I`ll never forget his first time out for Ferrari,1989 at the Brazillian GP in the V12 640 and he won!! Absolutely brilliant.
He lives on the Island of Jersey, part of the Channel Islands where I live. My partner may be taking up a job in Jersey, if so we will be moving there. I'll pop a card in next year if I remember, from all on the forum . Internet suggests his house is worth 6m, nearer 18 to 20m I would say.
Are Mercedes going to revive their fortunes or have they lost the winning formula? If you were Lewis would you stay at Merc? With the contract not signed I feel Lewis has a decision yet to make. Previously, when he delayed he said he would not do so again.
I think that’s probably the reason it’s not signed yet, but perhaps not in the way you think. Merc probably need Lewis next year, more than he needs them. If he walks, then how do they fill the seat? You could probably get Albon, either Alpine driver and maybe Piastri, but they are all similar risks, some would cost a lot to buy out and would all want contracts that lock you out of next years big shake up. They could promote Schumacher, but George isn’t at the level currently where that’s really a strong enough lineup. Ferrari drivers become available next year, Norris only has a year left, so if he’s willing to move he’s only 20m. Hamilton on a one year deal keeps the door open in the hope they sort themselves out, if they significantly improve they can sigh him again or they have the pick of the better drivers. If this year’s pattern is repeated then Hamilton will probably walk, and they likely have all the same options at lower cost. In terms of whether the team can get back to the front, it’s hard to make a compelling case why they should. Merc, Ferrari and Honda are probably most likely to make a good job of the new power units, Renault have struggled in this area in recent times, with Audi and RBPT more unknowns. From a chassis/aero perspective there’s probably 6 teams with the facilities and budget to believe they could excel. RedBull are probably the strongest in this area, Merc have history for being strong on the chassis, but less so on the aero side. With active aero potentially meaning that aero in transition becomes more important than efficiency and likely new targets on tyres changing what is required in that area, any competitive order is feasible. With strengths on both sides, it’s possible to believe they will return to the front, but you can make a similar case for many of the other teams.
I Agree with Sir Jackie . you can only really be compared to your own era , be that Drivers or Teams . I know RBR can’t do it , but mention was made of 1988 when Mckaren won 15 out of 16 . No team orders at that team at that time . The one that got away was an avoidable accident . This year there are 23 bloody races , And team orders , not they would make a big difference anyway . I think the cars are more reliable .Is it any wonder Max & RBR are breaking records ? Credit to them ( - Horner and The Helmet ) . But they can’t be compared IMHO .
The new 'flexi wing' technical directive kicks in for next race in Singapore. Rumours are Aston are the main ones to have to make changes but I'm wondering if that's where Red Bulls reduction of their advantage comes from. Then again would they introduce non flexi wings at Monza where they are most effective plus the possibility of the 10 races in a row record! I'm not sure the next race will show the real form if anyone has had to made major changes. Might be some interesting camera views if Liberty decide to show wings. Also rumours that HAAS have a B spec car that is uncannily similar to the Red Bull - but with Ferrari suspension and gearbox etc!! Might not make the track till Austin in October! I wonder if this is effectively an early 2024 car as opposed to a B spec 2023 car. I don't think 2024 regs are very different but it will be impressive if they have an all new car under the cost cap!
From camera shots to date you’d think it has to be the Merc that would be most affected by a flexi wing clamp down. The RedBull one seems pretty rigid, given they’ve been the masters of this in the past it’s almost like their concept doesn’t want/need it. Cost cap is season to season, I don’t think you could pull budget ahead for next year’s car. Similar limitations on aero development mitigate against this also. Haas one of the few teams probably under the cap, so it means they can do what they like, just less optimised/expensive.
I presume haas spend less elsewhere or are compromising mid season development to deliver a big lump of development at once. teams at the back can afford to look at what others are doing and just ape it as fastest means to improve over other ls at the back rather than bringing small changes.
Just looking at the constructor's: Alpine 73 (uncatchable) Williams 21 (Albon finished higher than 8th in 4 of last 7 races) Haas 11 (No points in last 9 races) Alfa 10 (1 point in last 6 races) Alpha 3 (1 point in last 9 races) Haas are battling over 8/9th, but basically in a scenario where car performance is semi-irrelevant. The only way Haas get points is a highly attritional race or weather-effected, in which case being 0.1s a lap faster isn't going to make a big difference. Might as well take a slower approach and try and find a bigger performance jump, in the hope you can find that performance when Williams, etc give up on the 2023 car.
makes sense but equally they had to give up on that car months ago to go that in theory. imo there's some fundamentals that are now pretty clear in terms of suspensions etc that teams ought to be converging on rapidly but are end of season developments. rear wings, front wings, floors and such are all well possible during the year so it will be interesting to see what haas are saying is quasi 2024
Chequebooks out chaps! Especially you, Sarge. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-66778428 "Former Formula One championship-winning driver Nigel Mansell is auctioning more than 300 items previously housed in his Jersey museum. The online auction is made up of a whole range of "hugely personal" items relating to his racing career. It includes 32 racing helmets, 78 baseball caps, 50 race suits and more than 200 trophies and awards. His "final F1 win helmet" could fetch up to £50,000, and bids for his number plate "5 NM" could reach £60,000."
I went past Mansell Motors in Jersey last week. He might be downsizing, I was chatting to an Estate agent who thought he had or was moving.
