2010 Formula 1 thread

[Chupacabra]

Could not have asked for a better race finnish. well if hamilton stayed out of the podium it would have been better, but I can only ask for so much.

Ferrari 1-2... I feel bad for Massa, not going to be able to win a championship with Alonso in the team. But its going to be good getting the title back to Maranello.

[sig11]

I'm glad that I ignored this thread. I usually wait until afternoon to download the BBC race coverage... so much nicer than Speed.

I think that was the most boring race I've watched in years. 24 second pits mean that the strategy is bland, and 2:00 is way too long for a single lap.

The first 5 laps and the last 5 laps were the only entertaining part of the race and that is unfortunate. Maybe when they're out of the desert heat and the teams aren't having to baby their engines it will be more interesting.

[Chupacabra]

^^^ the only thing that will make a difference, will be the tracks which are aggressive on tires.. hungry, Canada, etc...

its not like pit stops are that much slower... its only 4-5 seconds slower... so pit stops still play a role.

But yeah it was a pretty event less race.

[m4a1mustang]

Bridgestone needs to come back with a softer tire that's going to wear more. You always have better racing when the grip falls off and the drivers are really having to manhandle the cars. I think they were expecting the full fuel loads to be much harder on the tires than they were.

[sig11]

I guess it's early yet, but the way their tires held up it seems to me like they'll all be one stoppers like this. m4a1 is probably right... Give them less tire!

[Joseph B]

Anybody else bored with F1? I have been watching since the late 90's and I have just lost interest. I really don't want to see another season of Ferrari vs Mclaren(Merc). I hope that Redbull cleans up. Most of the car manufactures are gone and every year they(the powers that be) try to make changes to improve the show. More regulations= worse show. And what a waste of a potential money making juggernaut called, the INTERNET. If Bernie had a clue he would charge a subscription and allow online services in real time during practice, quali, race.

I don't mean to offend anyone, F1 just continues to dissapoint me. Looking forward to FIA GT this year though!

[Chupacabra]

^^^ it was always been "X" vs Ferrari. It will always be the same thing. F1 was never really a drivers race, it was more of a which team has more money and can develop cooler things. for even action, nascar, indy car, etc... is the best bet.... for real driver racing, rally is where its at.

[m4a1mustang]

Not Always. Ferrari was mediocre for a VERY long time until Schumacher came along.

[Chupacabra]

^^ sir me and the people of Maranello, have chosen to ignore that almost decade, with the 2008 race in sao paulo from the history books.. and it shall never be brought up again.

thank you

[m4a1mustang]

Haha. Ferrari wasn't really there in the 60s. Villeneuve brought life to them in the 70s and they were contenders. The 80s and 90s were dull for them, save for the late 90s when Schumi and Brawn revived the team and started their run of dominance.

But yes, the Tifosi have a habit of basically erasing those long, dull stretches of history.

[370Zsteve]

Originally Posted by m4a1mustang

Haha. Ferrari wasn't really there in the 60s. Villeneuve brought life to them in the 70s and they were contenders. The 80s and 90s were dull for them, save for the late 90s when Schumi and Brawn revived the team and started their run of dominance.

But yes, the Tifosi have a habit of basically erasing those long, dull stretches of history.

Impressive, Steve. And I completely

I used to work as a security guard in the pits at Watkins Glen back when they hosted F1. Today's version is nothing like it was back then. I met Mario Andretti, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Ronnie Petersen, Alan Jones. Man, The Glen, and F1, was so cool back then. Now all the drivers are such coddled and it's all about the $$$$$$$

[m4a1mustang]

Yup.... those we're the glory days for sure. Drivers were drivers and would race anything... there was none of the elitism that there is today. Jimmy Clark used to run some Nascar when he had time, heck, Jackie Stewart was a Nascar broasdcaster for ABC for a long while. They used to come over and run the Indy 500... ah man.

Really, its the same now in all top level motorsport. Corporate sponsorships limit what drivers can do, so there aren't anymore Foyts or Andrettis or Clarks. Though some guys like Tony Stewart are throwbacks to that era when a racecar driver would race anything because its what they loved to do. You don't see much of that anymore.

[dad]

Ferrari Previews the GT Roller Coaster

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates — Bizarro, Millennium Force, Nitro and other attention-grabbing roller coasters need to watch their backs. Ferrari has previewed its Ferrari World Abu Dhabi GT roller coaster, and it promises to be one of the most memorable amusement park rides on the planet.

"The GT roller coaster is a racing coaster, which will send two competing roller coaster carriages sprinting along twisting parallel tracks on a race to the finish line," said Ferrari in a statement. "Each coaster car is a replica of a Ferrari F430 Spider."

It is the second of two roller coasters that will anchor the amusement park. The other is billed as the world's fastest roller coaster, with a speed of up to 125 mph that is intended to simulate the feeling of driving a Ferrari F1 racing car.

The roller coasters are two of 20 rides and attractions set for the amusement park, which opens on Yas Island here later this year. The Ferrari GT theme is not only carried on via the roller coaster, but also in the roof of the enclosed theme park. The roof is inspired by the "classic double-curve side profile" of the Ferrari GT.

Just the Facts:
—The roller coaster cars are replicas of the Ferrari F430 Spider.
—The racing coaster sends carriages on parallel tracks to a finish line.
—Another coaster in the park reaches speeds as high as 125 mph.


Ferrari Previews the GT Roller Coaster- Yahoo! Autos Article Page

[dad]

VW looking to step into F1 with “world engine” formula
May 5, 2010




Volkswagen is interested in formula one but has no intention of launching a Mercedes-like works team. That is the latest message given by Hans-Joachim Stuck, a former grand prix driver and now the motor sport representative of the German carmaker giant.
“It is clear that we are looking at formula one,” he is quoted as saying by Sport Bild magazine.

“We are waiting for the FIA’s decision in respect of the use of a world engine for formula one. If there is (a world engine) we will discuss whether to build it for formula one,” added Stuck.

He clarified that VW would only be an engine supplier and not have “our own team like Mercedes”.

The ‘world engine’ concept – with possible deployment across various motor racing categories – has been touted by the FIA.

But regarding a new engine formula for 2013, the current discussions in F1 are about the likelihood of a 1.5 litre turbocharged 4-cylinder and a powerful KERS.

It is believed that the world engine concept is not popular among F1’s existing manufacturers.

While pushing for smaller engines for 2013, the FIA is also keen to improve the fuel efficiency of the current 2.4 litre V8 designs.

Ferrari’s former engine boss Gilles Simon, now working with the FIA, said in the latest edition of In Motion magazine that F1 should “push forward with fuel efficiency”.

“If, as an engine engineer, I am given a maximum fuel load, I will try to give the driver the maximum horsepower possible, building the most efficient engine I can,” he said.

Simon added that the FIA wants “to try to adapt the rules we have in the run-up to the new engine formula”.

[semtex]

So what do you guys think of the penalty they handed Schumi for his illegal pass at the final corner? I for one am happy about it. I think he's an epic weasel.