Norris pipped to IndyCar iRacing pole by McLaughlin

17 comments on “Norris pipped to IndyCar iRacing pole by McLaughlin”

1. 

   Don
   2nd May 2020, 1:09

   It will be fun watching this as a another distraction with no real racing going on, but what does qualifying once again tell us? Lando and McLaughlin have the most sim experience by MILES, and have a huge advantage over the rest of the field. I can’t wait to see him after F1 go into turn one at the start of the 500 going 240+ mph and not lift, or crap his pants. Four terrifying laps of qualifying at the limit of adhesion also will be an experience he will never forget.
   1. 

      jet
      2nd May 2020, 10:43

      Yeah, and not just Indy. I imagine one does some serious soul-searching before getting on any of the ovals. When I’m watching these guys on ovals, I am fearing for their lives more often than not.
2. 

   @HoHum (@hohum)
   2nd May 2020, 1:34

   Ross Brawn has a good grasp of what’s required to get F1 started and how Austria is a suitable venue, but I don’t see any advantage over Silverstone, and Silverstone has the advantage of having the majority of the teams already there whereas every team will have to travel across borders to get to Austria. Maybe it’s the old Bernie ploy of playing off tracks against each other to get a better deal.
   1. 

      DB-C90 (@dbradock)
      2nd May 2020, 1:58

      He/they seem to have a grasp up to a point.

      When I see things like “easy to charter a plane to get there” and catering can be provided, I’m wondering who is going to pick up the tab for the extra (if any) costs.

      Most team personnel travel commercial (or in busses/trucks between European tracks) & chartering normally involves much higher costs. I’d guess that all the medical testing etc that would need to be done would also involve a not insignificant cost.

      I’d like to know whether there has been any determination as to who is going to pay the additional costs. Will it be the teams, most of which are struggling financially, or Liberty, further eroding any potential income?

      They also seem to have thought through how to get people there and keep them isolated, but there’s no mention on how they get them back home or to the next venue in a timely manner, which involves not only keeping them all healthy, but also getting agreement from more countries than just Austria.
      1. 

         Duncan Idaho (@didaho)
         2nd May 2020, 4:57

         I can’t see where logistics is going more expensive than usual. It will certainly be very cheap to charter planes & buses at the moment (book ’em for the year at dimes on the dollar) and given no fans are attending they should easily be able to take over entire hotels wherever they go. The only new costs will be additional cleaning, organising no-touch services & testing and maybe extra staff for associated supervision/security & perhaps medical/epidemiological monitoring.
         They’ve now had a long time to plan all this and they’ll certainly start in an over-the-top fashion. Failure is not an option.
         1. 

            anon
            2nd May 2020, 9:58

            @didaho whilst demand for air freight services is down a bit, it’s not gone down anywhere near as much as passenger flight demand has – I’d be surprised if that was that much cheaper.

            If anything, some have suggested it will be the opposite – that, because the volume of flights has reduced, those who are still flying are charging more to keep their total revenue up.
            1. 

               BasCB (@bascb)
               2nd May 2020, 15:51

               The biggest issue for freight, Anon, is that normally it gets carried along with all the thousands of passenger planes that are flyign around. Since there are hardly any of those out there now, it is an issue to transport freight, since only the few planes used for transport of goods only are available.

               Transport is relatively easily solved as @didaho mentions. DHL has dedicated planes for them, they will use those, just like they always do. And freight can off course be sent by truck from the UK too, road transport is more or less working. There is an airport relatively close to the Red Bull ring that can be used. Then the crews can be transferred from there with helicopters and smaller aircraft or busses directly. And yeah, there is a boatload of hotels that are empty now since there are no tourists in an area that normally has tourists AND the fans.
      2. 

         Jere (@jerejj)
         2nd May 2020, 7:40

         @dbradock Indeed. Should there still be a mandatory 14-day quarantine in place for people entering the country in question, the first Silverstone-race could only take place on August 2 at the earliest if there’s a second Red Bull Ring-race on July 12. The same also goes for other places in this scenario.
   2. 

      Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
      2nd May 2020, 19:16

      @hohum Because Austria is 2 weeks earlier on the orginal schedule. If Hungary doesn’t happen (and that’s entirely plausible at this point), there’ll be plenty of time for both Austria and the UK to have double rounds.
      1. 

         @HoHum (@hohum)
         2nd May 2020, 23:58

         @alianora-la-canta, Plenty of time for 4 races ? Sure, but we’re already at 10 races cancelled and more in doubt.
         1. 

            Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
            4th May 2020, 0:18

            @hohum We are, but we can’t schedule those races into a slot they cannot occupy. The point of doubling-up venues is to get some races done while waiting for the situation to clear up elsewhere. We definitely won’t get back every race that has been lost, but getting as many races as safely practicable held is important to F1 – not only to salvage F1 2020, but to protect F1 2021.
            1. 

               @HoHum (@hohum)
               4th May 2020, 0:31

               @alianora-la-canta, Your last sentence above shows that we agree as to what is the problem, you’re are just a little more conservative on how to implement a solution, I think we can both say E(i?)sport is not it.
            2. 

               Alianora La Canta (@alianora-la-canta)
               4th May 2020, 0:47

               @HoHum eSports might have to be the solution – that part isn’t in our hands, nor any of motorsport’s powers-that-be. It’s just that Liberty and F1 cannot afford to break contract on races it can safely and practically complete. It all depends on how well COVID-19 can be controlled, as to whether there are options that involve people leaving their homes…
3. 

   Dex
   2nd May 2020, 8:32

   Well there won’t be quarantine in the UK, that’s for sure. It will mean that the trip to Austria will have to be two weeks early if they have it. So two weeks quarantine will cover the first four races, that’s do-able.
4. 

   George (@feral)
   2nd May 2020, 10:52

   So all the crews etc. , possibly 1000 plus people arrive at the circuit and are all tested for virus. What happens if any of these test positive? Will it then be called off as in Australia. It must be a real risk and possibility.
   1. 

      frood19 (@frood19)
      2nd May 2020, 22:17

      @feral good point. I’d say it’s almost an inevitability given the high number of asymptomatic carriers.
5. 

   Mashiat (@mashiat)
   2nd May 2020, 14:48

   Imagine being 18th and within 0.05s of pole. Or 30th and within a tenth. I know it’s because of the nature of the circuit and the short lap, but still.

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