F1/ Formula E/ Motorsport Thread

Hamilton half a second quicker in practice indicates not much but it was in the wet.

Fantastic to see the McLarens up there, lets just hope it wasn't due to the wet and that their engine is much better this year.

 

Someone who knows a lot more than me about F1 informs me the McLarens remain massively down on straight line speed and will struggle again.

Apparently the Toro Rossos will do well in the first half of the season before being outdeveloped.

 

well that was the strangest qualy session I can recall

 

The procession continues. It's such a shame, F1 is turning into a bit of a farce. I used to love it in the late 80's early to mid 90's, but now my interest is really fading.

 

I'd give points for qualy on Saturday

Then reverse the grid for Sunday

Would make Sat interesting and make the race a free for all

 

Qually was interesting. I'd let people finish the lap they were on tho. 90secs isn't enough

 

thought qualy was a farce put it back how it was , at least cars will be on track when chequered flag falls

 

As someone who doesn't watch F1 anymore due to it being less entertaining than a Watford home game, could someone explain why no cars were out at the end of qualifying?

 

Yes, it was. Good watching.

Haas getting a 6th place finish was impressive as well. Button, was second from last runner:dismay:

 

Cars are everything in F1, and I do not see Lewis leaving the only competitive manufacturer.

However, Hamilton has consistently had worse luck but clearly been the better driver over the last few years, and so losing to Rosberg has got to grate.

 

Red Bull are the kings of aero, and the 17 regs are much more aero biased

I can see a scenario where Merc lose top spot

 

Ecclestone is no longer in charge of F1, at last!

http://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/10740557/bernie-ecclestone-announces-he-is-no-longer-boss-of-formula-one

Hopefully the new people understand motorsport and don't turn it into a personal cash-cow like Bernie.

 

Bit harsh. Yep Bernie made an awful lot of money but he is the one that made F1 a success. Whether he actually owned F1 in the first place is another matter.

If you read some of the better driver and team owner autobiographies out there, not many people have bad words to say about him.

 

Bernie did good things for F1 in the early days but hung around too long, it needs some fresh thinking

 

True, but there's so much money available in the middle east and people queuing up to host a race, Silverstone need to offer something other than history and the fact that 90% of the teams are based nearby.

Agreed. He probably stayed on 5 years too long. My worry is that although Bernie always had a business head his heart was always F1. The new owners don't have that love for the sport and are just looking at dollar signs.

 

Ross Brawn as MD.

That's an good choice.

 

It's not harsh. He did great things for F1 in previous decades, turning it into a major success whilst overseeing a massive shift in safety. However over the past decade he has suffocated the sport, he's strangling the traditional tracks with ridiculously high fees whilst bringing in identikit tracks in the middle-east to 'expand the sport'. India and China I understand, but UAE, Qatar and Bahrain is all about the money.

He should've gone out on a high 10 years ago.

 

It should be about a cicuit that offers decent racing and has a passionate crowd which Silverstone has but sadly that's not what it's about anymore.

 

So Ferrari as usual flatter to deceive

Lewis looking ominous

Hate the stupid looking shark fins and the t bars

Not sure about a pink car

If Fred is still driving a McLaren by the end of the year I'll be surprised

 

They got this one right

 

Yawn.

Well I suppose we haven't had this "controversy" for a year.

To be honest I couldn't care if we have a UK GP anymore. It's not a spectacle like Monaco and it's not a circuit which regularly provides a must see race.

 

I think Silverstone has had some of the more memorable races over the last decade or so.

However, if they were to change the race to take place around the streets of London, I'd be far happier.

 

I think Silverstone is a circuit that provides one of the better balances of speed, overtaking and atmosphere across the season. I think it would be sad if it went.

The dispute regarding Silverstone is over just a few £m a year. In a sport where a single engine costs approx £5m, it seems incredible that we have reached this stage and the powers that be can't sort it out.

 

When it was Silverstone v Bernie it (almost) always went no further than just renegotiating a deal, except for when it was meant to move to Donington. Now F1 has new owners I'm not so convinced they'll be as flexible, I think it's now more likely we'll see a 'street' race (probably somewhere like Hyde Park or the Olympic Park area rather than a traditional street race).

To be completely honest I think Silverstone is the worst track I've been to in the UK, so part of me wouldn't be too bothered... But it's more than just another F1 race, it's the event and the history that goes with it. For that reason I'm torn.

 

poetic justice methinks, Vettels got away with blue murder recently, deliberately crashing into Lewis.. swearing at Charlie over the radio..

 

What a boring sport. Is it actually a sport? I would not be surprised to find out the the F1 teams all get together at the beginning of the season and decide who will win.
Now Downhill skiing, that is a sport