OT: Racing 2024 (Spoiler Alert)

[DChaps]

Hard to believe it's been 30 years since Senna was killed at Imola. I think I was watching on ESPN, but I don't believe they knew or said anything during the coverage other than the obvious that it was very bad. Internet was still early days. Maybe I had a dial up MindSpring account by then and probably was still on Compuserve and Prodigy, but immediate news and updates were not easy to come by. It wasn't until later in the afternoon watching NASCAR that it was confirmed what I feared. Becoming a racing fan as a kid in the 1970s, chance of death was just part of it, but it had been awhile since I had it hit home like that. I had become complacent about it, thinking the sport was safe now. As I have on several occasions, I contemplated not following the sport anymore. I remember a few weeks later, I noticed a guy in my neighborhood had an official GA vanity license plate that said Senna. Never even knew he was a racing fan let alone following F1. Back then US F1 fans were few and far between, or it least it seemed that way. Given it was the month of May and I was following the Al Unser Jr./Penske dominance of the 1994 Indycar season, I was back to watching racing by Indy qualifying, but what a strange season 1994 F1 was.

PS - Also hard to believe I had not even started a Racing 2024 thread.

[GB_Simo]

Not sure exactly what the correct answer is here, but every year there's the possibility of there being new viewers who hang around after a fantastic 500 to see what this IndyCar business is all about, and races like today's in Detroit cannot be what the series presents them with. I imagine there are political complexities which render any answer other than, "Hey lads, remember not to hit each other, and maybe stay off those fences," a non-starter. Perhaps we try that next year. Maybe they weren't told.

Help me to understand MSR replacing Blomqvist with Castroneves. I sort of, kind of understand benching Tom, but the team spent an entire season watching Helio do absolutely no better with the same machinery - what's likely to have changed now?

[GB_Simo]

Quite the week in the Siegel household.

I am yet to notice anything in young Nolan that makes me think he was topping any shopping lists outside of McLaren. Unless there's a financial hole about to need plugging urgently, or unless he was spellbinding at Le Mans in ways I missed while I was trying to keep up with everything else that went on, I'm struggling to unravel the logic behind binning Pourchaire so quickly. What am I not seeing?

[pk500]

Quite the week in the Siegel household.

I am yet to notice anything in young Nolan that makes me think he was topping any shopping lists outside of McLaren. Unless there's a financial hole about to need plugging urgently, or unless he was spellbinding at Le Mans in ways I missed while I was trying to keep up with everything else that went on, I'm struggling to unravel the logic behind binning Pourchaire so quickly. What am I not seeing?

Mark Siegel's net worth, which is estimated around $250 million.

There's far more to this than access to Mark Siegel's checkbook, which McLaren on the surface doesn't appear to need. The elder Siegel is a successful venture capitalist in Silicon Valley, and Zak Brown is no dummy: It benefits McLaren greatly in the long run to have access to Silicon Valley tech moguls for future partnerships.

Nolan has talent. He's not Nikita Mazepin. But Pourchaire certainly got the rawest of deals and will be on the radar of teams looking for rides.

I could see Pourchaire ending up in a Coyne car as soon as Mid-Ohio, if Dale wants to pay him. Theo brings little to no funding, from what I understand, and the merry-go-round of ride buyers (including Nolan Siegel) has been embarrassing this season at Coyne, which is getting commensurate results.

Maybe Dale decides to open his money clip and actually pay a driver, like he did with solid success with Justin Wilson, Seb Bourdais and Romain Grosjean.

One thing is certain: Many drivers in the INDYCAR paddock will look a little more sideways at a potential deal with McLaren than in the past. This team has shown in the last three months that contracts with it mean very little, and the team is flailing a bit on the track. It hasn't expanded INDYCAR's penthouse to a "Big Four," despite what some think. Actually, INDYCAR's top floor only has two teams -- Ganassi and Penske. Andretti Global also is floundering.

[Dave]

One thing is certain: Many drivers in the INDYCAR paddock will look a little more sideways at a potential deal with McLaren than in the past. This team has shown in the last three months that contracts with it mean very little, and the team is flailing a bit on the track. It hasn't expanded INDYCAR's penthouse to a "Big Four," despite what some think. Actually, INDYCAR's top floor only has two teams -- Ganassi and Penske. Andretti Global also is floundering.

I've wondered about that part--Rossi seems on the verge of re-signing with the team to make it a full house, and I don't see any other ride near the McLaren level available for him, but I wonder what he really thinks about the merry-go-round in the 6 car.

I rate Siegel well amongst his NXT competitors, but probably not even the top prospect of the last couple of years. He's certainly not at the level of Herta, O'Ward, Kirkwood, even former McLaren driver Oliver Askew, etc. were at any point on the ladder. I'd honestly rate his time in NXT below the guy he ultimately replaced, Malukas, who came out of nowhere to give a serious challenge to the golden boy Kirkwood.

Teddy Porkchops got f*cked by Brown and crew, that's for sure.

[pk500]

I've wondered about that part--Rossi seems on the verge of re-signing with the team to make it a full house, and I don't see any other ride near the McLaren level available for him, but I wonder what he really thinks about the merry-go-round in the 6 car.

Pretty sure Rossi will be the lead driver for the new Prema team next season. Sure looks that way.