Motorsports Thread

[Reynard]

Thing is, the whole formula is thrown up in the air for next season, courtesy of the biggest change to the car specs in living memory, so who knows who'll be on top?

The banning of ground effect / side skirt cars midway through the 1982 season after a spate of really nasty accidents*, catching virtually everyone on the hop. I can just about remember this, as it was the first year I was into motor racing.

*one of the contributing factors to Gilles Villeneuve's fatal crash at Zolder, although not the reason behind it. With the side skirt cars, as soon as the venturi underneath was disrupted, the driver pretty well had zero control as the remainder of the aero was vestigal / minimal. Rear wings were really skinny and some cars had no front wing at all.

 

[Reynard]

Not always. Consistent finishing in a moderately decent car will beat someone who frequently crashes the best car. Big rule changes tend to favour someone who interpreted the regulations uniquely and those who build a reliable car.

Keke Rosberg in 1982 in the Cosworth-powered Williams springs to mind. He only won one race all season, but kept on racking up the points while everyone else didn't.

 

[Illaveago]

This looks interesting ! https://www.fia.com/race-against-manipulation

 

[Illaveago]

A few seasons ago I did read them all (and the technical regulations) - not a lot on that day. I’ve read the pertinent ones for 2021.

Is there a section on begatting ?

 

[Illaveago]

It's really not. That's why in the Concord Agreement there's provision for ICAS to act as the final arbitrator.

What have the Inca's got to do with it ?

 

[icowden]

This looks interesting ! https://www.fia.com/race-against-manipulation

Shall we all report the FIA to itself?

 

[Illaveago]

How are they going to do that?

AH ! That will be in the next episode !

 

[Illaveago]

Shall we all report the FIA to itself?

Good idea! That will really get them confused !

 

[matticus]

While I don't enjoy the teams whingeing and whining, (although in the past, it was still the case, albeit kept mostly behind closed doors), for Masi to say that, and then play "what rule shall we throw out of the rule book today" is a tad hypocritical, don't you think?

That's a different issue.

I think Toto deserved a slap-down after this:
"Michael, please no safety car, it interferes with the race."

 

[Illaveago]

And all all of this proves, is what a circus F1 is.
If they wanted an extraordinary end to the season and championship, they might well have deliberately engineered it. Its got everyones attention, perhaps that was always the aim.
Any news (bad included) is good news as they say. It will pass, i think it's good for F1 to have another serious contender, something that's been missing for a long time. F1 has become boring, not a patch on years ago, who wants to see the same driver win year in year out ?...not me.

To some extent yes . But next year's rules seem to benefit Red Bull again from what I have seen . Mercedes have a system where excess electrical power spins up the turbo thus reducing turbo lag . From what I have read it seems that Red bull want this banned .

 

[Bonefish Blues]

That's a different issue.

I think Toto deserved a slap-down after this:
"Michael, please no safety car, it interferes with the race."

And Christian's "We only need one lap Michael" a swift backhander, too.

Both guys doing their best to influence the Race Director, who was all at sea, faced with a nightmare scenario. Any other race and it's have finished under SC, but I think his mind was filled with "How do I get them to race again before the end"

If the report is correct, thank goodness it's going to stop for 2022 - but it has been happening because of Masi's indecision - and then further contributing to it, and so on...

 

[Illaveago]

That's the intent - to allow more passing via closer following, but unless there's a Brawn or Lotus ground effect genius at work, it'll be budget-driven, I think.

ETA
Here:
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/...l-new-2022-f1-car.4OLg8DrXyzHzdoGrbqp6ye.html

It is farcical all of these rule changes to bring down the costs ! Every team will have to make a new car according to the new rules . How can that be reducing costs ?

 

[Bonefish Blues]

It is farcical all of these rule changes to bring down the costs ! Every team will have to make a new car according to the new rules . How can that be reducing costs ?

They have to buy parts from Eurocarparts - and they always have a sale on 😊

 

[Illaveago]

Hmmm, not sure I agree - this is fundamentally changing and re-architecting the cars as opposed to changing PUs, fuel cell sizes et al.

A good primer here, which goes into much greater detail about the specifics of the changes:

https://the-race.com/formula-1/f1-2022-car-rule-changes-guide/

Wasn't the reason for banning ground effect years ago was that if the car hit a bump it could take off like a plane ?

 

[Reynard]

That's a different issue.

I think Toto deserved a slap-down after this:
"Michael, please no safety car, it interferes with the race."

No it's not. Because no one was behaving with decorum - not Toto, not Horner, and most definitely not Masi.

The whole thing makes *everyone* look stupid and unprofessional.