F1 2020 SEASON: NEWS - RUMOURS

Matt Somerfield on Motorsport.com makes an interesting point about the internals. Copying what you can see in a photo is comparatively easy, copying the bits you can't is more tricky. If the internal ducting, flow channels, etc on the inside are identical, it really poses one hell of a question as to how Racing Point replicated the part.

The 70% question is interesting, because surely it depends how you define it? If you take a hypothetical CAD model of the Mercedes part, increase the scale of everything by 0.01%, and that's the Racing Point model, then what's the percentage similarity? No dimension would be the same, no distance between components would be... If you take a more loose definition of "the same", then you could probably pick nearly any two F1 cars with the same engine supplier and arrive at the same conclusion. Show a man on the street two F1 cars, they'd probably agree they were 70% the same.

 

Interesting but I would bet IP wise a court case would only be possible if it were Merc presenting it as it's allegedly their IP?
It is a bit of a can of worms. Are all smartphones infringing the IP of the 'IBM Simon Personal Communicator' of 1992? (15 years before the iPhone).
Looking at the two ducts in Elvis's vid they are similar but without the rest of the fields ducts it's difficult to see how different they all are.

This sort of thing is only going to be more and more difficult to police once the budget limits kick in. Who will be 'designing and manufacturing' components and selling then at a high cost to a 2nd or 3rd team and then the 2nd and 3rd teams making other components for the 1st team at a low cost? So 3 x budget 1 great car 2 naff ones!!!
Anyone know if the Budget is total spend or are they allowed to offset based on the sale price of other items to other teams?

 

Budkowski is the key to this- he was ex-FIA -and a lot of teams were worried he could steal ideas he’d seen and give them to Renault- the irony is he’s actually doing things the other way around!!

He knows the ins and outs of all of this stuff so if he’s gone in with this angle I’d say he’s extremely confident.

 

If they do rule against Racing Point they're going to have to be extremely careful with their wording otherwise they could make every car on the grid illegal.

I can't think of a single team that doesn't have a competitor inspired part somewhere on their car.

 

It's the law of diminishing returns, they're spending hundreds of millions a year to design the perfect race car, so it's impossible for the designs not to converge, as there is only one perfect design.

 

Why are Mercedes not saying "Hey you copied our car!" ?

 

That’s the bit that raises the most suspicion for me too.

couple it with Toto’s links to Aston Martin, through Stroll (via Williams, Aston Martin, and now Racing Point) and you’ve got a major issue.

Some people are saying that Mercedes are not guilty of wrongdoing if they shared some of the technical design detail last season (certain parts were allowed) however for 2020 this was outlawed, meaning Merc may have provided that info last year, but RP were forbidden to use it as per the 2020 regulations so they would be the guilty party.

Very strange. Is this the beginning of Merc ‘handing over the reigns’ so to speak - I wonder if they will pull out when Lewis hangs them up and they’re the most dominant team in history.

 

Looking at 2019 figures, Mercedes Formula 1 team made a profit (£13m) for the season. Their financial performance was similar for 2018. The F1 team had revenue £338m, of which Daimler AG put in £64m (but got £25m back in engine deals).

Given the budget cap from next season is $145m (with exceptions for a few key salaries, marketing, and driver costs), Mercedes F1 makes enough money already that the costs can be covered without the Daimler AG contribution. I think they'd be fairly mad to give up on a team which will cost a £3bn company a negligible amount.

If Mercedes are doing anything, I think it's laying the groundwork to take some of their costs/development work outside of their budget. Set up a "Mercedes F1 Engineering" company which can provide services to both Mercedes F1, and Tracing Point. The costs of the development of non-listed parts can then be more easily split between teams. I don't believe Racing Point currently spend more than the budget cap, so they'd have extra funds available from Lawrence Stroll to put into the Engineering Company. Mercedes F1 can therefore transfer a load of engineers to the Engineering Company, which would end up shared between teams.

It makes sense then for Racing Point have a car philosophy which is very, very similar to Mercedes. With two years working with a 2019 Mercedes, they should be in a good place for their own resources to be deployed efficiently to take advantage of the parts supplied by the Engineering Company.

As to the Aston Martin link, I can only wildly speculate that their racing outfits would end up integrated into the same engineering company. Giving Lawrence Stroll's assets access to Mercedes F1 knowhow, and giving Toto the budget to keep dominating F1 with Mercedes.

 

More rumors about Vettel joining Tracing Point/Aston for 2021!!!!! With Perez out!!!!! I'm not that sure Seb is a great team leader or a great developer of cars!!! Coupled with the big pay packet he would wish for I am not sure he is a good investment?

 

Cannot believe they would drop Perez ahead of Stroll!

Maybe Perez has had enough ?

If they do sign Vettel and keep stroll , that just proves how rich and powerful Lawrence Stroll is IMHO.

Or Perez takes a year out , Vettel signs for 1 year then moves to Merc in 2022 and Perez comes back ?

nothing would surprise me anymore .

 

If seb joins them then it will be a... turning point....do you get it

 

I can't like your post, it would be bad news to see Seb replace Perez. I agree with Number 1 in that nothing would surprise me after Alonso going to Renault. This season will determine how safe Bottas is in his seat. Divorce over, new woman, he needs to deliver now.

 

I was going to suggest Vettel to get adoption and change his surname to stroll. But Lance is doing a steady job. Time for plan B

 

NURBURGRING

IMOLA

PORTIMAO

All 3 replace the US, Mexican, and Brazilian GP.

The sensible decision and some great tracks to welcome back to F1, and to welcome Portugal back!

 

A shame to lose the Brazilian, always one of my favourites, but Imola is a welcome return

 

possibly Malaysia too

 

Pleased to see Imola, Allthough its going to be a cringy Hamilton moment

 

McLaren have signed a major sponsorship deal with Gulf. Next years McLaren in Gulf livery? Ohpleaseohpleasohplease!!!!

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/150870/mclaren-reunites-with-gulf-oil-with-partnership-deal

 

Finally Zak has scored a big one!! And its perfect

 

I can't see McLaren being the team they once were. The strategy to go with Honda was on paper the only route to the top. That door is closed. The question remains for Honda, will they ever be winners in the foreseeable? BAR Honda never brought back the glory days.
Honda are with a team with a great designer and a strong driver line up. It will be for Honda to deliver.
Mclaren will be a strong mid fielder with some podiums.