2014 Grosser Preis Von Österreich (Austrian GP)

[TenEightyOne]

The whole point of sparks being cool is that they just happen, because hardcore race car. Making the sparks just for the sake of it is completely pathetic and ruins everything cool about sparking.

1. Definitely agree.

F1 is turning into a gimmicky roadshow.

2. Partially agree. But that's entertainment, folks etc. etc.

It's not motorsport anymore.

3. Hugely disagree, the formula's tighter than ever.

 

[mustafur]

F1 is going the way of NASCAR with its show philosophy, I wish we could just go back tot he days of technical innovation, F1 has never been about the pure racing, the battles that we have seen where not 'created' by making cars close together, they just happened.

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

You guys just don't get how great sparks are, they're the best. Real men drive things that spew sparks out of them. Hell I might buy a few GP tickets next year just for them amazing sparks.



NOTE: don't get hurt their fella, that's sarcasm

 

[niky]

What could be more technically innovating (in this day and age) than a split turbo?

Hell... every series should run split turbos. They're the bomb.

-

Alonso will win comfortably. Or Kimi will. Just you wait.

 

[Barra333]

What could be more technically innovating (in this day and age) than a split turbo piece of metal dragging on the ground to create sparks?

Fixed

 

[Marqus]

F1 feels so artificial now. If it wasn't for the rivalries, I couldn't even stomach to watch it.

 

[Tired Tyres]

I won't be watching it. The Nurburgring 24 hours is on this weekend and that gets my full attention.

 

[spacecowboy73]

At first I thought some common sense was regained when they decided to keep Fridays as they are and keep the tire warmers, but now I'm reading about sparkly cars and standing restarts. I think I'm just going to try to stop caring so much about what F1 does since it seems they want it to be viewed as entertainment only instead of sport.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Well, they did used to do standing start restarts you know.

Back before they had safety cars, they just stopped the race and then formed a new grid when the issue that had stopped the race had been resolved.

 

[spacecowboy73]

I did not know that.

So even if the race was like half way over they would do a restart? I've only been watching since '94 so all I've seen is standing restarts after a red flag on the first lap.

 

[axletramp]

Do your own track walk zoom with Street View here.

 

[Tired Tyres]

I did not know that.

So even if the race was like half way over they would do a restart? I've only been watching since '94 so all I've seen is standing restarts after a red flag on the first lap.

Anything up to about 70% when they could call it a result and get full points.

For the longest time, they didn't reset timing so if you had a 30 second lead in the first part of the race you still kept the 30 lead at the start of the second part even if you are only a car length ahead of the other guy.

It was confusing at times.

 

[spacecowboy73]

It was confusing at times.

Wow, I always wondered what they did before the safety car was introduced. I would be ok with that type of restart but it sounds like with this new scheme gaps aren't maintained.

 

[Samus]

And then, there's this: "Formula 1 to switch to standing restarts after safety cars in 2015."
I don't know whether this is good or not.

Another stupid idea. They seem to have forgotten the point of a safety car is to neutralise the track for safety reasons, it shouldn't be an opportunity for cars to switch position. I've always said since the refuelling ban the pit lane should be closed during a SC, it's not fair nor exciting for someone to get a pass or huge advantage during a SC. It should neutralise the race so the track can be made safe then resume as it was. This new idea would be the same, how is it fair for someone to get an easy few passes off a start line because of a previous incident?

F1 is on the verge of being one huge gimmickfest.

 

[Bo]

F1 is on the verge of being one huge gimmickfest.

I think it already crossed that line.

 

[Furinkazen]

F1 is no longer a sport. It's pathetic now and shouldn't be considered pinnacle of motor racing any longer.

 

[Bo]

F1 is no longer a sport. It's pathetic now and shouldn't be considered pinnacle of motor racing any longer.

Honestly, i'm praying that they overdo it to the extent where F1 dies. Anyone fancy WEC as the face of world motorsport?

I don't know whether I should laugh, turn off or cry. Or start a petition against Bernie Eccles Cakes.

 

[niky]

I'm wondering, though, if the reaction to the skidplate is a little over-the-top... consider the part of the car that currently drags on the ground is wood simply because the rules say you can't have a skidplate there, and they want the plank there to make sure you don't set the car too low.

If they're putting metal skidplates back in, they could simply have a section of the plate remain wood for measurement purposes, and let the rest remain metal (would a carbon fiber plank catch fire, I wonder? Might be more exciting than sparks...)

 

[TenEightyOne]

I'm wondering, though, if the reaction to the skidplate is a little over-the-top... consider the part of the car that currently drags on the ground is wood simply because the rules say you can't have a skidplate there, and they want the plank there to make sure you don't set the car too low.

If they're putting metal skidplates back in, they could simply have a section of the plate remain wood for measurement purposes, and let the rest remain metal (would a carbon fiber plank catch fire, I wonder? Might be more exciting than sparks...)

Until a modern-era driver dies in a replay of Senna/Tamburello.

That's the reason for the planks and going back to the old ways would be crazy and dangerous.

 

[spacecowboy73]

Honestly, i'm praying that they overdo it to the extent where F1 dies. Anyone fancy WEC as the face of world motorsport?

I like the WEC but F1 cars are still way faster and until that changes I don't see most people thinking of it as the pinnacle of motorsport.

I don't know whether I should laugh, turn off or cry. Or start a petition against Bernie Eccles Cakes.

I feel the same way but the problem unfortunately is it's not just Bernie supporting these crazy ideas.

 

[SkengD]

Some of the new ideas are crap but we have to let them try them and then watch them fail.

Change is good and bad but you wont know unless you try.

At least we will know what works and what doesnt.

 

[Roo]

Yeesh.

 

[IforceV8]

I dont know who it was but I seem to remember a car getting WRC style air at that very spot back in '02-'03.

 

[JosVerstappen]

we dont need this track back, it sucks.

 

[DK]

we dont need this track back, it sucks.

Is that because you've only scored one point there in your whole F1 career?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Until a modern-era driver dies in a replay of Senna/Tamburello.

That's the reason for the planks and going back to the old ways would be crazy and dangerous.

Actually, the planks are there to keep an eye on the ride height. If a plank gets worn down too much over the course of a race, it means that the ride height has been set too low and the car is illegal (but I don't think there has been a disqualification because of it). Some tolerance is allowed for the car naturally bottoming out - we know this happens; it was what Lotus' reactive ride height system was intended to combat - but it can only go so far. The idea of a spark plate simply changes the component to metal.

Also, I'm surprised that you claim it will lead to another Senna-like accident. You're smarter than that. Yes, the ride height was an issue, but low tyre pressures and damaged steering have also been put forward as causes. The crash itself wasn't that bad; Senna's injuries came about as a result of a suspension upright penetrating his helmet. The subsequent safety revolution was designed to prevent that from happening again. Claiming the metal spark plates will lead to another fatal accident is a naive and exploitative non-argument, the kind that gets wheeled out when people have no genuine point to make.

The spark plates offer no performance gain, and nor do they represent a loss. And I don't recall people being this upset or having these over-reactions when Mercedes tested the trumpet exhaust nozzle.

 

[HKS racer]

Some of the new ideas are crap but we have to let them try them and then watch them fail.

Change is good and bad but you wont know unless you try.

At least we will know what works and what doesnt.

Well that thing might work with Wrestling when you have to find new ways to surprise people with your fake shows.
But F1 used to be a real sport, now it's just a lame artificial show. So the more fake s:censored: they'll introduce the more people will blame them. Well hopefully the rest of motorsport will benefit.

The spark plates offer no performance gain, and nor do they represent a loss. And I don't recall people being this upset or having these over-reactions when Mercedes tested the trumpet exhaust nozzle.

Because they probably thought it was a marketing joke. But now people is upset because they realized they were dead serious.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Even though the spark plates offer no performance advantage or rob cars of any natural gain, and only really replace one existing component with a different material.

Well, that just confirms it in my eyes: Formula 1 fans are only happy when they have something to complain about. Has anyone considered the possibility that the real problem with the sport is not the FIA, not FOM and not the teams, but rather the fans who demand change, offer no constructive input and then whinge about it when they dislike the solutions?

 

[Samus]

Offer no constructive input? Fans over the years have offered plenty of constructive input, maybe not on this thread and forum but certainly elsewhere. The real problem with the sport is definitely not with the fans. As Keith at F1Fanatic says...

F1 hasn’t had a full field of cars for almost 20 years, small teams are struggling financially following the introduction of expensive new engines and major manufacturers prefer the WEC. Meanwhile viewing figures are plummeting and the minimum weight rules have led to dangerously thin drivers.

The best response F1′s power brokers have to this is to impose standing starts after the Safety Car has come out. I don’t believe it’s going to make the tiniest bit of difference to F1′s real problems.

None of that is down to the fans except the result of it, plummeting viewing figures. This new idea is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist. I've never seen or heard any F1 fan moan that race restarts aren't exciting enough.

 

[TenEightyOne]

Actually, the planks are there to keep an eye on the ride height. If a plank gets worn down too much over the course of a race, it means that the ride height has been set too low and the car is illegal (but I don't think there has been a disqualification because of it). Some tolerance is allowed for the car naturally bottoming out - we know this happens; it was what Lotus' reactive ride height system was intended to combat - but it can only go so far. The idea of a spark plate simply changes the component to metal.

Also, I'm surprised that you claim it will lead to another Senna-like accident. You're smarter than that. Yes, the ride height was an issue, but low tyre pressures and damaged steering have also been put forward as causes. The crash itself wasn't that bad; Senna's injuries came about as a result of a suspension upright penetrating his helmet...

It wasn't my smartest answer but, reconsidering my point, I'm going to have another go at explaining it

It seems that the most likely cause of the initial stage of the departure was the car bottoming out on tyres that hadn't reached operating pressure after the safety car period.

The plank was indeed brought in to keep an eye on ride heights after the accidents that weekend. Low tyre pressures or low suspension settings would be the very advantages that the plank guards against... not to nullify such an advantage but to keep the driver safe.

I can't get past the idea that deliberately introducing parts of the car to the road (for cool effect or otherwise) leads to the risk of a similar departure being initiated, tracks are for the most part much safer than they were in 1994 but there are still corners where such a departure could not be recovered.

The plank isn't supposed to hit the road remember, the penalty is applied when the plank is worn too much after the race. Changing that component to metal... I can't see that that's a good thing, wood absorbs and wears, metal doesn't, at least not to the "safe" extent of the wooden plank.

I know this is another topic really... but I agree with Williams (specifically Newey) that the initial cause was bottom-out oversteer, without that initial departure we wouldn't be talking about the other appalling elements of Senna's crash.