Standard F1 Gearboxes “Not Off the Table”

0:08 - Standard F1 Gearboxes “Not Off the Table”
1:13 - Miami Release New Proposed F1 Layout
2:15 - Fast Feed

Standard F1 Gearboxes “Not Off the Table”

In an effort to level the playing field and make F1 races more exciting, F1 could introduce standard gearboxes despite the fact that it was rejected quite recently by the teams in F1. This comes in the wake of some teams starting to relent on their opinion. According to the sport’s chief technical officer, Pat Symonds, the introduction of standard gearboxes to Formula 1 is “not off the table” for the future as teams have started to come around to the idea.

“One of my slight disappointments with the 2021 regulations is that we didn’t exploit that as far as Ross [Brawn] and I had anticipated we could do when we looked at it in 2017.”

“We went through a very big exercise to have a standard gearbox cassette, and a lot of people put a lot of work into it, and ultimately the teams really were so against it that we felt we had to come back off it a little bit.”

“And interestingly, just in the seven or eight months since that happened, already the scene has changed and some of those who were against it are now saying ‘oh yeah, maybe it wasn’t a bad idea’. So it’s not off the table. Some of these things will come back.”


Miami Release New Proposed F1 Layout

A Formula 1 race is a marquee event and it provides the host with global exposure. There is a seemingly ever-growing list of venues vying for a spot on the F1 calendar and Miami happens to be one of them. With the lack of a dedicated circuit, Miami wants to host a street-circuit race, the plans for which have seen multiple obstacles.
However, after consulting with several parties F1 have proposed a new track layout aiming to rectify some of the issues they’ve faced from the local public.

"The Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix announced a series of changes to its proposed track configuration and race schedule, incorporating feedback received during months of dialogue with residents, elected officials, faith leaders, local businesses, and scientific experts.”

"Notably, the new Formula 1 Miami Grand Prix track configuration eliminates the use of Northwest 199th Street for a portion of the racetrack, and the weekend race schedule will be altered to ensure that there is no racing prior to 3pm on Friday of a race weekend in order to ensure that there isn’t any disruption to local schools."


Fast Feed

- Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger believes that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc are equals when it comes to talent and ability, but believes they are “fundamentally different” in how they approach their careers. He sees Verstappen as “more aggressive and unpredictable” along with being “apolitical” and someone who “says what he thinks” while Leclerc is someone who is “calmer” but more calculating and political.

- Alfa Romeo in view of having finished just eighth in the 2019 world championship is building a "completely new car" for 2020 as has been admitted by team boss Frederic Vasseur. This is despite most teams looking at the new season as a sort of extension of 2019, as the regulations are stable ahead of the sweeping new rule changes for 2021. He believes that they have a “good foundation” but will have to wait and “see how it goes”

- Lewis Hamilton’s own views on being one of the “old guard” is rather light-hearted as he jokes about paying Kimi Raikkonen to keep on racing so that he doesn’t become “the oldest” on the grid

- Haas driver Romain Grosjean is another driver who is getting old by F1 standards at 33 but he is not yet ready to retire as he still has “business to finish in Formula 1”

- Esteban Ocon, based on his previous racing history with Leclerc, had predicted that Leclerc would not only match Vettel but would actually beat him at Ferrari after only couple of races into the 2019 season

- And as he joins the 2020 grid with Renault alongside Daniel Ricciardo, he hopes that it is the start of a long F1 career that will eventually see him racing against the likes of Leclerc “for the title”

- George Russell has made it clear that an offer from Mercedes is something that he will definitely consider, but for the time being he won’t “think too far ahead”

- And the FIA and Formula 1 have signed the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework as the sport works towards being net-zero carbon by the year 2030

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