F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

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Paolo300zx
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Post by Paolo300zx »

Etanimulc wrote:The champ car and F1 car look so similiar. What's the difference?

champ cars are heavier, and up to last year had alot less hp. plus its an american series run on ugly tracks like makeshift stuff on airports and such.

F1 is considered the pinnacle of motor racing with no expense spared.
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Post by ra64t »

Etanimulc wrote:The champ car and F1 car look so similiar. What's the difference?
They are pretty similar, the champ car is heavier, power is about the same.

Costs are lower and cars are more restricted, however, generally racing is much more competative.

From a technical standpoint, champcars now use a spec chassis and engine, the engine is turbo-charged as opposed to N/A and they run on methanol.
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Post by Brakefade »

So what some of you want is a bloodsport. You guys do realize F1 used to a very violent sport don't you? Like guys burning alive while trapped in their cars violent. Sorry, but I'm glad F1 is as safe as it is today. We don't need another Imola.

As far as the current status of F1 goes, it's not perfect, but it's the still the best motorsport in the world. The limit these guys are pushing these machines is amazing. The FIA is always trying to slow the cars down, but the teams always find ways to make up the difference.

As for the cars being easy to drive, if you think they are, you must be stupid as hell. Like Paolo said, these cars pull tremendous Gs, especially on the lateral axis. Not only that, but if you think doing what Michael Schumacher did in his last GP was easy, you need to get your head looked at. Most drivers of other motorsports would fail miserably if they ever got a lucky drive at F1.

Just as an example that drivers are still the most important factor in F1, just look at what happened to Renault after Fernando Alonso left. By the same token, look at happen to Mclaren-Mercedes when Alonso joined them.

The fact that F1 is expensive is just the nature of the sport. It is the most popular form of motorsport in the World. So it's only natural for sponsor to pour money into the teams. F1 is very, very, very, profitable, if you didn't know. Also, money doesn't automatically buy you championships. Toyota spends the most money of any F1 team, and only have a handful of podiums to show for it. And now Honda just spend a crap load of money building their new car, and they are just finding out that the old car was actually faster that the new one. What will get you wins in F1 is a great driver, money spent in the right places, innovative solutions, and team work.

The only thing I don't like about F1 is that the FIA is trying to "NASCARize" the sport. For example, last year we had Michelin and Bridgestone as the tire providers. This year however, the FIA has dictated that all teams must run a spec tire provided by Bridgestone. On the up side though, next year there will be no traction control in F1.
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Post by ra64t »

Brakefade wrote:So what some of you want is a bloodsport. You guys do realize F1 used to a very violent sport don't you? Like guys burning alive while trapped in their cars violent. Sorry, but I'm glad F1 is as safe as it is today. We don't need another Imola.

As far as the current status of F1 goes, it's not perfect, but it's the still the best motorsport in the world. The limit these guys are pushing these machines is amazing. The FIA is always trying to slow the cars down, but the teams always find ways to make up the difference.

As for the cars being easy to drive, if you think they are, you must be stupid as hell. Like Paolo said, these cars pull tremendous Gs, especially on the lateral axis. Not only that, but if you think doing what Michael Schumacher did in his last GP was easy, you need to get your head looked at. Most drivers of other motorsports would fail miserably if they ever got a lucky drive at F1.

Just as an example that drivers are still the most important factor in F1, just look at what happened to Renault after Fernando Alonso left. By the same token, look at happen to Mclaren-Mercedes when Alonso joined them.

The fact that F1 is expensive is just the nature of the sport. It is the most popular form of motorsport in the World. So it's only natural for sponsor to pour money into the teams. F1 is very, very, very, profitable, if you didn't know. Also, money doesn't automatically buy you championships. Toyota spends the most money of any F1 team, and only have a handful of podiums to show for it. And now Honda just spend a crap load of money building their new car, and they are just finding out that the old car was actually faster that the new one. What will get you wins in F1 is a great driver, money spent in the right places, innovative solutions, and team work.

The only thing I don't like about F1 is that the FIA is trying to "NASCARize" the sport. For example, last year we had Michelin and Bridgestone as the tire providers. This year however, the FIA has dictated that all teams must run a spec tire provided by Bridgestone. On the up side though, next year there will be no traction control in F1.
I don't think banning traction control, launch control, carbon brakes, semi-auto gearboxes, using harder tires and smaller wings would make F1 a bloodsport.

are the things easy enough for your grandma to drive? no. too easy to drive? yes. 3 time champ car champion, sebastian bourdais tested an F1 car recently for the first time in 5 years. His comments? something along the lines of: pretty easy to drive, getting the last 1-2 tenths out of the car is challenging.

Do the drivers matter, yes of course. Are they the most important factor, hell no. If that was the case alonso would have won at minardi, huh
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by Damus »

Lewis Hamilton won today.
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by ra64t »

Damus wrote:Lewis Hamilton won today.
yeah he's pretty good huh

f1's actually been pretty interesting this year. many different winners and a decent amount of passing!
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by ra64t »

back to the original point, F1 is moving away from the high costs and high technology which i generally think is the right move. The formula of 5-10 years ago was unsustainable and is finally over.
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by permabanned »

i cant wait til next year with slicks and less aerodynamics. should be much more interesting.

about the money it takes to be competitive in F1, i like that. its not spec racing and i hope it never becomes spec racing. if you cant afford to pour billions into your F1 program without hesitation, to be willing to pay top engineers to come over from top teams to your team etc. if you are not ready to spend that kind of money without hesitation, GTFO out of F1.

this season is a great season so far though. im working on watching the chinese GP, so far im haflway thru it. DVR FTW
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by Damus »

Lewis Hamilton is champ. Really good race, came down to the last few corners, literally.
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by permabanned »

werd, amazing race. looked like timo glock let lewis by tho to let him win the championship, i want to see what the nazis that run F1 say about that, unless he broke down or ran out of gas, because he was clearly way off the pace when lewis and vettel passed him, definitely way slower than if he got loose and tried to recover
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by ra64t »

permabanned wrote:werd, amazing race. looked like timo glock let lewis by tho to let him win the championship, i want to see what the nazis that run F1 say about that, unless he broke down or ran out of gas, because he was clearly way off the pace when lewis and vettel passed him, definitely way slower than if he got loose and tried to recover
dude, he was on slicks and the rain was coming down
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by permabanned »

he was on slicks for the entire 5-6 laps it was raining at the end and he was going as fast as people on rain tires
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by ra64t »

yeah but it started raining harder.
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by permabanned »

well i guess if they wanted to f**k lewis over (which they obviously have no problems doing like they did at spa), they wouldve done it by now.

F1 should be fun next year with real slicks and not grooved tires. with slicks someone is gonna spit on the track from the stands and whoever runs over the spit will lose it lol.
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Re: F1: The Good, the Bad, the Mediocre?

Post by ra64t »

i agree hamilton got screwed at spa. They should have let em race. They did but then penilized him after the race, which is even worse. thats like, the football game ends and afterwards they decide to take 2 points away from the winning team!

I don't care that much about slicks vs. grooves. I don't think it will make that much of a difference, besides looking better. I am for harder tire compounds, grooved or slick, because I think it will lower cornering speeds, which in turn increases braking time which leads to easier passing.
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