F1 season 2014

[Shrek5]

I'm not convinced closed cockpit is the way to go, it's also possible it wouldn't have helped in this scenario, so rather than a knee jerk reaction it should be understood and tested first (this occurrence).

Unfortunately I believe that Bianchi was just going to fast. I understand why though (i.e. if he slows will the competitor behind slow as much therefore putting him at a disadvantage) and perhaps enforcing a speed limit through double waved yellows would be more appropriate. As said it could either be pit lane speed, or some other speed enforced in the same way.

 

[Artimus]

have to agree a speed limit for dbl waved yellows seems to be the best course of action. If you make the tractors too solid, you'll just end up killing a driver! If this tractor didn't lift up and rotate with the impact it might have taken Biachi's head off.

It's great that Mercedes won the championship today, but I feel Ross Brawn should have been there to receive his plaudits - it's essentially his design that made it possible.

 

[lee_fr200]

I thought it was a boring race!

Think the tyre choice was wrong should have been super soft and soft

 

[jojo]

Thoughts on Sunday's race, I thought it was going to be a boring race before it started, especially with it being a one stop strategy race. I applaud Rosberg for having ago on the first lap, he had to find a way through, but locking up like that killed his chances of winning, but he managed 52 laps on the same set of tyres, making his way through the field in the process, that's some drive from him!

Congrats to Mercedes on winning the Constructors!

Some statistics for you, Lewis has won 9 races to Nico's 4, and there's only 17 points between them for the Driver's championship! But the good thing is, any driver who has managed to win 4 races on the trot has lifted the trophy at the end of the season, and Lewis has just managed that feat after winning in Russia!

 

[45bvtc]

Rosberg is NOT going to win the drivers championship. Something has gone wrong either inside or outside of his car in each and every race since Spa and nearly every case it's questionable, including the last. That post SPA meeting in Brackley set the theme for the rest of the season...

 

[45bvtc]

Rosberg is NOT going to win the drivers championship. Something has gone wrong either inside or outside of his car in each and every race since Spa and nearly every case it's questionable, including the last. That post SPA meeting in Brackley set the theme for the rest of the season...

 

[jojo]

Rosberg is NOT going to win the drivers championship. Something has gone wrong either inside or outside of his car in each and every race since Spa and nearly every case it's questionable, including the last. That post SPA meeting in Brackley set the theme for the rest of the season...

Rosberg is NOT going to win the drivers championship. Something has gone wrong either inside or outside of his car in each and every race since Spa and nearly every case it's questionable, including the last. That post SPA meeting in Brackley set the theme for the rest of the season...

You feel so strong about this John, you had to tell us twice?

Thoughts on Vettel leaving ze Redbulls on the back of a poor season?

I'm no Rosberg fan, but it only requires Lewis to retire in the last race, and Rosberg to come first, and he 'can' be world champion, but the whole world would know Lewis was robbed of it by the new rules!

 

[45bvtc]

2 x Ooops...

I'm happy Vettel is leaving and going elsewhere. Along with a TOTAL BAN on radio messages between driver and anyone else while the car is moving I'd make a 3-year stint for any driver in any team the maximum.

 

[P40ULW]

Thoughts on Vettel leaving ze Redbulls on the back of a poor season?

Vettel is an up his own rusty sheriff's badge glory hunting boxhead! I bet he used to support Man Utd but now follows another team of over paid egotistical men chasing a leather wrapped bag of air that are doing well this season!

If your going to be with a team through the good you have to take the rough with the smooth, its called loyalty.

Any driver who has managed to win 4 races on the trot has lifted the trophy at the end of the season, and Lewis has just managed that feat after winning in Russia!

Has he not done it twice this season?

 

[lee_fr200]

Tell you what's irritating me, it's mclaren! They're potentially ruining Jenson and Kevin's career making them hold out till the end of the season which IMO is completely unfair on both drivers! I also think that fernando isn't that good either so I don't know why there's all this hype about him been the best! He hasn't won a wdc in a long time so hardly that good! He was outperformed by lewis and I'm also thinking he would be outperformed by Jenson or kevin as well

 

[jojo]

Has he not done it twice this season?

You are correct Paul, he's done it twice this season!

I also think that fernando isn't that good either so I don't know why there's all this hype about him been the best! He hasn't won a wdc in a long time so hardly that good! He was outperformed by lewis and I'm also thinking he would be outperformed by Jenson or kevin as well

You must be having a laugh right? Alonso gave Vettel a run for his money in an inferior Ferrari a few seasons back, and apart from Lewis, he has shown his team mates up, including ex world champion Kimi Raikkonen! Even Michael Schumacher acknowledges him!

 

[Shrek5]

I think Vettel leaving Red Bull does have a whiff of having a strop but I suspect it is more like when Lewis left McLaren. A lot of people said at the time that it was the wrong thing to do but even if he doesn't win the title this year, then it still looks a smart move. I still don't think that Vettel is a top class driver however in the same way that Lewis or Alonso are. That said Alonso isn't looking so great right now either...

I think that Daniel Ricciardo has acquitted himself well this season and potentially has the talent to be up there with Lewis IMHO. Lewis seems to be maturing a lot as well as having the raw pace.

Regarding Button I still think he's a very good driver, but perhaps needs the car to be just so for him to get the most out of it...

 

[DAYTONA 500]

Vettel is an up his own rusty sheriff's badge glory hunting boxhead! I bet he used to support Man Utd but now follows another team of over paid egotistical men chasing a leather wrapped bag of air that are doing well this season!

If your going to be with a team through the good you have to take the rough with the smooth, its called loyalty.

Paul that made me chuckle ,Vettell has been upstaged this season by the new kid on the block Riccardo,he realises he's not gonna be top dog at Red Bull anymore and because they aren't doing well this season he's leaving with his tail between his legs.[/QUOTE]

 

[lee_fr200]

I agree JB needs the car to be right otherwise he's nowhere and I agree Alonso has made kimi look stupid but I don't rate kimi either tbhi think ricciardo is one to watch he's done a great job and so has bottas!

 

[slepy]

Some rumours again about audi joining f1 in 2016
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/audi/89171/audi-to-join-f1-in-2016

 

[Shrek5]

If they pick up the remains of Caterham it could be sooner than that...

 

[slepy]

There is talk about buying one of red bull teams or Sauber

 

[Artimus]

I've been wondering when it would happen, what with Mercedes getting all of the German glory... But Alonso? I think he's past it, as far as setting up a winning car from scratch is concerned.

 

[jojo]

I'd to to see Audi vs Mercedes in F1, I can't see how Audi can just turn up and be competitive though, not unless they buy an established team, but never say never.

 

[desertstorm]

Great news, can't see them buying into Caterham as they probably have a bit too much work to do to produce a competitive car. If Audi took over the Torro Rosso team would they supply Red Bull as well in 2015, If so then they are making life difficult for themselves.
I suspect Sauber would be the team to go for. They are currently running Ferrari stuff so Domenicali probably has an inside knowledge of the team and people, They are in financial troubles but do have the facilities to make a good F1 car with the right amount of Money.

 

[Shrek5]

Great news, can't see them buying into Caterham as they probably have a bit too much work to do to produce a competitive car.

I agree - it was more of a tongue in cheek comment than a serious notion - that said it would give them (probably) a relatively cheap in.

If Audi took over the Torro Rosso team would they supply Red Bull as well in 2015, If so then they are making life difficult for themselves.
I suspect Sauber would be the team to go for. They are currently running Ferrari stuff so Domenicali probably has an inside knowledge of the team and people, They are in financial troubles but do have the facilities to make a good F1 car with the right amount of Money.

To be honest I don't see that Sauber are in a significantly better position than Caterham. I think they may have better facilities (wind tunnel for one I think) but they are having a terrible season and their previous one wasn't the best. Torro Rosso would be a reasonable choice, or partnering with Red Bull themselves if there is some sort of deal to be done I would guess to be most likely.

 

[slepy]

Marussia and caterham both miss Austin. Looks like both went in to administration. Audi could pick one of them for pennies

 

[Artimus]

Why protest in America again?

I can understand there's some bad feeling about financing around some of the lower teams, but I hope they don't spoil the weekend for the fans - it's a great looking track and there may be an opportunity for some real racing. The politics should be discussed away from the public eye.

 

[jojo]

Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah!

 

[desertstorm]

Good race, lots of overtaking and racing all through the field.
Hamilton only 24 points in front, Even if he wins the next race and Rosberg doesn't score this will go to Abu Dhabi as Hamilton will only be 49 points in front.
Great race from Ricardo , If Red Bull had a Mercedes Motor in the back of that car they would probably give Mercedes a run for it at a lot more of the tracks.

 

[lee_fr200]

How bad is the mclarens pace, worst of the merc powered teams their chassis and aero must be seriously bad as neither of them did well!

Ricciardo I think will be a future wdc as he's doing so well at red bull and I like his driving style and attitude towards it

 

[Artimus]

It was a very busy race, all good stuff.

Ricciardo? I think he'd be more of a match for Hamilton - given the same car - than Rosberg! He overtakes like he means business, but I'd like to see him lead for a while, to see whether he can hold his concentration when there's no one to chase and someone's breathing down his neck.

Rosberg will do something desperate out of frustration one day. Can't believe he let Hamilton pass him so easily ..maybe he was too scared of the possible ramifications to block him after their last clash.

 

[45bvtc]

If Red Bull had a Mercedes Motor in the back of that car they would probably give Mercedes a run for it at a lot more of the tracks.

But it's the configuration of the Mercedes motor in the Mercedes

Remember the beginning of the season (post Australia) when details of the Mercedes power unit (turbo position, exhaust routing, etc.) were revealed and described in detail:

• "the team have successfully packaged their turbine and air compressor at either end of the W05's engine," and

• "linked by a long shaft through the vee of the engine," and

• "the trick turbo layout' triggers a series of critical performance benefits. As the air is not travelling through as much pipework, a reduction in turbo lag means less power needs to be harvested from the car's ERS unit to keep the turbine spooled off throttle. That in turn improves the efficiency of the car, with more power reserved for performance gain and less fuel consequentially used up," and

• "With the compressor further away from the turbine - which is spun by hot exhaust gases - the W05 has a smaller intercooler, meaning Mercedes are running with smaller sidepods which boost aerodynamic performance."

And then: "Mercedes' customer teams all have the same advantage. However, because McLaren, Williams and Force India only took delivery of their power units relatively late, they had less time to work the layout into their respective car designs."

So while the McLaren and/or Williams have the same core (?) they do not have the same configuration and it's that that affords the Mercedes duo the EXTRA 70 to 100bhp.

It's also the main reason Mercedes want ZERO change to the power unit regulations for 2015; I mean, why would you?

 

[Alex C]

And then: "Mercedes' customer teams all have the same advantage. However, because McLaren, Williams and Force India only took delivery of their power units relatively late, they had less time to work the layout into their respective car designs."

So while the McLaren and/or Williams have the same core (?) they do not have the same configuration and it's that that affords the Mercedes duo the EXTRA 70 to 100bhp.

I believe that all the Mercedes engined customer teams all have the same power as Mercedes and therefore every Mercedes engine car has extra horsepower when compared to Ferrari or Renault engine cars

The advantage that Mercedes have over the customer cars is that Mercedes knew what form the engine was taking during its development and so could also design the chassis and aerodynamics around the engine giving a better 'package'

For example because the turbine and compressor housings are separated by the length of the block (through the V) the compressor housing doesn't get so hot, therefore the intake temperatures are inherently cooler and therefore the radiators and intercoolers don't have to be so big - and therefore the sidepods don't have to be so big giving Mercedes an aerodynamic advantage over their customer teams who only realised the benefits of the Mercedes engine too late in the game to change the design of their car

So I think all Mercedes engine cars have the same power; its just that Mercedes designed their car around the engine better

That's how I thought it was anyway

 

[jojo]

Mercedes also won't share information on their ERS recharge system setup and code under braking, so all other Mercedes engine teams had to start from scratch.

 

[Shrek5]

It's also the main reason Mercedes want ZERO change to the power unit regulations for 2015; I mean, why would you?

Indeed why would you, but reading this article I was suprised to learn that actually quite a lot of development is permitted and things aren't as 'frozen' as the other teams would have you believe. The article in general argues that Mercedes should actively oppose any move to unfreeze the designs.

 

[lee_fr200]

See how quickly mercedes want to unfreeze the engines if Honda dominate

 

[Shrek5]

But apparently only 8% of the power unit specs are frozen next year...

 

[lee_fr200]

Whereas atm nothing is frozen on the Honda powerplant so they will work to maximise it, then it's down to the aero n chassis guys

 

[Shrek5]

They do, but then so did these guys for a couple of years. I've no doubt that on the one hand the advantage will be they'll pick up some tips from the current engine layouts but, equally, it won't be until the run it in anger they know what (if any) weaknesses exist... I still think Mercedes will hold the upper hand next season...

 

[slepy]

I think that honda won't be even close to merc engines and maclaren is still way behind mercedes with aero.

 

[lee_fr200]

They might not be from the first race but probably by race 3/4 they will know where they stand I mean they have the best engine currently and have performed the worst of the merc powered teams for the majority of the season,

What they needed was a paddy Lowe/Ross brawn/ newey character

 

[desertstorm]

The Honda engine is a similar deal to Mercedes in that the engine and car were designed together from day one. All the packaging and design decisions will favor the Mclaren car. Honda have been into electric and Hybrid vechicle technology a lot longer than Mercedes.
Mclaren was the first team to dabble with KERS type engine recovery back in 1998.
And Honda were the first team to build a working KERS package for their 2009 car which never actually saw the light of day.

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/f1/how-honda-developed-a-hybrid-f1-car/

Mclaren haven't got it right for the last few years, even having a Mercedes engine they don't have as good a car as Williams. I just hope Jenson is around driving for Mclaren next year for one last crack at a drivers title in a competitive car.
Maybe the fact he has a Japanese girlfriend , speaks the language and raced for Honda before may help him out

Karl.

 

[Alex C]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/30134015

 

[P40ULW]