F1 2015

Refueling is back, starting in 2017!

In reply to etifosi:

But more importantly more power, more fuel, more noise, more aero, more agressive looks and less lap time to the tune of 4-6 seconds.

Yeah, refueling during the race is so dangerous that it killed 20 people last year at Le Mans! And those lesser racing series like IndyCar and NASCAR can't even manage to do it at all!

...oh wait.

I guess I like F1 as it is. Unfortunately we are nearing the edge of track safety. So while in the past someone would build a new Spa or Nurbergring to increase safety, that funding isn't there anymore. So yes they can go 2004 speeds but wouldn't want to push it faster. Heck if Renault Honda or Ferrari power units were on par with MB we might already be close to 2004 times.

The chasing of noise seems silly to me. Like hiding from reality of real power being quiet. I guess the Audi LeMans R10-18s aren't cool as they are too quiet. Everyone loves noise instead of racing? IDK oh well.

Lewis fastest in FP1 and FP2. While I'm on the fence over weather Nico deliberatly went off last year to secure Pole, no matter what Lewis is out for blood and isn't going to let Nico threepete at Monaco this weekend. I predict Lewis for pole and the race win.

Mad-Max V. was 2nd fastest in Fp1 with Nico 9th, no prizes for guessing the fastest. In a wet FP2 it was back to a Merc 1-2 with Nico in his rightful 2nd place. Torro Rosso were 6th-7th with Sainz Jr ahead. Looks like both torro Rosso's are on form this weekend.

Monaco is never a great race from a passing POV, but it can be a great stratagy battle.

And while I'm a Lewis fanboi and root for Mercedes as a result, let's not forget the past.

Sixteen years after winning the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929, William Grover-Williams was executed by the Nazis at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

Second the above about Monaco being a tough place to pass, but great to watch the strategies play out in the pits. Hoping Kimi can qualify up near the top and hold his position through the race. If the Mercs run 1-2 for the duration, which I would expect, will be curious to see how antsy Nico gets towards the end, or if he will be content with 2nd.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Lewis fastest in FP1 and FP2. While I'm on the fence over weather Nico deliberatly went off last year to secure Pole, no matter what Lewis is out for blood and isn't going to let Nico threepete at Monaco this weekend. I predict Lewis for pole and the race win. Mad-Max V. was 2nd fastest in Fp1 with Nico 9th, no prizes for guessing the fastest. In a wet FP2 it was back to a Merc 1-2 with Nico in his rightful 2nd place. Torro Rosso were 6th-7th with Sainz Jr ahead. Looks like both torro Rosso's are on form this weekend. Monaco is never a great race from a passing POV, but it can be a great stratagy battle. And while I'm a Lewis fanboi and root for Mercedes as a result, let's not forget the past. Sixteen years after winning the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix in 1929, William Grover-Williams was executed by the Nazis at Sachsenhausen concentration camp.

but with tires only, there's not really that much strategy to use … that's the only thing that refueling will bring back to F1

Hopefully, refueling will put more strategy back in the race. Start with a light load and build up a lead or start heavy and only pit once? Decisions, decisions. We're over two years away from that and things may change before then. As far as Monaco, I think whoever takes pole gets the win, unless it rains. Nico has owned the place the past few seasons, so it's up to Lewis to find some speed and keep things from getting in his eyes.

I saw this comment on another site: In 1993 without refuelling the average number of overtakes was 26.36 per grand prix. The highest average during the refuelling era was in 2003 at 15.4. The last year of refuelling (2009) saw an average of 14.4 overtakes per grand prix.

2010 which was the year refuelling was banned (And where regulations had remained stable compared to 2009) the average number of overtakes was 28.9 which was the highest of any season since 1989.

Last year’s average was 43.5.

Overtaking averages declined massively from 1994-2009, not just over a season but also when you look at the figures each race. They dropped in 1994 (very steeply) and stayed low throughout the next 15 years while refuelling was in place.

As soon as refuelling was banned in 2010 the overtaking averages went back up to where they had been prior to refuelling been introduced.

Yes I saw a similar statistical study done for someone at the Telegraph newspaper.

I think the cars are great as they are. The racing is great. If we want harder work for the drivers then ban automated shifting and go back to manual racks.

Refueling will make most of the "passing" happen in the pits is all. We get more passing on track now. If and when the other engine manufactures catch up to the MB engines then we will see much faster lap times and passes for the lead potentially.

The fantasy of great racing in the past is easy to understand when all you see are the highlight replays of all the exciting moments with intense music. I am sure you could spin the footage of all the racing since the end of refueling in 2010 until now and blast it across youtube/hulu/etc and by 2020 everyone will think this was the golden age of F1.

Hamilton has just been royally screwed by the team!!!! They just threw away his massive lead

I can't berkeleying believe it

"I've just lost this race haven't I?"- Lewis Hamilton before the restart.

Uh no, your team bent you over and rammed it home with no lube.

That was awful.

Least deserving three in a row winner ever

I can honestly say i've never seen a worse pit box call in 40+ years of watching races in any form of motorsport. You never give up track position at Monaco, NEVER. Damn.. Just, Damn...

Seems that in this case it was more important to have a 3 in a row winner over the fastest car. Not sure why someone would make the decision to pit in that scenario or why Hamilton actually pitted. You couldn't have made me pit unless you shot the tires out. The fallout from this will be incredible. I'll give Hamilton credit. Nico has owned Monaco the past few years, but Lewis found the speed, put it on the pole and dominated the race. It's situations like this that make me question team politics and favoritism between drivers.

ROS had no business winning that race, but I think the classy-est act in sport was HAM's post-race podium interview. I know that I wouldn't have been able to string together more than three words between each profanity.

Since soccer is more important than the post-race interview, check the "official" commentary here: F1 Live timing Toto pretty much says it all "we screwed it up" - "We thought the gap was different to what it was. A complete misjudgement, I am so sorry. We screwed it up for him," Mercedes-Benz head of motorsport Toto Wolff says.

How did you guys see any post-race? As soon as Hamilton got out of the car, it was all soccer, all the time on NBC. I can't blame him for taking a bit of time on track to chill out before getting out of the car, I'd probably want a bit of alone time before the idiot questions started as well.

Can't wait to watch this race again on the BBC with no commercial breaks and actual intelligent commentary. Although the comment about the difference between a virtual safety car and the real thing was telling. If that's what screwed up Mercedes, then I'd aim the conspiracy theories at the race director trying to pull off just this sort of stunt. This sort of drama is exactly what Ecclestone wants.

Seeing Verstappen's steering wheel read FLAG right after he hit the wall made me chuckle. That plus the storage area for three cars behind the wall he hit, with one car already parked there.

?!?!?!?!

Lewis was a great deal more calm than I would have been in the post race. I would have ditched the podium ceremony, and gone to find someone to whom I could feed their teeth.

"Lewis to Ferrari mid season!!!"

Adrian_Thompson wrote: I can't berkeleying believe it

heh heh heh heh … I love it ..

Keith Tanner wrote: How did you guys see any post-race? As soon as Hamilton got out of the car, it was all soccer, all the time on NBC. I can't blame him for taking a bit of time on track to chill out before getting out of the car, I'd probably want a bit of alone time before the idiot questions started as well.

on any of the 4 or 5 NBC channels … nothing but soccer

Streetwiseguy wrote: "Lewis to Ferrari mid season!!!"

doubt that he'll give up his new $150,000,000 contract