Formula 1 2015: General Discussion Thread

Ghost Train

and creme eggs

Jordan 199

I had a look at some testing figures and Force India completed 365 laps in 3 days of testing with their new car.

McLaren completed 380 laps in 12 days of testing with their new car.

That was good going for Force India.

Zcott

Yep, it's reliable alright...but no indication of performance.

Frank Bullitt

Looks like a repeat of last year with Merc out in front.

Very dominant stuff from them.

ZiabR

Gintonious wrote: »

Looks like a repeat of last year with Merc out in front.

Very dominant stuff from them.

Early signs do show them to most likely still be 1 second clear again this year. Possibly in for another boring enough year at the front

TheDoctor

Sure its up to the rest to catch up, they've all now had a full year of the new regs

Renault seem to be going bakwards

ZiabR

TheDoctor wrote: »

Sure its up to the rest to catch up, they've all now had a full year of the new regs

Renault seem to be going bakwards

I know it is up to the rest to catch up but it does nothing for the spectacle or the sport. The amount of times I came into work last year after GP weekend to people saying ah I switched over to something else halfway through the race.

The most exciting times last year was when Rosberg or Hamilton had car issues resulting in someone else having a chance to win. It is going to be the same this year, if not worse as Merc look to be insanely reliable.

We needed Renault to have a much improved engine this year to allow Red Bull etc to challenge and mix up the grid a bit more. While they have improved, they are still a country mile behind Merc. Newey did say that this formula is now all about engine and not so much aero. I believe that the Red Bull has very good aero and if they only had a decent engine, they would be challenging for race wins.

We still know the Ferrari engine is slightly down on power when compared to Merc, so while, Renault and Ferrari have made engine improvements, so have Merc. If anything, Merc are further ahead this year then they were last year.

As for Honda, it is impossible to say where they are.

T-Bird

At least they all have chances to improve their engines this year.

ZiabR

T-Bird wrote: »

At least they all have chances to improve their engines this year.

Yes, that was a vital step by the FIA. If they had of frozen development we would be in for a very very boring season.

Charlie-Bravo

It's photos like this that really get the juices flowing Really looking forward to the kick-off in Oz.



Sorry about the big picture - nicked the photo from their facebook page. :cool:

Jordan 199

This years Red Bull livery:

Myrddin

I don't get the 'hate' for last season at all. Since 2011, it's been one dominant driver in one dominant team winning everything. At least last year, there were two drivers battling at the front, & will be again this year. Essentially for the last four years, the race win was decided on a Saturday for the most part. That cannot be said for last year, it could for the team perhaps, but not the driver. Such a change is much welcomed if you ask me.

kksaints

Myrddin wrote: »

I don't get the 'hate' for last season at all. Since 2011, it's been one dominant driver in one dominant team winning everything. At least last year, there were two drivers battling at the front, & will be again this year. Essentially for the last four years, the race win was decided on a Saturday for the most part. That cannot be said for last year, it could for the team perhaps, but not the driver. Such a change is much welcomed if you ask me.

In 2012 we had 8 different race winners with 6 different constructors and had a chapionship battle that went to the last race.

Myrddin

kksaints wrote: »

In 2012 we had 8 different race winners with 6 different constructors and had a chapionship battle that went to the last race.

Fair point, just looking at the '08 stats here & it did seem a decent mixed bag. I guess the memory of Vettel winning four years in a row blurred my recollection somewhat. Still though, the last several years have seemed llike one long Vettel-fest, & I for one am glad to see someone else at the front. It'd be great to have more competition though.

ScumLord

logik wrote: »

I know it is up to the rest to catch up but it does nothing for the spectacle or the sport. The amount of times I came into work last year after GP weekend to people saying ah I switched over to something else halfway through the race..

I'd question their interest in the sport then.

In many race series there's one team or driver that seems to be able to get ahead and stay ahead, whether it's their skill, a better car, or just a lucky year where everything went right for them. You don't really look to the front guys for on track battles, you have to look to the mid pack for the actual on track battles. And there was plenty of action mid pack last year. That can even happen in series where they all drive the same car.

If they can't get enjoyment from watching the mid pack fight each other because they're not going to win the race then they don't love motorsport and it's pointless trying to appease them..

guyfo

Myrddin wrote: »

I don't get the 'hate' for last season at all. Since 2011, it's been one dominant driver in one dominant team winning everything. At least last year, there were two drivers battling at the front, & will be again this year. Essentially for the last four years, the race win was decided on a Saturday for the most part. That cannot be said for last year, it could for the team perhaps, but not the driver. Such a change is much welcomed if you ask me.

2014- Hamilton should have walked it but numerous issues made the season seem closer until the final round, 3 different winners.

2013 - Vettel walked it but there were 5 different winners from the first 10 races

2012- Vettel overcame a 1 point deficit to Alonso in the last round to win, 8 different winners in 6 different makes.

2011- Vettel dominates yet there are still 5 different winners

2010- 5 different winners 3 way showdown Vettel comes from 3rd in standings in last round 2 win.

Apart from 2011 and the end of 2013 getting a bit boring i thought we had a pretty good 4 previous years!
Fingers crossed Hamilton and Rosberg fight all the way to the wire, but i have a bad feeling Hamilton will be in a class of his own this year.....

cadaliac

ScumLord wrote: »

I'd question their interest in the sport then.

In many race series there's one team or driver that seems to be able to get ahead and stay ahead, whether it's their skill, a better car, or just a lucky year where everything went right for them. You don't really look to the front guys for on track battles, you have to look to the mid pack for the actual on track battles. And there was plenty of action mid pack last year. That can even happen in series where they all drive the same car.

If they can't get enjoyment from watching the mid pack fight each other because they're not going to win the race then they don't love motorsport and it's pointless trying to appease them..

I don't think that's what he meant. Also, people want to see track battles at the front - not mid pack, thats just normal.
Why would you want to have the front two in a procession and say that a mid pack battle is as good to watch?
You have a point that it happens is a series that all cars are equal. That dosen't make it right. That doesn't make for exciting viewing either.

ScumLord

cadaliac wrote: »

I don't think that's what he meant. Also, people want to see track battles at the front - not mid pack, thats just normal.
Why would you want to have the front two in a procession and say that a mid pack battle is as good to watch?
You have a point that it happens is a series that all cars are equal. That dosen't make it right. That doesn't make for exciting viewing either.

But that's a bit like saying that if you're watching a soccer match they should be scoring goals every 2 minutes or it's boring.

It's been the case that there's been one or two drivers that can pull away at the front for decades now. If a driver can set himself up on pole and put in consistent laps it's very hard for anyone to challenge that spot, especially if 2nd place is defending, so the race is always going to favour the pole sitter pulling away on his own.

That's just the nature of racing.

Jordan 199

Melbourne will be holding it's 20th GP this year and it was the season opener for 18 of them. Melbourne held it's first race in 1996 and replaced the race that was previously held in Adelaide.

Since 1996, only Bahrain held the two opening races of the season in 2006 and 2010.

Ghost Train

Usually get some sort of drama in Melbourne. I've good memories of the late 90's races with the McLaren switching positions in 1998, McLaren reliability problems in 99 and Irvine and Frentzen finishing 1st and second.

tripperman

webber holding off mika salo to score points on his F1 debut and it was toyotas debut also, the massive shut at the start that year, i also remember hill breaking down on the parade lap in 1997 in his arrows, my favourite memory from a kid was getting up to watch quali and the race in 1996 seems only like it was last week, cant wait for it to start a bit rain in quali and race allways add fun

Jordan 199

tripperman wrote: »

webber holding off mika salo to score points on his F1 debut and it was toyotas debut also, the massive shut at the start that year

That was the 2002 GP where Ralf Schumacher went flying:



Clip of the crash here.

T-Bird

Crikey! I must have seen every GP from the early 80s onwards, and can hardly remember a thing...

It's interesting reading these pages.

tripperman

T-Bird wrote: »

Crikey! I must have seen every GP from the early 80s onwards, and can hardly remember a thing...

It's interesting reading these pages.

iv got a good memory for stuff like that, remember laughing at yuji ide not been able to get reverse in quali in 06, the bar shunt in 99 was freakish at the fast chicane,

greedygoblin

tripperman wrote: »

the bar shunt in 99 was freakish at the fast chicane,

Was that Melbourne? I'd completely forgotten where that was.

tripperman

greedygoblin wrote: »

Was that Melbourne? I'd completely forgotten where that was.

yeah in melbourne the rear wing failed, both bars had massive shunts on the climb up eau rouge in spa that year also

Zcott

There's a rumour on Twitter that after his crash Alonso still thought he was driving for Ferrari.

ZiabR

Zcott wrote: »

There's a rumour on Twitter that after his crash Alonso still thought he was driving for Ferrari.

I would find that very hard to believe but if he did infact bang his head hard, I suppose it could be possible.

I just think people are throwing alot of **** at the moment and some of it is bound to stick.

Going Strong

Zcott wrote: »

There's a rumour on Twitter that after his crash Alonso still thought he was driving for Ferrari.

Apparently, he replied to the marshals in Italian rather than saying anything about Ferrari. Presumably the marshals spoke to him in Spanish.

CFlat

Lewis Hamilton, fully lucid, pitted in the McLaren garage in his first year with Mercedes. I think Alonso's linguistic mistake can be put down to spending five years talking Italian over the radio to his Ferrari pit crew and some confusion after his shunt.

Standard Toaster

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Alonso out for the first race, not a great way to start the season.

Link ?

counterlock

Standard Toaster wrote: »

Link ?

It's on every sports site

HigginsJ

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Alonso out for the first race, not a great way to start the season.

That is very disappointing. Clearly will raise alot more questions as to what is actually wrong with him. No way the crash last week keeps him out of a GP in normal circumstances.

HighLine

That's a shame. Also adds frustration to Boulier's flippant comments immediately after the accident.

Going Strong

LIGHTNING wrote: »

It comes back to when you see a really innocuous crash and the driver gets really badly hurt and then you see a whopper of a crash where the car is in bits and the driver walks away unhurt. Sometimes it can just be bad luck. Just look at the shunts Webber and McNish have walked away from.

The only thing I can think of is that Alonso's head bounced around the cockpit as the impact came directly through the wheel hubs and into the chassis.

Standard Toaster

counterlock wrote: »

It's on every sports site

Aertel delay here.

Shame, I guess he has to follow doctor's orders regardless.

Look at the crash that killed Dale Earnhardt and compared it to dramatic-looking crashes that people walk away from. Hopefully it's not an underlying thing and it's just the fact that he hit a concrete wall at an odd angle.

cadaliac

HighLine wrote: »

That's a shame. Also adds frustration to Boulier's flippant comments immediately after the accident.

Sorry, what remarks did he make? I missed all that.

HighLine

cadaliac wrote: »

Sorry, what remarks did he make? I missed all that.

He said the following..

"Fernando's accident was just one of those things that happens in testing,” said Boullier.

"Fortunately, he's fine, but was concussed during the accident, which therefore required an overnight stay in hospital as a precaution. That's normal practice after a concussion.

"Inevitably, some media reports have sought to exaggerate the severity of the incident - it was just a normal testing accident.

Whilst everyone in the F1 community were suspicious as to what really happened especially considering all 4 corners were left on the car. When Martin Brundle questions something, then I think it is fair for fans to question the event also.

https://twitter.com/MBrundleF1/status/569928019806183424
https://twitter.com/MBrundleF1/status/570146553320644608

And Gary Hartstein's observations..

https://twitter.com/former_f1doc/status/570364700799578114
https://twitter.com/former_f1doc/status/570365503975202816
https://twitter.com/former_f1doc/status/570366266063474689

Ghost Train

That's a pity he's out for first race. I guess no point taking any risks when the car isn't really going to be up to speed anyway. Hopefully nothing serious and they just need a bit more time before they can give him all clear

Terrontress

I'm sure Magnussen is happy enough, while hoping Alonso's ok.

Harika

Terrontress wrote: »

I'm sure Magnussen is happy enough, while hoping Alonso's ok.

He does not sound overwhelmed happy:

The decision heaps pressure on Magnussen who was quoted this week as saying that for him to race in Melbourne “would be difficult”.

“It’d be difficult, as I’ve not had my own team of engineers or mechanics to talk to all winter,” Magnussen said. “I’ve kind of been on the sidelines a little bit.

“I’ve followed what has been going on and kept up to date with it but it is different when you have your own team and you can work with them. If I have to then I’ll be happy to do it.”

Terrontress

Plus every additional race gives you more experience, making another team more likely to pick you up future.

counterlock

Has anyone seen the pics on twitter of the skid marks on the track from the car? It's a really strange one

wobbles

Ive got a nigglling feeling the reasons behind all this was not caused by the crash, but they caused the crash. Since the car was not damaged you could take it there was no energy absorbed by the car and it all went into Alonso, but I think something happened before the crash which led to Alonso loosing control.

You would hope that its just a precaution brought on by tighter safety controls.

counterlock

It looks like he was on the brakes going by this

mickdw

Ive seen a shot taken further back on that tyre mark and its a very slow gradual curve and I would have imagined both wheels would have locked if he was hard on the brakes.
Could it be some sort of failure that caused an inside wheel to lock up.

counterlock

mickdw wrote: »

Could it be some sort of failure that caused an inside wheel to lock up.

That could be it, the loading would be on the left wheel. I can't see why they would be holding anything back

Charlie-Bravo

I'm going to go back to my previous comment - electric shock and brake-by-wire failing, but in this instance it failed on one side?

F1 fanatic

The skidmarks would suggest the angle of impact was quite sharp even though the car stayed together.