Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Russell Jaslow]

Dang, Man!! I have to (unfortunately) miss this year. Got a ‘destination wedding’ to attend for the weekend about 3hrs to our West.

Next year, Russell. I’ll bring the beer (and wine!) ;0)

Next year's Watkins Glen date has been announced. The SVRA Vintage weekend will be back to it's normal September weekend, the 4-7, with the downtown Grand Prix Festival on the 5th. And this time it is only going to consist of vintage races.

They are moving the Pro Trans Am race, and will couple it with the other pro events they own (mainly the junior open wheel series), to a separate weekend, July 11-13. Hopefully, I'll get to work both weekends.

[Russell Jaslow]

For those of you in the Midwest who want to check out the SCCA Runoffs, they are at Road America this year (and next year), October 1-6, with the races taking place all day Friday, Saturday, Sunday.

Here is the full schedule: https://cdn.connectsites.net/user_fi...ivities_v2.pdf

I'll be on the pace/safety car team for the third year in a row (the last two the Runoffs were at VIR). I probably should have mentioned this earlier, as each worker gets one guest pass, but it may be too late to add someone to that list. Nonetheless, if anyone is interested, let me know, and I'll see if it's possible.

[MichVandal]

It's official- Ricciardo is out of RB. His last parting effort was to get FTD by being DFL to be able to put fresh soft tires on his car. Kind of a sour way to finish his F1 career.

[MichVandal]

Just saw that yesterday Renault killed their engine program for real.

Very sad.

This was the company that introduced the world to one of the most famous eras in F1 when they made a 1.5L turbo V6 in 1977. It's too bad they had limited success with that, as they showed both the potential and the problems that other companies were able to solve before making a mess. And then when going back to the NA era, they had the most dominant engine of the 90's winning 6 of the championships of that decade.

And that continued into the 2000's with two more with Alonso at the wheel.

They could never really figure out the hybrid systems as well as Mercedes and Ferrari, let alone Honda who had a late (and terrible) start. And even though the '26 rules simplify the engine, they are now gone.

All things considered, of the engine companies that have come and gone, Renault is second to Cosworth, for sure. But Cosworth barely figured out any of the engine eras post the DFV- kind of a similar path- boom and then bust.

[Kepler]

No love for the Coventry Climax?

[MichVandal]

No love for the Coventry Climax?

Very short lived and not nearly as many wins compared to Cosworth or Renault.

There are a lot of engine makers that have come and gone.... And some were reasonably popular but never reliable or powerful enough- like the Hart turbo in the 80s. Edit- a list off the top of my head- Alfa Romeo- multiple times, they even powered a Brahbam; BRM- famous H16; Peugeot; Lamborghini/Chrysler; BMW;

BTW, one thing that makes the Renault Turbo so significant is the number of engine makers in the 70s- Cosworth, Ferrari, and kinda Alfa, BRM, and Matra. Once Renault did their thing, BMW got into F1, Porsche got into F1, Honda got back into F1, Hart made motors... And it really ended Cosworth's dominance and pretty much killed them. Even when the NA came back. But the game changed SO much, many companies decided to try- Peugeot, Lambo, Yamaha, Judd, Ilmore... Some became other companies that live today.

I know that the professionalism of F1 changed at the same time, but it was still not there when the turbo era really got off the ground and so many more companies decided to make F1 engines. So I really put a lot of that on Renault's brave move to turbo a 1.5l V6.

[Spartanforlife4]

Norris is just horrific on starts. The Ferraris had the advantage all day regardless, but going 1st to 4th in T1 didn’t do any good for Norris’ WDC hopes.

Stewards didn’t seem consistent with their penalty applications either. Started off letting a few go as racing incidents, then started applying five second penalties for moving someone off track, and then Norris and Verstappen they go back to their earlier application and ding Norris for over taking off track when he was forced off.

[MichVandal]

Norris is just horrific on starts. The Ferraris had the advantage all day regardless, but going 1st to 4th in T1 didn’t do any good for Norris’ WDC hopes.

Stewards didn’t seem consistent with their penalty applications either. Started off letting a few go as racing incidents, then started applying five second penalties for moving someone off track, and then Norris and Verstappen they go back to their earlier application and ding Norris for over taking off track when he was forced off.

This time, Lando was too nice. He could have totally moved over on max to take the corner, but he left space for a max dive bomb. And since that had no chance to make the corner- it left the window open to Ferrari.

Later, max dive bombed when Lando passed him- again, no chance to leave a car width- crash or give way. I wonder if Lando stayed behind they could claim he pushed him off. But Lando needs to have that dive bomb move, too. And stop being nice.

that, and the mistakes during the spriny makes me think he has zero chance to win it all.

[Russell Jaslow]

Now that I finally got everything sorted out, and just bought the actual tickets to the event (flight and hotel reservations were made a couple of months ago), I can now brag.

I am going to the Macau Grand Prix in three weeks! I fly in/out of Hong Kong. I'm going for a whole week+, so I have time to tour. And I hope to make a one-day excursion into Hong Kong proper.

For those of you who don't know about this event, here is the official website: https://www.macau.grandprix.gov.mo/en/

But, you can probably get a better idea of the event, and the insane street circuit, by simply searching on YouTube for videos.

[MichVandal]

So much for "mature" max. That was hilarious.

And great drive by Carlos. Just took the lead and ran away. Lando wanted to make it a game, but nope.

[Kepler]

Great end of the season with 3 teams racing for Constructors and 2 (3?) for Driver Championship.

How did Ferrari improve so much? Did Red Bull's wind tunnel time penalty really hurt them during the season; is that why they can't seem to adjust?

[MichVandal]

Great end of the season with 3 teams racing for Constructors and 2 (3?) for Driver Championship.

How did Ferrari improve so much? Did Red Bull's wind tunnel time penalty really hurt them during the season; is that why they can't seem to adjust?

Some that, some that they have been coming apart at the seams for the early part of the season- which is now catching up to them. Newey left for good reasons.

Ferrari just figured out how their car works. But I would not really call it "solved"- if they finish like they have, maybe- but they have been more up and down. Given RBR's struggles, I think there's no way max brings them back to the front on his own. At the same time, Lando making up 47 more points seems rather unlikely.

[solovsfett]

So much for "mature" max. That was hilarious.

And great drive by Carlos. Just took the lead and ran away. Lando wanted to make it a game, but nope.

It was incredibly sophomoric from Max. If he had the talent of a Senna or Schumacher it would be understandable but those two guys desire to win and decimate the competition was only exceeded by their talent. Max is nowhere near that good.

put Max in a Williams today for instance and he’d never do what Senna did with Toleman.

As for his on radio antics this season re: penalties and Norris I’d say…like Tony Soprano, “those who want respect, give respect.”

[MichVandal]

If anyone was planning on watching Brazil live, it's starting right now, an hour an a half earlier. Looks like they called the change due to weather, but the start was aborted thanks to Stroll. This is chaos.

[Spartanforlife4]

If anyone was planning on watching Brazil live, it's starting right now, an hour an a half earlier. Looks like they called the change due to weather, but the start was aborted thanks to Stroll. This is chaos.

Hopefully my recording makes the update. Missed qualifying because I don’t think ESPN televised it this morning.