Formula One World Championship

[Mostyn6]

3 hours ago, Duracell said:

driver skill is going to be a bigger factor. 

I should hope so. It's the way it should be.

[RicME85]

Wasnt the greatest of races. Ferrari definitely look good however which is brilliant for the championship. Need to wait a few races to see where things really are as Albert Park is a bit pants for overtaking etc.

Vettel looked like he could deal with the dirty air better in his Ferrari than the Mercs could, 

[Sith Happens]

17 minutes ago, RicME85 said:

Wasnt the greatest of races. Ferrari definitely look good however which is brilliant for the championship. Need to wait a few races to see where things really are as Albert Park is a bit pants for overtaking etc.

Vettel looked like he could deal with the dirty air better in his Ferrari than the Mercs could, 

I recorded it and gave me a nice sleep this afternoon.

 

[RicME85]

I watched it live 

[Duracell]

5 hours ago, RicME85 said:

I watched it live 

As a purist, I enjoyed it more than the chewing-gum-tire-defined, DRS-fests we were "treated" to before. I'd rather watch an honest procession of cars really going for it than have cars tripping over each other because they're trying to go as slowly as possible.

You're right what you said earlier about Albert Park, it's pants for overtaking, but it's also pants for being representative of how the races for the rest of the season will pan out. Ferrari should have won the Australian GP last year and it turned out that they were even further behind in '16 than '15.

I still think Mercedes have the fastest car, but Ferrari might have a better racing car. I just have a sneaking suspicion that Mercedes haven't unlocked the potential in the car yet, and when they do, everyone will be eating their turbulent air again...

Hope I'm wrong.

[RicME85]

Apparently the cars in general are hard to set up so not surprised if Mercedes havent unlocked the potential of the car, they didnt look amazing in testing and then made a jump when FP1 arrived.

I would like a middle ground between what we had previously and what we had today. I wouldnt mind DRS if it was less effective and just allowed the drivers to get closer into the corner so they can make a move rather than powering passed halfway down the straight.

The Ocon/Alonso/Hulk overtake situation was great however.

[RadioactiveWaste]

I'm not a fan of DRS....made overtakes from impossible to inevitable but didn't bring anything to the racing elements.

I'd just make it everyone use drs all the time. I'd also make them go back to steel brake discs though - longer breaking zones and limits on how much heat the disc can absorb would make racing better.

But I don't run F1....

[ilkleyram]

I don't particularly enjoy F1 any more but I do take a passing interest and like it when British drivers do well. I also like the sky coverage and Ted Kravitz.

But I read an article on the Sky website where some chap from Mercedes was explaining why Hamilton lost out to Vettel in the pits. All the individual words I understood but I hadn't the foggiest idea of what he was on about. Which is why, I now realise, I only have a passing interest.

If there was more passing on the track rather than off it, it might be better.

[Sith Happens]

9 hours ago, ilkleyram said:

I don't particularly enjoy F1 any more but I do take a passing interest and like it when British drivers do well. I also like the sky coverage and Ted Kravitz.

But I read an article on the Sky website where some chap from Mercedes was explaining why Hamilton lost out to Vettel in the pits. All the individual words I understood but I hadn't the foggiest idea of what he was on about. Which is why, I now realise, I only have a passing interest.

If there was more passing on the track rather than off it, it might be better.

Yeah all waffle...could have explained it easier by just saying 'they ****** up"

 

[metalsheep02]

Any thoughts on whether Alonso will last the season at Mclaren or walk?

I am going to stick my neck out and say he is already laying the ground to leave and will walk if they haven't dramatically improved once we get to Europe.

He must fancy his chances of bagging a Merc drive next year.

I wonder if Button has had a phone call yet.

[Sith Happens]

1 hour ago, metalsheep02 said:

Any thoughts on whether Alonso will last the season at Mclaren or walk?

I am going to stick my neck out and say he is already laying the ground to leave and will walk if they haven't dramatically improved once we get to Europe.

He must fancy his chances of bagging a Merc drive next year.

I wonder if Button has had a phone call yet.

They reckon the car is spot on again, like last year there is just a total lack of power. I just dont understand how hard it can be for someone like honda to get it right.they have done it loads of times before.

I dont know if he will walk. He might force the issue, make them suspend him or something by being very vocal.

[RicME85]

They also have previous for bad engines. The Honda engine they had in the cars prior to leaving at the end of 2008 were terrible with Brawn arguing that the reason the cars were bad was the engine and Honda Japan werent having any of it and said it was the chassis (sound familiar?)

I dont believe the McLaren chassis is actually up there as a top chassis. Apparently it is light (something the other cars are struggling with) but the car is very basic (which it needs to be when the engine is so poor) and going from last seasons data (GPS traces were used) the car wasnt as good as claimed.

As for Alonso, we will probably want to be pushed rather than walk due to the way he left McLaren last time, I dont think he wants two spells at the team to end with him being a c*nt and walking away.

[Joe.]

I don't really follow f1 I'll watch the first few laps and last few laps when it's on tv, but I was in Melbourne last weekend so I went to the qualifying. Does anyone know what was causing both the McLarens to make such a strange noise on downshift? None of the other cars did it

[RicME85]

The McLaren cars have a detune for reliability reasons. Part of this is a change in the shift speed as the Power Unit is causing a lot of vibrations, so much that its throwing electrical cables from connectors.

They have however made a strange noise on downshift for a year or so as they cut cylinders under braking for fuel saving as they are on throttle longer than other cars due to the lack of power in the Power Unit (takes longer to travel the same distance so at full throttle for longer). 

I highly recommend anyone with an interest in F1 to go to f1technical.net/forum/ as its a wealth of knowledge.

[metalsheep02]

3 hours ago, Paul71 said:

They reckon the car is spot on again, like last year there is just a total lack of power. I just dont understand how hard it can be for someone like honda to get it right.they have done it loads of times before.

I dont know if he will walk. He might force the issue, make them suspend him or something by being very vocal.

I agree that is what Mclaren are stating but I am sure that Alonso's retirement on Sunday was a car failure (suspension) rather than an engine one. All that puts aside the fact that the car / engine combo was only capable of trawling around at the back during the race. 

It would be interesting to see the Mclaren with a Merc engine to see just how good it really is.

[Duracell]

The Honda PU  is a complete dud, but McLaren are deflecting the fact that they haven't made a good chassis in half a decade.

They could easily turn into what Williams have become.

[Sith Happens]

12 hours ago, Duracell said:

The Honda PU  is a complete dud, but McLaren are deflecting the fact that they haven't made a good chassis in half a decade.

They could easily turn into what Williams have become.

They have a huge budget, they should get it right but when will it be. I remember they had a similiar spell in the 90's where they went years being uncompetitive. Maybe not as bad as this though.

I think we all want to see them do well just to have more competition. Ferrari winning at the weekend was a breath of fresh air really, even if it meant hamilton lost out.

 

[EnigmaRam]

20 hours ago, RicME85 said:

The McLaren cars have a detune for reliability reasons. Part of this is a change in the shift speed as the Power Unit is causing a lot of vibrations, so much that its throwing electrical cables from connectors.

They have however made a strange noise on downshift for a year or so as they cut cylinders under braking for fuel saving as they are on throttle longer than other cars due to the lack of power in the Power Unit (takes longer to travel the same distance so at full throttle for longer). 

I highly recommend anyone with an interest in F1 to go to f1technical.net/forum/ as its a wealth of knowledge.

And there was me thinking it was a loud Sigh from the driver as another comes past him at the end of the straight ?

[metalsheep02]

16 hours ago, Duracell said:

The Honda PU  is a complete dud, but McLaren are deflecting the fact that they haven't made a good chassis in half a decade.

They could easily turn into what Williams have become.

Have they not already stooped much lower? I would suggest that Mclaren would currently be aspiring to be where Williams are (although perhaps with a stronger driver line up)

Williams have comfortably beat them in WCC for last 3 years and with Paddy Lowe on board are looking forward. 

[RicME85]

Funny thing is everyone slated Hamilton for jumping ship but he clearly saw signs of McLaren falling away.

There is something fundamentally wrong with the way the team is run, no way do you have the facilities McLaren do and personnel (Peter Prod was part of Newey's team at Red Bull) and then fail as badly as they have. 

I cant see them gaining many places with a Mercedes Power Unit, Remember 2014?

Problem Honda have had is Ron Dennis got them to bring an engine to track 12 months earlier than they wanted to, add to that they didnt have the years of R&D that a manufacturer like Mercedes had before even hitting the track, Honda were bound to struggle.