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pierregasly · 3 years

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Would love to hear your full take on Pierre,,,

Sorry this took me a few days to get to, I meant to answer it immediately but never found the motivation :( Anyways, onto Pierre.

I believe you are commenting on a post of mine where I stated my fear that the Middle Generation of drivers (Charles, Carlos, Pierre and Max specifically) have/are going to miss out on opportunities and will never reach their full potential in F1. This is similar to what happened to the “Lost Generation” which is comprised of drivers such as Daniel, Kevin, Nico and Checo. To reiterate something that another asker was confused about: it has nothing to do with talent. The generations are not lumped together based on talent but based on their similar ages/entrance into F1 and I am speaking on the wasted potential that this group never got to achieve. (For example, Nico’s full potential was podiums--he never got here. And Daniel’s full potential was a championship--which he’ll never get.)

I am not going to waste your time and state what I said briefly about Charles, Carlos and Max but I will go into depth more so about what I hardly touched upon with Pierre. As I said, Pierre is a phenomenal talent. As much as his podium and race win may have proven it to the world, many still call him a “luck driver” who is not good enough for a higher team. This is, obviously, because of his time at Red Bull dramatically overshadowed his career.

I started following Pierre around 2017 when I first got interested in F1 because of the history. In 2017 he wasn’t racing in Europe but in Super Formula so I took the time to catch up on his career thus far (I will go into depth on this in a moment). I didn’t start watching F1 until 2018 and the only driver (non-historical) I really was attached to was Pierre (others would comes later). Obviously, if you remember, Pierre ended up taking P5 in qualifying and P4 in a Toro Rosso in front of the whole world in only a few races at Bahrain. It was absolutely incredible and for the rest of the season until his Red Bull announcement, Pierre was dishing points place after points place after points place in only his first full season in F1. Therefore, while it was only his FIRST FULL SEASON, the jump to Red Bull ultimately felt justified.

Of course, this did not end up being the case. Our joy over Pierre getting to be in a higher team made us completely and utterly forget the track record Red Bull has left with its second drivers. For those of you who are new to F1 (either coming in 2019, mid-2019 or 2020) you missed out on Pierre’s debut season which was fantastic for the car he was given. Furthermore, if you came in during mid-2019 or 2020 and you think that the treatment RB gave to Alex is horrible--you are hardly touching the surface. The treatment that RB is giving Alex versus Pierre is like taking your sons on summer vacation and then having one of them sleep on the comfy twin bed with two blankets and the other kid on the floor without so much as PJs. We haven’t even touched upon Daniil. Daniil would be like the parents leaving the kid outside to sleep.

Let’s move on. It is very easy to look at Pierre’s season and tout only negative things. It was not his best moment and, yes, he certainly could’ve done better. However, with what he was given? Are we even sure about that? For example, Pierre become open with the media following his demotion. Not only did RB leave it to the very last moment but they also would:

1) Use Pierre’s car and car parts to test Max.

2) When Pierre requested a more experienced engineer, he was denied. However, when Alex requested the same thing, he was given it.

3) RB consistently spoke horribly of him in front of the media. They constantly spoke that he needed to do better and never tried to build him up.

4) Emotionally pressured Pierre to his breaking limit.

Now the difference between RB and many other teams is that when the going gets tough for their drivers, many teams choose to build their drivers up to set them up for success. RB’s method is to tear their drivers down and hope that they can pick up their own pieces once they become annoyed with humiliation. The demotion was far, far too quick. Think of Alex--he has been getting worse and worse and worse with a year and half of time at Red Bull. Pierre managed half a season before they gave him the boot. The boot was also without warning even despite Pierre getting better and better each race.

This is all information you probably already know, I said earlier I would touch upon his younger career and how this has been overshadowed and forgotten due to his time at RB. Here are some facts/statistics that will be important for my point later:

Finished 3rd in the French F4 championship with four wins, two poles and seven podiums over the course of only fourteen races despite having three retirements (the 2nd placer had 0 and the 1st placer only had 1).

In his first season at Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished 10th of 51 different racers and every person but one who finished before him in the championship was older than him. Pierre was only 16 when Stoffel V was 20, Daniil K was 18, Oliver R was 20, Norman N was 20, Nyck V was 17, Paul L was 21, Oscar T was 16, Melville M was 18 and Alex R was 18.

In his second season of Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 he finished first in front of the likes of Esteban Ocon, Oliver Rowland, Jake Dennis, Nyck de Vries, Luca Ghitto and Alexander Albon.

Finished 6th in the 2013 Formula Renault 2.0 Alps Series despite missing half of the season and there being 42 competitors total (everyone ahead of him completed the full season).

Finished 2nd of 28 competitors in the 2014 Formula Renault 3.5 Series and lost to none other than Carlos Sainz Jr.

Finished 1st in his second full season of GP2 (now formally classified as F2).

The GP2 race he won in Silverstone happened right after a huge roadcar accident in which his mother ended up in the hospital. Pierre himself fractured his vertebrae and still went on to win the race while his mother was in the hospital and he had a broken bone.

Was called in to replace a Renault edams driver in Formula E. He was jet lagged, tired and got only a few hours in the sims. He still managed to secure P4 in qualifying and then was set for a P3 finish but he crashed into the wall on the last corner of the last lap and came home in P4. THIS WAS HIS FIRST TIME EVER IN AN FE RACE OR AN FE CAR.

Finished second in Super Formula in 2017 but lost by only half a point. One of the races in the season was abandoned when he was set to win because of flooding and storm. Had it not been abandoned he would’ve finished first at the end of the season.

All this pretty much brings you up to speed to when he entered into F1 (which all his amazing stuff you should be familiar with). Moving more onto my “take” regarding Pierre. I have shown evidence for why he is an incredible driver, however, now we’re moving onto the not so great bit. I suppose I must answer one question before I move on.

Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent podiums if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to get consistent wins if given the proper car? Absolutely. Do I think Pierre is good enough, against all the rest of the talent in F1, to fight/win a championship one day if given the proper car? This I firmly believe is possible (other thing I’ll get into if someone wants).

The reason I worry and am distressed about Pierre is because I don’t believe he’ll ever get a go at a higher team again. RB really put a shadow over his career, a shadow that is going to worry other teams from placing him into their cars. He has ultimately proven himself with podiums and, of course, the race win. However, seeing as there is so much young talent coming into F1, I don't see there being a place for him.

Mercedes is set to most likely be Max and George when Lewis retires. Red Bull would never dare to put him in that seat again. Ferrari has their “golden generation” of Charles and Mick to look after. And those are the seemingly “top teams” (if you can even all Ferrari that). Let’s look at the others. Racing Point is going to be Lance and Seb until Seb retires. I don’t see Pierre ever going to Alpha Romeo. And McLaren is set up for the next few years with Lando and Daniel. Haas--I don’t think so. This is ultimately dangerous for Pierre’s career because RB likes to keep fresh meat in their B team car (or if you trust Horner it’s their “sister team” lol). Pierre’s best chance is the escape the RB family. AND I UNDERSTAND that the regulations could make things VERY different in F1 for the future. These are just my hypothesis and guesses--all is subjective and up to interpretation so @ anybody reading this--relax, buddy. So where does Pierre fit in in the future? These are some scenarios I have conjured up.

1) Mercedes. Let’s say that, possibly. Max never ends up moving into that second Merc seat and instead remains at RB wasting away until they can get him a better car for the rest of his career (ooo burn sorry it’s for the scenario don’t hate me). This would open up a place at Merc for Pierre to truly shine his potential. Most likely, he would play second fiddle to George but hey--it’s still a seat where can utilize that potential.

2) Red Bull. This would be if they get desperate. I don’t think if given a second chance, Pierre would say no. If Max were still in the team, he would be second fiddle. I can see Pierre going to RB if Max leaves for Merc in the next few years and they want him to lead Yuki or if Yuki doesn’t shine in AT and they end up dropping him they are going to be slim Pickens... I don’t know if being at RB will give him a place where he can utilize his potential but it’s a possibility.

3) Ferrari. This would be only a chance if Mick doesn’t do great in Alpha Romeo and they need someone to fill the seat of their obvious place holder Carlos. He would be alongside Charles. Other than that.... Ferrari seems pretty set and there isn’t any space.

4) McLaren. This I don’t see as very possible? I would love to see him in orange but they seem pretty set with Daniel and Lando. I think Daniel is probably going to ride out the end of his career there. Lando seems very integrated into the team and I can’t see him leaving unless he got a better offer like Merc. If Max didn’t end up taking the second Merc seat in the future and remains at RB then Lando might be given an offer which would open up a place that Pierre could possibly take. Do I count this as realistic? Not really, but it could happen. At McLaren I could see Pierre utilizing his potential.

5) Renault. This is one of the options that seems most realistic to me. They're set with Fernando for the next few years. If they decided, after 2021, to give the boot to Esteban, that would open up a place for Pierre in a French team that would love a French driver (they already have one but Pierre is a FRENCH WINNER). You know that teams loves their nationalism.... Anyways. Or, possibly, Fernando retires after two years (again lol) which would open up a seat for Pierre to take along Esteban. However, I don’t really see Esteban staying long term because Renault probably needs to put one of their Renault babies like Guanyu or Christian in there.

6) Williams. Lol. No.

7) Haas. I don’t see it happening really??? I have my reasons but my gut just says... Au revoir.

8) Racing Point. THIS. This I see as 100% 100% a possibility. Let’s say that Seb retires after two years--this would open up a seat. Pierre is a strong, consistent and stable driver who doesn’t make mistakes. Here he could really use his potential!! #PierreInGreen!!

9) Alpha Romeo. As I said... I really don’t see it. They seem pretty busy with all their young guys.

So to conclude, the future for Pierre lies at either Renault or Racing Point (less chance but possible includes Merc to McLaren). To not take up any more of your time, this is what I mean by Pierre being an incredible talent who may or may not get a chance at a higher team. He deserves to have more and to have a second chance. He has really proven himself and is pulling the absolutely maximum out of himself. I really want to see him with more, like he deserves.

Even Charles wanted him as his teammate at Ferrari back in April... that’s saying even more. Everyone on the grid except Esteban rate him highly as a person and as a driver. His potential deserves smth better. He has proven himself time and time again against everyone who told him he wasn't good enough and who still say it was all just luck. There exists luck. But firmer than luck, there exists skill.

Pierre Gasly is a race winner in an Alpha Tauri. Do not forget that.

#oh fuck this is long lol #pierre gasly #flood pressles box #sincerely anonymous

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theloudpedal · 6 years

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2018 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion: New Blood

Ahhh, August....our favorite month of the year.

We always look forward to August because it means that we're heading down to the Monterey Peninsula for Car Week! Gearheads make this pilgrimage every year and with different motivations, and there are many motivations. Our primary drive (pardon the pun) is the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. This year was particularly notable for a couple of reasons. The first thing to note is that this was the first Reunion since Laguna Seca signed a new primary sponsorship deal with WeatherTech, paving a way to a more stable future with many changes and improvements already underway. It also marks the first year that the event featured a Japanese manufacturer, and Nissan was more than willing and able to represent it's brand and to celebrate its 50th anniversary of corporate involvement in motorsports.

We applaud the organizers on their decision to choose Nissan/Datsun at the featured marque, not only because it is long overdue, but also because we feel that in order to keep events like this (and vintage racing in general) alive, it is imperative to bring new audiences. As the paddock clearly displayed, the Nissan/Datsun community were ready, willing and eager to show the crowd what the brand, its history and it's community are all about. More than 50 of the 551 total participants selected out of over 1,000 applicants based on authenticity and race provenance were attributed to the Nissan and Datsun brands.

Now we don't purport to be Nissan/Datsun fanboys or aficionados, though we do love a well executed 510, early Z cars, modern and ancient GTRs and just about anything with a little age and some fender mirrors and/or overfenders. That said, Nissan corporate and Nissan collector/driver/and media personality Adam Carolla brought the heat for the weekend.

The hottest of the heat, was the glorious 1969 Nissan R382 Group 7 racing car. Admittedly, we didn't even know if this cars existence, but now we have come to know and understand a part of Nissan's racing past. This 600 horsepower 6 liter DOHC monster beat out Porsche and Toyota to win the 1969 Japan Grand Prix. This thing is as lovely as it was menacing in its day. The example Nissan brought was understated and stunning.

The second car of note is one that many in our demographic have a soft spot for. For many of us, it's a treat to get to see a car we've driven a million times in any number of racing games and simulators. It's an even bigger geek-out when we get feast our eyes on one we've only seen in the digital realm, and one that we never thought we'd ever see in the flesh...er um carbon fiber. This thing was as impressive in real life as it is in any video game. The Nissan R390 GT1 road car was glorious from any/every angle. It was long, lean, sexy and powerful...everything needed to compete at Le Mans and everything it needed to achieve 220+ mph speeds. We won't soon forget being in the presence of the 3R90.

For those not familiar with Adam Carolla's vehicular exploits, let's just say he's kind of a big deal these days. Though his automotive tastes are broad and wide, he has a soft spot for classic Datsuns and Nissans, and he collects and races them to boot. Some of these cars (approximately 10 of his collection) were actively and successfully campaigned by actor and philanthropist (and King of Cool), Paul Newman. Carolla brought a few of these cars (and a vintage Hino hauler too!) from his collection to share. We got up close and personal to he and his 1988 Turbo Z on the pregrid, and it was glorious!

And among all of the vintage racing goodness from Nissan/Datsun was a car so new, it isn't even on sale yet. Straight from its debut at Goodwood appeared Nissan's collaboration with Italdesign, the GT-R50. This thing was cool...really cool! Yeah, it's gonna have turbos and like 700 horsepower, but that rear end! We came upon the car for the first time on one of the track's service roads. It was about to depart for one its numerous pressers. It was unmistakably GT-R...a bit reserved, but with great little details and styling queues...but then we got around back and then....WOW! Simple, shocking, amazing...that is all.

Not to be outdone by it's Japanese auto making rival, Mazda brought its "A" game too, as they have for the last several years. Under their prominently placed tent were several heavy hitters and crowd favorites. The two that stood out for us were the iconic, "Charge" liveried 1989 767B that competed at the 1989 24 hours of Le Mans race #wankel. The other Mazda on display was one that we've been waiting to see, in person, all racing season. We are unabashed fans of Reinhold Joest and were pumped when plans were made public that he was going to be in charge of Mazda's WeatherTech racing effort this year. We were thinking that our first opportunity to see it would be at the upcoming WeatherTech race at Laguna Seca. Imagine our surprise when we happened upon the gleaming ruby colored RT24-P. This thing is ridiculously good looking.

Mazda also treated, well everyone within 5 miles with working ears to a an audio display that has become somewhat of a tradition at the Reunion. At a quiet time in the afternoon's schedule, they rolled the aforementioned 767B, a 1990 787, a 1991 RX-7 IMSA GTO, and the spectacularly fantastically looking 1992 RX-792P into the sunshine for a rotary racing rev-off. The sound of all of those uniquely pitched beasts at once is unforgettable and loud....really really loud.

As has become the trend in recent years, the Reunion does more than just highlight a single featured car and/or manufacturer. It has become a social outing and showcase for manufacturers both great and small. This year featured significant displays by Audi, Jaguar, Ford, Singer/Michelin and Porsche. All in attendance were treated to up-close access to Ford's latest GT (and their first gen, both in Gulf/heritage livery), the New Audi e-tron BP 18 prototype, and the all new Jaguar I-Pace HSE (which also set the track's record for an unmodified electric vehicle (with Randy Pobst at the wheel), and yes, the drool-worthy new Singer you've been seeing all over social media! Yeah, the event is the "Historic Motorsports Reunion," but everyone seems to love the new stuff and commensurate car swag and test drives that come with them. We give a special shout out to Jaguar for providing sweet hats for anyone willing to give up their email address and automotive preferences!

THE SPECIAL DISPLAYS

As much as we love all that stuff, we don't make the three hour drive for any amount of new hardware. We're vintage car types, and this event is our hallowed ground, and did it ever deliver this year. We don't know how the quantity of cars stacks up to past years, but the paddock was as full as we've ever seen it, and the quantity of entrants was only exceeded their quality. This abundance made for larger than usual racing groups, thus more of what we all want to see. From the moment we arrived it was clear that this was a big one. The paddock was packed to capacity with cars spanning multiple eras and multiple discisplines of racings such as early IMSA GT cars to historic Formula 1 and the beast of Formula 5000.

Among the moments was two time Formula 1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen taking to the track in McLaren's 1995 Le Mans-winning F1 GTR for demonstration laps. The McLaren F1 GTR, based on the monumental road going F1 and still considered the greatest hyper car ever created. The F1 GTR even 28 years later still brings chills with the sound of its BMW V12 screaming around the track sounding just as vicious as it must have those years ago when it took the victory at the famous Le Mans circuit. For many at the event it was their first time to come within range of a car that set the standard for all that follow.

We commend our hosts at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Nissan, all of the corporate sponsorship and track staff (both paid and volunteer) for putting on such a great show (and a special shout to Mother Nature for providing the spectacular weather!) Though we always fret about the future of vintage racing, this years Reunion showed the strong footing of this thing we love, at this place we love. Laguna Seca's much needed face lift coupled with the excellent choice of featured car/manufacturer, and the fact that the crowd was more diverse by every measure possible tells us the universe really wants more vintage racing. Life is good.

As is always the case, there is no way to condense the depth and breadth of Car Week, let alone this single event, into one story. We just give you our perspective and our musings and images from the few hours we spent at the track. Please take some time to look through the gallery below. As you probably know, our pictures are a lot better than our words.

Broadcast coverage of the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will be available on Premier on September 23 (noon ET/9 a.m. PT), Encore on September 23 (5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT) and Encore 2 on September 26 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT). The livestream will also re-air on Motor Trend OnDemand and the Motor Trend YouTube page.

Next year’s Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) on August 15-18, 2019.

Full Gallery

#Carweek #Monterey #Laguna Seca #Reunion

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junker-town · 4 years

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‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’ is a perfect intro to the best soap opera in sports

The second season of the acclaimed Neflix show sets the stage for F1 racing’s future.

The second season of Netflix’s Formula 1: Drive to Survive dropped on Feb. 28, and it’s just as good as the extremely well-received first season. Like any good Millennial, I watched the entire series in a couple of days, even though the new Formula 1 season doesn’t start until March 15. The ten half-hour episodes are extremely bingeable.

Eight teams get significant air time over the show’s 10 episodes. The big teams sat out last year’s show, but after seeing how successful it was, they decided they wanted in on the action. Ferrari and Mercedes feature, but just like Season 1, the really good stuff comes from struggling teams like Williams and Haas.

Notably absent from the show are Racing Point and Alfa Romeo, who almost exactly met expectations last season, and return the same drivers for 2020. The producers opted not to force any drama for those teams. Fans of teenage shitposter/Twitch streamer/McLaren driver Lando Norris will also be disappointed to see that he’s barely mentioned.

What’s missing is much less important than what’s in the show, however. Drive to Survive is still amazing, and a perfect introduction to the best soap opera in sports. Minor spoilers below.

Is it a reality show? Is it a documentary? I don’t know, it’s just really good

I’m not really sure how you would classify Drive to Survive. It’s definitely more documentary than reality television, though the interviews feel very reality TV-influenced.

No matter what you call it, the show is made by the level of access that the producers are granted. Because the teams are promised that the show won’t air until the season ends and the driver lineup for the following season is set, they’re free to be themselves. It doesn’t feel like any of the teams’ drivers or principals are guarded in any way. The result is a show that does a brilliant job promoting what makes F1: Off-the-track drama.

Formula 1 is basically WWE for rich Europeans. The races are hit or miss, but the politics and promos are the really engrossing stuff. If you watch an F1 race without any knowledge of its inner workings, it might not seem that interesting. But when you understand the behind-the-scenes ramifications of a result, a pass for 10th place can feel as important as a pass for first.

The show’s format lets viewers into this world by focusing on the narrative arcs of individual characters and teams, rather than telling a chronological story. And though the show jumps around the calendar, it isn’t misleading or confusing. I imagine this was a difficult choice for the producers, but they got it right.

Most importantly for the show’s purposes, F1 is also involved in the production, so it also works as an advertisement. Viewers are left with an understanding of multiple storylines and who to root for in 2020. I think it would be hard to come away from the show without wanting to follow a team or driver in the upcoming season.

It’s so painful when you know what’s coming

If you did not follow the 2019 F1 season, you will have a different experience watching this show than I did. But if you did follow along last season, you’ll find yourself saying “oh noooo” at the screen several times just before the big reveals.

The results of storylines involving drivers like Pierre Gasly and Niko Hulkeberg, and teams like Haas and Williams, are foreshadowed well in advance. The portions covering the deaths of Niki Lauda and Anthoine Hubert are probably more serious tearjerkers when you see them coming.

If you didn’t follow F1 last year and watch the show, let me know if the foreshadowing was obvious to you. I’m very curious.

Guenther Steiner is once again the best character

The breakout star of the first season of Drive to Survive was Haas team principal Guenther Steiner, a hilarious character who curses at his drivers and staff in ways that American football coaches would envy. English is not his first language, but he’s an artist with the f-word.

Steiner’s home life is presented in stark contrast to the way he acts on the track. He’s very calm and kind with his wife and daughter, and is presented as a loving husband and father.

But then he has to go to work and deal with the mistake-riddled work of his engineers and drivers.

“This is not a fucking kindergarten here,” Steiner says to his staff at one point. Following a collision between Haas drivers Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, Steiner delivers the best line of the series.

“Gene spends 100 fucking million dollars a year of his own fucking money,” Steiner says to his drivers, referring to team owner Gene Haas, “and wants to pull the plug and let everybody down because of two fucking idiots.”

Haas never really got better after that, but Steiner still has his job, as do Grosjean and Magnussen. Their owner has not pulled the plug, though he was unable to recruit a title sponsor to replace the ill-fated Rich Energy.

I have no idea how Haas will do in 2020, but I do know that Steiner will likely be the best character in Season 3 of the show, too.

I empathize so much with Claire Williams

Williams Formula One has won seven drivers’ world championships and nine constructors’ championships under the leadership of legendary founder Frank Williams. But their last honors came in 1997, and Frank’s daughter Claire has been tasked with turning the team around. Thus far, she has failed — Williams was by far the worst team on the grid in 2019 — and it’s impossible to tell if it’s because she can’t hack it, or because of circumstances beyond her control.

In the trailer for Season 1, Claire Williams said something that has stuck with me ever since I heard it: “Every day I break out in a cold sweat thinking, ‘do I have the skillset to do this?’”

This is something that I think a lot of women have felt at work. Plenty of men too, but this is disproportionately a female experience.

In Williams’ case specifically, she has reached the highest position of any woman in F1, an organization that has historically been outrageously chauvinistic. Her detractors will argue that she only has her job because of her father, and her supporters will argue that the most qualified and experienced team principal in the world couldn’t turn around Williams on F1’s lowest budget.

The show follows the Williams team as it fails to finish its car in time for preseason testing. Claire’s rage at director of engineering Paddy Lowe can be felt through the screen, even if she never raises her voice.

I’m not sure if she holds back because that’s not her personality, or because she feels like it would be deemed unacceptable for a woman to do so. When Steiner blows up and calls his subordinates “fucking idiots,” we all have a good laugh. I feel like the reaction would be a bit different if Claire Williams did the same.

“I don’t want to disgrace the Williams name,” Claire says in an interview. “I don’t want Williams to fall apart under my watch.” I wonder how often she feels powerless to prevent that from happening, even though she’s ostensibly in charge?

Leclerc vs. Vettel is the story in F1

In 2020, all eyes are going to be on Ferrari.

Last season, youngster Charles Leclerc signed on to represent F1’s most iconic brand. He knew he’d be a clear No. 2 driver behind four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. But as the season wore on, the pecking order got a lot less clear. As it turns out, Leclerc might be the better driver.

Vettel’s last world championship was in 2013, with Red Bull. He left for Ferrari when he felt like his old team was falling miles behind Mercedes, but he hasn’t been able to recapture his championship form in the famous red car. Following a couple of second-place finishes and preseason hype that he could challenge Lewis Hamilton, Vettel disappointed in 2019, finishing fifth.

Leclerc, meanwhile, exceeded expectations in his first year with Ferrari. Despite Vettel being given preferential strategy in multiple races — a huge point of contention that’s explored on the show — Leclerc outperformed his teammate. His win in Ferrari’s home race at the Italian Grand Prix was arguably the feel-good moment of the year, and he out-qualified Vettel on a regular basis. His fourth-place finish in the drivers’ championship, ahead of Vettel, suggests he should not have to defer to the veteran anymore.

But F1 is not just about who is better at driving. It is a competition that is equal parts skill, engineering and politics. And though Leclerc may be a better driver than Vettel, he’s no politician. Whenever he complains about fairness on the show, Vettel finds a way to take advantage of Leclerc’s naiveté.

However, that’s the only thing Vettel did better than Leclerc in 2019. If all things are equal, Ferrari is going to start siding with the younger driver sooner rather than later.

Drive to Survive sets up 2020 perfectly as the end of an era

This upcoming season is the last with unlimited spending, and most of the drivers will be out of a contract at the end of the campaign. There will be new car requirements for 2021 as well. For this reason, a lot of teams are treading water this season, putting their money into new facilities and preparing for when they are finally able to compete with Mercedes, the runaway leaders, in 2021.

It feels likely that this season will be a ceremonial victory lap for Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes before things get tough in 2021. If the two championships are the only things that interest you, I regret to inform you that this F1 campaign is unlikely to be compelling. But in terms of long-term storylines and interpersonal drama, this is going to be one of the wildest seasons in the sport’s history.

Everyone is fighting for their livelihoods. No one’s job is secure. A great midfield performance could position a driver for world championship contention next season. George Russell will struggle to score a single point for Williams, but he’s still trying to prove he’s ready to follow in Hamilton’s footsteps at Mercedes.

The drivers’ and constructors’ championships might not be up for grabs in 2020, but the future of the sport is.

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s3mag · 5 years

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These days, it’s easy to dismiss supercars. Sure – I loved ‘em as a kid. But as I’ve gotten older/busier… I’ve realized that filling my head with supercar statistics is more-or-less a waste of my time & brain space. They’re out of my league. They’re usually pretty unusable. Forget about self-maintenance. And there’s the owner stigma. Take it all into account, and supercars/exotics are un-relatable to most of us. And as such, I’ve become more genuinely amused with the excitement of the automotive aftermarket: big turbos on small cars, and/or the old romantic analog stuff.

But look – we all have stereotypes deep-rooted in our heads. Preconceived notions. Blanket statements we throw around… especially in a social media-driven world. But usually – the solution to start dissolving all these things… is EXPERIENCE & PERSPECTIVE. I’ve now had experience in the NSX, and it’s changed my perspective. I’m not going to compare the NSX to other supercars. Because frankly, I don’t have experience in other supercars. But what I am gonna compare the NSX to… is Honda itself.

Throughout Honda’s early history, they were the underdog when compared to the Euro & American brands in motorsports. Brushed aside. Sent back to the kid’s table. The Cool Runnings syndrome. And because of that – it created a brand with a lot to prove. A lot of heart & fight. Honda employs some of the best innovators, engineers, and creative minds in the world – whether they’re building robots, or Type-Rs, or airplanes. Amongst the automotive aficionados, Honda has historically been undervalued. Yet historically – they come out of top from endurance, performance, and reliability standpoints. How is that? Well the answer, again I assume, is engineering, innovation, and creative minds. Honda doesn’t necessarily follow the format… they kind of rebel against it. And a lot of times, they rewrite it. Today in 2019, every time you get in your car & drive to the store, you see 25-year-old Hondas all around you… I guarantee it. Where are all the 25-year old Audis?

Still – the guys who pose next to their European supercars dismiss the Honda/Acura emblems, for lack of heritage and/or pedigree. But the background I’ve just described above… is the very definition of heritage & pedigree. Over the past 3-4 decades, Honda played a MAJOR role in creating an entire new generation of hot-rodder & racer. They’ve had SUCH an impact on shaping who a lot of us are as car enthusiasts… hell… in shaping our lifestyles. That’s heritage. And Ayerton Senna clinching F1 championships in a Honda-powered car… that’s pedigree.

So here’s how I see the NSX. The NSX was conceived from some of the best & most synchronized minds in the automotive universe… and born from a company that’s had to fight for every ounce of credit they’re ever gotten. That may or may not resonate with the posh supercar fraternity clubs… but it damn sure resonates with me. And I love the fact that, even at a supercar level, people still see the NSX as ‘just a Honda.’ lol. When will it ever stop… I honesty hope never.

Here’s the specs on the 2nd gen NSX. You have a transverse-mounted, twin-turbo 3.5 V6 gas engine behind the seats.

Then) – you have a straight-drive electric engine that comes in immediately upon throttle to seamlessly fill in the gap of boost lag.

Then) – you have two motors under the front hood… driving each front wheel.

For a total of 580hp to all 4 wheels. And please understand, that this is not the same 580hp that’s in your buddy’s blown Mustang. This is real race car stuff. Fluid, controlled, and structured. It’s a scalpel. The gearbox is a 9-speed twin-clutch that is insanely deliberate & precise. The NSX engineer featured on Leno’s Garage broke it down as essentially a 7-speed gearbox, but with a launch gear (1st), and an overdrive/cruising gear (9th).

Carbon ceramic brakes diced up the mountain roads effortlessly. Literally… effortlessly.

And I’m not qualified to speak on the airflow & aerodynamics of this car, because I’m 5 and these people are NASA scientists lol. But again – I reference you to the Leno’s Garage video on Youtube, where Leno spoke with a lead engineer & designer for the NSX. Basically, the NSX was designed to have air run through it… and not just around it. When Honda/Acura made the decision to turbocharge the car from the original V10 N/A concept, the original design was completely reworked & widened to account for more airflow, large intercoolers, and heat dissipation. Air is collected & routed out of inconspicuous vents above the taillights… and that creates a virtual platform/table for air coming over the roof & decklid to press on for downforce.

If you’re anything like me, you get a little weird about diving other people’s cars. But listen – if you ever get the chance to drive the NSX, do it! Don’t pass it up! So many of us drive cars that handle mountain roads really well. Some exceptionally well. But a Golf R, Focus RS, STI, Evo, etc… these are all tweaked-out, strengthened versions of their more economical/basic counterparts: Meaning the Golf R is based on a normal Golf, the RS is based on a Focus, the STI is based on an Impreza, and so on. Now as car guys, we take these tweaked versions, and tweak them out even more in the aftermarket, with more power, better suspension parts, stickier tires, stronger brakes, more efficient cooling, etc. And they’re killer! But they were never designed… from conception… to be this! The NSX was made for one thing. It has one purpose. And it is the pinnacle of that purpose.

Critics might mention that the interior on the new NSX is not very special. And that’s it’s too similar to a TLX/RDX/MDX. To that, I say in my best Peter Griffin voice, “Oh my God, who the hell cares!” I’m not sure what other journalists are driving on the regular… but the interior of the NSX is just damn fine. Does it share design references with the rest of the Honda/Acura family? Yeah… but so what?? I view the NSX interior & textures as more of a nod to the quality/longevity in other Acura models… rather than a knock on the NSX itself.

The NSX has great visibility front & rear. It’s got great sensory support through the seating position & steering wheel. Yet, it’s easy to get in & out of… easy to run errands in. If it wasn’t for the child-seat situation (and the ‘budget’ situation), I could 100% throw a bike rack on this thing & daily it without much of a care in the world. And to that point – we averaged 18 miles per gallon with a heavy foot. *We never drove the NSX in Quiet Mode. It took about 100-feet to realize Quiet Mode was stupid, and flipping to Sport+ then-on became part of the starting sequence. Therefore all our feelings about this car are based on Sport+ and Track Mode.

Acura NSX Review These days, it’s easy to dismiss supercars. Sure - I loved ‘em as a kid. But as I’ve gotten older/busier… I’ve realized that filling my head with…

#Acura NSX #Acura NSX review

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