The Official F1 2023 silly season *contains speculation*

[thegreenhell]

Teddy Lop said:

thegreenhell said:

Deesee said:

For Honda, Williams.. perhaps AT as a works team?

I take it Honda still have the IP and Red Bull build the PU under licence?

I think the current PU is still built and maintained by Honda until 2025, so there was no transfer of IP.

RBPT is solely designing the new PU for 2026, independently from anything Honda are doing.

I thought honda were to hand over the IP to what has become RBPT as part of the severance as they didn't want anything to do with F1 (so was surprised "they're" still around), and it was that development RBPT are hawking? If not what is it they (RBPT) have?

Honda are very protective of their IP. The engines still come from Japan. Honda never really left, despite them renaming the engine last year.

RBPT is designing the new engine from scratch using mostly ex-Mercedes personnel. They have nothing to do with the current Honda engine.

[carl_w]

Stroll out of testing due to an injury. Looks like they've got Drugovich in the sim.

[MissChief]

carl_w said:

Stroll out of testing due to an injury. Looks like they've got Drugovich in the sim.

Talk that Stroll has done something to his Wrist and is in a cast. I find it unlikely he will be racing in Bahrain.

[Sandpit Steve]

carl_w said:

Stroll out of testing due to an injury. Looks like they've got Drugovich in the sim.

Drugovich now heading to Bahrain for the testing day tomorrow. Not the first time an F1 driver managed to get themselves injured out of season.

(Insert joke here, that AM’s chance of points in the first race just went up!)

[Mark-C]

Sandpit Steve said:

carl_w said:

Stroll out of testing due to an injury. Looks like they've got Drugovich in the sim.

Drugovich now heading to Bahrain for the testing day tomorrow. Not the first time an F1 driver managed to get themselves injured out of season.

(Insert joke here, that AM’s chance of points in the first race just went up!)

Interesting they've gone for Drugovich ahead of Vandoorne given the latter is a known entity as a benchmark and doesn't have a clash for the first GP.

[KaraK]

Mark-C said:

Interesting they've gone for Drugovich ahead of Vandoorne given the latter is a known entity as a benchmark and doesn't have a clash for the first GP.

Vandoorne is committed to Formula-E this weekend.

[Mark-C]

KaraK said:

Mark-C said:

Interesting they've gone for Drugovich ahead of Vandoorne given the latter is a known entity as a benchmark and doesn't have a clash for the first GP.

Vandoorne is committed to Formula-E this weekend.

Ah yes - checked the race for clashes but not the test

[vulture1]

Drugovich if he gets a first f1 race has a real chance to prove himself. I personally don't rate him and have been public about it on here. He has a slim chance to prove me wrong (not that he cares about my opinion but alot of others think the same)

[MissChief]

vulture1 said:

Drugovich if he gets a first f1 race has a real chance to prove himself. I personally don't rate him and have been public about it on here. He has a slim chance to prove me wrong (not that he cares about my opinion but alot of others think the same)

It always seems to be that if you don't win the F2 championship in your first season you're always tainted with the 'a bit crap really' brush. And every 2-3 seasons the F2 field seems to weaken and then a driver who's been there for 3 seasons or so wins but then struggles to find an F1 seat.

[Pflanzgarten]

The last days of the empire…

[vaud]

Odd that it is after the first race, would have thought more natural to transition during the off season.

[Pflanzgarten]

Seems positive on both sides…

[Nova Gyna]

I'd love to go for a pint with her and Bono. I bet they both have some fascinating tales to tell.

As vaud said, the timing seems a little off. Why not leave at the end of last season as apposed to the beginning of a new one?

I wonder when her book is out?

[andburg]

More is that neither Lewis nor Angela has said what is next for her

[stemll]

vaud said:

Odd that it is after the first race, would have thought more natural to transition during the off season.

From her post, it is 7 years to the day so I assume it's where her contract naturally ended and she didn't want to renew. She has spent a huge amount of time away from her family to work with Lewis, maybe the length of this season was a stretch too far.

[Deesee]

andburg said:

More is that neither Lewis nor Angela has said what is next for her

Red Bull sous chef?

[Nova Gyna]

andburg said:

More is that neither Lewis nor Angela has said what is next for her

Max’s new physio?

[number2]

stemll said:

vaud said:

Odd that it is after the first race, would have thought more natural to transition during the off season.

From her post, it is 7 years to the day so I assume it's where her contract naturally ended and she didn't want to renew. She has spent a huge amount of time away from her family to work with Lewis, maybe the length of this season was a stretch too far.

A 7-year contract? And they're not going to hold anyone prisoner...

As said, an odd time to leave.

Also a big part of the LH support team changing.

[Petrus1983]

andburg said:

More is that neither Lewis nor Angela has said what is next for her

She’s got 2 kids - maybe once it was obvious they wouldn’t be fighting for a championship her priorities changed? Flying endlessly round the world must take its toll eventually.

[HustleRussell]

She won't have sprung it on him.