F1 2020

[MiniDave]

2020 may prove an interesting year, not so much from the standpoint of the races exactly - as I expect Mercedes to continue to win, but we may see some close battles with both Ferrari but also Red Bull, and maybe even McLaren getting in there if Renault can continue to improve their power and reliability.

The silly season has already begun tho, many driver's contracts are up in 2020 and there may be some seat changes happening.....to start with both LeClerc and now Verstappen are locked into their teams, LeClerc got a new 5 year deal and Mad Max is locked into Red Bull till 2023.

Kimi, Sebas, the Hamster, Bottass and a number of other guys have contracts ending at the conclusion of the 2020 season, and I wonder how many will hang it up? I also wonder if this will increase their motivation to shine this season. There are a number of good drivers waiting in the wings now and some of the rookies really drove well last season, like Albon, Russel and Norris. I have no idea what will happen to some of the middling veterans - we know the Hulk and Kubby  have left the building and Kvyat and Gasly, Kmag and bigJeans could be gone at the end of this year too.

Ocon got a new lease of life at Renault, but Danny Riclky Bobby's contract is up at the end of this year too.

This year the rules are fully matured, engines have been pretty steady now for a while and now that Honda is up to speed they're all pretty even in HP. Aero has steadily been constricted so I don't see any real advances coming there, tho you can never count out Newey to come up with something.

All in all, I think we're in for another boring season in F1, with occasional driver fireworks and maybe some kamikaze moves here and there.

[MiniDave]

Ferrari will be the first to reveal their 2020 F1 car, I doubt we'll be able to see any real differences - the tweeks they do year to year are pretty subtle unless you have the old one side by side to compare.

Red Bull will debut the day after the red jammies boys, which is kind of a first for them, they're usually the last car out of the barn but this year they say they are about 14 days ahead of schedule.

The first pre-season tests start a month from today - on Feb 19th and the second test starts one week later.

Australia's race is scheduled for March 15th if the place hasn't burned down by then.

[MiniDave]

so, only a few days before the teams need to load up and fly to the land down unda, and no one knows whether the race will be held or not. the fires are out but so is the Coronavirus, and the teams based in Italy may not be allowed to leave. If three teams can't start the race, will they even hold it?

Seems like a real problem....if they don't hold it millions will be spent for nothing, everyone loses. If they do hold it, the championship is all but over, and that means people might not bother to go to the races. For that matter, people might stay away anyways, to avoid large crowds and the possibility of catching the bug.

Anyway you cut it, this is going to be an interesting year for F1.

[MiniDave]

Ross Brawn has said that if Ferrari, Alpha Tauri and Alfa Romeo aren't allowed to leave Italy for the race, the race will be cancelled.

There is also concern that Pirelli won't be allowed out either - you can't have an F1 race without a mountain of tires.....

China's race has already been cancelled, and Bahrain and Vietnam are also looking shaky now.

[MiniDave]

Italy closed itself down today, and unless Pirelli and Ferrari and the rest have already left the country, there will be no race in Australia.

I also wonder if they'll do like Bahrain and simply race without spectators?

All the soccer matches in a number of countries are already being played to empty stadiums - which I think is ridiculous......but maybe all sports will soon be done this way, and the only way to see them will be on TV?

It's a strange world we live in right now.

[MiniDave]

Well, it looks like they're going to race in Australia - at least the cars will be there, don't know if there will be any spectators - allowed or otherwise. Bahrain will be run but no spectators allowed. That will be a strange race to see.....

[MiniDave]

Well, F1 cancelled the Australian GP today after a McLaren team member tested positive......I'm surprised they even went to Australia.

So, the first 4 races are now cancelled, the 5th race is to be in Zaandvordt, and the next two on subsequent weekends. If they don't hold these do they have a season or will they cancel them all "till further notice"?

Edit: Two HAAS team members have now tested positive too.

[BruceK]

I guess I'll have to find more Spanish wooden soapbox races on YouTube to watch!   ;D

[gr8kornholio]

Off subject kind of. Heard the March madness ncaa tournament is cancelled.

[Willie_B]

Off subject kind of. Heard the March madness ncaa tournament is cancelled.

Not really canceled. Just event sites downsized with no spectators last I heard.

[tsumini]

Off subject kind of. Heard the March madness ncaa tournament is cancelled.

Not really canceled. Just event sites downsized with no spectators last I heard.

CXL now. Argument starts for who claims championship.

[MiniDave]

Perfect brackets! I can't lose....   77.gif

[Willie_B]

Further reading shows the NCAA to be totally canceled. Bummer as the Final Four was going to be in Atlanta.

[MiniDave]

Pretty much all sports closed down, along with Broadway shows....pretty much any large gathering. It feels like right before a huge hurricane or something, people panic buying, afraid to go outside......

[Willie_B]

The Masters just postponed till ?

[gr8kornholio]

Saw a meme that said trump should cancel the presidential election for the public's safety.  Lol. Bet that get a cure found.

[BruceK]

COTA shuttering indefinitely.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more-racing/a31662103/circuit-of-the-americas-closing-indefinitely-staff-laid-off/

[tsumini]

My son has a BMW club DE scheduled there first week of JUne. Small events still on.

[MiniDave]

According to what I read, they are completely shut down....all events canceled or postponed till later in the year. But who knows, maybe by the first of June things will be humming again.

[BruceK]

According to what I read, they are completely shut down....all events canceled or postponed till later in the year. But who knows, maybe by the first of June things will be humming again.

I almost went to the big Cars & Coffee at COTA 2 days ago.  I guess that was their final event... for a while anyway.

[jedduh01]

Heard it reccomened on a Podcast and watched Episode 1.

Drive to Survive on Netflix. - Season one. 
  Season Two just started coming out...

One Episode and its the RIGHT way to watch a race with some real story and Awesome photography and cinema behind it.... how the racers race how big teams are.   Little guy against big guy..  Joe blow race agains the Hamiltons!
    . the whole game.

Even learned HAAS Racing F1 is bout 20 Min from my door here in North Charlotte.

[MiniDave]

F1 has made some interesting choices in response to the Corona virus situation.....first they cancelled the race in Australia, then postponed the first three, then 5 then 6 races, now Monaco has simply cancelled their race and I seriously doubt the others will happen either....even later in the year. I suppose they cold do "winter" races in Vietnam and Bahrain but that leaves no time to retool for the 2021 season.

Speaking of 2021, the rules changes that were supposed to go into effect then have been put off till 2022.

On the good news side of things, China has 0 new cases of the virus now.....

The only problem with seeing the F1 series on Netflix is you have to belong (and pay for) Netflix.

[BruceK]

On the good news side of things, China has 0 new cases of the virus now.....

Oh, sure I trust the Chinese to report honestly.    ::)   After all, they have been so transparent about this whole thing since the start.

The only problem with seeing the F1 series on Netflix is you have to belong (and pay for) Netflix.

And you have to hope that Netflix will not slow transmission speeds down to standard definition to preserve the InterWebs.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/19/tech/netflix-internet-overload-eu/index.html

[BruceK]

If you are going through racing withdrawls during lockdown I thought you might enjoy this edge-of-your-seat stuff from 28 years ago.   Twelve minutes of gripping nostalgia. 

[Jims5543]

F1 is releasing older races on you tube to re-watch as well.

https://www.youtube.com/user/Formula1