F1 2011

[alanmf1]

Next weekend 27th March sees the start of the 2011 F1 World championship in Melbourne, following the postponement of Bahrain.

I know there are a few ardent fans here.

It promises to be a good season with a few new regulations to spice up the Sunday afternoon battles.
KERS.. push to pass system is back!
A movable rear wing flap to reduce drag and allow passing at the end of the straight ( Note this is controlled by FIA system. Following car must be within 1 sec of car in front to activate it and the lead car can not use his wing in defence. Also activation is only on 1 particular section of the track)
Finally the New for 2011 Pirelli tyres. These have not been lasting as long in testing and atm Teams will be looking at 3 or 4 pitstops!!
I attended the Jerez & Barcelona Tests last month and i can assure you the mistakes are evident!!

With no refuelling the pressure is on the teams of mechanics to carry out safe and reliable sub 4 second stops!!!!

So who do you going to win in Melbourne and who will be champion at the end of the season???

Heres a free predictor game....

http://predictor.castroledgerankings.com/

[KeithD]

Hopefully it'll be as exciting as all the other years were they all pretty much finish as they start, don't overtake, and moan when it rains because they know they'll have to really race .... Hurrah for Inday racing

[gWaPito]

Nice one Alan

Im trying to get me a new tv cinema system in time for the big kick off.

[alanmf1]

Keith, I agree that F1 can be and is most of the time processional!
Indycar like Nascar makes great TV and is also very fan friendly..
The Sebring 12hour sportscar race is on at the moment with 56 cars starting the race and a laptime difference of 20 seconds per lap now that sees a lot of excitement!!
However the FIA and more importantly the F1 Teams know that they have to do something to spice up their own show and are working on regulations to do this...
It is however still nice to see the ingenuity and technical expertise that F1 is even if it is as ludicrously expensive as Football!!

[steve monty]

I think this year will be much better than previous years. There seems to be a lot more 'mid range' teams progressing well with the rule changes. I can see teams like Mercedes, Renault, Sauber, Williams and Red Bull's little brother team doing well and springing some supprises. There a lot of talented drivers outside the big three of McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull so i think it will be a better championship than usual

I must confess i'm not a mechanical fan and do not know the in's and out's of the KERS, moveable rear wing and aerodynamics. but i do like watching it!

[Englishman2010]

Definitely looking forward to it. Let's hope it's another great fight like last year with lots of contenders fighting it out right until the last race.

[Steve.r]

Alan, with your knowledge and insight into the workings of F1, it would be great to hear more of your experiences with the teams, and maybe a post race diagnosis of what happened, went wrong and how you see things panning out over the season.

I for one am very interested in hearing about your work in F1

Will you be following your team around the world this season ?

[alanmf1]

No Steve, im way too old for 20 races a year now mate.... its for the young fellas!!
I did 11 seasons of it from mid 90's until 2005.
I was at the tests helping out some old friends........

MOTO GP tomorrow mate... Hondas 0.8 ahead of the Yamahas hmmmm and 46 1.5sec off the pace!!!

Did your "blade" sell?

PS..Boss doesnt seem tp like F1 mate so better not say too much..

[Steve.r]

No Steve, im way too old for 20 races a year now mate.... its for the young fellas!!
I did 11 seasons of it from mid 90's until 2005.
I was at the tests helping out some old friends........

MOTO GP tomorrow mate... Hondas 0.8 ahead of the Yamahas hmmmm and 46 1.5sec off the pace!!!

Did your "blade" sell?

PS..Boss doesnt seem tp like F1 mate so better not say too much..

Well Alan, you still have more insight than all of us

Funnily enough..... a guy came round this afternoon and he decided after a bit of haggling to buy my 'blade. Sad it has to go, but it means I have funds for a car in Phils

[gWaPito]

Umm Nascar and indy, more enjoymentwatching paint dry.

If they took to a proper race track with the occasional twist and turn, I may watch it.

Last year F1 was very disappointing.

The developersand engineers won that for red bull.

My mother could of been the driver and still would of won it.

That's far they were ahead.

The best driver was not at red bull driver which was a shame.

The dreadful errors Vettel made throughout the season was embarassing.

Just me opinion

[Steve.r]

However much the team support the drivers in whatever means they can from the pits, I dont think even I could handle a car of that magnitude, however fast I think I can drive or ride my bike. The drivers still make the cars go round the track, but it 'is' a 'team' sport these days.

[steve monty]

I agree that there a lot of talented drivers in F1 now, they by enlarge got there through right and not sponsorship. Is there such a thing as 'team' now? I'm sure they changed the rules now so that the team can favour one driver this year. Maybe it was Ferarri who wanted it changed. probably had to wait till their former team principle was FIA boss.

What do people think of the movable wing? will it make much difference? as only on one straight of the track.

For the race, on pole Vettel. To win, Alonso.

I hope Nico Rosberg of Merc and the Williams team will have a good season

[alanmf1]

Steve M...
The wing has been tested a lot by all the teams but not under "race conditions".
I believe that its on the agenda for testing in free practice on Friday.
It will allow passing but "its artificial" if you know what i mean...
The 1 second rule will be interesting to see... 1 sec being about 80+ metres @200mph!

I agree Vettel for pole, Webber to win!

Ferrari will be in the mix with Mclaren and STR being the midfield surprise!

[Steve.r]

It will allow passing but "its artificial" if you know what i mean...
The 1 second rule will be interesting to see... 1 sec being about 80+ metres @200mph!

How often can the movable wing be used ? Can it be used on places other than the straight? will some more skilled drivers be able to reduce the drag with the wing to improve driving on other places on the track?

[alanmf1]

Have a read mate...
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/89955

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns22995.html

an interesting innovation but i think it spoils the "pure racing" aspect..

[KeithD]

They should have an oval in F1, at least you'd get some overtaking.

[grahamw48]

I'm a supporter

Not keen on the KERS thing or the new wing though.

[KeithD]

Every year they say it'll be better, but it never is, we don't actually get a 'race'. All we get is is a procession of manufacturers. They should all get the same engine, otherwise it's down to the developers of the most power just as much as the drivers. We seen what happened when you put Button in a good car, he can win. Did that mean he'd been driving crap for years? He'd suddenly improved that year? Nope, he got the fastest engine.

I know bodywork makes a difference, but it's what is under the bonnet the usualy decides who wins and who loses. At least in rally cars the stages level the playing field regardless of engines, but the F1 tracks do not do that. With Indy they all have the same engines and the 50/50 split between oval/street circuits levels them out.

[Steve.r]

They should all get the same engine, otherwise it's down to the developers of the most power just as much as the drivers.

They all work within the same rules, it is just down to how they develop the car within those rules, they all have the chance to do the same.

As for the oval, maybe each track should have an oval built in or grafted into the track, then a free for all no limit blast for a few seconds, but isnt that what KERS and the new wing will provide?

[grahamw48]

I like Indy too....in fact all forms of motor sport.

Thank goodness for the variety available to us, either to participate in or to watch.

Drag racing appeals to my outrageous sense of humour though.

I'm just working on an old VeeDub 'rapid response' tow truck at the moment.
What do you reckon ?

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[Steve.r]

I like Indy too....in fact all forms of motor sport.

Thank goodness for the variety available to us, either to participate in or to watch.

Drag racing appeals to my outrageous sense of humour though.

I'm just working on an old VeeDub 'rapid response' tow truck at the moment.
What do you reckon ?

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Its not road legal, no indicators

[Englishman2010]

Its not road legal, no indicators

Speed bumps might be a bit of a problem too....otherwise, why not

[KeithD]

They all work within the same rules, it is just down to how they develop the car within those rules, they all have the chance to do the same.

But they don't in the real world though do they. which is why the FIA keep having to change the rules every year. If you ask me they should only race in the rain, at least we get something to watch.

They also took out all the long straights on every track, the German track through the forest used to be brilliant, but then they ruined it with chicanes, and now they've dumped that part of the circuit altogether and rebuilt it so you can't overtake!!!!

Then we have the stupid chicanes rules, which ruined one season ..... It's quite simple .... you fill the sides of the chicanes with the stuff that quickly slows cars down, no rules needed as no advantage could be gained.

[Dedworth]

For those interested there is a free F1 guide in Mondays Guardian.

The rest of the paper would come in handy if you have an outside karzi

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/comp...mar/15/f1-2011

[steve monty]

Steve M...
The wing has been tested a lot by all the teams but not under "race conditions".
I believe that its on the agenda for testing in free practice on Friday.
It will allow passing but "its artificial" if you know what i mean...
The 1 second rule will be interesting to see... 1 sec being about 80+ metres @200mph!

I agree Vettel for pole, Webber to win!

Ferrari will be in the mix with Mclaren and STR being the midfield surprise!

Sound's like you are saying drivers could use this from a long way back, 80+ meters. It will be interesting to see how it works in race situation.

I would love Webber to win, but I have a feeling he might get stitched up with the new rule allowing team orders. I mean they took away his new wing after Vettel broke his which i think is a bit sad really. Vettel broke his, his fault; I understand they have to look after the teams interest's, but Vettel didn't have an outright lead. "Not bad for a number 2 driver" Quality!!

[gWaPito]

For those interested there is a free F1 guide in Mondays Guardian.

The rest of the paper would come in handy if you have an outside karzi

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/comp...mar/15/f1-2011

H aha ha that made me laugh

[gWaPito]

Hey Steve r (many steve's) I was being light hearted in my 1 st post here.

The point I was making, it was a shame the championship was won by a mediocre F2 driver. Not my opinion but, of well respected former F1 drivers.

As for me, I have until 2008 been a bike rider since 77, and been lucky enough to have owned both car as well. My first proper bike was a GT 750 Suzuki, my last being purchased 2005, a Busa K5.

Many a track day at Brands

I for one, can't see Red Bull dominating this year like the previous.

As for poles, I'd plump for Lewis Hamilton, to win, Lewis Hamilton.

The race at le mans where he was robbed of 1st, it was a disgrace. He drove like a driver like ive never seen before, brilliantly.

[Steve.r]

Hey Steve r (many steve's) I was being light hearted in my 1 st post here.

As for me, I have until 2008 been a bike rider since 77, and been lucky enough to have owned both car as well. My first proper bike was a GT 750 Suzuki, my last being purchased 2005, a Busa K5.

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Yes, I know what you were getting at but sometimes we get numbed into thinking it is an easy job. I also shout at the tv that my mother could do better

Nice bikes btw, I sold my CBR1000RR5 Fireblade yesterday a genuine factory Repsol rep too The bike I had before that was a 'Busa, awesome machine before that a Gixer thou' R1 and another Blade. I love bikes.

MotoGP is on BBC2 right now also

[alanmf1]

MotoGP is on BBC2 right now also

Repsol benefit............

Looks like the aussie has just pulled the pin!!

[stevewool]

just brought a bike yesterday , looking forward to getting out at the weekends with emma making the best of the long summer days i hope