Motorsports Thread

[Bonefish Blues]

I have absolutely no understanding of F1 any more, I've concluded.

I shall be applying for a role in the FIA forthwith 😊

 

[raleighnut]

I have absolutely no understanding of F1 any more, I've concluded.

I shall be applying for a role in the FIA forthwith 😊

You sound overqualified.

 

[Beebo]

So what do we think about the "sprint" race idea for qualifying? Work of Genius or worst idea in the history of bad ideas?

Seems pointless. Too much risk with little reward.
what problem is it trying to solve?

Ive seen suggestions that the lower teams may just do one lap and pull into the pits. They have very little chance of improving their grid place and don’t want to risk damage for the main race.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Seems pointless. Too much risk with little reward.

Possibly

what problem is it trying to solve?

That is a very good question, I suspect it's about money to the event holder & F1, they think it will draw in bigger crowds, making it a fuller weekend which means they can charge even more than the stupidly high prices now

Ive seen suggestions that the lower teams may just do one lap and pull into the pits. They have very little chance of improving their grid place and don’t want to risk damage for the main race.

That's an interesting view, I would have thought it would be the other way around, you have a charger like Russell who if he started in the top 10 maybe able to stay there, so if in a sprint race he could get up along side, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Perez or even Leclerc, Sainz, would they make it too hard for him to pass, he's nothing to lose, if he has an accident he'll start at the back, so no difference to him.

 

[figbat]

Ive seen suggestions that the lower teams may just do one lap and pull into the pits. They have very little chance of improving their grid place and don’t want to risk damage for the main race.

I suspect that will attract penalties - IIRC they are obliged to compete unless there’s a safety reason to retire.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

Just read exactly how it will be done, it's all about the commercials, normally Friday is just for F1 geeks, but if there is 'proper' qualifying they are hoping more non geeks will want to go, the usual crowd will go on Saturday as there will now be a race not just qualifying & Sunday will be as normal. That is apart from the cars they've not been able to rebuild after having an accident in the sprint race.

 

[icowden]

Anyone watch Monaco? Or are you all still asleep?

 

[matticus]

Anyone watch Monaco? Or are you all still asleep?

I still can't believe no-one crashed! Bottas was the only DNF ... with a bu99ered wheel-nut. Could only happen to him!

And the director cut away from the only exciting passing action (based on the highlights prog anyway); well, of COURSE a pit-stop is more exciting!

(now can I go back to sleep?)

 

[figbat]

W

I still can't believe no-one crashed! Bottas was the only DNF ... with a bu99ered wheel-nut. Could only happen to him!

And the director cut away from the only exciting passing action (based on the highlights prog anyway); well, of COURSE a pit-stop is more exciting!

(now can I go back to sleep?)

Well you might argue that Leclerc crashed. Apparently Bottas's wheel is STILL on the car and will need disassembling at the factory. May or may not be true, but the internet said it was.

It was a bit of a snooze-fest though.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

Not sure this warrants a separate thread: Max Mosely has died.

Max Mosley: Privacy campaigner and ex-motorsport boss dies at 81 - BBC News

 

[Jody]

Anyone watch Monaco? Or are you all still asleep?

I "watched" it on x30 playback. I was going to rewind it if I saw a position change. Glad I watched on x30 as there was no action other than VET having a run up the hill beside Gasly.

Personally I think it's time to be binned from the calendar as last year proved there are so many good tracks out there.

 

[Reynard]

OTOH if you rewind to the Formula E race a fortnight ago on the same circuit, it was an absolute cracker. Plenty of overtaking including Evans on Da Costa on the run up to Massenet, and cars being able to run nose to tail and sometimes three wide.

The circuit is tight, but so is any street circuit. The real problem with Monaco is the F1 cars themselves. I've noticed over the years that as aero efficiency etc has improved (in no small thanks due to wind tunnels and computational fluid dynamics) the cars are less and less capable of running closely, and if they can't run closely together, then no hope in hell of an overtake unless someone makes a mistake or has a mechanical.

And it's not just Monaco - Barcelona and Hungary give rise to the same problem, other circuits less so, but it's still there. Hopefully the new rules will address that, but likely not. DRS was also singularly ineffective at Monaco. Which pretty well much proves that without DRS, you won't get much overtaking elsewhere either...

Formula E has far more durable tyres and a lot less downforce than F1 cars, and that's where the difference lies.

 

[Deleted member 26715]

The current modern F1 cars are 2 metres wide, that's just silly, although I dislike Formula E due to the Stock Car antics of the drivers it was a better race, there were genuine overtakes, as @Reynard says up to Massenet, think there was also one coming out of the tunnel, which used to be a favourite for F1 cars, but no longer. I can see as a driver why they love it, threading the car through the barriers, the bonus of sleeping in their own beds & not being caught in somebody else's. But for the 'real' fans not the glitterati it's a bore, once the first corner has been decided that's the end off it, although RB did well with Perez.

I'm still in too minds as to whether Verstappen is a totally phenomenal driver, or the RB is so difficult to drive as Perez still hasn't got the better of it, although it has been developed to compliment Verstappens driving style.

 

[FishFright]

Does anyone watch the racing British Automobile Racing Club 's youtube channel ?

Club / national level races with a very simple presentation but there's some cracking racing

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZf3wEugCbSW3GX9HvjPmRQ

 

[Reynard]

The current modern F1 cars are 2 metres wide, that's just silly, although I dislike Formula E due to the Stock Car antics of the drivers it was a better race, there were genuine overtakes, as @Reynard says up to Massenet, think there was also one coming out of the tunnel, which used to be a favourite for F1 cars, but no longer.

In some ways, Formula E reminds me muchly of the Supertouring era of the BTCC; if someone else is paying, who cares how many cars they bend...

I can see as a driver why they love it, threading the car through the barriers, the bonus of sleeping in their own beds & not being caught in somebody else's.

I'm still in too minds as to whether Verstappen is a totally phenomenal driver, or the RB is so difficult to drive as Perez still hasn't got the better of it, although it has been developed to compliment Verstappens driving style.

I think the fact the car massively compliments Verstappen has a lot to do with it. Much the same way that Honda builds their MotoGP bikes to favour Marc Marquez.