Yeah, it’s going to be tough creating that critical mass of players this far after launch without some organised activity.

I’m also worried Mercedes will leave once they feel their “prestige” is treatened by having to race closer to smaller teams, instead of lording over them. They put a lot of eggs into turning F1 into their marketing machine.
Even losing Lewis might be enough make them reconsider, as they’ve already mentioned how the likes of George Russell isn’t as marketable.
[Wow, made a comment that doesn’t take up the whole screen 😛 ]

Oh no doubt its still very early in terms of getting the puzzle pieces to mesh together. And if its true that it won’t be playable on XB1, puts it outside the [supposed] release window where games are implied to still be playable on XB1. So still a way to go.
Which probably put them between a rock and a hard place: having to be present for Microsoft’s event; but can’t get away with just having a title card.
And that’s probably why I’m feeling a little negative towards the trailer. Ideally it would have been revealed later down the line. But had to be thrown together as part of a different marketing push.

Yes, I think early very much comes into the stage of process, so still adding and building components. They’ve probably been working on the game for 2-3 years, but to catch Gran Turismo, they need to build a Gran Turismo and that always takes many years. We’ve got whole new graphics and physics systems to develop, new technologies with R&D depts working overtime. I’ll discuss this all more in a separate article.

That said I do like the artstyle/aesthetic of Forza, like the over the top thunderstorms in 7. I find games like Gran Turismo come off as too clean and flat in a sense. I don’t mind a little visual flourish, that while not 100% realistic, at least adds some form of life/atmosphere to it.

Thanks Ninja Badger, Alas the rules for the PU clearly support Mercedes, they joined because the odd’s were in their favour. They will likely leave when that changes. No other teams have a chance, until then we can have some exciting moments but ultimately it’s all just fluff. F1 is all about the winning, but right now, there’s no racing to win, it’s simply an inevitability.
Yes McLaren will be a great laugh next year, fast drivers, a fast engine and lots of momentum. I’ll discuss that all in more detail when I look ahead to the next season later this year.

As for Racing Point’s “Pink Mercedes”, I can kinda see how it came to be. Mercedes are the dominant team. There’s plenty of opportunities to see the outside of the car, the inside. They know the engine and gearbox with their packaging and cooling requirements. They’re using Mercedes’ wind-tunnel, so the data correlation/gathering will be similar. It all adds up.
And at the time of developing the car in 2019, this year was meant to be the final year of the era. So to Racing Point it was probably more cost effective to base their car on Mercedes’ to see out the current regulations, and be able to afford more resources towards the new 2021 specs. (Oh, how plans change)

So Renault are now in a tough position. They have the most to lose from this. If Racing Point’s car is deemed fully legal, what would stop Alpha Tauri being a straight “copy” of Red Bull, or indeed Alfa/Haas with Ferrari?.
That’s something Renault really don’t need to deal with. Hell, they don’t even have the luxury of their own customer team (with McLaren switching to Mercedes next year).
And if we were to initiate the “slippery slope” argument, wouldn’t we effectively end up with the likes of DTM. With the nearly the same consequences if a manufacturer decided to pull out.
I think the outcome of the protest will be no action on Racing Point (I doubt they wouldn’t have made sure every “i” was dotted and “t” crossed to fit the rules). But much like DAS, the FIA will probably have a look at the rules to add some “clarifications”.

On the point of remote car control by teams. Even as someone who views F1 as a manufactures’ championship over drivers’, yeah, its looking silly. Impressive technically, but silly. I get that the cars are complex with tons of variables both from in the car and externally. But having so much controlled by the crew in the paddock, the team back at base, AND the folks from the power unit suppliers; it’s a bit much. Obviously components need to be monitored, but drivers should really be given the tools and trust to drive the cars. If it means simplifying the control interactions for the drivers, and cars not running as smoothly, then so be it. People working in F1 are pretty smart, if necessity means they need to redesign the interface for the drivers, I’m pretty sure they can. Just give the drivers information over radio, and let their intuition and skill be what makes or breaks a race. Which drivers go for broke, which play the long game, which know how to adapt better; let the drivers stand out.
Also how come a driver can be told what button to press, for when, and for how long. Yet telling drivers to come in for slicks during a formation lap is too far (would have thought the driver’s steward could explain the difference to officials). 😛

To end on something positive: I have to say, my fondness for McLaren has been growing of late. Before the new leadership came in, I couldn’t stand them. Coming off as soulless, stubborn, and entitled (with the only levity being Alonso and Button’s increasing sass).
But now with Zak Brown and Andreas Seidl at the helm, there’s a new air to the team, an energy and excitement about them. Like they know they need to fight for success, and they’re up for it. I’ve been wanting to see James Key move up to a team with aspirations. And I feel I don’t need to say anything about Carlos and Lando. (That said, I worry for Sainz’s future at Ferrari; but the pairing of Norris and Ricciardo, in McLaren’s current environment, is something to look forward to).