One race win Championship!

[Pete Conway]

This is really just a throw away thread...

Wouldn't it be funny if Norris only succedded in getting his foot on the second and third step of the podium from now on because a pleathora of other drivers took wins, and if Verstappen's downward trajectory continued we could end up with Norris getting the WDC with only ONE Win.
Keke Rosberg did the same but there were only half as many races back then.

All if's though!

Oh yeah, @Connor Minniss, second practice is soon to start in Singapore (dammit, gazumped )



Edit... OK, it didn't happen this year

 

[Antony Snook]

Yes it has been done in NASCAR CUP series by Mat Kenseth. He had only 1 win or something like that. But he had a lot of top ten finishes and few retirements. They changed rules for Playoff format where drivers leading has X points and 2nd place is y points behind and all down to 10th place. You keep position in standings but get more points to bring you closer to other drivers. In a formula that puts all playoff drivers with a mathematical shot at tittle. in last 10 races the driver with least points gets eliminated. So you have to push hard in the closing stages for tittle and non contenders will get in the way and try to win, to finish a bad season. It is very artificial but it makes for good ratings. People think tittles are won by wins but no its on consistency and bad results will be a factor. It is a 25 race season and with sprints it is around 30 or so. It is not possible to be on form all season, with different tracks and weather providing different challenges to the drivers. But yes a tittle fight in Abu Dhabi between Max and Norris would be good for ratings.

 

[Terry Rock]

Can you imagine if Lando loses the WDC by seven points how significant that race at Hungary would have been?
I thought it was unwise to swap the cars after he had built such a lead on Oscar.
Had he (Oscar) been within two seconds, I would not have objected but Lando was way up the road.

 

[Pete Conway]

Can you imagine if Lando loses the WDC by seven points how significant that race at Hungary would have been?
I thought it was unwise to swap the cars after he had built such a lead on Oscar.
Had he (Oscar) been within two seconds, I would not have objected but Lando was way up the road.

Position swaps are a thing in F1, as are the rules now, there's a lot of difference between what it 'allowed' now to what used to be... like crashing and getting into a third car, but even that pales into insignificance when compaired to the likes of Moss and Fangio actually climbing into their team mates car after calling him into the pits during a championship race.
However I'm a believer of "you've got what you've go so make the most of it" and don't beg to get passed another competitor, he/she knows you're there, and if you can't get passed that's a problem of the times we're in.
In fact if they oust Ben Sulayem, I'll take the post and introduce a few new rules which include...

: No Radio Comms except through the FIA for danger situations only (eg, Yellow flag etc)
: No Mirrors (they're only used to block other cars)
: No preparation laps, just get out and go. (All parts should work straight out of the pits includingTyres)
: Smaller cars not exceeding 2m x 4m footprint and min/max dry weight 580-620kg
: Far less downforce, and More mechanical grip (grippy tyres)
: NA Engines with capacity 3 liters with open configuration (V6 to W16... I don't care)
: Max Grid 26, (official Qualifying 26) but open for pre-qualification for as many teams that pay to turn up

Hell, I'd stir it up... lol

 

[Antony Snook]

Yes Ben Saliem iwas a desert Rally driver so he knows racing but not F1. At least Max and Bernie ran Teams (March and Brabham) But then there is Ross Brawn and Stefano Dominicalli Who have been in F1 as team owners.
The pit radio is vital because it is strategy. Imagine a Football game with no coach, players would run around confused and not work together, strategey's have to be called on the fly, and players have to be yelled at if they are off line. Or to do a trick sequence around the other team.
The problem is we have Managers and ex drivers pushing a driver. Mark Webber manages Piastri so he wont let McLaren back Norris as the one shot for tittle over Max. So Piastri can give Max tittle by taking points away from Norris. The drivers Garages are split with a team of people on each car, and then managment over the wall to integrate between drivers. And despite what people say the car and tec is not always the same. I am Shore Shumacher had small parts on his car that Barichello did not. And Prost moaned because Senna had Honda engine's that could not go in his his car, Becuse they had Senna's name on. Maybe a few more horse power for Senna ?. And we all Know Lance Strolls Dad is the CEO of Aston Martin and Jos Verstappen is pro Max and will push Red Bull to defend him.
And teams have data on car that a driver needs to know if something is failing. Switching modes can fix this. Its not like the 90's where the car just blew up.

Yes there is politics in and F1 and even foul play but name one sport on a professional level that dose not. Most sports are 2 players or 2 teams. So it is side A or B motor racing is 10 teams with 20 drivers so you have a bunch of fans supporting driver X Y Z.... So it is more than a 2 sided coin. Yes there is BS about track limits and not chaining setup from practice to Qualifying to race that is just dumb and no real racer would support it.

What the Hell make Martin Brunddle or Jhonny Herbert the president of the FIA or Ros Brawn or Dominicalli. Somone who knows the sport becuse they have been involved in it on the wall or in the car. Not Mohamed who is just a wealthy man that raced in a veicle in the desert that is verry different to a F1 car. Maybe he knows marketing but not F1.

 

[Antony Snook]

Can you imagine if Lando loses the WDC by seven points how significant that race at Hungary would have been?
I thought it was unwise to swap the cars after he had built such a lead on Oscar.
Had he (Oscar) been within two seconds, I would not have objected but Lando was way up the road.

Oscar is managed by Mark Webber and he will push the team to not back Norris. Just like Lawrence Stroll and Jos Verstappen are in the pits with agendas to help there drivers who they are related to.

 

[jgf]

Yes it has been done in NASCAR CUP series by Mat Kenseth. He had only 1 win or something like that. But he had a lot of top ten finishes and few retirements. They changed rules for Playoff format .... It is very artificial but it makes for good ratings. People think tittles are won by wins but no its on consistency ...

Not quite. The rules were changed because Penske threw a fit when his driver didn't win the championship so went into his deep pockets and threw money around to get the idiotic "chase" system. The situation was Penske's driver won the most races, but in the races he didn't win he didn't finish well; another driver won fewer (by one if memory serves me well) races but was consistently in the top ten, often in the top five, so was well ahead in points. Penske flatly stated whoever won the most races should be champion, regardless of points. Let us take this to its logical conclusion - Driver A wins 6 races but is a DNQ or DNF at every other race; if no other driver wins more than 6 races, Driver A is the champion.

 

[jgf]

As for a one win F1 championship, Hawthorn did it in 1958.

 

[Pete Conway]

As for a one win F1 championship, Hawthorn did it in 1958.

Yeah, that was 11 races and only the best six results counted... just imagine if it was still the same (6 results), Max would have to have discarded more than a dozen wins last year.
But Lando has three wins up now, and likely more to come... interesting!

 

[Antony Snook]

Yes but right now we have Max Verstappen with the lead to the tittle. And Lando in second but he is not doing great and his team mate Piastri and other drivers may take points from him as teams usually do better in closing stages of the season. Due to updates and developments that usually come in around Europe as it is close to factory. Now NASCAR has a sprint format where each driver keeps positions 1-10 and the points gap is shrunk in a complex formula. Lets say 2nd is say 20 points bellow Leader Max and the gap goes 18 behind for 3rd and down to 10th. Effectively you are taking the top 10 and sucking them up in a vacuum to bring drivers together. Making shore no body runs away with tittle and you have to push harder in closing stages. I don't think anyone outside the top 10 will get in the way like in NASCAR CUP because the bottom cars 11th-20th are just behind on Airo and horsepower. From a media point of view it will keep people glued to there sets as Lando and other's will get bonus points for the sake of getting closer. Lewis Hamillton will even have a shot at the tittle. It will be a bit of a Lottery who has the performance in the final stretch but it will be better.

 

[Pete Conway]

With 3 sprint weekends from 6 races to come that's 180 points* even George Russell could win the championship this year... but he'd have to win everything with the rest all falling by the wayside.
I still think tha Max will take the drivers title because there are four teams capable of winning and their going to take points off of each other, and there's a good chance that McLaren will take the constructors championship.

On another point will the title winners get 70% of the wind tunnel/development** time for the 2026 championshipm because that will be a bit of a blow as all the other teams are also going to be starting from scratch and developing over the next five years so the 24 winners are going to be hobbled for a good while

*I think
**It's late and I've not the time to research it, it's just a thought, correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[Antony Snook]

With 3 sprint weekends from 6 races to come that's 180 points* even George Russell could win the championship this year... but he'd have to win everything with the rest all falling by the wayside.
I still think tha Max will take the drivers title because there are four teams capable of winning and their going to take points off of each other, and there's a good chance that McLaren will take the constructors championship.

On another point will the title winners get 70% of the wind tunnel/development** time for the 2026 championshipm because that will be a bit of a blow as all the other teams are also going to be starting from scratch and developing over the next five years so the 24 winners are going to be hobbled for a good while

*I think
**It's late and I've not the time to research it, it's just a thought, correct me if I'm wrong.

I would argue cars are evolution's of what worked in the previous season. So McLaren will be the team to beat as the car is better than Red Bull but had a slow start. Mercedes and Ferrari have both improved over the season. So the tittle for Max is in the bag and he will have tough competition next year. Red Bull are cheating and key people are leaving (Newley and Weatley) But yes 2025 will be even better than 2024.

 

[Pete Conway]

I do not dispute that, in another thread I aluded to just that scenario, Mclaren win Constructors 2024 and likely both Titles in 2025, and yes, I agree that most years what worked the year before will evolve and work the following year, there is no argument there.
: I take issue with the Red Bull are cheating claim you make, have you any evidence for that, or do you just think or feel they are?
Key people are leaving, yes, two decades with the same firm people might just feel that it's time for a change, to freshen up with a new challenge, Key people are often head hunted by the comeptition, not just for their abilities but because their leaving might just cause some imbalance.

For the 2026 season, I think I'm right in saying that the cars will be NEW (not evo or continuation cars) with many changes to aero, downforce levels, packaging (size) tyres, and their powertrains... unless I missed a memo that has postponed these rule changes!
So, as far as I know the accounts from 2024 will be finalised and presented in 2025, then the allowances will be addressed for the 2026 season, and as we know there's a sliding scale of wind tunnel time and development for each team with the winners getting less and the losers getting the most, so in this case, will the 2026 NEW car from the 2024 winning constructor be at a disadvantage?