Sport The Formula 1 Thread

[kiroquai]

Q6 now solved!

Collins won the 1958 British Grand Prix, but then died at the German Grand Prix two weeks later

[Dudley]

Question right, question number wrong

[Dudley]

Actually it's amazing how quick F1 fatalities stopped dead isn't it. 2 random drivers and they die within 2 years from 1977, then there's suddenly a 12 year gap after 82 and we're closing on 20 years since the last one.

[kiroquai]

Yeah, definitely a good indicator of how safe things started getting, particularly since Imola. Sadly there'll be another one some day, but it's remarkable how the rate of fatalities has fallen.

[Dudley]

It does worry me we're overdue.

Also I cheated and looked up the driver swap... that would have been very interesting.

[wev]

I think its also amazing that when somebody does die in an open wheeler, the manner in which they died is no longer brutal and upsetting (if you understand my meaning, such things are always upsetting but the manner in which alot of F1 drivers died was usually horrific). Usually its something its not immediately obvious that the driver has died (such as Henry Surtees)

[Dudley]

Indeed, and I was at Brands Hatch that weekend. First we knew anything really bad had happened is when the police came round asking for witnesses.

Funny you should mention brutal and upsetting, because the driver I didn't name is possibly the single most horrific F1 death.

[wev]

Pryce?

[Dudley]

Yep.

[wev]

The mention of Shadow did make me think of him actually, and intended to post but got involved in the discussion on fatalities.

[kiroquai]

Fun anecdote on said driver!

The Swedish circuit at Anderstorp had a last corner which, if overshot, meant a car would inevitably have to go down the pitlane. On year he did this in practice and was so embarrassed that rather than admit his mistake, he stopped at the garage, made up some setup changes he wanted and then went on his way again, much to the confusion of everyone else!

[wev]

I did that, but backwards, on Forza Motorsport 2 in an online race at Maple Valley (including carrying on down the pits, mostly as the AI had taken control of the car at that point).

[kiroquai]

Haha

Another fun story about that driver; one day he turned up in his garage with Tag Heuer patches on his overalls. The conversation went:

Team manager: 'How did those get on there?'

Driver: 'My wife sewed them on'

Team manager: 'I mean, what deal did we get?'

Driver: 'Oh, I got a watch!'

Team manager: 'That's it?!'

Driver: 'Oh, don't worry - I got one for my wife too!'

Lots of people reckon he was potential championship material in the right car. Shame he never got the chance to show it.

[MrPogo]

I think its also amazing that when somebody does die in an open wheeler, the manner in which they died is no longer brutal and upsetting (if you understand my meaning, such things are always upsetting but the manner in which alot of F1 drivers died was usually horrific). Usually its something its not immediately obvious that the driver has died (such as Henry Surtees)

Yeah. It seems like Surtees death is pretty much the only way it's ever going to happen now (clonk on the head). There have been a few close calls in recent years, when cars have taken off and a wheel has missed someone's helmet by inches, but thankfully they appear to be virtually invulnerable from anything else.

[JohnC]

Spring says hi!

[Bruciebabie]

Actually it's amazing how quick F1 fatalities stopped dead isn't it. 2 random drivers and they die within 2 years from 1977, then there's suddenly a 12 year gap after 82 and we're closing on 20 years since the last one.

It was quite simply a technology change from aluminium monocoques, which tear. To carbon fibre reinforced tubs which don't.

Blame the former on Colin Chapman (Lotus 49) and the latter on John Barnard (MP 4/1).

[Bruciebabie]

I am still amazed that Bahrain is going ahead.

It will be very nasty whatever way events turn out there.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/16962812

Bahrain GP: Green MP Lucas and seven peers call for cancellation

Formula 1 has been urged to call off the Bahrain Grand Prix by a group of leading British peers in the wake of continuing unrest in the Gulf state.

Seven Lords, along with Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, wrote a letter to the Times expressing "concern [about] the decision to go ahead with the race".

It added: "We do not believe the time is right to return to Bahrain."

The race, called off last year in the wake of civil unrest, is scheduled as the season's fourth event, on 22 April .

The authors go on to say they feel there has been little progress towards a political settlement in Bahrain, despite a damning report by an independent inquiry last year and pledges by the ruling royal family to instigate reform.

"It was hoped that the recommendations of the Bahrain Independent Commission of Inquiry (BICI) would provide a starting point for political reform which both government and opposition forces could agree upon," the letter says.

"However, two months on we see an entrenchment of the positions of both sides which risks letting more extreme voices dictate the progress of the conflict.

"Given the current dire situation, with daily street protests and the deaths of more civilians, we do not believe that the time is right for Formula 1 to return to Bahrain."

The letter is signed by Lords Ahmad of Wimbledon, Ahmed of Rotherham, Alton, Avebury, Hylton and Boswell, Baroness Falkner of Margravine and Brighton MP Lucas.

The letter comes a month after the Bahrain Centre for Human Rights, an opposition group, called for the F1 teams to boycott the race .

F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone has said he sees no reason not to hold the race.

"Everyone talks a lot about this part of the world, but Bahrain is the country in the region where there are the fewest problems," he said in an interview with the Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper last month.

The F1 teams have said they will be led by Ecclestone and governing body the FIA.

The situation is complicated for F1 bosses by a rule that says any race called off within three months of its scheduled date cannot be put on the following year's calendar except in the case of force majeure.

[RFT]

_{Ultimately, it'll come down to what it came down to last year - the willingness of insurers, not so much the teams themselves.}

[PaB]

It was quite simply a technology change from aluminium monocoques, which tear. To carbon fibre reinforced tubs which don't.

Blame the former on Colin Chapman (Lotus 49) and the latter on John Barnard (MP 4/1).

Well, plus track layouts changed and run off areas, and equipment improvments (if Massa had been wearing an earlier version of his crash helmet,he may well have not survived his injury in 2009). Plus stewarding and emergency staff being on scene almost instantly plus Medical facilities. Numerous modifications to car dimensions, grid spacing. etc etc etc

Here a general run down

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Formula_One_regulations

Here's the regulations changes from 1963-2001 in more detail

http://www.atlasf1.com/news/safety.html

[Dudley]

No you see you're entirely wrong because

[kiroquai]

Incidentally, the final question in the quiz went unsolved this week. The answer is!

Q8: The nickname 'Lole' originated from an interview in which Reutemann was asked what his father's occupation was. His father was a pig farmer (something that Reutemann wasn't really too keen on admitting) so when he said 'Los Lechones' (The Pigs) the assembled media and fans thought it was amusing and started calling him Los Lechones, which eventually got shortened to 'Lole'. Basically, this nickname was something equivalent to 'The Pig'.

Thanks to everyone who had a crack at answering stuff again

[MrPogo]

Spring says hi!

Where'd the spring clonk him again?

[wev]

I got half an answer!

[kiroquai]

[kiroquai]

Oh, and this is totally worth the double post

[mexos]

Get ready for a huge FFFFUUUUUUU Mclaren fans...

Behind the scenes, Lewis Hamilton is quietly concerned about McLaren's early progress with its 2012 car, according to media reports.

Lewis Hamilton was quicker than his teammate Jenson Button at Jerez, with his 1.19 laptime set on Thursday close to Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull pace on the same day.

...when referring to his 1.19, Hamilton admitted that the lap was set while McLaren was being "aggressive", implying that he was light on fuel.

If so, the MP4-27 is at least a full second off Lotus' Jerez pace.

http://www.auto123.com/en/racing-news/f1-lewis-hamilton-reportedly-disappointed-with-2012-mclaren?artid=140631&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=racing

[kiroquai]

... oh dear. I'd heard rumours that he'd told Kovalainen that the car was a bit of a dud, but if true that's seriously bad news

Time to jump ship boys, remember there's another silver team in F1 (sounding dangerously like a cult picking off the weak and impressionable there).

[dayte]

Well, at least it looks better than the rest!

[kiroquai]

A slow car is an ugly car in my book

[Shimmyhill]

... oh dear. I'd heard rumours that he'd told Kovalainen that the car was a bit of a dud, but if true that's seriously bad news

Time to jump ship boys, remember there's another silver team in F1 (sounding dangerously like a cult picking off the weak and impressionable there).

I never quite got your love of Mercedes, odd team with odd drivers :s