In the round-up: Charles Leclerc says he’s flatted by FIA president Jean Todt and Formula 1 motorsport director Ross Brawn comparing him to Michael Schumacher.
What they say
Leclerc was asked about the comments made by Todt and Brawn, both of which worked with Schumacher during his championship-winning years at Ferrari:
It’s always very nice to hear these type of things. But I’m only 21, I haven’t proved anything compared to what Michael has.
So for now it’s it’s way too far to speak about these things I’m working on my career, trying to have the best career possible on my side. But obviously to be compared with this one, with these people it’s always an honour but it seems very far to me
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Kevin Magnussen recalled his painful experience five years ago in the Singapore Grand Prix five years ago where he was burned by his seat and "accepted that I might black out at some point" during the race.#F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/jw2wEd1mO4
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) September 19, 2019
We wish @HaasF1Team the best of luck in negotiations selling the team to Saudi investors. An excellent team and great investment #haasf1 #sale #business #F1 #Singaporegp#richenergy #betterthanredbull #Saudi #MiddleEast #Motorsport pic.twitter.com/ICKWJsKufN
— Rich Energy (@rich_energy) September 19, 2019
RK, it’s been an absolute pleasure and you’re a legend in so many ways!
Let’s enjoy the rest of the season together 🤜🤛 pic.twitter.com/0yrJXQWbKC
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) September 19, 2019
Crazy scenes in the eighth race of the Smart EQ ForTwo Cup season at Vallelunga last weekend – Leonardo Caglioni (#55) was disqualified after his multiple barrel roll following repeated contact with Benjamin Cartery (#30). pic.twitter.com/sZofKSgKvy
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) September 19, 2019
Vettel’s written media session 🤦🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/CYljMVHKaR
— Ben Hunt (@benjhunt) September 19, 2019
New 50mm high kerbs at the exit of turn seven to discourage drivers from running wide. #F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/x1CpfwlTAu
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) September 19, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
"Backed by Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, the race would take place on the grounds of Hard Rock Stadium and a nearby half-mile stretch of Northwest 199th Street."
"Veloce Racing, co-founded by the team behind its industry-leading sister organisation Veloce Esports, is the fourth Extreme E outfit to be revealed, joining Venturi, ABT and HWA as confirmed entries for Season 1, starting February 2021."
2019 IMSA Laguna Seca (IMSA via YouTube)
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Comment of the day
Not many of you believe Romain Grosjean deserves a fifth season at Haas:
Slightly surprised by that if I’m honest. While I’m far from Grosjean’s biggest fan, I acknowledge that ‘on his day’ he’s a very fast driver. His problem is he’s always described as an ‘on his day’ driver, because when he’s off he’s off.
But Haas obviously know what they’re getting. It would be a shame if Hulkenberg didn’t get a decent seat for next year. Fingers crossed for Alfa. His chances are at least improved by the fact F2 isn’t exactly glowing with talent at the moment. Emphasised by the fact runaway leader de Vries has signed for the pedestrian Formula E.
Brian (@Bealzbob)
From the forum
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Phylyp (@phylyp)
20th September 2019, 0:27
So who controls Rich Energy’s Twitter account these days? Storey, or the actual Rich Energy people? I’m not going to speculate or comment on the content of that tweet unless it’s the latter.
I also didn’t get Ben Hunt’s tweet – did Vettel pull some shenanigan like giving a written FAQ to journos, or is Ben complaining about his view being blocked.
eljueta (@eljueta)
20th September 2019, 7:12
@Phylyp
It’s not nearly as fun as it once was without the CEO/Charlie Sheen Twitter impersonator.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
20th September 2019, 7:52
@eljueta – thanks for that, and LOL at the Charlie Sheen impersonator :)
So… per the tweet, Gene is cashing out, is he? Interesting. And targeting a Saudi Arabian buyer? That ‘black gold’ livery seems to be coming together more and more :)
Niefer (@niefer)
20th September 2019, 0:42
On CotD: I don’t think any seat below that Renault as a decent one. Ocon is outta picture until 2021 (if not ever), Bottas has 1y contract. I don’t see Toto moving Russell up anytime soon. So I really think the best Hulkenberg could do is to join Mercedes and build connections for a 2020 seat appliance.
Niefer (@niefer)
20th September 2019, 2:24
ooooops! Of course, OCO is outta picture until 2022, and HUL should apply for 2021. I’d make good use of an edit button :)
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
20th September 2019, 1:22
To be honest, I can see Hulk moving to Alfa being a very sensible one. If you look at them this season, Kimi has been awesome, but Gio hasn’t pulled his weight. If Alfa had a driver like Hulk in the other car, I think they’d be a lot more consistent and would have score a lot more points. Further to this, having Hulk in a Ferrari affiliated team will be a “sort of” contingency for Ferrari.
When Vettel walks away from Ferrari at the end of 20 (I can’t see him getting an extension either way), you’d expect them to place all their weight behind Leclerc. A driver like Hulk will be a perfect number 2, a team player who if given a front running car, could consistent finish on the podium and snatch the odd win or two. He could be Ruebens 2.0. As much as I’d like to see Ferrari sign Ricciardo, I can’t see it happening and for some reason, I don’t see Max as fitting the mould of a “Ferrari Driver”.
Hulk can’t go anywhere else. Williams wont be able to afford him ( I believe he’s currently on 10 million a year). Why would he even go there? He will probably need to take a pay cut to join Alfa, but it’s a team with much better prospects.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
20th September 2019, 2:10
Haas can’t expect to progress if they keep making the same mistakes year after year
Xcm
20th September 2019, 3:05
Those two wins look GOOD on young Charles…. and his attitude absolutely rocks!
Leclerc is everything Verstappen should be!
-A fan
Oconomo
20th September 2019, 7:29
This comment is reflecting BAD on you….and your attitude absolutely suxx.
Xcm is in everything a Trump.
-A real fan.
Philups
20th September 2019, 7:36
@XCM
You mean a backstabbing two-face hypocrite with a cry baby attitude who can only win because he is managed by the son of Jean Todt?
Na, I prefer Verstappen being the honest and straight talking guy who doesn do politics and wins on merit.
eljueta (@eljueta)
20th September 2019, 7:56
Everything about this conversation sounds like drunken uncles after the match.
Behave, gentlemen.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
20th September 2019, 7:57
Paging @keithcollantine , clean-up required in the comments :)
Esploratore (@esploratore)
20th September 2019, 3:59
Those kerbs look like Verstoppers!
Whoever compared leclerc to schumacher, I agree, him and verstappen are the best hope to get schumacher-like drivers in the near future, I’d even say in the present!
Jon (@johns23)
20th September 2019, 4:04
Im so glad Charles is very humble. People throw around comparisons left, right and centre. How about let the kid win a few more races or championships then let the comparisons come out
Shimks (@shimks)
20th September 2019, 5:53
@keithcollantine You have a typo in that twitter message: should read, “New 50mm high kerbs at the exit of turn seven to encourage drivers to jump over the safety fence.”
MacLeod (@macleod)
20th September 2019, 7:55
I think they should move at least 1 m to the right otherwise it’s 1 ticket over the fence.
NewVerstappenFan (@jureo)
20th September 2019, 6:39
I am not really fond of these comparisons.
Charles as a Schumacher like talent.
There are several good reasons for this comparison, he gets in the car, gets the job done, is quite humble and slightly introverted, but then has this aura of confidence.
Schumacher was like that early in his career, and so are most of the promising young talents. There is hardly a great driver who ever came in to F1 without some kind of major impact. Leclerc is now building his reputation in this manner. We don’t know him well enough so we see some similarities and then compare him to Schumacher. But we could also compare it to Alonso, or Kimi or Senna or how far do we want to go?
His driving style is hardly close to Schumacher, except running rival off the road part. All great drivers have this one outstanding similarity of being quick, regardless what the car is capable of at that moment. And furthermore getting wins despite not being in favorable conditions.
Charles has potential sure and in a few years with a few wins and even championships nobody will compare him to Schumacher because we will know his style and recognize him as an unique individual that he is.
Meanwhile as fans we will probably desperately hope that he is the next Schumacher, and Mercedes actually has an outside fight on their hands.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
20th September 2019, 7:20
Finally something is done about going wide at Turn 7. But I’m guessing they’ll remove the kerbs after Friday as drivers complain how their cars are damaged when running over them…
Jere (@jerejj)
20th September 2019, 7:34
@kaiie There has been something before as well, this isn’t the first time, but presumably these are slightly different to what was there before.
Tango (@tango)
20th September 2019, 7:59
Or a support Race driver teststhe solidity of the fence of turn 7
Jere (@jerejj)
20th September 2019, 7:33
From the Miami Herald-article: ”He warned that some residents could suffer permanent hearing damage and that excessive noise generally has a negative impact on health.”
– But the hybrid era-cars aren’t even that exceedingly loud. I was able to sit through all F1-sessions without having to wear earplugs in Abu Dhabi back in 2016, and probably the same will be the case in Sochi late this month as well.
Regarding the COTD: While I can understand Haas’ reasoning for keeping him, I also share the same sentiments with the COTD. BTW, what does ‘pedestrian’ mean about FE? Is it an indirect reference to the fact of how slow FE-cars are compared to F1-cars or something else?
There have been some kerbs at the exit of T7 before as well, but I guess they were a bit different.
MacLeod (@macleod)
20th September 2019, 7:59
Maybe in 2016 you could be right but since 2018 the noise is above 130db so without plugs you have damage. Yes they got louder but still it’s the kind of sound what the engine produce what people didn’t like.
nickthegreek (@nickthegreek)
20th September 2019, 9:16
I disagree. I was in Austria this year and Germany last year on the front row. the cars aren’t loud at all. F2 and the other series (I think Porsche) were much louder.
the airshow on Spielberg was insanely loud, the noise was like 10 times the noise F1 cars make. but I’m sure nobody got permanent ear damage or had their health affected negatively…
Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
24th September 2019, 22:55
@jerejj I’m a bit late with this, but yes, the reference is to Formula E being lower speed than F1.
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
20th September 2019, 9:19
Keith, I find the choice of the COTD very poor. The guy has a point, but promoting a message with that not-so-subtle insult… is not cool.
Islander
20th September 2019, 10:39
OMG this is turning so sickly corny!! Maestro, music please for upstart Leclerc.
Applebook
20th September 2019, 16:04
Being compare to Schumi in talent is praise.
Being compare to him in dirty racing tricks is criticism.