F1 2014 thread

Niki Lauda - important comments...

On the Noise..or lack thereof

“Look, it’s a simple explanation: now is the perfect start for this era of the hybrid fuel-efficient engine. Why? Because Mercedes, Ferrari, Renault and Honda, from my opinion, will not be for a long time in F1 if they cannot have valid expression for their engineering philosophies. If we had kept the old noisy eight-cylinder engine, this vital step would not have been done, and in the long run that would have finished F1. Thank God with this new engine rule all the big manufacturers are highly motivated because the new technology is relevant to their road cars. And it’s inevitable that turbocharged engines have less noise. Every kid knows that.”

The fuel-flow rule

“The 100 kg of fuel flow is exactly the direction that every road car needs to go, to save energy, to save oil, all this bull****. We have to be in step with that. It’s the law which was introduced by the FIA, but written by the engine people. So there is no discussion about it. You cannot flow more than 100 kg an hour. Why? Because you only have five engines a season. If you don’t have this fuel flow you can have 5000 bhp for one lap, but your engines aren’t going to last. So it’s very clever because it keeps the power range under control.”

On F1 Management

“My biggest worry, honestly, is if Bernie one day for whatever reason will leave us, because he is the combination of the perfect businessman, no question, and an ex-team owner. For me he always had the right compromise what he has to give back to the investors and what he has to leave for the sport. Everybody always complains it’s not enough, but Bernie always found the right means to please who he’s working for and getting all the teams together to develop what needs to be developed for the sport. This is his talent.

“He is the master of all this success, and everything is in his head. So he has to continue, otherwise this business that is worth six billion dollars will go down very quickly. All this will be destroyed in no time.”
 
Ricciardo handed 10-place grid penalty

Daniel Ricciardo's miserable afternoon at Sepang has been compounded by news he will receive a ten-place penalty in Bahrain after an unsafe release during a botched pit stop at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo looked good for fourth behind team-mate Sebastian Vettel when he came in for fresh option tyres on lap 42, but was released without his front left tyre being attached properly. Ricciardo was handed a ten-second stop/go penalty during the race, but still falls foul of the FIA in the post-race for the second grand prix in a row. After the race Ricciardo admitted he had been enjoying fighting at the front again and that he does not intend to stop after Malaysia.

Read more at http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/151625.html#CeHEMofBx6hpvkTp.99

Ricciardo feeling the brunt of the pace of a top F1 team.....................to add to bad luck
 
Talk about inconsistent. Why penalise the driver for the teams error?

Eish he had bad luck in Sepang. Team fails to secure wheel, stops halfway out the pits and must be pushed back, then loses front wing, gets stop/go penalty, retires, and earns himself a 10 grid drop in Bahrain.

Should have called in sick on Sunday :D
 
Eish he had bad luck in Sepang. Team fails to secure wheel, stops halfway out the pits and must be pushed back, then loses front wing, gets stop/go penalty, retires, and earns himself a 10 grid drop in Bahrain.

Should have called in sick on Sunday :D
Good point - it would have been better for the poor guy. It's about as consistent as penalising Vettel for those issues. Neither were the driver's fault.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Still a team sport.

Right, so dock the constructor points then. or fine them. Don't alter ANOTHER race outcome. That's like saying Man United will play one player short for the opening 20 minutes of their next game because of an infringement in the past game.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Right, so dock the constructor points then. or fine them. Don't alter ANOTHER race outcome. That's like saying Man United will play one player short for the opening 20 minutes of their next game because of an infringement in the past game.

The entire team is responsible for performance on the day. Companies that big do not care about fines. They only care about results. Hitting them in the wallet doesnt hurt, but hitting them in performance does. Remember, the driver is just a member of the team. His job is to drive the car to win - but the jobs that other people have are still important. By not doing their jobs properly, they have let their entire team down. This grid penalty will affect them as much as it will affect the driver.
 
The entire team is responsible for performance on the day. Companies that big do not care about fines.
Of course they do. They are in it for the profit. The fine must just be appropriate. Docking constructors points will hurt too. They (as a team) are after a title.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Of course they do. They are in it for the profit. The fine must just be appropriate. Docking constructors points will hurt too. They (as a team) are after a title.

Why do you think all of the penalties levelled against teams are either time based (drive through penalty) or grid based (grid penalty)?

I don't think they fine constructors often, if at all.
 
Still a team sport.

This is correct. In terms of competition the team comes first. The penalty will compromise teams ability to score points and this will/ may have a decider how they finish in the points standings at the end of the year and as such how much prize money they will get paid by FIA.

The fact that it compromises the driver is very unfair indeed, but secondary.
 
Why do you think all of the penalties levelled against teams are either time based (drive through penalty) or grid based (grid penalty)?

I don't think they fine constructors often, if at all.
It's less of an issue if it's meted out during the race in question. This is the next race that will be affected which destroys the spectator / supporter aspect of the sport.
 
Good point - it would have been better for the poor guy. It's about as consistent as penalising Vettel for those issues. Neither were the driver's fault.

After the wheel hit the guy in the pit lane last year (also caused by a bad RB pit stop) the punishment was increased. It's the 10 second stop go and a 10 place grid penalty at the next race. Any driver or team would get the same punishment if it happened to them.

Under 2014's revised regulations, any driver who is unsafely released not only incurs a 10-second stop and go penalty if they continue in the race, but also receives an automatic 10-place grid drop for the subsequent event.
 
Of course they do. They are in it for the profit. The fine must just be appropriate. Docking constructors points will hurt too. They (as a team) are after a title.

Subtracting points will hurt them the most as their points finish at the end of the season determines the cut they will get from FOM which is a very big amount. For bigger teams like RBR and Ferrari, it wont make much of a difference if they are 2nd or 3rd, but for the lower to mid-level teams, i.e. Marussia, Caterham and Sauber it does make a massive difference where they finish in the points. So yes, although harsh, subtracting points is better. It will ensure teams are very, very careful during the pit stops.

What makes the situation worse is the speed of the pit stops. They're over in under 3s. With pit stops as fast as that you are definitely going to get a wheel nut that's not going to be fastened properly or something.
 
It's less of an issue if it's meted out during the race in question. This is the next race that will be affected which destroys the spectator / supporter aspect of the sport.

Point.

But having said, I'd rather keep an eye on a fast RB having to work its way through the field than one cruising in front not having to fight.
 
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X