The Official 2011 F1 Thread....Now That 2010 is Over

[MetalSpikeRacing]

Lewis Hamilton vs Tony Stewart .
http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nascar/b...s-Hamilton-to-drive-each-ot?urn=nascar-326831

And team lotus has bought Catherham cars...
http://youtu.be/aGERIVg7ATE

 

[Miner]

Re: SoCal smack-down?

Did we get anything settled on a day? I'm not sure I can be there Friday, but definitely next Saturday. Who can make it and who wants to pick a spot? EM me at tidlof <at> sbcglobal <dot> net

This weekend is tough. Are you coming to the OC or LA, or San Diego? I'm in north inland SD, and my Friday and Saturday is booked. Sunday would be a maybe if you're coming to SD.

Miner

 

[92 white 0650]

....Are you coming to the OC or LA, or San Diego? I'm in north inland SD, and my Friday and Saturday is booked. Sunday would be a maybe if you're coming to SD.

I'll be in OC (Jack's neighborhood Saturday early evening. Sunday, I have a 5 pm wedding in Hemet, so possibly mid afternoon would work, say Temecula area?

 

[Miner]

I'll be in OC (Jack's neighborhood Saturday early evening. Sunday, I have a 5 pm wedding in Hemet, so possibly mid afternoon would work, say Temecula area?

That might work. Let me see if the wife would be up for a drive back up to wine country to visit some friends.

Miner

 

[Miner]

That might work. Let me see if the wife would be up for a drive back up to wine country to visit some friends.

Miner

It's not looking good for Sunday at the moment. I'll keep working the wife though for a pass.

Miner

 

[Miner]

This weekend's forecast in Istambul is cool and wet!

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: oh good

probably rain and they won't need to turn on the sprinklers. :wink:

I'm laughing because Pirelli is high-fiving themselves for how chaotic the races have been. Oh well, Bernie's calling the shots so they're just following orders.

 

[myhui]

The McLaren shoe "features a unique Ventilation System inspired by the cooling intakes of the team’s racing cars":

https://www.mclarenshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10551_-1_70654_VMM3043

Now that's really Fancy Nancy.

 

[myhui]

Or try this ridiculous US$15000 watch:

So that's what the drivers slip on when they take a brief rest in that room before going onto the podium.

 

[MetalSpikeRacing]

How many positions would Kobayashi gain by lap 2, I'll say 7.

I think Rosberg will take webber right of the bat.
Will be a very interesting race for sure.


-MSR

 

[myhui]

Exhaust plumbing of bygone F1 cars:

You all just have to see this:

http://forums.autosport.com/index.php?showtopic=115733

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Ros vs Web

........I think Rosberg will take webber right of the bat. ........
-MSR

Yep, odds are good in my book. Even though the RB KERS is finally working, Web has to get the car up to 60 and he hasn't done a very good job so far. I'm afraid youth and skill will kick the "old age and treachery's" ass. :redface:

Oh well, no one thing can be predicted to be the critical factor to winning the race. With Pirelli on the job, it's a bit like golf now, the winner will need some "member's bounces" (unexplainable luck to you non-duffers) to get the job done. And watching those guys get their fillings loosened in the T-12 brake zone makes me think that is where the most obvious member's bounces will be.

didn't look like the Red Car's new wings did much. And what was up with Flippy? I guess he was just saving tires for the race, huh? Apparently he doesn't think grid position is key to the finishing position anymore, huh? Gee, where would he get that idea? Hopefully, Schumi's saving tires too. (Just baiting the Schumi haters).

 

[myhui]

Todt pushing for limited testing return

A very sensible proposal: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91253

"For me, it is a stupid decision to have no testing during the season," Todt said during a media briefing in Turkey on Sunday morning.

"In the past it was crazy to have unlimited testing during the year, but to go from unlimited to completely banned, it is not the right measure. It doesn't allow young drivers to test, it doesn't give the opportunity for young drivers to learn some experience in F1, and I will make sure that this situation will change for the future.

"It cannot come back to free testing, but teams now have simulation facilities in the factory, so we are not talking about [a testing ban] being a cost-saving for the big teams.

"So we will push for a few days of free testing during the season as soon as possible but by respecting the rules."

 

[myhui]

How many positions would Kobayashi gain by lap 2, I'll say 7.

This one's for you:

Big picture here: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/koba_saub_ista_2011-21.jpg

 

[Sandro]

Interesting race I expected more from Merc and McLaren but came out nice surpise from Fernando.Fight whit Webber for P2 is good progress for Ferrari.
Again Kobayashi did a good race.

 

[sadlerau]

Really great race to watch, again. Some say it is artifical with the DRS but I'm loving it. As was mentioned in the BBC telecast, the drivers are no longer making desperate moves in the first couple of laps, resulting in the inevitable bingles, because they can be patient and wait for the DRS to get them by.

I think that is a good thing.

Once again Webber was racing without KERS. I don't know whether he had it for the first part of the race, bu the in-car graphic latter on showed that he was not using it. I wonder if Vettel had it during the race?

And did anyone notice that Webber admitted to being surprised to be brought in so early for his first stop? He was obviously happy with the handling because he said it was to get him back out in a favourable position. But he was gaping the cars behind anyway, so where was the benefit?

I dunno, maybe I'm becoming paranoid with conspiracy theories :biggrin:

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: The suspense is gone; only the WTF surprise factor is left

OK, Curmudgeon Central has to weigh in here. I'm doing my best to like this new form of "racing" if it can be called that. But with the tire lottery, and this time, the DRS shennanigans, there is no telling what could happen. Like Webber and Vettel said to Fred, "where did you come from?"

Watching the race was a bit like being in the carnival funhouse; you never know what would pop out next or whether to scream or laugh. I would not call this race suspenseful because no one knew how or when the chips would fall or when they would be going backwards at 2-3 seconds/lap.

But don't listen to me. James said the drivers "hadn’t enjoyed being able to sail past each other in the DRS zone," and that "Mark Webber said after the race that his run in China had made him aware that the tyre situation and the DRS was making things artificial, 'You come up against drivers like Fernando, Jenson and Nico, you catch them at 2.5 seconds a lap it’s nice but it’s not rewarding because they’ve got nothing to fight back with.' He stopped there, not wanting to be too critical of the situation in public."

But nevermind the drivers, engineers, sponsors or us in the peanut gallery who who can sit back and gape or laugh mindlessly like we're watching Saturday Night Live. I'm wondering about the analysts whose job it is to look for trends and make predictions. They have a lot fewer trends and less predictable information to work with now and a lot more surprises. Like the rest of us, they're reduced to reacting and yelling things like "OMG, did you see that?"

I know, I know, Curmudgeon Central is not the target audience. And the saleable product in 2011 is entertainment, not competition. I'm way too old to accept that and would rather watch a good chess game than a "hilarious" Wipeout show on TV. But that's just me.

That's my 2 cents...........keep the change.

 

[sadlerau]

At the risk of sounding rude, yeah you might be Curmudgen Central! :biggrin:

After years with most of us complaining about how difficult it is to pass in F1, we now have a feast of chopping and passing and we complain it's too easy? If it were, what's to stop the overtaken car from returning the favour next time around? didn't see too much of that did we? I think this track was a special case, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out at some of the other tracks. Certainly too early to say it is an abject failure just yet, surely?

Even though I'm of the old school [started following F1 back in the mid sixties] I'm quite pleased with the current set up. F1 has not been about a level competitive field for a long time, if ever, and I see it as giving more runners a chance at the top. Maybe I need to take the rose coloured glasses off??

On a totally different note - it was sobering to see Schumacher wallowing around down the field. His crowding of the passer [can't remember who] at the begining of the race that resulted in damage, was a rooky mistake at best, hamfisted if you want to be realisitc :smile: Even though I have never been a fan, I really thought he would have been somewhat more competitive than he has been. He seems to have retained all of his bad traits with none of his magic driving shining through to blind the faithful. I wonder how they must be taking it??

 

[MetalSpikeRacing]

Michael finally said it, I am not enyoing it anymore, and how could he? I was really especting to see him ALOT more competive than waht hes been.
He has been out qualified 19 times by Nico out of 23 races!!!
I feel really bad for him, even when I still have hope...


I dont think Fernando even though about ending up on the podium, he did hit the tire degradation lottery?

Kobayashi, this new regulations have made this game way to easy for him, from 24th to 10th damn, sergio another mistake cost him big time.

Cant wait for monaco, ya no' what I mean


-MSR

 

[Sandro]

he lost 7 laps behind Nicnly one who was simillar as RB cars and dont forget Mark was at new set of tires last stint.

I dont think Fernando even though about ending up on the podium, he did hit the tire degradation lottery?




-MSR[/QUOTE]

 

[farm180]

Ferando all the way .
the team has got the car almost dialed in

 

[M-P]

Just got around to watching the GP of Turkey and I have to say...I used to think DRS was a cool idea, but I don't think I like it anymore. I understand the need for passing in the sport, but that race was a bit crazy with how fast people got passed...they almost didn't even have to try.

I do like the tire craziness though...makes it very interesting.

 

[92 white 0650]

Re: Overshot the mark

Just got around to watching the GP of Turkey and I have to say...I used to think DRS was a cool idea, but I don't think I like it anymore. I understand the need for passing in the sport, but that race was a bit crazy with how fast people got passed...they almost didn't even have to try.
I do like the tire craziness though...makes it very interesting.

From what I gather, you are not alone as there's been a lot of similar comments from inside and outside the paddock. Bernie's braintrust has overdone it with all the changes and I'm betting they tone it down as they fine tune it.

For the rest of this season, they will likely be more conservative with where the DRS will be allowed at each track. They have already realized that DRS would be trouble at Monaco. I think it's banned for that race.

And they're probably going to ask Pirelli to reduce the huge performance spreads since, as it sits now, qually is a non-event and the teams are playing the tire conservation game instead of making Q the exciting shoot out it used to be.

 

[docjohn]

personaly if you are going to add another layer of driver controlled aid..drs..then the driver should have complete controll of it...kinda like the adjustable front wing from last year.Having the drs ultimately controlled by a third party is akin to having a second driver in the car...the tires and kers are wholely controlled by the driver and team.

 

[myhui]

Raikkonen still not ruling out F1 return

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/91560

The 2007 F1 world champion, who retired from the sport in 2009 following his third season at Ferrari, has been linked to possible F1 returns for the past couple of years, first with Red Bull Racing and most recently with Renault.