Formula 1 2021

[wood 11766]

1 minute ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

COTA Map -- Seems like there is lots more going on around the track, including a lot of fun "Texas kitschy" things. I for one welcome our Selena tributes, Lucha Libre, Armadillo Racing, Chicken Shit Bingo overlords.

 

Sure, but whatever you do, don't fix the track properly. Racing is the lowest priority.

[wood 11766]

Pruett begging Colton to not become a backmarker instead of a champion: https://racer.com/2021/10/13/pruett-an-open-letter-to-colton-herta/

All I can say is ... keep your eyes and ears open next Thursday in Austin. Don't miss it ...

Edited October 13, 2021 by wood

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, wood said:

Sure, but whatever you do, don't fix the track properly. Racing is the lowest priority.

RIP Seb's suspension.

[wood 11766]

2 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

RIP Seb's suspension.

LOL. Yep. I hope not.

[faps 818]

The pavement moves so rapidly at COTA that they need the equivalent of a zamboni milling machine between practice, quali and the race.

[wood 11766]

 

Edited October 13, 2021 by wood

[Noozak 416]

2 hours ago, wood said:

Pruett begging Colton to not become a backmarker instead of a champion: https://racer.com/2021/10/13/pruett-an-open-letter-to-colton-herta/

All I can say is ... keep your eyes and ears open next Thursday in Austin. Don't miss it ...

The anticipation! I wonder what kind of money Colton would bring to Alfa. Are American corporate sponsors taking notice in the growing interest in motorsport? I don't really buy into Americans clamoring for an American driver. Americans supporting an American winner? Different story. 

[wood 11766]

1 minute ago, Noozak said:

The anticipation! I wonder what kind of money Colton would bring to Alfa. Are American corporate sponsors taking notice in the growing interest in motorsport? I don't really buy into Americans clamoring for an American driver. Americans supporting an American winner? Different story. 

100% agree. 

[NoName 17154]

4 minutes ago, Noozak said:

The anticipation! I wonder what kind of money Colton would bring to Alfa. Are American corporate sponsors taking notice in the growing interest in motorsport? I don't really buy into Americans clamoring for an American driver. Americans supporting an American winner? Different story. 

i think it would be interesting since he is actually an American driver on an actual American team (#FuckHaas) plus he already has some connections due to his time here

[wood 11766]

4 minutes ago, NoName said:

i think it would be interesting since he is actually an American driver on an actual American team (#FuckHaas) plus he already has some connections due to his time here

I definitely think he'll generate significant interest among racing fans. I don't think he won't move the needle at all. Hell, the mere prospect of Herta moving to F1 has generated a lot of discussion over on Autosport. But in terms of generating widespread interest in F1, there would have to be a driver competing for WDCs or at least competing for wins on a regular basis. Who knows, though. That could happen down the road. But just wait til you see what drops next Thursday...

Edited October 13, 2021 by wood

[NoName 17154]

8 minutes ago, wood said:

But just wait til you see what drops next Thursday...

[Guest]

Is there any chance at all that anything is postponed/cancelled due to the bumps? I know there was talk during MotoGP but they went ahead. I assume that there will be lots of complaints about it, but nothing to ruin the weekend's schedule?

[utee94 16090]

7 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Is there any chance at all that anything is postponed/cancelled due to the bumps? I know there was talk during MotoGP but they went ahead. I assume that there will be lots of complaints about it, but nothing to ruin the weekend's schedule?

Yeah I'd say that assumption is correct.  Over the past couple of USGP races, some drivers have complained, some drivers have said bumps are part of racetracks, and the show has gone on regardless.

 

[wood 11766]

32 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Is there any chance at all that anything is postponed/cancelled due to the bumps? I know there was talk during MotoGP but they went ahead. I assume that there will be lots of complaints about it, but nothing to ruin the weekend's schedule?

I doubt anything will be delayed. They're grinding the bumps - ie doing lip service to the issue. It'll be rough on the drivers and the cars, and some will probably complain, and Bobby will laugh.

[Guest Lobo]

FORD V. FERRARI, PART II...TO BE SETTLED IN AUSTIN, TEXAS

As a tribute to the 55th anniversary of their epic race at LeMans...Ferrari will be racing in Formula 1's U.S. Grand Prix in 10 days.  And not to be outdone, Ford will be allowing you to rest drive a Bronco Sport across a metal bridge in a downtown parking lot that very same weekend.  https://fordautoshows.com/built-to-connect

For the record, when it comes to domestic automobiles...Ford is the only respectable brand left in our hemisphere.  But this is such a weird thing to do during Formula 1 weekend.  But best of luck.  I'm gonna see if Billy Joel wants to do fob bumps in the new Maverick.

 

[wood 11766]

Nando's "Davy Crockett" at the end of that video kills me every time.

[Noozak 416]

Mercedes turning up their power units as a last effort against Redbull is quite the gamble with this many races left. I get they have been the most reliable engine manufacturer but if you get this one wrong just once then the whole thing is over. Based on the pace they have with the engine turned up though Hamilton has a real shot at beating Verstappen. Probably greater than 50% chance.

[utee94 16090]

I just noticed that Fins have won the last two USGP in Austin.

Kimi's not in a Ferrari this year (and even if he were, don't think he could win in that car), but can Bottas improve on his 1-race win streak both in the 2021 season, and in Austin?  Tune in and find out!

 

 

[utee94 16090]

Looking at the COTA map I noticed a couple of things:

 

1) There is a new bridge from the outside to the infield at Turn 10.  I'm certain this is to get fans into the infield for the concerts on the "super stage" without needing to actually walk across the track.  But if they're not opening up the two relatively wide holes in the gates across the track as they have before, and instead they're going to funnel everyone entering from the "back side" across that one bridge, it's going to be a MASSIVE choke point for entrance/egress.  We're probably better off entering the infield super stage area from the "ONEderland" area, if they're allowing it.

2) They show several new tent clubs on the map, but they don't specifically call out the Turn15 PSL Hospitality Tent, nor the Turn1 PSL Hospitality Tent.  That could be a problem, we tend to spend a lot of time at one or the other of those.  I've even watched qualy a few times from the T15 tent.

3) I don't see Gus's Fried Chicken explicitly labeled as one of the local vendors.  I'm hoping this is just because they're not in any of the official "Themed Villages" and that they're still in their usual location on the circle/cul de sac right by the Turn3 entrance.  Gus's Fried Chicken at F1 is a staple for us, and it makes me happy.  I will sometomes down an entire fried chicken per day whilst out there.

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by utee94

[Guest]

Getting really excited about heading out, even for practice. My wife has shown mild interest in F1 based on me explaining all the drama this year and she seems excited. The kid has no idea what he is in for. It's the first major sporting event he will attend.

He's at the age that he is a Lewis fan because Lewis wins a lot. He also loves the "water party" at the end of the trophy presentation and thinks shoe-ees are the best thing ever.

[utee94 16090]

30 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Getting really excited about heading out, even for practice. My wife has shown mild interest in F1 based on me explaining all the drama this year and she seems excited. The kid has no idea what he is in for. It's the first major sporting event he will attend.

He's at the age that he is a Lewis fan because Lewis wins a lot. He also loves the "water party" at the end of the trophy presentation and thinks shoe-ees are the best thing ever.

It's a fun time.  And Friday is actually my favorite day of the weekend.  Less crowded, more relaxed.  

Has your wife watched any of Drive To Survive on Netflix?  If not, binge-watching a season or two of that might get her even more interested.  

 

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by utee94

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, utee94 said:

It's a fun time.  And Friday is actually my favorite day of the weekend.  Less crowded, more relaxed.  

Has your wife watched any of Drive To Survive on Netflix?  If not, binge-watching a season or two of that should get her more interested.  

Yeah, she's watched a bit. She knows most drivers. She is interested in what happens during the race, but just isn't the type to sit and watch a complete sporting event.

[Goofyboy 3434]

I’m looking forward to Friday this year, with the new stuff out there.

[Atxracer 798]

32 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Getting really excited about heading out, even for practice. My wife has shown mild interest in F1 based on me explaining all the drama this year and she seems excited. The kid has no idea what he is in for. It's the first major sporting event he will attend.

He's at the age that he is a Lewis fan because Lewis wins a lot. He also loves the "water party" at the end of the trophy presentation and thinks shoe-ees are the best thing ever.

Finally ran across reasonable tickets for T15 last night so looks like I get to make it after all with little man in tow.  What could possibly go wrong with taking a 2 year old to a F1 race, lol.  

[Guest]

Woof. That's pretty young. Mine is a bit older and I still worry that he is going to get worn out. Good luck!

[utee94 16090]

I've taken our kids to other races at COTA, including Indy, MotoGP, and the Vintage.  They're great kids, but I don't consider them worthy of Formula 1 ticket prices...

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by utee94

[Atxracer 798]

1 minute ago, utee94 said:

I've taken our kids to other races at COTA, including Indy and the Vintage.  They're great kids, but I don't consider them worthy of Formula 1 ticket prices...

I better check that out. I was going with the assumption that since he is 23 months, he doesn't need a ticket.  If he does, it will be me with a friend in tow.    

[wood 11766]

3 hours ago, utee94 said:

I just noticed that Fins have won the last two USGP in Austin.

Kimi's not in a Ferrari this year (and even if he were, don't think he could win in that car), but can Bottas improve on his 1-race win streak both in the 2021 season, and in Austin?  Tune in and find out!

Makes sense. Finnish drivers are well-known for their prowess on inconsistent surfaces with wildly variable grip levels. Their rally style of driving from their upbringings should serve them well at COTA-Cross.

[utee94 16090]

9 minutes ago, Atxracer said:

I better check that out. I was going with the assumption that since he is 23 months, he doesn't need a ticket.  If he does, it will be me with a friend in tow.    

Yeah that's really young, could certainly be that he doesn't need a ticket.  For UT games when our kids were that young, I'd just put them on my shoulders and hand over one ticket.  Nobody ever cared.

[wood 11766]

44 minutes ago, Atxracer said:

Finally ran across reasonable tickets for T15 last night so looks like I get to make it after all with little man in tow.  What could possibly go wrong with taking a 2 year old to a F1 race, lol.  

Best of luck! Seriously. My oldest is 17 and is a huge F1 fan. Even he didn't get to where he wanted to be out there all day until he was 11 or 12.

[wood 11766]

I love that Adam Cooper is telling it like it is re: the unsupervised and improper partial track resurfacing that was performed earlier. 

COTA addressing bumps for F1 race in wake of MotoGP problems: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/cota-addressing-bumps-for-f1-race-in-wake-of-motogp-problems/6686148/

Quote

  Motorsport.com understands the most recent tracks works were done without supervision from a specialist, which meant the job was not done correctly.

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by wood

[Updawg 2385]

Bono, My Tyres Are Dead: The Lewis Hamilton Story

or 
Overcoming the Odds: How a Poor Kid With No Advantages Made it to F1 -- The Max, Charles, Lando, Nikita, Carlos, Mick Story... er, let's scrap that one.
In all seriousness, I think a doc about Hamilton would be insanely good, especially in about 15 years when he is no longer racing and his greatness is appreciated even more. Kinda like if you made The Last Dance in 2000, it would be ok, but it's greatness in 2020.
 

Well done, this made me laugh

[Jive Turkey 13010]

 

[utee94 16090]

Dallas is such an Austin wannabe...

 

 

 

[wood 11766]

48 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Dallas is such an Austin wannabe...

 

 

 

I was standing right next to whoever shot that. Was it you? Met DC that day. Good guy.

Here's one I shot when they were downtown in 2013...

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by wood

[NoName 17154]

8 hours ago, wood said:

Here's one I shot when they were downtown in 2013...

 

this is a great picture!

[utee94 16090]

9 hours ago, wood said:

I was standing right next to whoever shot that. Was it you? Met DC that day. Good guy.

Here's one I shot when they were downtown in 2013...

 

Heh, no it wasn't me.  I just grabbed that video off the internet.  Sadly I wasn't down there that day, I'm sure I had to do something lame like... work.

 

[Guest Lobo]

Is right now when they're supposed to announce the 2022 race schedule?  

[Burt Macklin 19230]

It’s crazy to think we’re 16 races in and 19 points is the largest gap between Ferrari and McLaren all season. It’s been a great second story to the WDC fight. Have to think Ferrari has the edge after their engine upgrades and having tow drivers performing at a high level compared to only Lando for McLaren. 
 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by Burt Macklin

[wood 11766]

3 hours ago, utee94 said:

Heh, no it wasn't me.  I just grabbed that video off the internet.  Sadly I wasn't down there that day, I'm sure I had to do something lame like... work.

Yeah, work sucks. Retirement's awesome. The biggest downside about not having to work anymore is that you no longer have the "Sorry, I have to work that day" excuse to get out of things.

That was a Sunday morning in the middle of the state office building complex. It was like a ghosttown except for a few fanatical idiots like me. 

Edited October 15, 2021 by wood

[wood 11766]

1 hour ago, Lobo said:

Is right now when they're supposed to announce the 2022 race schedule?  

The 2022 provisional calendar has already been released (late). They would normally formally approve the calendar in Nov/Dec  iirc. Dunno when they'll do it this year.

Edited October 15, 2021 by wood

[wood 11766]

3 hours ago, NoName said:

this is a great picture!

Thanks!

Here's another ...

 

[Guest]

I really dislike that raised nose on that era of cars. Looks so weird to me.

[utee94 16090]

7 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

I really dislike that raised nose on that era of cars. Looks so weird to me.

Agree, those are some of the ugliest F1 cars ever produced.

[wood 11766]

Welp, I was wrong, as if on cue, F1 has released the 2022 calendar. Austin listed as "Subject to Contract".

 

Date	Grand Prix	Venue
20 March	Bahrain	Sakhir
27 March	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah
10 April	Australia	Melbourne
24 April	Emilia Romagna	Imola*
8 May	Miami	Miami**
22 May	Spain	Barcelona*
29 May	Monaco	Monaco
12 June	Azerbaijan	Baku
19 June	Canada	Montreal
3 July	United Kingdom	Silverstone
10 July	Austria	Spielberg
24 July	France	Le Castellet
31 July	Hungary	Budapest
28 August	Belgium	Spa
4 September	Netherlands	Zandvoort
11 September	Italy	Monza
25 September	Russia	Sochi
2 October	Singapore	Singapore*
9 October	Japan	Suzuka
23 October	USA	Austin*
30 October	Mexico	Mexico City
13 November	Brazil	Sao Paulo
20 November	Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi

*subject to contract
**subject to FIA circuit homologation

 

[utee94 16090]

1 minute ago, wood said:

Welp, I was wrong, as if on cue, F1 has released the 2022 calendar. Austin listed as "Subject to Contract".

 

Date	Grand Prix	Venue
20 March	Bahrain	Sakhir
27 March	Saudi Arabia	Jeddah
10 April	Australia	Melbourne
24 April	Emilia Romagna	Imola*
8 May	Miami	Miami**
22 May	Spain	Barcelona*
29 May	Monaco	Monaco
12 June	Azerbaijan	Baku
19 June	Canada	Montreal
3 July	United Kingdom	Silverstone
10 July	Austria	Spielberg
24 July	France	Le Castellet
31 July	Hungary	Budapest
28 August	Belgium	Spa
4 September	Netherlands	Zandvoort
11 September	Italy	Monza
25 September	Russia	Sochi
2 October	Singapore	Singapore*
9 October	Japan	Suzuka
23 October	USA	Austin*
30 October	Mexico	Mexico City
13 November	Brazil	Sao Paulo
20 November	Abu Dhabi	Abu Dhabi

*subject to contract
**subject to FIA circuit homologation

 

Well, so are Imola, Barcelona, and Singapore.

But 2022 is the year we've all been waiting for and wondering about, so...

I obviously hope the COTA race gets a contract extension, but we'll see what both sides expect from the other, in order to make that happen.

 

 

[wood 11766]

8 minutes ago, utee94 said:

Well, so are Imola, Barcelona, and Singapore.

But 2022 is the year we've all been waiting for and wondering about, so...

I obviously hope the COTA race gets a contract extension, but we'll see what both sides expect from the other, in order to make that happen.

I could see F1 going year to year with them, but I can also see them extending them by 5 years as well.  If the State continues to give COTA big money for F1, and the track doesn't become completely unraceable (probably not a word), then F1 will probably keep cashing in, at least until they have enough other US venues to race at (Vegas is happening. Indy? Maybe). Then COTA becomes expendable. The funny thing is yesterday I saw an article with Bobby talking about a contract extension being imminent. The article was from 2018.

Edited October 15, 2021 by wood

[wood 11766]

Good to see Canada on there in its usual slot. Maybe I'll head up again for the next one. And ... Suzuka is back. Fuck yeah.

Edited October 15, 2021 by wood

[Guest]

I can only imagine the craziness that will be a Miami Grand Prix weekend. Like Monaco but without the class and less clothing.

Edited October 15, 2021 by FirstTimeCaller

[wood 11766]

Also, Monaco back on Memorial Day weekend is nice.