Renault “frustrated by lack of recognition” for success
F1 Fanatic round-up
In the round-up: Renault believe they don’t get enough of the credit for powering Red Bull’s successes in recent years.
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Renault: ‘We don’t get enough out of F1′ (Autocar)
Renault chief operating officer Carlos Tavares: “We are frustrated by the lack of recognition we get for beating the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes. It is true that I think we deserve better.”
Marussia still negotiating with Bernie (ESPN)
“‘We are in active discussion with the Commercial Rights Holder but, as of today [Thursday], we do not have a signed agreement with them,’ a spokesperson confirmed.”
Maldonado highlights the perils of F1′s pay drivers (The Telegraph)
“[Deceased Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez] had personally approved the contract that enabled Maldonado to become the most glaring example of the ‘pay driver’ in F1: a prodigy who owed his seat to a national government pouring up to £45 million into Williams coffers to ensure greater cachet and recognition on the global stage.”
NBC Sports Group F1 coverage for 2013 (NBC)
“In its initial season of Formula One broadcasting, NBC Sports Group will air 19 Formula One races and 39 qualifying and practice sessions across NBC and NBC Sports Network. Four races will air on NBC, one will be on CNBC and the remaining 14 will be on NBC Sports Network.”
Tweets
— Dickie Stanford (@dickiestanford) March 7, 2013
Good to see @maxchilton in the house today for the final time before his F1 racing debut in Melbourne next weekend
— Marussia F1 Team (@Marussia_F1Team) March 7, 2013
“The name ‘Hermann Tilke’ is indeed holy in the world of motorsports.” Riiight… nationmultimedia.com/business/Tilke… #F1
— F1 Fanatic (@f1fanatic_co_uk) March 7, 2013
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Comment of the day
@F1antics on the political context of the BBC/Sky deal following yesterday’s story about Sky’s forthcoming F1 channel price hike:
The UK Government put the squeeze on the BBC in a number of ways, not least that the BBC has to pay for the installation of rural high-speed broadband out of licence fee income, to the tune of at least £300m. Labour and the Liberal Democrats had proposed a “levy” to pay for it, but the Conservative government rejected that. This is is the same government whose leader was (is?) close friends with Rebekah Brooks, CEO of News International and protege of Rupert Murdoch (who owns BSkyB).
I’m sure that the people who read and post here are aware of the many challenges facing the BBC, and the relationship the current government has with BSkyB, so I don’t really understand the vilification of the BBC or the defence of Sky.
The gradual move from public to paid content is a result of a plan to weaken public broadcasting in the UK, and to strengthen companies like News Corporation, and empires like the Murdoch’s. And, sadly, as more and more people give Sky their hard-earned money, more programmes will be lost to the average viewer and will only be available to those who can afford it. Eventually will all be over Sky’s barrel, and they’ll charge whatever they want.
It’s like watching frogs being slowly boiled alive. At some point in the future all the people here breathing a sigh of relief that they’re not the ones being screwed this time around, will realise it’s their turn. And they’ll have funded it.
@F1antics
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On this day in F1
McLaren dominated the first race of 1998 but there was controversy as David Coulthard surrendered victory to Mika Hakkinen.
Hakkinen had been leading comfortably until he accidentally pitted due to a problem with his radio. Coulthard later handed the lead back to him.
Heinz-Harald Frentzen was third for Williams, over a lap down. Here’s the moment Coulthard gave up the lead:
Image © Red Bull/Getty
SubSailorFl said on 8th March 2013, 0:10
If Renault wants more recognition then have a Renault Team and not just be an engine supplier. It’s obvious to everyone they make a great engine but it’s how the team uses it.
Roald (@roald) said on 8th March 2013, 0:21
Was about to say the same thing. They had their own team and won championships with it just a few years ago. They sold their team which now carries a name that really ruins the entire team for me, it’s not Lotus and the whole war about the use of the name with Caterham was confusing and embarrasing.
Mercedes felt the same way and they have their own team now. It’s in their own hands really. Besides, everyone knows the engines are about the same these days and it’s aerodynamics that make the difference, of course Renault don’t deserve credit for that.
Oh and way to go Bernie, we’ve just got 22 cars in 2013 and you’re doing everything you can to make the grid even smaller. Fantastic job.
Rybo (@rybo) said on 8th March 2013, 4:09
Keep in mind though that Renault supply more of sharp end the grid comparatively w/ RBR, Lotus, and Williams(I didn’t forget Caterham, they just didn’t score any points). Where as Ferrari just has SF and Sauber(Again Torro Rosso isn’t on the sharp end), with Mercerdes supplying their own works team in addition to McLaren and FI.
One could argue that Mercedes has the stronger line up, but at the same time all 3 teams chocked at the end of the season. Sure McLaren won the last two races, but their finishing positions could have been so much better. While the works Mercedes team made an art of falling down the grid. And on top of that Force India decided to one up Sauber at wasted opportunities. However one could argue that Mercedes should get more respect because they didn’t suffer an engine related failure though out the season.
Lucas Wilson (@full-throttle-f1) said on 8th March 2013, 9:02
@Roald,
You say that like we have less cars on the grid than at any other time. That is not true, 1996 and 2009 had the same number of cars.
dennis (@dennis) said on 8th March 2013, 7:27
I agree with that basically, however I think it would already be a big step in better direction if they didn’t write “Infiniti” all over the car…
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 8th March 2013, 8:27
Yeah I have to say I’ve not got much sympathy for Renault on this one.
They headed for the exit after the disgrace of Singapore ’08. They wanted the engine freeze and because of it engines have never mattered less in F1.
They made their bed, they can lie in it.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 12:44
@keithcollantine, Right-on, glad to have you onboard.
Ryan Fairweather said on 8th March 2013, 16:00
Totally agree. Renault don’t exactly use it to advertise their road cars as much as they used too either. Who wants to buy a Renault anyway?
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl) said on 8th March 2013, 17:12
Exactly. They were one of the architects of the reality which they’re now complaining about.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 8th March 2013, 9:44
Exactly. One could argue that they deserve no recognition for having powered Williams who had a pretty disappointing season after that 1 victory.
Daniel (@collettdumbletonhall) said on 8th March 2013, 0:17
Well done Renault.
Brian (@satchelcharge) said on 8th March 2013, 1:18
I full-on guffawed @collettdumbletonhall , excellent
Calum (@calum) said on 8th March 2013, 2:43
I can’t see it getting any better for Renault… not when Infiniti-RedBull Racing will be taking the plaudits winning races!
davidnotcoulthard said on 8th March 2013, 15:29
It’s still better thatn “(Nissan )LEAF-RBR”.
TomMK (@tommk) said on 8th March 2013, 6:35
Haha! I laughed pretty hard at that too.
craig-o (@craig-o) said on 8th March 2013, 0:17
£45M for Maldonado to race? I didn’t realise Williams had gotten (apparently) so desperate for money. Maldonado is a pretty good driver though. From Monza onwards he was one of the best drivers in the field. If he can translate his form from street circuits onto road and race circuits and iron out the crashes and hot-headedness he’s without doubt world class. I do hope Bottas will do one on him this season though, but take into consideration I’m generally biased towards the Finnish.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal) said on 8th March 2013, 10:19
I believe that’s amount is across the 3 year contract, although it doesn’t tally with the £19m per season figure that also gets bandied around.
nackavich (@nackavich) said on 8th March 2013, 0:24
Average F1 Journo headline:
“Renault to quit F1″.
I laugh, but it will probably be a legitimate headline by the end of the day.
aka_robyn (@aka_robyn) said on 8th March 2013, 0:27
That headline has “Andrew Benson” written all over it!
Nick.UK (@nick-uk) said on 8th March 2013, 0:28
+1 Haha
nackavich (@nackavich) said on 8th March 2013, 0:33
I wasn’t going to name any names…
Ok I was going to name names. He’s definitely the first to come to mind!
celeste (@celeste) said on 8th March 2013, 3:10
+1
Nick.UK (@nick-uk) said on 8th March 2013, 0:28
I enjoyed the article about pay drivers. Highlighted quite a few things that might make Maldonado’s future a little less secure. If he ever needed to prove his worth with results, it’s now!
Great comment of the day too.
Adam Kibbey (@kibblesworth) said on 8th March 2013, 0:46
Yeah well whilst it is true Renault powers Red Bull, they also power the likes of Caterham. It doesn’t all come down to the engine. Renault, like Ferrari and Mercedes, make great engines. But it’s the teams who get the most out of them and who rightly deserve the most recognition for their achievements.
Hairs (@hairs) said on 8th March 2013, 0:55
Every team that has changed engines in the past couple of years has moved to Renault. That’s a pretty good recognition of their contribution I think.
If I were them I’d be more concerned about the derogatory comments the boss of my works team has made over the past few years.
robfff said on 8th March 2013, 1:02
They dont have a works team…
BasCB (@bascb) said on 8th March 2013, 7:14
they have – its “Infiniti Red Bull Racing” -
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 1:04
How do Renault expect to get any recognition when the best their engine can be is “equal to the others”. If they want recognition they have to exhibit features that are better than the competition, eg. more power, more torque a broader powerband, more economical or more reliable all these features have distinguished various F1 engines in the past but todays rules homogenise the engines so as to make them distinguishable only by their perceived failings.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 3:49
Of course if in 2014 the Renault engined cars accelerate harder, have a higher top speed and more downforce than the Ferrari and Mercedes engined cars then they will have something to advertise.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal) said on 8th March 2013, 10:21
Given the new Formula places the cars powertrain squarely in the hands of the engine manufacturer, my guess is Renault will need to put their money where their mouth is in 2014.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 8th March 2013, 18:04
@hohum – I don’t think anybody will really manage to find any advantage with the engine itself (apart from possibly with the turbo), I think the only area they can improve is with ERS efficiency/weight.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 18:25
yes it’s a very big IF.
Max Jacobson (@vettel1) said on 8th March 2013, 18:43
@hohum – absolutely, which is a travesty. We have new engines and the regulations restrict them almost down to the type of fastening nuts – why has this happened? I’d happily sacrifce gurney flaps for higher boost pressures…
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 1:16
Waiting for the 9pm. US E time F1 review on NBC sports, 45 mins to go, fingers crossed it wont be crap.
Ayrton (@ayrtonx1) said on 8th March 2013, 1:48
Me too, I can’t wait
MatK77 (@bluestar77) said on 8th March 2013, 3:08
12 minutes late due to the late ending of a college basketball game, and blink-and-you’ll miss it footage from winter testing.
Oh dear.
That is what worries me the most about NBCSN taking over the broadcast rights – they cover a lot of live sports, and while there’s nothing likely to disrupt the live broadcast of Australia, China or Malaysia in the early morning hours, what is going to happen at the critical point of the season in Austin and Interlagos?
Wonderduck (@wonderduck) said on 8th March 2013, 5:19
They’ll be live on the actual NBC network, not on NBCSN. More, those races will be the featured sports event on the channel on that day; NOTHING will get in the way of those races being broadcast live.
Besides, it’s not like that preview show was for people who read websites like this. It was for the person who has never seen F1 before. It introduced the Announcers, explained a little about what the sport is, what the stories are, that sort of thing. Of course WE don’t need that; we’ve been following all of that for years.
For what it was, it was fine. Relax.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 12:48
Yes, it certainly could have been worse.
MatK77 (@bluestar77) said on 8th March 2013, 18:28
I recall vividly Jackie Stewart commentating on the Indy 500 in the early eighties explaining with the visual aid of a toy car what understeer and oversteer was. We still hear that same explanation on every F1 race broadcast today. We don’t hear the NFL announcers explain how many downs there are to move the ball ten yards, or what the mountain of abbreviated terms are that are used to describe a baseball game mean. It’s time to cut out the hand-holding and give us a mature conversation, at least talk to us as if this is our second time watching an F1 race. If newcomers latch on to the sport, they’ll put in the effort to figure it out.
As far as the scheduling goes, I’d love to give them the benefit of the doubt but there’s a lot of competition for time with other, more important sporting events. This is the same NBC that Tivo’d the Olympics, remember…
That said, roll on Melbourne. I’m far less of a grumpy f*rt when the talking stops and the revs go up.
Nonnu said on 9th March 2013, 8:45
Maybe that is why NFL is sooooo boring?
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 1:19
COTD, top marks that man. And when there is nothing worth watching on the BBC the politicians will quietly close it down citing lack of viewers, and then jump feet first into bed with Murdoch.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 8th March 2013, 7:16
Yes, sadly that COTD describes reality all too accurate.
njw (@njw) said on 8th March 2013, 12:34
yes, its all a government conspiracy. Utter nonsense!
beneboy (@beneboy) said on 8th March 2013, 19:52
@hohum
There’s hardly anything worth watching on the BBC now, and certainly not enough to justify the cost of the licence fee. The only exceptional shows they’ve had on recently have been Stargazing Live and Wonders of Life.
Channel 4 make far better original comedy and drama while SKY show the best sports and films. The only thing the BBC are good at these days is milking old formats that have been around for over a decade (HIGNFY, QI, Buzzcocks etc), protected sports (6 Nations, Olympics) and the occasional music documentary (but SKY have managed to beat them in this area since they launched SKY Arts).
Even BBC News has been turned into a bad joke since Labour ripped them apart after the dodgy dossier/Dr Kelly fiasco.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 20:05
Oh oh !
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 8th March 2013, 1:28
@kethcollantine
Keith, I totally disagree. Maldonado has proven to me that he deserves a seat on merit alone, while someone like Max Chilton is only in F1 because of the money he brings.
Going by that logic, Alonso is the biggest pay driver in F1, since I believe Santandar brings even more money than PDVSA does.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 1:37
@kingshark, it’s obviously not worth arguing with you but surely you can see the logic in the argument that without the sponsorship he would not have had the ride and therefore would not have had the win. Whatever his current ability without the money he would be forgotten or driving in Nascar.
Jeanrien (@jeanrien) said on 8th March 2013, 2:28
@kingshark @hohum Even if he won GP2, it took him time and didn’t follow the same path as others, it wouldn’t have end at Williams with that alone.
And in any way he brought that money to the team effectively which define him as a pay driver (his ability is something else) but you would putt almost anyone on an F1 seat which such backing (maybe not at williams) …
Now he is right on the limit for a place on merit, he did win and show he has pace but to many “mistakes” and reckless driving which is not really a good point. I think this season will be crucial for him and I fear he would be beaten by Bottas, in which case I’m not sure he can retain a seat next year. I hope I’m wrong but that how I feel it
soundscape (@soundscape) said on 8th March 2013, 1:42
That’s not Keith’s quote; its taken from the linked article.
Kingshark (@kingshark) said on 8th March 2013, 2:05
@hohum
He won GP2. Any GP2 champion deserves a chance in F1.
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 3:43
After 4 years I believe.
Minardi (@gitanes) said on 8th March 2013, 3:51
Hulkenberg blew him away as teammate in 2009 but his sponsorship kept allowing him more tries. Eventually he got it all right in the same way that Georgio Pantano did.
The Next Pope said on 8th March 2013, 4:05
What’s this got to do with what @soundscape replied to you?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine) said on 8th March 2013, 8:18
@kingshark As @soundscape points out, you’re mis-attributing a quote from Oliver Brown in The Telegraph to me.
andae23 (@andae23) said on 8th March 2013, 9:26
A pay driver is someone who’s sponsor pays the team to drive instead of receiving a salary. Alonso gets paid by Ferrari big time.
Optimaximal (@optimaximal) said on 8th March 2013, 10:38
This. Santander just follow Alonso around because he’s Spanish.
JamieFranklinF1 (@jamiefranklinf1) said on 8th March 2013, 16:36
I work at Santander now…does that mean I inadvertently follow Alonso around now? O_o
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 1:32
I hope Marussia stick it to Bernie but I expect we will be seeing them as a fuzzy patch on the screen, like nipples or the face of “undercover” policemen.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 8th March 2013, 9:21
They can then only hope to be watched with as much concentration as those nipples are when blended out @hohum!
HoHum (@hohum) said on 8th March 2013, 12:51
:-)
zerof50 said on 8th March 2013, 1:33
You want recognition? Ok here; I recognize you trying to cheat last year by changing your engine map.
OmarR-Pepper (@omarr-pepper) said on 8th March 2013, 1:37
more recognition? or better marketing?
Kubica could have make them shine, now that dream is over. Even if the same Enstone team which was called Renault years ago made Kimi champion, that would be a LOTUS championship
Force Maikel (@force-maikel) said on 8th March 2013, 8:47
@OmarR-Pepper It would not be recognized as a LOTUS championship because this is not a lotus works team. Lotus only sponsors the team as title and name sponsor. If lotus was to leave in the middle of the season they would be stuck with the name just like BMW Sauber F1 Team in 2010. I generally just regard them as the Enstone team.
BasCB (@bascb) said on 8th March 2013, 9:25
No @force-maikel, @omar-pepper is right, the team had its chassis branded LOTUS so victories would indeed be registered as Lotus victories, even if its nonsense for everyone who watches the sport.
And there is no way for lotus to “leave in the middle of the season” because the Enstone team canceled their sponsoring contract a year ago already. They get no money from them whatsoever, just agreed to have the name.
Force Maikel (@force-maikel) said on 8th March 2013, 10:30
@BasCB Well thank you for clearing that up. It seems they have made it even more confusing now.
tonyyeb (@tonyyeb) said on 8th March 2013, 9:38
Group Lotus do not sponsor the Lotus F1 team at all any more: http://www.gpnow.com/formula1/10776/group-lotus-ends-title-sponsorship-with-lotus-f1-team/ Genii just kept the name.
Vic (@hendrix666) said on 8th March 2013, 2:26
Re Hakk/Coult
I thought I heard that the 2 had agreed that whoever led after turn 1 would get the win?
Ace (@ace) said on 8th March 2013, 4:13
@hendrix666 Indeed. I believe it was a ‘gentleman’s agreement’. Never let it be said that Coulthard isn’t a gentleman. :)
Spinmastermic (@spinmastermic) said on 8th March 2013, 6:04
He did the noble thing, unlike Alonso and Kubica. Are there any gentlemen left?
q85 said on 8th March 2013, 7:30
if you read DC book that ‘gentleman’s’ agreement wasnt not actually true. He was told to let him through.
As ever with mclaren pre MW they had a no.1 and told the other world otherwise. At least ferrari didnt pretend.
q85 said on 8th March 2013, 7:31
*told the world otherwise.