In the round-up: Fernando Alonso says he didn’t underestimate the appeal of having the chance to be World Endurance Champion despite entering the series with the goal of winning Le Mans.
What they say
Ahead of this month’s WEC round at Silverstone, Alonso said Le Mans brought him to the series but he wants championship success too:
When I joined the super-season it was for that reason: Le Mans was the big win, the big race, the big target.
But I didn’t underestimate the world championship because to be Formula 1 world champion and endurance champion will be also quite attractive. So that’s the plan.
After winning two races we have a good advantage but still six more to go.
Quotes: Dieter Rencken
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Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Dear Niki, all our thoughts are with you. Best wishes for recovery and come back to the circuits soon #NikiLauda pic.twitter.com/W9VNscQw5l
— Jean Todt (@JeanTodt) August 4, 2018
Amazing what one finds when revamping the office: original SAGP Bid Company plans for @F1 GP circuit on flat land nr CT Airport, drawn by Tilke in 2006. 12 yrs later and still no SAGP. Seems Hermann planned rob transplant Sakhir to CT… pic.twitter.com/MuZbf2VM5r
— Fritz-Dieter Rencken (@RacingLines) August 4, 2018
When people complain of not enough run off at places like Mosport or Watkins Glen, I always ask how about how much run off there is at Turn 1 Indy 😜?!!
— Bobby Rahal (@BobRahal) August 4, 2018
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
A change is coming (Daniel Ricciardo via YouTube)
"Sad to move on. Absolutely. Excited for the challenge at Renault but it's been a 10-year journey with Red Bull."
Doctors optimistic about Lauda's recovery (Reuters)
"His condition at the time had been 'extremely critical', the head of the department that performed Lauda’s surgery said."
Hartley on his second F1 point and his season so far (F1)
"Probably (Renault) regret their strategy but it also kind of destroyed my race."
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Comment of the day
Is the new media aspect of the official Formula 1 game something you’re looking forward to, or a distraction from the core gameplay?
I was never a fan of all the media/interview stuff or a lot of the other similar fluff in some of these games. Things like having to answer questions before you start a career and after races etc… I just hate all that stuff regardless of how well integrated they are I just never find them fun.
I just want to get in the car, get on the track and drive/race and anything that distracted from that was always a big turn off for me.
@Stefmeister
From the forum
- @qazuhb is looking for help playing Geoff Crammond’s Grand Prix. (Yes, the original one from 1991…)
Happy birthday!
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On this day in F1
- 45 years ago today Jackie Stewart scored his final #F1 victory, in the German Grand Prix on the Nurburgring Nordschleife
Jere (@jerejj)
5th August 2018, 0:09
It’ll be interesting to see how well Hulkenberg will fare against a driver of Ricciardo’s caliber in equal machinery. Now regarding the COTD: I don’t really mind about the media/interview stuff either way. It was never a distraction to me the last time it was used, so probably it won’t be any different this time around either.
– The tweet of Bobby Rahal, though.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
5th August 2018, 3:21
@jerejj – very good point. It’s often been said that the Hulk deserves a better drive, and now he’ll be measured against a race-winning driver who we have seen perform in one of the best chassis on the grid.
Miani (@miani)
5th August 2018, 5:15
This is the chance Hulkenberg needed and deserved to prove himself as a top driver. Riccardo is easily in the top 5.
Paul
5th August 2018, 5:54
Another consideration is that IF Hulkenberg does outperform Riccardo, it will essentially reset drivers perceived rankings.
For example, how will people judge Verstappen rank if Hulkenberg can outperform Riccardo. People will then start to relook at several drivers that have driven along side Hulk, Ric and Ves.
The next 2 years of driver negotiations could get quite interesting….
Niefer (@niefer)
5th August 2018, 18:16
@jerejj I’m keen to see how that unfolds.
@Paul I don’t think Ricciardo and his teammates would be deminished at all. In the other hand, Hulkenberg would officialy ascend to what many always thought of him.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
5th August 2018, 0:41
The interview stuff in sport sim games has always felt lacking. I still believe it can be done right with answers building a reputation and impacting a career in multiple ways, but usually very little of that is modeled leaving the answers only really impacting how much the team likes you.
A couple of NBA2k titles did it well where a fan-base was important to the career and an answer would be a trade-off between building your fan base and personal reputation versus team mate chemistry or chairman happiness. It was noticeable because all facets had an impact in the career: If you had low fan-base you couldn’t ask for as much in contract negotiations and it was important to get in hall of fame and sponsor opportunities. If you had low team mate chemistry the team wouldn’t pass you the ball as much on the court and would listen to your plays less. If you upset the chairman he would look to pass you off to other teams and you could even use this to get yourself transferred out of a team mid-season rather than wait until the contract was over.
It definitely wasn’t last years basketball game though, or the one before, I think it was 2k14 not sure, maybe 2k12 how much effort they put into certain features seems to change a lot from year to year. I’d agree that interviews are simply boring when it’s just a matter of picking the “right” answer and that’s all there is to it…
NYCf1fan
5th August 2018, 15:37
what erks me is that they hare pushing this “headline” gameplay and i just want to make sure the AI is racey, the physics are right, the track is accurate, and the ffb is responsive.
Todd (@braketurnaccelerate)
5th August 2018, 2:24
Alonso talking up Alonso. I guess it’s just another day?
Mike (@mrvco)
5th August 2018, 3:11
Sounds like Alonso is talking himself out of another season in F1.
Schudha
5th August 2018, 16:21
It’s such a shame that top drivers don’t have the mental capacity to fight other top drivers. Alonso is one of the best on the grid and clearly has so much to give motorracing; why not stick around in the top tier whilst he’s able? There is a massive underlying problem if he doesn’t have a top drive and Raikkonen does. The latter doesn’t perform for himself in qualifying, for whatever reason, and so has become the epitome of a number 2 driver in most races.
We need the best performing drivers in the fastest cars, in order for championships to be as exciting as they can be. If championship payments aren’t levelled, then ensure a single team has 2 drivers fighting ala Merc (excusing Wolf’s ‘wingman’ comment). Is it the team structures that are outdated? Should teams be (properly) split to support individual cars? I think that may work to give a superior sporting spectacle, and negate things like driver vetoes.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
5th August 2018, 2:45
Agree with COTD. If i want that sort of thing, i would rather look for a GP manager or something. Not a driving game… That aspect of the game isn’t interesting for me.
Tristan (@skipgamer)
5th August 2018, 6:22
Each to their own but why would you want to answer questions to press as a driver, in a manager game where you’re taking the role as a manager…
It’s an F1 game, not just a racing game, there are plenty of just racing games, but an F1 game makes sense to offer the whole experience of F1…
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
5th August 2018, 8:35
@skipgamer i meant in general, that sort of thing works well for a manager game. But this is a racing game, so i want to race. But I’m more sim based so maybe I’m a little biased… I like the upgrades bit tho. That makes sense. The PR stuff, not so much.
[TR]
5th August 2018, 9:09
I need to comment on that photo before I even read anything else on the page…
Le Mans, what are you doing? Do you want to be stuck in the 19th century? Why is there a negative space number in your logo?!
You need to look to the future and pay a design conglomerate millions to come up with a way of writing your logo that takes no more than 3 strokes, looks futuristic if you’re nostalgic for the late 1990s and loses every bit of class the old logo had.
Then, you need to needlessly pay some more millions to some famous movie composer no one knows to come up with an overlong, ill-fitting, generic, trite piece of *quote*music*unquote* to spice up the proceedings.
Until then I can’t even look at that photo without yawning.
Peppermint-Lemon (@)
5th August 2018, 9:22
I was with you until you said some composer no one knows.
He has made some of the very best music over the years.
JC
5th August 2018, 9:11
COTD… Kimi, is that you? :)
mog
5th August 2018, 13:21
You beat me to it!
Philip (@philipgb)
5th August 2018, 12:23
What I think I’m looking forward to most about Riccardo’s move to Renault is either confirming or putting to bed the hunch I and many others have long had that Hulkenberg belong among the top flight of drivers.
Ricciardo didn’t hang about before comfortably outperforming Vettel and by keeping his head down and keeping his nose clean he’s maintained an edge on Verstappen. I think most rank Ricciardo up there, seeing how Hulkenberg gets on is going to be very interesting.
Gitanes (@gp4-gitanes)
5th August 2018, 13:42
Theoretically, Alonso is chasing the triple crown of races (Monaco – Le Mans – Indy 500). But what if he is in fact chasing the triple crown of championships (F1 – WEC – Indy)? What nobody else ever achieved?
Philip (@philipgb)
5th August 2018, 14:15
Given his hopes of further F1 championships are as good as over I honestly think he should just make the switch to Indy. WEC looks in the bag, and I’d be confident he could do Indy
Neil (@neilosjames)
5th August 2018, 16:29
I hope Alonso decides to ditch F1 at the end of the season, becomes WEC champion (could go either way, but I hope he wins) and drives Indy full-time from 2019.
He’s wasting himself pootling round in a useless McLaren… pointless a driver of his quality, at his age, being in F1 if he isn’t fighting for wins.
Niefer (@niefer)
5th August 2018, 17:58
Well, better not underestimate Mille Miglia Storica as well. Fernando should rush to grab a seat for 2019.
Gabriel (@gabf1)
6th August 2018, 14:46
I wonder if someone could help me – I see there are 2 Le Mans races in WEC. How does that work? Does the season span 2 calendar years?
Thank you
Kenny Schachat
7th August 2018, 22:23
Gabriel: Yes, the WEC is having what they are calling a “Super Season” that spans two calendar years.