F1 News Snippets

[Chrill]

M. Schumacher (that's Mick) joins the Ferrari Driver Academy. yolo.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/46881708

[Penfold]

So, there's the official confirmation that Ferrari is taking the Mick... I've often that was the case.

[Chrill]

Look at you, always the punny one.

[Chrill]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/brexit-fears-theresa-may-letter/4326280/

Could a no-deal Brexit have a negative impact on the teams based in the UK? (Basically all but Toro Rosso, Ferrari, Sauber). Some of the teams, including "one of the biggest", seem to think so. I guess Red Bull or Mercedes, then, since McLaren and Williams no longer qualify for that title.

[Matt]

McLaren still qualifies as one of the biggest by size, I think.

[Penfold]

Okay.  Three concerns expressed by David Richards on behalf of Motorsport UK:

1) Ability to hire staff from across the EU.

Irrespective of whether or not a withdrawal deal is agreed with the EU, European citizens will at some point in the next two years lose the automatic right to live and work in the UK, and will instead (quite rightly in my view) be put on an equal footing with people from any other continent.  Still waiting on the much-delayed Immigration Bill to see the Government's exact position, but given its generally pro-business attitude to life, I put the likelihood of skilled migration being curtailed at roughly zero percent - it might just have a more global flavour to it.


2) Ability to move goods & people across European borders.

This is just crazy.  To how many non-EU countries does the F1 circus travel?  Perfectly able to navigate Customs in Russia, Brazil, China, etc, etc, but suddenly going from Britain to France is going to be a nightmare.  Yes, staff will in the future require a visa to travel throughout Europe, and I assume there will be additional (electronic) paperwork to be lodged for all the equipment teams lug around, but that's it, there's not going to be a calamitous breakdown in travel between here and the Continent.  The chief executive of Calais port said just the other week that lorries will run smoothly even in the event of a no-deal Brexit, that the frequency of spot-checks on freight will remain as it is now.


3) Cost of importing/exporting goods.

I'll assume F1's imports/exports across the Channel fall mainly under the 'Transport Equipment' section of the EU's Common Customs Tariff.  If, for some bizarre reason, the UK chose to persist with the EU's current tariff regime this would entail a 4.3% charge being applied to such goods; not ideal, but less than one might reasonably expect the Sterling/Euro rate to fluctuate during any given year - perhaps Motorsport UK should argue for us joining the (doomed) Euro experiment to eliminate currency costs!

If the Government has any sense, and at this point I do have my doubts, they should modify import tariffs along the lines detailed here (this includes zero-rating of car components): https://brexitcentral.com/leaving-eu-wto-terms-will-pull-barriers-world-trade-cut-prices-consumers/

[Penfold]

Pink Panther Racing Force Point India takes a punt on a new title sponsor: https://www.racefans.net/2019/01/21/racing-point-agrees-major-sponsorship-deal-with-sportpesa/

[Chrill]

Well now, is that a Stroll associated company? I didn't think it was. That is, then, a genuine title sponsor.

[Penfold]

Yep, company is nothing to do with papa Stroll as far as I can tell.  The three biggest shareholders are Kenyan, then there are three Bulgarian and one American investor all with sizeable chunks of the firm.

So I was Googling away for info., as one does, and apparently SportPesa is the main shirt sponsor of Hull City AFC - clearly I don't pay enough attention to second-tier football clubs.

[Chrill]

Oh yes. The Tigers from Hull, arguably the most fun place in the UK. Spectacular place, amazing colourful people with a lovely accent.

Speaking of second-tier football clubs, in FIFA 19 I brought fourth-tier club Forest Green to the Premier League with 3 successive promotions. I won the Premier League in our 2nd year running. That was fun.

[Penfold]

If only there was some deranged billionaire out there who wanted to try that in real life.

Hull... UK City of Culture 2017 to end of 2020.  I know, I thought it was a joke the first time I heard it, just as I did when Liverpool was announced as European Capital of Culture back in 2008.

[Chrill]

If only there was some deranged billionaire out there who wanted to try that in real life.

Oh yes, we'd need more of those in football. The only deranged billionaire owner who appeared to be an actual decent human (the Leicester City Chairman) crashed to his death in a helicopter. Unfortunate.

https://www.motorsport.com/f3/news/ticktum-asian-winter-series-superlicence-bid/4327378/

Dan Ticktum may not get his super license after all, because the series he is racing on does not fulfil FIA's criteria. It's run over merely three weekends and on just two circuits, which is just not enough to be considered a racing series. Then again, FIA included it on a list. At first. So we'll see if Ticktum can replace Albon/Kvyat if need be this season.

[Chrill]

https://www.gpblog.com/en/news/30326/alonso-wants-a-third-formula-1-world-championship-in-2020.html
Alonso implies he has no plans for 2020 and a "third world title" would be a nice thing, also saying "I'm 37, Schumacher raced until 43".

Well, sure.

[Penfold]

Only needs to find a suitable drive, how hard can that be?  Oh yeah, that's why he just left F1.

[Penfold]

Huski Chocolate, Swedish purveyors of cocoa-flavoured drinks, will have their logo emblazoned on the MCL34's rear wing: https://www.racefans.net/2019/02/05/mclaren-signs-huski-chocolate-drink-new-sponsor-f1-2019/