2017 Formula 1 - The next generation

I bet that was an interesting phone call to Massa :slight_smile:

Rumour has it a $5,000,000 phone call :checkered_flag:

More problems at McLaren…

Not sure how much a problem it is, really. I have no idea how they were supposed to juggle him and Boullier, and you’d assume there’d be some (futile?) reorganisation that goes with the territory yet which is rarely more than pissing in the snow.

He struck me as not the nicest of people from his WRC time either* but WRC watchers may have a more refined opinion than I.

  • edit: not that ‘being nice’ has much to do with the price of fish, but anyway

The point I was making is the total disarray left in the wake of Ronxit.

I understood, Oz: my point was that with his role being at best opaque and the Ron-clear up demanding the removal of any potential conflicts, this particular piece of housekeeping doesn’t strike me as disarray.

If OTOH Prod were to say “feck this” that would seem more problematic

In other news Symonds has left Williams with no warm wishes etc etc statement from them. Seems a slightly unfitting end to a seemingly nice bloke’s career (if we carefully ignore Singapore 08!)

Mac aren’t going to be competitive for years imo…:cry:

I fear you may be right, and the way the Japanese seem to go about their R&D means it’s going to be a while before that Honda engine is up to scratch. Until that happens they’re going to be flogging a dead horse and I suspect likely to see key people departing for teams performing better.

Uses Virgin Media then

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Ah, ok: wasn’t out earlier. Perhaps she reads the Abatoir

Williams were in a spiral of worsening performance. 2014 was a consequence of a special set of events that will not repeat, whereas 2016 and the continued we don’t understand why we are slow in the wet and in slow speed corners continued, or at least their poor performance did, even if they did not talk about working parties etc to fix them.

Pat Symonds was clearly part of the problem as he was leading the team technically, but there are others responsible for this who are still there.

All getting ready for Paddy Lowe to take over…

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I still don’t understand why they recruited Boullier (some did say he was to be Ron’s bag man!) as he does not have the technical expertise to make the calls that he claims his role needs him to do.

As others have stated, McLaren are in a big mess.

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And Honda get the blame

Found this…

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15578537_1152530381532460_1275106905249518197_n.png?oh=064ab76d181cdacbfead9f37f6f18355&oe=58E5E3A9

Ouch !

Williams: Sorry Massa you’re past it we don’t require your services next year.
Massa: Bugger…

Williams: Hello Massa, Bottas wants to jump ship to Merc, would you like to come back and play, you are brilliant you are, we always liked you a lot, in fact how does LOTS OF MONEY sound to you?
Massa: Well…er…I’ll check my diary with the ball and chain (seconds latter)…okay then!

Yep. I reckon that’s close.

Well, they would say that wouldn’t they ?