Motorsports Thread

[Reynard]

Agree. The best will continue to be the best.

I was always more of a Prost than a Mansell kind of guy, iyswim.

Me too. And I was on the Prost side of the whole Prost v Senna debate as well. Although that was more along the lines of the enemy of my enemy...

Mansellmania entirely passed me by.

Although a teenage girl's perspective involves other, erm, factors.

 

[Reynard]

Maybe they need not only a white line but a red line, if the car crosses the red line with all 4 wheels it's classed as an 'Off road excursion' and the driver gets a 5 second penalty, brings back the danger of the kitty litter

This is what gets me... Touring cars use pressure plates to judge track limits, and go over the same plate three times, and it's a time penalty. No need to use a human "judge of fact" to decide.

So if touring cars can do it, why can't F1?

Although the sceptic in me sees that some drivers in F1 appear to be more equal than others, rather than everybody being absolutely equal when it comes to the BTCC's pressure plates.

 

[Reynard]

There's a ginger cat purr-ambulating on the circuit. Hope they catch him before lights out. (Ginger & white entire male - photo on the BBC text feed.)

Looks like we'll be two cars DNS. Mick Schumacher in the Haas and Yuki Tsunoda in the Alpha Tauri.

 

[figbat]

Maybe they need not only a white line but a red line, if the car crosses the red line with all 4 wheels it's classed as an 'Off road excursion' and the driver gets a 5 second penalty, brings back the danger of the kitty litter

But that’s what the white line is supposed to be for - however they start talking about which corners are being monitored and whether it’s the kerb or the line and whether the driver threw a six to start and only if Mercury is in ascendance. Brundle says the same thing - the while line demarcates the track, so penalise any unforced excursions beyond it.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

F1's suffered badly (as we know, not wanting to open up that debate again, mind!) from ambiguity in the rules. FGS let's get it clear, FIA!

 

[AndyRM]

I'm listening to the F1 today, which I don't particularly follow these days, but I'm still vaguely interested.

Could someone who knows more about this explain why Mercedes seem to have fallen off a cliff?

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Really enjoyed this today - well done Max!

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Could someone who knows more about this explain why Mercedes seem to have fallen off a cliff?

Not really not even Mercedes, if you could I'm sure they would pay you millions. They've taken a big chance in their aero package & currently it's not paying off, also looking at the engines it could well be there eased off the development but Ferrari, RB/Honda & Renault didn't, but there is talk about different fuels being used

Edit:- LOL "there is talk about different fields being used" Oh dear proof read before posting

 

[Salad Dodger]

But that’s what the white line is supposed to be for - however they start talking about which corners are being monitored and whether it’s the kerb or the line and whether the driver threw a six to start and only if Mercury is in ascendance. Brundle says the same thing - the while line demarcates the track, so penalise any unforced excursions beyond it.

But in my world, putting ONE wheel over the white line and continuing should incur a penalty. To say that all FOUR wheels have to go past the white line before a car is " off' just means that the track is now three quarters of a car wider than the white line. I find that ridiculous. And drivers have to be observed breaking the rules, or else they have got away with it. Never mind the arguments about whether three nanometers of the car was still in contact with the white line so no penalty us due.....
That is not satisfactory to me. Likewise, getting THREE "lives" on the run off areas in BTCC.
I would prefer corners to be lined with large kerbs, both sides of the track, so anyone going over one risks damaging the car and perhaps thus being forced out of the race. Drivers would have to come to terms with keeping their cars in the black stuff, and staying off the other stuff....

Rant over. Sorry about that .....

 

[Reynard]

I would prefer corners to be lined with large kerbs, both sides of the track, so anyone going over one risks damaging the car and perhaps thus being forced out of the race. Drivers would have to come to terms with keeping their cars in the black stuff, and staying off the other stuff....

The downside of that is that a very expensive sport then suddenly becomes a lot more expensive. Which then would mean smaller grids and not much actual racing going on. There is nothing worse in the world than watching half a dozen cars simply going around in circles for an hour. As sometimes does happen in club racing. It's not fun for the spectators.

On the other hand, there are always the short ovals, but then those cars are built to take a few good hits...

 

[Jenkins]

But in my world, putting ONE wheel over the white line and continuing should incur a penalty. To say that all FOUR wheels have to go past the white line before a car is " off' just means that the track is now three quarters of a car wider than the white line. I find that ridiculous. And drivers have to be observed breaking the rules, or else they have got away with it. Never mind the arguments about whether three nanometers of the car was still in contact with the white line so no penalty us due.....
That is not satisfactory to me. Likewise, getting THREE "lives" on the run off areas in BTCC.
I would prefer corners to be lined with large kerbs, both sides of the track, so anyone going over one risks damaging the car and perhaps thus being forced out of the race. Drivers would have to come to terms with keeping their cars in the black stuff, and staying off the other stuff....

Rant over. Sorry about that .....

This is what the MSA in the UK have decreed and is why Johnathan Palmer has put the pressure sensors on all the MSV circuits. Unfortunately the FIA have decreed that only one wheel need to be within the white line to be considered as still on the circuit so they can't be used elsewhere so rely on GPS (F1) or marshals reports on other FIA sanctioned events.

As much as you'd like larger kerbs, don't forget that bikes race on the same circuits.

 

[icowden]

Could someone who knows more about this explain why Mercedes seem to have fallen off a cliff?

I'm not sure it's entirely off a cliff. Notwithstanding Hamilton's difficulties in qualifying, Mercedes are currently competing at the top but behind Red Bull and Ferrari. They are pretty consistently ahead of the other teams but not in their usual leading position. Toto reckoned it would be at least 4 races before they were able to introduce something to possibly improve their position. All of the teams will be working week in week out to try and adjust the cars to improve their performance.

What is notable is that all of the Ferrari powered cars seem to have improved performance.

 

[icowden]

Don't know about anyone else but I thought today's race was excellent again. Drivers seemed to be able to follow really closely and I think the new cars work a lot better on the street circuit in terms of overtaking and close following. Definitely more action packed than usual.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Don't know about anyone else but I thought today's race was excellent again. Drivers seemed to be able to follow really closely and I think the new cars work a lot better on the street circuit in terms of overtaking and close following. Definitely more action packed than usual.

Yes, it was an excellent race.

Not much keen on the closed in feel of the circuit but it made for a good technical challenge.

Good close quarter racing and not just at the front.

Will be interesting to see how the self-policing unfair advantage give the place back rule pans out as the season unscrolls.

 

[figbat]

Yes, it was an excellent race.

Not much keen on the closed in feel of the circuit but it made for a good technical challenge.

Good close quarter racing and not just at the front.

Will be interesting to see how the self-policing unfair advantage give the place back rule pans out as the season unscrolls.

Yes and, as Jenson said in Sky commentary, unlike before when a driver is passed they are now able to stay close and re-pass, making for the closer racing overall. The DRS line shenanigans were quite amusing though, with Max taking three attempts to work out how to play it!