Formula 1...

[MrJacques]

New cars:

 

http://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/watch-mercedes-takes-new-f1-car-for-a-spin-20160222

 

http://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/watch-mercedes-mclaren-unveil-new-f1-cars-20160222

 

http://www.wheels24.co.za/FormulaOne/watch-ferrari-launches-2016-f1-car-20160222

 

Some pics:

 

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/35626718

Edited February 23, 2016 by Jacquers

[Baldrick]

If they didn't make the rubbish rules to start with, they would not have needed additional even worse rules to try and rectify it. (Keeping that sentence "clean" took a LOT of restraint and retyping!)  As soon as something is innovated, it gets banned or rule-bombed to death. 

 

Call me old-fashioned... Point the guys to the track, let them innovate the sheet out of it, let them race. That's what the game used to be, right? That's also why the cars look alike. Well, worsened by the fact that most seems hellbent on making it black, grey or silver... Gone are the days where you could paint cars the same colour and immediately recognise the T1 from the 72, the M23 from the T2 or P34, the Lotus 79 from the T4, the FW07 from the RE20 and th BT50 - and so on! 

 

Overtaking is not the issue - it's constant interference! And changing the rules every time in the name of leveling the financial gap - rubbish! It just worsens it if the bottom teams now ALSO have to redevelop from scratch.

You would battle to recognise the P34 if Maldonado drove it. It would only have 4 wheels.

Edited February 23, 2016 by Baldrick

[SeaBee]

Maybe that's why they gave it to Jody to drive...   (And only for one season!)

[Baldrick]

Maybe that's why they gave it to Jody to drive...   (And only for one season!)

Fletcher only had one bad season of wrecking things. The Surtees team were never the same after Jody took out all three cars at Silverstone

Edited February 23, 2016 by Baldrick

[Iwan Kemp]

F1 teams agree elimination style qualifying for 2016

 

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f1-teams-agree-elimination-style-qualifying-for-2016-675278/

[SeaBee]

IMHO: Will only have a realistic effect in wet or (esp) drying session. Otherwise guys will go out, get their banker lap in before the first cut-off... and wait for the next session.

 

And ja sure, it may catch somebody out that made a mistake on their initial outing, guys having some work on the car done to get it ready for quali now has a couple of minutes less to ensure they post a time, etc. But those should be the exception.

 

In my mind it will actually take away from the excitement of that end-of-quali-period last-gasp runs to see who drops out. You may end up seeing only two or three cars out at the end of Q1, since the rest are confident that they're not going to be caught by only that one guy that still has to drop out.

 

What it miiight do, is screw up some carefully planned race tyre strategies, with some guys maybe being forced to use a set more at times (I'm thinking esp towards end of Q2). In the same vein, it may back-fire with guys saying "Hey, I'm happy with Px and it's more beneficial to sit out and save tyres for the race." 

 

Again - there's nothing wrong with qualifying - it's mostly more fun to watch than the race. Why mess around with it?

 

And back to my rant of yesterday - now that everybody is getting settled in the new rules, 3 years down the line and hopefully some teams are catching up... next year is again going to be a major rule change and most likely one team will get the jump on everybody. Same as when this new set of rules came about - just after we had a competitive season! 

[Baldrick]

I see complete chaos with the completion of a lap versus the elimination of a driver. Why 90 seconds? Last year only 9 of the 19 races had a lap time under 90 seconds. Rather make it 3 minutes and eliminate 2 drivers. That will reduce the congestion of drivers trying to complete their lap before the cut off.

[SwissVan]

Honda boss Arai exits and Alonso confirms he will race the McLaren Honda this year

 

All they have to do now is get Eric Boullier to say something positive about the engine and smile during the same sentence

 

I hope its not going to be another 2015 for the Honda engine

[Baldrick]

Now the new qualifying farce has been put on hold until new software is developed.

What are they going to do? Have a large flashing sign on the eliminated drivers steering wheel that says "Game Over"

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Now the new qualifying farce has been put on hold until new software is developed.

What are they going to do? Have a large flashing sign on the eliminated drivers steering wheel that says "Game Over"

 

The Sat/Sun race in WSBK worked out quite well I reckon.

I know this will hit purists hard but what about an A1 type sprint race Sat and "endurance" race Sun.

That being said, until the work the rules to even the playing field no changes will do much and we will still be wondering which Merc will win.......

[dracs]

The Sat/Sun race in WSBK worked out quite well I reckon.

I know this will hit purists hard but what about an A1 type sprint race Sat and "endurance" race Sun.

That being said, until the work the rules to even the playing field the other teams up their game rather than crying about rules they agreed to years ago, no changes will do much and we will still be wondering which Merc will win.......

 

Fixed your last sentence for you.  You're welcome. 

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Fixed your last sentence for you.  You're welcome. 

 

Thanks but that very much depends on which team you currently support. Wild flier here but I'm going to guess you are partial to Merc and probably Hamilton at that.

 

Nobody can deny that they have cocked the rules up royally. Viewership is down, attendance is down. Most people aren't even fussed if they watch the races or not, just ask here. Thats not how it was even 5 years ago when RB was dominating because there were still other manufacturers able to win. RB just had massive technological clout.

[dracs]

Thanks but that very much depends on which team you currently support. Wild flier here but I'm going to guess you are partial to Merc and probably Hamilton at that.

 

Nobody can deny that they have cocked the rules up royally. Viewership is down, attendance is down. Most people aren't even fussed if they watch the races or not, just ask here. Thats not how it was even 5 years ago when RB was dominating because there were still other manufacturers able to win. RB just had massive technological clout.

My point is, as has always been the case, the teams that want to rules changed are the ones that have not made the best of them.  nothing new here - tale as old as F1 itself.  

 

I never said it was good that Merc has been so far ahead of everyone else for 2 years and counting, but the current engine / hybrid formula was a demand from the motor manufacturers to keep F1 relevant to the direction their own industry was going.  I find it amusing that now suddenly the rules are blamed that's all.

 

What I do wish is that there was more freedom for the other guys to develop their engines to catch up...  there I agree F1 is shooting itself in the foot.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

My point is, as has always been the case, the teams that want to rules changed are the ones that have not made the best of them.  nothing new here - tale as old as F1 itself.  

 

I never said it was good that Merc has been so far ahead of everyone else for 2 years and counting, but the current engine / hybrid formula was a demand from the motor manufacturers to keep F1 relevant to the direction their own industry was going.  I find it amusing that now suddenly the rules are blamed that's all.

 

What I do wish is that there was more freedom for the other guys to develop their engines to catch up...  there I agree F1 is shooting itself in the foot.

This. So much this. 

[SeaBee]

Yes, only in Bernie's Lalaland will it be a good idea to completely change the engine formula - and implement an engine development freeze in the same year.

 

In the name of budgets and making it affordable for smaller teams. Oh wait... he also forgot that the minnows use freakin customer engines! *Facepalm* It's not as if Manor ever developed their own engines... 

[Steven Knoetze (sk27)]

Mercedes supplying cherry picked poor performing customer engines mind you. Last year William came out and said as much. Williams had the chassis to beat Merc if they had on par engines. Surely the customer engines should be equal??

Edited March 3, 2016 by Steven Knoetze (sk27)