Formula 1...

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Would Hamilton have won in anything other than a Mercedes?

Would Button have come last had he been in one ?

 

Or is the difference in car so big that no driver can overcome the handicap of not being in the best car ?

At the moment the Mercedes engines are just THAT good. It's like racing a bimmer m1 against a Citi Golf. No amount of driver skill could overcome that gulf I'm performance.

 

Mercedes are so far ahead. Then you're getting the Ferrari / Renault battles which are a bit closer and you can see the effect of driver skill in those battles. Then there's Honda. The less said about them at the moment the better.

 

The thing is its not just an engine anymore. It's am engine and a hybrid system harvesting energy from braking and so on. The marriage between those systems, at those speeds, with the limitations that they have to work within that make it so much more than just a driver and his car.

 

In short - this isnt VW challenge or Touring cars where they are so close that driver skill makes an immense amount of difference. It still does, but far more reliance is placed on the car in order to be able to perform.

[jimmy hardtail]

The only real test of driver skill is between team mates. Alonso better than Raikkonnen. Vettel better than Webber. Hamilton slightly better than Rosberg. Peesonally I think Alonso is the best driver I the field but hes gonna be beaten by the rookies this year if that honda powerplant doesnt improve. No driver can make up 3 seconds a lap over others in similar cars.

[Johny Bravo]

You can give that Merc to any driver on the grid and they will win. Except Rossberg of course.  

[Christie]

Season over?

[Starvin' Marvin]

Ja no look when you lap everyone up to 5th and 3rd place is 34s behind and it's almost guaranteed that Merc hasn't played all it's cards, it's going to be a boring season.

[Pure Savage]

What if you use ask your 4 motors in 4 races?

[Baldrick]

6 yr old Sebastian Wheldon wins is first race. I wonder when he will get his first F1 seat

[Johny Bravo]

Season over?

Yip. Even worse than last year, by miles. 

[jimmy hardtail]

its basically going to be a race for the final podium place all season.

[Starvin' Marvin]

What if you use ask your 4 motors in 4 races?

If you use all 4 PU's you get a grid peanlty

[Pure Savage]

If you use all 4 PU's you get a grid peanlty

They can not go any further back on the grid physically. I would just burn through power units all weekend getting it right. Bring 5 or 6 for a weekend and then just change the entire unit after each session. Honda are going to be at the back for a while, may as well catch up in one season and not 2.

 

if Jenson gets a 45 grid penalty he is still in the same position if they had no penalty.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

I see Massa is throwing accusations of not receiving equal Mercedes engines, this isn't new.

Horner saying the FIA needs to step in and throw even more rule changes into the mix to reign in the Merc's.

15 cars on the grid yesterday was embarassing!!!

[Iwan Kemp]

I figured it won't be long before RBR puts all blame on Renault. Marko did so while their cars were still trying to finish the race and Newey wasn't far behind. Now they are threatening to quit if the FIA doesn't step in to equalize.

 

How quickly one forgets. 4 Years of domination. Maybe it's because their trophy cabinet is still half empty. 

 

I'd agree F1 isn't healthy, but to carry on like they do is immature.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Personally I think they should drop the no in season testing bs they have atm and maybe the 4 power units per season. That or only apply the 4 unit limit to race weekends and just let them test.

 

Whatever it is, Mercedes must have a couple of VERY well paid engineers

[Pure Savage]

Personally I think they should drop the no in season testing bs they have atm and maybe the 4 power units per season. That or only apply the 4 unit limit to race weekends and just let them test.

 

Whatever it is, Mercedes must have a couple of VERY well paid engineers

Or they have a funny looking C class with a very funny sounding motor that just laps around the Merc test track.

[Johny Bravo]

I see Massa is throwing accusations of not receiving equal Mercedes engines, this isn't new.

Horner saying the FIA needs to step in and throw even more rule changes into the mix to reign in the Merc's.

15 cars on the grid yesterday was embarassing!!!

I have to agree with you there. These new power units are not the answer, its just too expensive and complicated. Only 11 cars finished the race, to go and watch a F1 race is flippen expensive. Then to see only 11 cars lapping around is bad.