Yes, it was. It's been on a steady decline for a while but Netflix has totally killed it off.
F1 2023 Season
- Thread starter pauldyson1uk
- Start date
Tough weekend for Merc to know if the upgrades work but it does at least give them some data before Spain.
totally wrong track for major upgrades, doubt they will learn a great deal, Spain will be where we should see what it can really do.
It looks slightly like Ferrari from the side ?
new side pods
Despite being so naff, they're the only team I trust still to mount a challenge of sorts to Red Bull.
Sure. Next season.
I think until the regs change again it's likely to just be roll reversal from 14-20. Merc will steal the odd win here and there but ultimately RB will be unmatched, depressing but reality.
Wolff was saying he can only see about 0.6 per lap gain in this new approach but with more development potential.
He’s not getting excited about it when Red Bull are 55 secs ahead at the end of the race. Realistically it’s until the second half of the season when we’re going to see any gap to Red Bull closing, unless Pirelli’s new slick from Silverstone puts them at a detriment to the rest of the field.
I’d be surprised to see them any where near the top 4 this weekend.
He’s not getting excited about it when Red Bull are 55 secs ahead at the end of the race. Realistically it’s until the second half of the season when we’re going to see any gap to Red Bull closing, unless Pirelli’s new slick from Silverstone puts them at a detriment to the rest of the field.
I’d be surprised to see them any where near the top 4 this weekend.
Unfortunately I think you're right.
First initial analysis (albeit without seeing the car on track).
Looks like a compromised design and we will have to wait till next season, when the crash structure and related stuff can be moved.
https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-mercedes-upgrades-show-us-and-whats-still-hidden/
Looks like a compromised design and we will have to wait till next season, when the crash structure and related stuff can be moved.
https://the-race.com/formula-1/what-mercedes-upgrades-show-us-and-whats-still-hidden/
Monaco is going to be interesting , with Mecedes upgrades I not sure I see them doing any better than previous races
Still behind RB. Hopefully they can a podium at least.
Still behind RB. Hopefully they can a podium at least.
All bets are off for monaco. Its all about qually (cars will be setup in max qually trim not max race trim), if someone can banzai a lap early in q3 then have a gentle "crash" on their 2nd run. They will be on pole.
Danny Ric won monaco with 100bhp missing from his car. If i was a betting man, id guess alonso or leclerc will be on the front row with a RB. Street circuit so cant rule out perez beating max in qually.
I would say this is Alonso's best chance of a race win this season, he is good on this track.
Max and Perez cant reley in their pure strightline speed here, hard track to pass on , only a few places you can and yeah I would put Perez ahead on street tracks.
Not th track for major upgrades, but forced on Mercedes after last weeks washout.
But thinking about it, if Mercedes get those upgrades working stright out of the box, on this track you never know.
I really dislike Monaco. Wide cars, narrow streets, crap race usually.
Roll on next season.
Roll on next season.
It hasn't been a great season, so far. Too many street circuits, long breaks due to cancellations, and now because of one of those cancellations we're going straight back into ANOTHER street circuit. And not just any street circuit, but the worst one on the calendar.
Feels like the season hasn't really got going.
Feels like the season hasn't really got going.
Red Flag! Hulkenberg whacks the left rear
The German has clouted the barriers on his way into the Nouvelle Chicane which sends him into a spin.
He gets back to the pits but the Red Flag has been thrown out to clear up debris.
The German has clouted the barriers on his way into the Nouvelle Chicane which sends him into a spin.
He gets back to the pits but the Red Flag has been thrown out to clear up debris.
Hamilton quickest at the halfway mark
Lewis Hamilton pops to the top of the timesheets with 30 minutes to go as the drivers who were on the hard tyres earlier, switch to the medium rubber.
Lando Norris moves up to third for McLaren, while Sargeant did make it back to the garage.
1. Lewis Hamilton 1:14.035
2. Carlos Sainz +0.210
3. Lando Norris +0.432
4. Max Verstappen +0.454
5. Charles Leclerc +0.497
Yes I know FP
Lewis Hamilton pops to the top of the timesheets with 30 minutes to go as the drivers who were on the hard tyres earlier, switch to the medium rubber.
Lando Norris moves up to third for McLaren, while Sargeant did make it back to the garage.
1. Lewis Hamilton 1:14.035
2. Carlos Sainz +0.210
3. Lando Norris +0.432
4. Max Verstappen +0.454
5. Charles Leclerc +0.497
Yes I know FP
Albon hit the barrier.
Red Flag: Albon wrecks Williams
Alex Albon smashes the barriers at Turn One and he has wrecked the left side of his Williams.
And that is the end of the session as race control says we will not resume.
Alex Albon smashes the barriers at Turn One and he has wrecked the left side of his Williams.
And that is the end of the session as race control says we will not resume.
Albon has made a mess of his car, expensive and lots of work to get out for FP2
Monaco GP FP1 Timesheet
FP2 will be interesting, you can never read too much in to fp1.
agreed, Lewis loks better than previous races, but Russell is struggling with confidance and tyres ( his words not mine )
Max was struggles with a problem, Alonso looks very consistant.
Interesting to see what happens with the Lewis and Ferrari rumours. Still wont be as fast as cheating bull no doubt but it'll be weird t see see him in red if it happens.
'No major problems' with Mercedes' upgrades
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin on the initial running of the W14's upgrades:
“It’s difficult to stay at this stage of the weekend. We haven’t seen major problems which is a useful start to it. We were doing some comparisons on set-up across the cars so I think we have a good direction there – Lewis appeared to be in a happier place than George.
“One of the tricky bits with Monaco is the track evolves so much. It’s one thing having the car in a good spot in FP1, you need to keep it there in FP2, FP3 and into Qualy. That’s a lot easier said than done. It’s a good start but we’re certainly wary of the many ways you can get Monaco wrong.
“We’re just playing with the normal set-up parameters here. You don’t design a car for Monaco, you design it for your Silverstones and Barcelonas so the challenge is always how do you take that car designed for another circuit and get it to work around this slow, bumpy very tight and twisty track.
“Monaco is about confidence for the driver. Lewis had that this morning but George didn’t so it’s about working on the tweaks that will bring that.
“We’re very much in the situation of looking at the car we’ve brought here and thinking ‘oh we would have done that differently if we did it again’. If you start with a clean sheet it’s a lot easier to optimise than if you’re halfway through your development and have to make a pretty big change.
"The positive of that we have a big long list of things we’d like to do that we know will bring performance, but it was a really impressive job to what is now race six.”
Mercedes trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin on the initial running of the W14's upgrades:
“It’s difficult to stay at this stage of the weekend. We haven’t seen major problems which is a useful start to it. We were doing some comparisons on set-up across the cars so I think we have a good direction there – Lewis appeared to be in a happier place than George.
“One of the tricky bits with Monaco is the track evolves so much. It’s one thing having the car in a good spot in FP1, you need to keep it there in FP2, FP3 and into Qualy. That’s a lot easier said than done. It’s a good start but we’re certainly wary of the many ways you can get Monaco wrong.
“We’re just playing with the normal set-up parameters here. You don’t design a car for Monaco, you design it for your Silverstones and Barcelonas so the challenge is always how do you take that car designed for another circuit and get it to work around this slow, bumpy very tight and twisty track.
“Monaco is about confidence for the driver. Lewis had that this morning but George didn’t so it’s about working on the tweaks that will bring that.
“We’re very much in the situation of looking at the car we’ve brought here and thinking ‘oh we would have done that differently if we did it again’. If you start with a clean sheet it’s a lot easier to optimise than if you’re halfway through your development and have to make a pretty big change.
"The positive of that we have a big long list of things we’d like to do that we know will bring performance, but it was a really impressive job to what is now race six.”
Can somebody please shut this old fool up !
Helmut Marko believes Lewis Hamilton is "annoyed" by losing his spot as F1's top earner to Max Verstappen and suggests the Brit's discontent is fueling rumors of a move to Ferrari.
For many years, Hamilton outpaced his rivals on the track with Mercedes but the seven-time world champion also ranked until recently as the highest paid driver in the sport.
However, Red Bull's infatuation and success in F1 with Verstappen has encouraged the energy drink company to meet the Dutchman's ever increasing financial demands.
In 2022, the two parties agreed to a contract extension that runs until the end of 2028 and that is estimated to be worth an eye-watering $55 million a year to the two-time world champion.
Verstappen's mammoth deal comfortably surpasses Hamilton's own lucrative contract with Mercedes, a situation that upsets the Briton according to Marko.
According to reports from Italy last week, Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been in close contact with Hamilton and hopes to lure the latter away from Mercedes with an offer that he cannot refuse.
But Marko believes Hamilton is just leveraging his bargaining power in a bid to secure better contract terms with Mercedes.
"There are two things that really annoy Hamilton," Marko told F1 Insider. "Firstly, that he is no longer world champion and will find it difficult to become one again in the future.
"He knows there is no place for him at Red Bull. And whether Ferrari will be better for him in terms of sport than Mercedes is not set in stone.
"In addition to the sporting perspective, Lewis is anything but happy that he is no longer the highest-earning driver in F1.
"This is Max Verstappen now. At least he could change with Ferrari’s help."
Unless there is a dramatic breakdown in the relationship between Hamilton and Mercedes, it's highly unlikely that the Briton would seriously consider a sensational move to Maranello.
Hamilton has repeatedly stated that Mercedes is his "family" and the team where he hopes to end his career in Formula 1, while team boss Toto Wolff has also often said that he had no reason to believe that Hamilton and Mercedes would not extend their collaboration beyond this season, even despite the team's current period of underperformance.
"These rumours [regarding a move to Ferrari by Hamilton] come up every two years when we have to sign a new contract," Wolff told Austria’s oe24.
"But none of this is true. We discuss normally, without any time pressure."
"I’m firmly convinced that we’ll find each other, there’s not a millimetre of doubt for me. I can’t imagine anything else."
I would have thought money was the last thing on his mind, after all he has already earnt a shed load of money.
Lewis is in his twilight year, Max in his prime , of course he is going to earn more money.
Helmut Marko believes Lewis Hamilton is "annoyed" by losing his spot as F1's top earner to Max Verstappen and suggests the Brit's discontent is fueling rumors of a move to Ferrari.
For many years, Hamilton outpaced his rivals on the track with Mercedes but the seven-time world champion also ranked until recently as the highest paid driver in the sport.
However, Red Bull's infatuation and success in F1 with Verstappen has encouraged the energy drink company to meet the Dutchman's ever increasing financial demands.
In 2022, the two parties agreed to a contract extension that runs until the end of 2028 and that is estimated to be worth an eye-watering $55 million a year to the two-time world champion.
Verstappen's mammoth deal comfortably surpasses Hamilton's own lucrative contract with Mercedes, a situation that upsets the Briton according to Marko.
According to reports from Italy last week, Ferrari chairman John Elkann has been in close contact with Hamilton and hopes to lure the latter away from Mercedes with an offer that he cannot refuse.
But Marko believes Hamilton is just leveraging his bargaining power in a bid to secure better contract terms with Mercedes.
"There are two things that really annoy Hamilton," Marko told F1 Insider. "Firstly, that he is no longer world champion and will find it difficult to become one again in the future.
"He knows there is no place for him at Red Bull. And whether Ferrari will be better for him in terms of sport than Mercedes is not set in stone.
"In addition to the sporting perspective, Lewis is anything but happy that he is no longer the highest-earning driver in F1.
"This is Max Verstappen now. At least he could change with Ferrari’s help."
Unless there is a dramatic breakdown in the relationship between Hamilton and Mercedes, it's highly unlikely that the Briton would seriously consider a sensational move to Maranello.
Hamilton has repeatedly stated that Mercedes is his "family" and the team where he hopes to end his career in Formula 1, while team boss Toto Wolff has also often said that he had no reason to believe that Hamilton and Mercedes would not extend their collaboration beyond this season, even despite the team's current period of underperformance.
"These rumours [regarding a move to Ferrari by Hamilton] come up every two years when we have to sign a new contract," Wolff told Austria’s oe24.
"But none of this is true. We discuss normally, without any time pressure."
"I’m firmly convinced that we’ll find each other, there’s not a millimetre of doubt for me. I can’t imagine anything else."
I would have thought money was the last thing on his mind, after all he has already earnt a shed load of money.
Lewis is in his twilight year, Max in his prime , of course he is going to earn more money.
It’s quite obvious Lewis’ agent spreads the Lewis to Ferrari rumours whenever he’s bargaining for a better contract. There’s nothing weird, sad or notable about that. It’s just negotiation 101.
It’s amazing for such a successful man that Marko feels the need to use Lewis’ name to make the papers and feel relevant. Especially when Marko is so well remunerated and RB are doing so well. He just comes across as bitter and jealous.
Both Merc's doing well
Alonso also.
Max is finding his speed
FP2 is shaping up.
Alonso also.
Max is finding his speed
FP2 is shaping up.
Spot On.
Marko is just an idiot for me, he has Lewis on the brain.
Is Lewis pissed of he is not WC, of course he is , if he was not then the fire would have gone.
Soft tyre runs about to start
38 mins to go in P2: Get ready for the timing screens to light up as the soft tyre runs are about to begin.
The two Aston Martins are the first cars out on the red-walled tyres.
Fernando Alonso is already nearly two tenths up on Max Verstappen's leading time through sector one!
38 mins to go in P2: Get ready for the timing screens to light up as the soft tyre runs are about to begin.
The two Aston Martins are the first cars out on the red-walled tyres.
Fernando Alonso is already nearly two tenths up on Max Verstappen's leading time through sector one!
WOW how close is Brundle at turn 10!!!
What a place to watch from
What a place to watch from
Alonso is flying in FP2
Hamilton struggles for pace
Despite a promising start in Practice One, Hamilton is now struggling to get pace out the of Mercedes.
After hearing how far off he is from Verstappen he says:
"Damn the car won't go much quicker"
Despite a promising start in Practice One, Hamilton is now struggling to get pace out the of Mercedes.
After hearing how far off he is from Verstappen he says:
"Damn the car won't go much quicker"
Red Flag! Sainz crashes out
17 mins to go: Carlos Sainz is in the wall on the exit of the Swimming Pool.
The Spaniard clips the inside corner with his right front, breaks his front suspension and can do nothing as he ends up in the barriers.
17 mins to go: Carlos Sainz is in the wall on the exit of the Swimming Pool.
The Spaniard clips the inside corner with his right front, breaks his front suspension and can do nothing as he ends up in the barriers.
Lando and Alonso driving well.
Ferrari boys will be having a race in Q3 to see who can stop the session first.
Ferrari boys will be having a race in Q3 to see who can stop the session first.
apparently a clown has let off a flare in the grandstand
FFS what goes ion in their heads to even take one.
FFS what goes ion in their heads to even take one.
Monaco GP FP2 Timesheet
They gotta be happy where they are now. Heading in right direction, with loads of updates planned that will make the car faster.
Russell not liking, for him the twitchy rear end of the car. Remains to be seen if that is a design trait of this new modified car.
Still hoping alonso or leclerc stick it on pole tomorrow. More entertaining to watch max trying to get past than him sleepwalking to victory.