Formula 1 2019 - General Discussion Thread

AMKC

Am loving them Vintage Renault helmets. Have to say Hulkinbergs is my favorite.

PopePalpatine

At least Danny's doesn't look like the title screen for a 90s Nickelodeon show. :pac:

Charlie-Bravo

Hey, it's not a Power Ranger, it's the transformer Bumblebee.

H3llR4iser

I like the concept of these helmets... current ones are a study case in modern sensory overload: stupidly busy and intricate designs which are basically impossible to remember and fully tell apart, bar a few exceptions.

Robbo

H3llR4iser wrote: »

I like the concept of these helmets... current ones are a study case in modern sensory overload: stupidly busy and intricate designs which are basically impossible to remember and fully tell apart, bar a few exceptions.

Two words that are the root of all evil for jejune helmet design: Lucky Design.

flazio

dublinman1990 wrote: »

David Coulthard will not doing Baku with Channel 4 this time. It will be Eddie Jordan taking over the analyst reins with Steve Jones for that race.

Not sure about how I feel about having Eddie in the commentary box with Ben, that's of course if that's what ends up happening. Hopefully Mark Webber is going to step in.

Vic_08

Heads up for those relying on Sky 1 to watch live, the current listings for the next race weekend don't have any F1 coverage on Sky 1.

It's possible this will change but the previous races were in the advance listings which would be distributed 2 weeks ahead.

flazio

Kind of knew it wouldn't last forever.

El_Duderino 09

What's the view on kubica? I think everyone was hoping he would be back to his best. 3 races in and he's struggling with his rookie team mate. The thinking was that he would bring loads of good will and sponsorship to Williams but I haven't seen it. Evidenced by the fact that they were struggling to get money to build the cars for the first pre season test.

Does anyone think he'll be resigned for next season?

eviltimeban

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What's the view on kubica? I think everyone was hoping he would be back to his best. 3 races in and he's struggling with his rookie team mate. The thinking was that he would bring loads of good will and sponsorship to Williams but I haven't seen it. Evidenced by the fact that they were struggling to get money to build the cars for the first pre season test.

Does anyone think he'll be resigned for next season?

I'd be surprised if he makes it to the end of this season.

LollipopJimmy

eviltimeban wrote: »

I'd be surprised if he makes it to the end of this season.

Yep, I really didn't understand this move. A pay driver would have been a better option for Williams, they are close to ruin, now was not the time to take a risk like this. An experienced driver who could wrangle a couple of points over the season or a pay driver to share the financial burden would have been better options.

Don't get me wrong, I like Kubica as much as the next person but his best F1 days are behind him

Infoanon

El_Duderino 09 wrote: »

What's the view on kubica? I think everyone was hoping he would be back to his best. 3 races in and he's struggling with his rookie team mate. The thinking was that he would bring loads of good will and sponsorship to Williams but I haven't seen it. Evidenced by the fact that they were struggling to get money to build the cars for the first pre season test.

Does anyone think he'll be resigned for next season?

Already signed for 2020.
There is a known fundamental fault with Kubica chassis along with a shortage of spare parts - source Autosport .

In Autosport own driver review they (paraphrasing here) are saying Kubica did a good job to get as close to Russell as he did in qualifying in what is an ill handling chassis and that's it's impossible to compare race pace when Kubica car is so obviously not behaving the way Russell is.

Think we need to wait and see before making any judgements

the_pen_turner

Infoanon wrote: »

Already signed for 2020.
There is a known fundamental fault with Kubica chassis along with a shortage of spare parts - source Autosport .

In Autosport own driver review they (paraphrasing here) are saying Kubica did a good job to get as close to Russell as he did in qualifying in what is an ill handling chassis and that's it's impossible to compare race pace when Kubica car is so obviously not behaving the way Russell is.

Think we need to wait and see before making any judgements

what would be diferent between teammates chasis. have they removed something to allow him better access etc

pjohnson

the_pen_turner wrote: »

what would be diferent between teammates chasis. have they removed something to allow him better access etc

The team dont know. Thats why they had George Russell start the Bahrain test in Kubica's car. To try and see how he did in it. And unsuprisingly Russell then ended up slower than Kubica when Kubica hopped into his own car later on.


Edit- While searching for proof of this I located this "The discrepancies between the cars were revealed as an 8 per cent difference in aero balance front/rear under braking despite the same settings. Kubica’s car aero balance migrated much further forwards than did Russell’s, making it more of an oversteering handful between turn-in and apex. There could be many reasons for this, but it suggests a difference in torsional stiffness between the chassis. Again, the hurried build of the cars may have played its part in this."

Kubica's car is literally worse than Russell's and Russells is a fairly awful benchmark to be behind.

Adamocovic

Think the story we were fed by the press about how quick the Ferrari was this year and how much the Merc would be under pressure is looking more and more like false reporting to drum up attention and interest.

Granted Bahrain suited Ferrari more and they were unlucky not to get two podiums but three races in and three top 2 finishes for Merc. It seems just too comfortable for them.

Every week there is a build up and talk of the Ferrari pace, then Merc takes the foot off for practice and when qualy and race day comes around just hit the gas and look so dominant.

Hopefully Bottas can at least make a competition out of it rather than Lewis strolling to another. Maybe I'm wrong and Ferrari will come back but it's not looking great.

The midfield could at least be interesting, would love Renault to make a bit of a leap too. If one race Daniel managed to finish ahead of Max it would be awesome.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Kubica is doing a bloody good job considering how rubbish that car is, which was proven by Russell himself driving it.

Paddy Lowe & Claire Williams have a lot to answer for, I just hope that Patrick Head can at least do something to ease the damage, the season was a write off before it even began.

As for Kubica finishing 16 seconds behind Russell yesterday despite one less stop, was it that he was told conserve the car due to the lack of spare parts?

Robert was due to join Ferrari in 2012, how long the contract was for I don’t know.

As for 2011, he was fastest on the final day of testing, Petrov/Heidfeld/Senna wouldn’t have gotten near him then.

pjohnson

And to note again that Williams did it again during FP1 in China where the drivers swapped and Russell (in Kubica's car) was again behind Kubica (who was in Russells). So they still haven't been able to rectify it.

Harika

pjohnson wrote: »

And to note again that Williams did it again during FP1 in China where the drivers swapped and Russell (in Kubica's car) was again behind Kubica (who was in Russells). So they still haven't been able to rectify it.

You are allowed to swap cars during the official weekend?

pjohnson

Harika wrote: »

You are allowed to swap cars during the official weekend?

I seen it earlier but cant find the link again now. Found another however that mentioned Kubica got updates that had been meant for Russell so maybe it was a mangled translation and it was some of Russell's updates he had on his car Friday?

They are a mess.

mickdw

If Williams cannot produce another chassis at this stage of the season, they may as well go home.
Kubica has right to be very annoyed if what we are hearing about his car is true.

Glico Man

Was in Monaco today and they're starting to set up for the race next month. Absolutely nuts how much work goes into putting it all together, and then taking it down every year.

Got it down to a fine art though I must say. Proper handy to have slots for the barrier posts to just slide into place in the road already.

Edit: link to some pics I took

http://imgur.com/gallery/HNSupDc

flazio

Confirmed, Mark Webber is going to step in for DC in Baku. He'll also miss two other races.
https://motorsportbroadcasting.com/2019/04/15/coulthard-to-step-away-from-channel-4s-f1-coverage-for-three-races-this-season/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

pjohnson

flazio wrote: »

Confirmed, Mark Webber is going to step in for DC in Baku. He'll also miss two other races.
https://motorsportbroadcasting.com/2019/04/15/coulthard-to-step-away-from-channel-4s-f1-coverage-for-three-races-this-season/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

I didnt know DC had already replaced Gasly at RB good thing Webber was available. They are so ruthless with drivers. :P

pjohnson

Actually meant to asky why is Claire Williams referred to as "Deputy" Team Principal? Frank is Team Owner but coulda sworn he stepped down from the Principal side years ago. She is deputy to no one?

Anjobe

pjohnson wrote: »

Actually meant to asky why is Claire Williams referred to as "Deputy" Team Principal? Frank is Team Owner but coulda sworn he stepped down from the Principal side years ago. She is deputy to no one?

Frank Williams is still the official team prinicipal - https://www.formula1.com/en/teams/Williams.html.

corminators

Anjobe wrote: »

Frank Williams is still the official team prinicipal - https://www.formula1.com/en/teams/Williams.html.

Probably only one of 100 pointless things you'd find going on in there if you visited for a day.

Adamocovic

Glico Man wrote: »

Was in Monaco today and they're starting to set up for the race next month. Absolutely nuts how much work goes into putting it all together, and then taking it down every year.

Got it down to a fine art though I must say. Proper handy to have slots for the barrier posts to just slide into place in the road already.

Edit: link to some pics I took

http://imgur.com/gallery/HNSupDc

Was fortunate enough to head to the qualifying before when I lived nearby. Got to see Leclerc in the lower levels too.

It is some show they put on! Was sitting at Portier Corner and was nearly burnt alive though with the sun!

chicorytip

Contracts can be broken. I think he needs to improve his race, as opposed to qualifying, performance. He finished sixteen seconds behind Russell despite having one less pitstop on Sunday. The method he has developed for turning the steering wheel is effective up to a point but he must be losing a lot of time through the corners and chicanes in comparison to his fully able bodied competitors. Williams are not going to keep him on if he remains so far adrift in the latter stages of the season.

pjohnson

chicorytip wrote: »

Contracts can be broken. I think he needs to improve his race, as opposed to qualifying, performance. He finished sixteen seconds behind Russell despite having one less pitstop on Sunday. The method he has developed for turning the steering wheel is effective up to a point but he must be losing a lot of time through the corners and chicanes in comparison to his fully able bodied competitors. Williams are not going to keep him on if he remains so far adrift in the latter stages of the season.

Well if they sack Kubica lord help whoever else gets tasked with trying the drive literally the worst car on the grid.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

pjohnson wrote: »

Well if they sack Kubica lord help whoever else gets tasked with trying the drive literally the worst car on the grid.

Step forward Esteban Ocon in that case. Mercedes weren't prepared to pay the price to get Ocon that seat in the first place however, plus it would cost Williams alot of money they don't currently have to terminate Kubica's contract. I suspect that Kubica was conserving the car so close to the end of the race hence the gap, but it still doesn't answer the question as to why 2 identically set up cars are responding so differently. I don't even think the Minardi's were this bad even when points were only offered down to 6th place.

mickdw

It has often happened down the years that a chassis was just a pig.
It can be as simple as incorrectly laid down carbon fibre layers not giving the specified rigidity.
A rushed car built by a team with poor funding can have this result.
The car is probably way overweight too which again can be a result of rushed underfunded team.

Vic_08

chicorytip wrote: »

Contracts can be broken. I think he needs to improve his race, as opposed to qualifying, performance. He finished sixteen seconds behind Russell despite having one less pitstop on Sunday. The method he has developed for turning the steering wheel is effective up to a point but he must be losing a lot of time through the corners and chicanes in comparison to his fully able bodied competitors. Williams are not going to keep him on if he remains so far adrift in the latter stages of the season.

Are you completely incapable of reading and understanding facts?

It has already been posted on this thread that Kubica's chassis is badly performing in comparison to Russell's, comparing them to each other in this situation is meaningless.

Jordan 199

Peyton Lively Tiller wrote: »

Paddy Lowe & Claire Williams have a lot to answer for, I just hope that Patrick Head can at least do something to ease the damage, the season was a write off before it even began.

As soon as Patrick gets familiar with the technical regulations, we will see if he can help improve the car.

As for Lowe, I wonder if he will ever work in F1 again.

chicorytip

Vic_08 wrote:

It has already been posted on this thread that Kubica's chassis is badly performing in comparison to Russell's, comparing them to each other in this situation is meaningless.

Vic_08 wrote:

Are you completely incapable of reading and understanding facts?

An 8% differential, if it in fact exists, should not lead to such a disparity in performance. The cars are identical in every way. Once a car has been designed and built there are no changes a driver can then make to alter it's characteristics. Kubica has been complaining about not being able to acheive the right "set up". This is gibberish. You just drive the wheels off whatever you are given even if it means, in Williams case, racing your own teammate a lap or two behind the leaders.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

chicorytip wrote: »

An 8% differential, if it in fact exists, should not lead to such a disparity in performance. The cars are identical in every way. Once a car has been designed and built there are no changes a driver can then make to alter it's characteristics. Kubica has been complaining about not being able to acheive the right "set up". This is gibberish. You just drive the wheels off whatever you are given even if it means, in Williams case, racing your own teammate a lap or two behind the leaders.

I recall during Hockenheim 2001 both Minardi's caught fire on the grid, Alonso was given the spare car, Tarso Marques got Alonso's car, not much time for setup changes there. The car is just a pig end of, Russell got a chance to show that he was 2 seconds faster around Bahrain in the Mercedes compared to the Williams during the recent test, were Kubica afforded the same opportunity maybe then the critics could lambaste. I don't think that even Hamilton himself could score a point in a Williams.

ayux4rj6zql2ph

Jordan 199 wrote: »

As soon as Patrick gets familiar with the technical regulations, we will see if he can help improve the car.

As for Lowe, I wonder if he will ever work in F1 again.

The season is already a write-off.

mickdw

chicorytip wrote: »

Vic_08 wrote:

It has already been posted on this thread that Kubica's chassis is badly performing in comparison to Russell's, comparing them to each other in this situation is meaningless.

Vic_08 wrote:

Are you completely incapable of reading and understanding facts?

An 8% differential, if it in fact exists, should not lead to such a disparity in performance. The cars are identical in every way. Once a car has been designed and built there are no changes a driver can then make to alter it's characteristics. Kubica has been complaining about not being able to acheive the right "set up". This is gibberish. You just drive the wheels off whatever you are given even if it means, in Williams case, racing your own teammate a lap or two behind the leaders.

Either you have no understanding of anything to do with F1 cars or you are simply taking the piss.

Vic_08

chicorytip wrote: »

An 8% differential, if it in fact exists, should not lead to such a disparity in performance.

That does not even make sense in any way.

In the context of F1 8% is the difference between pole position and not being allowed to take part in a race. It would be a vast difference, 8% off pole would be more than halfway to an F2 car.

For the record Williams are around 3.5% slower than Merc/Ferrari.

chicorytip wrote: »

The cars are identical in every way.

The cars are not identical, they should be but are not, Russell has driven both and said so, Kubica's is far less stable in the corners.

chicorytip wrote: »

Once a car has been designed and built there are no changes a driver can then make to alter it's characteristics. Kubica has been complaining about not being able to acheive the right "set up". This is gibberish. You just drive the wheels off whatever you are given even if it means, in Williams case, racing your own teammate a lap or two behind the leaders.

That is just stupid, I am not even going to waste my time in explaining all the ways it is stupid, there is just too much stupidity to bother.

Honestly you need to just stop posting your opinions here, you are just proving Mark Twain correct.

pjohnson

mickdw wrote: »

Either you have no understanding of anything to do with F1 cars or you are simply taking the piss.

It made more sense when he claimed Grosjean deserved the Ferrari seat ahead of Leclerc. Just ignoring an 8% difference in a sport where hundreths of a second can be crucial.

Rossi IRL

Another case of daddy wanting a team for his son to drive in.

Guy trying to take over Williams

https://twitter.com/RobChinchero/status/1118485601915932672?s=19

chicorytip

mickdw wrote:

Either you have no understanding of anything to do with F1 cars or you are simply taking the piss.

Vic_08 wrote:

In the context of F1 8% is the difference between pole position and not being allowed to take part in a race. It would be a vast difference, 8% off pole would be more than halfway to an F2 car.

Vic_08 wrote:

The cars are not identical, they should be but are not, Russell has driven both and said so, Kubica's is far less stable in the corners.

Vic_08 wrote:

That is just stupid, I am not even going to waste my time in explaining all the ways it is stupid, there is just too much stupidity to bother.

I simply pose the question - how can two cars that are designed and manufactured to the exact same specifications and powered by the exact same power unit be then described as "different" to one another? It's almost as if you are attributing human characteristics to a machine. The only apparent "difference" is the unique driving style of the Polish pilot. It does not require a masters degree in mechanical engineering to comprehend this simple reality.

donspeekinglesh

chicorytip wrote: »

I simply pose the question - how can two cars that are designed and manufactured to the exact same specifications and powered by the exact same power unit be then described as "different" to one another? It's almost as if you are attributing human characteristics to a machine. The only apparent "difference" is the unique driving style of the Polish pilot. It does not require a masters degree in mechanical engineering to comprehend this simple reality.

If there's a difference in torsional rigidity between the tubs then they weren't manufactured to the exact same specs.

pjohnson

chicorytip wrote: »

I simply pose the question - how can two cars that are designed and manufactured to the exact same specifications and powered by the exact same power unit be then described as "different" to one another? It's almost as if you are attributing human characteristics to a machine. The only apparent "difference" is the unique driving style of the Polish pilot. It does not require a masters degree in mechanical engineering to comprehend this simple reality.

Answer this question then how come Russell when driving Kubica's (what you claim to be identical) car set a slower time than what Kubica managed later that same day?

chicorytip

pjohnson wrote:

Answer this question then how come Russell when driving Kubica's (what you claim to be identical) car set a slower time than what Kubica managed later that same day?

He just happened to be slower on that particular occasion.The time difference was minimal, less than three tenths, which is not remarkable in any team.

mickdw

chicorytip wrote: »

mickdw wrote:

Either you have no understanding of anything to do with F1 cars or you are simply taking the piss.

Vic_08 wrote:

In the context of F1 8% is the difference between pole position and not being allowed to take part in a race. It would be a vast difference, 8% off pole would be more than halfway to an F2 car.

Vic_08 wrote:

The cars are not identical, they should be but are not, Russell has driven both and said so, Kubica's is far less stable in the corners.

Vic_08 wrote:

That is just stupid, I am not even going to waste my time in explaining all the ways it is stupid, there is just too much stupidity to bother.

I simply pose the question - how can two cars that are designed and manufactured to the exact same specifications and powered by the exact same power unit be then described as "different" to one another? It's almost as if you are attributing human characteristics to a machine. The only apparent "difference" is the unique driving style of the Polish pilot. It does not require a masters degree in mechanical engineering to comprehend this simple reality.

Going back to the late 80s, the earlier days of carbon tubs and there were serious differences from car to car, mostly down to the carbon layering.
It is only in more recent times that you would have heard drivers praise the team for building up a new tub after a big smash and it feeling the same as the crashed car. It is therefore easy to see how a team under pressure to get a car on the grid could produce 2 cars with some differing characteristics.
This is all silly stuff though. The real issue is Williams inability to provide him with a new chassis.

pjohnson

chicorytip wrote: »

He just happened to be slower on that particular occasion.The time difference was minimal, less than three tenths, which is not remarkable in any team.

Yeah you are just at it again a la your Old Man Kimi fetish. Pointless.

chicorytip

pjohnson wrote:

Yeah you are just at it again a la your Old Man Kimi fetish. Pointless.

I actually like and respect the guy as I do Kimi. Had he not suffered the injury he could well have become world champion. I hope he will at least be able to match the performance of his team mate. Baku and Monaco will prove challenging for him.

Harika

Besides the obvious failure of Williams. I am very disappointed by Giovanazzi and Gasly, both are absolutely destroyed by their team mates.

Jordan 199

Kimi has had a great start to the season at Alfa Romeo. Scored points in all three races so far.

chicorytip

Harika wrote:

Besides the obvious failure of Williams. I am very disappointed by Giovanazzi and Gasly, both are absolutely destroyed by their team mates.

Jordan 199 wrote:

Kimi has had a great start to the season at Alfa Romeo. Scored points in all three races so far.

I think Giovannzzi and, in particular, Gasly will improve considerably as the season progresses.