Given that Hammy only used 80-some per cent of his fuel, makes me wonder if Mercedes is sandbagging on the power a bit, like maybe they haven't turned the wick all the way up yet? Great drives again by some of the noobs, I think this year will still hold some surprises..... The Hulk again shows he's fast and strong, and the Force India is easier on it's tires than pretty much anything else on track. Kobayshi and Kimi was fun to watch! Looks like Riccardo DID get the Mark Webber treatment this weekend..... I don't know what you all are carping about on the sound - no they don't sound like they used to - so what? They're still racing and there's still plenty of action and it's still F1. I'm already used to it...... Is LeMans not exciting because the diesel Audi's were as quiet as church? You all are focusing on the wrong things, it's not about the cars sounding like angry kittens.......
No one said anything at Le Mans since there are so many other cars in different classes. The overall sound from the track did not really change much like ti did with F1. I like the sound the cars make now.
Looks like Riccardo DID get the Mark Webber treatment this weekend..... The big question is, has Red Bull started to give Riccardo the same treatment cause he's getting real close to Vettel in speed.
It's assumed that LeMans will have very different sound signatures. The Audi racing catagory is prototype, so it's expected-but I'll tell you, it's certainly not my favorite catagory. That would be the GTE category, where the sound of the V8's in the Astons and Corvettes literately shake the ground. I remember the first time I ever went to the 500. This was back when America had actual open wheel racing. It was CART and they were driving V8 turbos. As we approached the track to walk through the access tunnel under the track, I could hear that unmistakable V8 roar and the loud popping when they would lift. Made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Same thing the first year I went to Austin. We entered at the turn 11 gate during FP1 on Friday. I didn't have my ear plugs in yet and the wail of those V8's was deafening. The sound of this sport makes it a visceral, emotional experience for me-it's a very important element in my enjoyment of it. Of course I am going to still follow F1 as closely as ever. I'm just not going to spend the money to see it live.
Lifted from Sniff Petrol: "Red Bull say Ricciardo's front wing was held on with official FIA fuel flow meters." (In case you missed it, they found another faulty flow meter on Ricciardo's car this weekend.)
Not going to go on a long rant, but when are we going to see a race with a fight for first place instead of 4th? I think the last time that happened was when Jason chased down Seb in in the rain in Canada a couple of years ago?
It was the Williams that were using significantly less than anyone else, including Hamilton, right up to the end of the race, so you have to wonder if they can actually make use of all the fuel. It suggests they are very slippery, which would match that they are also reportedly lacking downforce. Diffrent strokes.....
2014 F1, the silly season..... Give the new formula time and by mid season the teams will have worked some of the angles out and the racing will improve!
I've enjoyed the racing so far, but would like to see more of a battle for 1st after the first turn. I do find it interesting that last season when people commented about it being boring when Seb was dominating races, they were told to sit back and soak in the fact that we were watching something magical.
Not going to turn this into an F1 + sports cars thread, just a short slo-mo video of those 3 new P1 cars from the test run last week so you can see them from all sorts of angles. [ame=http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1kfpfc_they-are-so-beautiful_auto]They are so beautiful... - Vidéo Dailymotion[/ame] To tell the truth, if one of the sports car series' got the same sort of coverage F1 gets with lots of great camera angles, in-car views and excellent (IMO) commentary, I'd be a HUGE fan.
Alonso demoted to Gas Station Attendant after Rift at Maranello Many of the drivers have expressed their displeasure with the new turbo-era of Formula 1. However, instead of talking about it, Alonso has taken action about it, and says he refuses to step into the F1 paddock again “until the sound problem is fixed†Alonso planned on competing in the 2014 Ferrari Challenge for the rest of the season, but unfortunately finds himself out of a ride after Giancarlo Fissichella signed a contract securing the final spot in the field yesterday. The only job left at Maranello was gas station attendant. “It’s not too bad, actually,†confesses the Spaniard. “It’s nice to still be doing an outdoors job … especially at this time of year. “Hopefully I will have secured a ride with another team before the weather turns cold again.†When asked if he knew that Alain Prost had started off as a gas station attendant at April Fuels, Alonso admitted that he was unaware of the fact. “I did know that Nigel Mansell used to pump gas,†added Alonso. “And Nelson Piquet and Jim Clark. Perhaps this will make me a more successful driver. “It is nice to get to see so many different sports cars during a day. We get a few Lambos and Maseratis come our way too … we have a special pump for them that hasn’t been cleaned out in a few years so it’s nice to know that I’m still doing Ferrari a service.†Ferrari have yet to confirm a second driver for the team at next weekend’s Bahrain GP, but Alonso says that the team do not seem too unfazed by his departure. “There are so many great race car drivers out there now that they shouldn’t have much trouble. Although [Stefano] Domenicali said that if we can’t find someone by Thursday, he might step in the seat. “I don’t plan on getting back in an F1 car until the sound problem is fixed. Whether that be one week, two, or never, I don’t care. The good news is we’ve got Bernie [Ecclestone] on our side … so hpefully it will be sooner, rather than later. This job doesn’t pay as well.â€
Kobayashi's Caterham censored in Japanese F1 broadcasts Caterham F1 car judged too suggestive for television in Japan. Controversy surrounding this year's revised Formula 1 nosecones is swelling today, as the racing series' Japanese television affiliate has announced it will censor the front end of Kamui Kobayashi's Caterham during broadcasts. "At this point, we feel that it's simply inappropriate to show his Caterham car on television," a spokesperson explained. "There are children watching. The elderly may be watching. It's a difficult situation." The protrusion from Caterham's car will be displayed as a pixelated blur beginning at Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix and will continue to be censored until it is revised. Concerns first arose after Kobayashi's collision with Felipe Massa of Williams during the Australian Grand Prix last month, as some felt Caterham's nosecone added an "element of vulgarity" to the wreck. "Kamui is a fantastic driver, but he's prone to accidents," another spokesperson added. "We just can't risk anything like Melbourne happening again." Sahara Force India's car was also considered for censorship, but because its aero extremity is disguised by dark livery, was deemed fit for public viewing.
FOM To 'Auto-Tune' Formula One F1 Engine Noise On World TV Feed Desperate times call for desperate measures, at least on TV. PaddockTalk has learned that FOM (Formula One Management) Group which produces the world TV feed for each Formula One F1 race - except Monaco - will call upon technology to help "fix" the engine noise problem that have fans furious. Beginning with the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix, FOM will use a slick new version of the Auto-Tune sound technology to adjust the live engine noise - a new low-pitched 1.6 V6 turbo engine - with a mix of sound from the 2013 v8 higher-revving engines. The goal is to bring back TV viewers put off by the new engine noise. FOM has apparently been testing different techniques to get the best combinations of sounds. They have even been looking at using the historically popular v10 engine sounds. The challenge for the producers is they are being asked to have a solution in place by Sunday's Grand Prix, so what you hear on Sunday may not be the final product. The company will continue to test different engine sound and pitch combinations with focus groups throughout the season. Bernie Ecclestone was said to be pleased with the potential change, while technical staff discussed the possibilities. However, when asked what it would do for the trackside F1 fan, Ecclestone was quoted as saying, "Terrible to say this I suppose, but they (fans) just get in the way of a Grand Prix." The official announcement could come as early as today - April 1st.
Best 4/1 post yet. What's sad though is how close this probably is to the truth, i.e., wacky ideas to make the engines sound angrier, and Bernie's living in another world...
Nathan, you were just on fire with the April fools stuff. Here's an F1 one that really got me. exclusive red bull ditch renault to use their own f1 v6 turbo engines from june onward/