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2025 Formula One Season Thread
- Thread starter The-Real-Deal82
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I presume that while Red Bull Racing's focus is to win the WDC with Max, I expect they also would like to win the Constructor's Championship, as well. The deal with Ford is both commercial and technical in nature, so Ford would have more influence than if they were just a sponsor.
I wouldn't characterize Liberty's ownership as being terrible, but I also dislike some of the directions they're taking the sport, with respect to its willingness to abandon the classic venues and events that characterized the sport for so long, perhaps albeit in the past. Maybe some of them (like Monaco) did deserve a kick in the arse to force them to compete with the newer venues for events…
But on the flip side, the events on the anonymous newer tracks, with races having to be run at night, which make them barely distinguishable from racing in a car park, built by oil-rich countries as part of their sportwashing efforts? No thank you to more of that.
And if we're allowed to bring anecdotal observations into the conversation, here's mine -- people I have known for decades, and never really car people, never mind racing people, have become invested in F1 due to DTS, including their teenage children, both male and female. They watch the show, the races, and buy the merch; they're more invested in F1 than I am at this point.
Like it or not, those are more attractive demos to the sponsors and advertisers than many of us are. As long time race fans, they've already got us, so now the sport is expanding its reach, and cultivating the next generations of fans, with shows like DTS and events like Miami and Las Vegas.
IndyCar has been showing that by ignoring such efforts, and as a sport run by, and for older generations, it is losing relevance. It has long tried, and failed to attract new OEM partners, and has been unsuccessful because they don't see sufficient ROI to invest in a series with a single, albeit large, tentpole event in the 500, and a niche following for all but a select few of the rest of the races. Honda, one of its strongest, and most loyal partners, fired a public shot across the bow about the state of the series, which has awakened the leadership, but it is still largely proceding with an insular and provincial mindset.
They might have finally been prompted into trying, but digging out of such a large hole will be difficult, especially when trying to go it alone, and refusing to bring in outside help, or investment, with one exception -- their new FOX TV deal has been hailed, but was brokered by a Hollywood media agency; the dead weight leadership didn't find and make that deal themselves. It barely knew who the most popular driver in the series is.
F1 is in a relatively good state of health. But when the OEMs, or their boards, get cold feet, the cracks will open up, and the refusal to admit the smaller independents who don't bring "value" to the sport adds to the vulnerability it will face. Sports car racing knows this all too well, over and over, which is why the lower classes that even many sports car fans dismiss, will be needed, and appreciated for sticking around when this current "golden age" fades.
The tributes to Eddie Jordan were flowing freely in the wake of his passing, and well deserved. But the irony is that an Eddie Jordan would likely be turned away if he tried to enter F1 now.
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One other aspect we haven’t touched on is the car manufacturers. Pretty much all of the traditional car companies are struggling.
With the growth of EV’s and new names entering the market, Ford is no longer the giant it once was. That may result in companies pulling out of F1 or at the very least cutting back their involvement.
I won’t mention Tariffs due to the political nature of the topic, but that will have an impact on these same companies as well.
With the growth of EV’s and new names entering the market, Ford is no longer the giant it once was. That may result in companies pulling out of F1 or at the very least cutting back their involvement.
I won’t mention Tariffs due to the political nature of the topic, but that will have an impact on these same companies as well.
Car manufacturers have always come and gone to suit their marketing strategies and it is indeed an interesting time as most of them struggle in some capacity. I know when Mercedes bought Brawn GP, their major focus was to market themselves to North America as F1 was going after audiences there. It wlll be interesting now with how expensive it is suddenly going to be to sell their cars there, and lets face it, Mercedes don't need to market through F1 to Europe as it is a household name anyway. Honda come and go like the wind, as do Ford and Renault. There is no chance of Jaguar returning any time soon as they've admitted on the news this morning that they could potentially go bust due to the projected drop in demand in the US for their product.
It also wasn't long ago McLaren were struggling to get sponsors on their cars because the ad space was too expensive. I don't think F1 is now immune from experiencing tough times again and dare I say, I think it needs a bit of a reality check.
Money is not an issue for F1, what I am surprised about is why teams have not been bought by bored oil barons that have trillions of Dollars to just waste.. They have in order of magnitude more wealth than a bus load of Elon Musk's.. Look at the silly money in golf, men's golf.. Men's tennis, men's any sport.. If Mclaren wanted to sell, and they would not be less than $1billion, this would be change found in the couch cushions for some of the folks in Dubai.. And they would be more than willing to pay for new facilities in Doha or Saudi/Dubai/Jeddah..
What has not been discussed is that the UK government is making it harder and harder, make that nigh impossible for teams to remain in the UK, it would make more sense from a pure money aspect to up and off to Doha, than to pay the ever increasing costs of staying in the UK..Plus the costs of travel, etc...
F1 is going to have to face the crisis of location within a few years, the UK PM and his dreadful sidekick as Ryanair boss called her, Rachel Rubbish, on the warpath of destroying the UK economy.. F1 is not immune to the shock of insane economic policies in the next 5 yrs to 2029/2030.
What has not been discussed is that the UK government is making it harder and harder, make that nigh impossible for teams to remain in the UK, it would make more sense from a pure money aspect to up and off to Doha, than to pay the ever increasing costs of staying in the UK..Plus the costs of travel, etc...
F1 is going to have to face the crisis of location within a few years, the UK PM and his dreadful sidekick as Ryanair boss called her, Rachel Rubbish, on the warpath of destroying the UK economy.. F1 is not immune to the shock of insane economic policies in the next 5 yrs to 2029/2030.
Yes it becoming so hard for F1 teams to remain in the UK that racing bulls, Cadillac and Audi have all just opened or are opening facilities there.
You keep beating this drum but it’s just nonsense.
Also McLaren has massive Gulf money invested in them now.
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What you may have missed is that all this "investment" actually started under the previous government, 5 yrs from now, with the UK economy destroyed, and it is bad, Miss Rubbish thinks a nation of 21 yr old plumbers is the way forward, build new plumbing schools, to build the 1,5million houses needed, to pay for all this, reduce reduce reduce costs.. OK, don't believe me.. just an observation..
Except Audi didn’t do it under the previous government.
It’s something although I’m not sure it’s an observation.
Whatever, just what is going to happen in the next 5 yrs, the UK is heading for an almighty economic crash.. But anyway in the land of make believe and unicorn farts, aka F1, all is rosy, nothing to see here, all is well and fine..
There is no problems for teams remaining in the UK, they get a lot of tax relief due to being registered as R&D companies and the skills and supply chains are strong here. A desert facility with a fake marina next to it sounds great, but you need the personel there and the resources close to the motor industry which the middle east does not have.
In other news, the evil laughs in Milton Keynes were heard far and wide this morning after the Helmet couldn’t contain himself any longer….
Finally official even though it was confirmed yesterday by multiple news outlets with certainty and Yuki was all over social media having his seat fitting….. He’s officially a Red Bull driver….. Hopefully for more than a couple of races.
You're right, but I wouldn't be surprised if Yuki struggles in a similar way next week. He and Lawson were very similarly matched in their time as teammates, which spoke in Lawson's favor given his relative inexperience, but for his own sake I hope Yuki has an easier time adapting to the RB21.
I think the move back to RB Racing might be a better option for Lawson in the long run as he gets to grow his career in a team with a car he can drive and without his confidence being wrecked by the toxicity of Red Bull. Yuki may well do well at Red Bull due to his driving style potentially suiting the car, but I think Lawson will look back on this as a blessing in a year or two.
I hope so. I haven't followed Lawson too closely but I like watching him race when he is comfortable with the car. Gasly and Albon have both had blooming careers after getting the boot from the main Red Bull team. The only one who didn't really was Kvyat. I would've liked for him to regain his RB seat after Daniel left but that unfortunately never happened. He's the same age as Sainz and barely had time to shine in F1 despite showing some promising results.
Yes - would say though, that even though they have been matched pretty closely a F1 car is a different beast (and maybe especially the Red Bull), so Yuki might have enough extra experience to wrestle performance out of it
It's more than just the team factories, though. There is a whole army of suppliers - big, medium and small - who support the factories and the building of F1 cars. And there are plenty of kids at UK universities studying to fill positions with the factories and those suppliers. That is not all moving to "The Sands".
I was specifically referring to their time as F1 teammates but you are right that the RB21 and its predecessors seem to be particularly difficult to tame. I wish both Yuki and Liam the best in their new roles.
Looks like the situation was less than ideal at Red Bull internally with even Max adding credibility to the claims of bullying. Could it be time for the Helmet to depart and take his culture with him??
www.motorsportmagazine.com
F1 drivers rally round Lawson as Verstappen backs claim of Red Bull 'bullying'
Several F1 drivers, including Max Verstappen, have shown their support for Liam Lawson by liking an Instagram post that accuses Red Bull of crushing his spirit with behaviour that approaches "bullying"
www.motorsportmagazine.com
Well it is doubly insulting to Liam - and doubly embarrassing to Christian and Helmut - when they say they have to provide a "protective environment for Liam to succeed" and then toss him two races in.
But then, with Gasly and Albon, Max was not a WDC contender and the team was not a CC contender due to the dominance of AMG and Lewis+Bottas, so the pressure was not as great as it is now with four WDCs in a row under Max's belt and three other teams breathing down Red Bull Racing's neck...
But then, with Gasly and Albon, Max was not a WDC contender and the team was not a CC contender due to the dominance of AMG and Lewis+Bottas, so the pressure was not as great as it is now with four WDCs in a row under Max's belt and three other teams breathing down Red Bull Racing's neck...
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Who is McLaren owned by right now? Which parts belong to which company were always confusing to me but last I heard not long ago it was bought by a company in Abu Dhabi and previously owned by Bahrain.