In the round-up: Mark Webber revealed Fernando Alonso suggested he join him in his Indianapolis 500 bid.
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Mark Webber: Alonso asked me to join him at Indy 500 (Crash)
"I have absolute respect, my heroes like Rick Mears and Mario and Al Unser, these guys, Roger Penske, Dario's a good friend of mine, Scott Dixon, Will Power. I have maximum respect for those guys but it's something I didn't want, I never really wanted to go and see."
Indy not trying to 'poach' F1 drivers after Alonso (Reuters)
"I think it (Alonso's decision to compete) was a unique set of circumstances in so many respects so we're not going to be following the grand prix series around and trying to poach drivers."
Fernando Alonso's Indy 500 'very important' for McLaren/Honda relationship (ESPN)
"I think other racing series can learn from what IndyCar just did there - the level of fan engagement was off the chart."
Force India technical director Andrew Green: "Our development budget is significantly higher compared to previous years."
Lewis Hamilton takes pole position in Sunday Times sport rich list (The Guardian)
"I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed. I am part of a much bigger picture."
Nasr fears for Brazil's F1 legacy (Autosport)
"I know how much those points were valuable, and how much work I put into those points. If you look at the numbers, I had two great years in Formula 1."
Why cooling became Mercedes' Achilles heel in Russia (Motorsport)
"The Mercedes situation was not helped by race day being hotter than forecasts had predicted. The temperature swing was enough to tip Mercedes out of its comfort zone, but if the team had not been in such a close battle with Ferrari, would the Brackley-based outfit have been more reserved in its choices?"
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Comment of the day
Is it time for Renault to upgrade their driver line-up?
Renault is now a works team, with the backing of the Renault-Nissan-group, the fourth largest automotive group worldwide. That is bigger than the Daimler-group or Red Bull. They shouldn’t need any pay drivers going forward.
Possible drivers for next year are Alonso, or if that doesn’t play out, probably Sainz. At the moment, Palmer doesn’t really strike anyone as the right choice in that comparison, so he’ll be out of a seat next year. Maybe he’ll find one at Sauber or, if McLaren Honda fully continue to struggle, maybe there.
Sven (@Crammond)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Peter Dixon and Jonny705!
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rpiian (@rpiian)
7th May 2017, 1:14
Ferrari’s brilliant cooling solutions (high swept back cooling pods, coolant in the diffuser/floor) should gain them consistent points if not even more wins this season. In my opinion this really has Mercedes on the back foot, so these cooling issues won’t be the last, unless some new upgrades come into play.
@HoHum (@hohum)
7th May 2017, 1:53
Reading that article just shows where all that money goes in F1 (Hint; don’t bother looking for it on your own Mercedes !). Things have come a long way since Malcolm Sayers suffered a similar failure with the long nosed D type but MB-AMG F1 probably have a bigger operating budget than the entire Jaguar cars business did in the mid 50’s.
@HoHum (@hohum)
7th May 2017, 1:55
PS. does anyone else find motorsport.com can often lock-up their computer ?
Rick (@)
7th May 2017, 5:38
Nope.
praxis (@praxis)
7th May 2017, 11:30
@hohum, probably down to your browser or the machine it’s running on.
@HoHum (@hohum)
7th May 2017, 22:32
@addvariety, @praxis, Hmmmm, thanks, might try going back to firefox.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th May 2017, 3:58
Finally, this year the scuderia has both a good car and good tactical decisions being made on race day. I think that they will give the silver team a run for their money.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
7th May 2017, 22:36
I reckon Mercedes were expecting Hamilton to put it on pole. The last couple of times Ham didnt put it on pole Ham always experienced cooling difficulties. From qualy onwards its all under parc ferme.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
7th May 2017, 2:03
Considering how good Mark was on fast corners, and fast paced tracks in general, I guess that he’d have done well at Indy. Sad he didn’t give it a go, also sad he didn’t get to win Le Mans. But I think oval racing in general, for all these guys born and raised around all the european road courses, it’s something completely away from their confort zone. In one word, it’s very dangerous and you’ve got to get used to it before you tackle something like the 500.
That’s why Alonso’s challenge ahead is so outrageously enormous. Huge respect to him.
RShack
7th May 2017, 2:59
The Indy 500 is the best one to start with… because he gets a couple weeks of practice first. All the others are like F1 weekends: just one day of practice, then Q, then the race. The Indy 500 is the only one where a new guy can gradually get acclimated to the car, the track, and the speed. Plus, since he’s part of a big team, his teammates will go out on track with him to provide practice about driving in traffic, slip-streaming, and etc.
faulty (@faulty)
7th May 2017, 6:19
One thing I don’t understand is people saying Alonso’s gonna be intimidated by going 3 wide at IMS.
FFS, the guy’s the best wheel to wheel racer we’ve seen in F1 in the last 20 years.
Ricky Johnson (@bamboo)
7th May 2017, 9:04
He said it himself.
After his test he was surprised at how narrow the track was and amazed that they go three wide.
Funny when you think about it, given he has raced on the track before.
Robbie (@robbie)
7th May 2017, 12:40
I don’t think you can compare FA’s experience at Indy when they had F1 races there, to doing the full oval. I don’t think they were going three wide on the portion of the oval they used, so I’m sure what they did use would not have seemed narrow to FA or the other drivers. Two wide at most, and more often single file, in F1 cars, for a minority of the oval portion probably made the track feel wide compared to much of what F1 races on everywhere else in the world.
Tristan
7th May 2017, 2:35
Given his luck and how many times he’s flipped cars I don’t blame Webber for not giving it a go.
kpcart
7th May 2017, 3:36
I think if webber had won lemans, that might have swayed him to do indy, because he too could have aimed for the triple crown
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
7th May 2017, 3:53
I am hoping that someone (maybe @Kgn11, the champions champion) can explain why not paying taxes to the country that gave him his chance is a classy move. Is this normal in England? I guess that this must be the norm for rich British stars, but it’s “dodgy”, right?
moblet (@moblet)
7th May 2017, 4:30
@ferrox-glideh Yes, it’s normal. The UK has traditionally applied extraordinarily high rates of taxation to the wealthy in comparison to other countries, so wealthy Brits have traditionally had a habit of moving to other countries.
http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130217082231/http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/history/taxhis7.htm
Hamilton’s quotes sound much like an interview I saw with a Greek shipping magnate trying to showcase the wonderful contribution he was making to his country despite being a net drain on its resources.
Tiomkin
7th May 2017, 8:24
Hamilton does not live in the UK any more. Why should he pay tax here? Why don’t YOU pay taxes in Mongolia or Russia? Answer: You don’t live there, but I’m sure if you visited you would pay local taxes like everyone else. It is how the world works.
Why is Hamilton singled out for being a success?
Yes (@come-on-kubica)
7th May 2017, 9:00
I assume because everyone else on the list pays bigly tax in the UK. Personally I believe if you want to remain a british citizen you should pay an element of tax back to the country.
Though I’m not sure what context this is in but this is a pretty egotistical statement to say ‘I am contributing to the country and, not only that, I help keep a team of more than 1,000 people employed.’ If someone like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or someone of that ilk came out and said that, he would be crucified. And it’s part of the reason he has so many detractors. Lewis has no direct involvement in keeping staff employed??
anon
7th May 2017, 9:49
@come-on-kubica, on the contrary, I think you will find that most of the people on that list won’t be paying any more tax than Hamilton is, and in many cases might well be paying less.
Wayne Rooney, who is third on that list, is known to have taken part in tax avoidance schemes – HMRC are currently in the process of reclaiming £3.5 million from him after one avoidance scheme he was involved in was deemed to be illegal. The next person down on the list is Jenson Button, who has been, and still officially is, domiciled in Monaco, indicating that he pays no tax to the UK Government either – Rory McIlroy, also on that list, is meanwhile domiciled in Dubai (whilst his personal company is based in Ireland, another nation criticised for its tax policies).
Ricky Johnson (@bamboo)
7th May 2017, 9:19
That is an extremely flawed argument.
The issue with Hamilton is that he picks and chooses when to be British, and naturally that does not sit well with people. Hamilton has moved there for the sole purpose to ensure that money doesn’t go to the British government, which funnily enough is spent on you (the people). Just think how his tax he has saved could benefit the UK if he paid taxes like every other British person.
He is British in every way, apart from when it comes to the biggest duty – tax. Good on him for being smart, but any heckling hes gets for it is understandable.
Kgn11
7th May 2017, 11:45
How does one picks and choose when to be British? Was he not born in the U.K. to parents who were both UK citizens?
Why did Jenson Button move to Monaco? Why did Massa move to Monaco? Why did Bottas move to Monaco? Why did Ricciardo move to Monaco? I could go on and on and on.
Bernie Ecclestone owed HMRC £1b in back taxes and penalties, but only paid £10m. Just think how the taxes he saved would benefit the U.K. if only he paid that £1b? Just think how the taxes Jenson saved could benefit the U.K.? Or how about all the multi-million-billionaire Brits who aren’t domiciled in the U.K.?
Why is that Lewis is the only one that gets criticised for doing what others have been doing even before he was born? Let’s just call it what it is, hypocrisy.
David Oates
8th May 2017, 15:31
All tax exiles are morally dubious. One’s that go around at the weekend waving the flags of countries they make little or no contribution to while their fans who earn far less make a significant contribution deserve our contempt Unfortunately F1 is stuffed full of them.
One solution might be to force them to race under the flag of their domicile country. Currently that would mean 9 Monagasques and God knows how many Swiss.
GBoole
10th May 2017, 9:24
Well the only person who admitted moving to Monaco for tax reasons was Gerhard Berger.
Theres a video on the internet where I think Clarkson interviews him (among other drivers who say the climate is better there…) but cant seem to find it right now
Robbie (@robbie)
7th May 2017, 13:46
Who is anybody to tell anybody else where they must live? LH and thousands of others if not millions who have the money to have options and multiple residents, are of course going to do what is best for their own financial situation.
LH likely pays a share. But if he isn’t residing in the UK he is not using their infrastructure either. What LH et al is doing is fair game. The only thing I disagree with LH on is his claim that he helps support 1000 workers on his team. He doesn’t do that any more than any other driver, nor does he cut their paycheques, so I think he’s stretching his defence of himself there a little.
Overall though I would suggest that LH’s marketability, the draw he creates, the influx of money he would create by being an F1 star is probably worth more to the UK than whatever taxes he would be paying after his people have performed all the write-offs they can muster.
Evil Homer (@)
7th May 2017, 14:22
@robbie
I love these arguments!
I am a tax accountant and make my living advising my clients how to save tax and make more money – its seems an easy existence! Like most I hate paying more tax than I need to but we need roads, hospitals, police, fireman and the like.
Lewis is correct in that if if he lives in Monaco he doesnt pay too much tax in the UK, but as always his execution is poor in the way he speaks. He doesnt help employ 1000 people in the UK, his employer Mercedes does! If he was to leave Mercedes I am pretty sure 500 people wont lose their jobs, they will just get another capable F1 driver, like Valtteri, and will move on.
Mark in Florida
7th May 2017, 15:46
Lewis has a lot of pomposity to claim that his value is so great that he can skip paying taxes. If he paid his taxes and added value to his country by his skills that would be good for everyone. Why claim citizenship with any country if your not patriotic enough to support said nation. My opinion is that it’s the same old reason that it’s always been. Greed wrapped in pomposity.
paulguitar (@paulguitar)
7th May 2017, 14:35
All the British F1 drivers as far back as Jimmy Clark moved country for tax reasons. Hamilton gets the most flack because he’s Hamilton and many folks seemingly just can’t act normal when discussing him.
Kgn11
7th May 2017, 11:36
Why don’t you ask Jenson Button the same question? Or how about all the other drivers who now reside in Monaco?
Kgn11
7th May 2017, 11:49
To add, Britain didn’t give him his opportunity to race in F1, that was his parents, Ron Dennis and Mercedes and all have been handsomely rewarded for for their contribution to his success.
He clearly states in the article that he pays taxes.
Robbie (@robbie)
7th May 2017, 14:48
Agreed but I would also add LH is certainly not the only one to have been singled out for living in a tax haven. Perhaps today it’s LH for whatever reason, but I think many drivers, other athletes, and of course business people have had the same accusations of tax avoidance levelled at them.
Kgn11
7th May 2017, 15:28
However I’ve never once seen any such criticism aimed at Jenson, Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, Nigel Mansell etc why’s that?
If people have a problem with him doing the same as others, here’s a thought, how about if the government close all the loopholes that they’re all exploiting?
Franton (@franton)
7th May 2017, 16:34
They all live in tax havens! It’s either Monaco or Switzerland. And wouldn’t you if you had to pay and deal with 20 different tax jurisdictions per year. As an ex-pat Brit in Switzerland, I can vouch for that.
Robbie (@robbie)
8th May 2017, 15:11
@kgn11 First of all, as long as loopholes are legal then people and their accountants are going to exploit them. Fair game. As far as I know it is perfectly legal to have a residence in Monaco, as well as use legal loopholes.
Secondly, why is LH being singled out here? I’m assuming it’s because he has just topped the Sunday Times list of richest UK athletes, nothing more.
We’re on the same page here on this issue but now your defence of your LH is getting a little much. I’m quite sure we’ve had this debate about other drivers residing in Monaco before going back probably at least 20 if not 30 years or more. It would be ridiculous to do so, but what is next for you…going back in history and rating the degree to which drivers have been criticized for residing in Monaco? Let it go, and just revel in the fact that LH is on top of the list and is doing nothing wrong. Who exactly is it that has offended you and your LH so much anyway? That person must be a real threat to you or LH somehow, if you’ve decided only LH has been singled out for his residency to whatever degree throughout history you’ve decided is so skewed against him and only him.
I suggest you haven’t really researched what’s been said about this issue with respect to countless athletes, musicians, movie stars, and business execs that try to shelter their earnings as much as they can. Let’s not even go there with Trump. Just because you can only cite 3 or 4 people who you don’t recall being raked over the coals for allegedly shunning their native land, doesn’t therefore prove that LH is somehow being singled out. To start with this comes from a list strictly of athletes and strictly from the UK. Thousands if not millions of other wealthy people are doing the same as LH all the time, but they may not be on today’s radar due to topping some list.
cm (@cm-cm)
7th May 2017, 6:19
What does it say about the value of f1 about indycar? Any f1 driver (or former, possibly) can get a seat in indycar… but even indycar winners couldn’t find an F1 seat or the superliscense to use it?
pez2k
8th May 2017, 13:51
I personally think it says a lot about a series that allows one-off entries and makes it easy to get an extra car on the grid versus one that doesn’t.
Ricky Johnson (@bamboo)
7th May 2017, 9:05
On behalf of New Zealand, please do not put Jolyon Palmer in a McLaren.
Ruben
7th May 2017, 10:07
Imagine if he was.
“I’m honored to drive for a team that had, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton as their world champions and I’m sure the potential is there to add my name to that list.”
On behalf of the world, please do not have Jolyon Palmer in F1 at all.
anon
7th May 2017, 20:15
Ruben, mind you, the team has also had some questionable drivers over the years, such as de Cesaris and Michael Andretti.
Sven (@crammond)
7th May 2017, 11:16
@bamboo I was stretching it a bit with that, but didn’t want to harshly just write “Palmer won’t be in F1 next year.” And McLaren could find themselves in a bit of trouble finding someone adequate for that cockpit if Honda does not improve and Alonso goes. I don’t think Kvyaat would make McLaren fans overly happy either.
@keithcollantine Thanks for CotD
Ricky Johnson (@bamboo)
7th May 2017, 11:42
@crammond – I’ll do it for you mate. Palmer won’t be in F1 next year.
If hes British, and hes getting grief on f1fanatic, he must be terrible.
praxis (@praxis)
7th May 2017, 11:45
No worries. If Alonso leaves, it’d be Button back in the seat…most likely.
Ricky Johnson (@bamboo)
7th May 2017, 12:03
@praxis – The same Jenson Button who isn’t exactly over the moon about coming out of retirement for Monaco?
praxis (@praxis)
7th May 2017, 12:32
@bamboo, yes, the same one.
McLaren is rumoured to be be paying Alonso $40 million a year and is ranked dead-last currently. Even if a third of that convinces Button to come out of retirement, I wouldn’t blame him.
And there’s that opt-in clause in their current agreement about a 2018 drive, if needed.
Benjamin Richardson
7th May 2017, 9:59
Call me naive but wouldn’t Alonso be familiar with the general width of the Indi track from his F1 visits there between 2001 – 2006? I know they only took half of one banked corner, and the start / finish the wrong way, but he’s been plenty of times.
Zomtec
7th May 2017, 10:55
They entered T1 with a bit more than 200 km/h which certainly “feels” different than rocketing down the pitstraight an heading towards the wall at 370 km/h. Living in Germany I can confirm the same corner on a motorway feels different traveling 130 or 230 km/h…
Mahmud Javed (@mahmud)
7th May 2017, 11:18
I think every F1 driver by default has permission to drive indycar however it’s total call of indycar owner or team director.
Mahmud
http://www.doers.co.in
Sergey Martyn
7th May 2017, 14:23
Alonso ased Webber to frive in the sdame car – two seater? That would be a blast!
Tristan
7th May 2017, 16:22
They should do the Isle of Man TT sidecar race :D
budchekov (@budchekov)
7th May 2017, 16:29
Aah, memories of Chis Vincent.. :)
sonia luff (@sonia54)
8th May 2017, 16:47
My grandad used to do that back in the 30s and 40s
budchekov (@budchekov)
7th May 2017, 16:26
I love this stuff, Lewis doing the Daytona 500 and NASCAR Watkins Glen would be a real blast….
Scuderia-Racing-Or-Ping-Pong (@)
7th May 2017, 17:28
If Webber participated in the Indy 500 he’ll probably get an airbourne crash.
PT (@pt)
8th May 2017, 10:25
Poaching F1 drivers is exactly what IndyCar must do. Really irritating to see their pride in saying that they’re not gonna be running behind F1 drivers. IndyCar needs coverage and visibility in the rest of the world – it’s interesting to see how many times the word “IndyCar” was mentioned in F1 press conferences and interviews following Alonso’s announcement (and vice versa). Many people from Spain and Europe are gonna watch the Indy 500 for the first time, and still the powers that be at IndyCar don’t fancy poaching other F1 drivers? That’s lame…