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F1 Forum with chat about the latest Formula 1 news from around the World.
February 15, 2025, 04:42:49 PM by John S
Views: 110 | Comments: 2 How long do we reckon before the whole shooting match decamps from Hinwil, Switzerland to UKs motorsport valley? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/articles/cq5g7vwjxl1o
February 15, 2025, 04:32:12 PM by John S
Views: 71 | Comments: 0 Whilst he harbours thoughts of a major F1 return Otmar has been progressing a specialist software app to aid racing teams, and others, manage complicated itineraries. Seems there is no end to what F1 can offer other business organisations. Warning long read! Unable to work for another team for over a year following his departure, due to a non-compete clause in his contract, Szafnauer revealed the areas he’s focused on in the 18 months since his Alpine tenure ended. “Alpine was nice enough to say I could go ahead and work for Formula 1 Experiences and be a brand ambassador for the brands that want you to be, and those types of things,” he said. “So I’ve worked for some corporates to explain to their more senior guests what Formula 1 is about. I’ve done some talks for some other big corporations on running high-performing teams, how to assemble a high-performing team, and how to keep them motivated. You know, what skill sets as a leader, do you have to lead high-performing teams, that kind of thing. “I just did a talk at Oxford University, on skillsets as a leader and how to manage conflict within high-performing teams. I did a similar talk at Columbia University in New York. “But I think, most importantly, I own a software company called Softpauer. That software company was the company that developed the first ever Formula 1 application, which was a timing and scoring app, back in 2009 – we did this right when the iPhone came out. “The idea happened in 2008 and then my company developed it with Bernie Ecclestone. That same company has now developed an application named EventR to help manage the itineraries of traveling teams, and I’ve been spending a bit of time getting that software out to traveling teams.” But while working on the software is proving an enjoyable pursuit for Szafnauer, he stresses that it’s merely an interim project while he seeks out his next motorsport challenge. “No, this is an interim thing,” he said. “I used to ask my high school friends, out of high school, what was the one thing that stood out to them from my time with them. “I was hoping they’d say something like, ‘You had all the difficult classes’ or ‘You were in with the smart kids, we always thought you would do well after high school’, but they didn’t say any of that. “They said, ‘You’re the most competitive person that we’ve met!’ “So there is that competitive streak, and that was one thing I really enjoyed about Formula 1 because it was at the highest level of motor racing in the world. “I do miss that bit of it. I miss that competition of team building, to be able to beat others that are expected to beat you, as well as every race on a Sunday doing the best we can over the weekend to outperform our competitors, whoever they are, around us on Sunday, and beat those that were expected to beat you. That’s what I loved the most, and I miss that.” Szafnauer explained how he’s worked hard to help get EventR off the ground in various motorsport series – ideal proving grounds for itinerary-based organisations. “I was in Daytona meeting with a bunch of IMSA teams, explaining what the application does and how it can be useful for them. Now, we’ve got a bunch of IMSA contacts and hopefully will get those teams using the app,” he said. “EventR was born out of the fact that, when I was running Force India and Aston Martin, we had about, on average, 120 to 130 people traveling to every event. “Those people didn’t book any of their own travel arrangements. So they didn’t book their own hotels, their own flights, their own transport to the airport, their own hire cars when they got there, none of that. “So, because they don’t do that themselves, you have to communicate to them what their travel itinerary is. Whoever booked your flight, that person that booked it has to tell you, ‘Hey, you’re on BA205 on Thursday and, when you land, you go from the airport to your hotel in a bus, and the bus is going to be here, and then when you get to the hotel the next day, you’re going to the track in a car, and these four people are in the car with you – make sure you’re there at 8 am’… “You had to communicate all that stuff to 120 or 130 people. The itineraries were pretty big, up to 10 pages long, and everybody would print one, right? “10 pages times 130 and then, lo and behold, two days before you left, it would be version two, and then was version three, version four, etc. “I just had in the back of my mind that this was not very efficient. With software these days, we should just get rid of paper itineraries and do it through software. That’s how the idea happened. “This was just a small bit of further efficiency. Efficiency goes a long way in a lot of businesses.” EventR has gained some traction in the F1 paddock, no doubt thanks to Szafnauer’s measured persistence and friendly persuasiveness, and he said the benefits have very clearly become evident to any organisation that has begun using his application. “It was developed with Aston Martin, and they are going to start using it, from what they tell me, this year,” he said. “Another team that has trialled it is Racing Bulls, while some of the others that I’ve approached have said they’re using something already, and they’re happy with what they’re using. “Some said they’ve developed their own. At least half the Formula 2 and Formula 3 paddocks are using it, we have MotoGP teams using it, Sail GP, V8 Supercars, and IMSA teams. “Human nature is to resist change. So getting them to actually trial it is the hardest thing. Those who have trialed it, every one of them have given it a 10 out of 10. “They all say, ‘this is great, thank you’. The Formula 2 teams – it used to take them over half a day to develop an itinerary. “It takes them 20 minutes now, so what took half a day is down to 20 minutes, and the people on the other end of it that have the application, they don’t miss flights, they don’t miss their busses, nothing. “So it’s much more efficient, and you save the paper. No one’s printing this stuff out!” Szafnauer is a free agent now that his gardening leave period from Alpine has ended, but, while a return to F1 is still highly appealing to him, he’s eager to not be in the sport just for the sake of it. Last year, Szafnauer revealed a potential project he’s involved in on the James Allen on F1 podcast. In the early stages of pulling together an effort to add another F1 team to the grid, having secured significant backing from US investors, Szafnauer shed some light on where the project is at. “I’ve been working with some American funders and some car manufacturers to look at a 12th team for the future.,” he said. “At the time, when I started the project, it was going to be the 11th team, but now Cadillac is in, so they’ve got the 11th spot. Edited exerts from longer piece courtesy Thomas Maher, PlanetF1.com, 12th Feb.
February 15, 2025, 03:09:38 PM by John S
Views: 108 | Comments: 2 Williams ran a dark blue 24 looky likie livery at Silverstone (see below). Now were they breaking Liberty's embargo ahead of Feb 18th all car reveal, or are they set for major colour change this year? Have your say in the poll. 
February 13, 2025, 12:16:36 PM by John S
Views: 217 | Comments: 6 We in Britain have to contend with SKY TV F1 pay wall, is the same in the pipeline for our US friends? https://www.pitpass.com/79497/Netflix-to-buy-F1-TV-rights-for-US
February 13, 2025, 12:03:31 PM by John S
Views: 172 | Comments: 4 From dropping fastest lap points to finally tidying up grid order for race starts where no proper qualifying has been possible, it's all here - and more.
February 13, 2025, 11:12:54 AM by John S
Views: 192 | Comments: 4 One of my F1 heroes, his birthday was 11th Feb, so I'm 2 days too late with this. What a true great he was though. https://f1i.com/images/291828-big-john-surtees-still-a-giant-in-our-hearts.html
February 10, 2025, 03:12:19 PM by John S
Views: 260 | Comments: 2 Just a very brief tease of what film may look like, it's out this Summer. 
February 08, 2025, 03:12:05 PM by Jericoke
Views: 323 | Comments: 0 I always love when my favourite YouTubers cover F1 (aside from F1 youtubers, of course. Shout out to LawVS, Tommo and Josh Revell). Here Wendover talks about the changes in F1 basically since Liberty took over. Some of the details are wrong/overly simplified (the writing acts like Liberty has complete control of F1 and there's no mention of the FIA at all), but otherwise he does a good job of explaining the changes in F1 that have made it grow (from an American perspective). https://youtu.be/CxfFKuSfQ8c?si=3VBG_aCcpxjrKA44
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The question is what colour for Williams F1 car this term
[General F1 Discussion] |
Dare February 15, 2025, 08:53:50 PM |
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Sauber/Audi F1 team to establish British tech base
[F1 Teams] |
Jericoke February 15, 2025, 05:48:19 PM |
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Otmar Szafnaur still busy on racing stuff & has hopes of F1 return
[General F1 Discussion] |
John S February 15, 2025, 04:32:12 PM |
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Remembering Big John Surtees, only World champ in F1 & Motorbikes
[F1 History] |
cosworth151 February 14, 2025, 05:30:29 PM |
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Netflix & others to make bids for F1 TV rights in USA
[General F1 Discussion] |
Andy B February 13, 2025, 11:11:55 PM |
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Six new F1 rules you need to know about for this season
[General F1 Discussion] |
Jericoke February 13, 2025, 06:00:06 PM |
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A teaser for Brad Pitt F1 movie just dropped.
[Entertainment, Games & Computers] |
cosworth151 February 11, 2025, 04:17:20 PM |
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Video: "How F1 Exploded" about F1's current success
[General F1 Discussion] |
Jericoke February 08, 2025, 03:12:05 PM |