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F1 2026

To be fair it’s like all sport. They are all media trained to avoid controversy.
It’s all about protecting the brand. They say nothing outrageous and instead talk about “energy” and “the fans”. I miss the days of Senna, Kimi, Hunt, and drivers who lived a bit.
Times have changed. You could say things before and it might make a newspaper then its done and gone.
Now, everyone is desperate for content, so every line is taken out of contect for a click bait headline, and thousands of articles are pushed by AI bots to everyone's feed, and endlessly amplified on social media.

The new world f***ing sucks.
 

Times have changed. You could say things before and it might make a newspaper then its done and gone.
Now, everyone is desperate for content, so every line is taken out of contect for a click bait headline, and thousands of articles are pushed by AI bots to everyone's feed, and endlessly amplified on social media.

The new world f***ing sucks.
Max is probably the only driver who comes close to be forthright or controversial.

Alonso like the occasional whinge as does Lewis who also does a bit of despair.
 
Aston apparently broke down and brought out a red flag right at the end of the day. Not great publicity on the debut for their first Newey-designed car!
 
Another day of the Mercs being miles away at the top. Been about a full second each day.

I know it doesn't mean anything. Except when it did that one time (Brawn)
 
Mercedes times yesterday were consistent and reliable 1:17.4 and 1:17.6. Lap record is 1:15.7 so on the face of it, impressive, particularly given these cars are supposed to be two seconds slower!

Speed trap reading 347 km/h Monday and 337 km/h Wednesday, compared to 320 km/h for the old cars. Wow!


I should point out, I was trying to be funny :oops: but I don't think I'm particularly excited for a "Norris era" and now all the awful people have left Red Bull (except one) I don't even mind them so much.

I know they can't all be James Hunt, but this lot are a dull bunch of drivers and he's an insipid champion. Piastri will be stronger and more mature and the field will be shaken up by the regs. Who knows who has nailed their car. I would bet it's not Ferrari or Aston Martin mind! Right now I'm leaning to Mercedes.
Why not Aston?
 
Why not Aston?
Principally the engine. Honda admit they've run out of time. They're starting again, again, and there's no reason to believe they'll have nailed it out of the box. It could be as bad as "GP2 engine".

As for the car itself they're late getting it all together, which is never a good sign, Newey having made their people work 60 hours a week since November, and they're still late and didn't have time to paint it, and it broke down half way round the first lap. And still they have half their cars filled with Lance Stroll.

Newey ok has probably designed a slippery car but let's not get carried away. He's trying to be team principal as well as designer, and for a while now he has looked old, tired and overstretched.

And while being a "works team" is great for Big Lawrie's ego, none of the whispers are saying that Honda have nailed their engine. Most of them are saying Mercedes have. So I'd have a lot more confidence in his car if it had a Mercedes in it, and not a Honda, and not his useless disinterested lump of a son.
 
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Principally the engine. Honda admit they've run out of time. They're starting again, again, and there's no reason to believe they'll have nailed it out of the box. It could be as bad as "GP2 engine".

As for the car itself they're late getting it all together, which is never a good sign, Newey having made their people work 60 hours a week since November, and they're still late and didn't have time to paint it, and it broke down half way round the first lap. And still they have half their cars filled with Lance Stroll.

Newey ok has probably designed a slippery car but let's not get carried away. He's trying to be team principal as well as designer, and for a while now he has looked old, tired and overstretched.

And while being a "works team" is great for Big Lawrie's ego, none of the whispers are saying that Honda have nailed their engine. Most of them are saying Mercedes have. So I'd have a lot more confidence in his car if it had a Mercedes in it, and not a Honda, and not his useless disinterested lump of a son.
We have one day to go. Mercedes are done, they have used their three days.

God knows why it’s a private test nowt to do with the FIA so no idea why teams could not run all five days if they wanted too.

But Mercedes must have a ocean of date to look at.

Did I read somewhere Mclsren had a porpoising issue? That seems strange because the new design regs should have removed that particular carbuncle.
No. Porpoising is to do with the ground effect which these cars don’t really use.
See my post 👆
No. Porpoising is to do with the ground effect which these cars don’t really use.
I’ve just tried to find out more sbout cars porpoising but can’t see anything now.

Alonso is in the Aston tomorrow.
 
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ive not seen any photo's of any great detail, is there stuff out there other than it trundling out the garage?
That’s the only one I’ve seen. Alonso in the car today.
Here are today’s times

1 Charles Leclerc - 1:16.653 -79 laps

2 Oscar Piastri - 1:17.446 -79 laps

3 Max Verstappen - 1:18.285 -69 laps

4 Oliver Bearman - 1:18.423 -105 laps

5 Pierre Gasly - 1:19.754 -78 laps

6 Gabriel Bortoleto - 1:20.179 -64 laps

7 Fernando Alonso - 1:20.795 -49 laps

8 Valtteri Bottas - 1:22.790 - 33 laps
 
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