Formula 1 World Championship 2016

[willtron]

I don't think it is realistic that Marko would let either of Ricciardo or Verstappen go without an obnoxiously large amount of cash.

Ricci and Verstappen are an incredible combo. RBR would have to be offered an obscene amount of money to let either of them go.

[Bigbazz]

We might be in for an interesting season I hope



Times from testing, Mercedes believe that Red Bull are bluffing and didn't turn up with their complete package, while many people believe Mercedes were majorly sandbagging, Vettel lifted considerably in the final sector of his fastest time, so far we are 3 seconds faster than pole position from last year.

[Puupi]

Red Bull uses TAG-Heuer engines? Le wot?! TAG-Heuer makes clocks. o_O And since when have Toro Rosso and Red Bull used different engines?

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Red Bull uses TAG-Heuer engines? Le wot?! TAG-Heuer makes clocks. o_O And since when have Toro Rosso and Red Bull used different engines?

It is a Renault engine, branded as TAG Heuer because of the negative publicity Red Bull Racing was generating for Renault.

I'm expecting McLaren to be facing the first grid penalties due to too many engine replacements before Monaco. Also, that Honda engine is 30 kph slower than a sandbagged Mercedes or Red Bull at the end of the long straight in Barcelona. They're going to get fucking crushed.

Do we want a new thread for the new season?

The summer is going to be interesting, with the following drivers out of a contract at the end of the season:

Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Kimi Raikönnen (Ferrari)
Fernando Alonso (McLaren-Honda)
Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren-Honda)
Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Sergio Perez (Force India)
Esteban Ocon (Force India)
Romain Grosjean (Haas F1)
Kevin Magnussen (Haas F1)
Jolyon Palmer (Renault F1)
Nico Hülkenberg (Renault F1)
Daniil Kvyat (Torro Rosso)
Carlos Saintz Jr (Torro Rosso)
Lance Stroll (Williams)
Felipe Massa (Williams)
Marcus Ericsson (Sauber)
Pascal Wehrlein (Sauber)

Now I list them all, it would probably have been less work to write down the names of those whose contract is NOT up at the end of the season
Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull Racing)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)

[Puupi]

It is a Renault engine,

Oh, okay. But Toro Rosso runs with Ferrari? Why aren't they using the same engine?

branded as TAG Heuer because of the negative publicity Red Bull Racing was generating for Renault.

What bad publicity? What have I missed?

[Butler to Baby Sloths]

Oh, okay. But Toro Rosso runs with Ferrari? Why aren't they using the same engine?

What bad publicity? What have I missed?

Renault' engine was shit in 2015. It was down on power by a significant margin even after development tokens were deployed throughout the season. Red Bull cancelled their contract with Renault after the Red Bull team executives (in particular Helmut Marko) publically flung poo at Renault. When no other manufacturer wanted to put up with that treatment, Renault agreed to continue to supply engines to Red Bull Racing at the last minute, however those were to be supplied on a white-label basis (and Red Bull labelled them with their main sponsor TAG Heuer).

Torro Rosso used the 2015 spec Ferrari engine for the 2016 season, and is running the Renault engine (labelled as Renault) from 2017 onwards.

[Kallisto]

Red Bull cancelled their contract with Renault after the Red Bull team executives (in particular Helmut Marko) publically flung poo at Renault.

That wasn't the reason Ferrari and Mercedes decided not to supply Red Bull. It was because Red Bull's car was far away superior to the others that putting a Mercs or Ferrari engine would have them running away with it. It would be basically in football terms giving the opposition your best players and scoring repeated own goals.

[Blobfish]

Im watching the Drivers arrive in Melbourne on TV now.

Lewis Hamilton signing Autographs.. Felipe Massa.. Marcus Ericsson..

Jackie Stewart & Alain Prost as well

Daniel Riccardo is such a nice guy.
Although Lewis Hamilton is fave for the Aussie race

Albert Park where they are racing is a Street Circuit.. But a good Street Circuit

http://www.grandprix.com.au/#

[MCMLXXXII]

Thank god Ferrari is back. No more boring P1-P2's by Mercedes.