Spare Parts (F1 odds and ends)

Seem like it`s true and not an early 1st.April fool joke. They are going to trial it at two race weekends at tracks yet to be decided in an attempt to reduce the amount of tyres used each weekend.Couldn`t agree with you more if it ain`t broke don`t fix it.

 

While I do think the current format is good there are times the top teams are so much quicker than the others they able to hold back some softs to gain an advantage in either Q3 or the race. So forcing everyone to use the same tyres stops the top teams having an advantage.

I like the idea of everyone being on the same tyres in quali.

 

Honestly, as if the cars aren’t boat- like enough, we now decide to send them qualifying - the fastest spectacle- on the slowest tyre! Why can’t these people get the sport looking awesome? I honestly thought last year was pretty woeful and I don’t think the new regs particularly made the racing any better at all!

If they want to play around with quali, maybe incorporate a bit of the glorious 90s/00s where there’s an hour session and you have ‘X’ amount of laps (used to be 12 I think but we could lower that limit).

As for further lowering tyre allocation, I know we’re looking to be sustainable but surely a sport with only 10 teams isn’t the worlds biggest tyre polluter compared to the billions of cars?

The hybrid engines I understand - in that it encourages road cars to be more sustainable to an extent and therefore can have an impact.

But tyres? Come on FFS.

 

Liberty Media has rejected a bid from Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, claimed to be more than $20 billion. Not for sale say Liberty I`ve just got a bit more respect for them now.Although they might be thinking it`s still a bit early to sell just yet and are holding out for even more cash seeing that the Saudi`s are looking interested. F1 would do well to get out of the Middle East in my opinion but Liberty will just follow the money.

 

if it's sold to saudi I am done.

 

sport killer.

when they put grooves in tyres they killed the sport. it was a tyre saving experience since imo.

it's a sport not a test bed of eco friendliness.

tyre, fuel, engine saving is rife and ruins the show.

the days where a massive pile up in turn 1 at spa would see drivers sprint back to get the spare car and go racing again.

the new rules got cars closer but the cars are so big it's really a DRS sport.

drivers should have to push hard for 2 hours, be forced to pit at least twice for tyres and tyres should only last that long.

further. bring back refueling.

 

If you didn't see the Daytona 24jr... Check out this finish in LMP2

 

What an absolutely fantastic statement ,I agree entireley. Also get rid of this KERS rubbish and bring back V8`s, V10`s and even V12`s if the teams want to run them.Let them choose, it should be theirs to do so.

 

R.I.P. - He was also Jaques Laffite’s brother in law



Jean-Pierre Jabouille: First Renault driver to win a Formula 1 grand prix dies, aged 80

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By Andrew BensonChief F1 writer
Last updated on 2 February 20232 February 2023.From the section Formula 1

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Jean-Pierre Jabouille, right, with Renault team-mate Rene Arnoux at the 1979 French Grand Prix, where he earned Renault's first victory in Formula 1
Former Grand Prix driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille, the man who took Renault's first Formula 1 win, has died aged 80.

The Frenchman was a key part of Renault's 1977 entry into Formula 1 - and they were the first manufacturer to use a turbocharged engine.

Jabouille took Renault's maiden win in the 1979 French Grand Prix.

His final victory came in Austria in 1980, but his career was ended later that year when he broke a leg in a crash in Canada.

He had been in any case due to leave the Renault team because his seat had been taken by rising star Alain Prost for 1981.

Jabouille tried to return with the Talbot Ligier team, but was clearly unfit and retired as a driver after failing to qualify for two of his four attempts.

The Alpine team, owned by Renault, said in a statement that it was "incredibly saddened" by Jabouille's death.

"A humble racing driver, brilliant engineer and a pioneer of our sport. Jean-Pierre was a true racer.

"He spearheaded Renault's journey into F1 in 1977 with his resilient and dare-to-do attitude. He was Renault's first Grand Prix winner in 1979, a landmark moment in Renault's journey in Formula 1.

"His determination and dedication to succeed inspired many, and these values remain central to the current team in its now blue colours of Alpine.

"We are where we are today because of Jean-Pierre and his legacy lives on."

Jabouille, an engineer by trade, joined the Renault F1 project from its start to help develop its new turbo engine.

At the time, F1 was dominated by naturally aspirated three-litre V8s but Renault was the first to see the potential of an equivalence formula that permitted the use of 1.5-litre turbos.

Initially, the car was a laughing stock, dubbed the "yellow teapot" by British rivals because of its poor reliability.

But the engine was immediately more powerful than the V8s used by other teams. Assiduous work improved the engine's reliability and, by 1979, the team also had a competitive chassis.

Their maiden victory could not have come in more ideal circumstances for a team representing France's national car company: it came on home soil at Dijon-Prenois, with a French driver in a French car with a French engine using French Michelin tyres.

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Jabouille in the Renault F1 car at the 1979 US Grand Prix
The sadness for both Jabouille and Renault is that the race was destined to be more famous for the gripping racing between his team-mate Rene Arnoux and Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve for second place.

One of the greatest duels in F1 history was eventually settled in Villeneuve's favour after a final few laps marked by improbable overtaking moves, regular position swaps, off-track moments and wheel-banging incidents.

Jabouille had earlier in the season taken the team's first pole position, aided by the high altitude at the South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, and he took two further poles that year in Germany and Italy, although poor reliability prevented any further wins.

In 1980, Jabouille took two more poles along with his win in Austria, while Arnoux won twice in South Africa and Brazil.

After his retirement from F1, Jabouille was briefly a manager at the Ligier team, before stepping away.

He returned as head of the ill-fated Peugeot engine programme in the 1990s.

Peugeot, fresh from winning Le Mans in 1993, joined forces with McLaren for 1994, but the relationship was a tense one and it ended early - after just one season of poor performance and reliability. Peugeot switched to Jordan from 1995-97 and then to Prost's team from 1998 before withdrawing at the end of 2000.

 

Ferrari,Mercedes and Audi have blocked Red Bull from being an engine supplier from 2026 onward as it would have given them more bench testing time and given them an advantage over the other three, being a new manufacturer.Should have let it be badged as a Ford.

 

If what I read on Autosport is correct , I don’t think it will be much of a difference ?

I’m probably wrong though !

 

Honda with options open- If I’m McLaren or Williams I’m making the deal immediately.

Can’t see Aston Martin switching as they have corporate links to Mercedes but then going to full works team would really make them interesting!

 

Much as I would love to see Honda back with Illiams and be successful , I can’t see it happening .

I know the McLaren Honda split was acrimonious , but they have to be the better bet for Honda don’t they ?

Though there was no nasty split between Honda and Williams ( that I can remember ) , am I right that a reason for the split was Honda / Japanese mind set was that they didn’t much like the idea of a leader ( Sir Frank ) being in a wheel chair ?

 

Blimey i never knew that- let me do a bit of digging into the vaults!

Agree that McLaren, with wind tunnel facilities coming on stream and going on a hiring spree, look the right fit and frankly neither party wants to leave the relationship where it was.

McLaren have evolved and humbled since then after some hard looks in the mirror, and Honda have arguably become the leading PU. It feels right to put it back together and I think Lando and Oscar would go down a storm in Japan!

Could they supply two teams do you think?

 

I think they obviously have the capability of supplying one team , I am not sure about two . Honda are still a comparatively small company .

Ref Hondas view of Sir Frank in a wheel chair , I have had a quick google and can’t see anything , but I just have this nagging memory from somewhere !

 

Honda and McLaren's split may have been acrimonious, but how many of the top management from both sides then are still in place now?

I'd think the new McLaren management, at the very least, would make a new partnership easier.

 

Acrimonious or not,if only McLaren had waited a bit longer , one wonders where they would be now.

 

Interesting.

Opportunity for Honda works team if they want it?

 

For any Ferrari F1 fans or any real fans .

I was looking at William Loughran car site today and found this .

https://www.williamloughran.co.uk/ferrari/ferrari-312-t5-048/

 

Shame it sold... Was going to see if they'd take an S60 T5 in part-ex.