F1 2014 thread

[Polish]

Vital Statistics - the Japanese Grand Prix

Did you know that Suzuka is one of only four circuits on the current calendar where Lewis Hamilton has not tasted victory? Or that Ferrari last triumphed at the Japanese circuit in 2004, with Michael Schumacher taking the spoils? Ahead of this weekend's 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, we present the key facts, stats and trivia...

Circuit: Suzuka

Circuit length: 5.807 km

Number of corners: 18 (9 right, 9 left)

DRS zones: 1

Race laps: 53

Race distance: 307.471 km

2014 tyre compounds: medium, hard

Circuit lap record: 1m 31.540s - Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005

First world championship Grand Prix in Japan: 1976, Fuji (won by Mario Andretti, Lotus)

Number of races: 29 (25 - Suzuka, 4 - Fuji)

Number of races at Suzuka with at least one safety-car appearance: 5 of the last 12

Longest race at Suzuka: 1994 (1h 55m 53.532s)

Shortest race at Suzuka: 2006 (1h 23m 53.413s)

Last year's pole position: 1m 30.915s, Mark Webber, Red Bull

Last year's podium: 1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), 2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull), 3 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus)

Most appearances (current field): 14 - Jenson Button; 12 - Fernando Alonso; 11 - Kimi Raikkonen; 10 - Felipe Massa; 8 - Nico Rosberg; 7 - Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton; 6 - Adrian Sutil

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (driver): 6 - Michael Schumacher; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Gerhard Berger, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, Fernando Alonso; 1 - Mario Andretti, James Hunt, Alessandro Nannini, Nelson Piquet, Riccardo Patrese, Rubens Barrichello, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (constructor): 9 - McLaren; 7 - Ferrari; 4 - Red Bull; 3 - Benetton, Williams; 2 - Renault; 1 - Lotus

Most Japanese Grand Prix wins (engine manufacturer): 10 - Renault; 7 - Ferrari; 5 - Ford, Mercedes; 2 - Honda

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (driver): 8 - Michael Schumacher; 4 - Sebastian Vettel; 3 - Ayrton Senna; 2 - Mario Andretti, Gerhard Berger, Jacques Villeneuve, Lewis Hamilton; 1 - Nigel Mansell, Alain Prost, Rubens Barrichello, Ralf Schumacher, Felipe Massa, Mark Webber

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (constructor): 9 - Ferrari; 6 - McLaren; 5 - Red Bull; 4 - Williams; 2 - Lotus, Benetton; 1 - Toyota

Most Japanese Grand Prix pole positions (engine manufacturer): 10 - Renault; 9 - Ferrari; 4 - Honda; 3 - Ford; 2 - Mercedes; 1 - Toyota

Number of wins from pole at Suzuka: 12 from 25 races (48 percent)

Lowest winning grid position: 17th (Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005)

Laps led (current field): 186 - Sebastian Vettel; 55 - Lewis Hamilton; 51 - Fernando Alonso; 50 - Jenson Button; 26 - Romain Grosjean; 10 - Kimi Raikkonen; 4 - Felipe Massa

Most podium places (current field): 5 - Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel; 2 - Lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button, Felipe Massa; 1 - Kamui Kobayashi, Romain Grosjean

Number of Japanese drivers to have started at least one Grand Prix: 17

Best finish by a Japanese driver in Japan: 3rd (Aguri Suzuki, 1990 & Kamui Kobayashi, 2012)

Percentage of 2014 season complete: 74 percent

Maximum number of world championship points still available to a single driver: 150

Significant running sequences going into this weekend: Ferrari - 81 consecutive races in the points - the longest run in F1 history; Renault - 114 consecutive races in the points as an engine manufacturer; Daniel Ricciardo - 12 consecutive points finishes; Mercedes - 6 consecutive pole positions; Lewis Hamilton - 2 consecutive Grand Prix hat-tricks.

Fascinating fact: The world championship has been clinched more times in Japan - 13, if you include the 1995 Pacific Grand Prix - than in any other country. The most recent champion to be crowned Japan was Sebastian Vettel who in 2011 secured his second straight world title. This year’s main hopefuls Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton are both yet to triumph at Suzuka - Rosberg's best finish is fifth, for Williams in 2009, while Hamilton’s best is third, for McLaren in the same race.

Potential record breakers: Mercedes have scored seven one-two finishes this year. They need three more over the remaining five races to tie McLaren's 1988 record for the most one-twos in a season, and four more to eclipse it.

Turbo history: If a Ferrari-powered car wins the race it will be the first Ferrari turbo win since the 1988 Italian Grand Prix.

www.formula1.com

 

[vinodh]

Onboard with Lewis Hamilton, Suzuka 2013:

[video=youtube_share;v-VL3Z8-woc]http://youtu.be/v-VL3Z8-woc[/video]

Official Race Edit of the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix:

http://www.formula1.com/video/race_edits/2013/japan/

 

[Polish]

Onboard with Lewis Hamilton, Suzuka 2013:

[video=youtube_share;v-VL3Z8-woc]http://youtu.be/v-VL3Z8-woc[/video]

Official Race Edit of the 2013 Japanese Grand Prix:

very nice lawnmower

very quick

 

[Willie Trombone]

very nice lawnmower

very quick

I actually thought I was imagining the speed... perhaps it's an illusion with the sound... certainly seems quicker than this year's car.

 

[Polish]

Honda releases first image of new V6 turbo power unit

Honda has released the first image of its 2015 power unit ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix.

Honda will return to F1 as a power unit supplier for McLaren next year and this weekend in Suzuka will show off video and audio of its new V6 turbo for the first time. McLaren has said it is its cars might run with Honda engines before pre-season testing next year, but a date has not yet been set.

"Working toward Honda's F1 participation starting in the 2015 season, development of the power unit is entering its prime phase at our R&D facility in Sakura (Tochigi, Japan), where we transferred our automobile motor sports development earlier this year," Yasuhisa Arai, Senior Managing Officer of Honda R&D, said. "In addition to conducting simulations, we have moved onto the next stage where we conduct full-fledged bench tests of the engine while connecting the turbocharger and energy recovery systems.

"In the meantime, our racing operation base in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, has become fully operational. At this time, we are unveiling an image of our power unit that is under development. The whole team is concentrating on this development, getting ready for the forthcoming start of F1 participation in 6 months. Please stay tuned for further updates."

The Honda website gives little detail about the new power unit, although diagrams explaining how the current generation of hybrid engines work shows a conventional layout of the turbocharger in line with Renault and unlike Mercedes' successful split turbine and compressor. However, an actual photo of the engine has not been released so the secrets of the Honda power unit are likely to remain just that until the start of next season.

http://en.espnf1.com

 

[thestaggy]

View attachment 153946

That is one sexy looking engine.

 

[Polish]

Caterham vows to race on despite bailiff rumours

Caterham says it will race at the Japanese Grand Prix despite speculation goods were seized from its Leafield base by bailiffs on October 1.

On Wednesday enforcement officers from The High Court's 'Sheriffs Office' published a list of goods it claimed belong to Caterham, including parts "due for Japan 2014", a 2013 test car and various pit lane equipment. The Sheriffs Office tweeted about the seizure later that evening.

But Caterham insists Wednesday's "uncontrolled" rumours were "unfounded and unsubstantiated" and that the visit was unrelated to the F1 team.

A team statement said: "There have been unfounded and unsubstantiated rumours concerning actions against 1MRT, the entrant and owner of CaterhamF1. An action was threatened yesterday against a supplier company to 1MRT. This company is not owned by 1MRT and it has no influence over the entry of CaterhamF1 or the entrant.

"Also contrary to uncontrolled rumours, all operations are currently in place at Leafield and the race team is doing its preparation in Japan."

http://en.espnf1.com

Shame, i do hope they survive the year and the winter. Where there's smoke there's fire, and i cannot see Bernie shedding many tears or lending a helping hand.

 

[Polish]

Hugo Boss joins Mercedes

A market leader in the upper premium and luxury global apparel market, Hugo Boss will become a team partner of
Mercedes AMG Petronas, and the team's Official Supplier of Lifestyle and Formal Wear Clothing from 1 January 2015.

With Mercedes-Benz and Hugo Boss formally intensifying their existing co-operations earlier this year, extending the partnership into the brand's Formula One team was a logical progression. A long-standing supporter of Formula One and motorsport, Hugo Boss has vast experience in sport and lifestyle sponsorship where Mercedes-Benz is also active.

Hugo Boss will create high-performance teamwear for Mercedes AMG Petronas for use at the Formula One race tracks and the team's headquarters, with Hugo Boss branding to feature on the 2015 Silver Arrows cars and trackside collateral. Hugo Boss will also develop a 'BOSS for Mercedes-Benz Collection', inspired by the Formula One team, which will be available twice a year featuring high-end menswear fashion.

www.pitpass.com

Nooooice, the sponsors flock to you when you're on top.

 

[Agent_Smith]

Check this link (for those of you who don't know yet). It's a feature on formula1.com at each race weekend, called Moments in Time.

Suzuka has seen some epic battles over the years as invariably, the title fight comes down to this race.

http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2014/10/16414.html

 

[Polish]

Check this link (for those of you who don't know yet). It's a feature on formula1.com at each race weekend, called Moments in Time.

Suzuka has seen some epic battles over the years as invariably, the title fight comes down to this race.

http://www.formula1.com/news/features/2014/10/16414.html

I remember the 2005 race, Kimi drove superb, Fisi had no answer, that was awesome racing.

 

[Polish]

Typhoon poses threat to Japanese Grand Prix

A typhoon over the Pacific Ocean has the potential to turn Sunday's grand prix into a washout if its path continues towards Japan.

Typhoon Phanfone is forecasted to pass south of Suzuka although the rain bands on its northern edge could affect Sunday's race by causing heavy rain and high winds. The FIA is monitoring the weather system ahead of the weekend but there is no precedent for a race cancelled due to weather.

In 2010, qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix was postponed until Sunday morning when a typhoon hit the circuit but the race still went ahead as planned. One option would be to run the race on Monday, assuming the weather clears up, but Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn said that would not be as simple as it sounds.

"The issue is about the broadcasting opportunities because I don't think you can so easily move that time," she said. "Probably the facility will be available and I think even logistics could be sorted out. The bigger issue is can you still broadcast it the way you want it and what implications that can have. But we should be more relaxed than when we knew a typhoon was directly hitting us and yet still we had a race."

McLaren driver Jenson Button said bad weather would mix things up if the conditions are safe enough for the race to go ahead.

"I hope that we can race on Sunday, that's the first thing. With a typhoon coming this way it's always very tricky. Hopefully it will miss us. It's going to be a mixed weekend in terms of weather; tomorrow there's a good chance of rain as well. I think it's really just thinking on your feet and staying on top of all the different weather forecasts."

With just one week between the Japanese and Russian Grands Prix, the teams already face a tight turnaround before they are back in action in Sochi. A typhoon - even if it hits while the teams are packing up - could cause issues in getting all the teams' kit to Russia on time.

Weather forecasters UBIMET added: "Typhoon Phanfone (cat. 3-4) is now located south of Japan in the Western Pacific. Expert Meteorologists from UBIMET are already on the scene in Suzuka delivering continuous detailed weather forecasts to the FIA and all Formula One teams. Another tough challenge is how to logistically cope with the typhoon when the equipment is packed after the race."

http://en.espnf1.com

I hope we get a bit of rain but not a complete washout pleeeeez

 

[Fox1]

So that typhoon could disrupt both of the next 2 Grand Prix's. The teams should just fly back to Europe and use a venue their rather than rely on hope because we've seen many time's just how bad the rain can be at Suzuka and Fuji.

 

[Polish]

So that typhoon could disrupt both of the next 2 Grand Prix's. The teams should just fly back to Europe and use a venue their rather than rely on hope because we've seen many time's just how bad the rain can be at Suzuka and Fuji.

That said, its been a fairly dry year, so i wont mind a proper wet race, as long as they still drive.......

 

[MickeyD]

F1 Quiz thread here: http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php/649444-F1-Quiz

 

[Polish]

Hi guys,

It seems our fun here has been curtailed. Sadly, as this has been a most entertaining thread.

I'll be moving to the new F1 thread as of tomorrow.

Take care.

For the love of F1

 

[MickeyD]

Hamilton and Rosberg fastest in P2 again... 20 minutes to go.

 

[Agent_Smith]

From PlanetF1.com

'Alonso closing in on Ferrari exit'

It appears it's only a matter of time before Fernando Alonso and Ferrari confirm the Spaniard's exit with reports claiming "it's inevitable".

Two-time World Champion Alonso has been linked with both McLaren and Red Bull this season, but up until recently he insisted that his future was with Ferrari and he even lashed out at those starting the rumours back in Italy.

However, things changed on Thursday at Suzuka when he was asked if he could 'categorically' state that he would not be with Red Bull or McLaren next season.

His reply was: "This is a very difficult question to answer."

Outgoing Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo then added that they will hold talks with the Spaniard, saying: "At this moment, in Japan, Alonso is discussing his future at Ferrari."

Speculation in the paddock, though, is rife that Alonso will soon announce that he is leaving the Italian marque.

"I think it's inevitable, I think they are going to split," Antonio Boselli of Sky Italia told Sky F1 at Suzuka.

Alonso's Ferrari contract runs until the end of the 2016 season, but Honda has made it clear that they are willing to fork out about 30 million euros to buy his contract out so that he can drive for McLaren next year.

Red Bull, though, are also in the picture and will be ready to pounce should he decide to leave Ferrari.

 

[thestaggy]

From PlanetF1.com

So who would Red Bull release to make room for Alonso? Only logical choice would be Vettel. Ricciardo is future champion material, so it would be foolish to ditch him and let a competitor pick him up.

 

[Agent_Smith]

So who would Red Bull release to make room for Alonso? Only logical choice would be Vettel. Ricciardo is future champion material, so it would be foolish to ditch him and let a competitor pick him up.

I wouldn't be surprised to see either Vettel or Ricciardo head to the Scarlets should RB decide to snap up Alonso. I'm sure it would be a dream drive for Ricciardo and I reckon Red Bull would jump at the chance to have such a 'dream team'. However, should it be a straight swap between Vettel and Alonso, then that would be mean RB would still have two strong drivers with a clear number one (although they'd probably flat out deny publicly there would be a hierarchy in the team).

 

[Willie Trombone]

Hi guys,

It seems our fun here has been curtailed. Sadly, as this has been a most entertaining thread.

I'll be moving to the new F1 thread as of tomorrow.

Take care.

For the love of F1

Agree, 2 F1 threads in a tech forum... just a tad overkill. One will die a natural death.