2019 Formula One Season ***Possible Spoilers***

Another slow news day





Rumour has it that Sebastian Vettel is no longer at ease at Ferrari but where could the German go if he were to leave the Scuderia? Mercedes haven't had a German driver in their ranks since Nico Rosberg but is Vettel a realistic option?
Mercedes boss, Toto Wolff has refused to rule out a move insisting: "Everything is still open after 2020". Mercedes currently has Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas as their lineup, but with Bottas' place under the spotlight and Hamilton now 34, Vettel could have a shot after Wolff heaped the praise on the German.
"You are not just a four-time world champion because of a bit of luck. Sebastian is still the most important pawn at Ferrari, but you don't know what he will do next. Everything is still open after 2020," Wolff told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Despite Hamilton chasing Michael Schumacher's record of seven World Championship, Wolff acknowledges the lure of Ferrari but trusts Hamilton is focused at the Silver Arrows.
"Hamilton is at ease with us and there is trust from both sides, but we also recognize the myth that Ferrari is. Many riders dream of driving there."

 

He bought a 275GTS? Good for him. At least he THINKS that's what it is. Geez

 

Who's going?


Scuderia Ferrari
@ScuderiaFerrari
·
25m

See you in Milan’s Piazza Duomo on 4 September to celebrate together with
@aci_italia
the 90th Italian Grand Prix to be held at the Monza Circuit and 90 years of the Scuderia

#essereFerrari

#ScuderiaFerrari90


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90 years of emotion with ACI and Ferrari
Appointment 4 September in Milan’s Piazza Duomo to celebrate the 90th Italian GP to be held at the Monza circuit and 90 years of the Scuderia
formula1.ferrari.com

 

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump

I promise not to do this to Greenland!

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Leclerc stepped up to Ferrari from Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) last year. He has come close to victories in Bahrain and Austria, but narrowly missed out, and suffered crashes in qualifying at Azerbaijan and during the race in Germany.
Although he is one of the youngest and least experienced drivers to join Ferrari in recent seasons, Leclerc says he is able to deal with the extra attention which comes with the role.
“The pressure, I really don’t feel it,” he said. However he admitted one of the more challenging aspects of his promotion has been getting used to a much bigger team.
“Obviously being a Ferrari driver is always a dream come true but it also is quite a lot more work. You need to work as hard as possible – coming in a top team in general there are a lot of people, you need to be understanding and learning how to work with so many people at the beginning coming from a smaller team. So this has been the biggest challenge for me.”
Leclerc has made clear gains in recent races, notably in the his qualifying performances. He says this has come about because he and the team have got to know each other better.
“I’m learning how to work with them but they are also learning how to work with me,” he said. “What I prefer in terms of set-ups in general, what is the car balance that I like to drive and things like this. So this is better races after races.”
He has already developed a reputation for being tough with himself on the radio when things go wrong, but he indicated this is not a sign of the strain he is under.
“It’s just the way I work,” he said. “I think it’s the best way forward to not to to find any excuses whenever you do a mistake but just to analyse it and be very honest with yourself. That’s what I’m trying to do every time.
“I’m definitely not ashamed to admit when I’ve done a mistake and I’ve done one at the end it’s quite clear. So no need to find an excuse.”

 

1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Championship position: 3rd, 181 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 11-1
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 11-1
It’s hard to believe he’s still just 21 years old, but the Dutchman has been electric in 2019. It’s a strong CV, with two brilliant wins in Austria and Germany, three other podiums (Australia, Spain, Hungary) and a maiden pole at the Hungaroring. He is just seven points off second-placed Valtteri Bottas in the all-conquering Mercedes. Oh lawd he comin’.
2. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
Championship position: 1st, 250 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 7-5
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 9-3
It has been the champ’s best start to a season to a summer break, with eight wins and 250 points. Had he not slipped up on race day in Germany, he may have just pipped Verstappen to top spot. Regardless, a sixth title looks likely — but it will be interesting to see if Ferrari and Red Bull can close the gap after the break.
[https://cdn-newsapi-com-au]Hamilton and Verstappen have been top dogs so far this season.
3. Carlos Sainz (McLaren)
Championship position: 7th, 58 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 4-8
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 9-3
After failing to score in his first three races, Sainz reached the points in eight of his next nine starts, with five of them in the top six. Consecutive top fives in Germany and Hungary proved the Spaniard’s McLaren marriage is only just warming up.
4. Daniil Kvyat (Toro Rosso)
Championship position: 9th, 27 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate:6-6
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 7-5
Six out of 12 points finishes makes for decent reading, and despite having a tough time of it on Saturday, the Russian’s race day performances have been exceptional. And that Germany podium drive — stunning.
5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
Championship position: 5th, 132pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 6-6
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 4-8
In his first season with Ferrari, Leclerc should have won at least three races by now. The car trouble in Bahrain wasn’t his fault, Verstappen outmuscled him in Austria, and he binned it in Germany. However, two poles and five podiums later, and the Monegasque driver will surely reach the top step if Ferrari get it together.
[https://media-foxsports-com-au]
6. Kimi Raikkonen (Alfa Romeo)
Championship position: 3rd, 181 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 8-4
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 11-1
A move to his old stomping ground has vaulted Sauber outfit Alfa Romeo to great heights in 2019. The 2007 world champion has dominated his teammate, and has recorded eight points finishes in inferior machinery to sit eighth in the standings. All just two months out from his 40th birthday.
7. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
Championship position: 4th, 156 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 6-6
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 8-4
For all of his frustrations this season, the four-time world champion has reached the podium six times. A win in Canada slipped away in controversial circumstances, and at times, his teammate has outraced him. However, Vettel showed who’s boss at Ferrari in Hungary. If Ferrari can maximise its package after the break, wins at Spa or Monza could reignite his season.
[https://cdn-newsapi-com-au]Is Vettel still Ferrari’s No. 1?
8. Alex Albon (Toro Rosso/Red Bull)
Championship position: 15th, 16 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 6-6
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 5-7
A mid-season move to Red Bull may seem premature to some, but the rookie has not allowed himself to be bullied across his first 12 races. His qualifying form has been very good, and while some race days have been better than others, standouts — like China and Germany — have Albon on a course for something special if he can get his head around the Red Bull package quickly.
9. Lando Norris (McLaren)
Championship position: 10th, 24 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate:8-4
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 3-9
Another sterling rookie showing, Norris has outpaced his more experienced teammate Sainz in qualifying trim, and top six finishes in Bahrain — his second ever race — and Austria were pleasing. McLaren will expect more in the second half of the season, and they can be confident in their teen.
10. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Championship position: 2nd, 188 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 5-7
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 3-9
‘Bottas 2.0’ quickly disappeared after his quick start to the season, with Hamilton skipping away to a 68-point lead after Hungary. It’s believed the Finn is fighting for his Mercedes seat, and consecutive incidents in Germany and Hungary certainly didn’t help his cause. A wasted opportunity after such a bright start to 2019.
[https://cdn-newsapi-com-au]Bottas’ season has slipped away very quickly.
11. George Russell (Williams)
Championship position: 20th, 0 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 12-0
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 11-1
He may be the only scoreless driver so far this season, but the reigning F2 champ has led the returning Kubica at nearly every turn. Hugely impressive and confident, with his two-in-one pass at Austria a highlight. More still to come.
12. Daniel Ricciardo (Renault)
Championship position: 11th, 22 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate:8-4
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 7-5
The Renault move has yet to pay dividends, and there have been few highlights for the Australian. He may be wishing he didn’t leave Red Bull, but would he go back? It’s unlikely, but if the French team can’t get him fighting for regular podiums, who knows what may happen.
[https://cdn-newsapi-com-au]Ricciardo has been tolerant with Renault … so far.
13. Sergio Perez (Racing Point)
Championship position: 16th, 13 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 11-1
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 8-4
After a solid start, Perez is scoreless in eight races. Throwing it away in Germany in the rain proved a sloppy moment considering how well his teammate finished. He expects bigger things in the future, but the time is now to perform should he retain his seat for 2020 with confidence, funding or not.
14. Lance Stroll (Racing Point)
Championship position: 12th, 18 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 1-11
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 4-8
Stroll has been dominated by Perez on Saturday, but he has pegged it back on race day. Cunning strategy won him a top-four finish in Germany, and another highlight was his points finish from 17th at home. The Canadian will have high expectations in the second half as he looks to stay ahead of Perez in the standings.
15. Nico Hulkenberg (Renault)
Championship position: 14th, 17 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 4-8
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 5-7
Had Hulkenberg broken his podium duck in Germany, it could all have been so much different. However, he has been another loser out of the Renault debacle, and Ricciardo has imposed himself in qualifying and races. He’ll be desperate for an upturn in form after the summer break.
16. Romain Grosjean (Haas)
Championship position: 17th, 8 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 5-7
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 5-7
The Frenchman has finished ahead of his teammate every time both drivers have reached the chequered flag. However, lying 17th with eight points doesn’t make for flash reading. It’s just been that sort of season for Haas.
[https://cdn-newsapi-com-au]Crashing in pitlane? Poor Haas.
17. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)
Championship position: 13th, 18 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 7-5
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 7-5
Magnussen isn’t Daniel Ricciardo’s best mate after their Hungary run-in, and Haas won’t be happy either after a lacklustre start to the season. When Grosjean finishes races, he’s ahead of the Dane. Australia, Spain and Germany have been positive, but that’s about it. But let’s not be too harsh — that qualifying lap in Austraia was otherworldly.
18. Antonio Giovinazzi (Alfa Romeo)
Championship position: 18th, 1 pt
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 4-8
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 1-11
The points finish in Austria remains the only highlight from a difficult season where Raikkonen has clearly been the better driver in the team. The Italian has a lot to offer, but he has to get it right consistently.
19. Robert Kubica (Williams)
Championship position: 19th, 1 pt
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 0-12
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 1-11
The Pole’s return has been a struggle, but a good news story was the points finish in the chaotic German race. However, that has been the only time Kubica has finished ahead of Williams teammate Russell. Keep on keeping on Robert, but the bubble may have burst.
20. Pierre Gasly (Red Bull/Toro Rosso)
Championship position: 6th, 63 pts
Qualifying head-to-head vs. teammate: 1-11
Race head-to-head vs. teammate: 1-11
Wake me up when September comes, says Gasly. The end of the month means a return to racing, and a chance for Gasly to rebuild himself after being demoted from Red Bull to Toro Rosso. His 12 races with the senior team couldn’t have gone worse as Verstappen trampled all over him.

 

Jacques Villeneuve believes that the Honda engine is not capable of doing more than 4 races and is predictingRed Bull to face major grid penalties after the summer break. Honda are reported to be bringing a 25HP upgrade to Monza but the 1997 world champion thinks that this will not help Red Bull in the long run.
"The Honda engine only lasts three or four races. That is why they suddenly have so much power: They are not trying to complete seven races with the same engine. If Mercedes and Ferrari were to use the same tactics, they would have thirty HP more than Honda at the moment," says the Canadian at Motorsport-Magazin.
Red Bull will have a dilemma if Villeneuve's thoughts are true. If they do put a new engine on the RB15 in Italy, then that engine should go eight Grands Prix's. If it doesn't last that long they could fall back on their older specification engine for the last few races.
Another option is to collect a grid penalty later on in the season at a circuit where overtaking is easier.
Honda will want a strong performance at their home Japanese Grand Prix and the race after that is the Mexican Grand Prix, a circuit that Red Bull traditionally perform well at. They could then take a grid penalty at the American Grand Prix and replace their engine ready to perform at full throttle in Brazil and Abu Dhabi.
However, according to Red Bull adviser Helmut Marko, this will not be necessary. When asked about his opinion on what Villeneuve said, the Austrian dismissed it as "nonsense.

 

It's not only the engine, it's the team that rarely screws up and, of course, the chassis. Lewis is not a God of driving. He's just another excellent driver sitting in what's EASILY the best car on the grid and has been for many years.

 

Bottas is useless but still regularly out qualifies and out races Lewis.

 

F1 over 30 seconds a lap faster than motogp!

 

Lol

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