In the round-up: The mayor of Monza Dario Allevi says this year’s race at the track will go ahead behind closed doors.
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
— Mercedes-AMG F1 (@MercedesAMGF1) June 1, 2020
The idea of using reverse-grid races to decide the grid at some rounds is back on the agenda.
But @racefansdotnet readers were strongly against the scheme when we polled on it last year. Here's why: https://t.co/KQHtsXZ7Uk#F1 pic.twitter.com/gqZEolT6ku
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) June 1, 2020
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- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
As well as confirming plans to go ahead with this year's race, Allevi said the circuit has extended its contract to hold F1 races to 2025.
Indy Lights schedule on hiatus until 2021 (Indy Lights)
"After discussions with IndyCar and understanding of their firm commitment to Indy Lights going forward, we, together, decided to suspend the 2020 Indy Lights season. We recognise that this will cause some hardships, but we hope all participants will realize the necessity of this decision and we look ahead to 2021 with a promise of better things to come."
Codemasters to create games based on the World Rally Championship (Games Industry)
"The WRC series has been previously handled by publisher BigBen Interactive, and before that the developer Milestone. Codemasters will release WRC games for console, PC and mobile platforms, including annual titles that will run between 2023 and 2027."
Christian's Column: Factory Bound (Red Bull)
"There has been a lot of discussion, there were some extreme ideas tabled and a level of opportunism in some areas, but the teams have found a middle ground in most cases. We now have regulations we are comfortable with but there is still fine tuning required."
Race Against Covid (RM Sothebys)
Among the lots on offer is a 2009-specification Toyota TF109 which was used by Pirelli for tyre testing.
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Comment of the day
Many commenters added their support for the stance taken by Lewis Hamilton and other F1 drivers against racial injustice following the developments in America this week, including @MazdaChris:
It’s a measure of how the world has changed – for the worse – in our lifetimes, where calling out and condemning brutal racial oppression by a militarised police force is somehow seen as controversial. We are living in a world where it’s now more controversial to call out racists than it is to be a racist in the first place.
I always assumed that progress was something that went more or less in one direction. Naively, for sure. I thought that liberty, freedom, and basic rights, became more liberal and inclusive as time went on. I never envisioned how, in the past decade or so, progressive Western society would see such a huge resurgence of the kind of open hatred and violence towards minorities, and in particular black people. I can only imagine it happened precisely because of the kind of complacency I’m guilty of – those of us in positions of privilege have been caught sleeping; while we assumed that things could remain the same, or even get better, while we did nothing, it seems that a certain group of people have quietly gained support and, ultimately, power.
Hamilton is absolutely right to call out those people who have a voice but choose not to use it; turning a blind eye to racial killing because it doesn’t affect them, or because they don’t want to incur the wrath of those perpetrating or supporting these horrific crimes. Because without supportive white voices, all we’re left with is a gloating chorus from those who would spread their vile doctrine. Staying silent is a way of saying ‘I’m OK with this’.
I’m not OK with this. None of us should be.
@MazdaChris
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gusmaia
2nd June 2020, 1:19
As I said before, reverse grids are useless or pointless by the same reason: top three team are 1-2 seconds per lap compare to the rest of the field. Then in 10-12 laps, a Mercedes/Ferrari/RB that started 17th will be at a podium position if not leading the race. So, either top team are not 1-2 sec ahead and the field will balance itself, or top team keep this lead and nothing will change, besides some irrelevant confusion on the midfield and the illusion of competition.
Beyond that, and not the main reason to be against the reverse grid, there will be a massive incentive retirement on the first race in order to get a better position on the reverse grid. Lets say a Mclaren/Renault had a contact on the first corner, loses the front wing, puncture a tire, damages the car floor and is 30 secs behind at the second lap. On current regulation, the car will be sent back to fight for a 9th, 10th. With revers grid, it seems almost reasonable to retire the car, get a pole next race with a fully fixed car. I sincerely fear that by the third lap of the first race the front rows on the reverse grid were already known.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd June 2020, 7:42
@gusmaia I couldn’t agree more with you.
kenji
2nd June 2020, 4:25
There are some interesting factors at play here. One has to question why Mercedes are the sole dissenter? I think that it’s quite obvious…they don’t want any competition. They don’t want anything to stand in the way of seven world titles. They certainly are providing Hamilton maximum protection from other drivers, even in their own team! A reverse grid brings some similar conditions as those we get when it’s a wet race. With the back markers and most mid field runners in front, the initial phase of the race would be marginally slower thus causing the ‘elite’ some aggravation as they would have to weave their way through to the front. Now that can’t be too bad and we would see just how good these front runners really are when fighting wheel to wheel for track position. IMO i would like to see this exercise implemented over a couple of races to test whether or not it really does improve the racing. Let’s face it…watching one team dominate for the last six years is not what i call real competition……
anon
2nd June 2020, 18:18
kenji, Mercedes are not the sole dissenters, as there is not universal support for the move – some of the midfield teams are not that enthusiastic either, whilst others fear that the idea is badly thought out and that allowing Liberty Media to rush this change through sets a bad precedent for the governance of the sport.
Even within some of those teams that, on the surface, might appear to approve of the idea, it seems there are different levels of support – for example, Horner might support the idea, but Marko has made it clear that he absolutely hates and opposes any such idea.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
2nd June 2020, 5:11
Completely agree with COTD, very well said @mazdachris
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
2nd June 2020, 7:57
+1 @mazdachris. Wonderfully stated.
rsp123 (@rsp123)
2nd June 2020, 13:15
+1 Great post. Spot on.
Jere (@jerejj)
2nd June 2020, 7:46
The Dirt Rally-series should receive the licensing-rights so that all modern WRC-cars could be included in its games, which would be better as its more sim than arcade.
Looking down at the starting-grid section of the S/F straight below the podium is going to feel weird.
ColdFly (@)
2nd June 2020, 8:00
It could look the same as big banners are still allowed.
BasCB (@bascb)
2nd June 2020, 7:49
Thanks for the CotD @mazdachris. And Keith
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
2nd June 2020, 8:57
Great COTD @mazdachris and @keithcollantine.
Lums (@lums)
2nd June 2020, 9:27
Thanks for COTD @mazdachris
And thanks @keithcollantine for selecting it.
socksolid (@socksolid)
2nd June 2020, 16:34
I disagree totally with the cotd. Things have improved a lot and what is happening in america is what progress looks like. Sometimes progress comes from kindness, sometimes from fire. People have lower and lower support or willingness to witness racism and it has never been easier to step up and act when you see racism. Massive crowds of people are actively demonstrating against racism. This is how things change for the better. I get the idea that mazdachris is very young person so his life experience is very short and he hasn’t yet witnessed progress because things don’t change overnight. It is easy to just read twitter and say things are getting worse because twitter. Things don’t get better every day but they get better every year. It is not guarantee and takes effort like we are seeing right now. It is sad it is so slow, I’d wish it happened faster.
Just to allow same sex couples to marry took generations but eventually it did happen. I feel sad it took 50 or 2000 years longer than it needed to but things are better. But nobody will say lgbt people have it worse than they had it 5 or 1 years ago. It is the same thing with racism. We are more willing to see things from other people’s perspective than ever before and more people genuenely care and are willing to act than ever before. And because of camera phones and social media we see more of it. It is progress. It is incredibly sad that violent racism like this still happens and happens at such alarming high rates but it is still better than just 10 years ago. It was a sad day when George Floyd was killed but the next day is better because more and more want it to be better.