Formula 1...

[Starvin' Marvin]

You should watch Motogp then. Titanium plates on the leathers at the elbows, shoulders, knees. At the first race in Qatar, night race, it literally looks like a crash but they keep going.Stunning visuals

I don't miss MotoGP.Big Yamaha fan. MotoGP is pure hardcore racing. I'm pretty sure those humps on the back of their leathers hold their testes.

[SeaBee]

And, looking at combined results... 0.9 seconds between 1st and... hold your breath!... 14th! That's less than the gap Merc has over anybody else. 

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

And, looking at combined results... 0.9 seconds between 1st and... hold your breath!... 14th! That's less than the gap Merc has over anybody else.

Yeah, though duc didn't use the sift tires they're allowed to use as a factory team without a win in the last 3 years.

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Yeah, though duc didn't use the sift tires they're allowed to use as a factory team without a win in the last 3 years.

But they won't use the softs, wouldn't last race distance anyway.

What they might do is use the softs and get pole at every race, then you will see the uproar from Honda and Yamaha.

They will lose the concessions, more fuel and soft tyre, if they start winning so it will be a fine balance. If they do show promise there is a lot of speculation of Honda and Yamaha colaborating to give Ducati their wins to get them back as a "factory" entry and not an "open" entry. Going to be an epic season I hope.

 

But yes, when you look at how close the MotoGP times are it really highlights just how big the problem in F1 is. Don't forget WSBK, just as competitive of a few years or unentertaining racing. Perhaps the FIA and Dorna should get together. Only thing that stills sucks with Dorna is the media blockout.

[SeaBee]

Heck no, please don't introduce Dorna to the FIA, the FIA will surely find a way to screw that up as well.

 

Just one more rule.... we promise! It'll help everybody, equalise the playing field and be greatly beneficial to new entries and non-works teams... they said.

[Iwan Kemp]

Let's derail the crap out of this bore-fest.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JY9mrKR5SkA

[Iwan Kemp]

But they won't use the softs...

 

Are they not a factory entry this year?

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Are they not a factory entry this year?

Nope still "open" entry. Along with fuel and tyres I believe they get more engines too.

And yes everyone is quick to point out Rossi's victory over Stoner at LS in 2008, but the only way he could do it was by going outside of the bounds of the track.

Take Phillip Island 2009, absolute stonking race where for 27 laps Rossi did everything he could but to no avail.

 

I will join in the derailment with this:

There are many facts to support the claim that Rossi is the GOAT but here are some more facts about Stoner and Ducati:

 

When Stoner jumped on the Ducati, they had won 7 races in 4 years (which is not bad).

Then Stoner came on board for 4 years during which Ducati scored 24 wins (23 with Stoner, 1 flag to flag with Capirex) and their only MotoGP title so far.

In the past 4 years since Stoner left, Ducati have won 0 race and merely scored 7 podiums compared to 52 podiums (42 with Stoner) in the previous 4 years period. With Rossi at the helm of a factory bike for 2 of those years.

That is to say that in only 4 seasons, Stoner is responsible for 74% of all Ducati MotoGP wins in a 12 years span, or that excluding Stoner's results, Ducati merely won 8 races in 12 years.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Nope still "open" entry. Along with fuel and tyres I believe they get more engines too.

And yes everyone is quick to point out Rossi's victory over Stoner at LS in 2008, but the only way he could do it was by going outside of the bounds of the track.

Take Phillip Island 2009, absolute stonking race where for 27 laps Rossi did everything he could but to no avail.

 

I will join in the derailment with this:

There are many facts to support the claim that Rossi is the GOAT but here are some more facts about Stoner and Ducati:

 

When Stoner jumped on the Ducati, they had won 7 races in 4 years (which is not bad).

Then Stoner came on board for 4 years during which Ducati scored 24 wins (23 with Stoner, 1 flag to flag with Capirex) and their only MotoGP title so far.

In the past 4 years since Stoner left, Ducati have won 0 race and merely scored 7 podiums compared to 52 podiums (42 with Stoner) in the previous 4 years period. With Rossi at the helm of a factory bike for 2 of those years.

That is to say that in only 4 seasons, Stoner is responsible for 74% of all Ducati MotoGP wins in a 12 years span, or that excluding Stoner's results, Ducati merely won 8 races in 12 years.

 

 

I reckon Stoner really got on well with that bike though. Yes, he was a bloody good rider, but I think it suited him down to the ground, and added to that it was the year where Duc just got it RIGHT. Before, it was a missile on 2 wheels, and then it had handling. Then all the rest caught up and, well, Lorenzo / Rossi etc won it back. 

 

TBH I think Stoner was one of those riders like Marquez. Just immensely talented, and could ride well on anything. I mean, just have  alook at Marc's lean angles on his honda. It's a sight to behold. 

[Iwan Kemp]

Rossi, Stoner, Marquez...all great riders. 

 

If not "Factory" they will be on " Factory option" and not "open". Interesting that they're sticking with that entry. Makes sense (coming from where they were), but I'd think by now they'd man up and take on the factory teams on equal terms.

 

Open

• ECU Software – All Open entries must use the champioinship software written by Magneti Marelli and controlled and supplied by Dorna
• Fuel – Open entries are allowed 24 liters of fuel for the race. Most teams don’t need that much fuel, and have 22 or 23 liter fuel tanks fitted.
• Engines – Open entries may use up to 12 engines for the entire season
• Engine development – Open entries can modify the design of the engine between sealed engines. They cannot open the seals and change an engine once it has been used, but if a part of an engine needs to be redesigned for more performance, they can introduce that modification in the next engine used. In other words, engine #2 can be different in design to engine #3, and engine #5 can be different to engine #7.
• Testing – Each rider has an allowance of 120 tires for testing purposes. Open teams can organize tests at any track, with any rider, and test until they run out of tires.
• Tire allocation – Bridgestone bring three different specifications of tire to each circuit. The Open teams can use the softest and the medium specification tire.

The Open entries will run under these same rules throughout the 2014 season. No changes will be made based on their results. They keep the same fuel, tires and engines whether they win, podium or finish 23rd.

Factory Option

• ECU Software – Factory Option entries are free to use any software they like. In practice, this means the ECU software written and developed by the manufacturers, which is much more sophisticated than the championship software.
• Fuel – For 2014, Factory Option entries are allowed to use 20 liters of fuel for the race. This is one liter less than in 2013.
• Engines – Factory Option entries may use only 5 engines for the entire season.
• Engine development – The design of engines for Factory Option entries is fixed for the entire season. The first engine used in FP1 at Qatar must be identical in specification in every way to the last engine used at the race in Valencia.
• Testing – Factory Option riders can only test at the official tests at Jerez, Barcelona and Brno, and at one other designated test circuit. Test riders can use the 120 test tires allocated to each Factory Option rider to test developments.
• Tire allocation – Of the three different specifications which Bridgestone bring to each track, the Factory Option teams can use the medium and the hard specification.

The change made to the rules on 18th March gave manufacturers which did not win a race in 2013 and manufacturers which are new entrants some special concessions. These concessions only apply to Ducati and to Suzuki, once Suzuki join the championship in 2015. Some of those concessions will be lost if they start to achieve wins or podiums.

Ducati / Suzuki

• ECU Software – Ducati is free to use any software they like. In practice, this means their own ECU software.
• Fuel – Ducati is allowed up to 24 liters of fuel for the race. It is unlikely they will use all 24 liters, 22 or 23 liters is more likely.
• Engines – Ducati may use up to 12 engines for the entire season
• Engine development – Ducati can modify the design of the engine between sealed engines. The rule is the same as the Open entries. This allows Ducati (and Suzuki, in 2015) to develop their engines.
• Testing – Ducati has the same testing privileges as the Open entries. This is to allow them to test their developments with the factory riders, who can push the bike harder than test riders.
• Tire allocation – Ducati will start 2014 with the same tire allocation as the Open entries, the soft and medium specification tires.

If any Ducati rider wins a race in 2014 or 2015, or if they accumulate 2 second places or 3 third places between them, then their fuel allowance will be cut from 24 liters to 22 liters. If they rack up 3 wins between them, then they will also lose the softer tire, and use the same tire allocation as the other Factory Option manufacturers (i.e. medium and hard specifications).

[Iwan Kemp]

 

[Iwan Kemp]

WTCC, Loeb corners like a BOSS!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMj2OFykSN0

[Iwan Kemp]

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xap1/t51.2885-15/e15/10326444_652278228198970_1644835187_n.jpg

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/hphotos-xap1/t51.2885-15/e15/10326444_652278228198970_1644835187_n.jpg

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!!!

[Andymann]

It used to be like MotoGP before the Mother-Grundies got hold of it....

 

 

https://youtu.be/JeLK9UftveA

[Baldrick]

 

Rumours suggest that if Bottas does not race in Malaysia, he will be replaced by Pascal Wehrlein, who is the reserve driver for Williams’ engine supplier Mercedes.

 

Pity. Would liked to see how Suzie would have coped.