2015 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Spoilers

[Charles Warner]

I would be freaked out if there was an auto racing organization near the south pole. Doesn't mean I don't give consideration to those poor souls who would attempt such a thing.

[JeffW]

No Charles - that's not any of the poles - north or south. Its a yellow cab in NYC.

JeffW

[tonychilton]

Teams should be limited only on the amount of fuel they use in a race. Any PU they want as long as it only consumes so much. It would make for more diversity and more likelihood of actual racing.

[dsmithwc04]

Charles, I award you the win sir.

[BLS]

You want the F1 to consider using small blocks from Chevy?

I responded to the request for less costly 900- 1000 hp.

Small block Chevy will do it, last way longer than the current F1 engines, and cut costs. So you tell me, why not?

[Brian]

something no one has mentioned yet. Winning race pace and fastest lap was over 4.5 seconds slower than qualifying pace, and almost 1.5 seconds slower than Mercedes pace in FP1. Mercedes was absolutely driving to a pace far slower than they were capable of. Ignoring fuel limitations (for who knows how full they were fueled) they probably had a second a lap in the bag and could have easily lapped the field. I recall Hamilton even commented that he could have lapped the third place Ferrari if he'd felt like it.

Brian

[Rolling Stone]

"Today there are over 15,000 curlers and 135 clubs in the U.S., most in the north central US. but also in about 20 or states. Still more clubs are forming in the wake of the Olympic popularity."

They may be "freaked out" that supposedly intelligent human beings waste their time and a lot of money driving around race tracks in noisy outdated cars.

A little consideration for others' choices of activity?

Spoken like a true curler

[grapefarmeral]

I'm old enough to remember the Can Am and the Bruce and Denny Show....really boring.. and IMO the end of the Can Am.

I think Christian Horner has a point in that when Red Bull was a run away the FIA made them change previously approved parts because they were illegal.

I agree with the big hp, big tires...

I'm not sure what NBCSN is thinking with the AMERICAN coverage of F1 with four (04) Brits...The Speed lineup with Varsha was good...

The series should be renamed the Formula Engineers Challenge Event...please do not call it a race... if you want to see a race go watch a Spec Miata, Formula Ford (sorry F), Formula Vee or F 1200 RACE... maybe all the teams show up and each driver gets a few laps in each car and see which driver can get the most out of a particular car... We'd at least get to see the real talent ..

A number of years ago I heard Bernie say that 'it's not the amount of passing, but the anticipation that there may be a pass...' the ink from counting all that money has apparently caused some lapses in the thought process..

[dsmithwc04]

I responded to the request for less costly 900- 1000 hp.

Small block Chevy will do it, last way longer than the current F1 engines, and cut costs. So you tell me, why not?

I wasn't necessarily commenting on if its a good idea or not, but more on the chances that F1 would ever consider American engines based on 50 year old technology. Believe me when I say I'm not bashing small block motors from our big three, I've got an '08 Shelby GT500 sitting in my garage to prove the point that I love the sound and performance they provide.

Personally, I prefer they go back to the previous V8 motors and cap horsepower. Heck, they can go to any engine they want as long as the put a cap on the power to keep it up to the manufacturers to provide a quality car and driver to win. Maybe there would be an actual race as an added bonus?

something no one has mentioned yet. Winning race pace and fastest lap was over 4.5 seconds slower than qualifying pace, and almost 1.5 seconds slower than Mercedes pace in FP1. Mercedes was absolutely driving to a pace far slower than they were capable of. Ignoring fuel limitations (for who knows how full they were fueled) they probably had a second a lap in the bag and could have easily lapped the field. I recall Hamilton even commented that he could have lapped the third place Ferrari if he'd felt like it.

Brian

Brian, the second I read your comment I immediately remembered Hamilton's qualifying time being several seconds faster than the race pace. Not sure why nobody including myself brought that fine point up before but thanks for doing so. I went back and watched some parts of the race again earlier today and I did notice Hamilton looking like he would pull faster lap times only when Rosberg "challenged" him and then immediately let back off to keep him a little more than a second behind minimum. At one point Rosberg knocked off 1.2 seconds of the gap between the two over 3 laps. Hamilton responded by getting every bit of that back within the next 2 laps with Rosberg keeping his pace. Perhaps this season will be worse than I feared. Hopefully Ferrari and Williams will provide some quality entertainment for the next best team this year.

[rickb99]

....Small block Chevy will do it, last way longer than the current F1 engines, and cut costs. So you tell me, why not?

Replace F1 with a new forum of F5000. Small block Chevy's with 900 HP limit and carbon fiber tubes. Would be great racing. Could actually have cross over between Indy cars and F1 again.

[BLS]

but more on the chances that F1 would ever consider American engines based on 50 year old technology.

I'm under no illusion that F1 would ever make a decent choice...

It is not however, 50 year old technology, anymore than any ICE is a century old tech...

[provamo]

http://autoweek.com/article/formula-...=awracingdaily

[JeffW]

Please no limits on fuel consumption. Its just a phony tip of the hat to motor racing being green - which it never will be - even FE or whatever it is called.

When fuel was limited the canny Mr Prost used to lay back in his McLaren-with an economical Porsche motor - and then zip from 5th or something to the lead in the last few laps while everyone was trying to get home on fumes. You could call it race strategy but somewhat artificial. If the LM prototypes run almost full race pace for 24hrs, why can't the F1 cars do the same for 1.5 hrs? Too much regulation has had a negative effect on the racing. If fuel limits returned we would have to listen to the likely lads speculating all afternoon as to who was using more fuel than the next.

JeffW

[PaulT]

There already are fuel limits in place. The 100g/hr rate and the fuel tank size are already limiting the engine performance. The spec'ed rev limit is higher than anyone runs.

Paul

[Modo]

Would like to toss this in, it's a catch 22, you want the best and the best to win, but now you are semi-bored of the same people winning ...... go figure ...... Franchitti n Elio/Aussies n Zealand n the Dodger (Rodger) (think it's not chip) ......... course Shumi n Ferrari ......... n a friend I worked with that followed Nascar said the days are numbered for the sport a while ago with Jeff Gordon's domination w/Effringham's sp? help. Hammi and Rosberg as well

Watching racing can be boring, actually racing can be more than exciting ( don't have to go ski diving, jumping off mountains after that, that's enough)

TV- even with the speed cameras, your eyes never really travel from the one box in the distance, no speed sensation, not like personally walking the corners at the Glen and watching the drivers work the car thru the corners or trying to figure out the number of the car that just flew by ............

I know we were worried about tech stuff, oversized go kart tracks instead of simulated highway racing ...... but you know F1, sometimes when they string out, unless you are there, it can be boring ... ( race may be in the qualifying) by the way, NHRA is not racing, it's a physics experiment!!!!! JMO damn cutsy wutsy acronyms

[dsmithwc04]

Would like to toss this in, it's a catch 22, you want the best and the best to win, but now you are semi-bored of the same people winning ...... go figure ...... Franchitti n Elio n the Dodger (Rodger) (think it's not chip) ......... course Shumi n Ferrari ......... n a friend I worked with that followed Nascar said the days are numbered for the sport a while ago with Jeff Gordon's domination w/Effringham's sp? help. Hammi and Rosberg as well

Watching racing can be boring, actually racing can be more than exciting ( don't have to go ski diving, jumping off mountains after that, that's enough)

TV- even with the speed cameras your eyes never really travel from the one box in the distance, no speed sensation, not like personally walking the corners at the Glen and watching the drivers work the car thru the corners or trying to figure out the number of the car that just flew by ............

I know we were worried about tech stuff, oversized go kart tracks instead of simulated highway racing ...... but you know F1, sometimes when they string out, unless you are there, it can be boring ... ( race may be in the qualifying) by the way, NHRA is not racing, it's a physics experiment!!!!! JMO damn cutsy wutsy acronyms

Personally, I don't mind the same person winning over and over again until the end of time as long as it was a close, hard fought race. As I've said before, Hamilton is the guy I root for but it's no fun watching him win without even having to push the car past 9/10ths.

[fitfan]

SPOILER ALERT! ...there will be an F1 race again, and the FIA and the troll will spoil it.

[Tiago Santos]

I watched the Australian broadcast and Mark Webber was in the booth.. At one point after Max Verstappen had retired, they showed him talking to one of the engineers in the pit wall. Mark Webber said something like "that's XXXX (can't remember the name), he was one of my engineers at Williams. Well.. I'm sure Max will be working with better engineers than that at some point in the future"

[Modo]

so you are not going watch DSsmith, ......... did we lose a viewer, gonna watch watch some Baja, really, cool, bumpy, effing cars, ............. boring ........

Think the RA friends of mine would like this, ........the above entry by me, ....Mike O is dedicated to Duane Allman, actually Duane N Greg, Duane, why did you have to go out on that wet Georgia road on a motorcycle and leave us alone, Dammit, Dammit Dammit ............listening to you now .... live from the Fillmore East N Eat a Peace ......

Cannot, I say Cannot do any better than that for Jazz-Rock-Blues Fusion

Dammit Duane!!!!

[dsmithwc04]

so you are not going watch DSsmith, ......... did we lose a viewer, gonna watch watch some Baja, really, cool, bumpy, effing cars, ............. boring ........

Think the RA friends of mine would like this, ........the above entry by me, ....Mike O is dedicated to Duane Allman, actually Duane N Greg, Duane, why did you have to go out on that wet Georgia road on a motorcycle and leave us alone, Dammit, Dammit Dammit ............listening to you now .... live from the Fillmore East N Eat a Peace ......

Cannot, I say Cannot do any better than that for Jazz-Rock-Blues Fusion

Dammit Duane!!!!

Modo, what language are you speaking?

[Jnovak]

I predict that the $16 mil settlement goes to a Manor F1 ride. Why do you think that the 2nd Manor driver that they hired a week before the race is NOT A PAY DRIVER. Just a thought.

[Modo]

DSmith, apologies, u jes said you were disappointed watching and wished for more comp ...... I see, that would be good ........ on the Allman thing .....my wife doesn't like music and she's out of town, so the Allman thing was me enjoying probabably my last music jag of the year ...... for the younger guys, Duane was kind of the backbone of the Allman Bros, union musician that played background guitar for some motown groups in the late sixties, not bad, Macon, Ga, NY, NY .......a friend from Georgia Tech said u got to see these guys, they are great in 69' ....... duane had the accident in 71' I believe, anyway Live From the Fillmore East and Eat a Peach have Duane n Greg, Greg is an organist/pianist/singer and is great as well, Ramblin Man (later) does not have Duane..

I know, too much information, Malayschure (Malaysia) as Hobbs sez kiddingly (the Upper Bodington Kid!!!) Hobbs looked great on the telecast, a lesson for us oldies for sure ........ in a little over a week, on with racing Lads

[lance3556]

1 12 Jack Brabham Brabham 01:49:35.400 80 3 9 2 6 Denny Hulme McLaren 01:49:43.500 80 6 6 3 1 Jackie Stewart March 01:49:52.500 80 1 4 4 3 Jean-Pierre Beltoise Matra 01:50:48.500 80 8 3 5 10 John Miles Lotus +1 lap 79 14 2 6 11 Graham Hill Lotus +1 lap 79 19 1 7 4 Henri Pescarolo Matra +2 laps 78 18 0 8 23 John Love Lotus +2 laps 78 22 0 9 20 Pedro Rodríguez BRM +4 laps 76 16 0 10 16 Jo Siffert March +5 laps 75 9 0 11 24 Peter de Klerk Brabham +5 laps 75 21 0 12 25 Dave Charlton Lotus Engine 73 13 0 13 9 Jochen Rindt Lotus Engine 72 4 0 Ret 17 Jacky Ickx Ferrari Engine 60 5 0 Ret 7 John Surtees McLaren Engine 60 7 0 Ret 21 George Eaton BRM Engine 58 23 0 Ret 2 Johnny Servoz-Gavin March Engine 57 17 0 Ret 5 Bruce McLaren McLaren Engine 39 10 0 Ret 22 Piers Courage De Tomaso Accident 39 20 0 Ret 8 Mario Andretti March Overheating 26 11 0 Ret 14 Rolf Stommelen Brabham Engine 23 15 0 Ret 19 Jackie Oliver BRM Gearbox 22 12 0 Ret 15 Chris Amon March Overheating 14 2 0


Seems the more things change the only difference is the people complaining about the changes. Funny how history repeats itself over and over no matter how much people complain!! we should go back to 1/2 the field finishing races and few on the lead lap, that was better racing?

P.S. This was 1970 F1 Racing and I was only 7 years, seems similar to 2015 when I was 51.

[Swift17]

Replace F1 with a new forum of F5000. Small block Chevy's with 900 HP limit and carbon fiber tubes. Would be great racing. Could actually have cross over between Indy cars and F1 again.

Someone with a small disposable fortune should convert all of the last (and dare I say beautiful) Champ Cars to Supercharged LS6 or 7 Power - add a reasonable good looking designed snorkel, recreate the F5000 series and take it to the F1600/2000/Atl Series, package a Formula Car Weekend Extravaganza and watch the spectators arrive in droves ..............
.
.

[Brian]

http://www.f1today.net/en/news/20045...ter-settlement

I wonder why she hated him so much as to take his money up front, and then just dump him.

[TimH]

I wonder why she hated him so much as to take his money up front, and then just dump him.

I don't think it was hate. She took his money and then took someone else's too.

[Peter Olivola]

You presume far too much.

The well for formula car popularity in the U.S. was poisoned by the CART/IRL split. In the meantime, the media glommed onto NASCAR as the flag bearer for all auto racing.

The decline in the importance of cars to adolescents puts us out of sight and out of mind to a new generation.

The aging population of those, like both of us, who remember F-5000 fondly, is beginning to decline precipitously.

Did I say you presume far too much?

Someone with a small disposable fortune should convert all of the last (and dare I say beautiful) Champ Cars to Supercharged LS6 or 7 Power - add a reasonable good looking designed snorkel, recreate the F5000 series and take it to the F1600/2000/Atl Series, package a Formula Car Weekend Extravaganza and watch the spectators arrive in droves ..............
.
.

[dalz]

[QUOTE=Peter Olivola;466743The well for formula car popularity in the U.S. was poisoned by the CART/IRL split. In the meantime, the media glommed onto NASCAR as the flag bearer for all auto racing.

The decline in the importance of cars to adolescents puts us out of sight and out of mind to a new generation.[/QUOTE]

Agree totally. The hype around the self-driving car is yet another step toward motorsports irrelevance. The import tuner crowd, that some think are the savior of US motorsports, doesn't care for NASCAR or IndyCar or any organized racing for the most part. I think they will consider car enthusiasm like Motley Crue--something a young man best outgrows someday.

[swiftdrivr]

I keep trying to follow the logic. In the coldest decade of the century, manufacturers want to build highly complex hybrid engines to protect us from "global warming," and use Motorsports to promote their product and stimulate development, then restrict development to the point that you already know who all will win all the races before the season even starts, producing a "show" no one wants to watch, at 500 million dollars per team. I just don't get it. Can we get Rand's F1600 pro series televised? I'm sure it would be more fun to watch, and their would be fewer DNS /DNFs due to engine failure.

[Peter Olivola]

The coldest decade of the century? Really?

I keep trying to follow the logic. In the coldest decade of the century, manufacturers want to build highly complex hybrid engines to protect us from "global warming," and use Motorsports to promote their product and stimulate development, then restrict development to the point that you already know who all will win all the races before the season even starts, producing a "show" no one wants to watch, at 500 million dollars per team. I just don't get it. Can we get Rand's F1600 pro series televised? I'm sure it would be more fun to watch, and their would be fewer DNS /DNFs due to engine failure.

[rickb99]

The coldest decade of the century? Really?

I thought the issue was global warming?

NOT that I believe in that nonsense other then the normal life cycle of the planet.

Are we far enough away from the Australian GP to head back on track now?

I hope Manor isn't 'ordered' to show up for Malaysia then not allowed to run again.

[swiftdrivr]

"A number of cities had their coldest average temperature for any month on record"
from weather.com. I can't find the source for my previous comment, but then, even I don't want this to devolve into a "global warming" discussion. I'm just saying that I don't understand the logic, but I do understand that it is killing Formula One. I know we can't expect FF style racing routinely, but rules that prevent the competition from catching up, and pre-decided parades, don't hold much interest

[allof6]

The Best Racing on TV all weekend was the Formula E race from Miami and the V8 Supercars from Australia (even thought the race was run the week before).

[Jnovak]

"A number of cities had their coldest average temperature for any month on record"
from weather.com. I can't find the source for my previous comment, but then, even I don't want this to devolve into a "global warming" discussion. I'm just saying that I don't understand the logic, but I do understand that it is killing Formula One. I know we can't expect FF style racing routinely, but rules that prevent the competition from catching up, and pre-decided parades, don't hold much interest

F1 transport fuels costs are probably several thousands of times the fuel that the race cars use. Let's get real.

BTW, just because the winter is colder does not mean that global warming does not exist. Look at the ice cap coverage dude.

[provamo]

while North America has experienced much colder weather recently
the GLOBE continues to set record highs

btw i think that the 48 states only constitutes about 7% of the Earth's surface so do not be fooled by local circumstances

anyway the Aussie fiasco is over can we KILL THIS THREAD lol

[Dennis Valet]

The Best Racing on TV all weekend was the Formula E race from Miami and the V8 Supercars from Australia (even thought the race was run the week before).

V8 supercars is always awesome and I'm pleasantly surprised at how entertaining (and popular) Formula E is turning out to be.

[Dennis Valet]

This is funny. This is Ford on the future of F1 engines as published in a April 17, 1980 Autosport magazine article.

[Roux]

Going back to Charles's wonderfull image. This is Dave Burnham in a Citroen powered iceracer. I raced almost all of the AMEC events this winter in the street legal studded class driving my daily driver. Dave is one of the long time members of the club and an avid competitor. If you want to have fun in the winter join in. No F1 tech required. I finished 5th in SLS with an old 5 series BMW. Top of the class were Saab's, a Porshe 944 and a Volvo that could beat me on any given day, but he didn't run enough events to beat me in the points.

Steve

[Offcamber1]

I wonder why she hated him so much as to take his money up front, and then just dump him.

At least he doesn't have to pay child support the next 15 years...

[provamo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7lQeL381-4