Formula 1 2015

[Talon]

[Les / Vipers Rule]

Sombrio,

I suggest opening up the regs to allow more varied car, engine, transmission options and designs, govern it all by heavily regulated budget caps. This will see the ebb and flow of some cars being better at some or more tracks and as such the drivers will offer better and more varied racing including more potential for real passing. The more varied tracks are will allow some cars to be better than others and as such we may see better racing.

NO MORE HERMAN TILKE DESIGNED, YAWNER TRACKS!

Gimmicks don't work either as they come off as contrived and not real to who is a better driver and who may have a better car and team of mechanics and engineers on any given track, on any given race day.

F1 was more interesting back in the day as first you had fewer PAY to PLAY drivers and regs allowed more creativity of car, engine and transmission design. There was much more ebb and flow not only over the course of just a race, but over a race weekend and over the course of a season.

Budget caps and staying on top of looking at the financial books will keep the teams more in line and will reward smarter teams and better drivers.

[sombrio]

[sombrio]

Time for a weird observation.

I was just semi-watching the practice session and decided to look up the history of the F1 engine regulations. And I found something... interesting. Per Wikipedia, citing the official technical regulations, from 2006-2013: "Pre-cooling air before it enters the cylinders, injection of any substance other than air and fuel into the cylinders, variable-geometry intake and exhaust systems, and variable valve timing were forbidden."

I was stunned that variable valve timing was prohibited in F1 as recently as 2013. How does this make any sense at all?

Is it still not allowed? I found a Reddit thread from 2014 where the top response stated that variable valve timing was not allowed for that season, but, you know, Reddit.

It just boggles my mind that my 15-year-old Honda Accord has variable timing for its 148 mighty thundering horses, but in the world's top racing series, it's forbidden (edit: or was, as recently as one or two years ago). And all this time I just assumed they were using pneumatically actuated valves with computer controls.

Well, you know what they say about assumptions: when you make assumptions, you make an ass out of you and... umptions.

In this day and age of "showcasing future technology for road cars" and all that, in the year 2015--26 years after Honda first introduced VTEC, apparently--why wouldn't F1 allow variable timing? Any thoughts?

[Les / Vipers Rule]

Yep I want as free regs as possible given sporting fairness understanding though. Control costs by heavily regulated budget caps. Regs on basic car dimensions, basic design principles and basic engineering of things used in manufacture of these F1 cars.

If Team A wants a 2.4L V-8 then so be it. If Team B wants 1.6L 4 cyl Turbo then so be it If Team C wants a 1.6L V-6 Turbo then so be it. If Team D wants a 2.4L V-10 then so be it.

We can standardize transmission design and regulate to some degree intake and exhaust manifold etc but loosen up regs to stimulate creativity.

Keep costs under control by budget caps but also make sure F1 money is more fairly distributed.


Oh yeah and bring back in race refueling.

Oh yeah and return qualifying to a 45 min. 12 lap per car session. You can control the last 10 min. by making sure any car that is NOT within a 107% rule of the fastest car by 10 minutes remaining is thus eliminated from the last 10 minutes of qualifying and will be seeded accordingly. This keeps the slow back markers more out of the way but opens up qualifying to a free flow 45 min. session.

And one more thing bring back the T car. One back up car per race weekend will not impart much on costs as budgets are capped its more fair for all.

And one more thing, ditch the max. number of engines and transmission shit. Budget caps will force teams to create more mechanical reliability over the season.

Two high fives for F1 this year.

1: Drivers picking out their own car numbers.
2: Drivers have to keep to ONE painted helmet design. For gawd sake with the way they were changing helmet colours, you'd almost need a programme to follow each. Quick when ask Senna, what helmet colours come to mind? When I ask Prost, what helmet colours come to mind? When I ask Michael Schumacher what helmet colours come to mind? When I go way back and ask Mario Andretti what helmet colours come to mind? When I go way, way, back and ask Jackie Stewart, what helmet colours come to mind? I bet you all can picture each very well.

I ask the same for Vettel, Rosberg, Hamilton etc. I bet you all scratch your heads on trying to recall each's helmet designs. right?

[Talon]

[Talon]

FERRARI P1 IN MALAYSIA!

[Les / Vipers Rule]

Well an interesting win for Ferrari. It gives F1 fans hope that Mercedes won't run away with it this year. I'm not Vettel nor Ferrari fan (though I like Raikkonen, always have) but welcome the competition.

Since my team, McLaren with Honda are still on a development curve this year may be long for them, but I hope they can close the gap sooner. That said Williams has been team number two for me since back in the 80's and I hope they can get/keep pace with Ferrari and Mercedes to have a good TOP THREE fight.

On a side note, NOPE, I'M NOTING THAT F1 DOES NOT MAKE THE PODIUM INTERVIEWS GOOD! These MUST STOP! It matters not who the questioner is, they are GAWD AWFUL! They only cheapen the prestige of F1 for me. Stick with the organized post race interviews in an interview room as done for many year past. Peter Windsor use to do them at the time for t.v. after the race. He was clear in his speech and gave really good questions. The Podium winners also got a few minutes to decompress before said interview and generally gave better answers.

The podium interviews JUST BLOW in my opinion, STOP IT FIA!

[Talon]

If you don't like them, just hit the mute button. So much drama with you.

I wonder how ALO is feeling right now? I can't believe how slowly Honda have responded to the challenge of the new engines. Two races, two cars, zero points and three DNFs. It's embarrassing.

[Les / Vipers Rule]

[Talon]

How's that working out for Renault? Honda had a year to learn from the others' mistakes.

[Les / Vipers Rule]

[Talon]

Yea, I guess Mercedes and Ferrari were having this much trouble with reliability at the beginning of last season. Oh wait, no they weren't.

[Les / Vipers Rule]

[Talon]

Ferrari had a poor performing year last year, but their car was still reliable. They only had one DNF last year due to engine malfunction, and it was ALO in Monza (of all places). Notice how in my previous post, I specifically said reliability?

And yes, Renault is having issues. But not as bad as Honda's. Recall, RIC finished Aussie in P2 last year but was later DQ'ed for fuel flow.

And look, I'm not hating on Honda. I like that they're bcak and want to see them and McLaren do well. But lets call a spade a spade here.

[Les / Vipers Rule]

[Talon]

Holy shit your reading comprehension is so bad, Les. In all of my posts relating Honda to Renault, Ferrari, and Mercedes I specifically said LAST SEASON! You know, the premier season of the 1.6T for ALL OF THE TEAMS. Yes, this is Honda’s first year. But last season, the one I continue to reference, was Renault’s, Ferrari’s, and Mercedes’s first year. I am comparing Honda’s first year (now), to all the others’ first year (last season). Get it?

The Honda motor sucks right now. Just admit it. Your justification of Renault’s motor sucks so it’s okay is flawed logic. Even still RBR came in P2 last year and their drivers came in P3 and P4 (LAST YEAR, 2014, Renault’s first year, you still following?).

[Les / Vipers Rule]

[thewalrus]

If I start watching again, I'm going to have to figure out who to cheer for.

I recall, in the past, liking Williams BMW, Honda (because of Villeneuve - partly because I am, apparently, very-distantly related to him), and McLaren (being a fan of Senna). I had my Ferrari phase, too. But that was during the Schumacher era, and I was tired of rooting for losers.

I wouldn't mind just going McLaren again. Sure they aren't doing great right now. But I like the team, and I like Button, too. Maybe I could go back to Williams... though I don't know enough about the drivers to say if I'd like them or not.

[Talon]

I like Williams. They've got a good car. I'm not sure if it's as good as last year's, but it could just be other teams [read: Ferrari] are catching up. I'm not a big Massa fan, never have been. He seems like a little troll. I do, however, really like Valteri Bottas. This is his third year and he's very talented. I pull for him to do well. IF Raikkonen retires at the end of this year or Ferrari don't invite him back, which I REALLY hope doesn't happen, I'd love to see Bottas in the Ferrari.

Button's always seemed like a good dude. The guy you'd want to be your teammate because you know he'd never stab you in the back. I do like Jenson, but the McLarens as of late have been shit.