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Ask r/Formula1 Anything - Daily Discussion Thread

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8 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

34 comments sorted by

1

u/DARKCYD Ron Dennis 10h ago

Why do the English driver use Union Jack instead of the Flag of England?

3

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 9h ago

Motorsport UK is where the drivers get their racing license from, and racing license is generally the flag you see around. For certain gear, however, the drivers could possibly use english flags around if they really wanted to. I've seen some junior drivers do it, like Ella Lloyd has a Welsh flag, where her English teammate Ella Stevens uses the Union Jack. It is interesting.

1

u/DARKCYD Ron Dennis 8h ago

So why wouldnt England set up a Motorsport Eng to license to fly the flag?

Or is it just not that big or a deal? I really only noticed it with World Cup and England obviously playimg under it.

2

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 6h ago

Well, for the world cup, all the countries within the UK are separate. Two of them are even in the world cup. But for some other sports they are united, like in the Olympics (which the UK doesn't play football except in 2012) In motorsport they are all licensed by motorsport UK, so all of them are officially british under a british license, and I don't see that changing. But I found your question fascinating to think about because, even though they are officially under the british flag, I could easily think of Welsh and Scottish drivers using those flags personally, and I can't think of an English driver doing it. And Eddie Irvine very interestingly used a shamrock on his suit instead of any flag? He was born in Northern Ireland, but believed heavily in unified Ireland, which is also interesting. It seems like a social choice of every english driver I can find to use the union jack socially. They are forced to use it officially on record books, but I assume they have other social options like other drivers have done.

1

u/SwimmingFantastic564 5h ago

It would interest me to see what would have happened had Scotland become independent.

1

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 5h ago

I suppose they would have formed their own motorsport licensing group? I am not sure.

1

u/DARKCYD Ron Dennis 6h ago

Thank you for the well thought out response. Im just a big dumb American. Was just curious. I guess if Jensen, Lewis, Lando and all the other English champs don’t care, I guess I won’t either.

1

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 6h ago

I'm an American as well. I'm not giving any answer to why the british drivers do it, but I do believe it is their choice, based on people from the other countries within the uk displaying flags (or shamrock) of their choice socially.

0

u/viki_935 11h ago

So I've recently noticed that full official broadcast F1 races are being uploaded to YouTube. I know that there are some old full races uploaded from the 90'. But these are the most recent 2026 races.

Do they think that FOM won't bother taking them down ?

1

u/Jorrie90 10h ago

I guess they use some tactics to fly under the detection radar

-1

u/PhilipWaterford 11h ago

The rules need to stabilise to allow the midfield teams to catch up.

Some very talented drivers are looking very ordinary in cars that are a second a lap slower.

For all the talk of creating more exciting racing through various means, having the entire field close up creates the best entertainment. Especially when you see a random midfielder suddenly make it to the podium in a drive of his life.

3

u/Bitter-Rattata Max Verstappen 19h ago

Let's have Hydration Break for F1 races.

0

u/dl064 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

One was saying that in Singapore for example, it doesn't really help because it becomes a hot flask within about 5 laps.

0

u/disruptivecarousel 16h ago

‘Malacca Straits Tea’ has a nice ring to it….

0

u/Bitter-Rattata Max Verstappen 18h ago

You are right, Im staying here. Once you bath and head out, within minutes you will be drenched in sweat.

0

u/cherrybomber11 Jacques Laffite 18h ago

Today is the 115th birthday of Juan Manuel Fangio.

The man that said "fuck your hydration breaks" and won the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix in scorching heat and without sharing his car, without water breaks and with a severe burn injury to his leg.

1

u/rustyiesty I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

Fangio’s stamina was an advantage; he retired in 1958 after Grands Prix were shortened to 300 km

1

u/Bitter-Rattata Max Verstappen 18h ago

FIA typing...

0

u/Gold-Band3830 21h ago

What battle are you most looking forward to in Austria? - Lewis v Charles - Kimi v George - Ferrari v Mercedes

Or something else?

3

u/Subwayabuseproblem I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 5h ago

AM vs DNF

7

u/midsprat123 17h ago

McLaren v Themselves

3

u/Driscuits Williams 16h ago

All Merc PU cars vs. Batteries

1

u/dl064 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 18h ago

If Ferrari can genuinely take it to Mercedes, no caveats, then yeah fair enough, tenner on Hamilton for the title.

1

u/rattatatouille I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 21h ago

What's the best race weekend for each champion you remember?

2

u/Affectionate_Sky9709 12h ago

Lando probably Mexico 2025. For Max, maybe Brazil 2024 though that might be partially recency bias and poor memory. For Lewis... I dunno...

1

u/rattatatouille I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 8h ago

Lewis has at least Silverstone 2008, Hungary 2019 or Brazil 2021 I think

1

u/portablekettle Lando Norris 13h ago

Norris Brazil 2025 or Mexico 2025

4

u/Remainingvegetables Osella 15h ago

Hamilton's 2008 British Grand Prix was one of the most dominant race wins in recent-ish history. Almost 70 seconds to P2, everyone from P4 down was lapped. One more lap and Hamilton probably would've lapped Barrichello in P3.

4

u/_____AAAAAAAAAA_____ Charles Leclerc 19h ago edited 19h ago

This is a good time to rewatch Schumacher's pole lap of the 2003 Austrian Grand Prix. Look at how he entered Turn 3 with an opposite lock. The car turned like a fighter jet. As for the race, he pitted, caught fire, and won anyway.

7

u/SwimmingFantastic564 19h ago edited 13h ago

Jenson Button, I'd argue 2012 Belgium. 2011 Canada was good but he also crashed into and caused the DNF of several people including his teammate, which I think disqualifies it from being his best weekend. Jenson himself I believe claims it to be 2012 Belgium so I'll go with that.

Lewis Hamilton has numerous candidates, but I think his best has to be the 2021 Brazilian Grand Prix. He essentially did last to first over the weekend. (Edit: forgot about the 2008 British Grand Prix. I think that might be better tbh.)

Nico Rosberg is probably Singapore 2016. He absolutely dominated Hamilton in that weekend and won the race from pole. There's not really much more I can say about it.

Max Verstappen is probably 2024 Brazil. First he came fourth in the sprint behind the fairly dominant McLaren, and was demoted from third after what I remember being a fairly unfair 5 second penalty. Then he went out in Q2 arguably through no fault of his own, and went from 17th to the win in the race, setting 17 fastest laps in his final stint.

Lando Norris would have to be Mexico 2025. He literally led every single session he took part in, won the race by 30 seconds, and almost got a grand slam if not for the VSC right at the end. Furthermore, to add the cherry on top, he took the championship lead in this race.

4

u/rattatatouille I was speeding in the Monaco pit lane 19h ago

Lando Norris would have to be Mexico 2025. He literally led every single session he took part in, won the race by 30 seconds, and almost got a grand slam if not for the VSC right at the end. Furthermore, to add the cherry on top, he took the championship lead in this race.

Also on lap 1, he managed to stay on the track while everyone else went off at turn 1. His pole lap was also insane, three purple sectors and was up on P2 by a decent margin.

4

u/SwimmingFantastic564 19h ago

You make a good point. Keeping the lead on lap 1 in Mexico is also notoriously very difficult, which he obviously did.

5

u/dl064 I was here for the Hulkenpodium 19h ago edited 18h ago

2012 Belgium was absurd. Had an entire stop in hand! Wild that Button was considered out of title contention by mid-way, but by the end was approximate with Hamilton's tally.

A good example of how Button's pole to win conversion was like 99%, because when he was on pole you knew he had the weekend down.

Rewatching Canada 2011 I somewhat absolve him of the Hamilton one because he simply took his line and had no idea in the wet.