2015 F1 Thread

[SeatBackForward]

Maybe we need an AFF event around this: F1 Returns to Adelaide!

Ooh nice, the 412 T1 was the only Ferrari I ever liked, perhaps cause Alesi was driving it!

 

[JessicaTam]

Unfortunately it clashes with AFF #9.

 

[JessicaTam]

Frustrated by a poor streaming link, so I might have to give up on Monza for this year.

 

[moa999]

Oh for a SC for RIC about now....

 

[Coops1]

Frustrated by a poor streaming link, so I might have to give up on Monza for this year.

Same experience in HK, thought it was the local broadband, but it did keep coming back, but way to many drop outs compared to usual.

At least Singaore is on FTA for everyone, but will be enjoying it live in Singapore for the first time.

 

[moa999]

And the more interesting stuff to happen post race:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COOTQCqWcAAwaj3.jpg:large

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COOS4nIWUAAal6m.jpg:large

#deflategate

 

[hummel]

Same experience in HK, thought it was the local broadband, but it did keep coming back, but way to many drop outs compared to usual.

At least Singaore is on FTA for everyone, but will be enjoying it live in Singapore for the first time.

Been out for dinner with a client here in MNL... got back with 3 laps to go. Doesn't look like I missed too much.

 

[KLN]

Well you missed the start, that was pretty exciting. Kim I having a blonde moment and went fro hero to zero, but caught up anyways, fro last to 5th was pretty good. And then all the Lewis secret squirrel stuff at the end was exciting too

 

[moa999]

So had been looking at following Coops1 down the Ticketek Voucher route for Sing F1...
Then got an email from Sheraton Singapore offering Bay Grandstand 3-Day tix for 15,000 SPG points. These tix were originally S280 but no longer available and was looking at near 500, so jumped at those

 

[eastwest101]

Well you missed the start, that was pretty exciting. Kim I having a blonde moment and went fro hero to zero, but caught up anyways, fro last to 5th was pretty good. And then all the Lewis secret squirrel stuff at the end was exciting too

What was with that? Hamilton sounded so pissed off on the radio - total mushroom treatment from the team. Can I assume that Mercedes team found out about the tyre underinflation steward investigation at the late stage of the race, and didn't want it announced over the radio, so they told Hammy to hurry up in the eventuality that a time penalty was going to be imposed? Or did they want to sneak in another pitstop but if so - a pointless exercise as the underinflated tyres were measured by stewards on the grid anyway. Come to think of it - why wasn't that Mercedes disqualified? Seems a bit weird.

Excuse all the stupid questions but no real explanation from the One delayed coverage/highlights on Monday night...

 

[SeatBackForward]

What was with that? Hamilton sounded so pissed off on the radio - total mushroom treatment from the team. Can I assume that Mercedes team found out about the tyre underinflation steward investigation at the late stage of the race, and didn't want it announced over the radio, so they told Hammy to hurry up in the eventuality that a time penalty was going to be imposed? Or did they want to sneak in another pitstop but if so - a pointless exercise as the underinflated tyres were measured by stewards on the grid anyway. Come to think of it - why wasn't that Mercedes disqualified? Seems a bit weird.

Excuse all the stupid questions but no real explanation from the One delayed coverage/highlights on Monday night...

F1 officials turning a blind eye to infringements by the front running teams? no way, no precedent of that occuring in the past..EVER.

 

[eastwest101]

F1 officials turning a blind eye to infringements by the front running teams? no way, no precedent of that occuring in the past..EVER.

Yep - I guess that was my point, this is permission for any team to run any pressure they want in their tyres from now, on seeing as the FIA are not going to enforce tyre pressure regulations anymore. Will be interesting to see more teams try it on in the next few races... Some chatter about tyre blankets and whether it was a Pirelli stuff-up rather than any attempt to flout the rules.

Edit: I forgot about Williams escaping penalty for their mistake in running different tyres on Bottas' car at Silverstone, although that was a genuine mistake/stuff up it didn't appear to be a huge penalty to Williams?

 

[Meggsy]

Yep - I guess that was my point, this is permission for any team to run any pressure they want in their tyres from now, on seeing as the FIA are not going to enforce tyre pressure regulations anymore. Will be interesting to see more teams try it on in the next few races... Some chatter about tyre blankets and whether it was a Pirelli stuff-up rather than any attempt to flout the rules.

Edit: I forgot about Williams escaping penalty for their mistake in running different tyres on Bottas' car at Silverstone, although that was a genuine mistake/stuff up it didn't appear to be a huge penalty to Williams?

But didn't the FIA deem that the drive through given to Bottas during the race was sufficient penalty, so therefor a penalty was actually enforced on Williams.

 

[eastwest101]

But didn't the FIA deem that the drive through given to Bottas during the race was sufficient penalty, so therefor a penalty was actually enforced on Williams.

Ah yes - I remember seeing that served now, fair enough - I think the drive through penalty was sufficient punishment for Williams. But I found it interesting that people in the preceding GP2 race got disqualified for below minimum pressure tyres at Monza but the F1 teams didn't? Do the FIA technical regulations only apply to GP2 now?

 

[Meggsy]

Ah yes - I remember seeing that served now, fair enough - I think the drive through penalty was sufficient punishment for Williams. But I found it interesting that people in the preceding GP2 race got disqualified for below minimum pressure tyres at Monza but the F1 teams didn't? Do the FIA technical regulations only apply to GP2 now?

I think it's fair to say the only consistent thing with the FIA is their inconsistency. Many of their decisions lately are mind boggling. It seems that every time Red Bull Racing came up with a technical advantage within the rules ( blown diffusers, flexible front wings, etc) the FIA immediately changed the rules to bring them back to the field, but in the currently situation, no, teams just have to work harder to catch Mercedes in the eyes of the FIA. I may be biased but fair go.

 

[eastwest101]

I think it's fair to say the only consistent thing with the FIA is their inconsistency. Many of their decisions lately are mind boggling. It seems that every time Red Bull Racing came up with a technical advantage within the rules ( blown diffusers, flexible front wings, etc) the FIA immediately changed the rules to bring them back to the field, but in the currently situation, no, teams just have to work harder to catch Mercedes in the eyes of the FIA. I may be biased but fair go.

Yes - thats my impression too, the FIA were very happy to change the rules when Red Bull successfully adapted to rule changes. But I think it goes back to the first attempt at KERS and Hybrid battery drive, remember that? All it did was make all the cars very unreliable for no appreciable benefit in performance, so they relaxed the rules abour KERS and nearly all the teams and engine manufacturers abandonned KERS as a total waste of time and money except for the Mercedes team, whom had a dreadful few years with Rosberg and Schumacher with poor performance and bad reliability while the Renault powered Red Bulls ran rampant and seemingly winning most races. Then KERS and hybrid drive was reintroduced with V6 powerplants and the Mercedes engine and drivetrain have been 'pantsing' everyone without a Mercedes-Benz powerplant ever since. In a way it could be seen to be the FIA rewarding Mercedes for their persistance in sticking with KERS and hybrid drive while Renault/Red Bull and Ferrari dominated in the final years of the V8 before the change to V6s in 2014.

 

[Meggsy]

Yes - thats my impression too, the FIA were very happy to change the rules when Red Bull successfully adapted to rule changes. But I think it goes back to the first attempt at KERS and Hybrid battery drive, remember that? All it did was make all the cars very unreliable for no appreciable benefit in performance, so they relaxed the rules abour KERS and nearly all the teams and engine manufacturers abandonned KERS as a total waste of time and money except for the Mercedes team, whom had a dreadful few years with Rosberg and Schumacher with poor performance and bad reliability while the Renault powered Red Bulls ran rampant and seemingly winning most races. Then KERS and hybrid drive was reintroduced with V6 powerplants and the Mercedes engine and drivetrain have been 'pantsing' everyone without a Mercedes-Benz powerplant ever since. In a way it could be seen to be the FIA rewarding Mercedes for their persistance in sticking with KERS and hybrid drive while Renault/Red Bull and Ferrari dominated in the final years of the V8 before the change to V6s in 2014.

I can't disagree with any of what you say. It has been 2 seasons now of utter dominance by Mercedes, with the odd exception, and it's all becoming a bit ho hum to be honest. I don't like to see any team penalised for their success but the ridiculous rules in place regarding engine development are effectively shutting out Honda and Renault powered cars at the moment. Even Ferrari, for all the progress they have made this year,are not in the same league as Mercedes.

 

[SeatBackForward]

F1 domination seems to occur in 5yr cycles, let Mercedes have their time in the limelight.

The better rule change would be to get rid of Bernie's scalping of F1 funds.

 

[moa999]

From a few things I have read the major advantage Merc has its in the order of parts in the engine, which is somewhat unique, and difficult for anyone to replicate using the token system.

Also interesting is despite its lack of performance, and reliability, and negative chat from RedBull, Renault is yet to use a single one of its 12 remaining tokens

 

[KLN]

thought it was funny watching FP2 when Crofty and DiResta were discussing FP1 and calling it this morning, when it was 6pm Singapore time.
Furthermore loved the gossip that Volkswagen are close to buying Redbull Team and developing engines, maybe for 2018. Redbull to use Ferrari for the next couple of years after the divorce from Renault at the end of the season.
hoping for good things for Ricci-bobbi and Kyvatt tonite, they were blitzing it in FP2. Hope Merc's stay on the soft tyres, as they were very slow on those.
have always found Singapore to be hotter than Malaysia, don't know why, maybe because it was at night.
further gossip today have just heard that Malaysia for 2016 might now change to Oct, which would be the weekend before the Motogp. that would be something. F1 one weekend and Motogp the next. Shopping and Pooltime in between. Perfect mother/daughter bonding fortnight. Mr KLN doesn't do KL "its too F*&^ing hot". Suits us! thanks to the ATO perfect holiday