F1 2014 thread

[Polish]

Up next is the McLaren reveal tomorrow.

My team

 

[Polish]

http://en.espnf1.com/bahrain/motorsport/story/142417.html

The 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix will be switched to a night race to mark the tenth anniversary of the Sahkir circuit joining the Formula One calendar.

This year's edition of the race, on April 6, will be run under a specially-designed lighting system around the 5.4km track which was trailed during the World Endurance Championship race last November. Bahrain will join Singapore as the second full night race on the F1 calendar.

Both qualifying and the race will begin under the lights at 6pm local time - 4pm BST. The weekend will kick off at 2pm local time with opening practice, before a 6pm session to give drivers their first experience of driving under the lights. Saturday morning practice will get underway at 3pm local time.

The lighting infrastructure installed around the Sakhir circuit will comprise 495 lighting poles, 450 light fittings and over 500km of cabling.

"This is by far the biggest development project we have ever undertaken at the BIC since the circuit was first built," said Sheikh Salman bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Bahrain International Circuit.

"I believe that there can be no better way for us to mark our tenth anniversary in F1 by demonstrating our long term commitment to the sport through this significant investment, cementing our place as the home of motorsport in the Middle East."

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/bahrain/motorsport/story/142417.html#tdlfyXzPCl8IYXqU.99

Excellent news, we need more exciting tracks, Bahrain has been very boring since the start.

The sandy tracks need some excitement, even Yas Marina, as beautiful as it is, can make for boring races.

 

[HapticSimian]

First images of Williams FW36 released

Williams has released the first images of its 2014 car, FW36, via its website and Twitter.

Released in an interim all-blue livery, the most striking feature of FW36 is its narrow nose, which is necessary to meet FIA regulations while allowing for as much airflow as possible under the car. Most teams are expected to adopt similar solutions to meet the 2014 regulations, but Williams is the first to release an image of the unsightly design.

FW36 will be the first Williams powered by a Mercedes engine, with the all new V6 turbo and Energy Recovery Systems under the engine cover.



...

Read more here

So there's our first proper look at this season's Sesame Street nose. Honestly, I expected worse... but it does illustrate what daft regulations can lead to. If the FIA is so focussed on minimising the cars' reliance on aerodynamics, why not mandate noses like the cars had in the early to mid 90s. This looks unnecessarily awkward.

 

[Polish]

Ah you know the FIA, the're forever changing changes.

I was also expecting worse, they're not too bad looking, I wonder if all the teams will stick to similar design (remember the Williams walrus nose a few years back, eeek).

 

[Polish]

Up next is the McLaren reveal tomorrow.

Cannot wait, too much of excitement.

After last years disaster I have such high hopes, and with Dennis back at the helm I have reason to. If Ross joins that will be just awesome.

 

[Willie Trombone]

My concern for McLaren is reliability - who is building their engines? I recall it was Honda? Hopefully they break the dry spell... I'm torn between Hamilton at Merc and McLaren. As a staunch Ferrari opponent, I've changed recently to being an Alonso supporter. He's just that good and driving that cars wheels off.

 

[HapticSimian]

My concern for McLaren is reliability - who is building their engines? I recall it was Honda? Hopefully they break the dry spell... I'm torn between Hamilton at Merc and McLaren. As a staunch Ferrari opponent, I've changed recently to being an Alonso supporter. He's just that good and driving that cars wheels off.

McMerc for one more season; Honda in 2015.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

So there's our first proper look at this season's Sesame Street nose. Honestly, I expected worse... but it does illustrate what daft regulations can lead to. If the FIA is so focussed on minimising the cars' reliance on aerodynamics, why not mandate noses like the cars had in the early to mid 90s. This looks unnecessarily awkward.

This change is nothing to do with aero, it's safety so noses can't puncture into the cockpit in a side on collision. I personally don't mind it and the back ends of the two cars that've come out look amazing! The enlarged air intakes balance the car a bit better giving it a nice wide stance for me.

 

[HapticSimian]

This change is nothing to do with aero, it's safety so noses can't puncture into the cockpit in a side on collision. I personally don't mind it and the back ends of the two cars that've come out look amazing! The enlarged air intakes balance the car a bit better giving it a nice wide stance for me.

Erm...

The rules require a low minimum height for a narrow section of the nose cone. In order to not hamper the airflow to the rear of the car more than absolutely necessary, the aero engineers - likely of most, if not all teams - have come up with this arrangement as a solution.

It has everything to do with aero.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Erm...

The rules require a low minimum height for a narrow section of the nose cone. In order to not hamper the airflow to the rear of the car more than absolutely necessary, the aero engineers - likely of most, if not all teams - have come up with this arrangement as a solution.

It has everything to do with aero.

The rule change is to do with safety not ''minimising the cars' reliance on aerodynamics'', the funny noses are the aero engineers working around the rule change...

 

[HapticSimian]

The rule change is to do with safety, the funny noses are the aero engineers working around the rule change...

Yes, and?

I didn't mean to imply that I thought this specific regulation was motivated by the fight against downforce; apologies if that's how it came across, and in retrospect I can see that it might have. What I meant is that, given the FIA's oft-stated wish to lessen F1 cars' reliance on aerodynamics, a bit more thought might've led to a more elegant combined solution.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Yes, and?

I didn't mean to imply that I thought this specific regulation was motivated by the fight against downforce; apologies if that's how it came across, and in retrospect I can see that it might have. What I meant is that, given the FIA's oft-stated wish to lessen F1 cars' reliance on aerodynamics, a bit more thought might've led to a more elegant combined solution.

Ah, then we're on the same page... There's just a bunch of people running around thinking that because the FIA changed the rules they told the teams the cars should look like that. In this case that's not true(unusually)

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

Yes, and?

I didn't mean to imply that I thought this specific regulation was motivated by the fight against downforce; apologies if that's how it came across, and in retrospect I can see that it might have. What I meant is that, given the FIA's oft-stated wish to lessen F1 cars' reliance on aerodynamics, a bit more thought might've led to a more elegant combined solution.

Ah, then we're on the same page... There's just a bunch of people running around thinking that because the FIA changed the rules they told the teams the cars should look like that. In this case that's not true(unusually)

 

[Polish]

I am wondering if the changes will make a difference in driving style, and in fact, I am certain it will.

As long as it levels the playing field somewhat.

 

[ScottulusMaximus]

I am wondering if the changes will make a difference in driving style, and in fact, I am certain it will.

As long as it levels the playing field somewhat.

Reading some of the drivers comments the major change that I can see is that these new engines produce a lot more torque than the old ones. That combined with less rear grip at low speeds from the more effective ban on blown diffusers means they're struggling to get the power down out of a corner without spinning up the rear tyres.

Button said you need a throttle about a metre long to control it. Sadly Red Bull are still going to be miles in front according to most analysts, teams are still playing catch up to that vortex thing from Adrian Newey and that's always bloody difficult. Only hope is that Newey cars fall back into his usual form of bad reliability.

 

[ColonelJAck]

Button said you need a throttle about a metre long to control it. Sadly Red Bull are still going to be miles in front according to most analysts, teams are still playing catch up to that vortex thing from Adrian Newey and that's always bloody difficult. Only hope is that Newey cars fall back into his usual form of bad reliability.

Newey built cars tend to be pretty untouchable unless, as you say, bad reliability comes back into play.
Or, if Rory Byrne can be coaxed out of retirement.

Imagine Williams having Newey as their designer and Alonso as their driver.
They would soon return to their winning ways.

 

[Polish]

Imagine Williams having Newey as their designer and Alonso as their driver.
They would soon return to their winning ways.

I don't think they have the money for either.

Catch 22, with money they win without money they don't. So money = wins.

Not really the way it should be.

I think the only team with money that failed to perform were Toyota.

 

[Polish]

Boullier leaves Lotus

Lotus has announced that team principal Eric Boullier has left the team, with co-chairman Gerard Lopez set to take over the role.

Boullier now looks destined for McLaren where Martin Whitmarsh's position as team principal has been uncertain since Ron Dennis took over his role as CEO earlier this month. Boullier has run the Lotus team since 2010, when it was known as Renault, and his departure is a blow to the team following the loss of technical director James Allison to Ferrari last year.

However, Lopez, who first invested in the team at the end of 2009 when Renault decided to exit the sport, is confident Lotus will continue to go from strength to strength. He will remain on the board and continue to share chairmanship responsibilities with co-chairman Andy Ruhan.

"Lotus F1 Team has never stood still and we head into what promises to be an exciting 2014 season with an innovative new car, new partners and a new management structure at Enstone," Lopez said. "Great things have been achieved over the past years and we need to continue this momentum.

"We thank Eric for all his hard work over the past four years and we are confident we can continue to fight as one of the top teams in Formula 1 over the seasons ahead."

Lopez also announced YotaPhone as a sponsor for 2014.

Link http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/142587.html

 

[Polish]

Although I would have preferred Ross, Eric is also a good option.

McLaren launch at 2pm our time.

 

[Polish]

FIA ban tyre warmers and increase minimum weight for 2015

Tyre warmers will be banned and the minimum weight of cars changed to suit heavier drivers in 2015, after the FIA announced a series of changes to the technical regulations.

The changes were decided upon by the F1 strategy group and FIA World Motor Sport Council and still have to be signed off by the F1 Commission, but should see tyre warmers outlawed - a move that has been suggested before to save costs but not adopted amid the safety concerns of driving on cold tyres. The ban will require all-new compounds from Pirelli, but the Italian manufacturer has been open to the idea in the past.

The increase in the minimum weight is designed to level the playing field for heavier drivers, who are at an innate disadvantage this year due to the heavier powertrains in the cars. The minimum weight for car and driver is being upped by 1kg this year to 691kg to account for heavier tyres, but will raise by 10kg to 701kg next season.

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/fia/motorsport/story/142581.html#fBzcaRTsUTBOZj4a.99