Yes, but these guys might hold grudges lol. I also think they'd be fine. But right now the only move Sainz could make that isn't a step back is to Red Bull. I'm really warming to the idea as Danny Ric is not a serious option. Yuki won't be either, even though I like him (I seem to be the only one lately, he gets a lot of gruff). Lawson? No. Lando? Signed up already. Perez? Lets see how he goes the rest of the year. But I think Sainz is a better option at this point. If I were running the team I'd be tapping him up right now (and they probably are)

Back at it this week boys. Suzuka is the circuit, and one of the world's great race tracks. So much history here as well. It's a big twist to have it come so early in the season, but I'm ready

Suzuka certainly is a wonderful track to drive. Turn 1, the esses, Spoon and 130R are all iconic corners. It is technical and demanding. But, like Zandvoort, it's not a superb racing track with the current generation of Formula 1 cars in my view as there is virtually nowhere to overtake aside from the first turn. You don't want to go two-wide through 130R. The hairpin is tempting, but it rarely comes off, and sometimes you get the short end anyway, like Bottas when he tried to go around the outside of a locked-up Sargent last year. So it makes Suzuka more of a strategy track, your overtakes are going to happen with undercuts and overcuts.

The technical nature of the circuit does though lend itself to mistakes, and there's gravel here. Turns like Degna 1 and 2 are hard to nail, and it's easy to get a wheel or two off here. And of course it it rains then things really kick up a notch.The sort of track where you go forward by standing still, driving consistently and avoiding mistakes. Aggressive moves rarely work here.

I'll add that I grow more outraged by Andretti's rejection every week when I see that Williams STILL has no spare chassis, and couldn't even give Sargent a new car, let alone allow him to drive his own car. He will instead be driving the chassis that Albon smashed up at Albert Park. But Andretti would be amateurs? GTFO

Sort your fantasy and good luck!

There could be surprises this week I think, with fp2 baiscally useless.

Bring in a bit more of rain and.... could be a spicy one.

Poor Danny Ric will need good karma with only one practice session.

Good luck for fantasy, I stick to my team for now with so much uncertainty.

Well, this was quite a nice quali, and Carlando is still in shape

Yes it was, congrats to Max and good to see Checo in the fight.

Disappointed with Stroll, but this is the sort of thing I should expect and instead be happily surprised when he does well. Expect nothing and you will never be disappointed lol

Looking forward to the race. The top of the field is very competitive, much closer than a year ago. But with few places to overtake and one DRS zone passing will be hard to do.

Slight chance of rain today. I expect a two-stopper for most teams, but someone near the back could mix it up and try a one-stopper to pick up some places. Suzuka is hard on the tires, so two stops should be the fast way around, red flags and safety cars notwithstanding. The interesting thing is the teams took several different approaches to their allocations this week and some have two mediums some have two hards. I think we could see all three compounds on the starting grid But I'd go medium-hard-medium if you have two, so lets see what the teams think.

Safety cars and red flags are common here of course, so strategy is likely to be thrown askew. But at least if you have a strategy track, also having a number of possible tire strategies is what we need to spice it up. Offsets and varying stint lengths should make it interesting for those F1 fans who can get in to this side of it. But then again we could have some big crashes too lol. The pace of the top half is pretty close so I hope we see a cracker.

Hoping to see a good result for Yuki.

It was a pretty nice race, but RBs are really out of reach. Fez played their card well so the tight place was for 6 to 8, with a nice 3 way fight at the end.

I enjoyed that race, and I think it was just as predicted, that tire offset would liven it up and that's just what happened. Having the cars on such varied sequences and different compounds meant that the race had far more overtaking than you would expect to see at Suzuka. So every lap there were passes in to 1, passes in the freakin' esses of all places and even 130R where you don't want to do it lol. Watching the different strategies play out as some cars inevitably faded and some charged forward made the race interesting.

Of course on the first lap two of my cars retired and so it goes. Rollnloop just continues to pull away.

The bumbling amateurs have embarrassed themselves by building a new facility in jolly 'ol. So much cringe. F1 sure dodged a bullet here.

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/...opens-new-silverstone-facility/10597184/

Andretti is now planning F2 and F3 entries, if they'll let the dirty Murican in, that is. If the operation goes smoothly and Andretti are competitive I think F1 will look even more silly than they already do. I'd root for Andretti regardless, but if they can stick it to the smug bastages running F1 then all the better.

In related news, Prema is entering Indy Car next year. They are one of junior formula's most successful teams and this will be interesting. Note how Indy Car did not do everything in their power to reject the new competitor.

I'd love to see Andretti join, hope they'll be able to.

He'll find a way and I think it would make sense for them to explore buying Alpine, which rumors say are for sale. Then he can save the dilution fee and all the existing teams get nothing instead of splitting a half billion. Andretti would most likely have to partner up with Renault engines for two years. That both solves and introduces problems so might not be a big issue. Then GM can come in like was planned all along.

As much as I'd love to see Andretti in F1, I hope Renault stays. They should, however, get rid off the whole enstone personnel and hire new blood (preferably non brits), if they want to ever succeed.

Yeah I get it, and there's a French connection which I also understand. But this project has rather come off the rails, and as bad as the sporting side is right now, the rest is even worse. There is turmoil, turnover and I have to think Renault and Alpine are rethinking their priorities. Being the worst F1 team is not going to drive many car sales I don't think. Nothing official has been said, but the rumors are rife, and where there is smoke there is fire, as the saying goes.

Once Brad Pitt is done with the APXGP Team, he should sell the pitlane equipment to Andretti. I hear that some of the stuff the have aquired for their Paddock presence is highly coveted by the other teams except perhaps, their hospitality tent. And of course they can then field the Formula 2 cars for their efforts in that series.

Joking aside, I completely agree that FOM currently appear as ridiculous and petty as a toddler who doesn’t want to share all the toys in the kindergarten with anyone else.

Anyone can experience a slump; Mercedes apparently is on the verge of a mighty fall, losing Lauda, Hamilton and the side-pods, McLaren might be returning to form, Ferrari as well after years of three wheels on my wagon and stupid pit strategy. The Agnelli family is trying to oust the Ferrari/Lardis. It remains to be seen what happens at Red Bull in the wake of meddling dads and assertive team bosses. I suspect there is intrigue and strife at Renault as well although Alpine gets a lot of the bad PR. Would you believe, there was a second there when I thought; Hang on. Is Renault still in Formula One these days?

We need some Ecclestonian power brokerage:

FOM: we don’t want Andretti to join, we don’t like them blah blah blah.

Eccestone: well, me and my mates yeah, we’re gonna start this new series.

FOM: oh yeah? Well see if we care.

Ecclestone to Ferrari in whisper mode: You’ll get 20 % more in your coffers if you join the new series!

Ferrari to FOM: we’re joining the new series and the rest of you without Ferrari are not Formula One.

Rest of FOM: oh well, all right then.

FOM to Andretti: welcome to Formula One! When can you start?

Lots of back-slapping amongst jolly merriment and laughter. Huffaws and guffaws.

Haha, yeah I can see that.

See, no harm no foul, we wanted you all along you see.

Back at it this week boys. Shanghai is the venue and our first visit here in five years? Since before the pandemic anyway.

I have mixed feeling about this track. First sector is delightful, with the opening turn complex a diminishing radius type that is always fun to negotiate.

After the first sector it's kind of boring honestly, but the hairpin at the end of the backstraight is an action packed spot, and usually a few parts come off here when someone gets a little too optimistic. And of course rain is a very real possibility.

Get your fantasy sorted, and hope rollnloop forgets to field a team. Good luck!

I didn't change anything to my fantasy team, everything is possible and I have no idea of the outcome.

Chaotic (but fun) quali this morning, very untrustworthy tarmac, humidity, suspicious fires on aside the track, only one free practise, Saubers in Q3, Verstappen behind Hamilton...

I did make changes but of course made the wrong ones and three drivers out in Q1. Not my year.

Fun quali, with the low grip track covered by water. Congrats to Lando. A spicy grid!

I've lost many points in fantasy with Alonso's puncture, but it was quite a nice sprint (at least the recap was), with some action !

Let's see what the race brings, with Lewis starting from the back and Mc Larens ahead of Fez in quali.