Motosport General discussion tread --- Formula1, MotoGP, WTCC, ETCC, DTM.....

[coinlocket$]

Ferrari is not strong in this track and now it is almost over after the sprint and the qualifying.
Mclaren is a bit stronger here and luckly for them they also have 1 more sprint race here for more points.

Ferrari needs a miracle now.

Tbh orders teams like these must be banned they ruins the sport.

[retreat]

The battle for the constructors' title continues in Abu Dhabi after Norris was given a 10-second penalty that cost McLaren the constructors' title in the race. Ferrari were fortunate enough to have Charles finish P2, although Sainz struggled to get P5 from Gasly, but at least he finished ahead of Norris. But the surprise was how Zhou finally scored for Sauber after finishing P8 in the race - he gave it his all and managed to score and that earned him a DOTD, which he deserved at the end of his remaining races this season. But this race was full of penalties and the FIA ​​did not seem to be on the side of the British driver, as they usually do.

And now we head to Abu Dhabi where the constructors' championship will be decided, with Ferrari only 21 points behind McLaren, it will be a gamble for Ferrari to see if they can get the title or not.

[tokeweed]

So I missed this one, as in totally missed it.  What's this words swirling around that Russell and Verstappen has an issue during quali and the stewards gave Russell Verstappen's spot on the grid after quali..?  And then Verstappen said something to Russel that he'll get his spot back after the first lap and actually doing it?    That's funny and a very bad look for Russell.  Lol.

Anyway, what are Ferrari's chances to get the constructor's championship at the last race in Abu Dhabi?  The bookies are saying it's not looking good for Ferrari.

[Velvet78]

The race was not bad. At least I enjoyed it more than Las Vegas.    Verstappen was the biggest surprise of the weekend. Because he never looked fast until the qualifying session.

It was like he magically got much faster. He even won the race which was more surprising. He was quite frustrated with Russell though. It even led him to unfollow Russell on Instagram.

...
And now we head to Abu Dhabi where the constructors' championship will be decided, with Ferrari only 21 points behind McLaren, it will be a gamble for Ferrari to see if they can get the title or not.

Ferrari still has a chance indeed. Apart from that, Leclerc also still has a chance to finish the season at the 2nd position.  



However if it weren't for Norris' penalty probably he was even going to win the race. This is why Leclerc will have a tough work to do not only for Ferrari's title but also for gaining a position in driver standings.

[coinlocket$]

1   
McLaren   640.00
2   
Ferrari   619.00
3   
Red Bull   581.00

Source: https://www.crash.net/f1/championship_tables/content

Looks like we have 21 points now.

Ferrari can still win the title but they need a dominance over Mclaren or a DNF from them.
Gonna be hard

[karabiber]

The Qatar GP showed once again that Red Bull has two completely opposite drivers. Max Verstappen is a driver of such a tremendous level that he can go at a very high speed, fight for the lead and realize that the driver behind him has committed a yellow flag infringement. Sergio Perez, on the other hand, is far enough removed from the action to spin out at a very low speed behind the safety car and be out of the race. With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all expected to be competitive in the 2025 season, it's time for Red Bull to part ways with Sergio Perez.

[FanEagle]

Mclaren definitely managed to figure out a way to get a lot better, and with that rear wing fixed now, they are not really that good, they are still good, just not dominating everyone like they did at the middle of the season, so they are not going to finish high up, that means Ferrari needs to do much better, I do not know what they can do, but at this point they can pay whatever fine they can and get whatever advantage they can, all the money in the world would worth it, they should figure out a way to make it happen. I know penalties is not good, but if they can spend money and somehow do better, then I think that would be a good idea without a doubt, they are definitely going to need that because they have a huge gap that needs to be fixed without a doubt.

21 points is no joke in a race, if it was two races I would be pretty sure that Ferrari would close it because Mclaren doesn't look that great, but 21 point gap seems like it would be not that easy, I think Mclaren will just win it.

[retreat]

The Qatar GP showed once again that Red Bull has two completely opposite drivers. Max Verstappen is a driver of such a tremendous level that he can go at a very high speed, fight for the lead and realize that the driver behind him has committed a yellow flag infringement. Sergio Perez, on the other hand, is far enough removed from the action to spin out at a very low speed behind the safety car and be out of the race. With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all expected to be competitive in the 2025 season, it's time for Red Bull to part ways with Sergio Perez.

Rumor has it that Perez will not be with RB next season if we look at his performance (https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/42733410/sergio-perez-set-leave-red-bull-end-season-sources) but this news is still unclear because RB is still considering many things from Perez, you know F1 is not just about talent, but it is also about politics and sponsorship, and Perez here brings some big sponsors who contribute a lot to RB, so they are still quite hesitant if they want to get him out.

This is a funny photo for today:

[Webetcoins]

To be fair, Ferrari with 21 point difference is just 1-2 finish, if they do 1-2 finish then that would be 25 points and 18 points, a total of 43 points, and even if Mclaren ends up with 3-4th place, that would be 27 points, and the gap would be 16 points, hmm that doesn't work Okay Ferrari needs to get 1-2, and Mclaren could get 4th and 5th, in that case Mclaren gets 22 points, so the gap would be 21 points, just the difference, no idea what happens there in a tie situation to be fair, do they both get a cup?

In the end, this won't happen, not because of Mclaren or anything like that, but because I have zero doubt about how Ferrari will fail to finish this race 1-2, they are not good enough to make that happen at all.

[tokeweed]

The Qatar GP showed once again that Red Bull has two completely opposite drivers. Max Verstappen is a driver of such a tremendous level that he can go at a very high speed, fight for the lead and realize that the driver behind him has committed a yellow flag infringement. Sergio Perez, on the other hand, is far enough removed from the action to spin out at a very low speed behind the safety car and be out of the race. With McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes all expected to be competitive in the 2025 season, it's time for Red Bull to part ways with Sergio Perez.

Rumor has it that Perez will not be with RB next season if we look at his performance (https://www.espn.com/f1/story/_/id/42733410/sergio-perez-set-leave-red-bull-end-season-sources) but this news is still unclear because RB is still considering many things from Perez, you know F1 is not just about talent, but it is also about politics and sponsorship, and Perez here brings some big sponsors who contribute a lot to RB, so they are still quite hesitant if they want to get him out.

This is a funny photo for today:

Nope, it's not a rumor.  Lol.  It's pretty fcking obvious that Perez won't be in Red Bull next year.  And it's long overdue.  You know who'll prolly make a good and consistent No. 2 driver at Red Bull..?  Bottas.  If it were possible to get him, I don't see why not.

The other options doesn't look like they'll be good enough to pair with Verstappen.  And Red Bullhas always had a driver No. 2 problem for more a few years now.

So what do you guys think of Leclerc's chances this weekend?

[coinlocket$]

They also need to change the rule in F1.
Do you remember last week when Hamilton and another driver got a penalty, I think it was stroll?
They did the penalty and the lap after they retired the car to avoid getting the penalty in the next race.

It is borderline but I don't think is a good thing.

[Velvet78]

There are some new details regarding the new track in Madrid. The Valdebebas turn in the image is said to be 500 meters long. If I'm not wrong it is the longest turn among all tracks.

I'm really curious about this new Spain track. I hope it wouldn't be a boring one. And if it is a fun track then I would rather see it taking the place of a boring track in the calendar. 

By the way the Turkish GP is also expected to be back in 2026 if there is no problem with the agreement. A long-term contract is expected to be signed. I hope it happens as it is also a special track. 

[LTU_btc]

Nope, it's not a rumor.  Lol.  It's pretty fcking obvious that Perez won't be in Red Bull next year.  And it's long overdue.  You know who'll prolly make a good and consistent No. 2 driver at Red Bull..?  Bottas.  If it were possible to get him, I don't see why not.

I also thought about Bottas. He has huge experience, he don't mind to be back wing and he would be much safer pick than one of young drivers. But I didn't hear that Red Bull is considering him.

They also need to change the rule in F1.
Do you remember last week when Hamilton and another driver got a penalty, I think it was stroll?
They did the penalty and the lap after they retired the car to avoid getting the penalty in the next race.

It is borderline but I don't think is a good thing.

I didn't realised it until you wrote it. Yeah, seems that teams found loophole, but I don't really know how it can be fixed.

I'm really curious about this new Spain track. I hope it wouldn't be a boring one. And if it is a fun track then I would rather see it taking the place of a boring track in the calendar. 

By the way the Turkish GP is also expected to be back in 2026 if there is no problem with the agreement. A long-term contract is expected to be signed. I hope it happens as it is also a special track. 

Would be interesting to see lap on this track on simulator. But what I don't like is these 90 degrees turns.
BTW, today it was confirmed that F1 raxce in Zandvoort only until 2026. Maybe it's not easiest track to overtake, but at I prefer it over some Tilkedrom. And I love these banking turns which reminds NASCAR a bit.
Hope that news about Turkish GP is true.

[coinlocket$]

There are some new details regarding the new track in Madrid. The Valdebebas turn in the image is said to be 500 meters long. If I'm not wrong it is the longest turn among all tracks.

I'm really curious about this new Spain track. I hope it wouldn't be a boring one. And if it is a fun track then I would rather see it taking the place of a boring track in the calendar. 

By the way the Turkish GP is also expected to be back in 2026 if there is no problem with the agreement. A long-term contract is expected to be signed. I hope it happens as it is also a special track. 

90° turns are usually bad in f1.
For the 1st part of the track it can be good for overtakes since we have some very slow turns there.
56 Laps according to the lenght of the track.

looking at the image it dosent' say anything amazing to me.

[tokeweed]

Nope, it's not a rumor.  Lol.  It's pretty fcking obvious that Perez won't be in Red Bull next year.  And it's long overdue.  You know who'll prolly make a good and consistent No. 2 driver at Red Bull..?  Bottas.  If it were possible to get him, I don't see why not.

I also thought about Bottas. He has huge experience, he don't mind to be back wing and he would be much safer pick than one of young drivers. But I didn't hear that Red Bull is considering him.

Yeah, no...  Bottas surely has a contract already signed somewhere as he's a good steady driver that could be given the No. 1 seat at a low tier to mid level team and a consistent one for a top tier team.  If Red Bull was able to get him instead of Perez, it would surely be a Red Bull 1 - 2 every GP and a lot of you guys would be sick of it.  Lolol. 

But yeah, I think they should get Alex Albon back.  He obv got a lot more experience now and he prolly could win against Verstappen with the same car in some tracks.

[coinlocket$]

Drama happening between George Russell and Max.
Both are accusing each other of something.

I have not followed the situation but some drama its fun.

Sergio Perez spoken and said, I will drive for red bull next year 
Is it true or he just want a big check for leaving?

[retreat]

Charles received a 10-place grid drop penalty for Abu Dhabi for taking on a new energy store. This is a major blow to Ferrari and at the same time further minimizes their chances of being able to get the constructors' world title. Now they are just hoping for a miracle that the McLaren duo can DNF, which is quite impossible.

And I think it looks like Ferari hasn't been able to get the constructors' world title, it's quite unfortunate even though I hope they at least get the title, but unfortunately their chances are not so great, besides because of the penalty, they also haven't won in abu dhabi for a long time. Maybe next year they can try for the title, and hopefully luck will be on their side.

[Velvet78]

Drama happening between George Russell and Max.
Both are accusing each other of something.

I have not followed the situation but some drama its fun.

Sergio Perez spoken and said, I will drive for red bull next year 
Is it true or he just want a big check for leaving?

Yeah there is a huge drama between the two. Especially Verstappen is talking angrily about Russell. I even heard Russell saying Verstappen threatened him in some way by saying he would hit him intentionally during the race because of an earlier incident between them. I read it on social media but I hope he didn't use such dangerous words. 

Perez's father says he will absolutely continue racing in F1 for a few more years. But he didn't specify the team though. I wonder if Perez is really staying next season after his terrible performance.

Some say Red Bull could think of using him as ambassador because of the huge sponsorships he has been bringing to the team.

[coinlocket$]

2024 F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Free Practice Results (2)
Pos   Driver   Nat.   Team   Time
1   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren F1 Team   1m23.517s
2   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren F1 Team   1m23.751s
3   Nico Hulkenberg   GER   MoneyGram Haas F1 Team   1m23.979s
4   Carlos Sainz   ESP   Scuderia Ferrari   1m24.099s
5   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m24.119s
6   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari   1m24.201s
7   Valtteri Bottas   FIN   Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber   1m24.230s
8   Kevin Magnussen   DEN   MoneyGram Haas F1 Team   1m24.235s
9   Alex Albon   THA   Williams Racing   1m24.269s
10   Yuki Tsunoda   JPN   Visa Cash App RB F1 Team   1m24.497s
11   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App RB F1 Team   1m24.503s
12   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m24.517s
13   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m24.534s
14   Sergio Perez   MEX   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m24.555s
15   Zhou Guanyu   CHN   Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber   1m24.557s
16   Fernando Alonso   ESP   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   1m24.574s
17   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m24.598s
18   Lance Stroll       Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   1m24.686s
19   Jack Doohan   AUS   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m24.961s
20   Franco Colapinto   ARG   Williams Racing   1m25.265

https://www.crash.net/f1/results/1061231/1/2024-f1-abu-dhabi-grand-prix-friday-practice-results

Remember Leclert will have 10 positions penalty

[retreat]

The Abu Dhabi GP is over with Norris coming out on top.

From the start of the race we were shown the drama of Max crashing into Piastri, dropping him to the bottom. And then Charles pushed all the way to the top, and that got him P3 - that gave Ferari a shot at the WCC. But unfortunately Sainz who was in P2, didn't push too much, either he wanted to play it safe or his heart was still in McLaren, but I was quite disappointed with him. And yeah after that Norris won without any real resistance from Sainz, and that dashed Ferari's hopes for the WCC. Though I really hope that Ferari can WCC, but luck is not on their side, hopefully next year they can come up with a better strategy and performance.

However, the 2024 season is now complete with McLaren coming out on top. It was a really good season, with lots of drama and surprises. Next season I expect it to be much more exciting than this season.