Sport The Formula 1 Thread

[McSpeed]

Finally

Cool to see the Caterham name in F1 now.

[Sidewaysbob]

Abu Dhabi then ......

...I’ll be honest here; I’m struggling to write anything about this place.

It’s dull, and the highlight is that the sun goes down whilst the race is on.

Its got a big building that lights up in the dark ..

And ......

Last year no one could overtake and Vettel won the championship.

I don’t think that’s going to change this year, Vettel has already won the championship.

Sorry about this, I’m finding it very difficult to write anything interesting about this race, I can’t even get enthusiastic about it. Vettel will win, probably, one of the Mclarens will be second and if the other McLaren hasn’t hit the other Ferrari, it might fight it out with Alonso. Mercedes will follow the big boys home, Petrov might be there or there about and at least one if not both of the Torro Rosso’s will round out the top ten.

So there you go. If you have anything to add ... I’m more than happy to share it with the class.

Don't forget to update predictions and stuff.

[Snowman]

To be fair, the rule changes this year have managed to produce some great racing on a few circuits that were previously written off as being dull. I'm hoping that the same will be true for Abu Dhabi.

[Nick_L]

So why is there a race in Abu Dhabi?

Hardly a nation well known for it's rich motorports heritage.

Oh yeah

[Paradigm]

I'm not saying it's not boring but how do you decide which nations should and should not have a 'heritage'? If it's pre-1939 then it's okay? Where's the Irish Grand Prix? etc.

[milko]

Hello. Can someone remind me how the start lights work in F1 now? Is it lighting reds left to right or right to left? And when they go off, is it just off or do some green ones come on?

Thanks! I'm producing an ad for someone.

[Jonny5]

5 lights come on (not sure if it's always left to right or right to left or varies between tracks) and then go out, no green lights at all for the start.

[milko]

Thanks. Dang, I thought there might not be green anymore. But it looks good when they go green! Oh well. Cheers for the info.

[SeanR]

So why is there a race in Abu Dhabi?

Hardly a nation well known for it's rich motorports heritage.

Oh yeah

What about the Rainbow Sheikh Car Museum?

[Dr Slotter]

Thanks. Dang, I thought there might not be green anymore. But it looks good when they go green! Oh well. Cheers for the info.

Yeah no green. They come on, from left to right (from the drivers perspective) in a standard pace until all five are lit, they then go off at a random time.

[Dudley]

Thanks. Dang, I thought there might not be green anymore. But it looks good when they go green! Oh well. Cheers for the info.

To be honest, for an ad, artistic licence should let you use green.

[SeanR]

[RFT]

I'm not saying it's not boring but how do you decide which nations should and should not have a 'heritage'? If it's pre-1939 then it's okay? Where's the Irish Grand Prix? etc.

Or the Libyan?

To be honest, I don;t think it shoukdl be so much about heritage as enthusiasm. if F1 goes somewhere new, and plants the flower of motorsports enthusiasm, and some sort of national or regional ladder springs up, then that's great. I'm all for Grands Prix being in countries that love motorsport. (or seem to be at a point where they might start).

Look at India - first grand prix, but the country's been working on producing drivers, has a team (though it's based in northamptonshire) and the stands were full of enthusastic and seemingly knowledgable fans. not just the stands, as well - we had people sat on the earth banks around the track.

IF we take a GP somewhere new, and it builds into a big event then I;ve no problem it being on the calendar. if it goes somewhere and the local population go for one year then decide it isn't for them, then it should go. to be honest if GPs were being funded purely as private business ventures (instead of government-funded tourism willy-waving contests) then that's what would happen anyway.

To be honest, looking back at the 1991 schedule (for instance, just because I've been playing F1GP recently), we haven;t lost all that many of the great tracks.

Pheonix - gone,

Interlagos - still racing

Mexico - gone

Imola - gone (though was essentially a second Italian GP)

Monaco - still racing

Montreal - still racing

Magny-Cours - gone (might come back in an alternating deal with Spa)

Silverstone - still racing

Hockenheim - still racing

Hungary - still racing

Spa - still racing

Estoril - gone

Monza - still racing

Barcelona - still racing

Suzuka - still racing

Adelaide - gone (though we still go to Australia)

In the interim period F1 went to some real dumps (Argentina, I'm looking at you), had more doubled-up races in Spain (Barca+Jerez, Barca+Valencia) Japan (TI aida+Suzuka), Germany (Hock + Nurburgring), the UK (Donington + Silverstone). so I'm not really averse to spreading it around a bit, as long as it's somewhere where the population seem really interested in the sport, and not just the ruling sheik wanting to get one up on the neighbours.

The only traditional european motorsports contry that really deserves a GP and doesn't have one at the moment is France, and they don't really care because they have Le Mans.

[JohnC]

I don't really have much memory of Mexico. Was/is F1 popular there?

[kiroquai]

Had two runs in F1 - early 1960s - 1970 and then 1986 - 1992. Earlier period was obviously made somewhat popular by the Rodriguez brothers (who pretty quickly sadly became the Rodriguez brother, and then ultimately the late Rodriguez brothers) - in the 1970 race the crowd were so unruly they sat literally next to the track. Jackie Stewart hit a dog I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V_wbYj6OcE#!

Second time around it was pretty popular - track was quite quick and had a seriously nasty last corner that Senna rolled at during practice in 1991.

[Sidewaysbob]

I like races that have a crowd at them, the dirty muddy sort that look like they know where the engine is. And tracks that reward skill ie India where going off line broke suspension mounts

[SharkyOB]

Had two runs in F1 - early 1960s - 1970 and then 1986 - 1992. Earlier period was obviously made somewhat popular by the Rodriguez brothers (who pretty quickly sadly became the Rodriguez brother, and then ultimately the late Rodriguez brothers) - in the 1970 race the crowd were so unruly they sat literally next to the track. Jackie Stewart hit a dog I think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-V_wbYj6OcE#!

Second time around it was pretty popular - track was quite quick and had a seriously nasty last corner that Senna rolled at during practice in 1991.

Amazing how disorganised the starts were in those days. The drivers briefing would have been amazing - 'What we'll do is have a random run down the middle of the track, you just line up wherever you like in some vague order, then go when the random waves his flag and runs for his life! Bonus points to the midfield driver who gets closest to running the random down.'

[marsh]

For those race fans living in the MK area, daytona karting are having a charity event in aid of Dan Wheeldon's chosen charity. Not only is it for a good cause, but some of the best racing drivers in the world are taking part. Next thursday I think. Not a hope in hell I'd be able to make it, but some of you guys might do.

Toodle pip!

[dayte]

And tracks that reward skill ie India where going off line broke suspension mounts

There wasn't much skill required, it was just Massa

[RFT]

Second time around it was pretty popular - track was quite quick and had a seriously nasty last corner that Senna rolled at during practice in 1991.

Peraltada - there was a corner. a long wide 180 degree, banked turn. easily over 160mph. Mansell once overtook Senna there around the Outside.

The track still exists, but the corner isn't used any more

[kiroquai]

Yeah, they run around the inside of it and have a chicane. They also have the slight inconvenience of running cars through the middle of a baseball stadium they built in the middle of the circuit

[JohnC]

They also have the slight inconvenience of running cars through the middle of a baseball stadium they built in the middle of the circuit

Well, I often went that way through the baseball stadium in Burnout Paradise, so it should be easy for them

[milko]

To be honest, for an ad, artistic licence should let you use green.

Yeah, I've left it for now. We shall see, it may need to be authentic but I'll leave that for the client to worry about. May not end up using them at all.

[Agent L]

Starting to hear rumours that Brundle and Croft will be on sky next year. DC to stay with BBC. Nothing official yet of course but time will tell.

[Dom B]

Brundle and Croft

Dream team.

I'm lucky I already subscribe to Sky for the football etc. I totally sympathise with those who don't and will have to fork out extra to see all the races. I just hope BBC don't suffer a complete talent-drain to Sky - their coverage has been exceptional and this whole business sucks and is surely bad for the sport in the long run.

[Dudley]

For those race fans living in the MK area, daytona karting are having a charity event in aid of Dan Wheeldon's chosen charity. Not only is it for a good cause, but some of the best racing drivers in the world are taking part. Next thursday I think. Not a hope in hell I'd be able to make it, but some of you guys might do.

Toodle pip!

And if you do, cheer for the Race Drivers Inc teams, that's who I drove for at the 24hr.

[mexos]

Looking at Abu Dhabi on FP1, given the lack of texture or dirt on the buildings and track it looks like I'm watching in game graphics.

[Halkyon]

When I had Abu Dhabi on last year my girlfriend asked why I was watching people play a computer game. True story.

[mexos]

I turned the volume off as soon as I heard jackie Stewarts voice. Has he waffled on about fucking mind management yet? In context to Lewis no doubt.

[myoozikk]

yeah when asked about if he ever connected with another driver, he said no i always drove around them. He's a total legend, but does have a big of grumpy old man, "back in my day" vibes.