Open Wheel Racing 2021, anyone there to watch?

[Russell Jaslow]

To drive F1 you have to get a super license from the FIA. You do that by accumulating points driving in other series (I.e. F2, Indy, even NASCAR but stock cars are granted less points than open wheel), but you can also pick up additional points by driving practice sessions.

It’s a win-win. Reserve drivers get time in an actual F1 car, earn a point towards their license, and the teams get some data on their reserve driver as well.

Plus, this year it's a rule that every F1 team must give up two FP1 practice sessions to a "young" driver. This is also defined as inexperienced. So, for example, when Kubica drives FP1, it doesn't count towards the requirement. Or when Haas will give Giovinazzi two FP1 sessions later in the year, that also won't count towards the requirements.

 

[MichVandal]

Finally official that Audi is coming in 2026. And Alfa is leaving at the end of 2023. So one wonders who the main sponsor will be for 24 and 25, since they will surely keep the Ferrari powertrain.

 

[Kepler]

Spa grid after engine penalties:

 1) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
 2) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
 3) Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
 4) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
 5) George Russell (Mercedes
 6) Alex Albon (Williams)
 7) Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
 8) Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)
 9) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
10) Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
11) Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
12) Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
13) Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
14) Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
15) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
16) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
17) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
18) Lando Norris (McLaren)
19) Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
20) Mick Schumacher (Haas)

 

[Kepler]

We've all been there.

 

[MichVandal]

Spa grid after engine penalties:

 1) Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2) Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
3) Fernando Alonso (Alpine)
4) Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
5) George Russell (Mercedes
6) Alex Albon (Williams)
7) Daniel Ricciardo (McLaren)
8) Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri)
9) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin)
10) Sebastian Vettel (Aston Martin)
11) Nicholas Latifi (Williams)
12) Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
13) Yuki Tsunoda (Alpha Tauri)
14) Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo)
15) Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
16) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
17) Esteban Ocon (Alpine)
18) Lando Norris (McLaren)
19) Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo)
20) Mick Schumacher (Haas)

This is going to be a very different start than previous seasons- the new gravel trap means that you have to stay on the track or risk going out of the race. Verstappen has gone way wide in the opening corner in more than one previous race- as an example. I'm sure Max and Charles will get many places right away- but turn one will be really interesting.

 

[Kepler]

This is going to be a very different start than previous seasons- the new gravel trap means that you have to stay on the track or risk going out of the race. Verstappen has gone way wide in the opening corner in more than one previous race- as an example. I'm sure Max and Charles will get many places right away- but turn one will be really interesting.

It will be fun watching them move up together from 15/16. I think they should trade tows until they get to 1-2.

Since they knew they were going to get the engine penalties why didn't they burn that reserve driver Practice session this time? IINM they and Hamilton are among the drivers who have not been subbed for yet.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Is there a limit to the number of PUs that a team can put in during the year, or do teams do it to try to do it as little as possible because of cost/starting in the back?

 

[MichVandal]

Is there a limit to the number of PUs that a team can put in during the year, or do teams do it to try to do it as little as possible because of cost/starting in the back?

Three without penalties. But there are almost always penalties, and they are normally Spa and Monza where they are taken, since they are supposedly the easiest tracks to pass on.

 

[MichVandal]

So Kep's thought about if Alpha Tauri will bow down to Max- it's happened. Both AT's are starting from the pits- reducing the load for Max.

 

[Spartanforlife4]

That was a disappointing race after the qualifying scramble. First lap caution basically let Max go from 14th to 8th starting point.

Only drama was how Ferrari was going to screw things up, and boy did they with that last lap pit with Leclerc

 

[MichVandal]

That was a disappointing race after the qualifying scramble. First lap caution basically let Max go from 14th to 8th starting point.

Only drama was how Ferrari was going to screw things up, and boy did they with that last lap pit with Leclerc

It's too bad that Lewis really threw away a chance to stick a dagger in Ferrari. And that accident didn't help in making the race a lot more interesting for Max- it was so easy for him to get to the front- showing exactly why you take engine penalties at Spa.

 

[Kepler]

Only drama was how Ferrari was going to screw things up, and boy did they with that last lap pit with Leclerc

Why were they trying so hard for fastest lap? Is there money?

 

[Spartanforlife4]

Why were they trying so hard for fastest lap? Is there money?

Fastest lap gets a championship point. If you finish top ten, that is. If the fastest lap is someone who finishes outside top ten, then no fastest lap point is awarded for the race.

I think Mercedes will end up 2nd in the constructors this season. Minus Hamilton's self inflicted crash today, they've been consistent enough that they'll just outlast Ferrari's shockingly bad strategy calls.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

So Spa is going to remain on the calendar in 2023. This tells me one or more of the following three things are going to happen:

- China is not going to happen. Despite a huge effort to bring it back, it appears F1 is not going to get any guarantee from the Chinese government that they will relax travel restrictions for next year and/or for the grand prix, and there is no way F1 is going to travel to a country with the restrictions China currently has.
- The South African GP is all talk and no action.
- Monaco really is going to be sh*t-canned.

EDIT: I just read an article which says South Africa is not going to happen in 2023. May not in 2024 either. So, that's the non-race which left a date available for Spa to stick around.

Apparently, in 2024, Spa will stick around on a rotation basis.

 

[MichVandal]

That was a disappointing race after the qualifying scramble. First lap caution basically let Max go from 14th to 8th starting point.

Only drama was how Ferrari was going to screw things up, and boy did they with that last lap pit with Leclerc

So not only did they not get fastest lap, Charles helped lose some points- his speeding in the pit lane earned him a 5 second penalty- demoting him to 6th- https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...enalty-and-admits.4DMyssm6wZKdkLj6eo42vo.html

Man, what are they eating in Maranello?

 

[Russell Jaslow]

So Kep's thought about if Alpha Tauri will bow down to Max- it's happened. Both AT's are starting from the pits- reducing the load for Max.

Yuki was going to start 19th. So that penalty meant nothing to Max.

Interesting how Gasly's car suddenly couldn’t start on the grid…. LOL

EDIT: From an article I’m reading right now, "The cynics amongst us wondered if these ploys had been enacted to put both of the Red Bull’s sister cars out of the way and thus make things easier for Max"

 

[Kepler]

OK how does starting from the pit lane help if you were going to start behind Max anyway? I get that Gasly starting from the pit removes one car for him to pass and also "unpacks" the density of the field in front of him by one more car.

But why does FIA allow such a bogus ploy? And if you are going to go to all that trouble then why not just have Gasly pot out during Quali?

 

[MichVandal]

Not really sure what AlphaTauri is doing other than bowing down to the boss.

But WRT the engine penalties- seems to me if they really want to crack down on engine repeats, then there needs to be a progressive penalty that holds over to following races. So if you get a 25 grid spot penalty (which has happened), that should be X to the rear with 25-X going to the next races. The rules right now is when you get to 15 grid position penalties, you start from the back- and then it does not matter how many more you get. There are 7 powertrain elements with restrictions, 6 of them have season limits of 2 or 3- so it's quite likely that the teams that did the changes all had +20 grid spot penalties.

And then the next powertrain changes should double the grid spot penalty (triple for third). The ONLY excuse for not having that is if an accident destroys an engine. Right now, the penalties are the opposite- 10 grid spots for the first time an element is changed, 5 the next.

 

[Russell Jaslow]

OK how does starting from the pit lane help if you were going to start behind Max anyway? I get that Gasly starting from the pit removes one car for him to pass and also "unpacks" the density of the field in front of him by one more car.

It doesn't which is why I don't think it was done on purpose.

People are reading too much into it. Part of it coming from a humorous angle.

(BTW, Kep, if you break parc ferme rules for any reason, it doesn't have to be changing an engine, you must start from pit lane.)

 

[Kepler]

It doesn't which is why I don't think it was done on purpose.

People are reading too much into it. Part of it coming from a humorous angle.

The Late Breaking F1 podcast didn't mention it, and they would have if they thought they could get mileage out of it.