The F1 thread

Fretwired

chillidoggy said:

If I'd paid to see that race, I'd be demanding a refund. Shockingly boring. It was like no-one was bothered.

The powers that be still don't get it ... this article quotes Horner as concerned that races may only have stop. He thinks there should be more. I've no idea why he thinks that will improve anything? I'd go for no pit stops, tyres that last forever and less aero and driver aids to make it easier to overtake. This would also be cheaper as you wouldn't need to spend zillions on wind tunnels ...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111439?

stickyfiddle

They just need to give the cars less fucking grip. Best way to do that is force them to exit the exhausts aft of the whole car (which they are doing), cut 6" off the front wings, add 6" to the rear wings, make those wings have no more than 2 horizontal elements each and give them a standard spec diffuser that's a bit poo that doesn't give off horrible turbulence (ie back to the mid 90's in aero terms). Then give em KERS and ERS and frickin Blue Shells for all I care cos at very least the cars will be a bit trickier to drive on the limit for 2 hours. 

CabbageCat

Fretwired said:

chillidoggy said:

If I'd paid to see that race, I'd be demanding a refund. Shockingly boring. It was like no-one was bothered.

The powers that be still don't get it ... this article quotes Horner as concerned that races may only have stop. He thinks there should be more. I've no idea why he thinks that will improve anything? I'd go for no pit stops, tyres that last forever and less aero and driver aids to make it easier to overtake. This would also be cheaper as you wouldn't need to spend zillions on wind tunnels ...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111439?

The races at the start of the season (or was it last season?) were awesome. Dodgy tyres meant loads of loads of stops and made the races really entertaining. I was watching some of them on the f1.com live timings and was glued to the numbers for the whole race because something interesting was always going on. Also, that Silverstone GP might have been scary for the drivers but it was great for the viewer - not knowing when your favourite driver might blow up.

The Red-Bull-driven pussying out on the danger-boots killed the season.

Overtaking is great but pitstops are what give the race a story.

Fretwired

CabbageCat said:

Fretwired said:

chillidoggy said:

If I'd paid to see that race, I'd be demanding a refund. Shockingly boring. It was like no-one was bothered.

The powers that be still don't get it ... this article quotes Horner as concerned that races may only have stop. He thinks there should be more. I've no idea why he thinks that will improve anything? I'd go for no pit stops, tyres that last forever and less aero and driver aids to make it easier to overtake. This would also be cheaper as you wouldn't need to spend zillions on wind tunnels ...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111439?

The races at the start of the season (or was it last season?) were awesome. Dodgy tyres meant loads of loads of stops and made the races really entertaining. I was watching some of them on the f1.com live timings and was glued to the numbers for the whole race because something interesting was always going on. Also, that Silverstone GP might have been scary for the drivers but it was great for the viewer - not knowing when your favourite driver might blow up.

The Red-Bull-driven pussying out on the danger-boots killed the season.

Overtaking is great but pitstops are what give the race a story.

But pitstops will not improve a dull race. Bernie should have a red button and a smart phone app so that spectators can register their disgust at a dull race. When is passes the 500,000 person mark sprinklers are switched on .. a bit of water will liven things up .. :-)

@stickyfiddle is on the right track - I'd also remove some of the engine mapping so teams can't turn their engines down. They should run flat out - if they need to conserve fuel then it's up to the driver to slow down and change their driving style.

My only issue with dodgy tyres is will favour one team over another. This season Red Bull benefited from the mid season change and two of the best drivers - Hamilton and Alonso - went backwards. Had Pirelli not changed the tryres mid-season then Alonso could have won the championship.

stickyfiddle

Fretwired said:

CabbageCat said:

Fretwired said:

chillidoggy said:

If I'd paid to see that race, I'd be demanding a refund. Shockingly boring. It was like no-one was bothered.

The powers that be still don't get it ... this article quotes Horner as concerned that races may only have stop. He thinks there should be more. I've no idea why he thinks that will improve anything? I'd go for no pit stops, tyres that last forever and less aero and driver aids to make it easier to overtake. This would also be cheaper as you wouldn't need to spend zillions on wind tunnels ...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111439?

The races at the start of the season (or was it last season?) were awesome. Dodgy tyres meant loads of loads of stops and made the races really entertaining. I was watching some of them on the f1.com live timings and was glued to the numbers for the whole race because something interesting was always going on. Also, that Silverstone GP might have been scary for the drivers but it was great for the viewer - not knowing when your favourite driver might blow up.

The Red-Bull-driven pussying out on the danger-boots killed the season.

Overtaking is great but pitstops are what give the race a story.

But pitstops will not improve a dull race. Bernie should have a red button and a smart phone app so that spectators can register their disgust at a dull race. When is passes the 500,000 person mark sprinklers are switched on .. a bit of water will liven things up .. :-)

@stickyfiddle is on the right track - I'd also remove some of the engine mapping so teams can't turn their engines down. They should run flat out - if they need to conserve fuel then it's up to the driver to slow down and change their driving style.

My only issue with dodgy tyres is will favour one team over another. This season Red Bull benefited from the mid season change and two of the best drivers - Hamilton and Alonso - went backwards. Had Pirelli not changed the tryres mid-season then Alonso could have won the championship.

Agreed. They should be able to change them between races though. If the techie blogs are to be believed then Vettel's running a vastly complex engine map to give him traction-control-by-proxy via the KERS system that the others can't copy because it's in the engine mappings. While noone wants budgets to go any higher that just isn't fair. 

In any case budgets can't be controlled anyway when you're talking about multinationals like RB and Mercedes- they'll just set up their own contractor to outsource the expensive work and buy that company's services at a silly cheap rate. I'd wager that already happens tbh.

chillidoggy

Bring back refuelling. I enjoy a good fire.

fretmeister

Oh hell no!

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/9030158/Maldonado-waiting-on-Lotus

Fretwired

fretmeister said:

Oh hell no!

http://www.planetf1.com/driver/18227/9030158/Maldonado-waiting-on-Lotus

@fretmeister a team that needs cash ... this is so wrong. There's no way he'd get a drive if it wasn't for his sponsors ...

chillidoggy

They're going to need his cash for all the damage he causes.

stickyfiddle

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BZYW4ItCcAArsY8.jpg

chillidoggy

The only thing missing is the damage he's going to cause to anyone else in the vicinity if and when he manages to fall off!

Fretwired

New car video graphics:

http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/video/f1-technik-reglement-2014-im-video-7913407.html

Looks like Di Resta will be without a drive next season. Force India won't confirm him and are talking to other drivers.

Sunday's GP should be interesting as heavy rain is being forecast. Hope Webber has a good race as it's his last ever in F1.

Maxi

Last year was the best season for many years the fact that Vettel still won it as well as this year just shows how good he and the team is . I didnt want to see him win it ..but you cant simply dial out talent with a few regulation changes , if anything I felt they made it easier for him this year after the tyre situation was delt with . The blowouts were pretty interesting compared with how its turned out .Safety first ofcourse .

I think the more complex it is to win the easier it will be for him . Then there are the types of drivers that have more of a white knuckle instinct better reflex behind the wheel like Hamilton who seem to do better when they are allowed to drive freely (flat out) which is more interesting to see from where im sitting , still the strategy IS interesting where it creates surprises but this year its more like a wet blanket over driver talent . Its more about race management now which doest really translate down in a way that the average punter gives a shit about .

 

Fretwired

Maxi said:

Last year was the best season for many years the fact that Vettel still won it as well as this year just shows how good he and the team is . I didnt want to see him win it ..but you cant simply dial out talent with a few regulation changes , if anything I felt they made it easier for him this year after the tyre situation was delt with . The blowouts were pretty interesting compared with how its turned out .Safety first ofcourse .

I think the more complex it is to win the easier it will be for him . Then there are the types of drivers that have more of a white knuckle instinct better reflex behind the wheel like Hamilton who seem to do better when they are allowed to drive freely (flat out) which is more interesting to see from where im sitting , still the strategy IS interesting where it creates surprises but this year its more like a wet blanket over driver talent . Its more about race management now which doest really translate down in a way that the average punter gives a shit about .

 

Vettel's good but the change to the tyres mid-season helped Vettel and Red Bull. Alonso and Hamilton were giving Vettel a hard time during the first half of the season. When the tyres changed Alonso went backwards.

Maxi

Fretwired said:

Maxi said:

Last year was the best season for many years the fact that Vettel still won it as well as this year just shows how good he and the team is . I didnt want to see him win it ..but you cant simply dial out talent with a few regulation changes , if anything I felt they made it easier for him this year after the tyre situation was delt with . The blowouts were pretty interesting compared with how its turned out .Safety first ofcourse .

I think the more complex it is to win the easier it will be for him . Then there are the types of drivers that have more of a white knuckle instinct better reflex behind the wheel like Hamilton who seem to do better when they are allowed to drive freely (flat out) which is more interesting to see from where im sitting , still the strategy IS interesting where it creates surprises but this year its more like a wet blanket over driver talent . Its more about race management now which doest really translate down in a way that the average punter gives a shit about .

 

Vettel's good but the change to the tyres mid-season helped Vettel and Red Bull. Alonso and Hamilton were giving Vettel a hard time during the first half of the season. When the tyres changed Alonso went backwards.

More or less .

Alonso went backward , Massa started to improve ...I suppose he was having such a bad spell that improvement was all that could happen . 

But yeah the tyre change seemed to suit Vettel not sure about Webber , he has picked up speed tho the last few races .

 

chillidoggy

Rain predicted. I'm looking forward to a race for the first time in a long time!

chillidoggy

Finally, a half-decent race!

thumpingrug

Lots of action, same dull result.  

stickyfiddle

I enjoyed it. Great to see Webber on the podium and a great result for JB.

And as dull as it makes the results, you can't deny Seb has been phenomenal this year, and particularly in the second half. From how he's been talking over the radio post-race the last few wins I suspect he thinks next year will be tough, and possibly unlikely to continue the current form. Regression to the mean would certainly suggest RB might not be at the front so easily. 

How many days till the first test?

Fretwired

Di Resta out of Force India ... Nico Hulkenberg offered two-year contract.