F1 2014

To me Rosberg is Prost to Hamilton's Senna. Hamilton has the outright speed I think on Rosberg, but I think Rosberg is probably more complete. Having said that, I think this has been a major growing year for Hamilton. If he survives to be champion, I think it could be a springboard to a steamroller. That is of course if he stays in a good car.

Speaking of the car, I still don't like the new formula, so "get off my lawn". I miss the screaming, mega hp, huge grip cars.

I think it is no different than the mind blowing silence of the ALL MIGHTY Audi LeMans R8 and R10s. All you hear is the wind and tires hitting curbs. Crazy relative to a freaking Mugen banshee motor. I remember the Mugen motor passing me at Mosport and the sound penetrated my peltors and made my insides tremble like I was going to puke. We would run away from the track when it would come around!

I digress. I love the fact that the Audi's are that quiet and fast.

The new F1 cars are fast enough already getting near prior format's times. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that we have reached the point where money could not be justified to make tracks safe enough for spectators and drivers if we allowed them to go all out with high grip high Power cars.

I saw the old motors in person and heard them screaming and understand the mystique around them but I figure they weren't always that way. I am sure during the last turbo era there was a sound similar to today's. I haven't seen the new ones in person but I get the feeling from TV that the sound would be great as you can "hear" the torque coming out of the power units!

The old turbo cars, while maybe quieter than a screaming V12, still sounded awesome. They also had something like 1300 HP in qualifying trim!

I know everything moves on, but the new era of electric power does lose out a bit on audio excitement. That is unless you hung out at golf courses just to hear the sexy sounds as the carts drove by...

racerdave600 wrote: Speaking of the car, I still don't like the new formula, so "get off my lawn". I miss the screaming, mega hp, huge grip cars.

I love the new regs. While the old engines were great for a 10 lap race, or a demo run or hillclimb or something like that. 22 V8's pounding around for 2 hours was painful on the ears in person. I have no issue with the noise and since the racing has been spectacular who cares what they sound like.

As for grip, I'd much rather see the top drivers in the top cars balancing on the knife edge, right on the edge of flat or not flat through Eau Rouge than every car even a Max Chilton in a Marussia being flat through there. I want too see the challenge. I also love the excess of torque over grip meaning there is real skill on corner exit balancing the car and tire life rather than just floor it and go.

While they have ugly noses, this years cars are providing better racing and chance to see race drivers work than we've seen in years

Suzuka I think will be another MB run away as long as they don't have reliability or internal contact issues.

I figure that after the USA GP the silly season will start to convert to a more solid serious set of commitments. Who will be where.

I sure hope Sauber gets money to survive another year and that Williams can build on their progress this year.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: Speaking of the car, I still don't like the new formula, so "get off my lawn". I miss the screaming, mega hp, huge grip cars.

I love the new regs. While the old engines were great for a 10 lap race, or a demo run or hillclimb or something like that. 22 V8's pounding around for 2 hours was painful on the ears in person. I have no issue with the noise and since the racing has been spectacular who cares what they sound like. As for grip, I'd much rather see the top drivers in the top cars balancing on the knife edge, right on the edge of flat or not flat through Eau Rouge than every car even a Max Chilton in a Marussia being flat through there. I want too see the challenge. I also love the excess of torque over grip meaning there is real skill on corner exit balancing the car and tire life rather than just floor it and go. While they have ugly noses, this years cars are providing better racing and chance to see race drivers work than we've seen in years

This. All of this. The old cars were just ear-splitting, I didn't really think they sounded good, just painful. The new ones sound just fine to me.

And yes, yes, yes, take some grip away! Make the drivers work. Let me see them sliding the cars around.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: Speaking of the car, I still don't like the new formula, so "get off my lawn". I miss the screaming, mega hp, huge grip cars.

I love the new regs. While the old engines were great for a 10 lap race, or a demo run or hillclimb or something like that. 22 V8's pounding around for 2 hours was painful on the ears in person. I have no issue with the noise and since the racing has been spectacular who cares what they sound like. As for grip, I'd much rather see the top drivers in the top cars balancing on the knife edge, right on the edge of flat or not flat through Eau Rouge than every car even a Max Chilton in a Marussia being flat through there. I want too see the challenge. I also love the excess of torque over grip meaning there is real skill on corner exit balancing the car and tire life rather than just floor it and go. While they have ugly noses, this years cars are providing better racing and chance to see race drivers work than we've seen in years

This. All of this. The old cars were just ear-splitting, I didn't really think they sounded good, just painful. The new ones sound just fine to me. And yes, yes, yes, take some grip away! Make the drivers work. Let me see them sliding the cars around.

I think if you took anymore grip away from the Caterham, they wouldn't be able to make it a lap without spinning. I think Koyb is a decent driver, but the car is just garbage.

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

racerdave600 wrote: Speaking of the car, I still don't like the new formula, so "get off my lawn". I miss the screaming, mega hp, huge grip cars.

I love the new regs. While the old engines were great for a 10 lap race, or a demo run or hillclimb or something like that. 22 V8's pounding around for 2 hours was painful on the ears in person. I have no issue with the noise and since the racing has been spectacular who cares what they sound like. As for grip, I'd much rather see the top drivers in the top cars balancing on the knife edge, right on the edge of flat or not flat through Eau Rouge than every car even a Max Chilton in a Marussia being flat through there. I want too see the challenge. I also love the excess of torque over grip meaning there is real skill on corner exit balancing the car and tire life rather than just floor it and go. While they have ugly noses, this years cars are providing better racing and chance to see race drivers work than we've seen in years

This. All of this. The old cars were just ear-splitting, I didn't really think they sounded good, just painful. The new ones sound just fine to me. And yes, yes, yes, take some grip away! Make the drivers work. Let me see them sliding the cars around.

if they remove grip, I wish it was aero grip … let the mechanical grip reach insane levels … then the drivers have to start really managing their tires .. they have to make decisions about how hard they push, how often they replace tires … with less aero and more mechanical grip, the passing won't depend on DRS

It didn't take me long to start liking the new sounds. All the whooshing, whining and the low growling have really grown on me.

I love the idea of reducing aero grip. Limit the wings to two elements and maybe raise the minimum rider height a few millimeters. Oh, and put some really wide tires on the damn things, too.

I actually like the aero component of the F1 world. Otherwise they would be high powered touring cars. If anything turn GP2 into that not F1.

Heck I think GP2 should be all 4cyl Turbo diesels. Might as well pull the aero down to single elements without any winglets.

The sound of the new F1 cars reminds me of the bikes in MotoGP series. I love the sound of those superbikes.

bike sounds

Suzuka this weekend, I hope it rains. We need a good rain race this year.

Business as usual at Suzuka, Mercs fastest in FP1 and 2. Ricciardo had an off in FP2 bringing out the red flags, watch it before Bernie has it pulled. YouTube link

Mad MAx 'the kid' Verstappen was 4/10 behind 'old man' Kyvat in FP1 before handing the car back to retiree JEV who was 3/10 behind Kyvat in FP2

Alonso leaving Ferrari......

http://www.crash.net/f1/news/209298/1/alonso-close-to-ferrari-exit.html

Advan046 wrote: Suzuka this weekend, I hope it rains. We need a good rain race this year.

Be careful what you ask for:

Forecasts are so dire the race may be run earlier than Sunday afternoon so the teams can fly to Russia for the next race. Delaying until Monday would put a huge crimp on prep timetables and there's no guarantee weather conditions will be better. Both events might be affected.

oldeskewltoy wrote: Alonso leaving Ferrari...... http://www.crash.net/f1/news/209298/1/alonso-close-to-ferrari-exit.html

From what I'm hearing, it's a done deal that he's headed back to McLaren.

oldeskewltoy wrote: Alonso leaving Ferrari...... http://www.crash.net/f1/news/209298/1/alonso-close-to-ferrari-exit.html

Bork. That probably means Button is out of a drive so my favorite driver is out of a job and my least favorite is going to my favorite team.

Adrian_Thompson wrote:

oldeskewltoy wrote: Alonso leaving Ferrari...... http://www.crash.net/f1/news/209298/1/alonso-close-to-ferrari-exit.html

Bork. That probably means Button is out of a drive so my favorite driver is out of a job and my least favorite is going to my favorite team.

I'd love to see Jensen continue racing in WEC or something if he loses his F1 seat.

In reply to MCarp22:

Or Indy car?

Rumblings are going around Bernie is looking for 3 car teams. Seems unlikely, but that would allow Button to keep a McLaren seat. I am very surprised Alonso stayed with Ferrari as long as he did. Prancing horse is more like a prancing donkey the past few years. All that money and resources available and they can't build a decent car. Doubtful you'll see another F1 driver go to Indycar unless it's a very sweet deal. Ruben Barichello's former team wanted something like $4 million just for him to stay in their car.

Just saw a post that Vettel is gone to Ferrari, Kvyat (sp) to Red Bull. Interesting.

I had only seen that he had left red bull but hadn't Saud where he is going. Ferrari is the obvious answer but if McLaren can snag him and Alonso that would be the best coup ever in the history of sports.

Oop, just saw Wil Buxton's Twitter feed. Horner apparently let the Ferrari note slip.

Now silly season musical chairs has begun!

Vettel confirmed to Ferrari.

Seb Vettel must be smoking crack. Why on earth would you leave a team like Red Bull to go to Ferrari? Vettel must not be watching Alonso or Raikkonen this year. Maybe he'll make me eat my words next season, but I doubt it.