Formula 1...

[SeaBee]

It's kinda sad. The designers and lawyers have a bigger say than the drivers.

 

Always been like that - esp the designers! Even in the late 60's and 70's - why do you think (for one) Colin Chapman is regarded as a legend?! He thought outside the box even in the 'early days' and created the (real) Lotus legend.

 

Before that somebody thought of the wacky idea to gain advantage by adding wings to these cigar boxes - that sure wasn't a driver...

 

The real stuff-up comes with the rules trying to slow them down. Then loopholes are found... and that's where all the legal BS comes in.

 

I think James Hunt (correct me if I'm wrong!) used to say, and this became a Murray-ism, that the driver is the most important nut in the car - he's just the nut behind the wheel.

 

Think back to the championships and you'll see a lot of them has simply driven the technology before somebody else had them, it's not only the current era. Now it's just getting a bit obvious, esp with improved coverage.

[Capricorn]

It's kinda sad. The designers and lawyers have a bigger say than the drivers.

 

That's what Nascar and the FIA are for: the former being for the purists who are closet luddites, and the FIA to slow things down, to create impediments that challenge F1 engineers. The driver as Seabee stated, is still the most important nut. It's not like he climbs in presses the pedal to the metal. Give them more credit.

Unless some team starts suggesting F1 drones driven by game controllers and kids with opposed thumbs, it's not sad: it's fantastic!

[TNT1]

 

The real stuff-up comes with the rules trying to slow them down. Then loopholes are found... and that's where all the legal BS comes in.

 

 

Agreed.

['Dale]

Watched Sunday's race today.

 

Hope this is the flavour for the rest of the season after the Red Bull and Brawn yawn-fests of the last few years.

['Dale]

Excellent result for Lotus with 2 and 3 on the podium.

 

Vettel topping the championship points.

 

Dissappointingly, Button had to withdrew a few laps from the finish due to a mechanical

Tch!

[SeaBee]

...and Ferrari's woes continues.

 

Have to agree - great for Lotus. Pity about the Mercs stuffing up quali - esp for Schu. It looked up untill that point as if Nico had everybody's number again. And bravo for Di Resta pulling off a 2-stopper on a track where it was not supposed to have worked, let alone gaining you heaps of places.

 

And both Williamses did have to go belly-up for the first time, seems I've jynxed them by complimenting them. Again more racey moments... like it!

[DaLoCo]

Schumi lost his DRS halfway through the fast lap, and they could not fix it.

 

The Pirelli's suit the smooth drivers, so guys like Hamilton, Kobayashi and the likes will always struggle to make them last due to their aggressive driving style. It is all about getting the car set up perfectly to keep the tyre within the operating range...and the Lotus team got it right. Vettel would not have lasted another five laps....

[G-Unit]

It also seems that Kimi hasn't got any more chatty. Monosyllabic at best in his post race interview. Welcome back, motormouth!

[DaLoCo]

It also seems that Kimi hasn't got any more chatty. Monosyllabic at best in his post race interview. Welcome back, motormouth!

He is way more chatty on team radio.....

[G-Unit]

 

He is way more chatty on team radio.....

 

Yeah, I heard at least 2 or 3 sentences to his team when he finished!

[TNT1]

He is way more chatty on team radio.....

 

Interesting comment:

 

And Kimi Learns It's A Team Game

But should Lotus have won? Probably. Would they have won had they instructed Grosjean to let Raikkonen pass when the Finn was flying on softs before the second round of pit-stops? Very probably.

The lap charts are certainly suggestive: After eight successive laps in the 1:38s and 1:39s, Raikkonen's four laps tucked up behind his team-mate before he finally overtook Grosjean on Lap 24 were timed at 1:39.9, 1:40.3, 1:40.1, and 1:42.0.

Regardless of his proximity to Grosjean, Raikkonen's soft tyres were degrading at this point of the race as they reached the end of their shelf-life, but there's enough in that sharp drop-off to suggest that Lotus' refusal to interfere cost Raikkonen the win.

Note, however, that Kimi offered not a single word of complaint afterwards, preferring instead to blame his misdirected attempt to take Vettel around the outside of Turn One in what proved to be his one and only passing shot at the lead.

 

Having been ditched by Ferrari for not being a team player ("We realised that our team needed a driver capable of really getting involved with the engineers, a characteristic that was not part of Kimi's genetic make-up, even though he is an amazingly talented guy," was Luca di Montezemolo's damning passing shot), two years spent digging cars out of a ditch seem to have put the team into Raikkonen.

[TNT1]

Ha ha. They should have expected them.

 

http://www.f1-racers.net/

[G-Unit]

 

 

Interesting comment:

 

And Kimi Learns It's A Team Game

But should Lotus have won? Probably. Would they have won had they instructed Grosjean to let Raikkonen pass when the Finn was flying on softs before the second round of pit-stops? Very probably.

The lap charts are certainly suggestive: After eight successive laps in the 1:38s and 1:39s, Raikkonen's four laps tucked up behind his team-mate before he finally overtook Grosjean on Lap 24 were timed at 1:39.9, 1:40.3, 1:40.1, and 1:42.0.

Regardless of his proximity to Grosjean, Raikkonen's soft tyres were degrading at this point of the race as they reached the end of their shelf-life, but there's enough in that sharp drop-off to suggest that Lotus' refusal to interfere cost Raikkonen the win.

Note, however, that Kimi offered not a single word of complaint afterwards, preferring instead to blame his misdirected attempt to take Vettel around the outside of Turn One in what proved to be his one and only passing shot at the lead.

 

Having been ditched by Ferrari for not being a team player ("We realised that our team needed a driver capable of really getting involved with the engineers, a characteristic that was not part of Kimi's genetic make-up, even though he is an amazingly talented guy," was Luca di Montezemolo's damning passing shot), two years spent digging cars out of a ditch seem to have put the team into Raikkonen.

 

Let's bring this back to cycling - I wonder if a road cyclist who doesn't obey team orders could be taught a lesson by being made to ride a MTB for a few years?

 

Random, pointless thought...

[Bateleur1]

I have not been watching F1 for ages. Last night I happened to see the rebroadcast of it and must say it was fairly nice watching a whole race again.

 

Could someone just please tell me what the DRS is?

[ADe]

I have not been watching F1 for ages. Last night I happened to see the rebroadcast of it and must say it was fairly nice watching a whole race again.

 

Could someone just please tell me what the DRS is?

Drag Reduction System. On a predefined section of each race circuit (usually on a long straight), if a car is within 1 second behind another, its back wing can be "opened" which reduces drag and effectively increases straight line speed allowing cars to overtake easier.

['Dale]

Let's bring this back to cycling - I wonder if a road cyclist who doesn't obey team orders could be taught a lesson by being made to ride a MTB for a few years?

 

Random, pointless thought...

 

Great avatar.

Cheeky comment.

All good.