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Looks like the FIA are finally waking up and doing something - lots of the suggestions seem like a good idea, reducing driver coaching, more flexible tyre choice, more driver control of starts. Not sure about changes to the quali/race format though - the current quali format seems the best since the open 1 hour (well, 2 hour) format from years gone by.
Oh and surprised B2B/Hora haven't posted wild speculation about what Hamilton needed to see the quacks about that was so important. Is it teh bad cat aids? Is he pregnant???
you cannot engage the clutch when the steering wheel is at full lock
That is not what it says. The report says...
She had previously told engineers she could not operate the clutch when the steering wheel was at full-lock
Which isn't quite the same.
The decision to skip testing may comeback to haunt LH
The decision to skip testing may comeback to haunt LH
Apparently he had a doctors appointment!
On other news - good to see Manor have a new sponsor.
In silly season news...
• Renault will buy lotus which means there's a Merc engine deal going. Now I think there's a team which isn't entirely happy with their Renault engine, perhaps they may be interested!
I don't think a Merc engine will be on offer to that team.
have we done the new Force India nose?[img] 
[/img]
Well Im at Silverstone for the GP for the first time in 6 years and I'm must admit Im looking forward to hearing how the cars actually sound now. Practice is about to start...
Been wondering: why do the new turbos "need" (do they?) an air inlet (what are they called?) above the drivers' heads now? Thinking back to 1988 when there were turbos and NAs running together the MP4/4 and FW12 (for example) had very different cowlings with their turbo/NA engines respectively...
Really disappointing progress with the Honda PU, I really hope that the token update after the summer break actually works.
Been wondering: why do the new turbos "need" (do they?) an air inlet (what are they called?) above the drivers' heads now?
I would guess its more to do with roll hoop regulations now. These have to be much stronger and at a minimum height than they were in the 80's. So if you've got that stuck out the top of the car you may as well use it for something.
Really disappointing progress with the Honda PU, I really hope that the token update after the summer break actually works.
Same here - I though they'd be knocking on the door of the top ten by now. At least they've been given another full power unit to play with now.
There's just been a graphic on the F1 coverage...Fastest lap set in 2006 was a 1:20, now these cars are doing a 1:34 🙄 same track layout
How can a sport can call it's self the pinnacle of motor sports by going more slowly?
But wasn't Silverstone reworked in 2010? Therefore different layout from 2006 I think...
start finish and pits were moved, track has been the same though.
nope 2010 is when the new configuration started
lap record was 1:30.8 (in a race I think?)
pole today was 1:32.2
Not quite right there nickc, the layout did change in 2010 as at the time Silverstone had "lost" the F1 contract and the British GP was going to Donnington. The layout change was due to Silverstone bidding for, and getting, MotoGP. Those changes made it a more bike orientated track, the current turns 1-4 or 5 are the new section. I prefer the old layout for F1 but with the extra paddock work I think Silverstone still does well for a F1 car. I still prefer the old track layout though, was proper balls out fast for the whole lap. That's why the lap time difference is so great.
More here - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Development_history_of_Silverstone_Circuit
Oh yes, final piece of the story was Donnington going bust getting their track work done for F1, which is why it's still at Silverstone!
oh yeah, that's right, they come right don't they!
that'll be way they're slower I guess.
The old Woodcote Corner was a real man's bend. I saw GT40s and T70s side by side through there. Brilliant stuff. I'm not keen on the current layout.
The old [i]Silverstone[/i] in it's entirety was a man's circuit, but it could never stay as it was, Woodcote used to be 170mph in an F1 car, next to no runoff with railway sleepers between cars and spectators. The fantastic Nigel Roebuck reckoned "... In all my years of watching F1 drivers, I have never seen anything better than Ronnie {Peterson]’s Lotus 72 through Silverstone’s original Woodcote Corner." It was heck of a turn. 🙂
F1 trivia time - whilst researching this post I found a video of the 1977 GP - one of my earliest memories was being there on a practice day and seeing James Hunt (well - a McLaren, to be fair, but I like to think of it as James, he must have been circulating at some point), and hearing the start of the race from Cousin Bridget's house. That race marked the F1 debut of two particular things, one a driver and the other a technology of note even today. A point for each, and if you google them you're a tit. 🙂
turbo engine (renault ?)
Mansell ? ? ?
Gah - 1 out of 2. Does it make it trickier if I don't tell you which one you got right?:)
Silverstone 1977 should be best known for David Purley's enormous accident.
If you are going to Google it, have a look at the pics of his car and marvel at how he survived that. Just. Or go to Donington and have a look at the wreck.
Well I enjoyed yesterday but can't wait for the race today. I loved being able to hear more than just exhaust noise.
Silverstone 1977 should be best known for David Purley's enormous accident.
See, I'd argue with that. 🙂
Don't think it was Mansell.
No, both were pretty much guesses 😳Does it make it trickier if I don't tell you which one you got right?:)
Wait ! How about Prost, [b][u]IN[/u][/b] a turbo ?
Still 1 out of 2. 🙂
OK, Prost, ON Mansell ?? 😯
Turbo must be right - so.... how about Nicos dad - Keke Rosberg?
Turbo is correct, Jean-Pierre Jabouille debuting the first Renault turbo. Rosberg is good but it's not right. 🙂
Edit - Wasn't sure when Keke got into F1 so thought I'd better look it up - 1978, so a great shout! 🙂
How about Ricardo Patrese?
These F1 events don't have a lot going on really do they? I'll be back here in 3 weeks for the Classic and that has pretty much non stop action. Grumble over, off for a beer in the sun before finding a seat.
Fair play Mr Tiggs, you are about as close to being right as you can be without BEING right! '77 Was Riccardo's first year, the British GP was his fourth race, so close but no cigar. 🙂
I'll either go for it being something to do with Adrian Newey or maybe one of the drivers whose offspring have come back. Too late for hill, so maybe villeneuve?
I'll either go for it being something to do with Adrian Newey or maybe one of the drivers whose offspring have come back. Too late for hill, so maybe [b]villeneuve?[/b]
We have a winner! 🙂 Gilles Villeneuve made his debut in a third McLaren, an old M23 and ran as high as fourth before pitting with high water temperature. Turned out the gauge was faulty...
Enjoy the race! 🙂
We have a race! Good stuff.
Well this is a bit dull isn't it.
I can see a fair few more bumps in this race!
Was anyone else expecting the Mercs to just gallop past the Williamses? Great if they can make a battle of it. 🙂
Williams need to get their strategy sorted - BOTTAS is obviously quicker
I reckon Hamilton will still win this - although it looks like it will come down to pit stops.
Williams need to pit bottas first, give him the bonus of the under cut while massa backs up the mercs, then that might buy them time. If Hamilton pits first he'll win
Edit right on cue Lewis pits. Bet he's a mile ahead one the Williams are done
Showers inbound. Reckon that'll sort things out a bit
Must be due a whiney Rosberg radio msg soon.
I was wondering how long it would take for the rain to get over there. We have a torrential downpour around the start of the race here in north Somerset.
roll of the dice there
Hamilton may have just made a very smart move
Got to feel that Williams had the pace to do better today but just didn't make the most of it.
Bottas certainly lost out today. Shame, it would have made a more exciting race if he had got past Massa early on. He deserves a podium really.
That was an entertaining race, thank god for rain and fast starting Williams
Yeah, seconded - really enjoyed that. 🙂
Hamilton may have just made a very smart move
Definitely make or break - honestly, I thought it was race lost right there but he called that perfectly, as did Vettel. Belting stuff. 🙂 Shame for the Williams folks, felt like the weather messed them up today.
Shame for the Williams folks, felt like the weather messed them up today.
Williams messed their own race up today - with their pace Vettel shouldn't have been anywhere near.
PS - Is it wrong to think of this as a British GP win for Tyrrell? 🙂
pondo - yeah here's to uncle ken and the Horsley crew!
Williams messed their own race up today - with their pace Vettel shouldn't have been anywhere near.
To be fair, was that not made by Vettel making the same inspired stop that Hamilton made?
I get the feeling Williams have forgotten how to win. They dont seem to want to roll the dice or react quickly enough. their steady eddy approach which may be good for a few points. Unfortunate to see them drop from 1-2 to 4-5 as I really wanted them to win. Some one help out the trackside operations please.
"Felipe the car behind is faster than you!"
More financial trouble for Lotus (bargain price for Renault!?)...
http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2015/07/07/f1-fanatic-round-up-0707-2/
Bottas seemed to go to pieces when it rained. He would have pitted earlier than Kimi if they'd let him.
Is he a bit ropey in the wet, or is the Williams crap in the rain?
the williams was crap in the rain, the merc had more wing
Williams always run low down force compared to say merc, so they struggle with changeable conditions.
Yep - in the dry they still have good enough cornering speed and plenty enough straight line speed to hold of Mercedes once in front. In the wet it's a different matter and they're sitting ducks. Hence their strategy made no difference - at best they might have finished ahead of Vettel, but that's unlikely.
Very sad news today about Jules Bianchi.
[url= http://m.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/33578770 ]Link[/url]
Very sad indeed. Rest well Jukes...
RIP jules
Very sad news and a totally tragic set of circumstances with the accident. RIP Jules.
RIP jb17 p9 in monaco
sad day indeed - although the press are saying its the first f1 driver to die since senna in 94, although technically should that not be Maria de Villota? as she was in an F1 car and contracted as a an F1 test driver.
Bottassssssssssssssssssssssssss wearing the prancing horse next year...
I wonder now about the Williams line up for next year- certainly they are not as cash strapped as before, but a high profile driver bringing in some money would always be a help - i cannot see Williams winning a title with the Merc engine, simply because of its "customer" status -- they are either going to have to go it alone on the engine front or become a works team for another supplier.....*cough*Renault*cough*.............
Sad news RIP Jules
Sad news, RIP. The whole incident, like that of de Villota seemed so avoidable.
become a works team for another supplier.....*cough*Renault*cough*.............
Won't be winning a title with that engine unless Renault pull the finger out....
the RBR Renault relationship has gone past the point of no return - Lotus are in trouble with finances so Renault and Williams tie up not so hard to believe -would generate a bit of Press due to the history of the team,
but
do williams want to potentially spend another few years in the potential midfield that they have just got out of....
I think the Renault engine debacle is a smokescreen from Horner. Fact is that they are also getting beaten by other teams with the same engine, so first they need to do a better job and be the best Renault runner before they can start laying into the engine supplier. In fact I wonder if their current car would be beating Williams if they could bolt a Merc into the back of it.
I think Renault will most likely be buying up/back Lotus - it'd be competitive suicide for Williams to go away from merc at the moment, though remembering the Judd days it's not beyond the realms of possibility. The team should be starting to work well now though, the 2013 staff changes should be bedding in, the 2014 prize money starting to have an impact and strengthening their commercial/sponsorship opportunities to bring a few £M more for 2016. Plus the cash they'll be getting for BOTTAS of course.
It'll be interesting to see how the first tranche of reg changes affect things in Hungary. Of the current crop of drivers it seems that Nico is one of the most reliant on pit info/instructions.
A really dominant performance from Lewis Hamilton today: [url= http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2015/07/hamilton-takes-pole-number-number-nine-of-2015-to-turn-up-the-heat-in-hungary/ ]James Allen on F1[/url]. Is Rosberg starting to crumble?
and in other news McLaren & Honda turn up the engine ........again...........
the cars a lemon, they must be thinking of abandoning any development on the car and starting the 2016 car , but i guess they will to know what drivers they will be driving - because its not alonso or button (IMHO).... Ron will also need to be looking for a new job too, or perhaps he'll just go back to marketing his sports cars...
lets hope for rain , otherwise we could be in for a boring race up front.
lets hope for rain , otherwise we could be in for a boring race up front.
I think that there could be an interesting battle between Red Bull and Ferrari though
Why is everyone talking about the starts changing from Spa? I half heard something regarding the clutches I think?
[url= http://sports.ndtv.com/formula-1/news/246087-fernando-alonso-admits-losing-drive-to-race-in-f1? ]alonso is on his way....[/url]
2016:
he'll be in leMans next year
button at williams
mclaren with 2 teenage drivers
ron dennis on gardening leave
...as for clutches
they used to practice "bite point" tests on the warm up lap and the team will give them data on whats the best point and setting to use, now they are not allowed to do that as thats "telling the drivers how to drive the car" which brakes some stupidarserule about the drivers must drive the car alone...
its basically one of those great f1 fudges that come in every time someone dominates and they try and change things around without actually changing the rules because teams would then block the rule change....
Some interesting extrapolation from the linked article there back2basics.
its basically one of those great f1 fudges that come in every time someone dominates and they try and change things around without actually changing the rules because teams would then block the rule change....
Isn't it more to do with starts becoming pretty much fully automatic, rather than domination?
Although yesterday it looked like Merc has already found a way around the new regs. Lewis and Nico were testing bitepoints when they stopped after qually.
Re Alonso - I think at the very least we'll see him in 2016. Seems odd to endure a season such as this just to pack in when things could be very different next year.
According to b2bs earlier posts alonso should have already quit taking Ron with him. I reckon they'll both keep their seats next year. Though a team of button webber and alonso at le mans would be interesting