2014 F1 thread.

[Buzzard]

A great start to the new year for Lewis Hamilton.

Just smacked his new Benz during pre season testing in Spain.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: 2013 F1 Thread

A great start to the new year for Lewis Hamilton.

Just smacked his new Benz during pre season testing in Spain.

You have just made my day.

 

[JessicaTam]

Re: 2013 F1 Thread

And thanks to the mod who has just started the 2014 F1 thread for us.

 

[TomVexille]

Ouch. How badly?

 

[raleyoz]

Oh some fellow addicts, wuhoo, anyone forecasting how it will be?

 

[eastwest101]

Oh some fellow addicts, wuhoo, anyone forecasting how it will be?

Hopefully just like the first half of last year's season with lots of different winners/unpredictable results and definately not like the second half of the season.....:evil:

 

[raleyoz]

Hopefully the new rules even it out again

jess you not fan of HAM?

 

[markis10]

Might be a wait for my favorite fantasy racing game though:

Hilton HHonors Fantasy Racing 2104 Coming Soon!
fantasyracing.hiltonhhonors.com/
Coming Soon.

 

[HarryB]

A great start to the new year for Lewis Hamilton.

Just smacked his new Benz during pre season testing in Spain.

Well, you don't know the limit until you've crossed it

Unless a team has made monumental gains I would suggest Vettel moves a little closer to the sadly ailing Schumacher's 7 titles. I'd love for Alonso or Kimi to to get another one in the Ferrari, though.

Kind of related, but I do hope Schumi comes good. The secrecy from the doctors and his family is totally understandable but it does allow those nowhere near him to speculate (usually negatively) but you have to wonder after a month or so. Fingers crossed.

 

[markis10]

Well, you don't know the limit until you've crossed it

Unless a team has made monumental gains I would suggest Vettel moves a little closer to the sadly ailing Schumacher's 7 titles. I'd love for Alonso or Kimi to to get another one in the Ferrari, though.

Kind of related, but I do hope Schumi comes good. The secrecy from the doctors and his family is totally understandable but it does allow those nowhere near him to speculate (usually negatively) but you have to wonder after a month or so. Fingers crossed.

In fairness it was a wing failure.

 

[SeatBackForward]

The cars look horrible, just like Bernie Eccelstone had, they all need a decent nose job.

 

[moa999]

Some very different looking cars with both the front and the curve on the front section being very different.
I think the anteater nose and gentle slope of the Red Bull and Torro Rosso look good, although Ferrari looks agressive. Lotus with its different lengths just looks weird.

Few noses here (from SkySportsF1 facebook page)


Worries about submarining
F1 2014's lower noses might not prove safer, Red Bull designer warns | Red Bull Racing News | Formula 1 Teams | Sky Sports

Poor Lewis
Formula 1 Photo Gallery | Sky Sports

 

[serfty]

Design rules changes 2014: Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website

What they mean: Formula 1® - The Official F1® Website

 

[Buzzard]

I like the F14-T.... looks mean

 

[JessicaTam]

Hopefully the new rules even it out again

jess you not fan of HAM?

He is currently my second least favourite driver - just ahead of Vettel

I hope Ricciardo does well early, so he doesn't end up in Vettel's shadow for the season.

 

[moa999]

Having just listened to a few vids of testing in Jerez (from a mate who traveled there from Scotland) the new noise is much nicer. More low pitched but with a good turbo growl - more like a euro sportscar

 

[raleyoz]

I hope Ricciardo does well early, so he doesn't end up in Vettel's shadow for the season.

That's about the only thing we can be sure of, no way VET will allow it.

 

[eastwest101]

I hope Ricciardo does well early, so he doesn't end up in Vettel's shadow for the season.

I am going out on a limb here and predicting that Ricciardo will do quite well in the early part of the season and adapt to the rules and performance changes even quicker than Vettel, Vettel is used to winning races on the 1st or 2nd corner (or in Quali) and if the massive divergence of nose cones are an indication that the start of the season will throw up some strange looking grids with different cars and drivers all over the place then Vettel will be in traffic. Vettel is not used to being in traffic and will become frustrated and make errors. Plus the Red Bull car may not be so superior in performance at the start of the season.

It will be very much a guessing game at the start of the season with the different nose designs and aero configurations on different circuits and thats before we throw in all the KERS and DRS gremlins plus other potential reliability issues that will produce their own winners and losers...

 

[HarryB]

Vettel is used to winning races on the 1st or 2nd corner (or in Quali) and if the massive divergence of nose cones are an indication that the start of the season will throw up some strange looking grids with different cars and drivers all over the place then Vettel will be in traffic. Vettel is not used to being in traffic and will become frustrated and make errors

I am going to have to disagree with you here. Vettel's recent history doesn't support your theory as he has displayed masterful skills and patience when caught in traffic during the last couple of seasons. I think you are hugely underestimating him. You don't win 4 titles just beating everyone to the first corner.

Edit: 4 titles, not 5

 

[SeatBackForward]

I am going to have to disagree with you here. Vettel's recent history doesn't support your theory as he has displayed masterful skills and patience when caught in traffic during the last couple of seasons. I think you are hugely underestimating him. You don't win 5 titles just beating everyone to the first corner.

The blue flags do help a teeny little bit.