In the round-up: Following Formula 1’s experiment with a two-day race weekend, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff says three-day events should remain at grands prix which attract large audiences.
What they say
With a record 23 races on the 2021 F1 calendar, a two-day race weekend could reduce strain on teams but Wolff says it isn’t suitable everywhere:I like it very much. It’s so compact, lots of adaptability needed. You just have to get the car in a good position straight from the get go and there’s not a long time to analyse data and run the simulator overnight. And in that respect is something new and I like it.
I don’t think it works for every track. There will be big races, hopefully, with a lot of spectators again, where a three day event makes a lot of sense.
I’m thinking about Melbourne and the amount of people there and the narrative, the content that we can provide around these tracks. So I don’t think it’s fit for everybody, but I think for here, it works really well.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
Snapshot
Red Bull and AlphaTauri held a show run in Istanbul ahead of this weekend’s Turkish Grand Prix.
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Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Hamilton in Kritik wegen Saudi-Arabien? Das sagt Schumacher (Sport1 - German)
Ralf Schumacher says Hamilton should confine his political views to social media only and not when he is representing Mercedes at race weekends.
C4F1 credits Ben Edwards, as he announced he is leaving Formula 1 (Whisper TV)
"Formula 1 commentator Ben Edwards announces today that he will be stepping down from his C4F1 lead commentary position at the end of the 2020 season."
Final of FIA Girls On Track: Rising Stars Postponed (FIA)
"The final phase of the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars program, scheduled for Maranello this week, has been postponed following the positive Covid-19 of one of the four finalist girls. The young woman, who was already in self-isolation awaiting the result of the swab, has not had contact with other people involved in the program, apart from the adult who accompanied her, and remains in quarantine."
World Champions on the cusp of history ahead of Bahrain Eight Hours (Aston Martin)
"Unfortunately, only Martin will be able to compete alongside the Danes for the world title after Lynn received a positive test for Covid-19 last weekend and has therefore not travelled to Bahrain. His place in the line-up has been taken by Richard Westbrook (GB), who was already expected to race with the team in the #98 Aston Martin Racing Vantage GTE Am entry."
"We take great pride in joining the '500 Club', a very exclusive group of teams comprising some of the most historical names in the sport – only Ferrari, McLaren and Williams have passed the 500 Formula One events’ mark. Cars produced in our Hinwil headquarters have graced the Formula One grid for nearly half the 1,032 races that will have taken place with Turkey."
Changing perceptions (W Series)
"I’m seeing the effect at home too where more young girls are starting to come through and I’m proud to be coaching two of them. I work with Ella Stevens, 14, in karting and 17-year-old Abbi Pulling who has been doing a great job in British F4."
Former F1 racer Karun Chandhok on designing Pune’s Nanoli racetrack (The Hindu Times)
"We visited the site last year and came up with a few design options. I ran these options on my simulator last year and came up with the final design."
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Missed my flight to go to Istanbul…that's a good start RG 🤣💩🙈
Already sorted out a plan for tomorrow am tho 🙏— Romain Grosjean (@RGrosjean) November 11, 2020
There were some new sights to see in Istanbul and on the Bosphorus Bridge today 👀🤩@PierreGASLY and @AlphaTauriF1 @alex_albon and @redbullracing #TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/LM8d1kKOw0
— Formula 1 (@F1) November 11, 2020
We’re celebrating @callum_ilott's birthday in style… 😎
Take a look back at the best bits of the @VirtuosiRacing star’s antics over team radio in 2020! 📻😅#F2 #RoadToF1 pic.twitter.com/nnbbxm7QWo
— Formula 2 (@Formula2) November 11, 2020
What a shame to hear @benedwardstv has decided he will stop commentating on @F1 at the end of the season. I sincerely hope we'll be able to enjoy his natural, enthusiastic style and vast knowledge of racing applied to another motorsport.
— Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) November 11, 2020
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Nikos asks if drivers are struggling to notice trackside signalling, after several incidents this season including a near-miss with marshals at Imola:
In Monza most of the drivers did not notice that the pit lane was closed and they only stayed out because they were notified by the pit wall.
Now we get this.
The drivers seem to find it increasingly difficult to notice what is going around the track (flag or no flag Stroll should have noticed the marshals and backed off) .
I think that they rely too much on the information they get from the pit wall. This is becoming a safety concern and should be addressed before anything bad happens.
Nikos
Happy birthday!
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Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
12th November 2020, 0:53
I’d take Ben over David, every time.
GeeMac (@geemac)
12th November 2020, 5:10
Yup. I was a huge fan of DC’s during his F1 career and his early commentary life alongside Martin Brundle, but his commentaries on C4 are becoming more and more cringy by the race.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
12th November 2020, 7:29
I think he meant David Croft! Lol.
I share that opinion. I pay for Sky, but if I can’t watch the race live, I prefer to watch the C4 highlights instead, simply so I don’t have to put up with David Croft.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
12th November 2020, 7:59
I completely agree with this. I much prefer the C4 highlights as I don’t have to put up with the Sky commentary. Ben Edwards will be a real loss to them and us.
Webbo (@webbo82)
12th November 2020, 10:48
New drinking game: drink every time DC says either ‘indeed’, ‘gonnae’ or uses yoda-like phasing such as “it’s a much faster one, the lap”
jimmi cynic
12th November 2020, 7:17
Could this be a trend? Could Crofty be next? Please…
Retired (@jeff1s)
12th November 2020, 8:18
Just do the Alex and Alex on the PLC. I’m watching on the Pit Lane Channel from F1TV since this year and believe me I unsubscribed to Canal + (France) it was getting boring to hear the same old stuff and the relative support to à nationality.
Alex Jacques and Alex Brundle, plus Sam Collins are the real deal.
Spot-on commentaries, they see every move, follow every gap, chosen words and no shouting for nothing.
Calum
12th November 2020, 1:47
Echo the sentiments on Ben Edwards.
Real shame he’s quitting F1 commentary.
marcusbreese (@marcusbreese)
12th November 2020, 6:35
+1, F1 has had some real stinkers in the commentary box and Ben is NOT one of them – will be sorry to hear him leave
S
12th November 2020, 3:37
CotD pinpoints one of F1’s bigger issue in recent years – the radio is interfering far too much in the sporting and driving aspects.
Drivers know that the team has all the information on everything all the time, so they have no need to look for flags or signs – and even if they do see them they then question their use or ignore them completely because they weren’t told what to do by the team.
Then there’s the Russian pit lane exit offences (caused by the team, so the team says in order to protect their driver) and every tiny little strategic and performance decision made during every session of every event.
Seriously, what is the driver actually doing by themselves? Anything? They certainly aren’t driving the car unaided at all times.
I reckon it’s time for a proper radio ban. The driver needs to be responsible for their actions and decisions, and they can only do that when there’s nobody in their ear all the time telling them what to do.
The team should be able to listen but not speak unless it is strictly for a safety issue.
Velocityboy (@velocityboy)
12th November 2020, 13:08
+1
JimG (@jimg)
12th November 2020, 15:54
I lean the other way: it’s a team sport, so let the team participate. Sometimes it seems a bit over the top (“remember to drink”) but overall I prefer it. And as has been said before, the radio chatter goes some way to humanising what is otherwise an impenetrable event.
S
12th November 2020, 4:00
Just on the 2-day weekends. I think they can be a positive in many places. Any organic racing/setup issues/occurrences of any kind are ironed out with so much practice and sim time and data collection on Friday. Makes a dull racing series even more dull.
However, as pointed out, certain places (Silverstone, Melbourne, COTA, Spa, Monza) do get the crowds in and they expect a show.
I think they’d be better off running less practice/more racing sessions than maintaining too much practice time.
Friday for 2x 45min practice sessions, qualifying Saturday morning for a shorter race in the afternoon, then the full GP on Sunday.
Racing is what a racing series is for – more of that and less perfecting every minute detail.
OOliver
12th November 2020, 5:45
Two races per weekend dilutes both races.
S
12th November 2020, 9:20
For some people, every change F1 makes ruins it….
You wouldn’t have to watch them both, you know.
S
12th November 2020, 9:25
Additionally, you must be gutted about F2 and F3 running 3 races at each event next year, then?
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
12th November 2020, 7:13
Media: What if Lewis say something about Saudi
Media: Lewis should say something about Saudi
Media: For Lewis to said something about Saudi is wrong
Media: We won’t mention that US is now being reviewed by UN Human Right Council on its shady human right record
Jay
12th November 2020, 23:44
The US is being reviewed by the Human Rights Council, which just accepted China as a member. Please rethink this position.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
12th November 2020, 7:33
Well you simply can’t have a 2 day weekend at any of the 15 events due to host F2 or F3, due to track time requirements. Plus W series is due to be in the F1 undercard at 8 yet unnamed events (i presume alongside F2 / F3 events, simply because realistically there has to be some overlap for the calendar to be financially viable), so again more track time required.
Jere (@jerejj)
12th November 2020, 8:37
@eurobrun The opposite actually. Not having F1 running on Friday would free up more space for the F2/F3/W series.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
12th November 2020, 18:16
@jerejj I see where you are coming from, but I’m referring to a 2 day event, which I guess couldbe different. I’m thinking everything that would normally happen on a Thursday happening on a Friday, including F1 paddock teams build. Not sure how F2 / F3 / WS being active and using the pitlane would affect F1 setup.
Derek Edwards
12th November 2020, 7:53
Looks like Alex is going to have that lap time deleted for going over track limits again…
Matteo (@m-bagattini)
12th November 2020, 8:34
Isn’t Ralf Schumacher a bit too vocal lately? I keep reading things he says while he vanished from the scene up until some weeks ago. Anyway, I’m not an Hamilton supporter but I believe when you are one of the greatest – if not the greatest – in a sport you can do whatever you want. It is Mercedes, eventually, that should talk to him if their image can be compromised. But I think that them letting him be himself is part of both parties success.
Rodber
12th November 2020, 9:46
Not a Ham supporter? Sounds like you are, but you are but you don’t know it yet…
Jere (@jerejj)
12th November 2020, 8:39
Bahrain and Abu Dhabi could have FP2 as the only practice session as it’s, after all, the only representative one for QLF and the race (except for the additional event in Bahrain, but other than this). The afternoon sessions in the Gulf region are pretty much entirely useless due to the difference in track temps in the afternoon compared to QLF and the race in late-afternoon and or early-evening.
Alec Glen (@alec-glen)
12th November 2020, 8:45
I think the only positive I’ve to say about Ben’s commentary is that he’s been better than Legard. I like his passion but he never seems to know what’s going on, has very little awareness of what teams and drivers are doing at any one time which is his role as play-by-play commentator. Sky are very fortunate to have Martin Brundle who can effectively do both roles and doesn’t miss a beat but it’s crazy how often we’ll watch and be talking about what’s going on with strategy etc laps and laps before Ben or DC tbf seem to notice.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
12th November 2020, 11:32
@alec-glen
I have to say i partly disagree. When I flick through the highlights, Channel 4 with this pair often highlight a whole load of things that Sky didn’t notice. The opposite also does happen though, but I would say Ben has far more knowledge than Crofty and DC is at least as knowledgeable as Brundle – but I do think he could do with speaking a bit more than he does. The problem with Brundle that I have is he often sounds miserable as if he is fed up ( maybe with crofty? :D ) He just complains too much about F1 not being as good as it used to be, which is bad for a commentator to be saying. Ben and DC sound a lot more passionate about F1 to be when commentating making it more enjoyable to hear.
GT Racer (@gt-racer)
12th November 2020, 12:24
I was lucky enough to get to spend time with Ben Edwards when he was doing the commentary for our F1 Digital+ broadcasts in 2002 & when he would come over to Biggin Hill in subsequent years to do the voice overs for the end of year review DVD.
Super nice guy who’s very passionate & knowledgeable about the sport. He would come into the studio with notes & history of the circuits, teams & drivers with tons of stats & facts so there was always something to talk about in any down time.
And i’m not sure if this story has ever been told but when we launched the UK version of F1 Digital+ in 2002 we were doing all the commentary from a studio in Biggin Hill & originally the commentary was going to be down only by John Watson. However for pre/post session analysis & the master channel that was exclusive to the UK coverage we would bring in studio guest’s to sit with Matthew Lorenzo.
For the 1st race of 2002 in Melbourne Ben was one of the studio guest’s. At some point during I think the Saturday practice session Bernie walked in & saw that Ben was in the studio & was surprised he’d only been brought in as a guest so insisted he go & join John to do commentary & that is how that coverage ended up with the Ben Edwards & John Watson commentary team.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
12th November 2020, 14:11
@gt-racer I know they promoted within with Legard, but I was always surprised that the BBC didn’t hire Edwards to go alongside Brundle from 2009-10 (I forget if they don’t get on?).
Great story to hear about F1D+, BCE was right in that it makes total sense to bring back the Edwards/Watson team.
Iestyn Davies (@fastiesty)
12th November 2020, 14:10
@gt-racer I know they promoted within with Legard, but I was always surprised that the BBC didn’t hire Edwards to go alongside Brundle from 2009-10 (I forget if they don’t get on?).
Great story to hear about F1D+, BCE was right in that it makes total sense to bring back the Edwards/Watson team.