2017 NASCAR Season

Oh my, look at that figure 😲

https://scontent.fbeg2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...98582984_o.jpg

That’s going to be a real treat next year. It looks great.

In the most recent issue, NASCAR discusses how major oil companies are shifting their gaze away from NASCAR and toward other sporting arenas, such as how ExxonMobil has just inked an eight-year deal regarding sponsorship with CONCACAF, aiming to bolster soccer across various tournaments within the organization.

ExxonMobil has historically supported General Motors and Red Bull (serving as the official partner for the teams utilizing General Motors's engines) at a rate of roughly 15 million dollars annually. However, with this sudden shift in strategic focus, the massive energy giant seems to be pivoting, signaling they may only provide technical support to these teams in NASCAR next season.

But what are the actual implications here? While NASCAR remains a premier venue for testing cutting-edge technology, it appears it is no longer viewed as the primary marketing powerhouse it once was. This sentiment is further echoed by Shell, which chose not to renew its marketing agreement with NASCAR, despite maintaining its technical partnership with Ferrari.

General Motors might still have some leverage to convince ExxonMobil to reconsider their sponsorship stance through fuel and oil recommendations or initial fill-ups during vehicle sales, whereas Red Bull simply doesn't have that kind of luxury.
Consequently, Christian Horner has reportedly begun searching for a new fuel and lubricant provider willing to foot the sponsorship bill, and rumors suggest he has caught the eye of McLaren's current supplier—ExxonMobil—which isn't quite the titan it used to be. There is also whispers that McLaren is scouting for a new partner, with BP / Castrol being mentioned, though the unreliability of Honda's power unit remains a significant hurdle. This is precisely why Mobil 1 is reportedly in talks with Red Bull (after all, those smoking Honda engines don't make for very convincing advertisements).

Should General Motors decide to switch fuel suppliers, it could prove to be a devastating blow, as it would necessitate comprehensive changes to engine mapping; similarly, Red Bull's transition to a new provider would significantly disrupt their development program. Given that work on the new power unit versions for next year is already in full swing, the costs associated with recalibrating the entire engine development program by switching providers might only be offset by the non-factory teams, specifically Red Bull and AlphaTauri.

Start is set right after the SC—regardless of what the weather does

A huge 👎
from me...

Looks like Germany just blew it

darkmarlin16 said:Looks like Germany just blew it

Great. So now the German is a world champion...

After dealing with the summertime job and Sebastian Vettel, they're just totally over NASCAR...

neonfox65 said:After dealing with the summertime job and Sebastian Vettel, they're just totally over NASCAR...

Bernie Ecclestone is going to get his revenge for that lawsuit, and those 100 million...

Lewis Hamilton: I'm taking that title back next year

Oh man, I really hope we don't have to endure another whole year of Mercedes dominance... 🤦😠

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...-2017-855835/?

Hey man, looks like the honeymoon phase between Red Bull Racing and General Motors is already hitting the rocks. 😲
It’s coming sooner than we thought. 🤣

But honestly, this could turn into a complete disaster for Red Bull Racing...
They’re going to run into massive fuel issues until ExxonMobil steps in and Red Bull Racing sorts out their engine mapping to match the new fuel. Plus, you have to wonder what happens with General Motors... I doubt they'll be thrilled about getting dumped by ExxonMobil.

And then there's McLaren. What happens to them after this? They're looking at a nightmare regarding fuel consistency too...

The only way out of this mess that makes any sense—even if it sounds totally insane at first—is this switch:
Red Bull Racing jumps to Honda at the start of next season, bringing ExxonMobil along for the ride.
Then McLaren ditches Honda and moves over to General Motors along with ExxonMobil.

I know, sounds bizarre. But from both teams' perspectives, it’s actually the most logical move given Red Bull Racing's shift to ExxonMobil.

The second possibility would be:
Red Bull Racing switches to Honda right at the start of next season, bundled with ExxonMobil.
And McLaren stays with Honda and ExxonMobil, they just lose all that sponsorship cash from ExxonMobil.

And just so we know, McLaren is making the switch over to ExxonMobil—which essentially means we're looking at a complete engine swap coming up in 2018.

Man, it’s been known for over a month now that ExxonMobil is moving from McLaren to Red Bull. I don't know how you can be so out of touch, seriously. My best guess? BP / Castrol is probably heading over to McLaren.
Honestly, General Motors couldn't care less about any of this, especially since Red Bull's engines are basically branded by Tag Heuer anyway.
And what are you talking about with Honda or engine switches for next year? Give me a break... 🤦
edit: Even jadeseal7 isn't making much more sense here.

stormybadger8 said:http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...-2017-855835/?

Hey man, looks like the honeymoon phase between Red Bull Racing and General Motors is already hitting the rocks. 😲
It’s coming sooner than we thought. 🤣

But honestly, this could turn into a complete disaster for Red Bull Racing...
They’re going to run into massive fuel issues until ExxonMobil steps in and Red Bull Racing sorts out their engine mapping to match the new fuel. Plus, you have to wonder what happens with General Motors... I doubt they'll be thrilled about getting dumped by ExxonMobil.

And then there's McLaren. What happens to them after this? They're looking at a nightmare regarding fuel consistency too...

The only way out of this mess that makes any sense—even if it sounds totally insane at first—is this switch:
Red Bull Racing jumps to Honda at the start of next season, bringing ExxonMobil along for the ride.
Then McLaren ditches Honda and moves over to General Motors along with ExxonMobil.

I know, sounds bizarre. But from both teams' perspectives, it’s actually the most logical move given Red Bull Racing's shift to ExxonMobil.

The second possibility would be:
Red Bull Racing switches to Honda right at the start of next season, bundled with ExxonMobil.
And McLaren stays with Honda and ExxonMobil, they just lose all that sponsorship cash from ExxonMobil.

🤦

Why do you have to troll? Seriously—just be real for once in your life...

Red Bull is sticking with General Motors engines through 2018—they just inked a new two-year deal with their longtime partner... turns out they aren't ready to move on just yet.

AlphaTauri is switching back to General Motors engines starting in 2017—they've been running those older Ferrari units all this season...

Both teams are set to run the latest spec Power Units from General Motors through the end of their 2017-2018 deals...

stormybadger8 said:http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/re...-2017-855835/?

Hey man, looks like the honeymoon phase between Red Bull Racing and General Motors is already hitting the rocks. 😲
It’s coming sooner than we thought. 🤣

But honestly, this could turn into a complete disaster for Red Bull Racing...
They’re going to run into massive fuel issues until ExxonMobil steps in and Red Bull Racing sorts out their engine mapping to match the new fuel. Plus, you have to wonder what happens with General Motors... I doubt they'll be thrilled about getting dumped by ExxonMobil.

And then there's McLaren. What happens to them after this? They're looking at a nightmare regarding fuel consistency too...

The only way out of this mess that makes any sense—even if it sounds totally insane at first—is this switch:
Red Bull Racing jumps to Honda at the start of next season, bringing ExxonMobil along for the ride.
Then McLaren ditches Honda and moves over to General Motors along with ExxonMobil.

I know, sounds bizarre. But from both teams' perspectives, it’s actually the most logical move given Red Bull Racing's shift to ExxonMobil.

The second possibility would be:
Red Bull Racing switches to Honda right at the start of next season, bundled with ExxonMobil.
And McLaren stays with Honda and ExxonMobil, they just lose all that sponsorship cash from ExxonMobil.

If you look back at this same thread under post 23, you will find the primary reasons behind these shifts to different suppliers.

Go Toto!

"When the rules change, nobody can rely on what they learned in the past—and history shows we always step up when things shift. We've made huge strides with the engine side, and General Motors told us to expect similar progress next season. Our chassis has always been solid, and this year was honestly one of our best yet. The feedback from the new car is looking really positive... we're feeling confident we'll be fighting for both titles in 2017. That goes for both our drivers, too—either one of them could take the championship next year." — Marko finished.

IDEMOOOOOOOOOO 🎉🎉🎉

Susan Jones8 said:Man, it’s been known for over a month now that ExxonMobil is moving from McLaren to Red Bull. I don't know how you can be so out of touch, seriously. My best guess? BP / Castrol is probably heading over to McLaren.
Honestly, General Motors couldn't care less about any of this, especially since Red Bull's engines are basically branded by Tag Heuer anyway.
And what are you talking about with Honda or engine switches for next year? Give me a break... 🤦
edit: Even jadeseal7 isn't making much more sense here.

It doesn't matter how long they've been blathering on about it—it’s finally official.

Switching fuel suppliers isn't as harmless as it looks on the surface...
We’re talking about a total reset from scratch next season for both McLaren and Red Bull. It could go anywhere—could be an absolute train wreck compared to where they are now, or it could actually turn out great (though I highly doubt that, especially since there's no manufacturer PU agreement in place, at least not for Red Bull).
Maybe McLaren isn't actually in such bad shape, considering they've got full backing from Honda along with that new fuel supplier. But man, who knows what’s going to happen with Red Bull. You can just assume they'll only make changes if ExxonMobil or Mobil 1 specifically asks them to.

For crying out loud, they’ve been pulling the most performance right out of the fuel all along. Seriously, read that again and actually think about it. 😉
http://www.grandprixtimes.com/news/id/11013

If Ferrari could squeeze out half a second thanks to Shell, then McLaren and Red Bull could just as easily lose half a second by switching to a new supplier.

Niki Lauda mentioned that most drivers are already locked in with contracts—which just makes things even messier since there's zero clarity on who fills the seat left by the German driver... and throwing a rookie like Pascal Wehrlein into the mix? That’s a massive gamble.

"We lost a champion—the absolute best driver out there in 2016," Lauda added. "Finding a replacement is going to be an uphill battle because everyone else is already signed to other teams."

"Going with a young talent would be a huge risk, too, because we have no idea if they can actually handle the pressure. Honestly, half the grid is basically spoken for right now."

.

Ecclestone: Vettel at Mercedes? No way he joins a team with Hamilton

Formula 1 CEO Bernie Ecclestone isn't ruling out the idea that McLaren's Fernando Alonso could jump into a Mercedes seat to replace the German, Nico Rosberg.

The current champ of the "fastest circus" decided to call it quits right after winning the title—so now, Formula 1 fans are going wild speculating who might step up as Lewis Hamilton's new teammate.

"It’s entirely possible that Alonso replaces Rosberg," Ecclestone said.

"There's new management over at McLaren now, and maybe they aren't exactly itching to keep Fernando in their lineup either."

Vettel at Mercedes?

"I don't think that's happening. In my opinion, Sebastian doesn't want to be on the same team as Hamilton. Verstappen? Well, the possibilities are wide open... it's all just speculation right now," Ecclestone noted.

.

I have my doubts about how much of Lewis Hamilton remains in that Mercedes-Benz seat if they actually bring Fernando Alonso on board. I find it highly unlikely that those two would even want to coexist, let alone be able to work together. It's a stretch, frankly.