In the round-up: A documentary series on Disney+ about Brawn GP will be released next month.
In brief
Keanu Reeves’ Brawn GP documentary releases Nov 15th
The Disney+ documentary series about the story of Brawn GP’s unlikely Formula 1 world championship triumph will be releasing on Wednesday 15th November.
The series, entitled ‘Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story’, is hosted and produced by Matrix and John Wick star Keanu Reeves and covers the story of how Honda’s departing F1 team was purchased by Ross Brawn for just £1 and re-entered the championship before winning both titles with Jenson Button and team mate Rubens Barrichello.
All episodes of the series will be available to stream on Disney+ and on Hulu in the United States from November 15th.
Fry arrival to have minimal impact on ’24 Williams
The arrival of Williams’ new chief technical officer, Pat Fry, will only have a limited impact on the team’s 2024 car, says team principal James Vowles.Fry will join Williams from Alpine in a “matter of weeks”, Vowles said.
“It’s a short space of time between November to when the car will be launched in February and there’s not a tremendous amount Pat will be able to add to the 2024 car initial work,” Vowles admitted. “But that all said, he will still be able to add his own knowledge and his own detail as to perhaps where it’s different to where he would have expected and correct what we can on that journey.
“We’ll also have them at the track with us for at least a race to make sure that he integrates with the race team and sees how the current car is performing, what the strengths and weaknesses are.”
F1 23 receives F2 and more in sports update
The official Formula 1 game, F1 23, has received a major update in its latest patch, now live on all consoles and PC versions of the game.
The 2023 Formula 2 season has been added with all teams and drivers from the current championship, while the four champions of F1’s esports Pro Series – Brendon Leigh, David Tonizza, Jarno Opmeer and Lucas Blakeley – are now available to hire as team mates in MyTeam mode.
The patch also brings a raft of visual updates to cars to bring them more in line with how they look at this stage of the season, with performances also adjusted to changes such as the growth of McLaren and the drop of Aston Martin.
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Links
Motor racing links of interest:
American Express And Formula 1 announce multi-year partnership (American Express)
'American Express and Formula 1 today announced a multi-year regional partnership that will make American Express the Official Payments Partner of F1 in the Americas, with races in Austin, Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Miami, and Montreal. American Express is also proud to support the F1 Academy, F1’s all-female racing series committed to creating equal opportunities for women in the sport, as it strives to increase opportunities for female participation in motorsport, both on and off track.'
Steiner compares growing F1 calendar to ‘eating too much caviar’ (Total Motorsport)
''The fans are priority because we have got a product people want to see. I was worried about the saturation factor. When you (have) too much, you don’t like it anymore. If you keep on eating caviar, you don’t like it anymore. But at the moment, there is no saturation because the races are so different.''
Magnussen Q&A: United States Grand Prix (Haas)
''I’d be lying if I didn’t hope it will give us a big improvement, but I think there’s actually a second element to bringing this upgrade which is to research for next year. I think we’re all secretly hoping it performs better than what we currently have but actually the bigger target with this is, is the research and the learning we can do for next year’s car.''
I / AM A FAN in Austin (Aston Martin)
''When we speak about F1 to other people, sometimes it's like we're speaking to them in a different language, but we understand each other – it's a bond between us. Watching F1 every weekend has inspired me to take up karting – I began with rental karts and since my dad put me in the adult karts, I've become addicted. The only colour I want my kart painted is in British Racing Green. My dad is just as passionate as me though – I have videos of him cheering at the top of his lungs after Fernando scored a podium!''
Can triple Formula 1 world champion Verstappen drift? (Top Gear)
''It’s about the feeling, just looking around. Try different things, don’t always use the same line. Something works better in one corner but in another you might need something else. From a very young age my dad was hammering on that, keep on trying to improve and look around. Just keep your eyes open.''
Kannapolis-based Haas F1 Team ready for US Grand Prix this weekend (WBTV)
'There will be an extra star on the car too with the bright yellow star of the Starlight Children’s Foundation adorning the rear wing of both entries – the team continuing its activations on and off-site over the weekend with the charity formed with a mission to deliver happiness to seriously ill children and their families – now working with over 800 children’s hospitals across America.'
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Social media
Notable posts from X (formerly Twitter), TikTok and more:
From 📍Barcelona.
Check in with Pato as he preps for FP1 in Abu Dhabi with @McLarenF1. 👏 pic.twitter.com/9DmHCU5Oiq
— Arrow McLaren IndyCar Team (@ArrowMcLaren) October 16, 2023
Sidepods – added. ✅
Gloves – yellow. 💛W14 is looking good in the latest @easportsf1 #SportsUpdate 😍 #F123
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Esports Team (@MercedesF1Esp) October 16, 2023
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Comment of the day
Haas may be celebrating the United States Grand Prix with a special livery, but American reader SteveR is not too impressed…
I’m an American and am not the least bit impressed by this jingoist attempt to publicise themselves. Haas has been a huge disappointment as a race team, farming most of their car out to others and constantly defining the bottom of the grid. I have much more respect for Williams, who actually are trying and are making progress.
SteveR
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Harris and Evan!
On this day in motorsport
- 45 years ago today McLaren confirmed outgoing driver James Hunt, who won the drivers’ title with them two years earlier, would be replaced by John Watson
Jere (@jerejj)
17th October 2023, 6:20
Ever since F2 has been in the official games, the pattern has always been the same, i.e., only previous-season driver-team combinations first before ongoing ones come in an update rather than always only up-to-date relevant ones from the get go & I’ve never understood the logic in this.
I don’t recall F1 having so-called ‘regional’ partners before, so something different.
notagrumpyfan
17th October 2023, 7:30
Maybe a first step into having regional championships as part of the world tour.
Americas, European, Austral-Asian, King of the Street-circuits, Lap One Mayfly, Sprint-Prince, Crash-Joker, etc.
Jay
17th October 2023, 7:00
American Express pretending to care about women when their average APR is 21% and if you have bad credit, even if you’re woman, is almost 30%. Absolute predators.
Some people have problems with a Russian driver or sponsor, iffy at best. But these companies are predators to the entire planet. Pretending to care about women, or any other social issue, is an absolute slap in the face of every human who has a credit card.
But hey, buy gas with a card and get 5% back.
Americans are over 1 Trillion dollars in debt to these loan sharks. It makes me sick to my stomach.
floodo1 (@floodo1)
17th October 2023, 10:31
true
Raymond Pang
17th October 2023, 10:40
You know you can pay off a credit card every month right? How is it Amex’s fault if people are spending beyond their means? And what’s it got to do with being a woman or not? Are you suggesting that Amex should be reducing their interest rates for women?
Nick T.
17th October 2023, 12:17
21% is just predatory though.
notagrumpyfan
17th October 2023, 12:29
But it’s still an individual’s decision to get a credit, and shop around for the best offer.
We know not all people are good at decision making (see the amount of people smoking, vaping, getting tattoos, etc.), but I still prefer to live in a free country rather than a society where the government determines what I do, buy, and consume.
oweng (@oweng)
17th October 2023, 13:56
Some people need credit not because they’re bad at decision making but because their survival depends on it. Allowing wealthy corporations to exploit people with massive interest rates and take advantage of those societal issues is shocking. If you had some money you were looking to put in a regular savings account do you think you could get 21% interest on it?
notagrumpyfan
17th October 2023, 14:44
I guess you could invest it in Amex shares.
Had you done so in 2009 you’d have a 21% annual return ;)
On a more serious note: If people cannot survive, then it’s not Amex who should help them, but the government. Most western country have a robust enough social safety net to support in those cases. And if you go through a personal bankruptcy, then you don’t even have to pay Amex back and have a fresh start.
MichaelN
17th October 2023, 15:31
It isn’t, but the mentioned 21% is just taking the mickey. Yes, some people default and that cost is spread to others. But these percentages are only possible because Americans constantly vote for people who are essentially on the take.
I’m not actually sure if this is an EU-wide regulation, but do know that in many EU countries the maximum interest rate for personal credit is tied to an interest-index (mostly defined by the ECB) and thus won’t get anywhere near the 20s.
Darryn Smith (@darryn)
17th October 2023, 18:48
Doesn’t personal responsibility come in here anywhere? I love Amex. Decent HYSA and just got back from Italy after a free flight on the bonus miles I got all before canceling the card before having to pay the annual fee. Who is the predator?
Coventry Climax
17th October 2023, 11:08
There’s a dutch band called ‘Nits’, they celebrate their 50-eth year this year!
Anyway, they have an album called ‘Doing the dishes’.
That’s always the first thing that comes to mind whenever I see Hamilton’s yellow gloves.
AlanD
17th October 2023, 14:35
Could be worse. They could be brown gloves and remind you of a vet.
tiel
17th October 2023, 15:36
And it’s a mighty good band at that.
tielemst
17th October 2023, 15:37
And it’s a mighty good band at that.
Asd
17th October 2023, 11:10
I hope Reeves’ documentary will give adequate appreciation and praise to Honda, which developed that fantastic car and what the team essentially still was after the buyout by Brawn. In terms of technical development, Brawn on its own wasn’t able to improve the car at all or just barely.
Asanator
17th October 2023, 14:27
The Chassis was great and Honda deserve credit for it. However, their engine was rubbish and Brawn would have been no-where near the championship if it hadn’t secured the Mercedes engine.
As for development, Brawn were quite open at the time about the lack of development being due to a lack of funds. They just didn’t have the money to develop the car and it was basically the same at the end of season as it was at the start.
MichaelN
17th October 2023, 15:37
It was a good car, but mostly because it had the best initial implementation of the double diffuser. And as Newey said later, it was basically an open secret in the paddock that this was only given the OK by the FIA because Mosley learned that McLaren (and Ferrari) didn’t have one, and he despised McLaren’s (and Ferrari’s) role in the FOTA and figured this was a perfect opportunity to put them in their place.
Then Brawn obviously didn’t have any money to develop it during the season whilst others did. I recall the Beyond the Grid podcast with the three senior Mercedes folks, who were also at Brawn at the time, mentioned that later on in the season they didn’t have any spare monocoques and were constantly worried that Button or Barrichello would essentially force them to run a 1 car outfit.
slowmo (@slowmo)
18th October 2023, 0:25
Everyone points to the double diffuser but I think the front wing played arguably a bigger part in explaining the huge advantage they started the year with as they nailed the concept. Also not going with KERS to save the weight proved a smart move as it took a while for teams to maximise its benefits.
Its also worth noting that Button was fantastic that year and very consistent with only 1 DNF for which he was not to blame either. I doubt Barrichello would have won the title against a lesser driver either so it wasn’t all down to the car, RBR were very close.
Coventry Climax
17th October 2023, 11:20
Ah, Brawn GP.
I can only imagine the amount of regret Honda must have over that one, and the sour taste it must have left on Jos Verstappen’s tongue. If I remember correct, aerodynamicist Harvey Postlethwaite was on that Honda project from early on, as was Jos Verstappen, who was also in the picture for yet another come back into F1 with that car. Unfortunately Postlethwaite died of a heart attack in ’99(?) and Honda abandoned the project. In a sense, Max finished that project with Honda for his father.
I doubt I care to see the -without any doubt highly americanised- Reeves documentary though.
Tristan
17th October 2023, 11:30
CotD is way too harsh. The HAAS team primary sponsor has always been an American company, they’ve run a lean operation because that is what is necessary to survive without the insane capital of other teams. Comparing them to Williams which has a storied history of success and good-will to fall back on, not to mention historical bonus, is entirely unfair.
Haas runs off like a quarter of the size of the other teams, that they can make the grid at all is incredible. They design their car just like anyone else and have been just as if not more successful than Williams nearly throughout their existence. To say they’re constantly defining the bottom of the grid is entirely unfair.
I wish we could see what Steiner could accomplish with the resources of some other teams. Not to say he would do amazing, but what he’s been able to get that team to do, really, punching above their weight. To say that they’re not even trying shows a complete lack of understanding, or compassion.
Dex
17th October 2023, 13:32
They definitely don’t design their own cars, some parts at best. That’s why they never have any updates (one, usually bad update that sometimes proves to be a downgrade in a whole season). They show no ambition, except to avoid financial losses and, I strongly believe this, sell their spot if and when they get a huge offer. I’m pretty sure they were going to sell before, then the value of F1 jumped through the roof, and now they got greedy. The spot on the grid is what holds value, not the team itself, so they don’t make any real investments in engineering, strategy department, drivers, facilities or their cars. It’s a shell of a team really. And their only source of popularity seems to be that Steiner guy saying weird things in reality show aka documentary.
Gary Simmons (@gsimmonsonca)
17th October 2023, 14:35
I’m very much looking forward to seeing this.
At the time, I thought the FIA was very lenient toward the double-diffuser teams, as they were not the typical front-runners of the time. It was a delightful season to watch, and I’m can’t for this rewatch!
Exediron (@exediron)
17th October 2023, 15:16
Steiner is right that there’s a saturation point for F1 races… But he’s huffing some good stuff if he thinks we haven’t already reached it.
The Dolphins
17th October 2023, 21:37
Pat Fry, in joining Williams, will have worked for 7 different F1 teams. That seems like a large number; can any of the brilliant stats minds put that into perspective with his (engineering) peers?