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

[swogerino]

It is unfortunate that next season the Mandalika International Circuit will not be one of the hosts for the pre-season schedule. Despite failing to host the pre-season, Mandalika will still be the organizing circuit for the MotoGP 2023 and may be held at the end of the season. Hopefully during the race in Mandalika it won't rain again. lol

It is one of the tracks that I like in MotoGP.The rain has ruined a couple of races last season even in F1 where one of the best if not the best race of the whole F1 calendar was not raced at all and after finishing two laps under heavy rain and safety car the race ended.I waited from 2 a clock to 6 a clock European time when the race was cancelled and called finished after a mere 2 laps.In F1 we are near it again as it will be hosted this weekend and hopefully there will not be again rain.Hopefully even in the 2023 Mandalika MotoGP will not be rain again but for the Mandalika race there is still a lot of time while for the SPA in Belgium F1 only a couple of days to go.

[el kaka22]

We have Andretti wanting to have a racing team in F1 as soon as 2024, and we have Audi and Porchse known for 2026 new regulations as well. All of which means that we may live in a world where 15 teams and 30 drivers "may" happen in this decade.

I am not saying that it will happen, because there could be teams leaving too who knows? But by the looks of it 13 is already in the talks and could happen, on top of that we could see maybe 2 more teams joining instead of any team leaving and that would be 15 teams, can't remember when was the last time with 30 drivers. In the end, this is of course great for us because more and more things to watch will happen eventually.

[alegotardo]

We have Andretti wanting to have a racing team in F1 as soon as 2024, and we have Audi and Porchse known for 2026 new regulations as well. All of which means that we may live in a world where 15 teams and 30 drivers "may" happen in this decade.

I am not saying that it will happen, because there could be teams leaving too who knows? But by the looks of it 13 is already in the talks and could happen, on top of that we could see maybe 2 more teams joining instead of any team leaving and that would be 15 teams, can't remember when was the last time with 30 drivers. In the end, this is of course great for us because more and more things to watch will happen eventually.

I think it's completely possible that Andretti Autosport will enter F1 in 2024, as they are at a very fast pace, and one of the main actions that is already a concrete fact is their 575,000 square meter facility near the Indianapolis airport.
In fact, the decision to enter F1 no longer depends on Andretti, because after the attempt to buy Sauber last year failed, Michael Andretti officially filed with the FIA the request to enter the F1 grid from 2024. Andretti Global continues to wait for a decision, while trying to move forward with his thirst.

[masulum]

It is one of the tracks that I like in MotoGP.The rain has ruined a couple of races last season even in F1 where one of the best if not the best race of the whole F1 calendar was not raced at all and after finishing two laps under heavy rain and safety car the race ended.I waited from 2 a clock to 6 a clock European time when the race was cancelled and called finished after a mere 2 laps.In F1 we are near it again as it will be hosted this weekend and hopefully there will not be again rain.Hopefully even in the 2023 Mandalika MotoGP will not be rain again but for the Mandalika race there is still a lot of time while for the SPA in Belgium F1 only a couple of days to go.

Exactly, hopefully when in Indonesia 2023, the weather here is entering the summer season. Because, when it rainy season in Indonesia can be very bad. Even though in the first race in Madalika, the drainage system worked well, but I'm still worried that high rain intensity could affect the drainage system there. F1 will be held in Belgium this week, I'm not worried at all, even if it rains there, because the circuit construction is definitely better than in Mandalika. ha ha
1 think I like the on the wet race when I'm 16 yo, the crash of racer. that really bad, but i don't know i think it was amazing lol.

[Pulsar77]

Three days to go for the Spa GP in F1. 

If it rains during the race this might make things more interesting. Because then I wouldn't be so sure about one of the Verstappen-Leclerc duo to win the race. Maybe it would be an advantage for Mercedes for example. By the way, Mercedes have been improving their car and the current level is quite impressive. They still need some luck in races too to be able to get solid results.

However I believe this can change next season and the car can start being capable of fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari at the same level. I mean that Hamilton can find a big opportunity to achieve his 8th title to break the record by himself.

[ryzaadit]

-snip-

Gezzz.

Go away, we want "Verstappen" out from the race and Lecrlec take the podium ~XD That's would be good for the points, so verstapppen no gonna any point and lecrecl +25 points. Make the different points only 60.

I hoping 3 race is like this, and the chance for lecrlec scored a point + risk the other drive out is really high.

[BitcoinAccepted]

We are going to race again this weekend. It was also getting boring because we haven't had any races for a while. But those guys also need some free time every now and then. A lot of traveling and combination with driving also costs a lot of energy. I think Red Bull just has the best papers to win the race again. Nowadays on most circuits it doesn't matter much anymore whether you start in Pole position or 2nd. There is enough overtaking and in pit stops and other strategies those seconds are easily retrieved. Yet those pole positions are celebrated as if victory had already been won. Ferrari could use another success and I am curious if Mercedes has improved a bit, because that is not much so far.

[swogerino]

Three days to go for the Spa GP in F1. 

If it rains during the race this might make things more interesting. Because then I wouldn't be so sure about one of the Verstappen-Leclerc duo to win the race. Maybe it would be an advantage for Mercedes for example. By the way, Mercedes have been improving their car and the current level is quite impressive. They still need some luck in races too to be able to get solid results.

However I believe this can change next season and the car can start being capable of fighting with Red Bull and Ferrari at the same level. I mean that Hamilton can find a big opportunity to achieve his 8th title to break the record by himself.

Tomorrow at least the free practices so we can have an idea of what teams are capable at the most beautiful track of the all season and of course one that give huge emotions,just remember Mika Hakkinen double overtake against Schumacher here in the year 2000 I believe.

Mercedes can play a role in determining who will win the race as Hamilton int he last race said,if we started higher in the grid we would most probably fighting for the win,so they will be a factor here in a track where aerodynamics plays a really important role.

Personally I believe Ferrari will win here if weather and team principals from Ferrari don't screw up Leclerc race.

[coinlocket$]

We race in SPa Belgium this week.

Weather situation.

Friday will rain almost for sure.
Saturday small chance of rain.

Sunday sun.

[CLS63]

We couldn't even enjoy the last race in Spa in the previous season due to heavy rain. The results were determined only after one lap. However this time it isn't raining which is good news.    It isn't the best news for drivers like Hamilton for example as he might have turned this into his advantage. In these conditions, the competition would be between Verstappen and Leclerc mainly. Leclerc should be begging Ferrari already now not to make huge mistakes again indeed.

[coinlocket$]

Rumor not confirmed:

Verstappen will use a new engine and he will start as last Sunday.

Source: https://www.formulapassion.it/motorsport/formula-1/f1-piloti/power-unit-e-cambio-verstappen-prepara-unaltra-rimonta-penalita-griglia-di-partenza-spa-belgio-trasmissione-630816.html

[emrecemsan]

Rumor not confirmed:

Verstappen will use a new engine and he will start as last Sunday.

Source: https://www.formulapassion.it/motorsport/formula-1/f1-piloti/power-unit-e-cambio-verstappen-prepara-unaltra-rimonta-penalita-griglia-di-partenza-spa-belgio-trasmissione-630816.html

I think that it was a logical risk to take for Verstappen. Because he is already 80 points ahead of Leclerc in the championship race while there are 9 races left. We watched Verstappen even winning the race despite starting from the 10th position in the last race. Even if he doesn't win he can reach podium at least.

By this news I'm more confident about a Leclerc win here but I still don't trust Ferrari's strategies.    They sometimes are doing a really good job like they did in the Austria GP but they screw things up most of the time. I expect them to make some substantial changes in their crew at the end of the season otherwise next season wouldn't be very different for Ferrari.

[karabiber]

Spa-Francorchamps is on the agenda to be removed from the F1 calendar. F1 is losing its appeal. Because of business minded executives the organization is about to become a just money only place. Those who have followed F1 for many years know that Hockenheim, Nurbugring and Kuala Lumpur were special places and they were removed from the calendar. They are removing legendary places from the calendar to enter the US and Middle East market. I wouldn't be surprised if they remove Silverstone, Redbullring and Monza soon. I miss the old days.

[bestcoins1]

Marc Marquez has been given the green light by the doctors to be able to continue his training on the motorbike and after that will try to assess how his condition is on the motorbike. On the other hand In an interview with Spanish broadcaster DAZN, Repsol Honda Team Manager Alberto Puig has discussed the importance of having Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) back on the bike, potentially as soon as the Misano Test, if the latest check-up on his right arm is positive.
https://www.motogp.com/en/in+the+media/2022/08/23/puig-very-important-if-marquez-can-ride-at-misano-test/432672

And one more thing is that Joan Mir was unable to race in the Misano series because he had to undergo a 15-day recovery for damaged bones and ligaments in his right ankle.

[alegotardo]

Spa-Francorchamps is on the agenda to be removed from the F1 calendar. F1 is losing its appeal. Because of business minded executives the organization is about to become a just money only place. Those who have followed F1 for many years know that Hockenheim, Nurbugring and Kuala Lumpur were special places and they were removed from the calendar. They are removing legendary places from the calendar to enter the US and Middle East market. I wouldn't be surprised if they remove Silverstone, Redbullring and Monza soon. I miss the old days.

It's really sad to have to agree with you....
In F1, money is king, and I'm pretty sure the new North American teams and their sponsors are to blame for that too.
However, I would be very surprised if Silverstone and Monza leave the calendar, I believe these GPs should not leave F1 anytime soon. It would be unprecedented.
I hope, at the very least, that the new circuits will bring some innovation to the championship and very challenging and interesting tracks.

[wmaurik]

https://www.formula1.com/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=linktree&utm_campaign=visit+f1.com

It seems F1 is more fun to wait for because there is always a pleasant sensation to see. After all, the F1 audience has also started to increase and it is proof that F1 is increasingly loved by many people and is better than other racing events. I have to wait 8 hours more than now to see F1 Belgium and hopefully there are surprises to enjoy.

[Koal-84]

It is now official Audi will enter Formula 1 as an engine supplier from 2026.



Audi is to take over 75% of the Sauber team, which means it will not only be an engine supplier. We are now only waiting for the official confirmation from Porsche, where there is supposed to be a cooperation with Red Bull, but I think it is a waste of money to develop two power units in one company, or will there also be a cooperation between Porsche and Audi?

https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel-1/news/jetzt-ist-es-offiziell-audi-verkuendet-einstieg-in-die-formel-1-22082604
https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel-1/news/sauber-adam-baker-gerhard-berger-neue-details-zum-audi-einstieg-in-die-f1-22082304

[LGD2Business]

Finally, Audi is making its way onto the Formula 1 scene. From 2026, we will see Audi. I was wondering why they didn't make such an investment until now. There should be more German teams, there is very little representation of such a strong automotive country.
The 1-month hiatus is over and there's the Belgian GP this weekend. Verstappen has opened up a lot, Ferrari and Mercedes need to attack for the excitement to come back. Let's see if these teams used the one-month break well. As long as Verstappen is not out of the race, the big gap will be maintained. We'll see how aggressive Ferrari can be.

[tokeweed]

Who fancies Hamilton to get the win at the Belgian GP?  Leclerc and Verstappen are starting from the back of the grid and so are Ocon, Norris, Schumacher and Bottas for taking in new parts for their power units.  I'm thinking Leclerc on pole, Verstappen could get the fastest lap at the race and Hamilton to win it...  What do you guys think?

There isn't much threat on Hamilton imho except his team mate, Alonso and Sainz.

2022 Belgian GP FP1 Results

1   Carlos Sainz   ESP   Scuderia Ferrari   1m46.538s
2   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari   1m46.607s
3   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m46.755s
4   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team   1m47.396s
5   Lance Stroll   CAN   Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team   1m47.437s
6   Alexander Albon   THA   Williams Racing   1m47.835s
7   Daniel Ricciardo   AUS   McLaren F1 Team   1m48.081s
8   Yuki Tsunoda   JPN   Scuderia AlphaTauri    1m48.310s
9   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team   1m48.420s
10   Sergio Perez   MEX   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m48.474s
11   Nicholas Latifi   CAN   Williams Racing   1m48.485s
12   Guanyu Zhou   CHN   Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen   1m48.672s
13   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren F1 Team   1m49.470s
14   Fernando Alonso   ESP   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m49.664s
15   Sebastian Vettel   GER   Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team   1m49.813s
16   Esteban Ocon   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m50.315s
17   Kevin Magnussen   DEN   Haas F1 Team   1m50.982s
18   Mick Schumacher   GER   Haas F1 Team   1m51.259s
19   Liam Lawson   NZL   Scuderia AlphaTauri   1m52.065s
20   Valtteri Bottas   FIN   Alfa Romeo F1 Team Orlen   No Time Set

[ILuckyGuyI]

Who fancies Hamilton to get the win at the Belgian GP?  Leclerc and Verstappen are starting from the back of the grid and so are Ocon, Norris, Schumacher and Bottas for taking in new parts for their power units.  I'm thinking Leclerc on pole, Verstappen could get the fastest lap at the race and Hamilton to win it...  What do you guys think?

There isn't much threat on Hamilton imho except his team mate, Alonso and Sainz.

~snip~

Then it is confirmed for Verstappen and Leclerc.

This means a lot for Mercedes for sure. Hamilton really has a nice opportunity to fight for a win in this race. However there are still going to be Sainz and Perez to compete with them. We still haven't had the qualifying session of course. But as long as these two don't have problems then Mercedes drivers should be ready for a tough fight with them. Honestly my favourite driver to win this race will be Sainz after learning about Leclerc to start from the back of the grid. Sainz is already very competitive even against Leclerc so maybe this can be his time to get his second win in his F1 career.