It also made Fernando flirt with IndyCar a little. A fan of emojis, the Spaniard tweeted out a simple emoji with a GIF. To break it down for the Robin Miller old guys of the world, he essentially said “that’s cool”, then “maybe I’ll do that. ” What Alonso didn’t say was “NO.” Instead he fueled the speculation that he might come to America to run the domestic series in this country.

IndyCar doesn’t need anyone to provide validity to it being a proper championship. It’s a hard series to win in and we’ve seen some really talented drivers get in cars and struggle. Rubens Barrichello joined the series in 2012 and it took him all season to finally earn a Top 5 finish at Sonoma in the third to final race of the season. IndyCar gets a bad rep outside of the states but it’s a super challenging series.

Alonso is naturally a more talented driver than than Rubens but the struggles are real. Without a doubt Alonso would find the top step of the podium in his rookie season. Hell he could be such a great driver that he just dominates the season. There’s no doubt about his talent, it comes down to where does he actually want to race.

Formula One

Fernando has said this season that Formula One is his main focus. However, without a proper winning seat available could he consider leaving the highest echelon of open wheel racing for IndyCar? Possibly.

McLaren is the best place for Alonso. After giving up last weekend at Spa when the car was just so slow down the straights it’s hard imagine he will want to keep racing there. Unless there is a massive engine upgrade for next year it’s going to much of the same. So McLaren could farm him out to IndyCar for a season to keep him happy until the car is ready to compete in 2019.

Fernando Alonso IndyCar diecast

Bring Alonso to us for a season, we’ll take care of him. If the Spanish want to stage a new Spanish inquisition to promote the good word of Fernando Alonso in the states bring it on. Not like we have much to look up to in this country. Just don’t build any statues, we’re very triggered by statues at the moment.

IndyCar could use a huge international name joining the series. No offense to Max Chilton and Esteban Gutierrez but they aren’t getting anyone outside of their families excited. Get Alonso, dominate the world. Simple game plan for Indycar.

The post How Hard Can Fernando Alonso And IndyCar Flirt? appeared first on Apex Off.

Per Adam Stern, because why wouldn’t he have the news, Mothers car products will return to present all 21 rounds commercial free.

ESPN’s F1 coverage debuted in 2018 with a disastrous Australian Grand Prix. No sound, no picture, commercial breaks randomly thrown in at the most awkard times. ESPN said they’d make it right, and they did.

The rest of the 2018 season was presented commercial free. At first ESPN didn’t announce the change and fans took to social media asking others if they had a seen a commercial yet. It was like we all saw Birdbox and were looking for answers just we could see and Sandy Bullock wasn’t screaming at a child.

ESPN sticking with this commercial free concept is fantastic. They pay nothing for the rights to broadcast Sky Sports telecast of the race. Meaning any money from advertisers is straight profit. Why not make a little cash from Mothers while also using the race to lead into other shows on the network? It’s fantastic.

FOX and NBC

Now if we could just get FOX and NBC to revolutionize the way they present races we might actually get to see some action. Obviously they’re locked into contracts but you don’t miss a minute of a soccer game. Why is it ok to miss 30% of a race?

In the meantime go out and buy some Mothers car products and watch commercial free F1!

The post REJOICE! F1 Broadcasts On ESPN To Remain Commercial Free appeared first on Apex Off.

For Williams:

It would allow the struggling outfit to farm out their “#1 driver ” to a more competitive car in relative terms. It will also allow them to put Robert Kubica in the car for the remainder of the season. Kubica has been quicker than both Williams race drivers in nearly every test/practice session this season. Not only can he get more out of the car but he can give the team a benchmark to work off of. Not to mention he has helped develop cars in the past and his input would likely be better than the current two drivers. That’s not a knock on them, Kubica just has vastly more experience.

Also, Williams already has the budget from Stroll’s family for the season. While Lawrence Stroll would continue to pay Williams the agreed upon amount Lance would bring to the team. Williams in return would allow Lance to race in a more competitive car while still under contract with the team. Like when a baseball team kicks someone to the curb, say, Brandon Phillips, the Reds continue to pay him not to play in Cincinnati and play in Atlanta. Of course, he was so bad there they didn’t want him either but you get the point.

For Toro Rosso:

Toro Rosso is obviously not thrilled with the performance of Brendon Hartley so far this season. Like anyone that gets back with their ex you have that moment of clarity a couple months into the second round where you’re like “ohh that’s why we stopped doing this.” And Helmut Marko is having that revelation in real time.

So why not drop Harley for Stroll? Stroll would come to the team for free on loan from Williams. No salary to be paid would give the Toro Rosso team a small bump, not that Hartley is getting paid handsomely but it’s better than what a BK Racing driver gets paid. It also allows Toro Rosso to measure their car a little more. Is Stroll a better driver than Hartley? It’s a toss up but why not see what someone else can do in the car?

For Lance Stroll:

Lance would have the opportunity to get into a more competitive car than what he is currently in. Toro Rosso finished 4th in Bahrain this year. The Honda powerplant has proven to be more reliable than previous iterations of itself. Instead of fighting Sergey Sirotkin for 19th, why not fight in the midpack? It also gives Stroll a chance to show what talent he has in a more competitive car. It may also be the only way for him to prove to other teams he has what it takes to be in F1.

This is a wild rumor that likely won’t happen. In theory, though it makes complete and perfect sense. It’s a peak F1 rumor as well, a lot of moving parts, money, and hurt feelings. Most of the time the off-track drama is better than the on-track drama in F1.

The post Could Williams Be Shopping Lance Stroll? appeared first on Apex Off.

What The Deal Means For F1

Aston Martin is currently a sponsor for Red Bull F1 as well as a technical partner on the development of the Aston Martin Valkyrie hypercar. The sponsorship deal will end following the 2020 season and will mercifully spare us from having to explain why both Aston Martin and Honda branding were on the car. The two sides will continue their relationship on the road car side until the completion of the Valkyrie.

For Racing Point they will be become the works Aston Martin team for 10-years according to the deal. A 5-year sponsorship deal is also included in that deal. Meaning Aston Martin is here for at least 10 years with Aston Martin sponsored cars for at least 5 years. Not a bad deal for a team that went into administration just 18 months ago as former team owner Vijay Mallya attempted to avoid prison.

For Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez, it means they will soon drive for a works team. Will their competitiveness increase? That depends on how much money Aston Martin and Stroll are willing to throw at chasing the Constructors Title. For now, it’s a step up certainly.

More Details From The Deal

• Lawrence Stroll leads investment consortium, becomes Aston Martin chairman – Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Aston Martin. Lance Stroll’s hands have been on a number of brands.
• CEO Andy Palmer stays on – He doesn’t always say the best things.
• Job and cost cutbacks to follow – that’s unfortunate in all honesty.
• Aston business plan revised- translation: they’ll be making a business plan instead of throwing darts at the wall.
• Valkyrie will be launched this year- will it? We only saw it in March of 2017. Three years later it’s still being designed.
• Mid-engined Valhalla will follow- if they don’t get the guys from Mad Max for the launch of this we riot.
• Mid-engined strategy to continue, launching 2022- thank god Corvette mainstreamed this
• Lagonda launched delayed until at least 2025- question, if Aston Martin is a luxury brand why do they need to launch a luxury brand?
• Electric RapidE project suspended- so no Formula E?
• Stroll’s Racing Point F1 team to be rebranded Aston Martin from 2021- actually good.

Just wait until Lawrence Stoll buys Mercedes-Benz AMG F1.

The post Lance Stroll’s Dad Is Bringing Aston Martin To F1 In 2021 appeared first on Apex Off.

F1 Back At The Speedway

F1 appears to be at the top of Roger Penske’s wishlist for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He mentioned the series in his press conference after it was announced he had bought the speedway. Now he’s mentioning it a few months later, it’s obvious F1 is on his mind.

IMS previously hosted the United States Grand Prix from 2000-2007 however the Michelin tire debacle of 2005 ultimately doomed the series at Indianapolis. Teams running Michelin tires felt the banked corner of oval turn 1 was unsafe for their tires which had experienced failures during the weekend. Michelin teams went to the grid and pulled into the pitlane following the warm-up lap. That left 6 cars to contest the race much to the dismay of fans. The same fans who in 2006 and 2007 decided F1 wasn’t worth their time thus ending the United States Grand Prix at Indianapolis. Since that time IMS has added an infield section in oval turn 1 to avoid using the banked corner.

F1 success in the US

With F1’s growing popularity in the US along with the series success at the Circuit of the America’s in Austin it only makes sense for Penske to want F1 back. The series wants a second and third race in the states, Indianapolis could be the answer. F1 wanted Long Beach, they rebuked. F1 wants Miami, they’re dragging their feet. F1 wanted New Jersey, they built apartments. Indianapolis is a purpose-built facility waiting to be used.

Endurance Race At The Speedway w/Lights

Jenna asked about endurance racing at the speedway and it’s top of the priority list for Penske as well. IMSA hosted a race at the speedway from 2012-2014.

More racing at the speedway is never a bad thing. Penske is even open to the idea of putting lights up at the track. Here’s the thing, you don’t have to light the entire track. Obviously it’s a pretty compact layout so it would make sense to but auxiliary lighting in places would be sufficient. Either way, it’s a safe bet that IMSA will be at the speedway if not next year then definitely by 2022.

Moving NASCAR To The Month of May

One of the most interesting bits of information Penske mentioned is the possibility of moving the NASCAR race to May. Everyone knows the Month of May at Indianapolis belongs to IndyCar and the Indy 500. Penske wants to move the NASCAR date on the oval to a doubleheader weekend with the Indy GP.

Would NASCAR want to play second fiddle to IndyCar during the series’ biggest month? Tough to say but if NASCAR is hell-bent on staying at Indianapolis it’s likely their best move to put butts in seats. You know, since they won’t move seven miles away to IRP.

Bye Bye Bathroom Troughs

The disgusting troughs in the men’s bathroom will be a thing of the past. FINALLY.

Give me a urinal with a divider every day of the week. Penske said you’ll see those changes when we get to the track in May.

Paving Parking Lots

One other thing Penske mentioned is his desire to pave the parking lots surrounding IMS. He’s not a fan of the muddy mess they become behind the grandstand. That’s a great idea under one condition.

Coke Lot stays a grassy muddy mess.

The future is bright for the speedway.

The post Roger Penske Wants F1 At The Indianapolis Motor Speedway appeared first on Apex Off.

A proposed Miami Grand Prix first planned for downtown/cruise ship port was moved out to Hard Rock Stadium after concerns from downtown residents. Miami Dolphins Owner Stephen Ross proposed the idea of hosting the race around Hard Rock Stadium in the parking lots surrounding the stadium. F1 has hosted parking lot races before to less than mediocre results. Ross’s plan was different as it would incorporate a purpose-built track as well as existing roadways.

Miami Grand Prix

The plan was met with pushback from the local community due to its inclusion of 199th street which would disrupt traffic. F1’s on-track schedule was also a point of contention presumably because the fine people of Miami Gardens don’t begin their day until the sun has been up for 9 hours.

How about the track?

Part of the concessions made by the Miami GP will be the removal of 199th Street from the track layout. It now appears a purpose-built section of the track will take its place. This was done to avoid traffic disruption on 199th Street. The people of Baku are looking at this like “what the hell, man.”

Another concession made was to tweak the Friday schedule to avoid possible disruptions to the surrounding schools. Apparently the state 27th is trying to climb up the rankings. Because of that, there would be no on-track activity until 3 PM. In fairness, there is a school a half-mile from the Hard Rock Stadium property.

Award for the Most persistent promoter wanting an F1 race

If there was an award for “Most persistent promoter wanting an F1 race” Ross and his team would certainly win. When the F1 race in New Jersey was hit with some pushback they folded and turned the pit building into apartments. This race still isn’t a sure thing, in fact there’s still a better shot of it not happening than happening but they’re giving it their best and if this was the NHRA they’d be in the playoffs for the effort.

The post Potential Miami F1 Parking Lot Race Got A New Track Layout appeared first on Apex Off.

From his famous “I know what I’m doing” quote as he led the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and the Renault pit wall kept panicking because they hadn’t been in that position in years. To the “steering wheel” quote last year. You can even go back in the day to his “fishing and screwing” quote when talking about life in Finland during the winter. Raikkonen is inadvertently hilarious.

Now longtime sponsor Phillip Morris (Marlboro) who still pay millions a year to subliminally advertise with Ferrari is pushing a new initiative called Mission Winnow. What is this initiative? According to the company, it is ” a new global initiative to create engagement around the role of science, technology, and innovation as a powerful force for good in any industry.” So that tells us nothing.

Regardless the company put out a haiku poem book where they took Raikkonen’s quotes and put them into haikus. Who knew Raikkonen was such a poet because these haikus are gold.

Hopefully, someone publishes this book so fans can snag a copy. Make it a double feature and sell it with Raikkonen’s autobiography which is arguably incomplete considering he has two more F1 seasons contractually. Maybe since he had kids he knows his partying days are over and it’s time to tell the stories now. Either way, you’ll definitely want to get a copy when it’s available in English.

The post This Kimi Raikkonen Haiku Book Is Gold appeared first on Apex Off.