The 2016 Formula One Thread

[VocalNeal]

F1 is Bernie. He was smart enough to see an opportunity and make some money. His contemporaries like Ron Dennis, Sir Frank Williams, Eddy Jordan, Flabio Briatore, et al. don't seem to be doing badly either.

If he wants to paper his wall with 50's OK. I met a motor racing guy who papers his stairs (the wall) with Ordnance Survey maps.

Fernando could probably also paper his walls with 50's (Euros)

[chassamui]

F1 is Bernie

And that is the problem. His ego should have retired years ago. He took the GPDA letter and agreed with it, then said to the drivers, you come up with the solutions.
Taking F1 out of the free to view domain just lines the pockets of the rights owners, (Bernie and his cohorts again).
The drivers, and the teams are part of a broken money making machine. It's not their job to solve the governance issues in F1, it's Ecclestone's greed that is driving fans away.

[boloa]

I saw this ...might be of help for a few members ( Times are all UK Times so add 6 Hours )



Scheduling: The 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

If you like your Formula 1, MotoGP, Formula E, IndyCar and British Touring Car Championship action, then you will be doing a fair bit of multitasking and channel hopping as April begins.

Formula 1 heads to Bahrain for the second round of the 2016 season. For the first time ever, live coverage will be shown on Channel 4 as part of their three year shared deal with Sky Sports. As we have learnt in the past week, that deal will not go beyond three years: Sky will be screening Formula 1 exclusively from 2019.

Susie Wolff will be part of Channel 4’s team in Bahrain, whilst a pre-recorded interview with Eddie Jordan and Bernie Ecclestone will be shown (note: this was filmed before the Sky announcement). Channel 4’s live broadcast will contain adverts, however the race itself will be live and uninterrupted. On the interactivity side, Channel 4 do not have access to the additional feeds and the popular F1 Forum will not be returning following each live race.

BBC’s radio schedule is a bit different than usual for Bahrain. Practice two will not air in full on 5 Live Sports Extra due to horse racing. The race itself will only air through updates on 5 Live due to Premier League football and Twenty20 coverage. The live full race commentary should be on BBC Sport’s website with the usual team. Speaking of the team, Jennie Gow will be in London as she is presenting ITV’s coverage of the Long Beach ePrix.

Jack Nicholls will be commentating on the Bahrain Grand Prix for 5 Live, meaning that he will not be part of Formula E’s broadcast team in Long Beach. It will be the first time that Nicholls has not commentated on a Formula E race. Nicholls and Gow have confirmed that Bob Varsha will be the lead commentator in Long Beach. Outside of the usual 5 Live programming, BBC Radio 2 are airing a special F1 programme on Easter Monday. Suzi Perry presents, with contributions from the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and David Coulthard.

Elsewhere, the British Touring Car Championship season gets going in Brands Hatch. ITV have assembled the usual team with Steve Rider, Louise Goodman and Tim Harvey leading the line-up. David Addison is their lead commentator for the fourth season running.

Channel 4 F1
Sessions
01/04 – 11:55 to 13:35 – Practice 1
01/04 – 15:55 to 17:35 – Practice 2
02/04 – 12:55 to 14:05 – Practice 3
02/04 – 15:00 to 17:30 – Qualifying
03/04 – 15:00 to 18:30 – Race
03/04 – 23:00 to 00:00 – Highlights

Sky Sports F1
Sessions
01/04 – 11:45 to 13:50 – Practice 1
01/04 – 15:45 to 18:00 – Practice 2
02/04 – 12:45 to 14:15 – Practice 3
02/04 – 15:00 to 17:45 – Qualifying
03/04 – 14:30 to 19:15 – Race
=> 14:30 – Track Parade
=> 15:00 – Pit Lane Live
=> 15:30 – Race
=> 18:30 – Paddock Live

Supplementary Programming
30/03 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Preview
31/03 – 13:00 to 13:30 – Driver Press Conference
31/03 – 20:45 to 21:00 – Paddock Uncut
01/04 – 18:00 to 18:30 – Team Press Conference
01/04 – 18:30 to 19:00 – The F1 Show
06/04 – 20:30 to 21:00 – F1 Report: Review

BBC Radio F1
28/03 – 17:00 to 19:00 – Suzi Perry’s F1 Anthems (BBC Radio 2)
31/03 – 21:00 to 22:00 – Preview (BBC Radio 5 Live)
01/04 – 11:55 to 13:35 – Practice 1 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
01/04 – 16:20 to 17:35 – Practice 2 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
02/04 – 12:55 to 14:05 – Practice 3 (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
02/04 – 15:55 to 17:05 – Qualifying (BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra)
03/04 – TBC – Race (BBC online)
=> updates on BBC Radio 5 Live

MotoGP – Argentina (BT Sport 2)
01/04 – 13:00 to 20:00
=> 13:00 – Practice 1
=> 15:45 – Reaction and Build-Up
=> 17:00 – Practice 2
02/04 – 13:00 to 20:15
=> 13:00 – Practice 3
=> 16:00 – Qualifying
03/04 – 13:30 to 15:15 – Warm Up
03/04 – 16:30 to 22:00
=> 16:30 – Moto3 race
=> 18:15 – Moto2 race
=> 19:45 – MotoGP race
=> 21:00 – Chequered Flag

MotoGP – Argentina (ITV4)
04/04 – 22:00 to 23:00 – Highlights

Formula E – Long Beach (online via FIAFormulaE.com and YouTube)
02/04 – 16:10 to 17:10 – Practice 1
02/04 – 18:25 to 19:10 – Practice 2
02/04 – 19:45 to 21:10 – Qualifying

Formula E – Long Beach
02/04 – 23:00 to 01:30 – Race (ITV4)
03/04 – 09:30 to 10:25 – Highlights (ITV)

British Touring Car Championship – Brands Hatch (ITV4)
03/04 – 10:15 to 18:15 – Races

IndyCar Series – Phoenix (BT Sport 2)
02/04 – 02:00 to 05:00 – Race

Channel 4 F1 | The F1 Broadcasting Blog

[VocalNeal]

F1 is Bernie

And that is the problem. His ego should have retired years ago. He took the GPDA letter and agreed with it, then said to the drivers, you come up with the solutions.
Taking F1 out of the free to view domain just lines the pockets of the rights owners, (Bernie and his cohorts again).
The drivers, and the teams are part of a broken money making machine. It's not their job to solve the governance issues in F1, it's Ecclestone's greed that is driving fans away.

Don't know anything about pay-per-view or free to view controversy as I watch it in Thailand in the pub. I assume anyone with access to Fox Sports will do the same.

I believe Sky Sports won the bid to be the exclusive F1 broadcaster and gave Bernie the money.

How Sky Sports runs their operation is their business nothing to do with Bernie.

If viewers in the UK don't get it free they should take that up with Sky. Bernie cannot dictate policy to Sky.

[harrybarracuda]

who cares we live in Thailand, and watch it on Fox.

Yeah, that's why I said "bad news for UK F1 fans" dickhead.

Can't you read or something?

[harrybarracuda]

F1 is Bernie

And that is the problem. His ego should have retired years ago. He took the GPDA letter and agreed with it, then said to the drivers, you come up with the solutions.
Taking F1 out of the free to view domain just lines the pockets of the rights owners, (Bernie and his cohorts again).
The drivers, and the teams are part of a broken money making machine. It's not their job to solve the governance issues in F1, it's Ecclestone's greed that is driving fans away.

In fairness, Bernie built F1 into what it is by running it with an iron fist. He owns each and every track for the duration of the race. He doesn't answer to anyone.

When the Dubai Emiratis kept him waiting for for hours and then tried sneering at him, he got on a plane and gave the F1 to Bahrain, leaving Dubai with a half built track and egg on their faces. They even threw money at "A1" because they said they were going to "bury him" for it, but they got even more egg on their faces.

It wasn't until the ruler of Abu Dhabi died and his son bought a Grand Prix that they finally realised their money didn't make them as important as they thought it did.

Although a lot of the BRDC still wear pins with "FE" on them (not hard to work out).

[chassamui]

He is an abomination and acts as a dictator. The current operating and racing is unsustainable.
I understand the need to fund stuff and make profits but he will not be around to see F1 fall to pieces.
His last minute fiddling with qualifying this season has been an epic fail. The teams and the drivers told him exactly what would happen and they were right.

As far as Sky is concerned, I can watch at home live streaming or go to the pub. European fans don't have that luxury and they represent the backbone of support for F1.

[harrybarracuda]

He is an abomination and acts as a dictator. The current operating and racing is unsustainable.

Not true.

I understand the need to fund stuff and make profits but he will not be around to see F1 fall to pieces.
His last minute fiddling with qualifying this season has been an epic fail. The teams and the drivers told him exactly what would happen and they were right. F1.

Not true either.

Formula One racing will implement a new elimination-style qualifying format, potentially in time for the 2016 season, after it was unanimously approved by the F1 Commission following a meeting in Geneva.

The exact structure, and the date of introduction, will now be analysed and evaluated ahead of a vote by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council next week.

In a statement, the FIA confirmed that: “The new system is being evaluated for introduction, potentially as soon as the beginning of the 2016 season.”

If anything, he's obviously decided that qualifying doesn't get enough viewing figures so he's trying to make it more interesting.

Should have asked me. Give all the drivers a few tequila slammers, then send them out on a rolling start with the grid position being where you finish.

[VocalNeal]

His last minute fiddling with qualifying this season has been an epic fail. The teams and the drivers told him exactly what would happen and they were right.

He said it was crap and that he wasn't enthusiastic about it from day one.

Bernie gets blamed for everything to do with F1 even though he has little to do with the rules and the actual racing. It's like blaming an impresario for the songs in a famous opera.

"We wanted to improve the show and we went in the wrong direction," Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff said.

Note the use of the word WE.

[chassamui]

Not true either.

Why was qualifying changed in the first place? Because Ecclestone wanted to spice up the races.
In February - less than a month before the start of the season - he gave the teams two options: keep the same format but shuffle the top eight so the fastest drivers were not at the front of the grid; or the elimination approach.
The teams could have blocked Ecclestone's plans - and probably now wish they had - but in a spirit of co-operation they voted for what Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff called the "least worst option".
The teams were asked to look into how it would work. They came back and said it would mean no cars on track for the closing minutes of the final session and offered an alternative approach. The FIA ignored them and voted the new system through unchanged. As qualifying progressed in Australia, what the teams had predicted was exactly what transpired.

[chassamui]

My last quote taken from an interesting article: http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35930489

[Airportwo]

He is an abomination and acts as a dictator. The current operating and racing is unsustainable.

Not true.

I understand the need to fund stuff and make profits but he will not be around to see F1 fall to pieces.
His last minute fiddling with qualifying this season has been an epic fail. The teams and the drivers told him exactly what would happen and they were right. F1.

Not true either.

Formula One racing will implement a new elimination-style qualifying format, potentially in time for the 2016 season, after it was unanimously approved by the F1 Commission following a meeting in Geneva.

The exact structure, and the date of introduction, will now be analysed and evaluated ahead of a vote by the FIA’s World Motor Sport Council next week.

In a statement, the FIA confirmed that: “The new system is being evaluated for introduction, potentially as soon as the beginning of the 2016 season.”

If anything, he's obviously decided that qualifying doesn't get enough viewing figures so he's trying to make it more interesting.

Should have asked me. Give all the drivers a few tequila slammers, then send them out on a rolling start with the grid position being where you finish.

You might have hit upon a brilliant idea? Intoxicated F1 racing whereby they have to have consumed a minimum of 35 units of alcohol, they would be breathalyzed at the finish and forfeit the race if found to be sober!

[VocalNeal]

My last quote taken from an interesting article: GPDA letter: What were Formula 1 drivers trying to achieve? - BBC Sport

Drivers don't have a say. They are employees of the teams. They drive what they are given. Good or bad.

Yes they have an association but that is primarily concerned about their safety.

There are too many cooks. That is what is spoiling/or going to spoil the broth.

Mercedes want to control it as they are winning. Red Bull want to control is as they used to win. Jean Todt wants to control it etc.

It was easier when it was just Bernie and Max!

[harrybarracuda]

Not true either.

Why was qualifying changed in the first place? Because Ecclestone wanted to spice up the races.
In February - less than a month before the start of the season - he gave the teams two options: keep the same format but shuffle the top eight so the fastest drivers were not at the front of the grid; or the elimination approach.
The teams could have blocked Ecclestone's plans - and probably now wish they had - but in a spirit of co-operation they voted for what Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff called the "least worst option".
The teams were asked to look into how it would work. They came back and said it would mean no cars on track for the closing minutes of the final session and offered an alternative approach. The FIA ignored them and voted the new system through unchanged. As qualifying progressed in Australia, what the teams had predicted was exactly what transpired.

I dunno, you post a link that completely contradicts your point. Are you Boon Mee in disguise?

Williams team principal Claire Williams earlier confirmed it will happen in Melbourne.

"The Strategy Group voted it through and I voted for it," she said.

"I think it's really important to remember the whole purpose of looking at qualifying was to try and shake up the grid to go into the race and make races a little bit more exciting."

The decision comes despite F1 commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone saying last week he had been told the timing software and on-screen television graphics could not be changed for the Melbourne race.

Either way, I'm not expecting it to be any less of a farce.

Be interesting to see if spectators have a fucking clue what goes on, although I'll probably be in the bar.

[chassamui]

I dunno, you post a link that completely contradicts your point. Are you Boon Mee in disguise?

It supports my assertion that Ecclestone was the one behind it and the teams told him it was flawed. They were also proved to be correct regarding the last 10 minutes of qualifying.

[VocalNeal]

here's another take...

The power in F1 has also changed a lot more, hugely since the days of Bernie. Bernie was at his most powerful when he had Max Mosely alongside him and arguably that was when F1 was running at its best. Now it just seems to be in a freefall.”

[harrybarracuda]

McLaren’s Fernando Alonso will miss this weekend’s 2016 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on medical grounds.

Following an examination at the Sakhir circuit on Thursday morning it was decided that the Spaniard had not recovered sufficiently following his crash in Australia to compete.

“Two sets of chest CT scans were compared and it was decided that there was insufficient resolution of the signs to allow him to compete on safety grounds,” read an FIA statement.

“A repeat chest scan has been requested before the Chinese Grand prix and the results will be considered before allowing him to race there.”

The news means that McLaren reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne will make his Grand Prix debut this weekend, replacing Alonso.

[chassamui]

McLaren reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne

Supposedly the next Lewis Hamilton?

[mykthemin]

who cares we live in Thailand, and watch it on Fox.

Yeah, that's why I said "bad news for UK F1 fans" dickhead.

Can't you read or something?

Yes I can read halfwit this is a thai forum NOT UK

[harrybarracuda]

This is the F1 forum you brain dead spastic.

Anyway, now I am in the magic kingdom of Bahrain for the weekend, and it's been pissing down.

Picking up the beer vouchers tomorrow.

A Bientot.

[mykthemin]

the only spastic is certainly you.

[VocalNeal]

Yes I can read halfwit this is a thai forum NOT UK

..and there was me thinking this is a US forum. Doh!

[harrybarracuda]

Landed in Bahrain, loads of cloud around, but the forecast is dry for the next three days (except in the beer tent obviously).

[Bettyboo]

Anyway, now I am in the magic kingdom of Bahrain for the weekend, and it's been pissing down.

Here you go 'Arry, have a great weekend...

Manama & Bahrain Escorts - if blocked visit -> 7bh.pw

I've reserved this one for you, seems like your type: Mistress Madame Caramel | blocked? visit 7bh.pw

[harrybarracuda]

Anyway, now I am in the magic kingdom of Bahrain for the weekend, and it's been pissing down.

Here you go 'Arry, have a great weekend...

Manama & Bahrain Escorts - if blocked visit -> 7bh.pw

I've reserved this one for you, seems like your type: Mistress Madame Caramel | blocked? visit 7bh.pw

'kinell Boo your taste in women is a bit bizarre to say the least.