Answering your F1 mailbag questions on Ocon to Haas, strife at Crimson Bull, and extra

We have now reached the halfway level of the 2024 System 1 season.

This weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix kicks off what could possibly be a second half for the ages. Will somebody really problem Max Verstappen within the Drivers’ Championship? Will considered one of Crimson Bull’s rivals really put the strain to them within the Constructors’ Championship?

Think about this: Already six totally different drivers have gained a Grand Prix. In simply 15 seasons within the historical past of F1 have greater than six drivers gained a Grand Prix. Ought to two extra drivers win a race — say Oscar Piastri and Sergio Pérez, for instance — that will deliver the entire to eight, placing the 2024 season right into a tie for third on this particular class. (The 1975 season noticed 9 totally different winners, whereas the 1982 season stands alone with 11 totally different drivers having gained a race).

Given all of this, we right here at SB Nation thought it was time to open up the F1 mailbag. Due to the unbelievable neighborhood that’s “F1 Threads,” we solicited questions from a improbable fanbase.

Listed below are the questions, and our solutions.

Our first query comes from my buddies on the Soiled Facet of the Monitor podcast.

I believe what we’re seeing in F1 is gradual progress in the direction of going totally sustainable. The automobiles underneath the present laws use E10, a gas that’s 10% sustainable ethanol, and 90% fossil gas. The upcoming laws will use a 100% totally sustainable gas, which I believe is a crucial step.

The opposite factor to contemplate is that underneath the present laws, the ability manufacturing between the inner combustion engine and the hybrid system is round 75/25, whereas within the upcoming laws that break up might be nearer to 50/50.

So finally I believe we’re seeing evolution with sustainable gas applied sciences in F1, simply not at an excessively fast tempo.

A bunch of questions had been despatched in by Adam, let’s deal with the primary three earlier than transferring on to the following three he despatched in.

On Esteban Ocon to Haas

Thursday’s information that Haas and Kevin Magnussen had been parting methods opened the door to such a pairing.

That is a type of strikes I might want to see in motion earlier than I should buy in. Let’s simply say I’m skeptical of pairing Esteban Ocon with Oliver Bearman. Ocon has actually endured an, as you say, attention-grabbing historical past with teammates.

The “glass half full” view is likely to be that in recent times Ocon was paired with a residing legend of the game (Fernando Alonso) who he was attempting to match himself, after which in recent times he was paired with a peer with whom en loved one thing of a spotty historical past.

Maybe in additional of an “elder statesman” function, Ocon can lastly really feel comfy throughout the crew, and as such thrive?

That’s the wildly optimistic method, but when that is really the trail Haas goes down, that is likely to be what they’re considering as effectively.

On Crimson Bull drivers

There’s a cause the second seat at Crimson Bull is also known as the “second seat of loss of life,” and it has little to do with what power drinks can do to the physique …

However sufficient about my heart specialist.

Nyck de Vries might need been final yr’s instance — and the jury might presently be deliberating relating to Sergio Pérez — however the crew’s historical past has extra examples. Each Alexander Albon and Pierre Gasly got their possibilities to drive alongside Max Verstappen, and each had been proven the door. And let’s not neglect that Verstappen slid right into a seat as soon as occupied by Daniil Kyvat, who himself was benched after a collision with Sebastian Vettel on the 2016 Russian Grand Prix.

System 1 will not be a sport identified for endurance, and that actually is the case at Crimson Bull. In some ways, their historical past helps gas the continuing hypothesis about Pérez.

On De Vries

Actually, I believe De Vries was put in a tough state of affairs. Christian Horner stated as a lot following the transfer to sack him mid-season, calling him one thing of a “stopgap” method.

As somebody who additionally covers the Nationwide Soccer League, I at instances discover myself making comparisons between drivers and quarterbacks. And in case you consider the 2 positions, there may be some important overlap.

One of many classes in quarterback analysis that has all the time caught with me is one thing that Invoice Walsh, some of the sensible minds in soccer, stated about quarterbacks within the NFL. It takes three years for them to determine it out.

Franz Tost, the previous boss at AlphaTauri, stated the identical about System 1 drivers.

Nevertheless, fan bases and possession teams aren’t precisely affected person in the case of younger quarterbacks within the NFL, and the identical might be stated about F1. Within the NFL there are simply 32 quarterbacks, however the sphere of F1 drivers is even smaller. There’s not a whole lot of endurance given to youthful drivers, given the expertise within the decrease ranks, and Crimson Bull/AlphaTauri had plenty of choices.

May De Vries have figured issues out finally, if given three years? Maybe. However given his age coming into the game, and the choices Crimson Bull/AlphaTauri had behind him, the leash was all the time going to be brief.

Now let’s deal with the following three questions from Adam.

On F1 books

The one I’m ending proper now’s The System, by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg. It’s “massive image” view of the game as an entire, and of among the twists and turns in System 1 which have formed it into the game it’s immediately.

Learn how to Construct a Race Automobile by Adrian Newey can also be a must-read, each for the technical perception the legendary designer affords, but additionally for his writing type. As somebody who writes professionally, I usually discover myself extra in awe of his writing type, than his sensible engineering thoughts.

This low season I’ll completely be tackling Driving to Survive by Guenther Steiner. As a result of it’s Guenther. Sufficient stated.

On SB Nation protecting F1 Fantasy

Test again within the low season …

On the following younger driver to get an FP1 shot and whether or not that’s Paul Aron

Effectively, apparently Aron is getting an FP1 session with APXGP this weekend in Budapest:

(I wildly vacillate between the social media marketing campaign for “F1” — which features a social media account for the crew relationship again to final season, the place they apparently moved on from Nyck de Vries on the finish of the yr — being wonderful or exhausting, however I digress.)

The straightforward reply right here is Andrea Kimi Antonelli, proper? Not solely is his 18th birthday arising after the summer season shutdown, however the adjustment of the Tremendous License necessities means the door is open to Antonelli at the least getting an FP1 session quickly.

This can be a improbable query. I want I may provide extra in manner of a response.

Nevertheless, I’ve simply been to Miami, so I can solely converse to that have.

Which was unbelievable.

In speaking with followers who had been on the Miami Grand Prix one of many cool points is the power to enter Arduous Rock Stadium, the place the paddock is situated. You’ll be able to sit or standing the 300-level of the stadium and have a fowl’s eye view of the paddock. As somebody fortunate sufficient to be down within the discipline itself, the roar of the gang when a driver, crew boss, or different F1 character confirmed up was an excellent second.

The opposite factor concerning the Miami Grand Prix is that given it’s held at an NFL stadium, the facilities accessible to followers and media members alike are phenomenal. And the race organizers have actually tried to cater to each stage of fan. On the morning of the Miami Grand Prix, I used to be in a position to chat with Tom Garfinkle, the Managing Accomplice of the Miami Grand Prix and the CEO of the Miami Dolphins. He outlined the extent to which race organizers had been attempting to make the race accessible for all ranges of followers.

“I imply, we had, it was actually enjoyable as a result of for the third yr it was all the time type of the imaginative and prescient and yesterday it occurred greater than the primary two years. At one level I walked out, and the 300 stage [of Hard Rock Stadium] was most likely half full. So the campus cross holders can go on the highest of the stadium,” described Garfinkel.

“They will go, you already know, in case you look proper throughout the best way right here, you see these stands proper right here the place there’s folks standing, these are campus cross holders, they’ve risers that they’ll stand on them. As soon as the automobiles go by, that’s $450 for 3 days.

“It’s $150 a day to face on a riser proper subsequent to the racetrack. Get all types of meals, go throughout the bridge. You’ll be able to go up within the stadium, stroll across the prime of the stadium, see virtually the entire racetrack, look down within the paddock. The concessions up there are the identical as they’re for Dolphins video games.

“So for $150 a day, you already know, I believe you’ll be able to have an excellent expertise after which there’s $15,000 for the best finish. You recognize, lobster from Carbone, so we’re attempting to run the spectrum up and down. We would like it to be a spot the place all people can come and have time.

“And if you’re a celeb or a dignitary of some kind, your potential to get out and in simply to be safe with out folks asking you for a selfie each two steps you are taking and to be with your pals and be capable to get pleasure from high-quality eating or one thing and check out to try this as effectively.”

Garfinkel’s aim is to show each attendee right into a fan of F1 by the point they depart.

“Effectively, hopefully by the point they depart, they’re all race followers,” stated Garfinkel when requested if he had a perfect break up in thoughts between race followers and celeb followers.

“I believe on the finish of the day, the racing comes first. We wished to supply a racetrack that delivered high quality racing and the place there was overtaking and the place there’s thrilling locations to look at the racing,” described Garfinkel. “After which after that, we need to create an excellent expertise round that and hopefully whether or not you’re a hardcore fan or whether or not you’re only a informal fan that desires to come back out right here and have time, you already know, you’ll be able to have each.”

I’ll be heading to at the least another Grand Prix this season, if no more, so watch this house for added ideas. However I’d say that Miami was an incredible expertise for myself, and people I used to be in a position to discuss to who attended.

F1 Threads is full of great folks, and Helz completely tops that checklist. Helz is a improbable advocate for what a optimistic social media neighborhood might be and wears many hats in F1 Threads, from their function because the official greeter in addition to serving to run the P10:DNF contest every race weekend. Cheers to you Helz

Nevertheless, Helz introduced the warmth with this query.

One of many items I’m proudest of since beginning out on this motorsport journey is that this, whereby I try to summarize simply what it takes to be a race automobile driver. My foremost takeaway from all of the drivers and motorsport figures I’ve been fortunate sufficient to talk with and listen to from by the previous year-plus?

Being a race automobile driver is extremely laborious.

Whether or not F1 drivers, F1 Academy drivers, IndyCar drivers, NASCAR drivers, crew principals, crew homeowners, or others, the principle level I took from each interplay is that driving a race automobile is difficult. From listening to Abbi Pulling describe a lap at Monza to Alexander Rossi speaking about every little thing that goes right into a lap on the Indianapolis 500, it’s an extremely laborious job.

After which Jack Doohan affords up the reminder of simply what’s at stake if issues go awry …

One factor that, in my thoughts at the least, ideas the scales in the direction of F1 being the more durable collection is the schedule. 24 races, all throughout the globe, with some brutally tough stretches. The current tripleheader is one such stretch. Then there may be the tripleheader that may come on the finish of the season the place the grid will go from Las Vegas to Qatar after which to Abu Dhabi to shut out the yr, all inside three weeks. That’s powerful on the drivers and the groups.

However this could not take something away from IndyCar. In any respect. It takes a totally totally different type of human to hit a few of these speeds you see throughout qualifying on the Indy 500. After which to have the mentality of “put it within the wall or put it within the present?”

That’s … totally different.

This from Jahl is kind of the query to finish on.

Sportswashing is not at all distinctive to System 1.

I’m a Newcastle United supporter in spite of everything.

The Saudi Public Funding Fund (PIF) continues to widen its method, pushing into the world of golf and luring soccer stars to play within the Saudi Professional League. Different nations with massively questionable monitor data relating to human rights have made comparable inroads on the earth of sports activities.

From the place I sit, I believe there’s a perception in all of those sporting leagues in the concept, for instance, bringing the grid to a selected nation — together with the media — will assist to shine a light-weight on a few of these points, and over time enact optimistic change.

Maybe that may be a wildly naive viewpoint. And naturally, the response to that’s to have a look at the dearth of optimistic change over time and to surprise if these leagues will ever draw a line within the proverbial sand.

I want there have been a simple reply to this query. Maybe an unintended results of the elevated reputation of F1 world wide will open the door to different nations being allowed to host races, and maybe a rotating schedule of kinds would enable the game to maneuver away from a few of these nations with troubling data of human rights abuses.

As I sort this, the world is on the point of come collectively for the 2024 Summer season Video games. There was a time when the Olympics would function a reminder of our shared humanity, and provide hope of a brighter future for all.

That, too, is a imaginative and prescient that’s maybe too naive for our present world.