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The Official 2015 F1 thread

Yep, the road course races are actually pretty good. I don't think Ambrose has won Watkins Glen for several years and am not sure he's even in NASCAR anymore.
 
JD Cross said:
Better to have a flawed F1 but get to watch as each power unit manufacturer and race car constructor put their best efforts into making gains or losses in the full view of the world.
It's the major leagues.
Click to expand...

+1. It's also interesting to note that drivers have left F1 and have become successful in other disciplines (i.e. NASCAR, Indy, IMSA, etc). There's a TON of ex-F1 drivers in Indy. Compare this to the number of drivers in these other disciplines transitioning to F1? Anyone...anyone.? I can't name one from NASCAR. The last driver I recall attempting this was Michael Andretti and we know how that ended.
 
brettowen said:
+1. It's also interesting to note that drivers have left F1 and have become successful in other disciplines (i.e. NASCAR, Indy, IMSA, etc). There's a TON of ex-F1 drivers in Indy. Compare this to the number of drivers in these other disciplines transitioning to F1? Anyone...anyone.? I can't name one from NASCAR. The last driver I recall attempting this was Michael Andretti and we know how that ended.
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How about Michael's dad Mario? His early career included sprint cars which lead to Indy cars. It was actually at the Indy 500 where he met Colin Chapman and told him of his desire to compete in F1.

Also: Jacques Villeneuve (went from Champ Car to F1).
 
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Forgot about JV. Mario was a loooooong time ago and he was just a freak of nature who could drive anything. So...a couple of examples. Still...the preponderance of the talent flows from F1 to the other series and not the other way.
 
brettowen said:
Still...the preponderance of the talent flows from F1 to the other series and not the other way.
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No one is making an argument that NASCAR drivers are "better" than F1 drivers. Just that NASCAR has entertaining road races. Jeez.
 
I still find this massively shocking. to be dead last is just incredibly unbelievable.

I guarantee that Alonzo would never have imagined this either, or Button. Alonzo would have never jumped ship to be last in qualifying, last in the race, if his car even made the warm-up lap. and it looks like there is no end in sight, they are talking about years trying to catch up.

problem is, as Honda improves each season, so does everyone else. you're constantly chasing a moving target, and Mercedes, Ferrari and the rest won't be slowing down to wait. what an absolutely embarrassing catastrophe of epic proportions...
 
I have this, perhaps naïve, view about Honda and engines and I really don't think there is any group that understands gas engines better.
Maybe there's one element of the power unit that hasn't turned out right and Honda has a roomful of engineers working on it 24/7.
It may take 2-3 more races but I think the Honda unit will be competitive.
 
would love to think so, but I don't think the Japanese get it like the Germans or the Italians these days. they're already impossibly behind it seems, I just don't see a few races turning this around for Honda. ...
 
JD Cross said:
I have this, perhaps naïve, view about Honda and engines and I really don't think there is any group that understands gas engines better.
Maybe there's one element of the power unit that hasn't turned out right and Honda has a roomful of engineers working on it 24/7.
It may take 2-3 more races but I think the Honda unit will be competitive.
Click to expand...

The problem with Honda is not the gas engine itself, it is the integration of the hybrid components (MGU-K, MGU-H) that is causing the most problems, the areas that Honda has the least amount of experience and in house knowledge.

Folks seem to forget that Honda didn't participate in F1 during the V8 KERS era, all the other engine manufacturers learned a lot during that time, about how to deal with the energy store (batteries) systems, the control electronics programming to handle the hand offs that needs to happen between the ICE, MGU-K during acceleration, braking, etc, without causing too much stress in other components.

The compact packaging of the PU on the McLaren is not helping either, given that under different scenarios the amount of heat that needs to be removed from the Honda PU itself was not properly taken into account.
 
these are all valid facts and I'm as well aware of them as any non-F1 insider can be (only they know the real truth and extent of it). but the fact of the matter is Honda still had to turn down the juice on the internal combustion engine just to make it last the race distance.

I for one (of many) want to see McLaren Honda and Ferrari at the pointy end of the sport again.

but if they can't even make an engine go race distance with the full power they've got (which isn't as much as the others), you can forget about them being competitive in any way for a good while. they have massive problems of epic magnitude...


p.s. everyone knows Honda hasn't competed in F1 in a while, but when you have domination in your legacy and you jump in head first to the pinnacle of and most watched and scrutinised form of motorsports racing in the world, you should definitely get your homework done beforehand.

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https://youtu.be/E1Addq_NfOU

watch Kevin Magnussen's engine let go, that's definitely the non-electrical side going boom...
 
Yeah those were big chunks of expensive alloy coming out of the exhaust area
 
fastaussie said:
these are all valid facts and I'm as well aware of them as any non-F1 insider can be (only they know the real truth and extent of it). but the fact of the matter is Honda still had to turn down the juice on the internal combustion engine just to make it last the race distance.

I for one (of many) want to see McLaren Honda and Ferrari at the pointy end of the sport again.

but if they can't even make an engine go race distance with the full power they've got (which isn't as much as the others), you can forget about them being competitive in any way for a good while. they have massive problems of epic magnitude...


p.s. everyone knows Honda hasn't competed in F1 in a while, but when you have domination in your legacy and you jump in head first to the pinnacle of and most watched and scrutinised form of motorsports racing in the world, you should definitely get your homework done beforehand.

- - - Updated - - -

https://youtu.be/E1Addq_NfOU

watch Kevin Magnussen's engine let go, that's definitely the non-electrical side going boom...
Click to expand...

It could still be on the electrical side of things, remember that the F1 engines control the valves via a pneumatic system and not via a spring system actuated via a camshaft.

The pneumatics are actually actuated by electrical signals, just imagine the signal that controls the pneumatic valve getting corrupted due to noise created by the MGU-K/MGU-H/ES that is pretty much the equivalent to dropping a valve into the cylinder.

You need proper shielding to prevent EMI noise issues, remember the entire fiasco with Daniel Ricciardo getting DQ'd last year due to the variances in the fuel flow meters due to electrical noise.

I can also imagine other scenarios involving MGU-K and MGU-H, ES, etc that could affect the operation of the ICE.

BTW: I'm looking this from the point of view of an engineer, since I am an EE after all ;)
 
I agree with you 100% (2slow2speed), that is, Honda is have issues with the intergertion of the various componments of the PU. With the PU packaging that McLaren is currently running the EMI would be a major issue to get a handle on, plus they have very little experience with MKU-K and H.

Secondly, Honda have been runnning their ICE on the dyno for the past 12 months, so I dont think this would be an issue.

Bram
 
a lot of things could be a lot of things, hence my comment about only the F1 insiders actually knowing. at this point with those of us who do not work with Formula 1 teams, it is all speculative. we are simply guessing about things we know nothing about. the only thing for certain is that they have massive problems through the powerplant, ahem...power unit.

it's a huge uphill battle for Honda. look at Renault, they've had a few year's worth of testing, a year's worth of racing experience, 3 wins last year, and they've somehow gone backwards in the off season. that should put things in perspective.

I'm pretty disappointed, and again shocked that Honda is this far off the pace. I was gonna make the trip to Monaco this year for the race, but I'm definitely not spending the money to watch a Mercedes 1-2, with a 45 second lead over the rest of the field and Honda bringing up the rear, if they finish at all...
 
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Yep, you are correct, it's all speculation on our part as we are not part of the racing Team., and don't know the actual problems they have encountered with the PU and chassis...but heck that is what the Internet and social media is all about!

I Still will be watching all the races and taking my annual trip to Montreal for the F1 weekend.

Bram
 
Yeap! even the big guns are crying. the gap so far is too big to be a quality race/show. F1 is very political and we are not insiders but Losing Adrian will be a great shame.

.......Christian Horner has called on the FIA to take action to equalise engine performance and close up the Formula 1 field.
.........with the two Mercedes drivers first and second, half-a-minute ahead of Sebastian Vettel's Ferrari.

.......Helmut Marko has warned that the Austrian firm could pull out of Formula 1, claiming that the current regulations "will kill the sport".


"These power units are the wrong solution for F1, and we would say this even if [Red Bull supplier] Renault were in the lead," he added.
"The technical rules are not understandable, much too complicated, and too expensive.
"We are governed by an engineers' formula. We wanted cost reduction too, but it is not happening like this.
"A designer like Adrian Newey [who is stepping back from F1] is castrated by this engine formula. These rules will kill the sport."
Red Bull's exit would have serious ramifications for F1 as Mateschitz owns the Toro Rosso team as well.
 
Red Bull has become the newest Cry Baby within F1.... McLaren a top team was last in last week's race, with a new Engine partner, an not a word about the regulation. Red Bull, have now become a mid-field team and they know it.
All of Renault engine development during the V8 years were to catered to Red Bull needs, now that all the other teams have moved on to another Engine manufacturer, they don't have the resources to develop the engine like before and Red Bull is now feeling the pain.

Bram
 
Bram said:
Red Bull has become the newest Cry Baby within F1.... McLaren a top team was last in last week's race, with a new Engine partner, an not a word about the regulation. Red Bull, have now become a mid-field team and they know it.
All of Renault engine development during the V8 years were to catered to Red Bull needs, now that all the other teams have moved on to another Engine manufacturer, they don't have the resources to develop the engine like before and Red Bull is now feeling the pain.

Bram
Click to expand...

What I find really ironic is that Renault was pushing for the V6 hybrid since they claimed that it would be a bit more relevant to the street cars that they produce.

Now there are some rumors that Renault wants to buy a team that will be once again their works team. Toro Rosso has been mentioned as a possible candidate.

Even during the most recent V8 era the Renault engine was down on power relative to Mercedes as well as Ferrari, it was the aero and the special engine mappings that kept Red Bull in the lead for close to 4 years.
 
the show is definitely shit, that's not really debatable. barring two major catastrophes, we all know well ahead of time who is going to blitz qualifying and 2/3's of the podium...

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Bram said:
Red Bull has become the newest Cry Baby within F1.... McLaren a top team was last in last week's race, with a new Engine partner, an not a word about the regulation.
Click to expand...

McLaren/Honda isn't really in the same position as Red Bull/Renault to complain. Honda has just arrived. and McLaren haven't fallen all the way down from the top after decimating the field for four years straight...
 
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I agree the regulations are killing it, if Red Bull would pull out there would be 4 cars less on the grid its probably not going to happen but if it did...
I love F1 but with the way it has started the only hope for an interesting season is if Nico and Lewis start having pitlane brawls, because without the other 3 engine manufacturers getting their shit together its a Merc 1-2 unless those two crash in the first corner.

Latest from McLaren
http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/boullier-says-melbourne-finish-a-big-boost-for-mclaren/
 
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Can anyone recommend a safe & Free website for Live streaming of F1 races?

In Australia half the races this year have gone to Foxtel. Don't want to pay for a sports package just for F1.
 

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