Racing 2018

[pk500]

All so true, Rod. Good analysis, man!

[GB_Simo]

PK, Sauber get a 2018 Ferrari power unit this year having ran the 2016 unit last year, so a step forward on the engine front ought to be a given, Leclerc or no Leclerc. Time will tell whether the driver is a step forward too, but I think young Charles is going to turn out to be a bit special. Whether that'll be next year or a little further down the line is another thing, but the kid is searingly quick.

The qualifier worth attaching to that statement is that the field he beat so impressively in F2 last season was not an especially strong one. You've still got to drive away from them, though, and he did as a matter of routine.

I will also add that, Halo be damned, I quite like the new Sauber. I'm also very taken by the new Renault, which somehow manages to take a tacked-on piece of scaffolding and almost make it look like they wanted it there all along, and the new Red Bull colours. If you're reading this next week during testing, then I'm referring to the old Red Bull colours...

PK's fears for Williams are mirrored here, but one thing getting lost in the pay driver noise is that Sirotkin is actually bloody quick. What he isn't, or hasn't been to this point, is consistent. Some learning to be done there, certainly, and not a whole lot of time in which to do it.

[Rodster]

I will also add that, Halo be damned, I quite like the new Sauber.

[pk500]

All of the new F1 car designs are ugly as f*ck compared to this new-for-2018 beauty:

[Rodster]

Agreed, the Indycar's look pretty sweet and I bet they are designed to put on a better show both on road courses, street circuits and ovals. As Indycar's have shown, progress doesn't mean you have to add more sh*t to a car. Sometimes progress means returning to simple yet advanced designs and the Indycar's look to have nailed it.

[pk500]

Agreed, the Indycar's look pretty sweet and I bet they are designed to put on a better show both on road courses, street circuits and ovals. As Indycar's have shown, progress doesn't mean you have to add more sh*t to a car. Sometimes progress means returning to simple yet advanced designs and the Indycar's look to have nailed it.

That's because most of the downforce is developed by the undertray and diffuser, not by fiddly, hideous aero bits added to the car's body that create excessive turbulence and make overtaking far too difficult.

The superspeedway car looks even sleeker and sweeter. Can't wait to see this rocket run in May at Indy!

[Rodster]

I wish Codemaster's would do another Indycar game. We are due for something different racing sim-wise.

[DChaps]

I love the new Indycars!! Compare them to the new Redbull F1 cars. Yikes....

[Rodster]

Ferrari's 2018 Challenger. Things I noticed, more aggressive sidepods, lip on the Halo for a little downforce and a slightly longer wheelbase for top speed.

[Dave]

The overhead shots of the current F1 cars are almost comical, with the giant front wings leading the way to a narrow rear and tiny wing.

[GB_Simo]

Ferrari's marketing team must be slowly figuring out that the less you stray away from just painting it red, the less likely you are to bollocks it all up, while Mercedes take the coveted Car That Looks Most Like A Mercedes award.

None of these things are going to look as good as the new IndyCar (just me who prefers the road course package?), which manages to look perfectly fine with cockpit protection in place too, almost as if safety and aesthetics don't have to be mutually exclusive. In spite of that, I'm incapable of looking at the McLaren MCL33 without purring.

[Rodster]

As Adam noted the McLaren in papaya orange with dark blue accents looks sweet.

[Dave]

This is not going to allay the fears about Williams' future

Martini and Williams to end sponsorship deal

[Rodster]

This is not going to allay the fears about Williams' future

Martini and Williams to end sponsorship deal

And that's precisely the reason why Liberty Media and Ross Brawn want to introduce budget caps and a restructuring of F1. It's also the reason why both Ferrari and Mercedes are fighting it. They want to continue their domination of the Sport. What they don't want to hear is that the sport will eventually collapse due to rising costs, reduced interest and viewership. They just have to look over at Nascar to see how they are now in a hole for the very same reasons.

And i'd wager that even with budget caps, F1 is probably the most expensive form of motorsport to produce with the top teams spending $250 million + per year to run two cars. McLaren is also having trouble finding sponsorship money and has for the last 3-4 years. Ferrari lost their major sponsor, Santander although they don't care because of all the free money Bernie throws at them every year.

Williams and McLaren are right up their with Ferrari for longevity in the sport. I would hate to see them leave. It's better to revamp the system and allow Ferrari and Merc to play ball somewhere else.

[Rodster]

Is it possible that McLaren's problems were not entirely the fault of the Honda engines. So far the Honda engine has performed quite well with solid lap times as well as reliability. And here we have another season and so far similar results for McLaren, electrical gremlins and power unit issues with the Renault ICE's.

[Dave]

Is it possible that McLaren's problems were not entirely the fault of the Honda engines. So far the Honda engine has performed quite well with solid lap times as well as reliability. And here we have another season and so far similar results for McLaren, electrical gremlins and power unit issues with the Renault ICE's.

I'd say signs are pointing towards yes. McLaren's already added slots to the engine cover to assist with cooling and something on the inside is still scorching the it. The "size 0" strategy they've been pushing sure seems to be taking away much-needed cooling for the power unit, regardless of the badge.

[Rodster]

And the McLaren breaks down again, that's 4 times in 2 days.

[Dave]

The Haas team continues to tumble down my list of favorite teams, as a group they sure seem to be out front complaining about anything and everything once a mic is in front of them.

Grosjean says F1 restarts could lead to "carnage"

I'm excited that the racing season really gets on a roll starting this weekend. We've got Indycar kicking off the season in St. Pete on Sunday, followed by Sebring the next weekend, and Australia for the ugly F1 cars the following weekend.

Anyone going to take the plunge on the F1 over-the-top subscription service? I'm going to give ESPN a chance for Australia and will decide from there, anyone know which ESPN channel will have FP3/Qualifying/Race coverage for the opener?

[pk500]

Dearest David: You forgot the season opener for the greatest racing series on Earth, MotoGP, on March 18 at Qatar.

The closest event to the USA in the fantastic World Rally Championship is this weekend, Rally Mexico. Watch all three days on Red Bull TV! App on Xbox and PS4 and also on the Web.

[Rodster]

From what i’ve read, ESPN is using Sky’s F1 coverage so you’ll be listening to Crofty and Brundle calling the race.

[DChaps]

The 2018 Indycar Season starts today with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg! I always get excited for the start of the Indycar season, but this year more than ever with the new car, new teams, new drivers, etc. I love that Indycar does so much live streaming of the events and practices. Links to some good stuff below. Race starts at 12:30pm EDT today.

https://www.indycar.com/

On Track Schedule
8:45-9:15AM: Verizon IndyCar Series Final Warmup
10:45-11:45AM: Indy Lights Race #2
12:30PM: (ABC) Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
4:30-5:10PM: Pro Mazda Race #2
5:25-6:05PM: USF2000 Race #2

Indycar - Up to Speed: Week 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... jJwGQuVl4A

INDYCAR 2018 -- A Bandwagoner's Guide
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Md9LNGirL5M&t=563s

HIGHLIGHTS: 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Day 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MlVlESrLSk

Friday at the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubluoPbK1Dk

RACER: Friday St Pete IndyCar Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQVKFaSvy18

Saturday at the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Full Session (includes qualifying)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1uz6Hfs3-U&t=13622s

HIGHLIGHTS: 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg Day 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_cont ... ZqxJbFJ3ms

RACER: Saturday St Pete IndyCar Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kecw0pFHhcc&t=147s

2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg -- STARTING GRID
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vucZNpfKIw

RACER: St. Pete IndyCar Pole Winner Interview
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7qvOk28zsE&t=6s

VISOR CAM: Josef Newgarden at the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZO3KkKrcDM

Sunday at the 2018 Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg - Live Stream
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kFJRvm4ttA

[Rodster]

Thanks Don, that’s pretty cool that Indycar offers live stream for free.

[pk500]

VERY entertaining IndyCar season opener today in St. Pete. It will be a fun season!

[DChaps]

VERY entertaining IndyCar season opener today in St. Pete. It will be a fun season!

Probably the best St. Pete race overall, very entertaining indeed. Robert Wickens was so strong, hate it for him and Sam Schmidt the way it ended, but also so happy for Sebastien Bourdais. What a comeback story after his horrific Indy crash last year.

FAST FORWARD: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uX9u0bLT_Tw

REMIX: Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UC2CujL0nw

RACER: St Pete IndyCar Race Report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjcN8r_38lk&t=1s

https://www.autosport.com/indycar/news/ ... ding-clash

Wickens took pole and then led 69 out of 100 laps in in a chaotic race that featured eight full-course yellows. But at the end of the seventh caution, Wickens was slow to get away and allowed Rossi to close in heading to Turn 1. Rossi moved to the inside and pulled alongside Wickens before losing control and pitching the SPM driver into a spin that left him 18th and the Andretti man third.

Wickens says that IndyCar's procedure of the restart had caught him out, but that Rossi was also to blame. "I don't know what the series was doing really, but it never turned the lights off the pace car," Wickens said. "They did an entirely different pace car procedure than what they had done every other yellow flag procedure the whole day. "As the leader, I didn't have my opportunity to control the pace because we had just followed the pace car the whole time, then he just came into the pit. "So I want some explanation on that to be honest with you.

IndyCar told Autosport that while the pace car lights had remained on, it had communicated to teams over the radio and that the pace car pulled into the pits in the usual procedure.

Wickens added that Rossi had braked too late after the restart.

"He obviously got a slipstream. I defended a little bit, but then I realised if I went any further, it would have been blocking, so I opened up, let him take the inside and just broke as late as possible and gave him enough space on the inside. "From my point of view, he braked too late, the track was too dirty off-line. "He just went too deep, locked the rears and slid into me. There's really no other explanation for it. "The only pity is he carried on to a podium, and I ended up in the fence."

Wickens added that despite losing a potential victory, he was pleased with his debut performance in IndyCar.

"I'm very proud of the job that I did today," he said. "I'm disappointed but in your rookie race, honestly, that's why I didn't really fight him [Rossi] that hard. "I gave him more than enough space on the inside because even if I finished P2, I would have been ecstatic."

Rossi said that Wickens had to take some blame, but that he felt bad about the result.

"He [Wickens] defended the position, which he has the right to do, but he put me into the marbles pretty late into the corner," he said. "It's difficult with these cars and with how much we're sliding around in the first place, even on the racing line. "When you're put in the marbles, it's hairy. "I feel bad because I feel like I could have won and he could have gotten second."

[Dave]

We've all been there, Tristan