In the round-up: IndyCar has announced a new title sponsor following the departure of Verizon at the end of last year.
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
NTT named IndyCar series title sponsor, official technology partner for IndyCar, IMS (IndyCar)
"IndyCar announced on Tuesday that global information technology and communications leader NTT has signed a multiyear agreement to become the entitlement sponsor of what is now officially named the NTT IndyCar Series."
How IndyCar found its new sponsor (Racer)
"After Verizon ended its title sponsorship last year, IndyCar was looking for a replacement, but it was already the fall and budgets are usually set by then. And things weren’t looking very promising for 2019."
Schumacher: Ferrari driver academy spot for son of seven-time champion Michael (BBC)
"Ferrari would not officially confirm the deal with Mick Schumacher."
"Sebastien continues to be a highly valued member of the Red Bull Racing team and he’ll once again help drive the team forward in 2019."
Ferrari plans to run new car before first test (Autosport)
"The plan is to run the car for the first time on-track two days later in Spain, before the first four-day test begins at the same circuit on February 18."
"She was reasonably peaceful about it until this b----- story came out. It’s bad enough that she has suffered so much, and then somebody comes along to say, ‘It was you who plotted it.’"
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McLaren Senna Lego model launched
Lego has added a model based on the McLaren Senna road car to its range. The 15cm, 219-piece model includes a minifigure and wind tunnel.
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Walking into this factory never gets old 😍
Mega to see everyone at Grove pushing flat out 💪 @williamsracing pic.twitter.com/JEom6v1SzY
— George Russell (@GeorgeRussell63) January 15, 2019
Which @F1 team has the strongest driver line-up for 2019?
Three different teams are taking most of your votes so far:https://t.co/n2c430TcBT #F1
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) January 15, 2019
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
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Comment of the day
Daniel Ricciardo thinks so, Carlos Sainz Jnr thinks so and Adam also thinks Daniil Kvyat deserves his latest chance to impress in F1:
I think Red Bull promoted him too early and sacked him too early. Their treatment of him came across like the criticisms of the Red Bull driver system were true – that it’s basically a meat grinder, that all you are is a part in the car and if you don’t work you can and will be swapped. There didn’t seem to be any interest in Kvyat’s well being or mental health and how the demotion would affect him afterward, and when he was clearly struggling there didn’t seem to be any support.
He’s certainly a talented driver – even if that got lost along the way. I’d prefer to think that this is Red Bull trying to nurture their talent and make up for mistakes instead of discarding them, but I kinda think it’s more they just ran out of people. I wish him luck either way – it’d be a nice story to see him come back with rediscovered form.
Adam (@Rocketpanda)
From the forum
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Don
16th January 2019, 1:28
It sounds like NTT will go beyond what Verizon did with the IndyCar App and supply additional information and data to fans. I’d look for increased global sponsorship, interest in new race venues around the world, and going back to race in Japan in the future too. All good news! The season cannot begin soon enough.
MtlRacer (@mtlracer)
16th January 2019, 2:10
Aren’t NTT and Tata competitors in many areas?
I’m now expecting an announcement about IndyCarTV Pro and it will actually deliver flawless live streams.
Sundar Srinivas Harish (@sundark)
16th January 2019, 4:54
NTT DoCoMo and Tata had a joint venture in India which NTT exited from, with a billion dollar plus loss, as the venture missed its performance targets. There was a pretty large dispute over the share valuation, caused in part by India’s RBI. I’m sure NTT would love to enter the sports streaming market, if just to stick it to Tata Comm.
tonyyeb (@tonyyeb)
16th January 2019, 8:47
Anyone else having trouble logging into the site? I log in on the main page but it looks like I’m not logged in (adverts show for example, no avatar in the top right). But if I click on an article then I’m seen as logged in?
Jere (@jerejj)
16th January 2019, 10:07
Regarding the Autosport-article: The teams do this every year, though, so nothing new on that front.
I agree with the COTD in that Kvyat deserves another shot in F1, but I think it’d be better if it were at a team that doesn’t have any connections whatsoever to the Red Bull company. STR should be reserved for less experienced drivers only.
BTW, why use the group photo from pre-2017 Abu Dhabi GP grid? Wouldn’t it be more relevant and up-to-date to use the equivalent taken ahead of last season’s, as well as, the, thus far, most recent F1 race?
PaulK (@paulk)
16th January 2019, 10:48
That McLaren Senna Lego looks nice. Funny that they decided to include a wind tunnel…
Related: Lego, I’m still waiting for this to happen.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
16th January 2019, 18:29
@paulk
that’s what I actually expected when i first saw the article, so massively disappointed about another overpriced generic lego car that I could not give two hoots about!
Joao (@johnmilk)
16th January 2019, 13:10
Easy there people, it’s Buemi, no Vettel, although if the latter does as good of a job as he did in 2018 he might help them too
Everytime McLaren does something with Senna’s legacy involved in it I immediately think of this funny image
BaKano (@bakano)
17th January 2019, 11:41
The fact that it’s written Sebastien was already a giving, as Vettel is Sebastian. ;-)
Adam (@rocketpanda)
16th January 2019, 17:58
COTD! :D *finger guns*
Of course watch Kvyat revert to torpedo mode and take out the other three Red Bull branded cars on the first race now.
Phylyp (@phylyp)
16th January 2019, 19:01
I always thought he preferred knocking out the red cars, like a bull.