F1 2015

[Basil B]

I'm all for a bigger calendar and more races... but more noise? come on FIA. What we need is more speed, and more strategy variables - like free choice of tires (why not have 3-4 suppliers just like engines?), and re-introduce refuelling so the slower teams can at least put on a show with some lightweight, high grip laps...

The past few years it's been tire managed endurance racing.

It's 2015 not 1980.

Like your post... but:

• More races, would be nice but how far can you stretch the teams? maybe shorten the year with more back to back races.
• More speed, one good thing to say about the FIA is it has done a lot to make F1 safe, and and just think of Daniil Kvyat's crash last weekend, he walked away from it.
• Agree many of the stupid rules that have law firms earning more than the drivers need scrapping but not at the cost of safety.
• Tyre, free choice... yes, but who will make tyres for F1 at an affordable cost? Pirelli are the current supplier, I doubt they supply them free just for the advertising, a lot of development work goes into tyre development and for every company manufacturing tyres means they all will be doing the same development work and this will just increase the cost of tyres.
• Refuelling was banned due to safety issues, a few fires and cars tearing down the pit lane with the hose still attached...

[uksomchai]

The costs of the tyres are down to the fact that at the moment the company has to design the tyres to degrade after a certain amount of laps. This development, if you can call it that is what makes the tyres expensive to design. In the good old days of racing they had tyres that were sticky from lap one till the flag. It was then down to the drivers as to who won and not down to who had managed their tyres the best as now

[IMHO]

I'm all for a bigger calendar and more races... but more noise? come on FIA. What we need is more speed, and more strategy variables - like free choice of tires (why not have 3-4 suppliers just like engines?), and re-introduce refuelling so the slower teams can at least put on a show with some lightweight, high grip laps...

The past few years it's been tire managed endurance racing.

It's 2015 not 1980.

Like your post... but:

• More races, would be nice but how far can you stretch the teams? maybe shorten the year with more back to back races.
• More speed, one good thing to say about the FIA is it has done a lot to make F1 safe, and and just think of Daniil Kvyat's crash last weekend, he walked away from it.
• Agree many of the stupid rules that have law firms earning more than the drivers need scrapping but not at the cost of safety.
• Tyre, free choice... yes, but who will make tyres for F1 at an affordable cost? Pirelli are the current supplier, I doubt they supply them free just for the advertising, a lot of development work goes into tyre development and for every company manufacturing tyres means they all will be doing the same development work and this will just increase the cost of tyres.
• Refuelling was banned due to safety issues, a few fires and cars tearing down the pit lane with the hose still attached...

More races: I didn't say they should keep on adding races per se, I just said that more in the calendar is a good thing. That said, teams do back-to-back's already, and hey, it's their job to race, and they get paid smartly for doing it. Many other motorsports have big calendars too.

Speed: I fully agree with safety improvements, but let's not wrap these guys in too much cotton wool... they are the best of the best, right?

Tires: There have been multiple tire suppliers before. As recently as the 00's we have Michelin and Bridgestone's on track. At other times in history there's been as many as 6 different suppliers. Yes, costs can be an issue, but it's pretty clear that some teams still have plenty of money to burn, and more teams would too if Ebenezer Ecclestone shared more profits Talking about costs, what's with holding back CFD tech? If they can afford it, why not - it only makes the racing better.

Refuelling: of course there'a a safety aspect, but again, most other motorsports still do it, so why not the pinnacle of motorsport? really.

In short, I do not believe that F1 should be endurance racing - but that's exactly what control tires and no refuelling makes it.

Edited October 4, 2015 by IMHO

[IMHO]

The costs of the tyres are down to the fact that at the moment the company has to design the tyres to degrade after a certain amount of laps. This development, if you can call it that is what makes the tyres expensive to design. In the good old days of racing they had tyres that were sticky from lap one till the flag. It was then down to the drivers as to who won and not down to who had managed their tyres the best as now

RIght - again the FIA's desire to make F1 endurance racing has compromised tire advancement and made it more difficult for the sole supplier to achieve their dastardly goals, and try to keep some face at the same time.

Seriously, does Pirelli's involvement in F1/GP2 make you want to buy Pirellis' for you car?

Not me - F1 has done more damage than good to them in my eyes.

Edited October 4, 2015 by IMHO

[uksomchai]

The costs of the tyres are down to the fact that at the moment the company has to design the tyres to degrade after a certain amount of laps. This development, if you can call it that is what makes the tyres expensive to design. In the good old days of racing they had tyres that were sticky from lap one till the flag. It was then down to the drivers as to who won and not down to who had managed their tyres the best as now

RIght - again the FIA's desire to make F1 endurance racing has compromised tire advancement and made it more difficult for the sole supplier to achieve their dastardly goals, and try to keep some face at the same time.

Seriously, does Pirelli's involvement in F1/GP2 make you want to buy Pirellis' for you car?

Not me - F1 has done more damage than good to them in my eyes.

I fully agree and have emailed Pirelli telling them just that. Maybe a campaign to get F1 fans to do the same might help ?

[Basil B]

As I understand it Pirelli has a contract with FIA/F1 who provide the tyres to the teams so thus making the cost equal to all teams, if teams were buying tyres from whoever they wanted it would just mean the teams with the most money having the best tyres.

Yes, there is some "witchcraft" involved in making sure the tyres will not last a whole race, but what will a race be like without pit stops??? well not as exciting for sure.

What F1 really needs is more teams and the problem for most teams is cost...

[uksomchai]

Re fueling would certainly make things a lot more interesting. A quick splash and dash with a new set of super sticky tyres has won many a nail biting race in the past and could liven up things once again. Something needs to be done before it dies a slow death

[IMHO]

As I understand it Pirelli has a contract with FIA/F1 who provide the tyres to the teams so thus making the cost equal to all teams, if teams were buying tyres from whoever they wanted it would just mean the teams with the most money having the best tyres.

Yes, there is some "witchcraft" involved in making sure the tyres will not last a whole race, but what will a race be like without pit stops??? well not as exciting for sure.

What F1 really needs is more teams and the problem for most teams is cost...

Sure I get that.. costs.. there's 3-4 teams that have so much money it doesn't matter, and for the remaining few it does. Is that because the sport doesn't generate enough revenue, or because not enough of that revenue is given back to the teams though?

While you're completely right that it's possible to make tires that will last a whole race (look at Formula E), I seriously doubt you're making a *fast* tire that does so (again, look at Formula E)...

[Basil B]

No constructors Championship for Mercedes today as Nico has issue with his accelerator, unless the stewards really penalise Kimi, that is to say a 20 second penalty would give the Championship to Mercedes but then I think the stewards may well be thinking making the championship more exciting is more important than penalising dangerous driving...

David Coulthard say's

"I think Sergio Perez will be sending a bottle of tequila Kimi's way."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/live/formula1/32543293

I think Sergio should have asked for a paper cup and poured a cup of bubbly and sent it to Kimi...

Bad day at the office quite a few drivers but for Lewis just another race, pity about Nico could have been a very exciting race at the front.

Edited October 11, 2015 by Basil B

[uksomchai]

Mercedes have won the constructors championship after Ferrari get a 30 second penalty for Kimmis overtaking move on Bottas.

I put it as Kimmi trying his all in the final lap to get the final podium. A good race otherwise with some good overtaking mid pack.

I was hoping for a great battle between Rosberg and Hamilton but nice to see perez on the podium for Force India. Its great to see the smaller teams and drivers get a win every now and then

[Basil B]

Drivers have to think fast, and Kimi made a big mistake, he was clearly in the wrong and even he has admitted that and although it was just a rash "hot headed" decision that had he had more time to consider what may happen before he tried barging his way through he would not have done it, I see the actions of the stewards as a warning to all.

Drivers should realise that if the consequences of such actions result in a fatality in many countries drivers are not immune to criminal prosecution.

[uksomchai]

I wouldn't say Kimmi made a big mistake in any way. It was just a simple racing shunt. Hot headed yes but killing a driver ? Come on. Can you recall any such incident in F1 because I can't. There have been some horrendous shunts, especially on the run up to the first corner but that is what racing is all about'

The day the drivers stop racing and stop having these types of crash then that is the day F1 dies.

All in all a very good Sunday for racing fans here in Blighty especially. F1 then British Touring Cars and then British Superbikes.

[IMHO]

I wouldn't say Kimmi made a big mistake in any way. It was just a simple racing shunt. Hot headed yes but killing a driver ? Come on. Can you recall any such incident in F1 because I can't. There have been some horrendous shunts, especially on the run up to the first corner but that is what racing is all about'

The day the drivers stop racing and stop having these types of crash then that is the day F1 dies.

All in all a very good Sunday for racing fans here in Blighty especially. F1 then British Touring Cars and then British Superbikes.

The move was certainly much closer to the Verstappen / Grosjean clash at Monaco (driver fault), than it was the Ricciardo/Rosberg clash (racing incident) at Hungary though

[Basil B]

I wouldn't say Kimmi made a big mistake in any way. It was just a simple racing shunt. Hot headed yes but killing a driver ? Come on. Can you recall any such incident in F1 because I can't. There have been some horrendous shunts, especially on the run up to the first corner but that is what racing is all about'

The day the drivers stop racing and stop having these types of crash then that is the day F1 dies.

All in all a very good Sunday for racing fans here in Blighty especially. F1 then British Touring Cars and then British Superbikes.

Remember the aftermath of the Senna crash...

The Williams team was entangled for many years in a court case with Italian prosecutors over manslaughter charges

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Ayrton_Senna

A hot headed reaction that causes death, I would have thought in many countries it would be classed as Manslaughter or what ever they class "causing death by reckless actions" as.

Edited October 13, 2015 by Basil B

[ignis]

Interesting

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/13884093/tweak-fia-rulebook-prevents-teams-running-year-old-engines-2016

[uksomchai]

I feel sorry for red Bull at the moment with their lack of engines for next year. Bernie needs to get his act together quick before we lose them for good. They are great for F1 and have opened the sport right up for the fans from what it used to be like.

I can't understand why Roman left what is to become Renault. You would think that a French engine maker would love to have a French driver, especially a decent one like Roman heading the team. Strange indeed

As an aside I was amused to find that the biggest tyre manufacturer was LEGO

They make over 306 MILLION rubber tyres every year

Something to bore your mates with down the bar

[Basil B]

I wonder what CH was whining on about to Bernie the weekend, tell Mercedes to give use their power units or we not play next year???

[IMHO]

Interesting

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/13884093/tweak-fia-rulebook-prevents-teams-running-year-old-engines-2016

Unbelievable - how much more can the FIA mess up F1?

[IMHO]

I wonder what CH was whining on about to Bernie the weekend, tell Mercedes to give use their power units or we not play next year???

Probably asking Bernie to use his influence to help stop the FIA ruining the sport

[ignis]

Interesting

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/13884093/tweak-fia-rulebook-prevents-teams-running-year-old-engines-2016

Unbelievable - how much more can the FIA mess up F1?

Some people never learn....... they tried it before, A1 Racing, everyone having the same, just areo bits could be changed by teams and look how long that lasted !!

[Basil B]

I wonder what CH was whining on about to Bernie the weekend, tell Mercedes to give use their power units or we not play next year???

Probably asking Bernie to use his influence to help stop the FIA ruining the sport

Do you think the person most responsible for "f"ing up F1 will do anything...

As for what RB racing want, certainly not a level playing field, they were happy when the rules worked best for them and they were winning all the time.

Edited October 15, 2015 by Basil B

[IMHO]

Interesting

http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/13884093/tweak-fia-rulebook-prevents-teams-running-year-old-engines-2016

Unbelievable - how much more can the FIA mess up F1?

Some people never learn....... they tried it before, A1 Racing, everyone having the same, just areo bits could be changed by teams and look how long that lasted !!

Right... and they're doing it again (one make series) with Formula-E - and what a snooze fest it is... No need to take F1 down the same path..

[IMHO]

I wonder what CH was whining on about to Bernie the weekend, tell Mercedes to give use their power units or we not play next year???

Probably asking Bernie to use his influence to help stop the FIA ruining the sport

Do you think the person most responsible for "f"ing up F1 will do anything...

As for what RB racing want, certainly not a level playing field, they were happy when the rules worked best for them and they were winning all the time.

I've seen plenty of recent interviews with him where he was clearly at odds with FIA policy, but indeed if more of the revenue generated from the sport was shared with the competitors, there'd be much less need for all these 'cost saving' rules that are strangling the sport.

[soihok]

The prat who walked onto the track in Singapore.

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/british-track-intruder/2198402.html

[Mosha]

This weekends race looks like a no go due to the rain.

[Basil B]

Not much practice and no dry running... and if you had a ticket for yesterday, spectators were not allowed in until midday after FP3 finished... and no qualifying.

Hope the spectators get a better deal today, wonder if they will let them in to watch qualifying??? if it happens??? and if the race actually happens???

Then on to Mexico... although Patricia will be long gone I expect there to be many problems in the wake of this storm which could prove to be a logistical nightmare in getting cars and equipment to Mexico City.

[Guest]

What time (Thai time) the qualification is, if it happens? 9pm?

The race should star at midnight

[uksomchai]

The latest I have found is that Quali is to start at 0900 Texas time which is around 40 minutes from now, I think

When I watched the abandoned Quali on the TV the spectators all seemed happy enough and very understanding and it seems that the drivers have been doing a bit extra PR in the down tome which was good to hear. I wonder what they will do if it is still too wet to run Quali ? Is there a precedent ? Might they just cancel the whole US race ?

The manufacturers title is already decided and it is a very good bet that the drivers will be as well in the next race so who knows ?

[Guest]

The results from practise 3 will be the order in case qualifications are cancelled.

They should do few low flying helicopter rides around the circuit to dry out the track.

Using Harriers would be even better

[Guest]

Q3 cancelled. Results