2011 F1 Season thread

[Imported]

Epic race indeed. Props to Jenson!

 

[LTC8K6]

I'm just thinking of the epic battles we would have had without DRS and KERS...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

I'm just thinking of the epic battles we would have had without DRS and KERS...

both of those promote wheel-to-wheel racing

 

[LTC8K6]

both of those promote wheel-to-wheel racing

Not that I can see. They promote a strategy of waiting for the DRS zone and passing on the straight. Passing on the straight, with a 10 or 15 mph advantage, is quite boring.

The battles between Schumacher/Webber/Button would have been fantastic if they didn't have DRS to blow right by, imo.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Okay, I finally got around to watching the replay on Speed where they cut out all the waiting around during the red flag period and it was an epic race. Great job Jenson Button, too bad Michael Schumacher couldn't hold on for 3rd I would have liked to see him on the podium and hear the interview afterward. He just didn't seem to quite have the car to finish higher.

 

[felang]

Not that I can see. They promote a strategy of waiting for the DRS zone and passing on the straight. Passing on the straight, with a 10 or 15 mph advantage, is quite boring.

The battles between Schumacher/Webber/Button would have been fantastic if they didn't have DRS to blow right by, imo.

I agree completely...

To me it seems like all DRS does is help quicker cars get to the front of the pack faster... it actually makes me wonder what would of happened in Abu Dhabi last year if Alonso had DRS, i mean he surely would of been able to get past Petrov easily and maybe would of been crowned champion.

I know I might be exaggerating a bit, but I´m just trying get my point across.

 

[Imported]

Heard hotels already have prices 5 times their normal going rate for the race next year in Texas. Expected, but ouch.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Heard hotels already have prices 5 times their normal going rate for the race next year in Texas. Expected, but ouch.

i think that june date is subject to change, due to the heat. it would be sweet to go back-to-back with montreal, but a 100 degree day in the desert is a tough sell.

 

[boomhower]

I thought it was a good race. This has been by far the best season since I have been watching consistently(3 years or so) In the past it has been a high speed parade with passes in the puts, this year there have been tons of passes and lap after lap of outright battles. To bad the costs are so high to deal with refueling, that would be a nice thing to put back in.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I thought it was a good race. This has been by far the best season since I have been watching consistently(3 years or so) In the past it has been a high speed parade with passes in the puts, this year there have been tons of passes and lap after lap of outright battles. To bad the costs are so high to deal with refueling, that would be a nice thing to put back in.

I've been watching consistently since 1996-97. I kind of miss the V10 era but this year has been fantastic to watch. Last year was good too.

 

[punjabiplaya]

new regulations starting this weekend: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/6/12196.html

cliffs:
teams cannot change engine maps between quali and race
pulling off the throttle pedal means closing the throttle and the ECU has to cut fuel to prevent dumping fuel into the exhaust to run blown diffusers

 

[The Boston Dangler]

let's see if 2011 can spice up even valencia, 1 of the most boring races every year.

 

[punjabiplaya]

 

[The Boston Dangler]

Team bosses agree on 1.6l V6 for 2014

http://www.f1technical.net/news/16406

Formula One team bosses have agreed on a new engine formula to be introduced in 2014 after several teams had concerns about the proposed inline 4 cylinder engines. The new engine type and introduction date is a compromise that satisfies all engine manufacturers.

Even though the FIA voted in favour of the 1.6l turbocharged I4 engines, it emerged in recent weeks that Ferrari were not happy at all about the new formula while Mercedes were worried about the time of introduction.

Renault on the other hand made it very clear that they would consider quitting Formula One if the new engine formula would not go ahead. When Renault decided to sell its team and continue as an engine supplier, road relevance and fuel consumption reductions were one of the main reasons to get on with their running F1 programme.

The BBC learned from sources within the FIA that the new formula is a compromise solution that is acceptable to all parties. Apart from its additional 2 cylinders that would make the engine sound differently and more sporty than an I4, the V6 also provides a stiffness advantage which could make it easier to maintain the engine as a fully stressed member in F1 cars.

Despite the likely higher fuel consumption compared to an I4, the team bosses agreed to also introduce a fuel flow limit that will see fuel consumption reduce by 35% from current levels. Additionally, engines are set to be limited to 12,000rpm, compared to 18,000rpm right now.

It is expected that together with the turbocharging, power outputs will remain largely the same at 750bhp.

While not part of the 2014 engine specification, compound turbocharging is set to be introduced at a later date.

 

[satyajitmenon]

1.6L Turbocharged V6s putting out 750+ bhp and lasting up to 4 races?

 

[Howard]

Team bosses agree on 1.6l V6 for 2014

http://www.f1technical.net/news/16406

Too bad they didn't stick with the I4 but the turbo should still let them get decent amounts of power.

 

[LTC8K6]

A tiny turbo V6?

Yuck.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

A tiny turbo V6?

Yuck.

tiny, but still 750-1000 hp. i expect torque to be mostly unchanged as well, since the existing 2.4L V8's are extremely peaky.

 

[punjabiplaya]

i'm just very interested to see how reliable the new engines will be

 

[LTC8K6]

tiny, but still 750-1000 hp. i expect torque to be mostly unchanged as well, since the existing 2.4L V8's are extremely peaky.

Doesn't seem to mesh with low cost and reliable though...

Oh well, exploding engines would at least bring a little excitement back...

I know, with the turbos, they can have a new "boost" button, to guarantee passing for sure.

KERS, DRS, and and an extra 5PSI for 20 seconds in the DRS zone, so you are guaranteed to get by the guy in front and we are guaranteed to know when and where the pass will occur.

That ought to make the racing even more thrilling...

 

[The Boston Dangler]

KERS, DRS, and and an extra 5PSI for 20 seconds in the DRS zone, so you are guaranteed to get by the guy in front and we are guaranteed to know when and where the pass will occur.

That ought to make the racing even more thrilling...

that's 1 possible prediction. another is that in 3 years is that drivers will have unrestricted use of power boosts and aero settings, providing intense action.

power boost buttons have been in any high-level racecar for decades. pick an engine setting for max power in the current weather for qualifying, or another for fuel conservation, or another that has a smoother power curve for the rain, and so forth.

 

[punjabiplaya]

that's 1 possible prediction. another is that in 3 years is that drivers will have unrestricted use of power boosts and aero settings, providing intense action.

power boost buttons have been in any high-level racecar for decades. pick an engine setting for max power in the current weather for qualifying, or another for fuel conservation, or another that has a smoother power curve for the rain, and so forth.

that's one of the regulations going in though: 1 engine map setting for the whole weekend

 

[ElFenix]

Doesn't seem to mesh with low cost and reliable though...

Oh well, exploding engines would at least bring a little excitement back...

I know, with the turbos, they can have a new "boost" button, to guarantee passing for sure.

KERS, DRS, and and an extra 5PSI for 20 seconds in the DRS zone, so you are guaranteed to get by the guy in front and we are guaranteed to know when and where the pass will occur.

That ought to make the racing even more thrilling...

so when are we going to get red turtle shells rotating in 3s around the cars?

 

[The Boston Dangler]

that's one of the regulations going in though: 1 engine map setting for the whole weekend

“Finally, with immediate effect, it will no longer be possible to reprogram the ECU configuration between qualifying and the race in the expectation that this will discourage extreme ECU set-ups for qualifying – previously electronic access to the ECU under parc fermé conditions had been explicitly permitted.”

they still have access to multiple modes available at the press of a button (hot weather, rain, fuel saving). this will mean they have half as many modes available, as the computer has to hold settings for both days.

i don't think this will discourage hot qualifying setups - the teams will just be more careful in choosing the presets to load in the first place.

 

[Howard]

so when are we going to get red turtle shells rotating in 3s around the cars?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h4zTEwgCpQ&feature=channel_video_title