2015 Formula 1 Season Paddock

True. I think they would settle for points though, and without some speed in Canada, I think they are going to be finishing out of them again this week. Too bad too, I like McLaren.

 

I see more v10's than turbo hybrids.

 

Good question, so I decided to find out. And I appreciate you asking it so I had a reason to go do this


According to Jim, the sales guy, I pass at least 30-40 twice a day, minimum, but since I work in Dallas, I going to throw at least 15-20 F2/350 V10's on there as well. So let's call it 50, each way, and that's just Lambo's and Ferds.

 

And the conversation with the Jim went something like this:

Jim: How can I help you?
Me: I'm a future Lamborghini owner.
Jim: (laughing) Ok, like future as in later today?
Me: (deadpan) No, like five years from today. Mark it.

 

My number still stands. Any one of them could pass me on a test drive, LOL.

Saying F1 tech is making it into supercars isn't quite the same as saying it's trickling down to us mortals. Even if it was, I doubt many outside that select few care, I know I don't. I don't really feel like outside of engineering companies like Williams who actually market that technology to other racing companies, connecting F1 tech to any road car, even high end sports cars, is kinda pointless. How many guys with 911's or Ferraris actually track them? How is KERS going to help me on my way to get Starbucks?

 

I'm busy today but I just stopped in to say it's ERS now , not just KERS

and like it or not , the small displacement V6 turbo hybrid is more relevant to road cars in the future than a naturally aspirated V8 or V10 will be , doesn't matter if they are currently outnumbered on the present road by them

 

The point I am trying to make is not that the turbo v6 hybrid isn't a relevant engine, it's that the likelihood of seeing any F1 tech in your Corolla or your Chevy Camaro is pretty unlikely, even in the next 10-15 years. The technologies that they employ (ERS is an example) existed long before their entry into Formula 1. And even if you take it a step farther and say, Yeah, well, they might show up in the Ferrari that I swear I will be able to afford in ten years, it STILL isn't relevant because those are such small number production vehicles that to say that "road cars" will get F1 tech is being kinda disingenuous. So then I have to ask myself. Do I care that Ferrari and Mercedes might see SOME benefit in their super expensive low production cars, or do I care about a kick-ass, loud, make-the-whole-track-rumble racing experience? I say the latter, and the fact that F1 doesn't seem to care about that is part of the problem (in this man's opinion).

 

So you're suggesting Renault , Mercedes , Ferrari and Honda should invest 100's of millions of dollars a year just as a good faith gesture towards race fans ?

Don't forget that the manufacturers , save Ferrari , are the ones that originally wanted the V6 turbo , Honda commited to a new F1 program because of the V6 and all manufacturers , including Ferrari , have voted to keep the V6 turbo hybrid going forward

 

No more than they are suggesting that I continue to pay to go to and watch races that are less enjoyable...

 

You have the option to not go , but audience numbers started declining way before the 2014 season switch to the current engine formula , so pinning dwindling fan support to the V6 hybrids doesn't totally wash either .

Do people really remember the procession days of the " Anybody But Schumacher " era as better racing than we have now ?

 

Of course I have the option not to go. Last year I exercised that option. And while I am a new fan (so no, I don't remember the Schumacher days other than a few races), I am pretty hardcore about it, as in I go back and watch old races. And yeah, I think the racing was better.

Money is the big issue in the sport, everybody knows it. The common folks have lost touch with F1 because it continues to become less and less approachable like it was in the 70's and 80's, heck even the 90's. Accessibility to racing venues (expensive), TV (upgraded cable package), hell, even merchandise ($50 for a hat) make it harder to be a fan now. I have a lot of trouble getting other racing fans into it for these reasons. And I can stomach all that because I am a racing nerd, but they do seem to be trying to actively destroy the sport under the auspices of progress.

 

You know, I kinda answered my own question, really. If I want open wheel racing with more car parity, no driver aids, loud ass engines and fiery tempers, I would watch Indycar. And I do

Anywho, no reason to have a war over this... I yield the floor back to the veterans of the board.

 

The racing was a procession , overtaking is way up compared to the Schumacher dominated refuelling days

The money problems are not really with costs as much as fair and equatable allocation of prize money amongst the team

Re : approachability , as a sport garners popularity generally the players / participants are more famous and then generally less approachable , that'a not an F1 exclusive

Of course Indycar is cheaper and approachable because nobody cares

 

You're right, F1 is perfect. I retract all statements and capitulate. I'm sure the 25mil that dropped off their viewership last year will be back, just as soon as the cars sound less like farts and more like racecars. I'll still watch, alone, here in Texas!

 

Metric feet, duh.

 

I had that once. Ointment knocked it right out.

 

I use decimal inches for rafter calculations

 

Nobody said F1 was perfect , and for an admitted newb to the sport you don't seem to have anything good to say about it , makes me question what exactly draws you to follow it

 

I measure my cola in liters. That's about it. GIMME A LITRE O' COLA.

 

This tech 'discussion' is missing big time. It's not all about v6 turbo hybrids, not by a long shot. F1 cars are completely drive-by-wire and brake-by-wire. Some serious tech goes into making all of the elements that go into making the car go and stop work seamlessly based on the movement of a single pedal by the driver. That tech goes straight into production hybrids, regardless of the number of cylinders they have. There is a ton more stuff like that too.