I a team principle, I would be looking at others despite his petro dollars. Pastor's unsolicited comments about Williams being responsible for his lack of on track performance, coupled with his on track antics would seem to deem him unsuitable for a seat with a top team like Lotus. But then again in today's F1 money talks and ethics/abilities walks.


Monaco is both a delight and an anachronism. Having been there I can say that the TV camera does not even begin to illustrate how (for lack of a better word) tight the venue is. Consequently, it speaks volumes to see these modern day F1 missiles, at speed, in the hands of a talented driver, negotiate the confines that is Monte Carlo. Monaco's glitzy backdrop and history help to secure it a place on the F1 calendar. There are other circuits (Albert Park comes to mind) that are just as entertaining but F1 has enough venues like this & does not need another street race IMO. Would the addition of more street circuits be at the expense of permanent circuits? Look at the trouble that Spa-Francorchamps had awhile back trying to retain its place on the F1 calendar.


I attended that ALMS race in D.C. and I have to tell you that it was ludicrous. It reminded me more of an AutoX than it did a race for prototype & GT sportscars. I can imagine the uproar from the locals, concerning the noise, congestion, etc. This was nothing more than trying to shoe-horn an event into a heavily populated area in the hopes of garnering attendance. As you can see, it failed. The viewing areas were poor and sitting in stands was akin to watching cars stream by on the expressway. They would have been better served by racing on a permanent circuit.
So with that in mind, is this what F1 wants? F1 touts itself as the pinnacle of motorsports. Do venues such as NJ/NYC serve to promote the cars as lightning fast technological wonders able to corner and brake and accelerate in the blink of an eye? Most likely not and I can hear the same comments being uttered by the neophyte/casual fan as I did in D.C. stating, "This isn't so great! Those guys aren't that fast. Why I bet I could drive my car as quick as them!"


Yes the US can support two Grand Prix races but only if the fan base is large enough and for that you absolutely need TV coverage (and the proper venue) to spread the word amongst the public. What F1 does not need are lackluster street venues like Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, Detroit, et al.
F1 also needs to lean heavily on NBC and "encourage" them to better cover the sport. Really NBC has done a poor job with F1. Moving F1 coverage off NBCSN to their local affiliate so that they can do Olympic trials coverage and then having that affiliate give truncated coverage is unacceptable and will never garner a proper fan base.
The only smart thing that they (NBC) have done is acquiring the services of Messrs. Hobbs & Matchett. The rest is well... meh.


I wish that F1 would eschew the idea of trying to plunk down an F1 race in a population center just cause they think that it will make the turnstyles hum. There is much more to this sport that can be appreciated by showcasing it on a proper circuit, IMO.
Unfortunately money is the engine that drives the car and as far as permanent circuits like Indy, Sebring, or the Glen it is the cost in upgrading the facility that will be the determining factor.
F1 will not return to Indy (never liked the Mickey Mouse infield portion) as Tony George was burned by His Majesty Bernard I. The others mentioned are hampered by the cost of upgrading, though I would love to see the Glen host a USGP, seeing as it is the spiritual home of F1 in the USA. If I were to vote for another location to host the USGP it would be Road America (wonderful facility and challenging circuit to drive).

 

Cost cutting doesn't really work in F1. If the big teams aren't spending $$$$$$ on 7+ engines a weekend (1 for practice, 1 for quali., and 1 for the race for each car in the race plus a third car for testing), or multiple test sessions during the season, or more wind tunnel time (that is limited now, right?), they'll just spend $$$$$$ on more/better employees, or bigger compute farms for CFD, or more accurate simulators, or ways to make pit stops faster, etc.

The big teams will always spend way more than the small ones. The only possible way to put a limit on it is a rule similar to the "salary cap" used in other professional sports. Such a rule for F1 would have to be so much more extensive than salary caps for players that I don't know how you'd enforce it, and aren't always that effective anyway.

Unfortunately, NBC has a bunch of other contracts that it has to honor.

Of the places I would love to see hold an F1 race, none will happen because of either current condition/facilities (the Glenn, Laguna Seca), or location (the Glenn, Road America).

 

The failure of Korea is a pretty strong argument that F1 needs to be in a population center...

For sentimental reasons, Watkins Glenn would be fantastic for a return... But, it's not just that the track doesn't meet current safety regs - that can be dealt with... But also much like Korea, Watkins Glenn is 4 hours away from anywhere... Watkins Glenn truly is a sleepy town with a race track. The logistics of getting an F1 race to Watkins Glenn is every bit as bad as Korea.

From a logistics standpoint it would make the most sense to stick a Watkins Glenn race right before or right after Montreal... But being so close to a Watkins Glenn race could cannabalize attendance at Montreal... Given how much of a dismal failure Seebring was, I can't see F1 being enticed to return... And I'm not sure anybody really liked Indy (it was from before I was a fan so I don't know much about it).

Road America would probably be a solid candidate though...

 

... about the F1 in NJ - the roads in that area, at least the ones i have driven, are terrible. The area itself is not that nice aside from Hoboken.

 

interesting analysis....i think that is why Austin seems successful(I was not there in 2012, but was there in 2013, and every grandstand and possible place to stand in general admission was packed on race day, even if it was an extremely boring race, so I assume it is considered a success).

it's very close to several large population centers, but just far enough out to avoid total congestion with traffic....we stayed in San Antonio and got to the track every day in 45 minutes...having that 85mph toll road run directly to the track helps

totally agree with you. The Glen is truly a magical place located in a beautiful part of the country....but logistics to get the modern day F1 circus there? just not possible, as you said.

 

I doubt there will ever be a "bog" at Austin, not one to match the Glen is its F1 days.

 

In reference to the practice of favoring well funded drivers over their more talented brethren - well this article came to light recently...



Lotus needs Maldonado's 'financial support' - boss

Dec.6 (GMM) Lotus has admitted for the first time that Pastor Maldonado will boost the Enstone based team's coffers in 2014.

Earlier, Venezuelan Maldonado said there was no guarantee his departure from Williams would mean his lucrative backer PDVSA will follow him to his next F1 team.

And when Lotus announced that the 28-year-old is arriving to replace Kimi Raikkonen for 2014, it made no mention of the Venezuelan oil giant's millions.

But team boss Eric Boullier always said the not-significantly-sponsored Nico Hulkenberg was actually Lotus' first choice to fill the driver vacancy.

And the Frenchman on Friday was quoted as saying Maldonado's signing indeed comes with "financial support".

Lotus has reportedly been struggling to pay staff and develop its 2014 car, and Raikkonen departed for Ferrari declaring that he was not paid a single euro.

Not signing the highly rated Hulkenberg was interpreted as a sign that the much-vaunted 'Quantum' buy-in deal had finally failed, leaving Lotus heavily reliant on Maldonado's cash.

"We are still confident something is going to happen," Boullier, referring to Quantum, told the British broadcaster Sky. "But timing is an issue.

"Obviously there is a financial support with Pastor, which in these days we may need. And unfortunately, as I said before, timing is an issue.

"We have to deliver a car in less than eight weeks now," he added.

Boullier, however, suggested it is wrong simply to write off Maldonado as a pay-driver, having delivered a pole and race win to Williams just last year.

"Maybe there is still some fine-tuning to do with him," he acknowledged.

"I think we just need to make sure he can keep his focus -- actually similar issues we had with Romain (Grosjean) last year.


It's terrible to think that a team is forced to choose a less talented driver that has commercial backing over one that is talented and has great potential to bring the team wins/podiums/constructor points over the season. It is a sad state of affairs but one that I am afraid will be with us ad infinitum.

 

thanks for the post Sabre...sad, just sad..feel so bad for Hulkenberg. takes a mediocre care like the Sauber, almost always makes it into Q3, and comes in top 10 during the races a lot. AFter so many years of trying, he finally makes it to the pennacle of auto racing.

And can't get a drive in a really good car(Lotus) because he does not have millions of dollars to give to the team.

It obviously pays to know dictators

 

And look what shows up today. I'll reserve final judgement until more details are available, but I predict that if this happens the only thing that will change is that the cars probably won't improve much during the season.

 

Double points at last race!!??

To the F1 purist, one must ask why that race might be more important than any other. The answer is money. Another artificial, external influence which further erodes sport. I am sure this really impresses the drivers, IMHO.