F1 off season chat 2013-14

[Analoguesat]

Oh good grief cant Silverstone come up with anything better than men running around on the track picking up bits of tyre debris? Surely they can afford some brooms?

 

[Lazarus]

Frantic!!

 

[sonnetpete]

Cracking race but those tyres!!!!......Surely Pirelli's position is in doubt now?.....I know the kerbs will have had an effect but F1 can't allow this sort of failure rate to be repeated, for the sake of the drivers safety.

 

[Topper]

To some extent I blame the teams who objected wholeheartedly to a change of tyre mid season, so it is actually the teams themselves who have put their drivers in danger not Pirelli who put their neck on the line to test some new ones knowing there was a problem and got reprimanded for it. The FIA is a complete shambles and in total disarray.

 

[sonnetpete]

I agree Topper....the FIA and the teams have dropped themselves in it.....but I doubt whether either of them will admit it....and Pirelli will probably be the easy target on which to apportion blame. Pirelli have done what was asked of them and produced tyres to a specification that afforded two or three pit stops per race. Quite why there were these deflations today I don't know.....but naturally with all the recent furore the tyres will again come under scrutiny. Maybe if the drivers actually drove on the black bits it would help......

 

[Topper]

Agree entirely Pete the drivers are also culpable

this was a close one, Nigel Mansell waving the big stick

SILVERSTONE, England (Reuters) - British Grand Prix winner Nico Rosberg breathed a sigh of relief on Sunday after Formula One stewards decided not to punish him for an alleged flag infringement that might have cost him the victory.
The German reported to them after the race with a team representative but was seen sprinting down the paddock afterwards, television crews in close pursuit, with a smile on his face.
A spokesman for the governing FIA said later that Rosberg had been reprimanded for failing to slow for yellow flags through turns three to five.
Rosberg, who celebrated his second win of the season, finished the chaotic race 0.7 seconds ahead of Red Bull's Australian Mark Webber.


Full story

 

[Analoguesat]

Good video explaining whats been cutting the tyres:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23118249

 

[sonnetpete]

I was under the impression that the kerbs on all current GP circuits were standardised by the FIA. Unless that only relates to width and height and not composition. Probably it was the sharp edges that caused the punctures, but I stand by what I said, the drivers should be reprimanded for what is effectively consistently cutting corners. I know if one does it and goes faster they all will do it but when it effects safety it's an issue. I see LH has the same opinion of the FIA as we both have Topper.

 

[Topper]

I see LH has the same opinion of the FIA as we both have Topper.

Yes I saw the Mercedes press officer's face when he was being interviewed she was cringing....but he is correct, I just hope they do not target him now for some trumped up 'bringing the sport into disrepute' when in reality it is them selves that are doing that without Lewis's help.

 

[Topper]

Worth reading this report from Pirelli about the tyres, no wonder they were exploding, fitting the wrong way round on the rims has to be a major factor and there are more reasons, so I think perhaps an official apology may be in order.

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-227368.html

 

[Lazarus]

Equally interesting will be the further responses from the Teams.

 

[sonnetpete]

When I "helped" in a friends Formula Ford team during the mid 70's it was fairly common to turn the Dunlop (treaded) racing tyre on the rims to even out the wear. The cars ran a fair degree of camber. I suppose tyre technology has leapt ahead and the design is such that the inner tyre walls are totally different to the outer. But it does boil down to Pirelli being asked to produce a tyre to the specification requested and the teams must have agreed to that spec. Most of the blame for this current debacle lies with the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone.....

 

[Analoguesat]

The drivers are threatening a boycott this weekend if the tyres dont improve:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/formula1/23190671

 

[Lazarus]

All well and good, but ignores the detailed report by Pirelli that implicates poor practice by the Teams as exacerbating factors.

 

[woborny]

Ahead of RUSH...

Hunt vs Lauda: F1's Greatest Racing Rivals : Sunday, July 14 at 9pm on BBC Two.

 

[Lazarus]

Ouch!

I hope that Cameraman is going to be ok >> Hit on the back by a flying wheel.

 

[woborny]

Marussia car goes better when there is no driver in!!!! :-)

 

[Topper]

Ouch!

I hope that Cameraman is going to be ok >> Hit on the back by a flying wheel.

It seems that he is OK just being kept in hospital for observation, there will have to be some safety changes though. I understand that Mark Webber was singing a Kenny Rogers song for the rest of the grand prix
You picked a fine time to leave me Loose wheel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SDVkdcO8ts

 

[sonnetpete]

It seems that he is OK just being kept in hospital for observation, there will have to be some safety changes though. I understand that Mark Webber was singing a Kenny Rogers song for the rest of the grand prix
You picked a fine time to leave me Loose wheel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SDVkdcO8ts

......or "Three wheels on my wagon"?......

 

[Lazarus]

Did someone mention WagonWheels (Or "Action Snacks" as we used to call them in the Navy)?