Formula 1 2008 Post

[brrraptors]

perhaps its just from the angle of the pics but the nose of the ferrari and mclaren look leaner, longer and more angular than the other ones ive seen. itsgonna take some getting used to, to look at that short rear wing it looks weird man. im looking forward to test data surfacing next to gauge how these carsperform. its a drastically new step i dont know what to make of it all yet. definitely need to read in-depth on the KERS system to get a better understanding.

F1 season can never come soon enough

 

[ap27]

Originally Posted by curt2121

Originally Posted by amishpimp27

I have a feeling this is the year Toyota is finally a contender...

what do u all think about the KERS systems?...im really looking foward to seeing how drivers use it to gain some speed during different parts of tracks to pass, it's literally like using a "boost" button in video games, lol

It's actually quite a bit more complicated than that. I would really like to elaborate, but I'm under a NDA, so I can't say anything. But rest assured, like the idea or not, KERS will be quite interesting this year. oh, and the early ideas for the next McLaren road car

but sadly, again, I can't make any other comment on that.

Haha, i know, im sure it's incredibly high tech/complicated, I just likened it to a video game bc in essence, isn't it almost going to have that effecton the race track in that it creates sort of a controlled ability to make ur car faster for a period of time?...

from what I've read/understand, it's a kinetic energy system that powers a battery (i'm assuming this is how the energy is stored, obviously icould be wrong) which by some mechanism (i have no idea how/what) that somehow ends up supplying up to 80hp to the drivetrain?...I guess in my imagination Ihad some fast and the furious "nox" button visions, lol...

If i had to guess what the mechanism is tho, there's either some type of motor that helps supply power to the transmission, or significantly reduceresistance in the drivetrain in some way (something involving heat/friction?)...i quit doing MechE for Operations Research, bc im not good w/ these types ofthings, lol) Anyone know how it actually works?

 

[curt2121]

Originally Posted by amishpimp27

Originally Posted by curt2121

Originally Posted by amishpimp27

I have a feeling this is the year Toyota is finally a contender...

what do u all think about the KERS systems?...im really looking foward to seeing how drivers use it to gain some speed during different parts of tracks to pass, it's literally like using a "boost" button in video games, lol

It's actually quite a bit more complicated than that. I would really like to elaborate, but I'm under a NDA, so I can't say anything. But rest assured, like the idea or not, KERS will be quite interesting this year. oh, and the early ideas for the next McLaren road car

but sadly, again, I can't make any other comment on that.

Haha, i know, im sure it's incredibly high tech/complicated, I just likened it to a video game bc in essence, isn't it almost going to have that effect on the race track in that it creates sort of a controlled ability to make ur car faster for a period of time?...

from what I've read/understand, it's a kinetic energy system that powers a battery (i'm assuming this is how the energy is stored, obviously i could be wrong) which by some mechanism (i have no idea how/what) that somehow ends up supplying up to 80hp to the drivetrain?...I guess in my imagination I had some fast and the furious "nox" button visions, lol...

If i had to guess what the mechanism is tho, there's either some type of motor that helps supply power to the transmission, or significantly reduce resistance in the drivetrain in some way (something involving heat/friction?)...i quit doing MechE for Operations Research, bc im not good w/ these types of things, lol) Anyone know how it actually works?

yes, essentially the brake energy is harnessed by an alternator (controlled of course by yet another cpu) into a battery. The boost button is then used for upto 6.6 seconds a lap and provides up to 80 hp (however most teams are/were stuck at 50-60 for quite some time). Think about it though, it's formula 1. Howmany tracks allow you to be on full throttle for 6.6 seconds at a time? there is definitely strategy to it especially as the equipment necessitates a reductionin the fuel tank size by about 12ish kilos of fuel. 80hp is the cap for now using a battery system. In the future, the target is a mechanical system that couldstore more. That's the basics of it but i'm out for the night now.

 

[Sinner]

Hey, haven't seen Curt in here in a long time... an NDA??? I wish you could share more... can you at least share with us a bit more on your involvement andor the perks you were referring to? and the next McLaren road car!? Probably what Ron's working on now... if they could only bring back Gordon Murray...Lol...

KERS... are they really gonna go ahead with it? It seems that a lot of the teams are having trouble with it, except for BMW and McLaren I think. And with thecurrent situation of the economy and the FIA's desire to cut costs, it seems counter intuitive to spend more to develop this new system. Also, does theboost work in sections? Take Sepang for example, can they use 3 seconds of boost for first straight (before the hairpin) and 3 seconds of boost for second partof the straight (after the hairpin)? And how about the safety aspect? I'm talking about electrical shocks, especially during a wet-race.

 

[curt2121]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

Hey, haven't seen Curt in here in a long time... an NDA??? I wish you could share more... can you at least share with us a bit more on your involvement and or the perks you were referring to? and the next McLaren road car!? Probably what Ron's working on now... if they could only bring back Gordon Murray... Lol...

KERS... are they really gonna go ahead with it? It seems that a lot of the teams are having trouble with it, except for BMW and McLaren I think. And with the current situation of the economy and the FIA's desire to cut costs, it seems counter intuitive to spend more to develop this new system. Also, does the boost work in sections? Take Sepang for example, can they use 3 seconds of boost for first straight (before the hairpin) and 3 seconds of boost for second part of the straight (after the hairpin)? And how about the safety aspect? I'm talking about electrical shocks, especially during a wet-race.

well I CAN say this, I have HEAVY ties with VMM. But in reality, everyone knows what everyone else is doing and I have other ties as well so I getgood information soon (ie knowing Honda was going to withdraw). That begin said, I highly respect my sources and appreciate the information they give me so Iwon't abuse it on a message board like NT. Like I said before though, I have a lot of single seater experience myself. It's entirely possible I couldhave ended up with a grand prix role myself, but I decided years ago that was not the path for me. I absolutely LOVE driving, but medicine is my true call. Icontinue to drive all sorts of fun toys as much as I can to keep that spirit alive, but I had to be realistic with myself in that I didn't want that as acareer. And that's from being mentored by some highly successful past drivers and the advice they would give me. That's really all I feel comfortablesharing about my personal life with people I don't really know, so I'll leave it at that. But best believe I am eagerly anticipating the 09 season andwill be offering my input throughout.

As far as KERS, yes, they're really going to go ahead with it. There Is a possibility (quite large actually) that some teams will not run KERS initially orat all. Strategically, this will benefit them on tracks where 1 stop strategies have been possible before. Like I said, fuel tanks have to be reduced toaccommodate KERS hardware, so in these instances, it will be interesting to see if the extra boost form KERS can offset the time necessitated by an additionalpitstop. 09 is really going to be interesting. While I disagree with Bernie (and have definitely given him my personal candid opinion while drunk) and Max inwhat they want to see, 09 will be a very interesting time. Still though, I can't help but see the usual suspects at the top. As for amishpimp27 thinking Toyota will be a contender, idk. I need to look more closely at the car (I must confess I haven't yet examinedit closely). But from the pic SinnerP posted, %%! is going on in the side inlets? It looks like an extremely abrupt angle drastically different from the restof the field. Maybe they know something no one else does, but I'm highly skeptical of that. The lack of testing this year is really going to shake thingsup.

Touching on the end of the KERS points you made, as far as how can it be used per lap, section 5.2.3 of the FIA technical regulations states that "Themaximum power, in or out, of any KERS must not exceed 60kW. Energy released from the KERS may not exceed 400kJ in any one lap.Measurements will be taken at theconnection to the rear wheel drive train." So, like the "3 engine rule", interpret as you wish. As far as safety, you've seen it already.There have been issues. But during a wet race? Well KERS clearly isn't the first electronic system on a F1 car, so...I totally agree now, especially withthe idea of budget caps, KERS is entirely counterintuitave. Why on earth limit development in all the normal areas and then push an entirely new system whosecost/benefit is entirely unknown but will still most likely result in the top teams spending the most to make the most and the bottom teams making due withwhat they can. Like I said though, I've voiced my issues to the top. They're well aware of what the average fan thinks.


PS, Gordon Murray is indeed a brilliant designer, but not the only one to dawn McLaren's doors. Plus, everyone has their price and it's no secret theyhave always made a great product (MP 4/4, anyone?) Ron definitely did not "retire" as team principal for that reason. He had a lot on his mind and alto to deal with for the McLaren group. I don't want to speak for him at all, but I definitely feel that Lewis' result made his decision a bit easier,but everyone knew it was coming sooner rather than later. He'll still have a very active role in the F1 operations, but Martin is perfectly up to the taskof being responsible for the team. Ron is a die hard, avid F1 fan and will remain so until he takes his final breath.

 

[Sinner]

"HEAVY ties with VMM"...

you're not gonna gimme more thanthat? how many NTers do you know have that for a sig???

I'm just playing... I'm sure you would if you could... The only thing more mysterious to me, other than the prototypes inside the Nike InnovativeKitchen, is what goes on inside the MTC...

oh well.

Anyway, I try to keep close tabs on everything McLaren, so Ron's 'retirement' isn't much of a surprise. Its been rumored quite a bit over thepast few years, and with Todt having left already and Flavio leaving after next year (I think), its naturally with Lewis' WDC, the time seemed right. PlusI think the 07 season took a lot out of him emotionally as well as his separation with his wife. As he'll supposedly be working more on customer cars, Ido hope they're done with milking the SLR. I'm kinda sick of it.

Toyota... I don't see them surprising anyone. I think Renault will be back as will BMW. Surprises will come from RBR. As for the new designs, I noticedthat all the side inlets as well as the airboxes are a lot smaller. I know these are still 'interim' cars, so maybe it'll all change in March. Ialso noticed that Ferrari is pushing the envelope again... exposed rear exhausts (which are supposedly illegal this season) and the side mirrors (which lookmore like aero pieces). I love how the MP4-24 incorporated the exhausts into the bodywork. Nice flow to it.




Curt, since you seem to have a bit of open-wheel experience, whats your take on the new wider front wings? Lap 1 Turn 1 will be a mess.

 

[eddiehouse5]

man, didn't expect to see this thread back...
i had to take a break after the nt virus scare, i'm happy to revive this thread

man, the slicks look weird on the f1 cars

 

[curt2121]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

"HEAVY ties with VMM"...

you're not gonna gimme more than that? how many NTers do you know have that for a sig???

I'm just playing... I'm sure you would if you could... The only thing more mysterious to me, other than the prototypes inside the Nike Innovative Kitchen, is what goes on inside the MTC...

oh well.

Anyway, I try to keep close tabs on everything McLaren, so Ron's 'retirement' isn't much of a surprise. Its been rumored quite a bit over the past few years, and with Todt having left already and Flavio leaving after next year (I think), its naturally with Lewis' WDC, the time seemed right. Plus I think the 07 season took a lot out of him emotionally as well as his separation with his wife. As he'll supposedly be working more on customer cars, I do hope they're done with milking the SLR. I'm kinda sick of it.

Toyota... I don't see them surprising anyone. I think Renault will be back as will BMW. Surprises will come from RBR. As for the new designs, I noticed that all the side inlets as well as the airboxes are a lot smaller. I know these are still 'interim' cars, so maybe it'll all change in March. I also noticed that Ferrari is pushing the envelope again... exposed rear exhausts (which are supposedly illegal this season) and the side mirrors (which look more like aero pieces). I love how the MP4-24 incorporated the exhausts into the bodywork. Nice flow to it.




Curt, since you seem to have a bit of open-wheel experience, whats your take on the new wider front wings? Lap 1 Turn 1 will be a mess.

geez, i keep getting sucked into posting when drunk...I really can't say more, but that's how it goes. you're right about it not being much of asurprise, but many people thought it would come next year. Everyone knows Ron wants another Constructor's title, so we thought he'd give it anothershot. As far as the SLR, i though tit was obvious that, from the beginning, that was a mercedes motivated project not a true McLaren road car. Even the SirSterling Moss has major shortcomings I don't feel are personally worth giving his name to, but so be it and he will always be a hero to me. Personally, Ithink Renault will indeed be back with their license to "equalize" engine performance, but I don't see BMW capitalizing more on what they didlast year. I think last year was a big year for them, but I just don't see them breaking through with what they have without serious luck. As far as RBR,who knows. With an Adrian Newey chasis, you always hope for the best. Really though, it is up to Renault this year. IT could very well be another year ofSTR>>>RBR, but you never know. As far as the front wing, it's going to be a HUGE problem, especially at the start. Having been wheel to wheel/locked inside wheels with people before, a front wing that long spells disaster. Good thing DC retired this last year...

 

[eddiehouse5]

Feb.4 (GMM) A new formula one team is under wraps in America and set to be launched officially later this month, it is reported on Wednesday.

The team, whose logo can be previewed at usf1.com, is fronted by F1 stalwart and broadcaster Peter Windsor, and American Ken Anderson, of Indycar and NASCAR fame but also former Ligier technical director.

Briton Windsor, 56, has worked for Williams and Ferrari, but is best known today as a television pundit and writer.

The German website motorsport-total.com said USF1 intends to make its grand prix debut in 2010, and already has the blessing of F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.

The team will have the slogan 'made in america' and be headquartered in the heart of NASCAR-country in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Reportedly, an agreement to use the new Windshear wind tunnel in North Carolina is already in place, while USF1 intends to be a showcase for American technology and US-born drivers.
usf1 in 2010? i hope they represent our country well- http://www.f1way.com/news/2009/February/4/new-american-f1-team-under-wrapshttp://www.f1way.com/news...rican-f1-team-under-wraps

i would welcome a rome street track- http://www.f1way.com/news/2009/February/4/tilke-in-romehttp://www.f1way.com/news.../February/4/tilke-in-rome

 

[Sinner]

^ Yeah I read about this as well... The US definitely has the know-how on running a racing team, but the question will be how they'll apply their knowledgeto F1, which is a totally different animal. It'll also be interesting to see who will get the drive.

A GP in Rome sounds interesting, but will it mean two Italian GP's? or are they gonna drop the historical Monza? Hermann Tilke is the man, though...

and in other news...

Lewis Hamilton should not rule out one day switching from McLaren in order to race in Formula One with the famous Ferrari team. That is the advice to the 23-year-old British driver of FIA President Max Mosley.

Hamilton, F1's new reigning world champion, has stated his total commitment to Mercedes-powered McLaren, explaining that he can imagine always driving for the team.

"If I were Hamilton I would be happy to be at McLaren and I would be happy to move to Ferrari (in the future)," Mosley said.

The 68-year-old Briton said he has no idea how Hamilton's career will actually pan out, but believes most drivers harbour an ambition to drive for the sport's oldest and most famous team.

Mosley mentioned his friend Gerhard Berger, who spent two separate spells at Ferrari in both the 80s and 90s, and also drove for McLaren, as recalling 'no better feeling' than 'winning at Monza in a Ferrari'.

Max Mosley admitted: "If I was a racing driver I would want to have driven a Ferrari for at least one season."

Hamilton is under contract to McLaren Mercedes until the end of the 2012 season.

I'm so sick of Max... fueling more conspiracy theories of a FIA-rrari bias... 'Winning at Monza in a Ferrari'? What about winning at Silverstonein a McLaren?

though I don't think/foresee/hope Lewis ever wanting to switch to Ferrari.

 

[eddiehouse5]

http://usf1.com/

i'm hyped

 

[Sinner]

I certainly hope she doesn't get the drive because ("She's great. She gets a lot of press," USF1 technical director Andersontold The Associated Press.)

Doing well on ovals is one thing, doing well in circuit racing is another...

USF1 could consider Danica Patrick
Monday 16th February 2009

Danica Patrick could become the first female F1 driver in more than a decade after USF1's Ken Anderson confirmed that the team could be interested in signing her.

Patrick has made a name for herself in the American IndyCar series, even claiming a victory at the 2008 Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi.

Following her victory there was talk of a possible Honda test for the Wisconsin native. It never materialised, though.

However, the 26-year-old could yet enter F1 thanks to the soon-to-be-launched USF1 team.

"She's great. She gets a lot of press," USF1 technical director Anderson told The Associated Press.

"(Indianapolis Motor Speedway president) Tony George would probably be pretty mad with me if I took her out of the IRL but we'll see.

"I don't know if it's something she wants to do. We'd certainly love to test her and go from there."

F1's last female driver was Giovanna Amat, who tried to qualify for the South African, Mexican and Brazilian grands prix of 1992. Amat, though, failed to qualify for all three.

 

[eddiehouse5]

she's a looker and all, but if they put her in the seat, we will get no respect from anyone until we get a good result, and those may be few and farbetween.

she's popular, but she's not enough to make people watch indycar, therefore she's not popular enough to make people wake up at 7:30 in the morningto watch a european sport.

if we somehow can field a top car, it doesn't matter who's in the seat though

 

[eddiehouse5]

Ken Anderson, Peter Windsor and all at USF1 would like to thank everyone for the amazing response we have received since news firstbroke about our project on February 4, 2009.

Proving that American technology, American drivers and the American competitive spirit can compete and win on the F1 global stage hasbeen our mission for several years now. And, judging by the overwhelming response we have received from F1 fans both in the US and worldwide, from within theF1 industry and from the US hi-tech industry, we think that many of you agree with us.

We will be officially announcing the team in a special show on Speed TV on February 24 at 13:00 EST.

To contact USF1, email to: [email protected]

 

[Sinner]

Interesting to see how they will perform, especially considering how money-intensive F1 can be especially for new teams, given the current economic climate. Iguess this also means that we won't hear Peter Windsor conduct the post-race press conference...

Danica has also reportedly declined her interest in racing in F1...

 

[brrraptors]

Originally Posted by SinnerP

Interesting to see how they will perform, especially considering how money-intensive F1 can be especially for new teams, given the current economic climate. I guess this also means that we won't hear Peter Windsor conduct the post-race press conference...

Danica has also reportedly declined her interesting in racing in F1...

thank you! shes a looker but you cant tell me there aren't better open car drivers than her. if she was brought in to drive an F1 it'd bemore of a marketting than a talent based move. it would've bugged me to no end.

i dont know how to embed an article (anyone care to explain?) but theres an interesting article on the numbers involved in a single F1 season from the BMWteam's perspective and here are some of the facts:

- For flyaway Grands Prix, the team dispatches some 32 tonnes of air freight. That includes three chassis (two cars plus a spare chassis), six to eightengines, three to five sets of spare parts, 160 wheel rims, 100 radio sets, headphones, tools, computers and the pit garage equipment. Everything is packedinto four 'igloos' (huge containers) from Hinwil, one igloo from Munich, two lower-deck containers and two ten-foot pallets from Hinwil and one fromMunich.

- The hospitality unit, which takes twelve men 36 hours to erect, has 37 plasma screens running. 40 kilometres of cables are laid for the power and networksupply.

- The kitchen is kept busy feeding and watering team members and guests: in 2008 average consumption per Grand Prix weekend amounted to 140 kilograms of meat,100 kg of fish, 100 kg of fruit, 90 kg of vegetables, 40 kg of cheese, 1,000 eggs, 1,800 bread rolls plus 2,500 litres of water and soft drinks.

- On the 17 race weekends, a total of 26,700 kilometres were covered in the F1.08: 13,716 km by Heidfeld and 12,984 km by Kubica.

 

[Sinner]

Actually, I just re-read the article and it says that she hasn't been contacted byt USF1 and that she wasn't keen on travelling around world to race...

"I haven't really expressed a lot of excitement and interest in world travel," she said on Thursday in Toronto. "We'll see what they (USF1) say though. Maybe they'll call..."

If they do offer her a test, it'll be very interesting to see how she'll physically cope with the stresses of driving an F1 car...

Yeah, each team carries a tons of equipment... especially for the European races in which they have to build their "motorhomes" to take care of theirVIP's in... Red Bull and McLaren are said to have the nicest motorhomes... then theres the stuff for the race: 2 chassis, extra car parts, parts for theirpitlane/pit garage, rims (Bridgestone brings the tires)...

 

[osubass1]

i don't consider her a real racer.

the only reason she won the race she did was due to her fuel mileage.

if USF1 wants to be taken seriously, they need to find someone with real skills. Jeff Gordon is a great driver. i know he wastes most of his life drivingaround in NECKCARS,
but the guy's got some serious talent.

i'm a little disappointed Honda left the game this season, but it was clear since they came back with BAR Honda that their head was never really in thegame.

i can't wait for the season to start, especially now that i have Speed HD

 

[brrraptors]

heres a little game, predict a guy and/or team you think will have a breakout season.

personally i think vettel is gonna step it up. he was exciting last year and got on the podium but i think this will be his coming out party if red bull canshow reliability.

i'd love to see some inside pics of these motorhomes, with that many plasmas

 

[Sinner]

osubass1 - I didn't realize that Danica was on 'fuel-economy' mode when she won her race... not to take anything away from her win, but Idefinately would have liked to see her win due to her "pure speed"... Incidentally, a few years ago Jeff Gordon and Montoya (then with Williams) dida swap-test. Both drivers did a decent job, with Gordon lapping around 5 seconds off of Montoya's qualifying time at the US Grand Prix (Indy). Arespectable time.

Virgin's Sir Richard Branson is looking to make a bid for Honda, so they still might race this coming season... but it won't be in HD... I think theFOM has indicated that F1 will not be broadcast in HD this season.

brrraptors - I suspect most will pick Vettel, considering his performance last year as well as the new aero rules for 2009 (Adrian Newey will be thedifference)...

Here are some pics of McLaren's motorhome Brand Centre

The facility features an entertainment area on top floor, offices of the middle floor and an area for the team, the media and the drivers on the ground floor, along with the kitchen. The facility is around 850 sq m. in size. It has been paid for by McLaren, Vodafone and Mercedes-Benz in equal shares and they will also split the running costs between them.

The facility takes between 40-50 hours to build and 48 hours to take apart.

 

[eddiehouse5]

honda isn't dead yet http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-exclusive-brawn-sport-to-take-over-honda/

 

[eddiehouse5]

usf1

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1336737893/bclid647737970/bctid14031705001

there's the q and q in there as well as the official announcement

 

[curt2121]

the VMM brand center is first class, i'll tell you that. But everyone knows it's the red bull folks that have the most fun. Their drinks station canget downright insane.

 

[Sinner]

USF1 ~ The number of times Danica's name is mentioned for the USF1 drive is getting ridiculous.

Anyway, like Curt mentioned, Red Bull's Energy Station is quite impressive too, especially at Monaco... shared by RBR & STR...

kept this pic at full-rez... notice how small Ferrari's motorhome is (far right)

 

[briannnnn]

RBR seems like a fun team to be around...I remember reading their previews for each GP a couple years ago... consistent

every time...