F1 off season chat 2013-14

[Lazarus]

Utilising the Mclaren wind tunnel is the reason along with having KERS for the first time

Judging by their results so far, perhaps McLaren should use it themselves

 

[Topper]

Oh dear...

my 1 and 2 positions were very short lived, I banked on Ferrari and that was not a good move at all

 

[Lazarus]

I have Fettle, Boullier and some other goodies etc so hope, when the totting up is done that my poor Quali will become a distant memory.

Maybe I can do a Perez and nip in front of you, Neil? (3rd and 5th before today)?


Still, the action was non-stop today and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


Can't stand finger-boy, but this is Business - and he brings in the Points!



Edit: RBR have put some totty up on the podium!

 

[Topper]

Well it seems everyone was hurt in a similar way as nobody gained 100 points this race and I still have positions 1 and 2 somehow, although I see Rick is charging through the field watch your mirrors......

 

[Lazarus]

That Suzi is looking somewhat bodacious today. Woof woof.

 

[Analoguesat]

Suzy Perry is the best advert for anyone to sub to Sky Sports. Irritating in the extreme.

 

[Lazarus]

I'm not listening to her >>>> Just looking!

 

[Lazarus]

"Sebastian - Don't go Racing" ........................ Sums it up nicely.

Personally, I get around 30k miles out of a set of fronts.

 

[Lazarus]

The Winner was worthy, but I'm afraid I lost interest early on as I hadn't a clue what was going on from one minute to the next.

This is not F1.

 

[Analoguesat]

Dull dull dull.

One of the worst "races" in a very long time

 

[sonnetpete]

Personally, I think four stops in one race is just silly. Have a strategic tyre stop if you want (other than for punctures) but restrict it to one. Lets get back to racing on the track rather than 'how to manage tyres'.......a very worthy winner however....

 

[Topper]

Look it really would have been very very boring but for the tyre options available only the 3rd time ever the polesitter has not won, if you think about it, it was much like a wet/dry race where four tyre stops is the norm, I think for this particular race it spiced things up enormously and the best team won

 

[Lazarus]

Dull dull dull.

One of the worst "races" in a very long time

Lewis summed the travesty up "I can't drive any slower" .....................

 

[Topper]

Lewis summed the travesty up "I can't drive any slower" .....................

Not sure what travesty you are referring to, Mercedes have a quick for qualifying when the car has no fuel in and a horse and cart with a carrot when it is full of fuel, that is a design issue and has no bearing on the excitement of the race unless you are a Mercedes fan and of course will find it dull dropping back to midfield, but when the race is a procession from start to finish people complain it is boring, you cannot win

 

[Lazarus]

Call me old-fashioned, but durable tyres and Drivers going all out for speed is my preference. Looking at other comments above, I am by no means alone in finding the current strategy factors unenjoyable and tedious: Looking out for innate wear and tear and avoiding collisions and hitting kerbs hard is fine, but the tyre management aspect is almost wholly contrived (And that is the travesty to which I refer; It doesn't just affect Mercedes) and even some of the Team Bosses who have hitherto kept their powder dry are showing signs of disenchantment when Interviewed. The Forums have been overwhelmingly critical too, but what do Fans opinions count anyway?

That said, the news is not all bad, now that the results are in .......................


PS: I was not terribly surprised at the thinly disguised McLaren ("We don't have Team orders and let our Drivers race") Team Order preventing Perez from taking the place ahead of Jenson ("I'd leave if we ever have Team orders") Button -The latter having been, for many years, someone I respected until not so long ago.

 

[sonnetpete]

What irks me is the shift of emphasis to a team decided strategy which is based on a tyre wear that seems to be very brief. Tyres used to and always have worn out, but in the days before pit stops other than for breakdowns and rain induced tyre changes, a driver could be a little conservative in his driving until such a time that his fuel load lightened and he had sufficient life left in his tyres to make a charge. The point being that it was wholly down to the driver and his style of driving, not the quality of the product. I don't blame Pirelli for this, they are producing the tyres they are asked to. I'm sure I read or heard a quote that they could easily produce a tyre which would last a whole race.

Topper, I accept your point about it being like a wet/dry/wet race but in those circumstances the driver usually decides when to change or not. He shouldn't have to drive slowly so that his tyres will last longer than about ten laps.

I admit pit stops add to the spectacle and can mix things up when they don't go well. But we now have so many it's confusing at best (at least to me). I don't want to see a race won in the pits but on the track......just call me old fashioned as well.....I'll try not to trip up getting off my soapbox......

 

[Topper]

Well Pirelli have promised to change their strategy for Silverstone and yes I know exactly what people are harping on about, the tyre should be more durable but it is the sports governing body driving (pardon the pun) that issue and asking Pirelli to spice it up. For me just give them 1 set of hard tyres for qualifying and race and have a spare set front and back for punctures and let the drivers manage what they have got and everyone will be singing from the same hymn sheet

 

[pgh13]

The Winner was worthy, but I'm afraid I lost interest early on as I hadn't a clue what was going on from one minute to the next.

This is not F1.

I thought the coverage was very bitty making it difficult to follow

 

[sonnetpete]

Interesting article about the tyre issue here :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/22509847

Obviously it's within Red Bull's interest to put as much pressure on Pirelli as possible to get them to produce a tyre which suits their car but I do think that Pirelli's hands are tied to a great extent.

 

[Lazarus]

Reading around today, there is now almost universal disapprobation over the tyre business.