quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:

quote:

"clipping"

Speculation by George and others after was that could be part of an effort to reduce plank wear by reducing top end, combined with higher tire pressure in 3rd stint. I guess all that could fall under the indicated heading of "chassis problem....."

You'd think it'd be less of a concern in the 3rd stint, as the car is much lighter with fuel consumption & would negate the need for higher tire psi to 'raise' the car a bit.

^^Agreed. that seems to go against logic unless there's something else at play here.
Maybe in earlier stints they're all driving to a time and in a similar fashion.
But his drop off in performance and inability to do anything about it made it clear it was something done on the stop by the crew.
Maybe the sidewall construction is slightly different, not just the compounds, and there's more sidewall deflection at higher speeds and aerodynamic loading towards the end of the straight.
Puzzling and I wish there was a way for us mere mortals to get a better explanation of what was happening.

This turned into an exciting finish that would have been a lot different in a team with team orders in place. In fact, much of the season would be a lot less interesting if the McLaren drivers were not allowed to challenge their teammates.

I am glad Z Brown is giving his boys a long leash. Just need to avoid a repeat of Canada. Another of those & I could see the reins being tightened.

How much would Lando like those lost points for 4th back right now?

I understand Valtteri Bottas has signed with Cadillac. I also see he must serve a 5 place grid penalty in his first race. I think that will be worth it. Cadillac and Bottas will be a good combination. I hear they are going after Perez as the second driver. I don't know who would be a better choice.

quote:

Originally posted by xd45man:
I understand Valtteri Bottas has signed with Cadillac. I also see he must serve a 5 place grid penalty in his first race. I think that will be worth it. Cadillac and Bottas will be a good combination. I hear they are going after Perez as the second driver. I don't know who would be a better choice.

I've yet to see anything official, but as a Bottas fan: Let's Go!

I get signing Perez as a 2nd very experienced driver, but his last couple seasons were quite lackluster [for being in a winnable car]. Bottas had a lousy last season, but he was driving a recycling bin with an engine.

^^
Of course Perez would bring mucho dinero so there's that. That kind of security could take a driver's edge off. Think Lance Stroll. Although he has little edge to lose, he seems as bad as he's been this year for the most part.

quote:

Originally posted by xd45man:
I understand Valtteri Bottas has signed with Cadillac. I also see he must serve a 5 place grid penalty in his first race. I think that will be worth it. Cadillac and Bottas will be a good combination. I hear they are going after Perez as the second driver. I don't know who would be a better choice.

I read that the fia made a rule change that grid penalties only last 12 months so Bottas will be beyond the 12 month window and won't have to serve the penalty

I wish they'd give Alex Palou a shot at it, he's certainly recognizable to American racing fans and has great talent.

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:

quote:

Originally posted by xd45man:
I understand Valtteri Bottas has signed with Cadillac. I also see he must serve a 5 place grid penalty in his first race. I think that will be worth it. Cadillac and Bottas will be a good combination. I hear they are going after Perez as the second driver. I don't know who would be a better choice.

I read that the fia made a rule change that grid penalties only last 12 months so Bottas will be beyond the 12 month window and won't have to serve the penalty

I’ve also read that the change isn’t retroactive. It’s only for penalties applied from now on, not existing penalties.

quote:

Originally posted by hooch:
I wish they'd give Alex Palou a shot at it, he's certainly recognizable to American racing fans and has great talent.

I think Cadillac is making the right choice with Bottas and Perez. The car is very unlikely to be competitive for a couple of years, and right now they most need experienced drivers that can give them valuable feedback and have knowledge of how things are done at successful teams. Introducing a rookie now would likely only succeed in crushing their spirit.

I agree ^^^^^ 100%.

Can't see the Bottas penalty being a big deal in the Grand scheme of things.
Both are good and experienced drivers to help the team have a good benchmark for early development.
All the teams may be struggling with the new rules from the sound of things.

It's official: Bottas/Perez signed to Cadillac on multi-year deals

https://www.formula1.com/en/la...qKNbUEoFjveym9YfGkxQ

I now have a new favorite team CADILLAC! I wonder if my wife would give up Ferrari and her crush on Chuck the Monte Carlo taxi driver to come with me to cheer on Cadillac. I might have to buy her something like an XT6 to sweeten the deal.

I'll be rooting for Cadillac, as a Bottas fan, hoping they're able to finish better than last in their first year.

Should be a tiny help that everyone is moving into a new set of regulations at the same time.

I can’t figure out how to embed a video, but the new Cadillac F1 video with Keanu Reaves narrating is cool…”we’ve been expecting you”
Link:

blockquote class="reddit-embed-bq" style="height:500px" data-embed-height="740">Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will drive for Cadillac in the F1 2026 season (Driver Announcement Video)<br> byu/Task_Force-191 insports</blockquote><script async="" src="https://embed.reddit.com/widgets.js" charset="UTF-8"></script>

Found it on YouTube:



It also looks like Keanu is also doing a documentary on setting up the Cadillac F1 team just like he chronicled Brawn GP's magic 2009 season.

When are they going to get their site up for selling team swag?? One of the folks I work for was asking today. They need to take advantage of the momentum and enthusiasm.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
When are they going to get their site up for selling team swag?? One of the folks I work for was asking today. They need to take advantage of the momentum and enthusiasm.

Add me to that list. Told my wife this morning that I at least need a Cadi/VB77 hat

My guess is that they won't go live in the official F1 store until closer to the end of the season.