F1 2014 thread

[vinodh]

Turbo-charged engines, double points in the final race, budgets caps decided by committees, drivers choosing their race numbers, 5 second penalties instead of drive through's, the list goes on.

In the words of Mike Lawrence of Pitpass.com "If you can recall a time when the sport has been in a worse state, or has been in less competent hands, I'd like to know."

The 2014 season is building up to be a cracker despite all the new rule changes and other strange happenings. Here's a review of the 2013 F1 season by SkySports F1 to whet your appetite:

[video=youtube_share;i3Bj40681q4]http://youtu.be/i3Bj40681q4[/video]

 

[bruce_the_loon]

Seb will win the championship with 3 races to spare.

 

[vinodh]

Seb will win the championship with 3 races to spare.

Hopefully not. That will put me off F1 for good.

 

[ColonelJAck]

Hoping to see some great performances from Alonso and Hamilton.
Can't wait to see the turbos in action.
Wonder what reliability would be like.
If only refueling can be reintroduced.
I hate this tippy toe driving style because you have to make your fuel last.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Schumi in critical condition after ski accident
http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...after-skiing-accident?p=11807648#post11807648

 

[Willie Trombone]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/111960

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo has slammed Formula 1's reliance on simulators as a 'joke'.

With F1's recent strict in-season testing ban having forced teams to rely on ever more complicated simulator technology, di Montezemolo thinks the time has come for a rethink.

He believes that the expense of simulators is now such that serious consideration should be given to a wholesale return to testing as it would be better for teams - and cheaper.

"It is a joke," said di Montezemolo during a lunch with media at Fiorano. "We have been forced to invest a huge amount of money in these terrible machines, artificial, instead of testing here [at Fiorano] and Mugello.

"If somebody has no money to do tests, it is better to race in GP2, in go karts or go and play basketball. I want to do testing to first of all give new drivers the possibility to drive cars and get experience.

"But I also want to give more opportunities to the public because from one race weekend to another it is silent in F1. There is nothing, nothing.

"Testing is also a good opportunity for the sponsors, to call the public. And tests are less expensive than building and developing every month the terrible simulator. This is something we have to discuss for the future."

Although di Montezemolo is aware that F1 costs are too high, he believes restricted testing dumbs F1 down - something he is vehemently against.

I have to agree...

 

[SlowInternet]

Hopefully Kimmi will have a good season

 

[phiber]

Someone want to give us a breakdown of the driver and their teams?

 

[vinodh]

Someone want to give us a breakdown of the driver and their teams?

Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel
Daniel Ricciardo

Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton
Nico Rosberg

Ferrari
Fernando Alonso
Kimi Raikkonen

Lotus
Romain Grosjean
Pastor Maldonado

McLaren
Jenson Button
Kevin Magnussen

Force India
Nico Hulkenberg
Sergio Perez

Sauber
Adrian Sutil
Esteban Gutierrez

Toro Rosso
Jean-Eric Vergne
Daniil Kvyat

Williams
Felipe Massa
Valtteri Bottas

Marussia
Jules Bianchi
TBC

Caterham
TBC
TBC

 

[Willie Trombone]

I really hope the new engine rules mix the pack up somewhat. I'm tired of tyres dictating the race pace.

 

[vinodh]

I really hope the new engine rules mix the pack up somewhat. I'm tired of tyres dictating the race pace.

It's almost like they are trying to turn F1 into endurance racing. If you read up on the latest LMP1 rules, especially with regards to fuel flow limitations, they might as well unify the rules and make the cars look like LMP1 and get it over and done with. With turbo engines, fuel flow limits, RPM limits, stupid tyres, rumours about enclosed cockpits and all sorts of other crap, I'm not so sure if F1 represents the pinnacle of motor sport anymore.

 

[thestaggy]

It's almost like they are trying to turn F1 into endurance racing. If you read up on the latest LMP1 rules, especially with regards to fuel flow limitations, they might as well unify the rules and make the cars look like LMP1 and get it over and done with. With turbo engines, fuel flow limits, RPM limits, stupid tyres, rumours about enclosed cockpits and all sorts of other crap, I'm not so sure if F1 represents the pinnacle of motor sport anymore.

Every F1 designer would tell you their dream is to cover the wheels and cockpit and add a suction fan to the car, a la Brabham BT46.

All of these ideas have in fact been implemented by arguably the sport's greatest ever designer/engineer. Adrian Newey was tasked with designing the ultmiate F1-inspired car without any limitations for Gran Turismo and he created the Red Bull X2014. Closed wheels, closed cockpit and a fan.

 

[vinodh]

This is an image of the test carried out by the FIA to test the strength of a canopy when an F1 wheel is thrown at it at high speed.

Maybe i'm a traditionalist and prefer the open cockpits and open wheels. Closing them up may be better for safety and is much more aerodynamically efficient but I still don't like it. I think F1 should always be open wheelers and cars with closed cockpits and wheels belong in the World Endurance Championship. With regards to the fan, I was hoping that the rumours of ground effect being re-introduced was true. It would have allowed closer racing but they decided to go for the DRS option.

 

[kaaskop]

This is an image of the test carried out by the FIA to test the strength of a canopy when an F1 wheel is thrown at it at high speed.

Maybe i'm a traditionalist and prefer the open cockpits and open wheels. Closing them up may be better for safety and is much more aerodynamically efficient but I still don't like it. I think F1 should always be open wheelers and cars with closed cockpits and wheels belong in the World Endurance Championship. With regards to the fan, I was hoping that the rumours of ground effect being re-introduced was true. It would have allowed closer racing but they decided to go for the DRS option.

The world is changing daily but F1 stay the same. Basically the cars doesn't differ much from the 70's.

I still think teams should get a budget and engineers can design what they like, with limitations on length, width, power plant, safety and electronic aids.

 

[thestaggy]

Maybe i'm a traditionalist and prefer the open cockpits and open wheels. Closing them up may be better for safety and is much more aerodynamically efficient but I still don't like it. I think F1 should always be open wheelers and cars with closed cockpits and wheels belong in the World Endurance Championship. With regards to the fan, I was hoping that the rumours of ground effect being re-introduced was true. It would have allowed closer racing but they decided to go for the DRS option.

Hey, I wished F1 cars still looked like they did in the early 90s. I hate the raised nose, the narrow sidepods, the wooden plank. I want wide and flat with sparks out the back.

 

[F1 Fan]

Everything aside, the one thing I cannot get over is the way the cars look these days. I think it's ugly and lacks style. To me the best looking cars were between 2002-2006.

Lol, I just read thestaggy comments.

 

[vinodh]

Everything aside, the one thing I cannot get over is the way the cars look these days. I think it's ugly and lacks style. To me the best looking cars were between 2002-2006.

Lol, I just read thestaggy comments.

2007 was still sort of ok:

2008 started to really get out of hand when the cars started grow horns:

 

[F1 Fan]

2007 was still sort of ok:

2008 started to really get out of hand when the cars started grow horns:

I can still live with both of those compared to this:

 

[vinodh]

I'll see your ugly McLaren and raise you a March 711 from 1971:

 

[F1 Fan]

I'll see your ugly McLaren and raise you a March 711 from 1971:

Fold