In the round-up: Stoffel Vandoorne says he’s eager for a normal day of running after more problems in pratice at Spa.
What they say
Vandoorne was last in both of Friday’s practice sessions:
It just feels… we’re getting so much problems lately. We started off in FP1 with brake issues, then had an engine issue, didn’t really manage to get any laps in.
Same thing in FP2. Started off with some issues again and then had maybe one run that was a little bit representative. So it’s been a difficult day. I’m just really hoping to get a normal day in.
I don’t think there will be any miracles. The team are still lacking a lot of competitiveness and there’s a lot of work to be done.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Fernando hands us an access all areas pass to his driver room. 🎟️ Join us for a guided tour from the man himself. 👀 #BelgianGP pic.twitter.com/OuUV96VyUQ
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) August 24, 2018
Two years ago, Rich was involved in a serious accident in Spa and had to miss the race…
Today, it was our privilege to be joined by both Rich and his wife Paula in the @F1 Paddock 😊
Enjoy the #BelgianGP, guys! pic.twitter.com/Ye091L9yk3
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) August 24, 2018
Disappointing that the hysterical reaction to something @DerekDaly500 apparently didn't even say, 35 years ago, is having a knock-on effect on his son's sponsorship arrangements, someone who was born long after this incident even occurred.
— Sean Kelly (@virtualstatman) August 24, 2018
Due to today's 🌧️🌧️, tomorrow's starting grid will be determined by entrant points.
Final practice has been extended (7:30-9 CT). We'll see you under the lights!#INDYCAR // #Bommarito500 // @GatewayMSP pic.twitter.com/JrV1wZH9GR
— IndyCar Series (@IndyCar) August 24, 2018
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Magnussen loses legal battle with ex-manager (Autosport)
"A judge in Denmark has ruled that Magnussen's former agent Dorte Riis Madsen must receive 20% of Magnussen's income between September 1, 2015 and June 30, 2021."
Hunter-Reay’s close call renews calls for head protection (Miami Herald)
"We need to look at the race tracks, we are doing 230mph with the same fencing that's been used since the 1950s and 1960s. We said all this after we lost Dan (Wheldon). We had the same conversation and here we are seven years later having the same conversation."
F2 post-qualifying press conference (FIA)
"Q: It was a challenging day for lots of people, yourself included. Do you think that the enforcement of the track limits is harsh but fair, or is it too harsh? George Russell: Harsh but fair, I think – obviously Nyck (de Vries) only went over by millimetres and it was unfortunate for him, but at the end of the day they’ve got a good system that there’s a sensor there so it’s black and white, really. I think everyone can learn from that, and moving forward there’s no reason why we can’t have it at all corners."
Daly arrives at Road America without Lilly Diabetes support (Kickin' the Tires)
"The sponosrship from Lilly’s after Derek Daly, Conor’s father, was fired from his position at WISH-TV in Indianapolis after news surfaced that he used a racial slur nearly 35 years ago."
Racing analyst, former driver Derek Daly responds to claim he used a racist term (WTHR)
"Daly said that when he learned what the phrase meant in America, he was mortified by the offence it might have caused."
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in here:
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Comment of the day
Yesterday RaceFans revealed Force India will not lose its share of F1’s prize money following a joint decision of its rival teams, a development which several of you praised:
That’s the spirit! This makes me want to watch F1 more than anything and gives me hope that the teams and Liberty will work things out.
Very gracious and sporting of some teams that are themselves currently struggling.
Michael (@Freelittlebirds)
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Scalextric and Michael Williamson!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
ColdFly (@)
25th August 2018, 0:13
20%! Who signs such a deal?
Had they married then at least it would be mutual :P
bosyber (@bosyber)
25th August 2018, 5:51
@coldfly, Maybe it is a bit like many semi-successful artists that never got much money from their hits, because they were defrauded by too-clever managers when they were only looking to make music, and only later learned the business side (look at Leonard Cohen for ex., who had to start performing again bc. manager had taken his money, rights to early songs; in the end, fans were glad of that I guess, but still not pretty business).
There is probably a lot of pressure on young hopeful drivers to get someone with connection to take them further, but those people aren’t necessarily out to get the best for the drivers in all respects.
Iosif (@afonic)
25th August 2018, 8:30
20% is a normal agent’s fee.
BlackJackFan
25th August 2018, 16:26
Where…?
In my experience (1st, 2nd, and 3rd-hand) 10% is normal.
Dale
26th August 2018, 18:30
Don’t know where you’re living that 10% is the norm … it’s definitely not in the real world.
BlackJackFan
27th August 2018, 4:47
Dale – very funny that, just because my experience differs from yours, I cannot possibly be living in any kind of real world… lmao…!
@HoHum (@hohum)
26th August 2018, 1:17
@coldfly, 20% compares pretty favourably with the 50% Bernie got the teams to agree to.
Ed
25th August 2018, 4:42
Mclaren almost looks like sabotaging Vandoorne to make him look awful and replace him with Norris. It’s unbelievable how unreliable his equipment is.
His desperate voice after the breakdown on the last race says it all. He can’t do anything about it.
bosyber (@bosyber)
25th August 2018, 5:57
It does remind me a bit of both how Perez, and how Magnussen stint at McLaren went: not great, for reasons that don’t quite seem the drivers’ fault. Though indeed it also reminds me a bit of the last half year of Palmer’s F1 days (with fewer mistakes by Vandoorne though). It’s sad, esp. for those of us who saw him rule in lower racing series.
I would be very glad to see him in another team next year, and wouldn’t be surprised to see him flourish there as Perez has at FI, and Magnussen at Haas (Renault wasn’t quite there; Palmer’s last half year there has some similarity with this sad show, except for much less mistakes by Vandoorne himself). Apart from Hamilton, who perhaps was a special case, when was the last time a McLaren young hopeful did well with them, Hakkinen, or do we count Raikkonen? Montoya had success, but that didn’t end so great either.
Jordan
25th August 2018, 6:33
Lmao why would mclaren sabotage their own car?
Hundreds of ppl work on it, they are all working against vandoorne they want to see their own team fail?
Joao (@johnmilk)
25th August 2018, 9:23
That’s not what he said
ColdFly (@)
25th August 2018, 10:28
But he did say that it ‘almost looks’ like that, @johnmilk.
It’s as ridiculous as referring to the US economy and stating that ‘Trump almost looks like a genius’. Logic might get you there, but anybody with half a brain knows better.
Ed
25th August 2018, 13:48
Still its not what was said.
George
25th August 2018, 10:39
Jordan, Maybe Stoffel has a performance clause in his contract, or maybe McLaren need another victim to take the blame. Norris might be faster, or not, but at least he’s got a lot of ££ to help mr Zack get his bonus for finding the money.
About the only thing that didn’t break on his Mclaren this year is his seat-belt.
There might be hundreds of people all working to improve, the trend seems they aren’t. Maybe they need to look for a mole
Balue (@balue)
25th August 2018, 8:33
Finally the frustration getting the better of Vandoorne, but understandable if the unreliabilty eveb made him looked compared to a rookie trying out. It sure looks bad.
But for him to go from 100% patient and polite to this, indicates to me he senses or even knows he’s on his way out.
Jere (@jerejj)
25th August 2018, 7:21
Spot on COTD.
– Vandoorne’s problems and struggles, though.
Panagiotis Papatheodorou (@panagiotism-papatheodorou)
25th August 2018, 8:30
I do hope Vandoorne can perform. I am certain the issue is the team and not him. The guy has been extremely successful in the lower categories.
michel
25th August 2018, 9:23
its incredible how many talented drivers mclaren have ruined or almost ruined these past years.
but don’t attribute something to malice when it can be explained by incompetence
still sad how they killed the career of Vandoorne who could be up there with Verstappen, Gasly and Leclerc. But instead had to deal with that awful mclaren.
I wouldn’t mind seeing mclaren disappear its not like the dictatorship and civil right abusers (Bahrain) who own them bring any real value or passion to the sport
Aapje (@aapje)
25th August 2018, 9:50
I’m starting to get nostalgia for orthodox Christians. They believe that you can be forgiven for your sins and that the sins of the father are not those of the son.
In contrast, the priests of Social Justice try to permanently destroy the lives of people and their family if they ever make a mistake, even decades ago. There is no need for any real harm to have been done. They simply topple over another to get a chance to burn the witch, to signal their own virtue to their compatriots. Sickening.
Robbie (@robbie)
25th August 2018, 10:09
Well said. Where’s the common sense?
ColdFly (@)
25th August 2018, 10:33
Those were the days when a genuine ‘sorry’ or apology could stop the next (social media) World War.
x303 (@x303)
25th August 2018, 22:29
I’m not sure there’s any social justice involved here. In the THWR article, it’s said that Bob Lamey claimed Daly used racist slur. He didn’t give any context of that. Looks like some kind of retaliation. A guy throws another under the bus decades after the event for no apparent reason. Which to me means there’s a hidden agenda beyond that.
@HoHum (@hohum)
26th August 2018, 1:48
Agreed, in that very same year I was an unofficial member of an unofficial organisation, the “IBNA” or International Boat N?????? Association, the reference was not anti black, it was sympathetic in that we regarded ourselves as the people who did all the work but got none of the glory, in fact at a very large party in Porto Cervo Sardinia after a round of the “World Maxi Championship” we informally elected an African American crewmember (Hi Woody) president. Even though the term was frequently used by African Americans (Eddy Murphy comes to mind) in movies and comedy, then and after, we had to drop the term and just refer to ourselves a BNs, to punish the son of someone who innocently used a similarly sympathetic expression 35 years ago is PC gone mad.
@aapje, @robbie, @coldfly, @x303. Apologies to any reader who takes offence, it is not meant.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
25th August 2018, 11:35
Man, some people really take it to the exteme,eh? that whole deal about Derek Daly… Sometimes you feel like americans cannot even understand that people come from different places where words have different meanings…
x303 (@x303)
25th August 2018, 22:34
Let’s be honest here: I’m sure that infamous n-word has a racist meaning in Ireland too…
@HoHum (@hohum)
26th August 2018, 1:52
@x303, as does “Irish” in a joke.
x303 (@x303)
26th August 2018, 14:05
Different word but same idea, so yes I agree with you @hohum.