Jake back would be a small price to pay for getting rid of the annoying Irish dwarf!

 

Jake's all right. It's Eejit on the BBC and Crofty on Sky I can't stand ...

 

Other than a couple of notable former drivers such as Hunt and Brundle, the allegedly professional commentators over the last couple of decades of televised Grand Prix racing have been pretty dire.

We came to tolerate Murray Walker and his gaffes because he was "dear old Murray", but don't forget that we've also suffered James Allen and Jonathan Legard, compared with whom Crofty comes across as being the consummate professional.

I actually like the current Sky presenter lineup. It's very easy to be an armchair critic.

Back to Formula 1 gossip, and it would appear that Pastor Maldonado's PDVSA cheque may have got lost in the post, or something. Renault have complained that if it doesn't turn up soon, they may need to overlook Pastor's talent and find somebody else. This is the Renault team which, in their most recent incarnation as Lotus specialised in not quite having enough cash in the bank to pay their creditors.

Oh, the irony.

We're at that time of year again, when we eagerly await the launch of the new cars ahead of pre-season testing. Pre-season testing has been reduced to two tests this year from the previous three, but limited in-season testing has been increased.

With some significant changes planned for 2017, this year's cars will probably just have minor upgrades from 2015, although the best thing that could happen to Formula 1 would be at least one other team finding enough pace to trouble Mercedes. The arrival of Haas will provide some interest, as they're not short of either budget or technical support from Ferrari, so don't expect another HRT-style fiasco. Comparisons are already being made with the last team to make a competitive entry into F1, Sauber. Let's hope so.

At least Romain Grosjean will enjoy the novelty of being paid on time.

 

A lot of speculation that Magnussen will take Maldanado's seat if the money doesn't turn up:

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/...do-uncertainty

Which would probably be good. I think he did enough to show he deserves to be an F1 driver somewhere.

The planned faster cars for 2017 are looking a bit shakey:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/35283404

I don't know why they couldn't have worked this out before they announced the plan.

It's going to be interesting what happens with Manor and Haas. With Mercedes engines (instead of 2014 Ferrari engines) and a new car Manor really have to make a leap into the midfield, but they have lost two of their key people so it seems like the operation is in a bit of a mess. If Haas do manage to jump straight into the midfield from day one then Manor are going to look pretty ridiculous.

 

If this is whats to come, 2017 season should be the worst one yet!
I hope they keep Maldonado, he'll put on a show for the viewer

 

oh boy.
http://as.com/diarioas/2016/01/23/en...85_065667.html

 

Allegedly. We won't know until Qualifying in Melbourne, because pre-season testing has become an object lesson in disguising the true pace of the front-running cars, with the odd low fuel lap with the wick turned up from the midfielders to keep the sponsors happy.

And despite the rubbish being spouted by McLaren fans last season, there was no evidence that the chassis was any good, or rather any better than they have produced for about the last half of a decade. If the engine package was as tragic as last year's Honda, the chassis and aero wouldn't have made much difference, but if the engine was up there with the Mercedes and Ferrari the chassis and aero would, I suspect, have been found out.

Peter Prodromu has only been able to influence the 2016 car, hopefully for the better.

Don't forget that in 2014 McLaren had the best engine, and were easily the worst Mercedes-engined car, behind even the under-financed Force India. If they can't get their act together in 2016 their decline may well become terminal - the lack of a title sponsor must really be hurting them, and will compromise the funding available for development.

It would be good to see another team fighting at the front, as I for one am becoming bored with the current Mercedes domination. But, as ever, it isn't Mercedes' fault, and it's up to the others to catch up.

 

I liked the "they didn't even take a Christmas holiday" comment.......really......in Japan? Strange that
I bet they were gutted to miss their kfc

 

Maldonado out, Magnussen in.

I was sort of hoping Maldonado would stay.
Unless Ferrari is up there this year, Maldonado was the only thing guaranteed to be entertaining.
I mean.. Who manages to almost crash the car going down a straight.

And what is up with the Baku street circuit. It will be narrow af.
Only overtaking we're going to see there is in the pit lane.. It's like Monaco, only worse.

 

I'm sure that, given time, the Formula 1 community will come to terms with Maldonado's absence. It won't be easy, though.

The only seats vacant in the annual driver-go-round now appear to be at Manor, and it seems that GP2 journeyman Rio Haryanto needs to have an urgent look down the back of his sofa and emerge with around €3 Million to secure his seat. Although Manor has moved on from the team which has led such a hand to mouth existence in the last couple of years, even with Mercedes power and a new regime under former McLaren man Dave Ryan, it would be a surprise to see them anywhere other than at the back of the field, but who knows?

In just over a fortnight the 2016 cars will be unveiled, and in sympathy with these (relatively) less affluent times, most of these reveals will be of somewhat more modest proportions than have historically been the case. In fact, more often than not they will take place in the pit lane at Barcelona just before the first pre-season test. Or, in the case of Sauber, the second and final test.

Not long until Melbourne.