No requests yet from potential new F1 teams – Todt

F1 Fanatic Round-up

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In the round-up: FIA president Jean Todt says F1 has not received any new requests from potential new teams to enter.

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Has F1 fixed one problem and given itself a new one with its new logo?

Now that all those people know where the ‘1’ was on the old logo they can spend the next 25 years looking for the ‘F’ in the new one.
@Hohum

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Keith Collantine
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58 comments on “No requests yet from potential new F1 teams – Todt”

  1. Funny, I thought Johansson was talking about McLaren’s test in Abu Dhabi back in 2014, not the old Spirit F2 car!

  2. 14 or 15 teams would be awesome. Pre-qualification was a horrible mess but more backmarkers and more crowded tracks were a lot more fun to watch at the track. No 30 to 45 second gaps waiting for the next car to come into view.

    1. I’ve often thought 15 teams / 30 cars would be perfect, and it’s the amount most modern pit lanes are designed to hold

    2. Can the Monaco pit lane take that many cars? Or might this be a good reason to actually ditch that GP?

    3. @scalextric @strontium I disagree. I don’t think that many cars on the grid would be necessary. With that many cars, there’d be just more moving chicanes to lap for the leaders, LOL.

    4. I agree, however with a reservation. First, we need to level the playing field. If you’re 4 seconds behind the fastest cars, you’re lapped after 18-20 laps which helps nobody. If the slowest car is within 1-2 seconds of the leader, then a larger grid makes lovely sense. 15 teams, 30 cars? Sure, I’d be ok with that. 13 teams and 26 cars perhaps more reasonable though, and it is what F1 is limited to these days.

      Then again, Todt just said no new potential teams have come forward recently.

  3. Get real Aston Martin, a company that is buying in its new engines from MB-AMG to replace its old engines from Ford is not likely to be competitive as an engine supplier no matter how basic the specification.

    1. @hohum Indeed, by the way that’s a mega cotd.

      1. @peartree @phylyp,Thank you, I am not worthy.

        1. No. You are. The comment was too true.

  4. ‘I can do without being the president of FIA,’ says Todt

    As can we.

    1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
      29th November 2017, 7:58

      Teehee spot on!

  5. So…will Aston Martin use the same engine supplier for F1 as the their road cars? And RB finally gets a Merc motor?

    1. Mercedes will never sell their engines to red bull. Mercedes is too afraid of being beaten by them.

      1. @socksolid – When Mercedes has had enough publicity from running a team, then we may see them as an engine supplier interested in whatever Red Bull is called by then.

  6. Aston Martin in 2021 – are they planning to come in as a new constructor, or will they just take over an existing team? Has Mr. Dietrich Mateschitz figured out Aston Martin are his best shot at a profitable exit strategy?

  7. @hohum – brilliant COTD – it had me laughing yesterday and still makes me chuckle when I read it.

  8. Todt is wrong. Zoran Stefanović is always requesting to join F1.

  9. @Hohum, that was probably the most brilliant COTD of this year!

    That fella who took offense from McLaren mechanics trying to not let any pictures being taken, I’m kind of disagreeing with him. I wouldn’t think allowing pictures of parts of next year’s car falls under the category of fan inclusion.

    1. An accredited fotographer taking pictures at an official F1 test session SHOULD take pictures @praxis. It is literally his JOB. And we should all be upset about any teammembers getting agressive at that

      1. @bascb,
        I didn’t realized that he was an accredited photographer, should’ve checked his twitter profile. I’m going to make a 180° turn on my previous comment then.

        Then McLaren mechanics need to explain their action and make a formal apology if necessary.

      2. I thought he was a journalist and not an ‘accredited photographer’; at least I hope so, because his pictures are very average ;)

    2. @praxis The car was fully covered anyway, so that’s why I think the mechanic over-reacted a bit too much.

      1. Yeah, an inappropriate reaction most likely.

  10. drop in earnings which has hit revenue payouts to the 10 teams with payments, at $273 million in the third quarter

    It gonna bigger drop at last quarter. Following the logo change F1 share is down 4.2% that’s $355 million more.

    1. That has nothing to do with what the teams get though @ruliemaulana. That is “just” the stock trading price, it matters for those holding stock, not for teams getting paid according to how much money the sport makes.

    2. Share price is actually up 20% this year.
      But unfortunately for the teams share price has nothing to do with team pay-outs.

      It would be a great idea though to pay the teams (in part) in non trading stock:
      – Less cash-out for Liberty, which they can invest in growing the sport;
      – teams have direct partnership in the sport, more interested in its growth, and less likely to leave/close shop.

  11. That daily mail article really is up to their own standard. They take “a proposal that circulated earlier this year” mention “then F1 Boss Bernie” being in favour, cite that age old Jorda interview (about said proposal) and finish off by listing female racers. But they haven’t even asked any of them (most likely because apart from Jorda none of those listed are interested or think it’s a good idea.).

  12. I think I must be alone in preferring the new logo.
    The old one looked very 1980’s to me. It was simultaneously too clever with its use of negative space and yet too flashy with the cartoon speed effects.
    The new one looks more 1920’s to me, it’s cleaner and simpler. I think someone tried a bit too hard to make it look like a chunk of road though.
    I do take issue with the text which can be used under the new logo. The over-stylised letter “a” in the word “Formula” is jarringly out of place and draws my eye. It looks like a failed attempt to inject some modernity.

    1. @tribaltalker Although I don’t think it’s a bad logo there are a couple of small alterations I think they should make. I think the gap between both parts of the “F” and between the “F” and the “1” are too small. It’s okay at a large resolution but when it’s made smaller, which will often be the case on the broadcast overlays/bugs and social media avatars, it’s too close to looking like one big block. Increase the gaps by 50-100% I reckon. It’ll allow for less of a cluttered overlap when turned into a 3D object too (as seen on the Abu Dhabi podium).

      That, and having the F and 1 be different colours, or at least adding some kind of texture or visible gradient, so it’s not as flat.

    2. That “a” is also bothering me a lot more than it should.

    3. @tribaltalker @deej92 – don’t get me started on that lowercase A’s angled stroke. The last time I saw such a design was probably in some 80s sci-fi movie that needed a “computery” typeface.

      1. @phylyp – I’m glad it’s not just me…
        See: Creative Review for lots of detail on the design process.
        Interestingly they say “the identity (logo and type included) certainly shares an aesthetic with the sci-fi racing world that the studio designed for the classic mid-90s video game, Wipeout.”
        You were pretty much spot on.

    4. @tribaltalker It’s my preference as well, for those us using the F1 App it already updated on iOS and looks so cleaner and better than the old one.

  13. @HoHum – thoroughly deserved COTD! Drier than a spy’s Martini.

  14. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
    29th November 2017, 8:06

    I’m against positive sexism but I could see how a women’s only series would be a good springboard for attracting women to the sport and giving them a platform to perform at a higher level. Then again if you are promoting people into fast machinery on gender over skill then that could be very dangerous.

    We will also need a gender neutral series!!!

    1. Agree. The FIA/FOM want to neuter the cars, why not drivers?

    2. @rdotquestionmark most sports have different categories or men and women, I honestly think there isn’t really a big deal, in some men perform better, in others the women are the standard.

      A separate championship would give them the opportunity of driving in a competitive setting, I think that is their dream after all, to race with that sort of machinery. If they use the same circuits (which I hope they do) we would have a proper term of comparison, and if they are competitive then we can talk about a gender neutral series, or maybe they can perform better than men, and a gender neutral series wouldn’t make sense as well.

      This miss-conception that we are all the same, regardless of gender, believes, race, etc, is wrong, we aren’t, but it is about time that we accept and respect those differences, if a set of individuals is better at doing something, so be it, lets see where the other set of individuals excels, instead of forcing the idea that we can all do the same with the same results.

      1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
        29th November 2017, 9:59

        Yes I fully agree, good comment @johnmilk

        I suppose the only difference here to other sports is that F1 isn’t technically a male only category, that’s just how it works out. But I think that’s fairly trivial.

        I will say one thing! I’d definitely watch it.

        1. I will say one thing! I’d definitely watch it.

          Yup, me too

      2. @johnmilk I’ve always thought that racing was a platform where both men and women could perform equally well. Unlike sports such as cricket and football, racing doesn’t require brute force and outright physical strength, but rather, good reflexes and extreme fitness (which can be achieved irrespective of gender).

        I’m not sure whether some other natural factor can stop women from doing well in racing, but it’s hard to be sure because of the meager amount of women drivers seen so far. Is it because of their natural lack of talent in racing, or because of the lack of exposure to it as a consequence of that very perception?

        I’m not saying it’s either, since I don’t know myself. That being said, I agree that a women-only racing series can prove to be beneficial in the sense that it will paint a clear picture of how capable women are in racing. Suppose the series runs in parallel to men’s F1, and both the series are provided with equal cars, then comparison between the two over a few years can lead to two conclusions:-

        1.) Women are on an average slower than the men in their respective series. Then it will become clear that they indeed lack the natural talent. The women’s series can be continued and stay separate from the men’s series like it is in other sports.

        2.) Women are on par with men on average (or faster). That would mean that given the proper opportunity and resources, women can be as competitive as men in F1. This would make it a lot easier for an such a F1 series to exist, where women and men can compete together on equal footing.

        Either way, a women-only series will paint a clear picture in terms of their abilities if they are provided the same cars as in men’s F1. Of course that would be very expensive, but it’s worth consideration in my opinion.

        1. @neutronstar completely agree

          I would add a third option, if turns out that women are better than men, and we don’t know it yet because historically they haven’t had the opportunities or the same effort invested in the development of their attributes and careers, we would still need a separated championship where women are the standard.

          Regardless of what turns out to be I will watch it anyway

        2. racing doesn’t require brute force and outright physical strength

          Isaac Newton taught us that it doesn’t matter if you are applying a force on the world, or the world is applying a force on you. The direction may be opposite, the load is the same.
          So imagine a 60kg woman trying to lift a 240kg weight at 1G (applying a force on the world) and compare that to the same woman racing through a corner at 4G (the world applying a force on her). In both cases the load on her body is 240kg. I’m aware that the application of the load (and how she’s anchored to the world) differs, but it’s not correct to say that racing requires no physical strength because you can’t see the apllied force.

          1. Leo, I’m aware of the loads and g-forces the drivers experience, but I chose not to mention it because as far as I’m aware, it’s not a point of concern anymore. That’s what I meant by extreme fitness…I think drivers like Susie Wolff have showed us that women can become fit enough to withstand the forces experienced when driving an F1 car.

          2. Although, it is a fact that men are physically stronger than women, so how much of an effect the loads have on women in comparison is yet a mystery, I think. There’s not enough information/evidence, yet, to conclude whether the lack of physical strength actually contributes to a loss in speed.

        3. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
          29th November 2017, 12:53

          Great point @neutronstar

    3. As many actual racing woman pointed when the proposal the Daily dug out was first touted (was it march? or the summer months?) @rdotquestionmark, @johnmilk, such a series in a sport where there is no reason not to have mixed competition is only going to make things worse. Such a series will be run as a gimmick, and I doubt it would achieve anything but segregation in racing.

      Instead of that, it would be far cheaper and more effective to put up a stipend program for promising female racers to help their careers and allow them to race. Exactly such a fund was set up in the USA earlier this year with support from Powell. And if you look at Calderon, for example, she doesn’t look like she can’t compete. And diSilvestro and others.

      1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
        29th November 2017, 10:25

        That would be the equality way of doing it. I suppose it’s all about broaching the extremely volatile subject over whether men and women are competing at a level playing field. My understanding from a scientific point of view is men have evolved the greater special awareness and reaction times, women would be lighter though.

        1. @rdotquestionmark the equality way of doing it would be for a female racer to have a rich father that could buy her way into the series, preferably named after a retired F1 driver

          1. Roth Man (@rdotquestionmark)
            29th November 2017, 12:51

            True

    4. All that’s missing is a pink, fluffy logo for the series…

      1. Agree with @rdotquestionmark @johnmilk and others. A women series is a good idea that will benefit all.

  15. Well, ‘Artwork in Progress’ is still better than ‘They Did Their Best’.

  16. @neutronstar completely agree

    I would add a third option, if turns out that women are better than men, and we don’t know it yet because historically they haven’t had the opportunities or the same effort invested in the development of their attributes and careers, we would still need a separated championship where women are the standard.

    Regardless of what turns out to be I will watch it anyway

  17. What is that photo of Todt mean to be?
    Was he asked to be as smug as possible while contemplating why teams don’t want to enter F1 to spend 200 million pounds a year to run 4th at best while making you wear a crash helmet named Halo??

    Liberty are doing some great work and I don’t think they have the power to move on this Muppet running FIA, but they really need to. He worse than BE to be honest!

  18. So is Jean Todt impatiently waiting by the phone to ring and refreshing his email box for new team inquiries?

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