[forzaferrari]

Red Bull has recruited 5 more engineers for their engine program, all of them have worked for Mercedes AMG HPP

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/artic...WRQv0.html

[morini]

Mercedes / Ilmor should view that as a compliment I guess?

I still think a non car manufacturer is going to struggle to compete long term, regardless of who they poach. Another thing, it suggests the budget caps mean nothing to Red Bull. They are going to have to pay these guys a *lot* to poach them away from a successful team. Where's the money coming from?

I read yesterday (can't remember where) that Red Bull, Alpha Tauri and Ferrari are the only teams opposed to sporting penalties for breaching budget caps. This kind of thing shows why. What is the point in agreeing to budget caps (something I've always been against, incidentally) if the richest teams can then turn round and say "Ok, if we break the budget we will pay a fine". It's all bullshit. All the teams are going to do is hide expenditure elsewhere in subsidiary or shell companies. Unpoliceable!

[forzaferrari]

Why Red Bull will have a unique F1 engine advantage

https://youtu.be/5acBGp_pY8I

[PapaofGags]

Nice one. 

Reminds me of what Ross Brawn said when asked during the Red Bull era of dominance how do you beat them?

He replied "pull them apart"

Looks like Mercedes are having the same thing done, Red Bull obviously have a "who's the best list" & are going for them.

[morini]

Why Red Bull will have a unique F1 engine advantage

https://youtu.be/5acBGp_pY8I

Pretty weak journalism to be honest. All that Ed Straw guy is doing there is regurgitating Horner's own media spin on the situation. I don't buy it myself, if you look at it logically Red Bull as a non car manufacturer could never have developed the PU they have in the car now on their own. They only have it because a large car company developed and built it then sold on the IP. If they were to start from a completely clean sheet of paper then an independant factory (however well invested) would not have the same engineering and design resources of a major car manufacturer has or, more to the point, the main motivation for doing it in the first place. All the proper road car manufacturer "works" teams are in it for two reasons - marketing their brand and developing technologies they can eventually sell in their road cars. Dieter Mateschitz doesn't have the main motivation (tech filtering down to road cars) unless I'm missing something and Red Bull are going to start developing road cars?

The only way I see this working long term in a sustainable way is for a big car manufacturer to partner with RBR. That was briefly mentioned in the video and I can't see it flying otherwise.

[morini]

I read yesterday somewhere (can't remember exactly where) that Toto fully understands why the employees who are switching to Red Bull and isn't in a position to do anything about it. Apparently they have been offered huge salary increases to the tune of tripling existing pay in some cases. If it were me, I'd take the money as well.

Also read that the budget cap does not apply to engine development. This makes no sense whatsoever, they might as well not have any cap in place. Another example of where F1 has shot itself in the foot I feel. One day they will come up with a policy where all the dots are joined up. Probably not in our lifetimes though!

[PapaofGags]

Jody, have you heard anything about this from your pit buddy? do you think there is any truth in it? 

Mercedes believe Red Bull have been slowed down by an FIA directive regarding the Honda engine, according to a report.

 “there are reports from the Mercedes corner that Honda have been slowed down by a directive from the FIA. Allegedly, there have been disagreements for four months about how the Japanese [manufacturer] operate their energy management”.

The FIA are said to have denied any such directive, although AMuS add that this “doesn’t necessarily mean much” because “as a rule, corrections to the engine are not made public”.

“The technicians of the association discuss them directly with the respective manufacturer. Not even the competition finds out about it,” the report continues.

However, Auto Motor und Sport also claim Red Bull suspect Mercedes have enhanced performance in their engine by improving the cooling system.

The suspicion is said to have been aroused by Hamilton’s pace on the old pits straight at Silverstone compared to Verstappen before their collision, which Mercedes countered by stating the Honda engine was charging at that point and denying they had done anything sinister in their cooling processes.

“Everything is maxed out with our engine,” AMuS quote Mercedes as saying. But their report suggests this story will resurface after the summer break at Spa, quoting Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko: “We’ll keep at it.”

[forzaferrari]

Merry Christmas lads 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/horner...6/6955372/

[PapaofGags]

Merry Christmas lads 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/horner...6/6955372/

Yup........ this made my day.            

[NeilP]

Merry Christmas lads 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/horner...6/6955372/

Yup........ this made my day.            

I would celebrate the return of Voldemort more!!!!