F1 2009 megathread

[Miner]

Re: If you like numbers..........

From F-1 Fanatic

Not to dismiss the numbers, but I question some of the measurements. The spring that Massa hit was not traveling at 160 MPH. His head, that hit the spring was traveling at such a speed. His head weighs about 5 Kilos, and Blah Blah Blah, his head would have imparted X amount of kinetic energy to the spring, when his helmet impacted the spring.

As we approach the 10th anniversary of Greg Moore's passing, speeds over 230 mph are almost always fatal (angle of crash etc), speeds under 200 much more survivable, speeds under 180 more so, etc. Let's not even get to the NHRA speeds of 300 mph, those folks are super crazy.

Miner

 

[Ponyboy]

So I'm hearing BMW is getting out of F1 after this season. How unfortunate. Two of the best racing manufacturers are out of the world's premiere racing series.

Well, at least the drivers market will get interesting.

 

[Liquid]

Best wishes for a full recovery to Felipe, who, by all accounts, is a great guy and victim of an incredibly freak accident. Let me stir the pot here... is there any reason why we need open cockpit racing? I know ALMS is moving to closed cockpits on their prototypes and see no reason why F1 couldn't do the same. Even though the probability of an accident is small, to me it seems imprudent to not have closed cockpits.

Regarding the race, Brawn GP dodged a bullet in the race (no pun intended). Despite their poor showing, it could have been much worse without McLaren and Ferrari's strong showing and Vettel's DNF. I don't think the DNF was caused by the incident at the start of the race either.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Don't get me started on..........

Even though the probability of an accident is small, to me it seems imprudent to not have closed cockpits.

on the very bogus and laughable subject of risk: meaning everyone's individual subjective view of it. But if you'd like to debate some other open wheel racers on this issue, hop on over to Apex Speed and let 'em know "what's what". :biggrin:

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35181

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Ahhh geez..............

So I'm hearing BMW is getting out of F1 after this season. How unfortunate. Two of the best racing manufacturers are out of the world's premiere racing series.

Didn't they say they were about to get the Concourde agreement signed? goes to show, we don't have a frickin' clue about what's going to happen in F-1 these days until after it's over and done with and even then we can't be sure what it was or if it's over. Like a really bad play, it just goes on and on and on and on and on.........................

 

[Jetpilot3]

Its confirmed BMW are leaving F1 at the end of the season.

Now that leaves the following drivers in limbo this season and next:

1. Felipe Massa - due to injury
2. Nelsino Piquet - due to be dropped before Valencia
3. Robert Kubica - now rumoured to be taking Felipe's post for remainder of 09
4. Nick Heidfeld - retirement?

Not only do we have a great championship ongoing but silly season has started too with the above.

Now F1 is exciting.

 

[swbatte]

Re: Ahhh geez..............

Didn't they say they were about to get the Concourde agreement signed? goes to show, we don't have a frickin' clue about what's going to happen in F-1 these days until after it's over and done with and even then we can't be sure what it was or if it's over. Like a really bad play, it just goes on and on and on and on and on.........................

I'm sure it was left up to the team to sign the Concorde agreement, but I bet corporate BMW cheapskates pulled the plug after it was signed.

I hate to see them go, I'm sure with the cars staying the same next year they would have been much more competitive. I wonder who will buy the team, or if Sauber will take it over again.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: How long is "the time being" ???

"The Toyota Formula One team has clarified its position regarding its future commitment in the pinnacle of motorsports. With many a doubts as to whether the Cologne based outfit would soon follow the footsteps of the Honda and BMW motor companies, these statements put an end to them for the time being."

With no racing for quite some time, the forth coming war of words and spin could get tedious. :frown:

 

[M-P]

Wow, didn't see this one coming.

Schumacher in for Massa

Last I read, his manager was 200% sure that this would not happen.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Plenty of time........

"Michael Schumacher said he is ready and over the next few days will undertake a specific training programme at the end of which confirmation will be given of his participation in the championship with effect from the European Grand Prix on the 23rd of August."

for all that to change again........and again..........and 6 more times after that. :tongue::wink: What, me cynical??

still time for Fred to make a bid for the seat. {Reb's awfully quiet about that}

 

[Hugh]

Re: How long is "the time being" ???

The Toyota Formula One team has clarified its position regarding its future commitment in the pinnacle of motorsports.

I didn't know that "pinnacle" meant "largest collection of whiny Eurotrash". :biggrin:

I can't watch F1 anymore. The races are boring, the players are sissies and what's with all those nuts cluelessly waving yellow and green flags every few hundred feet? The track safety protocols are pathetic. No one has a clue when a pace car is on the track or what to do when it is. They need lessons from NASCAR.

 

[Ponyboy]

Schumi is back! Love it. But jeez, what a weird season in Formula One. At this pace, I half expect to see Sasquatch humping the Loch Ness Monster on a live F1 feed during the Euro GP.

 

[M-P]

Schumi is back! Love it. But jeez, what a weird season in Formula One. At this pace, I half expect to see Sasquatch humping the Loch Ness Monster on a live F1 feed during the Euro GP.

While Mothman films it?

 

[ChopsJazz]

Re: Don't get me started on..........

But if you'd like to debate some other open wheel racers on this issue, hop on over to Apex Speed and let 'em know "what's what". :biggrin:

http://www.apexspeed.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35181

Great link, thanks.

 

[Ponyboy]

How cool would it be to get Macca to drop Kovaleinen and pick up Mika for the next race?

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: A senior class

How cool would it be to get Macca to drop Kovaleinen and pick up Mika for the next race?

Now you're talkin.' I can relate. :tongue: Let's handicap too. Let the old farts cut a chicane without penalty for, oh, say up to 10 laps, their choice. Let em use whatever tires they want.

Lots of ways to spice up the old circus, eh? :biggrin: I can see old Bernie's got nothing on you Shawn. :wink:

 

[NSXLuvr]

WOW- I didn't expect The Chin to step in.

This is really really going to be interesting!

 

[NSXLuvr]

BTW,

I pray that Massa recovers fully. He has a pregnant wife that is due in November. That is more important right now.

 

[docjohn]

If that frontal pic is real I can see kinda how the spring hit.It may have hit his side pod and his helmet.either way the damage is to the temporal/supraorbital region.The spring weighing about a lb and a half hitting him at 140-160- mph releases a heck of alot of energy in a small area.the fact that surgery needed to be done to "save his life" tells me he had to have sustained an epidural hemetoma related to a temporal skull fx.Now as long as the eyeball is intact he could still suffer blindness/sever vision loss due to damage to the optic nerve from bone fragments that can be pushed into the orbit if the skull fx was extensive enough to extend into the roof of lateral wall of the orbit.

 

[ChopsJazz]

The picture of his injury and helmet damage shows very graphically how dangerous track debris is at those speeds in a open cockpit.

Not for the faint:

 

[ChopsJazz]

Honda's gone, and now BMW too. Rumors of Renault and Toyota to follow. Will we soon have a homologous series like Champ Cars?

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090729183210.shtml

 

[M-P]

Honda's gone, and now BMW too. Rumors of Renault and Toyota to follow. Will we soon have a homologous series like Champ Cars?

http://en.f1-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/090729183210.shtml

No, Toyota and Mclaren came out and emphasized their commitment to the sport...also if they did that then they would have to change the name from "Formula" 1 to something else.

Formula means that the teams are given a set of rules to adhere to when building the car, but as long as the design is within the scope of the rules then it is legal. That is why the (so far unimplemented) Williams flywheel-based KERS setup is so much different than that of Ferrari or Mclaren.

This is true for all forms of racing with the term 'Formula' in the name...all the way down to the collegate competition of Formula SAE. In my opinion it is what makes F1 so interesting...but that is just the engineer side of me talking cause I love the race action too.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Hard to keep up with the change

Will we soon have a homologous series like Champ Cars?

Back in '93 or so, when I knew nothing about racing but decided watching CART would be a pretty neat visceral thrill, I talked to some avid fans at an auto-x event. They were in their teens so hadn't been watching CART for all that long. So I was kind of surprised to hear that they were burned out by the changes; which were mostly driver changes back then. Sure there was the Penske Ilmor engine surprise, but all in all, nothing like the chaos and artificial show going on in OW racing today.

Sometimes ya just gotta force yourself to loosen up and appreciate the new $hit just 'cause it's new. Oh wait, :redface: when am I talkin' about? Ken, you probably have a boatload to say about what they call music today, huh?

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Well........technically, maybe

Formula means that the teams are given a set of rules to adhere to when building the car, but as long as the design is within the scope of the rules then it is legal.

That may be historically true or what purists want to hold on to, but I'm not sure there are enough of you out there to keep that criteria alive. And what's to say the rules couldn't be squeezed down to where it is essentially spec? I race a Formula Mazda which is as spec as spec can be and has been since '91.

But, hey, really, F-1 is Bernie's circus; he'll change the rules any which way he can to make a buck, right? All he has to do is schmooze the FIA a bit and it's a done deal.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: The car or the driver

The popular argument goes that this year proves that the combination of car and team/strategy holds sway over driver talent when it comes to winning. Although the red cars have improved, they are nowhere near what they were when Schumi dominated. So, it looks like a win-win for him; if he's mid-pack, it's just as we suspected; it's all about the car/team. If he wins or shows intimidating podium performance (and particularly if Kimi is mid-pack), he will be elevated to racing saint status as the only guy who could still win with a so-so car. (And Shawn will be buying the drinks? :tongue

We shall see.