The F1 Thread 2010 Season

BBC stream is really very good, watched the last 15 minutes on the internet so I could put United on the TV

It was a reasonable race, think Redsky is a little harsh on it, I've seen more dire processional stuff than that

Shame Vettel lost his exhaust because it would have been a great end to the race with Alonso challenging. Bit embarrassing for Red Bull is that news about it being a revolutionary system, which they hid using stickers in pre season testing, has cost them
the race win there!

Cracking result for Hamilton, car wasn't particularly clever all weekend and he comes away with a podium finish. Good stuff
 
I have seen more processional races but that was up there, literally nothing of note actually happened other than Vettel's issue. So much for faster cars on lower fuel and more overtaking, its actually worse because none of them push 100% anymore through paranoia of wrecking their tyres for a stint.

1 stop racing is boring, always has been always will be, its not F1 its endurance racing over less laps. The track didn't help but its going to be the case on alot of the tracks this season. I'm not really optimistic for this season in terms of entertainment factor after that.
 
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B Cantona said:
BBC stream is really very good, watched the last 15 minutes on the internet so I could put United on the TV

It was a reasonable race, think Redsky is a little harsh on it, I've seen more dire processional stuff than that

Shame Vettel lost his exhaust because it would have been a great end to the race with Alonso challenging. Bit embarrassing for Red Bull is that news about it being a revolutionary system, which they hid using stickers in pre season testing, has cost them
the race win there!

Cracking result for Hamilton, car wasn't particularly clever all weekend and he comes away with a podium finish. Good stuff
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Hamilton was pretty much gifted two positions; one when Webber had to wait in the pits because Button was within that stupid 55 metre mark, and another with Vettels car breaking.

I though the race was shite to be honest, not the most processional I've ever seen thanks to a few moves amongst those near back of the field, but certainly not a riveting watch.
 
Vettel must be kicking himself, that race was as good as his. Quite a dull race unfortunately & a Ferrari 1-2 was somewhat gifted. Here's hoping Australia picks up.
 
F-Red said:
Vettel must be kicking himself, that race was as good as his. Quite a dull race unfortunately & a Ferrari 1-2 was somewhat gifted. Here's hoping Australia picks up.
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perhaps... though on a positive note he must be quite happy with the outright pace of his car... Im sure webber must be eying a pole at his home grandprix...

I think perhaps the best thing for him was how hard it seemed to be to overtak in racing conditons... ie to get through the turbulant air... with a car that seems to be the best in quali set up by a fair bit he has a great chance of being up at the front and people having to find a way around him
 
That was boring...

I don't really know what to suggest to make it more enjoyable, but something has got to change
 
what I don't understand is why the drivers were saying they couldn't overtake because they had to preserve their tyres? In MotoGP you always see the tyre falling to bits but that provides plenty of overtaking.
What we saw yesterday was the cars seemed to be more equal and were able to catch each other up, but then couldn't follow closely because they couldn't handle the car in the dirty air of the car infront. What F1 needs to sort out is the aerodynamics which would then mean that they could follow closer and overtake.
 
oleonenumber20 said:
what I don't understand is why the drivers were saying they couldn't overtake because they had to preserve their tyres? In MotoGP you always see the tyre falling to bits but that provides plenty of overtaking.
What we saw yesterday was the cars seemed to be more equal and were able to catch each other up, but then couldn't follow closely because they couldn't handle the car in the dirty air of the car infront. What F1 needs to sort out is the aerodynamics which would then mean that they could follow closer and overtake.
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i heard something about the tyres not being very good when you are following another car... could be bollocks but thats what i think schumacher said in an nterview i saw on the bbc website
 
oleonenumber20 said:
what I don't understand is why the drivers were saying they couldn't overtake because they had to preserve their tyres? In MotoGP you always see the tyre falling to bits but that provides plenty of overtaking
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Overtaking on a bike is just a bit different to overtaking in an F1 car!

I think the biggest problem is just how much tyres have come on since the last time refueling was banned. How long did everyones second set of tyres last on Sunday, 40 odd laps? Everyones on the same Bridgestone tyre, and it's rate of degradation means you'd lose time taking 3 sets of tyres, rather than making two last the duration

What's the solution though? Artificially enforce everyone stopping twice? What's the point of that? I don't mind F1 cost cutting, but they've forgotten one thing in their regulations, and that's that variety is the spice of life. You need different teams running different set ups on different strategies. We blatantly didn't have that on Sunday, and if nothing changes in the next few races, despite the bets driver line up in years... the season is shot
 
B Cantona said:
Overtaking on a bike is just a bit different to overtaking in an F1 car!

I think the biggest problem is just how much tyres have come on since the last time refueling was banned. How long did everyones second set of tyres last on Sunday, 40 odd laps? Everyones on the same Bridgestone tyre, and it's rate of degradation means you'd lose time taking 3 sets of tyres, rather than making two last the duration

What's the solution though? Artificially enforce everyone stopping twice? What's the point of that? I don't mind F1 cost cutting, but they've forgotten one thing in their regulations, and that's that variety is the spice of life. You need different teams running different set ups on different strategies. We blatantly didn't have that on Sunday, and if nothing changes in the next few races, despite the bets driver line up in years... the season is shot
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They need to make tyres with far more grip and increase the gap between the hard and soft compounds enormously. Make it so there is a benefit but also penalty of running three stints on the soft compound tyres like the old days. Either that or piss of the dual compound rule. They talk about cost cutting yet having two different tyre compounds doesn't help.
 
EZee said:
i heard something about the tyres not being very good when you are following another car... could be bollocks but thats what i think schumacher said in an nterview i saw on the bbc website
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It's not bollocks it's just common sense, tyres are worked harder in the dirty air behind another car
 
B Cantona said:
It's not bollocks it's just common sense, tyres are worked harder in the dirty air behind another car
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Due to the loss of flow over the wings that creates downforce, the car has a tendency to oversteer scrubbing the tyres which increases wear and reduces effectiveness.

Just to put it in to sense those that don't quite get what Schumacher means....
 
I would go the other way with the tyres, makes them less grippy and super hard therefore taking away a hell of a lot of mechanical grip. The drivers simply don't make mistakes these days because the balance with aero grip and mechanical grip is heavily favoured for the driver and not the spectacle. Take away a shedload of the mechanical grip whilst also ridding the DD's and it will be much easier to follow other cars and more chance of something actually happenening.
 
B Cantona said:
It's not bollocks it's just common sense, tyres are worked harder in the dirty air behind another car
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yes... but schumacher sais that THIS years tyres were far worse when following another car... Ive not known abybody else say that so as I say perhaps thats the reason or perhaps its just different to what he remembers?...
 
Leg-End said:
I would go the other way with the tyres, makes them less grippy and super hard therefore taking away a hell of a lot of mechanical grip. The drivers simply don't make mistakes these days because the balance with aero grip and mechanical grip is heavily favoured for the driver and not the spectacle. Take away a shedload of the mechanical grip whilst also ridding the DD's and it will be much easier to follow other cars and more chance of something actually happenening.
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Agree with this, also ban carbon brakes. Steel discs and less grippy tyres will increase braking distances which will give a greater chance for overtaking.

They need to sort the aero regs out big time.
 
B Cantona said:
I think the biggest problem is just how much tyres have come on since the last time refueling was banned. How long did everyones second set of tyres last on Sunday, 40 odd laps?
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Exactly, but you can hardly tell/expect Bridgestone to make rubbish tyres. But it does defeat the object if they last so well, and hardly benefits those who can maintain their tyres
 
EdWeatherall said:
Exactly, but you can hardly tell/expect Bridgestone to make rubbish tyres. But it does defeat the object if they last so well, and hardly benefits those who can maintain their tyres
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they don't have to be rubbish tyres, they can still be fast tyres but at the moment the super softs look like they can last 20 laps which is just too long.
 
Virgin forced into redesign by fuel tank blunder

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BBC Sport - F1 - Virgin forced into redesign by fuel tank blunder

The new Virgin team are being forced to make major modifications to their car after discovering that its fuel tank is too small to get to the end of races.

Virgin, who entered Formula 1 this season, have asked governing body the FIA for permission to submit a new chassis for inspection.

The modified car will not be ready until the fifth race of the season in Spain on 9 May.

The car will not be able to finish races at full speed in the mean time.

A senior F1 insider described the changes required as a "significant modification" which requires the car to go through a series of mandatory crash tests again.

The FIA has circulated a note to the other 12 teams informing that Virgin have been given permission to change their fuel tank specification for reliability reasons - ie, if they're not allowed to do so, they would not be able to finish the races.

The team have been struggling with reliability so far in their debut season - both cars retired from the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix by the 16th lap.

BBC Sport understands the fuel tank on the Virgin car is at least 13 litres too small to last a race distance.

The team will have to make the chassis longer to fit in a bigger tank that can hold the required fuel loads - which are about 210 litres or 160kg of fuel.

BBC Sport understands that the Virgin car could not reach the end of any of the next three races in Australia, Malaysia and China at full speed with the fuel tank its current size.

F1 cars have carbon-fibre chassis which take months to make. Virgin will almost certainly be forced to cut off the back of their existing chassis and bond on a larger section at the rear.

Virgin have so far refused to comment.

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Apparently, only one firm makes the fuel tank cells. They must have known about this for some time! Because of confidentiality, they can't tell Virgin the spec they've submitted is too small, they just have to go ahead and build it! Crazy situation, the team becomes something of a farce when something as fundamentally basic as this gets fecked up
 
Leg-End said:
I would go the other way with the tyres, makes them less grippy and super hard therefore taking away a hell of a lot of mechanical grip. The drivers simply don't make mistakes these days because the balance with aero grip and mechanical grip is heavily favoured for the driver and not the spectacle. Take away a shedload of the mechanical grip whilst also ridding the DD's and it will be much easier to follow other cars and more chance of something actually happenening.
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No, just simply no. Supporting a race series like the v8's in Australia, they're exactly what you're describing and its atrocious. You think the passing in f1 now is bad......
What they need is far grippier tyres with more of a drop off in performance and a reduction in areo dependency.


When you reduce the mechanical grip the cars are harder to pull up and drivers lose faith in the ability of the car so throwing it down the inside is less likely.
 
I'm trying to stay awake for the qualifying. Just another hour to go, I don't think I'll last the distance though. Does that make me less of a fan? The sky plus button is just too easy of an option these days
 
marchi-91 said:
No, just simply no. Supporting a race series like the v8's in Australia, they're exactly what you're describing and its atrocious. You think the passing in f1 now is bad......
What they need is far grippier tyres with more of a drop off in performance and a reduction in areo dependency.


When you reduce the mechanical grip the cars are harder to pull up and drivers lose faith in the ability of the car so throwing it down the inside is less likely.
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If you refering to the V8 Touring series then that's a whole different ball game, you can't compare touring to open wheelers. I do agree that if they choose to change it they need to go drastically one way or another, super hard or grippier with big drop offs. I think we both agree that right now the tyres don't fit the style of racing on offer.

Anyway Vettel pole, Red Bull clearly ahead of Ferrari, I wonder if that ride height adjuster is to be copied by the rest for the next race, I hope so.
 
Missed quali completely :(

Glad to see Vettel on pole though, his lighter car should keep him there from the off, just have to hope his car doesn't bloody break on him this time.

On and rain please!
 
R_Nick said:
Missed quali completely :(

Glad to see Vettel on pole though, his lighter car should keep him there from the off, just have to hope his car doesn't bloody break on him this time.

On and rain please!
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I missed it too - just caught some highlights.

I hate these silly timings - tomorrows race is going to have to be a sky+ jobby I think.
 
I was going to get up for it, but I'd forgotten about the clocks going forward so will have to see how I feel in the morning. Aus used to be on at 3 or 4am until Bernie started pissing around with the race start time, now the drivers have to content with the sun going down and changing light conditions.

I used to be OK waiting up for the start but now it's at 7 it's an early rise rather than a late night and I'm no good with them :lol:
 
Leg-End said:
If you refering to the V8 Touring series then that's a whole different ball game, you can't compare touring to open wheelers. I do agree that if they choose to change it they need to go drastically one way or another, super hard or grippier with big drop offs. I think we both agree that right now the tyres don't fit the style of racing on offer.
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But that makes it even worse. Touring cars have more lenience to rubbing in terms of the amount of damage they can take. Can't rub wheels in f1.

What would really spice up f1 is the return of two tyres manufacturers.
 
As long as they last the distance the Red Bulls will run away with this. I'm expecting a good finish from Sutil aswell

B Cantona said:
Which cretin put the Australian GP on the same day as British summer time comes into play?! Gunna be a test to go to bed now and get up in time
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I tried to stay awake last night but failed, I can't see myself getting up for this. It'll be sky+ job
 
I read on BBC 5live twitter its started to rain and will rain during the race. Its too early im gonna watch it on the Iplayer.
 
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