2014 F1 Car Thread

SnowDrifts

Caterham front end https://twitter.com/kamui_kobayashi/status/428165794652901376/photo/1

_rebelkid

Caterham go very different and separate the chassis and nose. Only team to do it. I like.

Andrew76

Mother of god they continue to shock! :eek:

ZiabR

OSI wrote: »

Good grief

How did that pass the crash tests. The weak point is under the nose so you would imagine that under a heavy impact there is potential for the wing/nose to be pushed under the car. Certainly an interesting design.

_rebelkid

logik wrote: »

How did that pass the crash tests. The weak point is under the nose so you would imagine that under a heavy impact there is potential for the wing/nose to be pushed under the car. Certainly an interesting design.

Every car has that potential. The new regs make front to rear collisions incredibly more dangerous.

I like the way they've gone with it. They've reduced the amount that the lower chassis can effect the flow under the car by just having the nose low.

ZiabR

_rebelkid wrote: »

Every car has that potential. The new regs make front to rear collisions incredibly more dangerous.

I like the way they've gone with it. They've reduced the amount that the lower chassis can effect the flow under the car by just having the nose low.

Yeah it is very different and you have to take your hat off to them for trying something really different. Would love to see them hit the ground running this year. And it does not look all that bad if I am honest, when compared to the FI, Sauber and TR.

smellslikeshoes

You have to wonder did the Caterham designers stumble on something special for it to be that much different than all the rest.

Andrew76

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

You have to wonder did the Caterham designers stumble on something special for it to be that much different than all the rest.

Lego bricks maybe? :pac:

Horrible looking thing. Of course that won't matter if it's fast, but it probably won't be.

Donnelly117

Its hard to tell whats joined to what but it looks like it could be tricky to change in a pitstop, and god knows they went through a fair few last season. It also looks far more likely to get trapped under the front wheels if it comes off... Better then the TR and SFI I suppose

Larbre34

Dont know what Newey is on about, F1 cars used to be nothing but a ramp leading to a drivers head.

And this by the way is the most beautiful F1 machine ever made, and I weep for the days.

SnowDrifts

Larbre34 wrote: »

Dont know what Newey is on about, F1 cars used to be nothing but a ramp leading to a drivers head.

Yeah... and guess what else happened during those days.... drivers died.

SnowDrifts

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Yeah... and guess what else happened during those days.... drivers died.

Think you might be getting timings and causes a bit muddled up there.

Larbre34

Yeah thats a 1990 model, bang in the middle of an 8 year window with no driver losses, or 12 years if you dont count DeAngelis' testing accident.

sockpuppets

OSI wrote: »

Good grief

kind of looks like this
http://images.mudfooted.com/Proboscis-Monkey.jpg

ZiabR

To be honest, F1 has never been safer and if there was ANY doubt that certain noses were deemed dangerous, they would be banned.

greedygoblin

Interesting photo of the Ferrari nose:

ZiabR

Odd to see very little paint on the right side of the front wing.

Wait for the Red Bull with the bright yellow flow vis paint!

mickdw

smellslikeshoes wrote: »

You have to wonder did the Caterham designers stumble on something special for it to be that much different than all the rest.

I think scarbs f1 came up with something like that early on as one obvious to meet the regs. Its hideous.

greedygoblin

logik wrote: »

Odd to see very little paint on the right side of the front wing.

Wait for the Red Bull with the bright yellow flow vis paint!

True, I hadn't noticed that so much until you mentioned it.

Something else you can see is the paint along the top of the nose being redirected out to the sides and funneled underneath the car. I don't know quiet how they've achieved it.

ZiabR

greedygoblin wrote: »

True, I hadn't noticed that so much until you mentioned it.

Something else you can see is the paint along the top of the nose being redirected out to the sides and funneled underneath the car. I don't know quiet how they've achieved it.

Yeah, clever work alright. Something else I have noticed. If you take a look at the right side of the wing, do you see the little white lines just out from the main nose structure. Are they stress cracks?

SamAK

Nice quote from Ericsson regarding fugly cars -

"The reaction to the car has been huge - people either love it or hate it, but for me it's not really important what it looks like, as what counts is how quick it is. If it's fast then I really don't care if it's the worst looking thing out there, if it's slow but beautiful then what's the point of that?"

Read more at http://www.caterhamf1.com/news/2014/t01-jerez-day-1-report#qLxpsIeac37w7e9y.99


Kind of sums up how I feel about all of the cars, sure it's nice when it's pretty but....I just want to see them working hard on track!

Max_Charger

SnowDrifts wrote: »

Like I commented on a few days ago... Newey has concerns about the safety of the new noses. It just seems so obvious that most are like ramps leading to the drivers head.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/112318

It's funny the way people view things differently. To me that loosely reads "I can't find any way for this to be of benefit to us, I want it changed.".

hotwhiskey

OSI wrote: »

Good grief

Caterham getting inspiration from cars from another era!

Charlie-Bravo

I like how the Caterham nose is different - perhaps they have stumbled across something beneficial over the other designs?!

SamAK

logik wrote: »

Toro Rosso seems to have gone overkill on the sidepods alright. They are airing on the side of caution when it comes to the heat issues that most teams say is the biggest factor in the new rules.

Wonderful pun!

astrofluff wrote: »

I like how the Caterham nose is different - perhaps they have stumbled across something beneficial over the other designs?!

I like it, something different! Fingers crossed for Caterham to progress to the mid-field this year.

Also, I find this quote from Seb's Q&A (F1 website) interesting..

"If you drive like last year you won’t see the chequered flag. That much is fact. Racing will change. Full throttle looks like a thing of the past."


Fuel saving regulations :mad::mad:

lolie

_rebelkid wrote: »

I imagine Toro Rosso are breathing quite a large sigh of relief after Force India revealed this monstrosity.

Are the two lads in front throwing up after seeing the nose? Wouldnt blame them.
Imagine the livery EJ would've put on it if he still had the team

Jordan 199

This thread is interesting for sure.

_rebelkid

Jordan 191 wrote: »

This thread is interesting for sure.

First "for sure" of the season! :P

mickdw

greedygoblin wrote: »

True, I hadn't noticed that so much until you mentioned it.

Something else you can see is the paint along the top of the nose being redirected out to the sides and funneled underneath the car. I don't know quiet how they've achieved it.

Is there air blowing out at an angle from inside the nose at the top of the Italian flag on the nose. Seems to be something going on there with the patern of flow viz.

_rebelkid

mickdw wrote: »

Is there air blowing out at an angle from inside the nose at the top of the Italian flag on the nose. Seems to be something going on there with the patern of flow viz.

There's a slot just after the Tricoloure, which may have fins inside it directing airflow outwards. Seems to be a lot of wash out off the top plane of the nose.

Very little paint on the tyres, with quite a lot on the suspension suggesting their forcing most of the air inboard to energise the chassis fins and floor.

SilverScreen

The new Williams doesn't look too bad. That livery looks very unremarkable though (if it is the final livery).

Frank Bullitt

Its the test livery, don't worry.

_rebelkid

Side Comparison of the 2014 cars (sans Caterham and Marussia)

That Ferrari shot looks like the space shuttle, lot of air being shoved away from the rest of the car.

Joeseph Balls

_rebelkid wrote: »

First "for sure" of the season! :P

'Never the less' it wont be the last.........'for sure':D

mickdw

The Mclaren is in a class of its own there for me. Whether or not they can be successful with the lower chassis is open to debate but at least it looks right.

Donnelly117

mickdw wrote: »

The McClaren is in a class of its own there for me. Whether or not they can be successful with the lower chassis is open to debate but at least it looks right.

McLaren always have pretty cars, in 2011 (I think?) when the stepped nose came in the McLaren engineers came up with the best looking solution by a country mile! and it was a bloody quick car too! I reckon Lewis could have challenged and maybe won the championship in it if it wasnt for the 30 second pitstops and other team balls ups...

_rebelkid

Donnelly117 wrote: »

McLaren always have pretty cars, in 2011 (I think?) when the stepped nose came in the McLaren engineers came up with the best looking solution by a country mile! and it was a bloody quick car too! I reckon Lewis could have challenged and maybe won the championship in it if it wasnt for the 30 second pitstops and other team balls ups...

Step was 2012, but McLaren didn't go for it. Instead they went with a sloping nose which looked beautiful.



2011 was a great car too; I still love the U-shaped sidepods.

Donnelly117

_rebelkid wrote: »

Step was 2012, but McLaren didn't go for it. Instead they went with a sloping nose which looked beautiful.

]

Oh Yea 2012, that was the one! Some car it was too. Pity they made it into a donkey for 2013. With such subtle reg changes all they had to do was evolve it a bit and it could have been a title challenger. Instead they opted for a complete redesign and ruined it! But Lewis had left at that stage so I didnt care really

_rebelkid

Donnelly117 wrote: »

Oh Yea 2012, that was the one! Some car it was too. Pity they made it into a donkey for 2013. With such subtle reg changes all they had to do was evolve it a bit and it could have been a title challenger. Instead they opted for a complete redesign and ruined it! But Lewis had left at that stage so I didnt care really

That's a ... different way of looking at it... :P

Anyway, Mclaren are out on track this morning and looking good. Car actually looks good compared to others. Them noses are growing on me... slowly, but growing...

ZiabR

Yeah quite like the McLaren too. Then again they always make a nice looking car. Williams front wing looks to me to be the least developed of the cars. It has a very low profile and is quite small, which will help with drag but it may suffer on the downforce side of things.

mickdw

Just watching the Sky sports F1 round up and the Mclaren is really stunning out on track. The livery almost mirror like in proper light. Looks fantastic, even better than I thought.
Also I see a 05 D registered motorhome in the paddock. I wonder what the story is there?

Donnelly117

mickdw wrote: »

Also I see a 05 D registered motorhome in the paddock. I wonder what the story is there?

Its Jensons isnt it? Its always around the paddock

ZiabR

Jenson still looks quite shook to be honest. He looks the have lost weight aswell.
He will miss his dad this year big time. On a plus, the McLaren looks the business at the moment, it looked planted even though they were not pushing.

On the Sky F1 show, Ted mentioned the new rear suspension that has other teams very interested. Allison from Ferrari said he was very interested in it, he admitted they seem to have been clever.

mickdw

Donnelly117 wrote: »

Its Jensons isnt it? Its always around the paddock

Why the irish plate I wonder?

ZiabR

mickdw wrote: »

Why the irish plate I wonder?

Not sure, but yeah, its Jenson's.

ZiabR

What is happening with the Red Bull... Smoke coming from it again on the first lap out.

_rebelkid

HigginsJ

Are Marussia going to make an appearance today?

_rebelkid

HigginsJ wrote: »

Are Marussia going to make an appearance today?

Should do later on today. Still working on the car, but the noises from the team are good.