Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2010

Steve · Apr 24, 2010

Couple more.

Brabham BT42.

BRM P201 (1975).

Steve · Apr 28, 2010

It just won't die! I honestly expect to see it back in some form...not guessing when...

Formula One teams offered cut-price KERS (Reuters via uk.eurosport.yahoo.com)

Formula One's KERS systems, scrapped by teams last year as too costly at a time of financial belt-tightening, could make a comeback next season in a cheaper and more powerful guise.

Williams technical director Sam Michael said after a meeting of the teams' association FOTA that Ferrari and Renault had offered to supply systems at affordable prices.

"Basically Ferrari and Renault put forward proposals that they could do KERS for less than a million euros," said the Australian.

"Those have been accepted but what Ferrari and Renault are both saying is that unless we increase the energy level from the current 400 kilojoules up to 600 or 800, to make KERS more beneficial, they are not prepared at this stage to commit that they will actually do KERS."

The old kinetic energy recovery systems, which stored energy generated under braking to give drivers a short boost of power at the push of a button, helped McLaren and Ferrari win races last year but cost 10-20 million euros to develop.

Although KERS remains in the regulations, with the governing body backing the systems as relevant to ordinary road users and important for the sport's environmental credentials, teams have agreed not to use them this year.

"I think that by Barcelona (next week's Spanish Grand Prix), the FOTA executive is due to try and make a decision on KERS for 2011. It's all pretty split at the moment on that," said Michael.

"Renault will supply anyone who asks for it on the grid and Ferrari will supply any of their customers, anyone who is running a Ferrari engine," said Michael.

Williams, who own 78 per cent of a hybrid power company developing flywheel technology, would expect to use their own.
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Steve · Apr 29, 2010

There's a lot of speculation and rhetoric here but also some interesting insight (if accurate) re discussions being held.

What F1's future means for the car you drive (bbc.co.uk)

Formula 1's power-brokers are close to defining a new type of engine to be used from 2013 - and their decision will help shape the car you drive on the road in the next few years.

F1 currently uses 2.4-litre V8s which broadly reflect the belief that a high-performance car requires a big-capacity, normally-aspirated engine that uses a lot of fuel.

But, under pressure from diminishing supplies of fossil fuels and stricter emissions regulations, both F1 and road-car manufacturers, even those who make fast sports cars, are now taking a different approach, striving to get power from increasingly efficient, smaller engines.

These new engines - both in F1 cars and on the road - will feature a reduction in fuel consumption of as much as 50%, thus moving from being big and thirsty to being smaller and more frugal. They will be smaller, and combine modern turbocharging with energy regeneration and other innovative technologies.

BMW, which pulled out of F1 at the end of last season, already plans to use this type of engine in its new 3-series, scheduled for production in 2012. Mercedes is following suit with its range, while Renault predict that, by 2015, more than three-quarters of the engines they produce will be small-capacity turbos.

All very appealing in its own right, but F1's involvement is key here, for it will help the road-car manufacturers popularise the new technology, making it more acceptable and attractive - in much the same way as semi-automatic gearboxes, pioneered in F1, are now increasingly common and desirable in road cars.

OK, so far so good. This is the point where I get a little more technical, so please bear with me.

Negotiations between F1's power-brokers are continuing, but the new engines will be somewhere between 1.5- and two-litre four-cylinder units, using modern turbocharging and fitted with powerful electric motors that will be charged by energy that would otherwise be lost in areas such as the brakes or the turbo. These electric motors will then supply power back to the wheels.

Unlike the Kers power-boost and energy-recovery systems used by some teams in 2009 but abandoned for 2010 on cost grounds, these new 'hybrid' systems will be fully integrated into the engine architecture.

There have been recent reports, incidentally, saying that the engines will have a 1.5-litre capacity. My sources tell me that is not accurate - they are likely to be either 1.6- or 1.8-litres.

Using powerful energy-recovery systems opens up all sorts of possibilities on the sporting side, as the power-boost could be used, for example, to provide push-to-pass buttons, which drivers could use only a specific number of times in a race.

Further enhancing road-relevancy, it looks increasingly likely that Ferrari will be successful in their aim to have the new formula include a technology called 'gasoline direct injection'. This is when the fuel is injected directly into the cylinders' combustion chambers. This is much more expensive than the traditional route - injecting the fuel through an inlet port - but it improves power and efficiency.

And because filling a car up is central to the everyday user's experience, refuelling, which is banned in F1 this season, may well be reintroduced.

That's the technical bit over. Now for the politics.

The introduction of these new engines in 2013 has been the subject of high-level talks for a number of months, and a number of opposing views have had to be reconciled.

In terms of the big picture, there was pressure from some quarters for F1 to be as 'green' as it could possibly be, perhaps going as far as trying to develop a zero-emission engine that could be used in road cars in forthcoming decades.

But there were three major problems with that approach:

First, the fact that internal combustion engines will be around for several decades to come as they remain the most energy-efficient solution;

Second, the cost, at a time when F1 is trying to reduce the size of budgets;

Lastly, the risk of making developing new technologies the sport's raison d'etre.

Do that, the argument goes, and you risk the accountants who work for the major car companies deciding to pull the plug at some point in the future, claiming: we don't need you to do that - we can do it ourselves and not spend millions on you flying your racing cars around the world.

F1, it was agreed, exists in its own right as the world's premier motor sport. Any new rules have to recognise that, while also staying relevant to road-car engine technology.

On top of that, F1 will always have a problem trying to present itself as 'green', for the simple fact that any engine that produces the 700bhp or so required to keep it as the pinnacle of motorsport is, by definition, going to have reasonably high carbon-dioxide emissions and therefore not be environmentally friendly.

As it happens, though, considering their performance, even current F1 engines are paragons of efficiency. Here are a couple of facts that might surprise you:

In terms of specific fuel consumption - power per litre of fuel burnt - an F1 engine is 20% more efficient than that in a small-capacity road car such as a Ford Fiesta or Renault Clio, and produces about the same amount of CO2 per kg of burnt fuel.
In an 18-race season, the entire F1 grid burns the same amount of fuel as a Boeing 747 does in one flight from London to Japan.
The problem, though, is that because an F1 engine is so powerful, it still uses about 160kg (210 litres) of fuel in a grand prix. To most people, that would sound like a lot for 200 miles. The 2013 engines could reduce that to 90kg - still a lot of fuel, but a huge improvement.
Developing these new engines will cost many millions of pounds at a time when the global economy is still struggling, car sales are down, sponsorship revenue is limited and F1 is working hard to reduce budgets.

And while the car manufacturers have a vested interest in developing these engines, a way has to be found to ensure engine builders such as Cosworth - which supplies four of the 12 teams this year - can develop a budget plan to do so. The smaller, privateer teams must be able to afford to run them, too.

Cosworth is confident F1 is heading towards a workable solution. Commercial director Mark Gallagher says: "Everything we've seen suggests F1 will think very carefully before introducing regulations that will incur great expense. The new regulations are likely to be innovative but not at a huge price. We're confident we'll be able to deliver within that."

The prize here is huge. On a global level, a future generation of super-efficient road-car engines dramatically reduces greenhouse gas emissions, with F1 speeding their take-up in the general population.

As far as F1 is concerned, if the sport can shed its image of profligacy with resources - in this case, fuel and money - while embracing and helping to develop and refine road-relevant, future technologies, new manufacturers could be attracted into the sport.

My sources tell me, for example, that Volkswagen and Hyundai - neither of whom have ever been involved in F1 - have had talks about entering the sport on that basis.

So while the fine detail is yet to be resolved, one thing is clear - smaller capacity turbo engines with integrated energy recovery are the future for F1. And for the car you drive on the road.
Click to expand...

Nathan · May 4, 2010

City agency dreams up idea for Formula One racing in Liberty State Park

Tuesday, May 04, 2010
By MELISSA HAYES
Jersey JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The roar of big engines. The checkered flag. Crowds packing the bleachers.

It all could be coming to Liberty State Park in Jersey City if a city-funded agency charged with boosting tourism has its way.

But activists are trying to apply the brakes to a plan they call "obscene" and "wrong-headed."

Destination Jersey City, an entity funded by the city's Economic Development Corporation, has reached out to Formula One, the racing conglomerate, in an effort to land a Grand Prix race in the state park in 2012 and continue for at least five years.

The promotional materials even include a proposed design for a 3.6-mile racetrack that traverses the 600-land-acres at the state park.

"With the incredible backdrop of the New York City skyline, selecting Jersey City for the 2012 Grand Prix Auto Race Circuit will not only boost ticket sales as the Grand Prix returns to the United States, but will provide striking television footage," one line in the come-on reads.

Local protectors of the park were quick to blast the idea.

"People come to LSP to seek a haven, oasis, refuge and sanctuary and such a Grand Prix racing event that needs all park roads is contrary to the spirit and essence of an urban open space park," Sam Pesin, president of the Friends of Liberty State Park, wrote in a letter to Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy.

Freeholder Bill O'Dea compared Liberty State Park to New York's Central Park and said neither venue is appropriate for construction of a race track.

"There's plenty of places we can have a Grand Prix and Liberty State Park is not one of them," he said. "What are they going to do, pave over the cobblestone? It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever."

Both O'Dea and Pesin said they have no problem with events like the All Points West concert that do not permanently alter the park.

Officials with the city's Economic Development Corporation and Destination Jersey City couldn't be reached last night to comment.

Healy spoke with Pesin yesterday, then released a statement about the proposal.

"This was a response to an overture made by Formula One and Jersey City is one of several cities they are pursuing. There have been a few, preliminary conversations and this is very much in the exploratory phase," Healy said. "However, this may not be something that is in the best interest of Jersey City or Liberty State Park."

The CART IndyCar series held a Meadowlands Grand Prix in the Giants Stadium parking lot in 1984. In 1988, the course was changed to include streets around the then-Brendan Byrne Arena, now the Izod Center. The race was held annually until 1991 and never drew significant crowds.

bee1000 · May 6, 2010

autosport.com - F1 News: Mercedes to run radical engine cover

New engine cover moves the intake from above the driver's head to openings on either side. Nifty. I can't imagine other teams haven't tried this as well, but maybe Mercedes figured out a way to make it work.

Minidave · May 6, 2010

Going back to the engine article.....can you imagine a Hayabusa turbo in an F-1 car? Sounds like fun on a bun to me!

One thing they need to do tho if they want to keep the engines relevant to actual road going cars is lose the pneumatic valves, I cannot imagine a time when we'll see those on road cars - and I have a great imagination!

Nathan · May 6, 2010

Mark Webber previews the Spanish GP in the Red Bull sim.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4PAB7dQ_oE]YouTube - Red Bull: Mark Webber previews the Spanish GP[/ame]

goaljnky · May 6, 2010

oooooohhhhhhh...... I want that car seat.

am0eba · May 6, 2010

We need all the F1 tracks (and a modern F1 car) in iRacing!

If you've got a decent PC, and a wheel and pedal set, this is the way to go!

_Dave_

PS: Ignore all the NASCAR stuff, if it bothers you... There's some amazing road-racing competition in this thing!

goaljnky · May 6, 2010

am0eba said: ↑

We need all the F1 tracks (and a modern F1 car) in iRacing!

If you've got a decent PC, and a wheel and pedal set, this is the way to go!

_Dave_

PS: Ignore all the NASCAR stuff, if it bothers you... There's some amazing road-racing competition in this thing!
Click to expand...

I don't have a decent PC anymore.

Steve · May 6, 2010

bee1000 said: ↑

Mercedes to run radical engine cover

Click to expand...

Few more pics:

I read an article that claimed Merc are taking the latest version of their F-duct to Spain as well but it doesn't look that way based on these pics.

am0eba · May 6, 2010

goaljnky said: ↑

I don't have a decent PC anymore.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean "decent" in the moral sense...

_Dave_

ScottinBend · May 6, 2010

Another (better) option is the rFactor game. Lots of very cool mods and cars. I race with News — Grid Motorsports and love it.

Didn't Williams try the dual air box scoop design way back when?

Steve · May 6, 2010

am0eba · May 6, 2010

ScottinBend said: ↑

Another (better) option is the rFactor game. Lots of very cool mods and cars. I race with News — Grid Motorsports and love it.

Didn't Williams try the dual air box scoop design way back when?
Click to expand...

I agree rFactor has a lot more options, and includes tons of extra tracks and cars from users, but iRacing has an element of consequence that you just don't get in other sims... Everything you do on track affects your safety rating and your performance rating (and indirectly, your reputation, since everyone has to use their real name). Only solo testing and some practice sessions (and private race sessions among friends) don't count toward your ratings.

That adds a little something that takes it out of the "game" realm, without presenting any true physical danger (other than spousal)...

And they're adding content all the time.

Biggest drawback to me is that the tracks can only be accessed online. You can't race, practice, test, or even view a replay* unless you are online.

If anyone's interested, some of us in SoCal have been doing some friendly invite-only practice sessions on Tuesday or Wednesday nights around 8:30 or 9PM pacific. Send me a PM if you're interested in joining us.

_Dave_

* Replays are great though, because once saved, you can go back and view from any angle and observe any car that was in the session. Of course, you can screen cap the video from a replay and save that and watch it anytime...

[edit] Whoops, just realized how far off-topic I've been dragging this...
(on topic): I think Mercedes redesigned that air inlet to give Schu an edge over Rossberg: Rossberg's coconut is huge, and will probably block the inlet more than Schu's, starving the engine, reducing his speed, and making Schu seem superior...

And Ferrari has started selling Alonso-blue shirts for the local fans from 'Nando's home provice!

Steve · May 7, 2010

Pirelli submits bid to be sole supplier (Jonathan Noble autosport.com)

Pirelli has submitted its bid to become Formula 1's sole supplier of tyres for 2011 to the FIA, AUTOSPORT has learned, with the Italian company adamant that a tyre war is not the right direction for the sport to head next season.

Sources have confirmed that, following discussions with the teams and F1 chiefs, Pirelli has now lodged its plan with the FIA as it awaits news on whether it will beat Michelin and Cooper Avon to the deal.

On the same day that Michelin said it was keen for a tyre war in F1, Pirelli has reiterated that it would make sense on cost and safety grounds for there to be only a single tyre supplier for at least two more seasons.

Pirelli's racing manager Mario Isola told AUTOSPORT in the Barcelona paddock: "We prefer to be a sole supplier. The time is very short and so we prefer to be in the same situation that they are now."

AUTOSPORT understands that Pirelli would be willing to open up the prospect of a tyre war from 2013, which would give its engineers and teams a two-year transition period to make the move to the much talked-about 18-inch tyres.

It is believed that Michelin is already ready to consider delaying the introduction of 18-inch tyres for several years so teams do not face huge development costs in adapting their cars to totally new rubber for next season, while Pirelli is equally open to a compromise solution.

"It is an option," explained Isola. "I know the teams would prefer to stay on 13-inch tyres, at least in order to have a period to be able to develop the car to the 18-inch tyre. It is a big change and I can imagine they would have to work a lot on the mechanical aspects of the car.

"The 18-inch tyre is much more interesting for us because it is very close to a road tyre, compared to the 13-inch tyre which nobody uses at the moment. The smallest cars have 14 or 15-inches, so it is quite a different tyre from what we see usually.

"But it is also true that it will be a different tyre - you cannot imagine that there will be an F1 tyre that is close to a road tyre. We will collect all the requirements from the teams in order to have a clear picture to start development, if we are successful and get a contract."

Isola confirmed that Pirelli has spoken to F1 teams about what their requirements for 2011 were, and said he expected a 'hard' fight to beat Michelin and Cooper Avon.

"We have had some contacts with everybody, to try to better understand the situation now - what they require and what they expect because there is a lot of chat about 18-inches, or 13-inches, and the system to supply the tyres to the teams," he said. "We have tried to have a clear picture of the situation in order to prepare an offer that can satisfy all the different parties in this world. Then we will see.

"We know that there are some other tyre manufacturers that are interested in the same project, so I can imagine it will be a hard battle. But it is always hard in motorsport, not just in F1."

Isola's confirmation that Pirelli is willing to supply the whole field came after Michelin managing partner Didier Mariton told a shareholders meeting in Paris on Friday that his company wanted competition if it were to come back to F1.

"We're in talks with the (International Automobile) Federation and the other bodies that run Formula 1 and we told them that if several brands were allowed in the sport then Michelin... would be ready to think about it," Mariton was quoted as saying by Reuters.
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Steve · May 12, 2010

Here we go again...

American Cypher Group hoping to join 2011 grid (f1.gpupdate.net)

The American Cypher Group, a collection of experienced Formula 1 engineers, is hoping to accumulate a sufficient budget to be able to submit an application to the FIA in order to join the 2011 World Championship, GPUpdate.net can exclusively reveal.

With US F1 having failed to make the grid at the start of the current campaign, Cypher wishes to take advantage of the available spot for the 2011 season although the group has no direct links with the outfit formed by Ken Anderson and Peter Windsor, neither of whom are involved in the project.

Cypher Group has explained that the squad, which would be Formula 1's first from the United States should it eventually make the grid, would be based in North Carolina; however, it does stress that the project remains in a preliminary phase.

"We will only place a full application should we achieve fully the budget we believe is required to do this properly," a Cypher Group spokesperson explained to GPUpdate.net on Wednesday evening.

"Even though we have some ex US F1 members in our mix, Cypher Group was not born of disgruntled ex US F1 employees. Cypher Group and its international members simply saw the potential of a US-based F1 team, the disappointment of the fans and the dreams of many young American engineers of having a home team. Hence we wish to give America the shot it deserves.

"Again we recognise that the time frame is not ideal, however we feel it has to be done now, due to the availability of a grid slot. But as we have stated, we will not submit a full entry unless we can fully achieve the budget we believe is required to do this properly."
Click to expand...

Steve · May 19, 2010

Still no final word on tires for next year. No surprise, looks like Cooper/Avon isn't even being discussed now so .....

Tyre choice between Pirelli and Michelin (Jonathan Noble - autosport.com)

Formula 1's tyre choice for next year is now a straight two-way fight between Pirelli and Michelin, Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali has confirmed.

With teams hoping to make a final decision on 2011 rubber in the next few days, having been unable to commit themselves during a meeting at the Monaco Grand Prix, Domenicali has said that Avon Cooper and Bridgestone have now been discounted.

"No decision has been taken yet," said Domenicali. "I think another week and maybe by next weekend hopefully we will be able to find a solution. There are still only two possibilities - Michelin and Pirelli. I don't see any other option."

Although Pirelli had emerged as a clear favourite over the Monaco GP weekend, Michelin's offer â€“ in both technical and commercial terms â€“ is still attractive enough for teams to be unsure about which direction they want to go in.

Further analysis of the terms over the next few days â€“ with clarification from both manufacturers on certain issues â€“ should help teams make their final call and may yet make Michelin the preferred choice.

Renault team principal Eric Boullier said time was now of the essence to get the matter sorted.

When asked by AUTOSPORT if the matter should be settled by the Turkish Grand Prix, he said: "It has to be, because I think there is a technical issue that if we wait too late then nothing will be ready for next year. It has to be done by Turkey."
Click to expand...

Minidave · May 20, 2010

My understanding is the decision hinged on the size, with Pirelli and FOA favoring the 18" wheel size and the teams and Michelin lining up on the side of keeping them the same so the teams don't have to buy new wheels, and redesign all the aerodynamics around the new tires.

goaljnky · May 20, 2010

Minidave said: ↑

My understanding is the decision hinged on the size, with Pirelli and FOA favoring the 18" wheel size and the teams and Michelin lining up on the side of keeping them the same so the teams don't have to buy new wheels, and redesign all the aerodynamics around the new tires.
Click to expand...

The way I read it is that it would be more then just aerodynamics. Personally, I would like to see them go to bigger wheels. The pinnacle of automotive racing running around on wheel sizes no longer used by any decent car seems wrong somehow.

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