Motorsports Trivia Thread!

[Dotini]

In 2005, aggregate laps determined pole for a few races. At indy, it took four laps to set a pole time. Sometimes qualifying day is washed out by rain.

 

[Jimlaad43]

Ascari, Nordschleife, 1952, 9:56.0?

EDIT: Scrub that... he took a tardy 9 minutes and 58 seconds the following year. Slowcoach.

I can tell you that time is wrong.

 

[Liquid]

In 2005, aggregate laps determined pole for a few races.

Did it? I don't remember this.

 

[Dotini]

Did it? I don't remember this.

You're in good company. Everybody would prefer to forget about it!

 

[jake2013guy]

Did it? I don't remember this.

Yep. Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning qualifying. Everybody went out and did 1 time on Saturday then a time on Sunday. I quite liked it to be honest.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I can tell you that time is wrong.

So it is... it was 9:59.8, but as @Dotini already posted that then it's still not the right answer. Bah.

 

[Jimlaad43]

So it is... it was 9:59.8, but as @Dotini already posted that then it's still not the right answer. Bah.

No

 

[TenEightyOne]

Did it? I don't remember this.

Unfortunately it was true, it was part of the effort to make Saturday running more relevant (and to eke out the TV time). It was awful and didn't last long.

@Jimlaad43... I give up, what's the time limit for thinking everyone might also have given up? I'm dying to know the answer

 

[Jimlaad43]

I'll just post the answers now.

Shortest
1974, Niki Lauda, Ferrari, Dijon-Prenois, 0'58''790

Longest
1952, Alberto Ascari, Ferrari, Nürburgring, 10'04''400

 

[TenEightyOne]

I'll just post the answers now.

Shortest
1974, Niki Lauda, Ferrari, Dijon-Prenois, 0'58''790

Longest
1952, Alberto Ascari, Ferrari, Nürburgring, 10'04''400

Ascari's pole lap in '52 was 9:56.0, as @Dotini posted, the time you've given is closer to his race lap. In 1953 Ascari took a leisurely 9:59 which I think @Dotini also posted?

That said... my source is Wiki so it could be wrong D

 

[Jimlaad43]

Ascari's pole lap in '52 was 9:56.0, as @Dotini posted, the time you've given is closer to his race lap. In 1953 Ascari took a leisurely 9:59 which I think @Dotini also posted?

That said... my source is Wiki so it could be wrong D

I mentioned earlier that the wiki time was wrong, I've sourced that 10 minute time from a few different places

 

[TenEightyOne]

I mentioned earlier that the wiki time was wrong, I've sourced that 10 minute time from a few different places

Do you have the source, out of interest?

EDIT: Strangely, Formula 1 don't seem to have the quali laps recorded for older races, only the race times :\

 

[Dotini]

I'll just post the answers now.

Shortest
1974, Niki Lauda, Ferrari, Dijon-Prenois, 0'58''790

Longest
1952, Alberto Ascari, Ferrari, Nürburgring, 10'04''400

My primary source (Lang, Grand Prix!), published in 1981, listing qualifying times for every F1 race from '50-'65, states with regard to the '52 starting grid: "Note: No practice times were issued by the organisers". My secondary reference was wikipedia. What were the sources for your '52 time? If it were Autocourse, I would find that acceptable. It stands to reason the '52 time would be slower than the '53 time, since the '52 fastest lap was considerably slower than the '53 fastest lap.


Tipo 500 Ferrari won championships in '52 and '53. Handling was said to be exceptional for its day. With maybe 190 hp, it could not beat Nurburgring lap times from the '30s.

Many of the pre-war venues - Monza, Monaco, Spa, Pau, Avus, Reims and others were raced without much change well into the 50's and in some cases beyond. I wonder which of the pre-war lap records lasted longest?

 

[Jimlaad43]

http://www.statsf1.com/en/circuit-nurburgring.aspx
http://f1pulse.com/racecard/German_Grand_Prix_1952/3C3D/race_card_qualify.aspx
http://www.crash.net/f1/913/raceresults/formula-one-german-1952.html

 

[Jimlaad43]

Which 5 car numbers have won the Formula One Drivers championship only once? This is the number used mostly by the driver in that season is counted.

 

[Dotini]

Withdrawn

 

[Jimlaad43]

2 of them are correct.

 

[jake2013guy]

2 of them are correct.

23, 44, 22, 27, 18

 

[Liquid]

0.

 

[Jimlaad43]

23, 44, 22, 27, 18

One of those is correct

0.

that is not correct

 

[Dotini]

I'm imagining there are errors in wikipedia on this question. Is there such a thing as an unimpeachable authority here?

I found a season where the champion driver never used the same number twice, and two more where the driver used two numbers two times each, with all the others different.

 

[TenEightyOne]

I'm imagining there are errors in wikipedia on this question. Is there such a thing as an unimpeachable authority here?

That's my worry too - if a fact is based from a text that few have access to as opposed to a moderated online resource that many have access to, especially with such peculiar minutiae as this

 

[Dotini]

Only 15 cars took the start of the 2015 Australian GP.

Ignoring the fiasco at indianapolis '05, it's been quite while since fewer than 15 cars took the start.

What was the exact number; when and where was that?

 

[Roo]

San Marino '82? 14 took the start due to the boycott from some of the teams in the FOCA/FISA disagreement.

 

[Dotini]

San Marino '82? 14 took the start due to the boycott from some of the teams in the FOCA/FISA disagreement.

A good answer, but not entirely correct.

To the best of my knowledge, it was indeed at the San Marino GP of 1982. However, although 14 cars qualified and lined up to start the formation lap, some things happened that reduced that number before the field took the start. The best answer will describe what happened.

 

[Roo]

Brian Henton's transmission failed on the grid, Derek Warwick's electrics likewise on the formation lap, so 12 cars started.

 

[Dotini]

Brian Henton's transmission failed on the grid, Derek Warwick's electrics likewise on the formation lap, so 12 cars started.

Still not quite as I understand it.

Twelve cars did start the race from the starting grid, including Henton whose transmission failed straight away. He was credited as a starter with a first lap retirement. Warwick didn't complete the formation lap and was a non-starter. The 13th starter was Paletti whose Osella was still on the formation lap, delayed by a stalled engine. He lasted 8 laps and retired with suspension failure.

Supertrivia:
The French GP of 1969 also featured only 13 starters - and there wasn't even a boycott!
The Belgian GP of that same year 1969 had only 14.

The Italian GP of 1960 was another highly anomalous situation. Due to a boycott, only 9 F1 took the start. The organizers padded out the grid with F2 cars, some of which were awarded championship points at the finish. To my knowledge, this is the only GP in which F2 cars ran with F1 cars and were not in their own category, but rather were eligible for championship points.

 

[TenEightyOne]

To my knowledge, this is the only GP in which F2 cars ran with F1 cars and were not in their own category, but rather were eligible for championship points.

All championship races in '52 and '53 were actually run in F2 cars, I think...

 

[Dotini]

All championship races in '52 and '53 were actually run in F2 cars, I think...

Of course. But there were no F1 cars mixed in, as was the case at Monza '60.

@Roo did well on the last question, so it's his turn. But maybe @TenEightyOne would like to take a shot?

 

[TenEightyOne]

Thanks @Dotini, but @Roo shoujld take this one