Was a good race, could've done without all the over the top American nonsense and been just as good but still I think credit where it is due. Can't have been easy to pull it off and plenty (myself included) at least in part were willing it to fail.

Get ready for Formula 1 2024. Teams have started to reveal their new cars and testing will start soon in Bahrain

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/68248880

Going to be absolutely fascinating to see If RedBull can make the 'zero pods' concept (rumoured to be a part of the car by the Japanese GP) work extracting more aerodynamic and performance advantage from that than the previous season concept, damning indictment on Mercedes if RedBull do make a success of it and wouldn't put past them with Adrian Newey at the helm overseeing the construction of the car.

Yeah will be a bit of a flex from Redbull if that happens. Very likely they'll dominate again this year

RedBull either make spectacular gains which increases their advantage over the field...locked in until new regulations in 2026 or at worst drop the ball (plateau) which pulls them closer to the field.

They've adopted bits from last years Ferrari & Mercedes -
https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1759640505334260056.html?utm_campaign=topunroll
Rear of their car which the team made a point of deliberately hiding at the (livery) launch car will be looked at very closely.
(Probably an attempt to stop other teams copying bits from their car before season starts, the games they play).

Likewise Mercedes clever innovative workaround interpretation of the front wing - https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GGYpAtRboAAc_Uf.jpg
which rival teams have already flagged as an potential illegial wing (FIA have deemed legal for now, glad they have).
Innovation is the very essence of the sport, engineering genius should be encouraged.

However, if that front wing serves to reduce the drag thus positively impact performance and downforce significantly, a game-changer, rivals will be pushing harder than ever for wing to be outlawed as it will be quite difficult to copy quickly in-season and make sure it correlates with the rest of the car.

BUMP

Bahrein free practice today. Lets see who gets out on top. Red Bull or have other teams some surprises for us.

I only just realised the race is on saturday

Fully expect Red Bull to be 0.7/8 faster than everyone else

Absolutely agree with the poster here
https://www.ja606.co.uk/articles/viewArticle/460827

Well that was one boring race. Congratulations Max on WDC no 4.

Why is the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix on a Saturday?
The Saudi Arabian race takes place on a Saturday to accommodate the start of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan from Sunday, 10 March.

This date was originally scheduled to be race day in Jeddah, so Formula 1 brought the grand prix forward by a day to avoid a clash.

Saturday's race starts at 17:00 GMT.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/68501426

Red Bull suspend woman who accused Christian Horner of inappropriate behaviour

The woman who accused team principal Christian Horner of inappropriate and controlling behaviour has been suspended by Red Bull.

BBC Sport has learned the reason given by Red Bull to the employee was that she had been dishonest."

Ooft

Difficult to know what's really going on. My views on this sort of thing has been heavily tainted by the Alex Salmond scandal in the SNP. A similar power struggle between the heavily pro-independence Alex Salmond and the pro-UK Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon got a bunch of her mates to tell tales about Salmond in order to purge him from the party and keep him in jail for the rest of his life.
Thankfully for Salmond they were all really bad liars, but he still suffered a huge hit to his reputation, largely due to a media that had him condemned as guilty the moment the accusations came out.

Of course the power struggle in this situation makes far less sense. It's not polar opposite political ideologies - they both want Red Bull and Verstappen to win as many titles as possible.

Anyway, in other news Carlos Sainz will miss the weekend as his appendix is about to go pop if he doesn't get it cut out. Oliver Bearman is due to replace him.

Sainz OUT

Bearman IN

comment by Drunken Hobo (U7360)
posted 9 hours, 52 minutes ago
Difficult to know what's really going on. My views on this sort of thing has been heavily tainted by the Alex Salmond scandal in the SNP. A similar power struggle between the heavily pro-independence Alex Salmond and the pro-UK Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon got a bunch of her mates to tell tales about Salmond in order to purge him from the party and keep him in jail for the rest of his life.
Thankfully for Salmond they were all really bad liars, but he still suffered a huge hit to his reputation, largely due to a media that had him condemned as guilty the moment the accusations came out.

Of course the power struggle in this situation makes far less sense. It's not polar opposite political ideologies - they both want Red Bull and Verstappen to win as many titles as possible.

Anyway, in other news Carlos Sainz will miss the weekend as his appendix is about to go pop if he doesn't get it cut out. Oliver Bearman is due to replace him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I think you hit the nail on the head with "power struggle".

No way the allegations, and this split with MV JV and HM is a co-incidence.

Strikes me they are a nightmare to work with, and if it wasn't for Max's supreme ability he'd probably be out (of F1) on his ear.

Trouble Red Bull have is if they get rid of him he's going to be rubbing their nose in it for the next 15 years.

I find the over the top sucking off of Bearman absolute cringe.

comment by Bill Nick: African pop star (U23088)
posted a day ago
comment by Drunken Hobo (U7360)
posted 9 hours, 52 minutes ago
Difficult to know what's really going on. My views on this sort of thing has been heavily tainted by the Alex Salmond scandal in the SNP. A similar power struggle between the heavily pro-independence Alex Salmond and the pro-UK Nicola Sturgeon.
Sturgeon got a bunch of her mates to tell tales about Salmond in order to purge him from the party and keep him in jail for the rest of his life.
Thankfully for Salmond they were all really bad liars, but he still suffered a huge hit to his reputation, largely due to a media that had him condemned as guilty the moment the accusations came out.

Of course the power struggle in this situation makes far less sense. It's not polar opposite political ideologies - they both want Red Bull and Verstappen to win as many titles as possible.

Anyway, in other news Carlos Sainz will miss the weekend as his appendix is about to go pop if he doesn't get it cut out. Oliver Bearman is due to replace him.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

I think you hit the nail on the head with "power struggle".

No way the allegations, and this split with MV JV and HM is a co-incidence.

Strikes me they are a nightmare to work with, and if it wasn't for Max's supreme ability he'd probably be out (of F1) on his ear.

Trouble Red Bull have is if they get rid of him he's going to be rubbing their nose in it for the next 15 years.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Not while Adrian Newy stays at RB.

Let's go max, 11 in a row incoming

comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 12 days ago
Let's go max, 11 in a row incoming
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep

comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted about 20 hours ago
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 12 days ago
Let's go max, 11 in a row incoming
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nope

Anyone up?

Alonso break testing Russell

comment by Cloggy (U1250)
posted a day ago
comment by United_kaz (U9943)
posted 12 days ago
Let's go max, 11 in a row incoming
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yep
----------------------------------------------------------------------


Wrong

At what point do Ferrari tell Sainz they didn't really sign Hamilton and they just did this to motivate him?