Sport The Formula 1 Thread

[probeater]

Can't believe I got up early to watch. Why is Bahrain the opening track? At least it shows the reliability of the various engines, was pretty impressed with the performance of the cosworth engines.

The whole idea of just having tyres in the pitstop was meant to make the racing more interesting but if all the cars only pit once each race then it seems like a bit of waste.

[Sigourney Beaver]

I think I've still got some very old GPs on VHS tape somewhere, so if I can find them I'll watch them and see what the racing was like back then. If I do still have them then I definitely know I have the full 1992 South African GP.

What I think cocks the racing up more than the technical regs is stuff like the blue flag rule and this new pit lane rule.

[probeater]

When I was young the first memories of F1 for me were massive amount of sparks flying off the underside of the cars at all times, think the fia strapping a tree onto the underside of the cars put an end to that

[Sigourney Beaver]

When I was young the first memories of F1 for me were massive amount of sparks flying off the underside of the cars at all times, think the fia strapping a tree onto the underside of the cars put an end to that

Yes. Martin Brundle actually answered my question on this very subject a few years ago on the ITV F1 website, which I was very chuffed about. I basically asked if he thought skid blocks should make a comeback despite the cars running higher up than they did in the 80s and 90s. My first sight of an F1 car live was at Becketts in 91 when Nelson Piquet came through impossibly fast with the underside of his car aflame. It was just sensational to an 11 year-old kid

Edit:

MB agreed that even if it was to add sparks artificially, it should be done

[Hackign]

Finally figured out the song that was playing when MB was explaining the new tyres only pitstops.

Was bugging the hell out of me!

[exwhyzed]

I wish they'd stop this bollocks with so many engines per season. I understand it's supposed to make it fairer for the smaller teams but all you end up with is people trying to preserve their engine for the 2 or so races it has to complete rather than racing.

[morcs]

Can't believe I got up early to watch.

What time do you usually get up on a Sunday afternoon probes?

6am start for me next time!

[Dudley]

Anyone else think someone who drives machinery as advanced as an F1 car sounds more than a tad delusional when he says thanks to God?

Especially when, on that basis, it's his "god" that smacked him in the face with a spring in the first place.

[Christoph84]

More 'interesting' than 'exciting' but glad F1's back.

Fernando did a job for me too, good work horse face.

Watched it on Sky+ as I was out in Wales enjoying this all day:

[marsh]

It's far better to participate than to watch that chuff on an afternoon. I don't know what they need to do, but the ultimate problem remains, you cannot get within a second of the car in front before you run out of air.

This years redbull will b last years brawn on tyres, if it gets to the end of the race. Newey must be sick of making clever cars that are paper thin on reliability. I'm not even sure they'll be able to blame renault for that engine/exhaust fault.

[Hackign]

Was a faulty spark plug that ruined Vettel's race.

[mexos]

This race was exactly what I feared when they banned refueling. Now it's sinking in what they've done expect panic and knee jerk reactions.

[Nick_L]

This race was exactly what I feared when they banned refueling. Now it's sinking in what they've done expect panic and knee jerk reactions.

This.

The race was so dull yesterday.

[mexos]

It's made all the worse by the amount of hype and expectation that's been built up for this season.

Button made an excellent comment during the weekend along the lines of 'if this season isn't amazing were doing something seriously wrong'.

And that was before the race. I think they (the teams and drivers) knew this was going to happen. It's JT's first mini crisis to deal with, lets see what he does if anything. Another race or two like this & the pressure to do something will be immense.

Also - who's bright idea was it to start the season at one of the dullest tracks? It's like they let this guy write the regs and choose the first race.

[marsh]

Mandatory two stop pit stop ahoy.

Was a faulty spark plug that ruined Vettel's race.

Fuck me, heads will be rolling at Denso/NGK/Champion.

[JPR]

Mandatory two stop pit stop ahoy.

I hope so and anything else to make it more exciting, just got to hope all the teams will see the bigger picture and act to change things.

[A.C.R.O.N.Y.M]

OK doing a sweepstake at work, besides from Alonso who should I pick?.

[mexos]

Personally I think the mandatory 2 stop rule is crap. I'd rather see tyres that are 1/4 of the durability of the current ones. The you can have the hare (say hamilton) using 3 or 4 sets in a mansell esq way and burning up the field while the tortoise Prost type who's easy on his tyres (Button) can eek them out over a race and be right there at the end.

Most peeps - 3/4 of them would be on LOTS of stops. But then you'd get the occasional surprise of someone going long and making it work.

[marsh]

They need more than one tyre manufacturer. Pirelli used to do a tyre that was like concrete, come the end of the race Piquet (I think) would come alive back in the early Benneton days.

[Dudley]

They need more than one tyre manufacturer. Pirelli used to do a tyre that was like concrete, come the end of the race Piquet (I think) would come alive back in the early Benneton days.

Yeah, Nanini damn nearly won a race in that car by literally not stopping (although then on Goodyears) it was only late race Senna hunted him down on new tyres.

Boutsen DID win in Hungary by not stopping, there was no passing but virtually everyone behind him chucked themselves off trying which was awesome.

And the tyre war gave us Martini 2nd on the grid at Phoenix in a year old Minardi because of super soft Pirellis. He held on for 7th too, again known as a classic race.

The trouble is, the make changes like this without realising other changes nullify it. The no refuelling thing is awesome but needs "worse" tyres and the ability to run 1 shot qualifyers. There's a mandatory 1 stop already. Don't mandate 2, let them not make the 1.

Back then of course they had 4 compounds at every race. So Boutsen in the example was out on the hardest he could get with people running 15 laps tyres right behind him.

[marsh]

Theiry Boutsen, Belgiums only contribution to F1, ever.

[morcs]

Apart from Spa, one of the best circuits in F1

[JPR]

I think a tyre war and changes would shake things up. But I've read that they're struggling to find one to replace Bridgestone for next season, let alone a couple to start a war.

[marsh]

How odd, best let the teams sort it out themselves then. Avon make tyres for practically every formula known to man, it would open up the doors for some interesting compounds and combinations.

[SeanR]

bloody mothers day indian takeaway...

[McSpeed]

This race was exactly what I feared when they banned refueling. Now it's sinking in what they've done expect panic and knee jerk reactions.

This.

The race was so dull yesterday.

This again. Just bring back the refueling, it added such a great layer of depth to the sport imo.

[Snowman]

I think a tyre war and changes would shake things up. But I've read that they're struggling to find one to replace Bridgestone for next season, let alone a couple to start a war.

I've never been convinced that tyre wars are a good idea. The last one was rubbish, although that may just be because Ferrari were the only decent team running Bridgestones. At any given circuit, one tyre manufacturer always had a sizable advantage over the other so if Bridgestone provided the better tyre, Ferrari were guaranteed to win. The outcome was a forgone conclusion before the race even started.

[zxcvbnm]

They need to bin aero packages and get back to mechanical grip.

[morcs]

Back to the age old argument then!

You can't get rid of aero and still have F1 be the pinnacle of automotive engineering. You might as well just use go-karts.

[marsh]

They need to bin aero packages and get back to mechanical grip.

I think you've nailed it. Whatever happened to the days when sitting up someones chuff was an advantage? have these cars really made the air so turbulent that you can't do it? wing on the front, wing on the back, and fuck all aero inbetween.