The 2024 running motorsports thread

He will never win a race again.

 

Some columns are being written about this being "a slap in the face" by snubbing Andretti. As noted, I don't know that the Andrettis are as well liked as they think they are.

 

So, how long until Hamilton is ... seeing red?

 

To me, this seems like a bad idea to announce a driver is leaving a team to join a rival next year before the first race of this season.
All anybody is going to talk about all season is the move. Every move he makes on the track will be questioned in some way.
The best option would have been to keep it quiet until fall. If that wasn't possible, make the switch now, or just let him sit out the year.
It's going to be a major distraction for the entire season.

 

Not like he was winning any this season.

If you’re pushing 40, want one last big contract and are already considered among the best ever, he probably doesn’t give a damn.

 

Exactly. Michael decided early on to try to pressure his way in by talking publicly about every step of the process. It was a really, really bad idea and pissed off a lot of people.

And bottom line, he was building another Haas. That team would have been a backmarker. He was told that once he had a serious proposal -- like, with an engine -- they would be more favorable. Let's see if it happens.

 

Love the Hamilton news. This is going to be fun.

I think this is a good reminder that these guys grow up dreaming of driving for Ferrari. He's leaving a better team for a potential mess, but fuck it, it's red and it's in Italy.

One thing that's going to be interesting -- Lewis just empties his head with every concern or complaint during the race. His radio is a constant stream of "Why did you do this?" "These are the wrong tires." "We just lost ourselves the race." Ferrari will absolutely lose their minds when he does that in red. You do not question the team, ever.

 

Formula One's invitation for in-person meeting with Andretti Cadillac went to a spam email folder

Formula One’s invitation to Andretti Cadillac for an in-person meeting about its application to join the motorsports series was sent via email and landed in a spam folder, which is why Michael Andretti and General Motors representatives never answered the request.
The junk email revelation came Friday as Andretti Global sought to clarify two points in the sharply critical document F1 released earlier this week in rejecting the Andretti Cadillac application.
F1 said it had contacted the Andretti camp on Dec. 12 “extending an invitation to an in-person meeting at our offices in order for the applicant to present its application, but the applicant did not take us up on this offer.”
The invitation was news to the Andretti camp. Its IT team later discovered the request in a search of the email system; the email was not from F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, but a staff member of the series.

 

What was Andretti’s plan for engines?

 

I think he was going to use Renault for the first few years until Cadillac got some ready.

 

Yeah, he had a deal lined up with Renault originally, but that expired.

I believe the most recent plan was "someone's gotta give us some of theirs for now, but Cadillac say it may build some for us in a few years."

 

Apparently it does rain in Southern California and so the Busch Light Clash will run tonight.

NASCAR moves Clash to Saturday due to weather