The Official F1 2022 silly season *contains speculation*

[vaud]

HustleRussell said:

Apparently there are whispers from a couple of sources within the sport that the 2022 cars will be within 0.5 seconds of the current cars by the start of the season, and faster than the current cars by the end of the season. This after a 3-5 second increase in lap times was initially targeted.

Doesn't really matter about laptime in my view.

Key is if they can actually run closer next year, or not...

[vaud]

SturdyHSV said:

I work there too (nothing too important) but would agree with this as well.

I can't imagine decisions on what bits go on the cars are made based on anything other than what is mostly likely to score the most points, it would make no sense otherwise, it's a competition.

Surely it depends? In FP you might send your "2nd" driver out with development pieces to test correlation, allowing your #1 to focus on their race setup? If the pieces are faster then maybe move to the #1, but I think there are more variables.

[vaud]

Flooble said:

Thought Zhou had already been announced, albeit accidentally?

It has now. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59298238

[vaud]

Joey Deacon said:

No surprise, I would rate him as the least impressive driver in the field who's daddy is not a billionaire. I don't really understand how he lasted three years.

Maybe a contractual agreement with Ferrari in exchange for reduced cost engines and other support; he was their man and was their official reserve driver since 2017 - so they could move him across if needed on a race weekend.

So I guess he was an insurance policy in a way...

[vaud]

North West Tom said:

Looking at Giovinazzi's racing career, it's a surprise he got to F1 in the first place. He got a free pass for being Italian and he did well to ride it out for so long. No point in him posting sulky messages online about how he's only out because of rich people. What would you do? Hire a mediocre driver without money, or a mediocre driver with money?

Ferrari's insurance policy for reserve driver.

It's hard for reserve drivers to get any experience and be absolutely current in F1. I guess for Ferrari it was worth having him on the grid just in case they lost a driver for a few races and he was never going to take points off Ferrari.

[vaud]

talksthetorque said:

Would think that Smedley would be a shoe in for this.
Worked with Domenicali, great communicator, knows his stuff, young enough to do it for another set of rule changes or 2.

Someone like Andrew Shovlin would be more current.

[vaud]

Pierre Gasly, surely? Questionable if they would release him, but understand many drivers in the "lower" teams have an escape clause if a top 2 team comes knocking.

[vaud]

MartG said:

Do Mercedes have a plan B if Lewis decides to quit ?

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/what-could-merc...

Ocon or Gasly would be my choice. Contracts are easily bought out and I believe many drivers have a clause that says if a top 2 team come knocking then the contract can be exited.

Alonso would be a risk but would bring experience.

[vaud]

2fast748 said:

The VAG rumours have started early this season:

https://www.racefans.net/2021/12/20/audi-tells-fia...

It's possible.

Cheaper, simpler engine.
More global list of races, inc more in key growth markets.
etc

[vaud]

Mick Schumacher named Ferrari reserve driver

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59742339

[vaud]

thegreenhell said:

Maybe, but even these sort of numbers are mere peanuts to a corporation like VW.

Quite right - they spend about €14bn a year on R&D so finding 500m is not hard.

[vaud]

Leithen said:

What are the weights of the new tyres/wheels vs old?

"Formula 1 is switching from 13-inch to 18-inch tires, which also feature wheel covers, and the revised product is 5.5 pounds (2.5 kg) heavier for each front tire and 6.6 pounds (3 kg) for each of the rears, bringing a total increase of just over 24 pounds (11 kg)."

[vaud]

goldbazinga said:

I must have missed this - does that mean we can expect to see aerodynamic wheel covers to improve cooling/heating of the brakes and tyres? I hope not, as those always look a littel naff.

Google "f1 2022 mockup"

[vaud]

Reasons: https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/how-f1-wheel-rim...

And wheels will be standard:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Automobiles/F1-wh...

So no-one likely to be upset.

[vaud]

Mark-C said:

Ah ... I see! Thanks ... and to Vaud for the detail as well.

Yet more standardisation

Makes sense in a cost capped world. Lot's of parts don't add any material differentiation and it's still a very long way from a spec series.

[vaud]

Dermot O'Logical said:

Which teams had FRICS apart from Mercedes?

All of them?

https://www.racecar-engineering.com/tech-explained...

[vaud]

In French company politics it is much more complex than the UK in my experience; at the more senior levels you are defined by:

• Your home region (anything outside of Paris are country bumpkins, the non-intelligible Sud-Ouest, etc though you should have a house in the country or the mountains, or both)
• Your personal politics
• Your religion
• Which grand-ecole you went to (don't apply if you didn't go to one fo some roles)
• If you have worked for the govt, if so for how long, etc
• etc

Oh, and your office HQ must be in Paris or you are a no-one.

[vaud]

35 days until testing

58 days until race 1 @ Bahrain

[vaud]

Mark-C said:

I love the round of car launches and testing and guessing and speculation that goes with it - particularly with the new regs.

I used to like the launches but they are all a bit "meh" these days and it's never the final aero on the cars. Testing is more interesting as you can see them marginally more in anger, though we won't see if the dirty air issue has been mitigated under race 1.

My gut feel is it will be a little bit better, but not much.

[vaud]

AJB88 said:

of Course, Mercedes will be that team if there is one.

Maybe. Ferrari possibly.

I wouldn't bet against Adrian Newey from finding an aero loophole.

But Ross Brawn seems sure that there won't be any major loopholes.