Month: May 2020

Mercedes AMG-Petronas has shown their true colours again in the Formula One Community. While most teams in F1 are working towards revitalizing the sport after COVID-19, Mercedes is doing everything possible to hold onto their championship status. It doesn’t matter if Formula One negatively benefits from Mercedes continue to oppose advancements in the motorsport.

Previous oppositions included dropping the capped cost of F1 Cars to $145 Million, implementing the new rule changes for 2020, and using new fuel methods to increase speed. Every one of these oppositions if approved by the FIA, would’ve allowed opposing teams to better compete against Mercedes. It shows an evident fear of losing their Championship Status, which will inevitably come with the growth of Ferrari and Red Bull. The status will be terminated after Toto Wolff leaves Mercedes AMG-Petronas for Lawrence Stroll’s Aston Martin F1 Team.

The latest opposition shown by Mercedes AMG-Petronas relates to a Reverse Grid Order. Other teams in Formula One & the FIA are determining how to keep fans excited with back-to-back Grand Prix’s. One way to accomplish this would be implementing the Reverse Grid Order, which would put teams like Mercedes and Ferrari at the very back. Williams and Haas would stand at the front of the grid. This unique approach would create exciting elements of driving that would bring F1 Fanatics back for the 2nd Grand Prix.

The Reasoning for Reverse Grid Orders

This strategy follows after Carey Chase confirmed that Austria would have two confirmed Grand Prix’s, with Silverstone slated to follow under the conditional approval of the United Kingdom Parliament. Nine teams in Formula One approve the Reverse Grid Order, with the 10th and exclusive opposing outfit being Mercedes AMG-Petronas. Shockingly, Mercedes is taking this approach, with their vehicles being formidable enough to reach the top podium placement from the back of the grid. Refusal to participate has made some analysts wonder if Lewis Hamilton & Valtteri Bottas aren’t up to the task in their older ages.
It should be mentioned that the concept of a Reverse Grid Order has been discussed multiple times in recent years. Every incarnation of this strategy is opposed by Mercedes AMG-Petronas, the team that cries Wolff to the FIA whenever everything isn’t exclusively in their favour.

An influential force in the Formula One Community has announced his public criticism against the Paddock & Grid. This follows after Toto Wolff noticed an evident level of self-interest, which during a period where humanity is meant to come together, the German has found incredibly offensive.

The COVID-19 Lockdown of Formula One was meant to be an opportunistic period for the Paddock & Grid. Reductions in the cost of operating these vehicles were maintained to $145 Million for 2021, with updated aerodynamic regulations also being approved for the 2022 F1 Season. Several other changes less significant have also been made to the sport. All these alterations benefit the Mid-Grid and Low-Grid, with the top three teams feeling the blunt effects of these updated F1 Laws.

Toto Wolff of Mercedes AMG-Petronas wasn’t upset by the updated regulation, unlike Mattia Binotto from Scuderia Ferrari. He believes outfits like Ferrari are using the COVID-19 Lockdown as the perfect time to implement their agendas. This means Formula One isn’t moving in the same direction. Toto Wolff clarified that the manipulative environment of F1 hasn’t changed since he joined Williams in F1. Wolff expected this to change when the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded worldwide.

Ignore the Ego

However, it appears that other outfits outside of Mercedes aren’t concerned about the upcoming races but are instead working towards advancing their interests. This often means destroying another team for personal glory, which goes against the core interests of sportsmanship. Toto Wolff warned his fellow competitors that this behaviour could become the demise of Formula One.

Toto Wolff is now looking forward to the return of racing. He noted that when the lights go green, all the manipulation and control is thrown out the window. It becomes up to the drivers entirely. The fact that team personnel think their influence makes a significant difference over how these drivers complete is a foolish mentality. These men don’t even have to start the car if they decide, leaving all that manipulation to backfire on those responsible. It appears Toto Wolff knows this behaviour to be pointless, with the proof being shown with Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes Team Boss often lets his primary driver compete in anyway Hamilton deems necessary.

Rumours regarding the future of Sebastian Vettel were confirmed earlier this week. It was revealed that Vettel hadn’t accepted a contract offer from Ferrari for the 2021 Season, with the German-born Driver believing his respective payday should’ve been higher than what his employer was offering. Both Vettel & Ferrari determined that they’re not suited for one another, prompting Sebastian to be terminated after the 2020 season. Replacing Vettel will be Carlos Sainz from McLaren, with Ferrari acquiring the Spanish-born Driver within 24 hours after Sebastian left. Details on Carlos’s contract hasn’t been made public.

Carlos Sainz leaving McLaren came as disappointing news for fans of this outfit. Sainz and Lando Norris have become close friends, with the McLaren supporters often requesting more details on their friendship. It’s being speculated that Zac Brown will try to replicate the hilarious nature of Sainz & Norris with Daniel Riccardo, who will be replacing Carlos in 2021. Daniel is the best choice next to Carlos Sainz for Lando Norris. Riccardo is known for having a cheerful and comedian personality, similar to that of Lando.

Carlos Reflects on McLaren Career

Ferrari selected Carlos Sainz after the Spanish Driver acquired his 1st podium victory, placing third against Lewis Hamilton. It’s his most notable finish yet and proved his capabilities in Formula One. Sainz would go-on to acquire 6th in the Driver’s championship, creating interest from other teams like Ferrari. Carlos would be questioned on his future with Scuderia Ferrari, where Sainz noted his excitement for the future. However, Carlos revealed his main focus is completing the 2020 season with McLaren and saying his goodbyes to this loyal team.

The New Era

Mattia Binotto revealed that acquiring Carlos Sainz introduced a “New Era” for Ferrari, which focuses on young drivers. Ferrari hopes to replicate similar performance improvements seen with Red Bull – Aston Martin Racing, which is known for employing young drivers. It’s lead to world champions multiple times. Ferrari hopes to make Carlos Sainz or Charles Leclerc into a world champion by latest 2022. New regulations in Formula One could make this goal challenging to accomplish for Scuderia Ferrari. However, selecting Carlos Sainz means picking someone up for the task.

Not every driver on the Formula One Grid has participated in the Virtual Grand Prix’s. They’ve instead selected to continue their regular training, allowing them to remain physically fit for the inevitable 2020 season. This includes Daniel Ricciardo, who has provided insight into how the first Grand Prix will be chaotic this year. The Australian driver noted that nobody had gotten in their cars since February, which was when F1 Competitors were permitted to compete in Winter Testing, which lasts one week. What this all means is that everyone will be rusty and not performing at their best.

Daniel Ricciardo made these remarks after Formula One announced that the 2020 Season would begin with back-to-back Grand Prix’s in Austria. These races will be held in early July, with the Australian Honey Badger expecting these venues to become chaotic. Multiple crashes could unfold, or drivers will spinout, with this being nearly unavoidable after not being familiar with their respective vehicles. Ricciardo also noted that every driver would be emotionally excited and eager to compete, including himself. This will create an occasional hiccup in their separate strategy for the Grand Prix. Though this will create lots of action for supporters, it’ll also create an unpredictable outcome for the F1 teams.

The Honey Badger mentioned that adrenaline would feel fresh for F1 Competitors, forcing some on the grid to make mistakes by trying bold overtakes in unexpected corners. It’ll be moments like this that prompt crashes and what Ricciardo expects to be an almost endless number of safety cars.

Horner Agrees

Surprisingly, Christian Horner agreed with the sentiments from Daniel Ricciardo. Horner was the former Team Principal for the Honey Badger, with both leaving on bad terms when Christian selected Max Verstappen over Daniel Riccardo.

Christian Horner mentioned that this is the longest time F1 Drivers haven’t competed in their lifetime, that it’ll prompt multiple issues because of delayed reactions. Horner believes this will be healthy for Formula One and create unexpected grids, with Christian not denying that there’ll be incidents prompting the safety car in July. It should be noted that it won’t take drivers like Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, and Daniel Ricciardo to reobtain their skillsets.

Formula One fanatics can rejoice after continuous announcements regarding delays and cancellations. F1 Organizers confirmed that the Hungarian Grand Prix would take place in 2020. However, this venue will be held without the attendance of supporters. Confirmations on the 1st official Grand Prix for the late 2020 season follows after the F1 CEO worked towards revising the calendar. It’s speculated that back-to-back Grand Prix’s will be held at Austria and Silverstone as well.

The refinement of the 2020 Formula One Season was prompted after the COVID-19 Pandemic broke out worldwide, prompt nearly all locations where Grand Prix’s are held to introduce social distancing measures. F1 wasn’t the exclusive sporting association affected by this virus. Organizations like the NBA, MLS, MLB, NFL, and NHL were also forced to cancel their respective seasons as well. Formula One hopes they can be the 1st international motorsport to return to live races, with this dependent on countless factors.

Restricted movements of global civilians have continued to be enforced, with nations like Great Britain and Canada extending their lockdown periods. This prompted the Canadian Grand Prix to be cancelled for 2020, with some motorsport analysts worried that the Silverstone GP Strategy won’t be possible by July. Though it should be noted that British GP Officials confirmed that if Silverstone does take place, it’ll be a closed-door venue similar to Hungary. Those wanting to witness the Hungarian Grand Prix have to wait until August 2nd, with this marking the 35th occasion an F1 race has been held at this location. It’ll mark the 1st time that spectators weren’t permitted.

Refund or Transfer

Officials with the Hungaroring Committee provided a formal statement regarding their announcement. Clarification indicated that they’d waited until the final moment to make their decision, hoping that something would happen to define the difference between spectators being permitted or banned. It was ultimately determined that attendees being prohibited was for the safety of Drivers and F1 Personnel. This statement revealed that anybody who purchased tickets for this year’s venue would be permitted a Transfer or Refund. Selecting the transfer will enable this 2020s tickets to move into 2021.