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If you're stopping at the MB museum, do the Porsche museum too - they're not far from each other. I think it was about a 15 minute train ride and ~5 mins walking. We did both in the same day, but MB could easily take up an entire day.
I could probably spend 2 days at the MB museum #MBfanboi
It'll get priority, along with a couple laps at the 'Ring.
Porsche, if there's time since it's close.
I'm ok with the new engine regs for 2026, I just wish they could get weight down.
In 14 years F1 car minimum weight has increased 36% being ~470lb (220kg). F1 cars have become more heavy than the last CART/Champ car which were ~1550lb empty.
You better start watching videos now and learning the track and etiquette
Also playing a few laps on a videogame to get yourself acquainted with how to approach corners helps! Did you already book a rental? Kubica used Apex for his laps in an M4 and cooked the bearings other other items:
It's a daunting track. No plans do anything crazy like a 911, just want to experience it, maybe 3-4 laps & I can be happy. A couple to acquaint & maybe 1 flyer.
only 100? c'mon man! The stretch between the arrows on NY86 is perfect for a quick high speed jaunt bc there's literally nowhere the po-po can hide and you can see at least 2-3 miles. I've hit 130 there in my Z and 140 in my 6. Angelica, NY is named after Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law, Angelica Schuyler Church (Schuyler is the county where the Glen is).
Last edited by Chief F1 Fan; 08-19-2022 at 08:03 AM.
What I've found driving in Germany is that while there are no speed limits on certain parts, but they stick to the rules of the road. 100mph was a steady pace but very safe, even while the road was fairly congested. They do not drive weaving in and out, that is strictly forbidden. I counted maybe only 2 cars that drove faster than 100mph, probably because it was slightly congested.
^ Sounds a bout like what I've read about the autobahn.
Also, different traffic rules that are enforced. Things like keeping to the right except to pass, and you can be ticketed to undertaking (passing on the right).
^ Sounds a bout like what I've read about the autobahn.
Also, different traffic rules that are enforced. Things like keeping to the right except to pass, and you can be ticketed to undertaking (passing on the right).
I made the mistake of passing on the right once. My German friend was horrified. He said that was strictly forbidden. If you feel the car in front of you on the left lane is too slow, you are supposed to get real close and flash your lights to have them move over. Never ever pass on the right. This actually makes a lot of sense, and would cut down on crashes if everyone only passes on the left.
Also, you could be going in an unrestricted speed zone at 100mph, but when you go through a construction zone, every single person immediately goes to a strict 30mph, with no one trying to squeeze/cutoff other people.
My grandparents got a speeding ticket on the autobahn in a Citroen, long long time ago. Hit a restricted zone (city limits maybe?) after a jaunt in an unrestricted bit.
My grandfather also smuggled some German currency (can't recall if it was E German going west or W German going east) through a checkpoint in his sock Grandmother was worried about getting arrested in a foreign country.
If you feel the car in front of you on the left lane is too slow, you are supposed to get real close and flash your lights to have them move over.
I will do this on occasion IF I have been following someone who has no business in the left lane (cars on the right going faster for example) to avoid passing on the right. On NYS90, people are complete FN morons, it needs to be 3 lanes wide from Albany to Buffalo.
Gonna miss the MGU-H as it drove F1 technology forward and was pretty cool tech that reduced or eliminated turbo lag. Rumor was Porsche/VW/Audi wanted it gone before they signed on to join F1 engine developer.
^ Sounds a bout like what I've read about the autobahn.
Also, different traffic rules that are enforced. Things like keeping to the right except to pass, and you can be ticketed to undertaking (passing on the right).
I wish California would enforce things like these.. bug me to no end
The Italian racer will drive at both Monza and Circuit of the Americas.
Haas F1 Team will welcome Scuderia Ferrari reserve driver Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for FP1 outings behind the wheel of the VF-22 at both the Italian Grand Prix and the United States Grand Prix. Giovinazzi – a veteran of 62 Formula 1 career starts – is no stranger to the American outfit having enjoyed seven FP1 sessions with the team back in 2017 driving the VF-17.
The 28-year-old from Martina Franca, Italy most recently competed in Formula 1 for Alfa Romeo Racing (2019 – 2021). This season Giovinazzi has continued his involvement in the sport as the reserve driver for Scuderia Ferrari while contesting the Formula E World Championship for Dragon Penske Racing.
Giovinazzi will participate in FP1 at the Italian Grand Prix at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza on Friday September 9 and again at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on Friday October 21 – regular Haas F1 Team drivers Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher will both vacate their seat for one session each to accommodate Giovinazzi.
“We’re happy to welcome Antonio Giovinazzi back to the team for the two FP1 outings,” commented Guenther Steiner, Team Principal of Haas F1 Team.
“Ferrari were keen to give Antonio some seat time in a current-spec Formula 1 car on a race weekend and we were naturally happy to assist.
"We enjoyed a similar situation back in 2017 with Antonio and Ferrari – the clear difference between then and now is the experience he’ll have gained competing for the previous three seasons in Formula 1 and the feedback he’ll be able to give us in Italy and America. I’m looking forward to seeing Antonio again and having him back in the paddock with us.”
“I’m so glad to have the chance to drive again in official F1 sessions,” said Antonio Giovinazzi.
“Besides simulator driving it is important to test a true car and I can’t wait to put my suit and helmet back on. It’ll be an opportunity to get confident with the new generation cars – it’s the best way to be ready if I were called as reserve driver.
"Driving on challenging and exciting tracks as Monza and COTA makes it even more thrilling. Thanks to Haas F1 Team and Scuderia Ferrari – I’m looking forward to giving my contribution to the team that counted on me already in 2017.”
[A]mid growing indications that confirmation of their intentions for 2026 is now imminent, Audi may be the first to reveal its plans and could do so as early as this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.After months of discussions to sort out a partner team, it is understood that an agreement is now in place between Audi and the Sauber team, which currently competes under the Alfa Romeo moniker.
Audi had originally negotiated with McLaren about a takeover of team shares, having been initially put in touch with the team and its owners through former McLaren F1 racer Gerhard Berger.
"I established the contact with McLaren," said the DTM boss. "McLaren would have been a candidate as a partner for Audi in Formula 1."
But the talks between McLaren's owners, the Bahrain sovereign wealth fund Mumtalakat, and Audi ultimately came to nothing. In the end, Sauber emerged as the preferred candidate following an evaluation of Aston Martin and Williams.
Discussions have now advanced with Sauber, after its owner Finn Rausing previously rejected an offer from Michael Andretti to sell the team for 350 million euro at the end of 2021.
It was suggested that Rausing insisted on the continued existence of the Sauber Group at the Hinwil site and the preservation of jobs, and also demanded a further 250 million euro as a contribution to the team in order to be sure the team was in safe hands.
In the end, Andretti walked away because of terms it could not accept.
Factory plans
With Audi, Sauber is getting a strong partner who, according to sources, is prepared to pay more than Andretti for a smaller percentage of the company. Rausing is set to remain on board as a minority owner.
There is also the promise to further develop Sauber as a factory team, very similar to how the Sauber-BMW partnership worked between 2006 and 2009.
It's interesting to note that current Audi CEO Markus Duesmann, who has pushed the brand's F1 entry, was head of development at the BMW-Sauber team between 2007 and 2009 and still knows the Hinwil operation from back then.
Motorsport.com understands that the plan includes continuing to build the chassis in Hinwil, where one of F1's most modern wind tunnels is still located.
The powertrain is to be created at Audi's site in Neuburg and thus developed and produced on German soil.
This is unlike VW Group sister company Porsche, which will develop large parts of its engine at Red Bull's Milton Keynes powertrains division.
Like Porsche, Audi is to set up a new company for its F1 project. There are suggestions that Adam Baker, whom Audi hired at the end of 2021 for "special tasks," is set for a managing director role.
Baker previously worked at BMW, where he first met Duesmann, and at the FIA.
Another obvious candidate for the post would have been the current head of sport Julius Seebach, who as CEO of Audi Sport is more experienced in higher management than Baker.
However, it is understood that Seebach is about to be replaced and has been linked with a newly created position in Audi's development department.
Red Bull Porsche delay
While Audi's plans are making good progress, a public announcement about Red Bull and Porsche's tie-up has not happened as quickly as some had anticipated.
For weeks, it was explained that delays in finalising the 2026 engine rules were cited as the reason that neither car company wanted to commit until they were sure about the regulations.
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko told Motorsport.com at the Hungarian GP: "VW's board decision is that if the technical regulations meet the criteria, then they have the mandate to go into Formula 1.
"Purely formally, however, these new regulations do not yet exist. The FIA president is supposedly going to put it to the vote in an email ballot soon. Only then will it officially start."
The engine rules were subsequently signed off on 16 August, but there is still no indication of when an official communication from Red Bull and Porsche will be made.
However, a recent document published by anti-cartel authorities in Morocco relating to the Porsche/Red Bull tie-up has indicated that it will wait until 30 August for any feedback from interested parties before giving its green light to the plan.
It is possible that only then will Porsche feel everything is in place for it to go public with its ambitions.
My bet is Piastri to MCL
Hoping DR gets a ride, Alpine?
Podium with Renault
Win with McLaren
He's still got the drive, just needs the car to suit him & his driving. Neither has suited suited him like the RBR
McLaren and Daniel Ricciardo have “mutually agreed” to terminate his contract one year early, meaning the eight-time race winner will depart at the end of the 2022 campaign.
The Australian joined McLaren for 2021 on a three-year deal, racing alongside Lando Norris, and while he secured the team’s first win since 2012 at Monza last year – with Norris second – he has struggled to match his team mate’s very impressive pace.
On the eve of the Belgian Grand Prix, as Formula 1 returns from its summer break, Ricciardo and McLaren announced they would complete the final nine races of the year together before going their separate ways.
McLaren say they will announce who will partner Norris in 2023 “in due course”. Ricciardo will do the same regarding his own future plans, but suggested he’s keen to stay in F1.
“It’s been a privilege to be a part of the McLaren Racing family for the last two seasons but following several months of discussions with Zak [Brown, McLaren CEO] & Andreas [Seidl, Team Principal] we have decided to terminate my contract with the team early and agree to mutually part ways at the end of this season,” the Australian said.
“I’ll be announcing my own future plans in due course but regardless of what this next chapter brings, I have no regrets and am proud of the effort and work I gave McLaren, especially the win in Monza, last season.
“I’ve enjoyed working with everyone at McLaren both trackside and back in Woking and will be giving my all on and off track as we enjoy the remainder of the season together. I’ve never been more motivated to compete and be a part of a sport that I love so much and look forward to what comes next.”
Seidl said: “I would like to thank Daniel for his dedication and contribution over the last two seasons so far. Despite the shared challenges, he has always turned up with a fighting spirit and positivity and helped the entire team to always keep pushing forward.
“We will never forget that memorable race win in Monza which was a great boost for the whole team. We still have an important battle in the constructors’ championship ahead of us for the remainder of the season and we look forward to battle this out with Daniel and Lando.”
Brown added: “Daniel has been a great addition to McLaren, and it’s been a pleasure working with him. I’d like to thank him for all of his efforts over the last two seasons both trackside and back at base.
“It’s no secret that we hoped we could achieve more together but seeing him stand on the top step of the podium as a McLaren driver was a highlight. We wish him well for the future and let’s go enjoy the rest of the season together.”
Ricciardo is currently 12th in the drivers' standings on 19 points, 57 adrift of Norris after 13 Grands Prix. His best finish of the year was sixth in Australia, while Norris has four top-six finishes including a podium at Imola.
Haas or Alpine are probably his best hopes Both seem to be developing well.
Williams just to keep an F1 seat. They're getting left behind. Albon is putting in some decent drives, curious if it's the car or the drivers holding them back.
Although the current deal with the venue ends this year, and it doesn’t have a place on the yet-to-be-published 24-race schedule for next season, Spa is in effect first reserve – pending news on other events.
The Chinese GP is supposed to be returning in 2023 after an absence of three seasons, but COVID measures remain a major issue in the country, and especially in the Shanghai area where the race is held, making it hard for F1 to fully commit to staging the event.
The uncertainty over both has opened the door for Spa, but the Belgian promoter will still have to come up with a package that suits F1, even if it doesn’t match the fees paid by events outside Europe.
Domenicali said that he couldn’t give too many details of the 2023 schedule, as it has yet to be finalised, but he insisted that Spa still had a chance.
“As you can imagine I cannot comment too much on that, because there is respect of discussing and formalising through the World Motor Sport Council with the FIA,” he said. “You never saw something [from] me saying that Belgium will be the last year.
“I would be prudent on that comment, I would say, I would be very prudent. That's the only thing I would say. It's true that we are working and discussing with other promoters to see if they're ready for a full commitment already.
“There has been always a point that we have discussed to find the mix of the races where we're going to have at least one-third in Europe, one third in the Far East area, and the other one in the Americas and Middle East. So we want to be balanced.
“Of course, we're talking about a business where investment, the financial contribution, is very important, but we have always said that the traditional races, the races that we know they cannot bring the money that the others are bringing, have a full respect from us.
“So you will see that this will be respected also, not only this year, but also in the future. With Belgium, discussions are still on.”
He added: “There is a lot of respect for these places. But if you recall, Belgium, there were some periods where it was not in the calendar, and they came back again. The memory sometimes is short. It's a great place, no doubt about it. And that's why we are discussing.
“What I can say is that we are in Spa this weekend. So you will see them [the promoters] a lot of times in my office.”
Domenicali suggested that the circuit has raised its game this year, partly in response to the rained-out 2021 race that left spectators frustrated.
“I have to say they're prepared this weekend in an incredible way,” he said. “On Thursday there will be a special day with drivers, that will be with the fans. We have opened that to recover what has happened last year, that they did something important.
“And also in terms of traffic plan they have presented to us a very interesting proposition. I think that we've seen them in a very, very different approach this year.
“That is very, very, very useful to know, and very important above all for the people that will be everywhere in Spa this weekend.”
Looking further ahead than 2023, Domenicali suggested that France could return to the calendar, having previously mentioned Nice as a possible venue for a street race.
He said: “We are talking with the French Federation, and with the government, because more and more the future also is related to promoters that see that as investment for the country, for the community.
“So the discussions are very, very open for a great future. And as you know, a possibility not next year but in the future could be also to find a sort of rotational proposition that could enable everyone to be part of the calendar. Because I think it's a matter of respect.”
The imminent announcements of Audi and Porsche F1 programmes commencing in 2026 has also stoked interest in a return of the German GP, but Domenicali stressed that the commercial terms have to be right.
"We really hope that Germany can be back around the table,” he said. “But one thing is to say is we'd like to have the [German] Grand Prix. The other thing is to put on the table the things that are needed to discuss about the Grand Prix.
“So hopefully soon – with something that could happen soon – they will have a different situation to discuss with us.”
When Russia invaded Ukraine earlier this year, Formula 1 made the correct decision to cancel this year’s grand prix at the Sochi Autodrome on the Black Sea. Now, the sport’s boss has said it has no plans to return to racing in the country, including shelving its race in St Petersburg in 2023.
In March, Formula 1 announced that this year’s Russian Grand Prix would not go ahead as planned. The sport’s management said that it was “impossible” to host the event at the former Sochi Winter Olympic Park following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
That race, which was due to take place next month, would have been the sport’s final visit to Sochi before it moved to a street circuit in St Petersburg in 2023. But now, Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali has said that there will be “no more racing in Russia.
According to Reuters, Domenicali has closed the door on the sport ever returning to Russia. The site reports that he told Sport Bild magazine that “there will be no more racing in Russia.” Reuters reports
“‘I’ve always believed that you should never say never,’ Domenicali told Sport Bild magazine, per GrandPrix.com. ‘But in this case, I can promise for sure — we will no longer negotiate with them’.”
But the move has upset race promoters in Russia. According to Reuters:
“Alexey Titov, the CEO of Russian GP promoter ANO Rosgonki, said he expects F1 to refund payments made following the cancellation of this year’s race. ‘This debt exists, it is confirmed and our position on it is unchanged,’ Titov told Russian news agency Tass. ‘We expect a refund regardless of the current position of Formula One Management in relation to holding races in the Russian Federation’.”
Titov also warned that international sport is getting far too political, which was a similar stance taken by ex-F1 racer Nikita Mazepin when he was dropped by the Haas team following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
While a Russian grand prix did take place in St Petersburg in 1913, its spot on the Formula 1 world championship calendar only came in 2014. Then, the event was hosted at the former Winter Olympic park in Sochi for the first time.
German manufacturer Audi will join the Formula 1 World Championship from the 2026 season as a power unit supplier.
It comes after new power unit regulations, designed specifically to make it possible and attractive for newcomers to join the sport at a competitive level, were published earlier this month.
The 2026 power units will maintain the current V6 internal combustion engine architecture but feature increased electrical power and 100% sustainable fuels, two factors Audi say were key to it joining.
Audi – who are part of the Volkswagen Group – added that it also supports F1’s plans to be more sustainable and cost efficient, with a cost cap for power unit manufacturers introduced in 2023 and F1 setting a target of being Net Zero Carbon by 2030.
“I am delighted to welcome Audi to Formula 1, an iconic automotive brand, pioneer and technological innovator,” said F1 President and CEO Stefano Domenicali, who worked for Volkswagen for a stint starting in 2014. “This is a major moment for our sport that highlights the huge strength we have as a global platform that continues to grow.
“It is also a big recognition that our move to sustainably fuelled hybrid engines in 2026 is a future solution for the automotive sector. We are all looking forward to seeing the Audi logo on the grid and will be hearing further details from them on their plans in due course.”
Audi announced its entry for 2026 at a press conference at Spa, ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix, which featured Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG Markus Duesmann, Member of the Board of Management for Technical Development Oliver Hoffmann, Domenicali and FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem.
The manufacturer said they will announce a decision on which team they will be “lining up with in 2026 by the end of this year”.
Audi Sport’s facility in Neuburg will be where the power unit is developed, marking the first time in more than a decade that F1 powertrain will be built in Germany.
“Motorsport is an integral part of Audi’s DNA,” said Duesmann. “Formula 1 is both a global stage for our brand and a highly challenging development laboratory. The combination of high performance and competition is always a driver of innovation and technology transfer in our industry. With the new rules, now is the right time for us to get involved. After all, Formula 1 and Audi both pursue clear sustainability goals.”
Hoffmann added: “In view of the major technological leaps that the series is making towards sustainability in 2026, we can speak of a new Formula 1. Formula 1 is transforming, and Audi wants to actively support this journey. A close link between our Formula 1 project and AUDI AG’s Technical Development department will enable synergies.”
Audi say there are already test benches for F1 engine testing as well as for electric motor and battery testing in their Neuburg base. They are currently working on getting personnel, buildings and technical infrastructure in place by the end of the year. They will then have three years to finetune the PU before entering F1.
Adam Baker, who has held several senior positions for manufacturers and teams in motorsport while also spending three years at the FIA, will run the Formula 1 project as CEO.
Alfa Romeo say they will end their title sponsorship of Sauber when their current arrangement expires at the close of the 2023 Formula 1 campaign.
The famous Italian marque returned to Formula 1 in 2018 through a technical and commercial partnership, and in the summer of 2021 announced a multi-year extension with “yearly assessments”.
Last month, they opted to continue into 2023 “given the promising results of the first half of the season, both in terms of performances, marketing and positive collaboration with the team”.
But ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix, with around a season and a half to go on the current agreement, Alfa Romeo took the opportunity to put an end date on their relationship with Sauber.
“Since the economic and industrial turnaround of the brand will be achieved in 2022, Alfa Romeo will now evaluate among the many opportunities on the table, and decide which will be the best one to sustain the long term strategy and the positioning of the Brand,” they said in a statement.
“The Alfa Romeo association has been very useful for the F1 team’s brand and the financial support helpful to boost performance, while the Italian marque are happy with the benefits it has brought the automotive company.
“It’s never great to lose a title sponsor, especially one whose name resonates so much with motorsport and the automotive sector and not least because it means that a funding stream has been removed.
"However, I understand that Sauber-run team are confident about their short- and medium-term future, with more details on their plans to be revealed when there is something to say.”
I've said before that Alfa in F1 just doesn't make any sense given the struggles of the brand. Hopefully they will someday come back though, since they won the first two championships.
Verstappen said on Thursday at Spa that the leading teams would need to take power unit penalties at some point in the second half of the season due to changes, hinting at a future penalty.
Red Bull has decided to change all the elements on Verstappen’s power unit, giving him a fresh engine, turbocharger, MGU-H, MGU-K, energy store and control electronics.
As of the start of FP1, the team has only confirmed a change for an MGU-K and energy store, with the further changes set to follow.
It leaves both F1 title protagonists set to fight their way up on the order at one of the best tracks for overtaking, as well as aiding their chances of making it to the end of the year without further penalties.
Leclerc trails Verstappen by 80 points at the top of the drivers’ championship with nine races remaining, and admitted on Thursday it would be “very difficult” to claw his way back in the title battle.
Leclerc and Verstappen will be joined at the back of the field by Lando Norris, Esteban Ocon and Valtteri Bottas whose fresh power unit elements are also set to trigger penalties.
Norris and Ocon have both taken fresh engines, turbochargers, control electronics and MGU-Hs, while Ocon also has a new MGU-K and energy store on his power unit.
Alfa Romeo’s Bottas has taken a fresh engine, MGU-H and turbocharger, as well as a new gearbox that bumps him to the back. Haas driver Mick Schumacher also faces a grid drop for taking a new control electronics and gearbox.
Formal confirmation of the penalties is set to follow from the FIA later today.
Christian Horner thinks the ride height that teams needed to use in the Belgian Grand Prix played a big part in Red Bull’s dominance at Spa-Francorchamps.
Max Verstappen was quickest throughout the weekend, set the fastest lap of qualifying and climbed through from a 14th place grid position to win with ease on Sunday. Horner says the fact that teams needed to raise their ride height to counteract bottoming through Eau Rouge – especially with a new technical directive addressing plank wear – appeared to suit Red Bull far more than any other team.
“On the face of it I’d probably have to thank Toto for the TD!” Horner joked. “In all seriousness, I think this circuit has played to our strengths. We have a very efficient car, we’ve found a very good setup and Max has just been in phenomenal form from the very first lap in first practice.
In the end, the TD to control porpoising made the Red Bull faster.
In the wake of Max Verstappen's booming popularity, Formula 1 returned to Zandvoort last year for the first time since 1985.
As part of the revamp to accommodate F1, Zandvoort's final turn – the sweeping Arie Luyendyk Bocht – received an 18-degree banking to increase cornering speeds.
"The current position is that we are going to have the DRS ahead of the final corner, so early on, to improve a bit the racing in Zandvoort," Nikolas Tombazis, the FIA's Single-Seater Technical Director, told Viaplay.
"But we are keeping an open mind on that, and we will be asking teams for their feedback. We've asked them already in simulations, but also after FP1 we will be asking teams for their feedback.
"And if we feel that there is any, even a remote, risk for the safety than clearly we would have to take action and change it after FP1."
Pirelli's Motorsport Director Mario Isola said the move would change the load on tyres, but thought it was too early to predict what the effect of DRS usage through the Arie Luyendyk Bocht would have on degradation.
"Usually when you open the DRS you transfer the load on the front, so you load a lot more the front tyres compared to the rear tyres," Isola said when asked by Motorsport.com about the FP1 experiment.
"Then we have to check the data after this test to understand if in this condition the rears are sliding, for example.
"We can have some surface overheating, for example, but it's a bit difficult at the moment to make a proper prediction."
Isola thinks that the lack of grip from Pirelli's hardest C1 compound will drive teams towards mediums and softs during the race and hopes a projected two-stopper will deliver more action.
"Hopefully with the selection that we decided for Zandvoort we will have a bit more action and a bit more overtaking," he added. "I'm expecting a delta lap time between C1 and C2 much bigger than C2 and C3.
"If it is the case on a short lap like Zandvoort, which is similar to what we had in Budapest, then maybe the hard is not going to be a suitable choice for the race and teams will focus on mediums and soft. That should bring the strategy towards a two-stop."
08-17-2022, 10:26 AM
my bucket list for Germany trip also includes MB and Porsche museums.
Angelica, NY is named after Alexander Hamilton's sister-in-law, Angelica Schuyler Church (Schuyler is the county where the Glen is). 
