Red Bull looks like they are building an ‘exit strategy’.
This.
Red Bull + Aston Martin marketing/engineering + sale/exit = AMF1
Generally this is a Lotus design and a photocopier set to x1.5.
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This is exactly the bit I don’t buy / get
Everyone kinda knows Red Bull has been for sale a while. Hence the logical-ish assumption that Porsche would just rip Dieter’s hand off for the 21 season onwards (who else would they come in with Williams? Force India, Sauber? I know who I’d go with)
The idea, however, that Aston has anywhere near the cash (nor the expected future car sales) to bankroll a controlling stake in the team is far-fetched at best. I’d flippin love it if they did, but they don’t.
There’s apparently serious talk of Cosworth and McLaren joining forces to make a 21> powerplant (which Aston could badge as their own) but this would cost AM money too, and seems contingent upon cheaper regs = the bigger teams ‘letting’ Liberty drop all the energy recovery tech, which I don’t really see them doing.
Does badging RB as Aston makes the team any more / less attractive to Porsche (or whoever makes an offer?) I suppose they’ll see through the smoke and mirrors ………… so I’m rather confused why RB are doing it, TBH.
Still, I’m usually wrong: what am I missing, Oz (or anyone else) ?
Ah, but now they have the Matt Becker chap. No need to fake it anymore 
Seeing as Aston buy in Mercedes engines for their road cars, I wonder who they’ll use to make them??
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Introducing the original Frank Williams Racing Cars’ ISO Marlboro race transporter from the 1973 Formula One season.
What a thing of beauty!
https://scontent-lht6-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/22046907_2001636483233662_1820552326232013689_n.jpg?oh=c2a828a6d9dd3ac21f4af1a0cf38e646&oe=5A4082DA
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AM & RB have an existing innovation partnership - the Valkyrie came out of this. The rebranding of the team is a strengthening of this into a title partnership as well as an innovation one, and AM logos will be prominent on the F1 car. So there’s a promotional aspect for AM in this.
Powerplant discussions came about after AM were invited by the FIA to join future engine discussions from 2021. AM might eventually get directly involved in the RB engine but not at present.
None of which addresses the immediate engine issues RB could face. I suspect they’ll use whatever they can get and (effectively) use the F1 arena as a test and development zone for other aspects of the car.
Merc look a bit off? What’s going on there then?
Predictable result but seriously sad for the championship that Vettel needs to start from the back. Still could be quite interesting if he becomes the last driver with fuel…
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132106/no-finishers-in-malaysian-gp-f4-support-race
I’ve seen a lot of comments bemoaning Vettel’s ‘bad luck’ (I’m not saying this is one of them!), with most claiming Hamilton’s ‘good luck’ that Raikonnen didn’t take pole.
None are reflecting on Vettel’s accident at the last race, which - if he loses the championship this year - will be where he lost it.
People love to hate Hamilton.
If he doesn’t win everything, he’s a crap driver. If he does win it’s because his car is better, others had bad luck, etc.
</hoi polloi>
Based on stats alone (and they don’t tell the whole story) Hamilton is just the better driver. Or more successful driver… (Taking onto account races, age, and calculating percentages).
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Did you actually read the link ?
To your unrelated point (it’s Saturday night so I assume there is some “refreshment” involved)…
“More successful” certainly. But don’t assume I’m a Hamilton Hater. Drivers win championships for many reasons but none get close unless they are great drivers (relative to the rest). Yes, the car is very important but many a championship has been lost in the best car.
I admit to not liking Hamilton’s personality but I would never take away his achievements due to my own failings. I can’t warm to him in the same way I can’t warm to Vettel. The one-eyed British press do not help.
He is a great driver. I just believe that others are greater. Alonso is still the most complete driver for me but his management (Briatore) keeps fucking up and he’s in the wrong team at the wrong time.
My only concern, at the moment, is for the thrill of a championship decider and F1’s future.
2018 RB mock up…
Yuk…
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Agreed.
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Aye - I did. I doubt F1 will have the same issue - they’re not running back-to-back races with a set time.
I did get kinda side-tracked into another topic, though. I’d been looking at something else just before I wrote that, so probably started writing halfway through my train of thought.
Whaddya mean you couldn’t have known that? My wife expects me to… 
Well I didn’t expect that.
That was a bit different. So was the race 
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