[Driver] 2018 F1 silly season.

[peebee2]

Wouldn’t be so sure. Maybe they will use another brand.

[GTRMagic]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Goodbye to Martini Williams Racing...


Claire Williams: "While we would both like to do so, the Bacardi Group have told us that they will step away entirely from Formula 1 when our contract expires at the end of this year.
"They have many brands to support and obviously their strategic priorities evolve over time."


Off to Formula E?

Story Here

The true price of journeyman pilots?

[E.B]

Originally Posted by GTRMagic

Story Here

The true price of journeyman pilots?

The sad thing is one of the journeymen (Sirotkin) has paid double to drive the car to what Martini paid to sponsor it. (The Martini package is said to have been $15million pa. for the 5 years)

[broadrun96]

Originally Posted by peebee2

Paddock rumours say they are going to Sauber...

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Which paddock?




Martini are leaving F1. As in.. Formula 1 all together.

Originally Posted by peebee2

Wouldn’t be so sure. Maybe they will use another brand.

Seems more like they (meaning Bacardi) had been talking with other teams and have decided to leave F1 entirely over moving to another.

[chillibowl]

if i had to wager a guess, i would say the conclusion they came to was that the money they are saving by leaving F1 will be much better spent via their own social and traditional media advertising platforms then it would be through F1.

dont want to be overly dramatic, but the transition towards paytv models have not gone well and with a few teams running without 'title' sponsors, is it fair to say there is a sponsorship crisis going on in F1?

[BSchneiderFan]

Sad news, because I love(d) the Martini colours. We’ll need to wait a bit before we understand the full story, I think.

[peebee2]

Originally Posted by E.B

The sad thing is one of the journeymen (Sirotkin) has paid double to drive the car to what Martini paid to sponsor it. (The Martini package is said to have been $15million pa. for the 5 years)

On that basis Stroll pays four times as much as Martini.

[Moneyseeker]

The chairman of Bacardi (Martini) has joined McLaren's new business advisory group - which is to develop the direction and stragey of the McLaren Group. ZB has put together some pretty powerful names for this.

https://www.pitpass.com/60969/Martin...Advisory-Group

"Working closely with McLaren’s existing senior management team, the group will deliver direct benefit to the business in four key areas," says the release, "reviewing and contributing to its growth strategy; adding commercial value to its operations via extensive relationships and networks; the provision of insights and expertise through sector specialisms; and engagement with staff and supporting the organisation’s leadership.

[S griffin]

Shame Martini are leaving, it was a great day when they returned to the sport with their evocative colours, but apart from Ferraris being red, nothing lasts forever

[greentrumpet]

The more money the "owners" seem to make or seek to extract from the business model the less sponsorship seems available for the teams and the more they rely on rich kids. Many teams can't afford decent drivers so these drivers are left out, the sport becomes more homogeneous with restrictive rules and common parts, access is reduced behind paywalls. Racing spiced up by artificial aids and crazy tyre specs. Thank goodness for classic racing and moto gp.

[loon]

Originally Posted by greentrumpet

The more money the "owners" seem to make or seek to extract from the business model the less sponsorship seems available for the teams and the more they rely on rich kids. Many teams can't afford decent drivers so these drivers are left out, the sport becomes more homogeneous with restrictive rules and common parts, access is reduced behind paywalls. Racing spiced up by artificial aids and crazy tyre specs. Thank goodness for classic racing and moto gp.

AND SUPER GT

[F1Guy]

Renault have given Red Bull a May deadline to decide which engine they use for 2019.

Horner is saying they have options for 2019.

[peebee2]

Renault have a contractual obligation given to FOM when they negotiated their deal to return as a team. Nobody is going to let them vary that. All the choice is with Red Bull.

[BSchneiderFan]

Be a major gamble to take a Honda supply, unless they make huge strides in the first couple of races.

[bella]

it looks pretty good in testing. i look forward to an autosport toro rosso/honda news blackout if they survive melbourne without an engine failure

[F1Guy]

Alonso gave serious thought to quitting F1 before the 2018 season.


Fernando Alonso: "Yes, I did think about the possibility of changing series and stopping Formula 1.

"After I did the Indy 500 last year, when I came back there were a couple of races in Austria, Silverstone, when I thought, 'Maybe next year I could try a different series; I could do full commitment to the triple crown and do Indy and Le Mans and maybe that's the best thing.

"But I felt it was not the time for me to step out – not right now, not after these results, not with this feeling.

"I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life and that I would have this bad taste for the rest of my racing career.

"So definitely I still want to succeed. There is unfinished business for me and McLaren together.

"And I think this year is the time all these things will change. I feel pretty sure about that."


https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/a...-2017-1014148/

[loon]

Well Alonso should at least get a few wins this year.... Gazoo !!

[S griffin]

Well glad he didn’t give up and now we’ve got the added bonus of seeing him in the WEC

[RWill2073]

If the troubles from testing continue, will he be regretting his decision by midseason?

How galling will it be if the Toro Rosso's are finishing ahead of him?

[F1Guy]

Another senior FiA member joins an F1 team.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/h...ical-team.html

Let's see how much of a fuss is made over this one. I'm guessing not much because he's off to Ferrari. A broom and a rug please.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Another senior FiA member joins an F1 team.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/h...ical-team.html

Let's see how much of a fuss is made over this one. I'm guessing not much because he's off to Ferrari. A broom and a rug please.

Payday for choosing the preferred solution?

[S griffin]

It’s already causing controversy with McLaren claiming that this is not right

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

Another senior FiA member joins an F1 team.

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/h...ical-team.html

Let's see how much of a fuss is made over this one. I'm guessing not much because he's off to Ferrari. A broom and a rug please.

There should be a fuss.

How far can't this go? What if Charlie Whiting received a compelling offer from one of the teams?

Richard

[F1Guy]

Originally Posted by S griffin

It’s already causing controversy with McLaren claiming that this is not right

Being right and Ferrari do not go hand in hand. Never have. Never will.

Boullier: “Ferrari went against the gentleman’s agreement, and the FIA has not enforced it.”

[peebee2]

Lol, exactly on what basis could the FIA “enforce” such an “agreement?”