Silly Season speculation

[CNR]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117352
MERCEDES may not have all there own way this year
Analysis: Formula 1's 2015 nose rules change a headache for teams

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Analysis: Formula 1's 2015 nose rules change a headache for teams

By Jonathan Noble and Edd Straw Tuesday, January 13th 2015, 11:48 GMT







2015 F1 nose illustration

The push to rid Formula 1 of ugly noses in 2015 may have been done for simple aesthetics, but it has caused complications for design teams.

After a raft of criticisms about the look of last year's cars - which left fans and team bosses up in arms - the FIA moved to outlaw the extended nose tips for 2015.

A tweak to F1's technical regulations stipulating strict dimensional criteria to outlaw the extended noses nipped the problem in the bud, and no longer will F1 cars be compared to proboscis monkeys or anteaters.

But although the tweak to the noses may seem minor, the impact it has had on influencing design evolution for 2015 has been relatively big.

The reason for that is fairly simple: because the nose is the first part of the car to hit the air, it has an impact on how the airflow works over everything behind it.

Force India technical director Andy Green told AUTOSPORT: "Everything downstream from the front wing sets up everything else. So a change in that area makes a big difference to how you develop the car.

"The car is tuned around a certain set of circumstances at the front of the car.

"So it required a lot of aerodynamic reconfiguring to try to recover what was, to start with, quite a significant loss from where we were with the high nose.

"To go down to a very low nose took a lot of change. We're there now, but it took quite a while."

Green thinks that the tight wording of Article 15.4.3 of the technical regulations will ensure that most noses look the same, with a design similar to Ferrari's 2014 car likely, but the key will be how well each team can finetune its design for maximum aerodynamic benefit.

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[CNR]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sp...-1227353463767

Marko has delivered an extraordinary warning to Ricciardo and his teammate Daniil Kyvat, stating they must lift their game because the younger drivers at Toro Rosso are doing a “better job” and nipping at their heels for the lead driver positions.

I think after last year any top team would take Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo, meanwhile, is refusing to commit to Red Bull beyond this season.

[truefan72]

http://www.foxsports.com.au/motor-sp...-1227353463767

Marko has delivered an extraordinary warning to Ricciardo and his teammate Daniil Kyvat, stating they must lift their game because the younger drivers at Toro Rosso are doing a “better job” and nipping at their heels for the lead driver positions.

I think after last year any top team would take Daniel Ricciardo
Ricciardo, meanwhile, is refusing to commit to Red Bull beyond this season.

in about 10 years expect to see the book called "The rise and fall of Team RBR"
an cautionary tale of how to create a successful team and then at its apex how then to go about destroying it

[AndyL]

It just goes to show that Red Bull are no different to any other sponsor or team-owning manufacturer (apart from Ferrari). When they decide they're not getting their money's worth any more they'll be gone in a flash. Bernie's $70m-a-year bribe to get them to stay in the sport will ultimately prove to be a waste of money.

[airshifter]

in about 10 years expect to see the book called "The rise and fall of Team RBR"
an cautionary tale of how to create a successful team and then at its apex how then to go about destroying it

Yeah, suddenly it's Ricciardo's fault. He only beat Vettel. What a slacker!

[jens]

Ricciardo is hardly going to be replaced in Red Bull, unless he has fallen out with the team.

And if this is the case, even the best drivers get replaced as Alonso (2007, 2014) and Prost (1991) can attest!

Other than that I hear that Bottas might replace Räikkönen. Let's see, what comes out of this. Kimi isn't exactly bad (though his qualifyings are), but he is not great either and getting on a bit in terms of age. Me thinks it is time to look to the future for Ferrari.

[AndyL]

Other than that I hear that Bottas might replace Räikkönen. Let's see, what comes out of this. Kimi isn't exactly bad (though his qualifyings are), but he is not great either and getting on a bit in terms of age. Me thinks it is time to look to the future for Ferrari.

A straight swap between Bottas and Raikkonen could be good for both drivers and satisfactory for both teams too.

[CNR]

http://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/...-star/2692864/

The 25-year-old is contracted to Red Bull until 2018, but speculation has suggested former champion Kimi Raikkonen was on the outer at Ferrari and Ricciardo was the main target.

"From my understanding it's not likely I can get out," he replied when asked ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix whether he might switch camps.

"I would never rule anything out completely. I don't have experience with contracts. Things can change."

[anfield5]

Can't see Williams wanting Raikkonen, better for them to give JEV a race seat

[jens]

Yep. Räikkönen has had a good and relatively successful career (1 WDC, 20 wins), but really now it is time for others to get a chance in good seats. If Bottas moves up to Ferrari, Hülkenberg, Perez and maybe somebody else could have a shot at the Williams seat. Wonder, if Williams could consider a rookie as well.

About rookies... looking forward to the entrance of Stoffel Vandoorne. In my view he may be actually more talented than Magnussen was and is currently owning GP2. In any case, the next 'big thing' as the saying goes. Wonder, what McLaren thinks, but it might be the end of the road for Button.