If you’re in an area where you can’t really pull aside, there should be no penalty, as long as you get out of the way at your first opportunity.
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2026 Formula One Season Thread
- Thread starter The-Real-Deal82
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If you’re in an area where you can’t really pull aside, there should be no penalty, as long as you get out of the way at your first opportunity.
This is Formula 1, not formula baby karting, blue flags are for which beaches have the fewest turds.. Not required at the highest level of European motorsports...
Blue flags rob us of a great fight, back markers are like pawns on a chess board, often in the way, but useful in defence...
I would rather not have blue flags, if you as a driver want blue flags, race in F2---F99..
No Blue Flags in F1...
Blue flags rob us of a great fight, back markers are like pawns on a chess board, often in the way, but useful in defence...
I would rather not have blue flags, if you as a driver want blue flags, race in F2---F99..
No Blue Flags in F1...
Madonepro
macrumors 68000
Many of us in this thread know exactly how that feels.
How to tell the thread that you've never driven a racing car, without saying it. Just put it this way, your last sentence is nonsense. Not one F1 driver would agree, and the track is a safer place for them...
CWallace
macrumors G5
Rumors are about that Williams is ready to more than double Carlos Sainz's salary from $13 million to $30 million in order to secure his services going forward (his current contract expires at the end of the season) even with Sainz having few options available to him (Audi have confirmed they are keeping Hulk and Gabby for 2027, Haas is arguably in a worse place than Williams and there is likely competition for Colapinto's seat at Alpine should it open, which is no guarantee). Speculation is the offer is meant to both motivate Sainz to commit to the team while they (continue to) rebuild as well as if Sainz walks due to how bad Williams is now, who can they get other than a rookie who would not be able to develop the car nearly as effectively as Carlos.
sports.yahoo.com
Rumor: Williams Ready to Drop Millions to Keep Carlos Sainz Amid Audi Lockout
Carlos Sainz’s long-term future in Formula 1 has been one of the most hotly debated topics of the 2026 season. After taking a leap of faith to join James Vowles’ rebuilding project at Williams, the Spanish driver recently admitted that…
I want to say a point... Lap 9 of the race, the blue flags became an issue, drivers did not know who the blue flag was for...
My point, blue flags are part of the safety system within the event, along with yellow, red etc, they are used to warn drivers about to be lapped, faster car behind...Safety issue..
So if the blue flag system that says blue flag car 2 in the car, and at the race in Hungry, the in car system just showed a blue flag, no number, this creates confusion..In other words the system at that point renders the track unsafe, the flag cannot be trusted...
So why was the race not red flagged until they could figure out the issue, then restart standing start?? If you have a failure in a safety system, red flags are used to prevent an issue, red means stop, no go--go to pit and stop...
I think the race director panicked, he/she lost their minds, and hoped that nothing would happen, but if you are going to use a system like blue flags for safety, and that system fails, what should you do??? Red flag seems the obvious answer????
My point, blue flags are part of the safety system within the event, along with yellow, red etc, they are used to warn drivers about to be lapped, faster car behind...Safety issue..
So if the blue flag system that says blue flag car 2 in the car, and at the race in Hungry, the in car system just showed a blue flag, no number, this creates confusion..In other words the system at that point renders the track unsafe, the flag cannot be trusted...
So why was the race not red flagged until they could figure out the issue, then restart standing start?? If you have a failure in a safety system, red flags are used to prevent an issue, red means stop, no go--go to pit and stop...
I think the race director panicked, he/she lost their minds, and hoped that nothing would happen, but if you are going to use a system like blue flags for safety, and that system fails, what should you do??? Red flag seems the obvious answer????
I have no doubt "teletubby" engineers is accurate, I see this sort of reliance on the tech more and more, and the loss of education and the ability to revert back..
A colleague at work, her daughter just passed her driving test, so mom and daughter went shopping, and daughter was driving, and then it came to parking.. Daughter, 18, refused to park, and mom asked why.."Where are the lines?"
The car she did her training in, and the test in, had the reverse camera and the red/yellow/green lines/boxes.. She had never been trained or experience in a car without the aids.. Daughter had a licence but maybe not..
That is the problem F1 has, we have an industry that is 99.99% made up of folks that are ipad gen, that grew up in a 64bit era, that have never seen or used analogue equipment..They are used to GPS trackers and cannot understand the relationship of car to track to time and speed..
The best example of how to explain this, is in the the movie "The Dish" in which the tracking station lost Apollo 11, and through complex math tried, then someone realized that actually we have all the information, it was here, it is going there, and at X speed.. And done, back online and pay check in the mail...
But the hot shot 20 something with a PHD in math working for Red Bull or William's, can they work with raw data and figure out where the car should be in x or y seconds?
Like in the scene from Hunt for Red October, when the navigator has 2 poo's in his pants when the capt does not order a turn as the chart says he should.. The navigator is trained to do x at y, and cannot understand there are options..
In F1, which seems to have a love hate, that is loves to hate safety, when the a safety system fails, they fail to perform.. Instead, panic and omg, what to do... No the engineers are not the problem, the teletubbies are race control, a failed safety system, you red flag... No other option, you would think.. Maybe Toto wanted to say that, or deflected his anger at..
2nd.. Did Kimi A just push George under the Merc catering team bus in his statement that George flubbed his start as he topped the turbo early? It was 100% a driver error and not anti-stall??? Did Kimi A just roast George as a hack, a Wednesday 4th ball flubber in the afternoon 4 ball??
A colleague at work, her daughter just passed her driving test, so mom and daughter went shopping, and daughter was driving, and then it came to parking.. Daughter, 18, refused to park, and mom asked why.."Where are the lines?"
The car she did her training in, and the test in, had the reverse camera and the red/yellow/green lines/boxes.. She had never been trained or experience in a car without the aids.. Daughter had a licence but maybe not..
That is the problem F1 has, we have an industry that is 99.99% made up of folks that are ipad gen, that grew up in a 64bit era, that have never seen or used analogue equipment..They are used to GPS trackers and cannot understand the relationship of car to track to time and speed..
The best example of how to explain this, is in the the movie "The Dish" in which the tracking station lost Apollo 11, and through complex math tried, then someone realized that actually we have all the information, it was here, it is going there, and at X speed.. And done, back online and pay check in the mail...
But the hot shot 20 something with a PHD in math working for Red Bull or William's, can they work with raw data and figure out where the car should be in x or y seconds?
Like in the scene from Hunt for Red October, when the navigator has 2 poo's in his pants when the capt does not order a turn as the chart says he should.. The navigator is trained to do x at y, and cannot understand there are options..
In F1, which seems to have a love hate, that is loves to hate safety, when the a safety system fails, they fail to perform.. Instead, panic and omg, what to do... No the engineers are not the problem, the teletubbies are race control, a failed safety system, you red flag... No other option, you would think.. Maybe Toto wanted to say that, or deflected his anger at..
2nd.. Did Kimi A just push George under the Merc catering team bus in his statement that George flubbed his start as he topped the turbo early? It was 100% a driver error and not anti-stall??? Did Kimi A just roast George as a hack, a Wednesday 4th ball flubber in the afternoon 4 ball??
Paul1964
macrumors 6502
I wondered what Kimi meant by "hit the top of the pack" but then another video explained why that could be a problem and why anti-stall would then get involved.
While the battery is charging there is load on the engine and a certain amount of throttle needs to be applied to maintan the revs. When the battery is full that load disappears and then much less throttle is needed for those same revs. The vid showed that Russell's throttle was in the lower position so when he dropped the clutch there wasn't the torque available to launch.
avkills
macrumors 68000
Just another reason to get rid of battery power on F1 cars. Should be more about driver skill, not some data driven electronic control system that constantly modifies what is going on with the engine/motor/battery system.
Glideslope
macrumors G3
It’s all about the Firmware. Mercedes applied a new Firmware/Software patch in Hungary.
A logical assumption would be not enough firmware validation. Although I don’t believe George can be completely ruled out either.
CWallace
macrumors G5
It may be Summer Break, but the Silly Season is starting up.
Fernando Alonso is said to be ready to sign an extension with Aston Martin, which will see his salary increase 50% from USD 30 million to USD 46 million per year (putting him third behind Lewis and Max). Ollie Bearman is said to have declined an opportunity to move to Aston Martin to wait for a seat at the Scuderia to open for him, so I presume he would have replaced Fernando unless Pops has finally come to his senses and is ready to cut Lance loose.
Sergio Perez is said to be talking to Williams as he only has a one year contract with Cadillac and Ferrari are looking for a place to put Rafael Câmara.
If Sergio could go to Williams, that means Sainz or Albon could be going somewhere else, though Audi have said they do not plan to change their driver line-up and may extend Nico Hulkenberg's contract by an additional two years.
sports.yahoo.com
Fernando Alonso is said to be ready to sign an extension with Aston Martin, which will see his salary increase 50% from USD 30 million to USD 46 million per year (putting him third behind Lewis and Max). Ollie Bearman is said to have declined an opportunity to move to Aston Martin to wait for a seat at the Scuderia to open for him, so I presume he would have replaced Fernando unless Pops has finally come to his senses and is ready to cut Lance loose.
Sergio Perez is said to be talking to Williams as he only has a one year contract with Cadillac and Ferrari are looking for a place to put Rafael Câmara.
If Sergio could go to Williams, that means Sainz or Albon could be going somewhere else, though Audi have said they do not plan to change their driver line-up and may extend Nico Hulkenberg's contract by an additional two years.
F1 Driver Market Heats Up: Alonso Seeks $46M, Bearman Stays with Ferrari, Perez's Future Uncertain
Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez headline the latest Formula 1 transfer rumors as the 2026 summer break sparks fresh contract speculation.
Silly season started a while back, with 2 guys that truly have no biz in F1, a bloke from Spain, and some petulant over aged teenager with a dad that loves him...
AM are spending how much per year, 100m on salaries for 1 pensioner and 1 over grown teenager with about as much talent as Suzie Wolff.. But then I am not the one paying.. just seems strange when you could have 2 women from the W series for about $1m a race... Which would improve the stats for women in F1.. After all, it could be a decade before AM even sniff at more than 1 point a year...
AM are spending how much per year, 100m on salaries for 1 pensioner and 1 over grown teenager with about as much talent as Suzie Wolff.. But then I am not the one paying.. just seems strange when you could have 2 women from the W series for about $1m a race... Which would improve the stats for women in F1.. After all, it could be a decade before AM even sniff at more than 1 point a year...
Apple fanboy
macrumors Ivy Bridge
Also don’t forget I’m in talks with Mercedes. They think despite my age I’m a better prospect than Kimi and George.It may be Summer Break, but the Silly Season is starting up.
Fernando Alonso is said to be ready to sign an extension with Aston Martin, which will see his salary increase 50% from USD 30 million to USD 46 million per year (putting him third behind Lewis and Max). Ollie Bearman is said to have declined an opportunity to move to Aston Martin to wait for a seat at the Scuderia to open for him, so I presume he would have replaced Fernando unless Pops has finally come to his senses and is ready to cut Lance loose.
Sergio Perez is said to be talking to Williams as he only has a one year contract with Cadillac and Ferrari are looking for a place to put Rafael Câmara.
If Sergio could go to Williams, that means Sainz or Albon could be going somewhere else, though Audi have said they do not plan to change their driver line-up and may extend Nico Hulkenberg's contract by an additional two years.
F1 Driver Market Heats Up: Alonso Seeks $46M, Bearman Stays with Ferrari, Perez's Future Uncertain
Fernando Alonso, Ollie Bearman, Nico Hülkenberg and Sergio Perez headline the latest Formula 1 transfer rumors as the 2026 summer break sparks fresh contract speculation.
I’d also be great for their marketing as I have a great face for radio. 😜
I thought Alonso was moving up stairs. The only reason I’d take Perez over Williams current line up is for the money.
I doubt Oscar Pies will be around much longer, George as well, they both know they are never going to be anything than the 13th bridemaid's at the wedding.. If we get a Bring You Own Team from Beijing, maybe Oscar/George/Some kid from Canada...
Honestly F1 has lost it's mind, pensioners and folks that cannot see, driving and the best of the best sit and rot with ass warts as "test" drivers..
Honestly F1 has lost it's mind, pensioners and folks that cannot see, driving and the best of the best sit and rot with ass warts as "test" drivers..
The guy that finished last in the 2021 season of F3 would be a better choice than daddy's precious little tiger..
Non-Euclidean
macrumors 6502a
Formula E finds a new home on Disney+, ESPN+
The deal starts with the arrival of the GEN4 car and 2026/2027 season this December.
Formula E finds a new home on Disney+, ESPN+
The deal starts with the arrival of the GEN4 car and 2026/2027 season this December.
arstechnica.com
CWallace
macrumors G5
Cadillac has fired Graeme Lowdon as Team Principal and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski.
While Cadillac's initial technical issues (especially with the braking system) are well-known, "lack of performance" was not the reason for Lowdon being sacked. Per team CEO Dan Towriss, the plan was for Lowdon to get the team to the grid, as that was his specialty (having done so with Virgin Racing in 2010 as the team's CEO), and then step aside for a more experienced Team Principal to run the team going forward. However, the timing of the change was a surprise to everyone - including Lowdon, who found out just hours before the official announcement and noted "it was not a mutual decision" to leave.
Regardless of the why and how the decision was made, Marcin Budkowski is a far more experienced hand when it comes to F1. He was with Ferrari from 2002-2007 before moving to McLaren from 2008-2014. He then joined the FIA, first as Formula 1's technical and sporting coordinator for the FIA and then as head of the Formula One technical department in 2017. He then became Executive Technical Director of the Renault F1 Team and continued as a director at Alpine until January 2022.
General consensus is now that Aston-Martin Honda have their act together, Cadillac will return to the absolute back of the grid and that the need to put in a significantly more experienced person as Team Principal has taken on greater urgency. Some wonder why Lowdon was hired at all, considering he had been out of the sport for a decade, while others feel that he should at least have been given if not a full season before being moved out, then more input and notice in finding his replacement.
www.the-race.com
While Cadillac's initial technical issues (especially with the braking system) are well-known, "lack of performance" was not the reason for Lowdon being sacked. Per team CEO Dan Towriss, the plan was for Lowdon to get the team to the grid, as that was his specialty (having done so with Virgin Racing in 2010 as the team's CEO), and then step aside for a more experienced Team Principal to run the team going forward. However, the timing of the change was a surprise to everyone - including Lowdon, who found out just hours before the official announcement and noted "it was not a mutual decision" to leave.
Regardless of the why and how the decision was made, Marcin Budkowski is a far more experienced hand when it comes to F1. He was with Ferrari from 2002-2007 before moving to McLaren from 2008-2014. He then joined the FIA, first as Formula 1's technical and sporting coordinator for the FIA and then as head of the Formula One technical department in 2017. He then became Executive Technical Director of the Renault F1 Team and continued as a director at Alpine until January 2022.
General consensus is now that Aston-Martin Honda have their act together, Cadillac will return to the absolute back of the grid and that the need to put in a significantly more experienced person as Team Principal has taken on greater urgency. Some wonder why Lowdon was hired at all, considering he had been out of the sport for a decade, while others feel that he should at least have been given if not a full season before being moved out, then more input and notice in finding his replacement.
Cadillac makes abrupt F1 team principal change
F1's newest team Cadillac has suddenly announced a change of team principal, as Marcin Budkowski has replaced Graeme Lowdon
www.the-race.com
Paul1964
macrumors 6502
I must admit that I was surprised when they hire Lowden. His experience was in runniing a last place team.Cadillac has fired Graeme Lowdon as Team Principal and replaced him with Marcin Budkowski.
While Cadillac's initial technical issues (especially with the braking system) are well-known, "lack of performance" was not the reason for Lowdon being sacked. Per team CEO Dan Towriss, the plan was for Lowdon to get the team to the grid, as that was his specialty (having done so with Virgin Racing in 2010 as the team's CEO), and then step aside for a more experienced Team Principal to run the team going forward. However, the timing of the change was a surprise to everyone - including Lowdon, who found out just hours before the official announcement and noted "it was not a mutual decision" to leave.
Regardless of the why and how the decision was made, Marcin Budkowski is a far more experienced hand when it comes to F1. He was with Ferrari from 2002-2007 before moving to McLaren from 2008-2014. He then joined the FIA, first as Formula 1's technical and sporting coordinator for the FIA and then as head of the Formula One technical department in 2017. He then became Executive Technical Director of the Renault F1 Team and continued as a director at Alpine until January 2022.
General consensus is now that Aston-Martin Honda have their act together, Cadillac will return to the absolute back of the grid and that the need to put in a significantly more experienced person as Team Principal has taken on greater urgency. Some wonder why Lowdon was hired at all, considering he had been out of the sport for a decade, while others feel that he should at least have been given if not a full season before being moved out, then more input and notice in finding his replacement.
Cadillac makes abrupt F1 team principal change
F1's newest team Cadillac has suddenly announced a change of team principal, as Marcin Budkowski has replaced Graeme Lowdon
Glideslope
macrumors G3
Herdfan
macrumors 68000
Yep. He just sold his stake in the Laker's less than a year after buying the team. And now there are rumors the Dodger's are for sale. He has problems.
Glideslope
macrumors G3
Yes. That's what I've read as well. It's unfortunate. I wish Cadillac well. I'd like to see them succeed. As a life long Yankees fan I wouldn't mind LA having an owner with less pocket room. 😉
Non-Euclidean
macrumors 6502a
I don't think there is anyone who is a baseball fan (and not a Dodgers fan) that wouldn't agree.
Glideslope
macrumors G3
Isaac Hadjar to miss Zandvoort from a broken wrist due to boxing. Lawson in his seat. Yuki to Racing Bulls.
I’m curious how many drivers box as a part of their training? Certainly seems overly risky due to the importance of their hands and wrists with their profession.
I’m curious how many drivers box as a part of their training? Certainly seems overly risky due to the importance of their hands and wrists with their profession.