In the round-up: FIA president Jean Todt says Formula One will keep the Halo until a better alternative is invented.
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No way back on Halo, only a way forward - Todt (F1i)
"Of course it does not have to be the final word either. If we find a better solution then we will introduce it."
Mercedes have no doubts on Hamilton contract extension (Sky)
"I think it's pretty obvious that we are the team of choice for Lewis and Lewis is the driver of choice for us. we have performed well together and l think we will want to continue for a few more years."
Hamilton names three biggest rivals (Motorsport magazine)
"The four strongest drivers I think are me, Fernando, Sebastian, Max. I really hope we are all in the fight next year."
Renault: Stressful showdowns must not happen again (Motorsport)
"We didn't have access to the footage and actually the replay was late coming,
Williams mystified by Stroll's lack of pace (Autosport)
"Lance recognises himself that some of that was his own inexperience, where no matter how bad it is, sometimes you just stick with it and make the most of it."
Why F1's new logo works (ESPN)
"If I had marked or polled the number of people who I have met and discussed the mark since I've gotten here, many of them went years and years not understanding that the invisible space between the left and the right was actually a '1'. So we wanted to keep it simple and clear, and I think that's important for our digital space."
Christiana Figuerez and Alain Prost to lead new global advisory board (FIA)
"Charles Chao, Gerd Mauser, Martin Whitmarsh, Marco Parroni and Lucas di Grassi to help steer the future commercial direction of Formula E as members of the newly-formed Global Advisory Board."
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Comment of the day
Should Pascal Wehrlein have a seat for 2018?
I do feel sorry for Wehrlein, he is very underrated and the rise of Esteban Ocon has quite badly affected his stock. He has scored points in both 2016 and 2017 in what was in both seasons the significantly slowest car, which is no mean feat. I don’t think there is any denying he is quick, but for some reason it seems like his ship has sailed.
If I was running Williams I would see him as a safer bet than Kubica. He would be the quick and consistent driver which Williams needs bearing in mind Stroll is in the other car and he would probably bring a Mercedes engine cost discount with him.
@GeeMac
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Juan Melendez (@juanmelendezr1)
28th November 2017, 0:25
Re: cotd, Wehrlein case is an odd one, people tend to ignore his talent, maybe because he is a bit shy or quiet, or maybe because most F1 fans doesn’t feel identified with him, I think the reason is the later, it’s the same situation for Sergio Perez, Checo is best of the rest for second year in a row, it’s impossible to do more than that in a non Mercedes-Ferrari-RedBull car, and most f1 fans and publications do not care about it and even rate him very low, they talk about the great stars: Ocon, Sainz, Gasly, Vandoorne, and even Hulkenberg, well guess what: the mexican defeated all those guys, and some for the third year in a row, he even defeated Bottas in 2016 in similar machinery, bad thing no one in EuroF1 gives a damn for non euro drivers, im happy F1 is now American owned, perhaps things will change.
Zazeems (@zazeems)
28th November 2017, 0:41
Tend to agree about Perez. The guy clearly has pace and is now one of the more experienced drivers on the grid. Here’s to hoping in a year or two he gets the second Ferrari seat.
hahostolze (@hahostolze)
28th November 2017, 6:31
I think it’s the very opposite reason you cite. He’s not shy and quiet, he’s a bit of a diva, Force India didn’t take him for that very reason. I think the difference between talent and application is quite far apart with him.
Lewis McMurray (@celicadion23)
28th November 2017, 9:32
NOt sure of his attitude this year but he definitely got a bit of a reputation as an entitled diva last season. Did he not have a bit of a meltdown at COTA last year in practice? From memory there was a car issue and the team told him to come in to the pits but he stubbornly stayed out on track until the car inevitably failed, then stropped at the team.
frood19 (@frood19)
28th November 2017, 9:25
I also think Perez has had a fantastic couple of seasons. ocon is also clearly right up there and he has youth on his side. perez really deserved the 2nd ferrari seat a few years ago but mclaren poached him and that worked out badly for all 3 parties. the fact he has come back from that nadir really says a lot about him as a character. although he makes some errors he also grabs the big opportunities (he has taken all of FI’s big results in recent years) which is the mark of a champion.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
28th November 2017, 0:36
Yeah ESPN will surely said F1’s new logo work. The new F1 logo is just a bad copy of theirs after all. Just look at how many dislike on official youtube video about new logo and not a single tweet from F1 passed without anyone complaining about that hideous thing after they introduced it. Even drivers didn’t like it.
It doesn’t matter how fancy the designer try to justified their design on their article. Actually form their own internal booklet there was nothing near decent designs. No wonder the new Liberty’s Director of Marketing didn’t have any option but to pick the best of the worst.
@HoHum (@hohum)
28th November 2017, 1:03
Now that all those people know where the “1” was on the old logo they can spend the next 25 years looking for the “F” in the new one.
Strontium (@strontium)
28th November 2017, 1:15
@hohum +1
Gabriel (@naylamp)
28th November 2017, 1:34
hahahaha. +1
Dewald Nel (@ho3n3r)
28th November 2017, 7:10
COTD. Nailed it.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th November 2017, 7:16
@hohum – reading this the third time this morning, and it still cracks me up. Nicely done!
Egonovi
28th November 2017, 10:58
+1, well said, ;)
Some people just love to complain.
What’s next? complain about the drought in Africa.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
28th November 2017, 1:24
often this is the case, particularly over certain surfaces or when they painted the streaks red.
@ruliemaulana I agree ESPN is taking over in the US, they seem to be Liberty’s best buddies.
I saw that internal booklet, they focused on 2 objectives, 2 rightful, logical objectives, good thinking but kind of failed on both, one was to make a clean design to complement any other logo or sponsor of any colour, that would be true if the logo wasn’t red.
Secondly they knew they couldn’t beat the 94 logo
But they still failed the new logo is simple but not clever, the holy grail is a simple yet iconic logo but sometimes complex logos work, (coca-cola) sometimes simple logos don’t work at all, (google, bing, facebook) and some logos are just dreadful in every way (London2012)
chris (@)
28th November 2017, 7:36
@peartree
Liberty own or part own ESPN
charliex (@photogcw)
28th November 2017, 14:08
@peartree ESPN is wholly owned by Disney.
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
29th November 2017, 2:31
You @photogcw replied to the wrong user @9chris9
Selbbin (@selbbin)
28th November 2017, 1:37
Yeah. It didn’t even look like an evolution of design, just a book full of ideas where they picked one. And most of the ideas were ludicrously bad and should never have made it to a concept book at all.
ruliemaulana (@ruliemaulana)
28th November 2017, 2:12
Yup. Looks like their mind was set before started inking the scrap book. Just fill it with ugly thing so the one they chose looks good. Liberty should claim a refund.
Strontium (@strontium)
28th November 2017, 12:38
Yet, many of the ideas were still better than the one they picked
Jere (@jerejj)
28th November 2017, 7:27
@ruliemaulana +1.
Neil (@neilosjames)
28th November 2017, 0:44
Rather like Todt himself.
@HoHum (@hohum)
28th November 2017, 1:09
{:-)
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
28th November 2017, 1:42
Voted CoTD. Until a better quote is found.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th November 2017, 2:43
@neilosjames @jimmi-cynic – nice ones, both of you!
Deej92 (@deej92)
28th November 2017, 9:40
Spot on.
skylab (@skylab)
28th November 2017, 15:52
Funny and true.
Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
28th November 2017, 1:19
There are A LOT of examples of logos with hidden meanings… most of them are iconic enough that companies put a lot of effort not to change them. F1 should’ve done the same. Maybe just tweak it a bit, but not replace it with a completely different concept altogether. Though that’s very much the F1 way afterall…
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
28th November 2017, 1:48
@fer-no65 Agreed. They had one with streaks similar to those we see in the I guess now old intro, the part we see tron like flashes of light carrying the colours of different teams. They could have reworked this shape in order to keep the F1 logo, clever, as you pointed out that’s one part of f1 they missed on the new sleek logo, there’s no hidden meaning.
I think this new logo reworked to look more like a grid slot would fulfil the hidden meaning part.
This is a rough rough attempt. It’s the new logo, that could be used as a grid slot, you can invert the colours to fit each purpose, there’s nothing more neutral than black and white.
Strontium (@strontium)
28th November 2017, 2:01
+10
F1 has a big history of making terrible decisions. So far little has convinced me that’s going to change
zimkazimka (@zimkazimka)
28th November 2017, 2:39
What bothers me is that the logo really looks like a rushed job. I know a lot of lazy designers, who start working on their assignment the night before they are supposed to turn in their work. This is what this logo (and the entire booklet) looks like.
What’s worse is that they actually DID come up with an entire booklet, so they DID spend time working on it. This tells me that either they are grossly overrated as designers, or they have absolutely no understanding of what F1 is and what it needs.
Look at all the photoshoped screenshots that incorporate the new logo. It’s baffling really. This swing in direction from Rolex-wearing bankers to Wipeout players is jarring. Shouldn’t there be a middle ground?
bull mello (@bullmello)
28th November 2017, 6:01
The most famous example of negative space usage in a logo is of course, the FedEx logo. A touch of irony there as it was first used in 1994, same as the now defunct F1 logo. As FedEx has expanded into multiple divisions of their business, their now iconic logo is incorporated into the branding for each division. This is how brand identification is built and grown.
The most famous recognized logo in the world Coca-Cola was first designed and used in 1887. It has been carefully updated occasionally over the past 130 years and yet is still totally recognizable when compared to the original. The ultimate example of wise and judicious corporate branding ever.
These are two prime examples of how corporate branding should work. Most corps do not follow this lead because many times corporate marketing people are their own worst enemy and insecurity breeds unnecessary change. There is strength in continuity, yet corporate managers act more like dogs lifting their legs at every turn instead of preserving what is best and then building on it.
In the case of the new F1 logo somebody made a pile of money on a rather mediocre, bland blob of goo that we are now stuck with. The page has turned. Hopefully other changes from Liberty will be better. If the logo is a blob and the racing is great, I could live with that.
verstappen (@verstappen)
28th November 2017, 7:43
Yeah the new logo really reflects F1 very good
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
28th November 2017, 1:45
re; Williams mystified by Stroll’s lack of pace
I expect over the winter, Williams will come to Stroll Sr with a plan to make Stroll Jr faster. But the plan will cost an additional $100M and involve a stunt double racing driver named…Stig.
Jimmi Cynic (@jimmi-cynic)
28th November 2017, 2:34
re; Why F1’s new logo works (ESPN)
“If I had marked or polled the number of people who I have met and discussed the mark since I’ve gotten here, many of them went years and years not understanding that the invisible space between the left and the right was actually a ‘1’. So we wanted to keep it simple and clear, and I think that’s important for our digital space.”
Proof that Bratches has only talked to autosport idiots or no one at all…because marketing maven… Actual F1 fans have known for decades about the clever use of negative space in that iconic logo. It’s clear and simple that Liberty’s digital space will be filled with simple stuff bordering on the stupid.
While I appreciate their desire to remove the foul traces of Bernie’s handiwork, if Liberty was indeed sincere, they’d cancel or not renew the Bernie dictator’s bribe-money race deals and replace with them with racing on iconic tracks.
But, more likely they’ll just pave the existing boring racetracks like Sochi, Yawn Marina with smarmy marketing speek:
“We are trying to re-position Formula One from a purely motorsport company to a media and entertainment brand with the heart and soul of a race car driver in the middle of it.”
Have fun re-positioning in this aero-addicted motorsport, Sean – in F1, track position is everything.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
28th November 2017, 2:40
Still a better track than Yas Marina! :-P
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
28th November 2017, 3:12
Interesting how Lewis doesn’t mention Danny Ric in his list of top rivals. Another clue that the Ric to Merc deal is done? Lewis starting mind games already?
It’s a bit if a tin foil hat thing to say, but this is F1, anything can happen.
FlatSix (@)
28th November 2017, 6:54
@jaymenon10 I think both Vettel and Hamilton think they’re better than Max, why wouldn’t they? And we know Max has the upper hand on Ricciardo, or if you’re in doubt he definitely will next year. Yes you can bring on 2014 but I hardly doubt Ricciardo could repeat the feat twice. I’m very impressed by the Australian, but he’s had a fair share of luck on his prime results also, I believe he’s step down from those four, and a huge step up from what’s underneath him, the Hülkenberg/Perez group. Ocon and Vandoorne surely will at least become as good as him in the future.
anon
28th November 2017, 7:37
@flatsix, I would dispute some of your reasoning, because I think that you overestimate sometimes how much Verstappen lost and underestimate Ricciardo’s losses at the same time.
You complain that Verstappen lost out on a number of top 3/4 finishes, though in reality I think that there are probably only two occasions where that is reasonably certain (Baku and Canada), since in three other races he was involved in crashes at the first corner and so we never saw how the rest of the race would have played out, whilst in Belgium he was only 5th.
As for Ricciardo, he was running in 4th in the US and Abu-Dhabi GP’s, so that’s at least twice you could argue he has also missed out on top 4 finishes – so whilst Verstappen had his issues earlier in the season, the problems Ricciardo has had in the latter part of this season whilst still being in strong positions in some races does make me think that people are overplaying the “luck” card a bit.
Fikri Harish (@)
28th November 2017, 10:19
The mistake I made in evaluating Max is that I made the incorrect assumption that even as someone so ridiculously young and experienced, he managed to arrive in F1 relatively fully-formed, in that he managed to quickly grasp how to be fast in an F1 car with such limited testing.
But what if he didn’t? What if, like pretty much almost every other newcomers in F1 in the last 5 years or so, he is still actually adapting to the nuances that is modern F1 and even now is still adapting to F1 and it’s just from his sheer natural abilities that even when he’s still getting to grips with F1 he could still go toe-to-toe with some of the sport’s best?
I once said that 2014 is the year in which the best driver on the grid mantle passed on from Ricciardo to Alonso and while I do hope with every fiber of my being that this year is just a slight dip in form from Daniel, it wouldn’t surprise me if Max could fill that gap as he’s been every bit as entertaining as Daniel has been when it comes to overtaking.
That line of thinking makes me excited for next year and how Ocon is going to be as he has proven even in his first full season to be every bit as equal as Perez, whom in my opinion is a step below the best drivers on the grid right now. If he could emulate what Verstappen did, it would be a pleasure to see where they would end up as Ocon’s starting point is just as brilliant.
Robbie (@robbie)
28th November 2017, 17:09
Some good points being made here. For me, I simply, for whatever reason, haven’t warmed to DR. My take is that Max is the one that has out qualified DR by quite a margin, and so he’s the one that has been fighting at the sharper end of the stick, which has been the harder thing to do. Brundle has been complimentary to DR as ‘the last of the great late brakers’ but has that not generally been against lesser cars on the grid, while Max has more often been ahead getting awesome starts off the grid and fighting for podiums more often? Without putting it under a microscope it seems to me they’ve both had disheartening ill-timed unreliability but Max seems to have had more of it when it was for closer positions to the front. Once he had more reliability, and up until the last race or two, wasn’t Max the highest point scorer amongst drivers over a certain set of races after the summer break?
I don’t know….I just have this feeling that Max is truly special and has that extra ‘it’ factor that I just don’t see in a lot of other drivers, including DR. Therefore I can completely agree with LH’s list.
Jere (@jerejj)
28th November 2017, 7:29
Regarding the F1i-article: Hopefully, in the long-term, they’d resort to something that fits better with the cars like the Shield or the Aeroscreen.
RB13
28th November 2017, 9:56
Correct me if i’d wrong but the titular picture to this roundup is the first time the Halo has been seen with aero moulding?
Not that it looks any better, just pointing it out.
Tony Mansell
28th November 2017, 12:33
Jeez its just a logo. If that’s the biggest problem in F1 we’re in good shape.
Clue. It isn’t the biggest problem in f1.
Phil Norman (@phil-f1-21)
28th November 2017, 14:16
I agree with you. I really don’t understand the fuss about a blooming logo! I don’t care to be honest.
Michael Brown (@)
28th November 2017, 12:54
Halo forced on the teams because 2017 was election year for Todt.
Egonovi
28th November 2017, 13:27
Fair summary of the top 4 overall and also the best performers this year.
It surprises me that on this site with F1 Fanatics the 2nd one got so few accolades. Are even we blindsided by the strength of the car and do we miss the extraordinary performance of those in lesser machinery?
KR
28th November 2017, 20:48
A bit like your self then ?