I definitely feel like Baku and Montreal are meant to be the other way around... either that or there are doubts about that race we haven't heard about yet.
Is this to prevent F1 drivers taking part in le mans? I did wonder if the powers that be had a grudge with their drivers taking part in another series.
The drivers will be fine. The problem is the mechanics doing 50 hour weekends (minimum) then flat out week and another 50 hour weekend. They don't get the praise they deserve sometimes. All the drivers need to do is turn a wheel for a few hours a week!
Button has confirmed that he will be racing for Mclaren next year. Happy for him, disappointed for Vandoorne.
Here's the official announcement. http://www.mclaren.com/formula1/team/jenson-button/mclaren-honda-confirms-jenson-button-for-2016/ The F1 media has been made to look a little silly. Two years in a row of his exit being an absolute certainty. Edit: Side fact is that Button is now contracted to be the third man to reach 300 races. That seems crazy to me.
Manor now confirmed to be using Merc engines and not 1 year old ones! Lotus will not be using Merc engines!!! So if Renault don't buy them they are sunk!!!
With Manor getting next years engine, they get a half decent chassis, they could be contender for regular points! Can't see Honda/Renault having a better PU than the Merc next year! Haas too, if they get the improved Ferrari engines, they should be a decent first year team!
Just read that the noise increase regs for next year are a separate wastegate exhaust pipe. Surely this means that all teams can change their turbos without using any tokens? So looks like Honda have just got a 'get out of jail free card'. What's the betting the rule change makes little difference to noise but allows Honda and maybe Renault to fix their major problems without any tokens being used?
Just read something and didn't think about this. Each engine manufacturer can supply up to 4 teams. Mercedes have FI, Williams, Manor and themselves. Ferrari have sauber, Haas and themselves so only one slot left. To probably supply Red Bull. Which leaves STR out in the cold and probably looking at Honda.
Honda have said that they can't currently support another team. They probably can't cast blocks quick enough Can't really see FIA and Bernie refusing to allow engine manufacturer to supply fifth team, can you? Come to think of it Lotus could still use Merc engines? I haven't seen any specific news of Merc stopping engine supply to Lotus. I thought they had a contract with Merc for 2016.
That regulation will be relaxed for sure in the circumstances. Even Bernie wouldn't be cruel enough to foist Honda engines on an innocent team.
Bernie will 'smooth' (i.e. give them a wedge of cash) it over with Ferrari, so Red Bull will get 2016 spec engines, Torro Rosso will get cheaper 2015 engines so as not to embarrass the main Red Bull team again........ Losing Red Bull will be a commercial disaster for Bernie, he knows that and will happily dip into the F1 coffers to sort it out. Ultimately if they pull out, he will lose money. Bernie doesn't like losing money.
Red bull already get $70m simply for turning up, second only to Ferrari. I think they're good for F1 overall, but my sympathy for them is limited given the unfair advantage they already have.
Ferrari should be pushing for changes to the engine regs, or an increase in testing. They've got such a strong hand here they need to use it.
So I'd take this with a grain of salt the size of Nigel Mansell, but apparently Alonso has issued Mclaren with an ultimatum about his conditions for staying on next year. The key points:
While I can understand his frustration if the above really is true then Alonso is a fool. He knew very well after Ferrari and Renaults difficulties in 2014 how difficult it was to develop and engine. So to switch to McHonda who he knew had not been developing an engine very long was not going to be an easy ride for a minimum of 12 months. His switch to McHonda was before Honda were actually allowed any in season tokens, for all he knew Honda could have produced a very very poor engine that they had no opportunity to fix at all in season. I can't believe Alonso doesn't have break clauses in his contract that include performance issues. My bet is he can walk at the end of the season due to the poor McHonda championship position. I don't think he will walk as too much money involved plus Honda can redesign Turbo free as the new 'noise' requirements require a redesign. So they should have enough tokens to redesign the power storage and the other bits they need. I think Honda will come back with a reasonable engine for 2016, up with Ferrari at least.
