F1 engine note - Why all the haters?

[Likes Fast Cars]

paulg390 said:

We are here at Stowe and you simply cannot hear the cars coming down hangar straight. They seem even quieter live than on TV. For me and IMHO this is not what I want from the pinnacle of motorsport. Even with 4 or 5 cars together you can have a conversation it is that quiet. After 20 years of coming I think this is the last unless they do something about it.

For me the (old) sound is (was0 one of things that adds to the atmosphere of F1.

[MarkRSi]

How do the GP2 cars sound in comparison? N/A V8s right?

[woof]

MarkRSi said:

How do the GP2 cars sound in comparison? N/A V8s right?

The GP2 still rattle your fillings and yes V8s
The F1 cars are very quiet - you can hold a conversation whilst standing next to the track. I like the noise, it's not pleasant. As I said in the F1 thread, I think they've made a dreadful mistake.

[stephen300o]

bks, they are fine.


Edit: or rather, I disagree.

Edited by stephen300o on Saturday 5th July 18:55

[djgritt]

Heard for the first time today too - I prefer the new noise. Hearing the GP2 cars screaming round hasn't made me think otherwise either.

V6T units had plenty of volume at full chat down the Hangar straight tbh!

[RemarkLima]

As for road car relevance, surely we're back to race on Sunday, sell on Monday.

"yes sir, this ML hybrid is just like our F1 cars. Hybrid power, flappy paddles, Mercedes badge"

It's not really about technology transfer, that's just an excuse as all motorsports budget is for marketing.

[Daz68]

Well I must admit being at the circuit today they didn't seem as bad as I thought. Just a new sound to get used too. Still love the shriek of a V10 though.

[Dick Dastardly]

I was at the qualifying today and it was underwhelming. Seeing an F1 car in the metal tear past but without the shriek I'd been expecting to hear for years was a bit weird.

[jodypress]

Dick Dastardly said:

I was at the qualifying today and it was underwhelming. Seeing an F1 car in the metal tear past but without the shriek I'd been expecting to hear for years was a bit weird.

Agreed. Was almost possible to have a conversation.

I thought the GP2 cars seemed louder

[Dick Dastardly]

jodypress said:

Agreed. Was almost possible to have a conversation.

I thought the GP2 cars seemed louder

They were a lot louder. You could hear them from a few corners away, whereas the F1 cars you couldn't hear until they went past you.

[Mr_Thyroid]

They make a sound that reminds me of the "twooooo" from John Lennon's count-in on Yer Blues.

[xreyuk]

I went as a first timer today, and didn't mind the engine sound of the F1 cars, actually quite liked it.

Will definitely agree that the GP2 and GP3 cars are way louder.

[stu harris]

We were sitting at Club, so reasonably close to the tarmac.

The upside is you don't leave the circuit with tinnitus, downside is they sound like someone whistling while straining for a poo.

[E30M3SE]

Highlight for me yesterday, from an aural perspective, was hearing the RB in the Legends Parade.

[paulyv]

Dick Dastardly said:

jodypress said:

Agreed. Was almost possible to have a conversation.

I thought the GP2 cars seemed louder

They were a lot louder. You could hear them from a few corners away, whereas the F1 cars you couldn't hear until they went past you.

This seems to be the crux of the issue as far as I am concerned. The sound of the new cars is highly directional.

I attended the British Grand Prix this weekend, and the cars are not quiet by any means. The sound however does not gain any volume until the exhaust is pointing in your general direction at which point it is pretty loud, but some way off ear-defender levels. The result being the cars lack the sonic intimidation of the past.

I had a really great day and the experience was very different to previous years I had been lucky enough to attend. The racing was no better or worse. Some more volume and engine noise I can hear before they reach by viewing point? Yes please.

[MGJohn]

stu harris said:

We were sitting at Club, so reasonably close to the tarmac.

The upside is you don't leave the circuit with tinnitus, downside is they sound like someone whistling while straining for a poo.

Good grief. Best to advise that poor "someone" to report to the MO toot sweet ..

Paaarrrp!

[SturdyHSV]

Having been at Silverstone since Thursday, we got to see a fair old mix of racing.

The Porsche cup sounded crap, and to my ears at least, GP2 / 3 whilst loud, just didn't sound very nice, almost to the point of being a bit annoying when the whole grid came past at once

The F1 cars? Well, the noise wasn't a spectacle at all, it's not a bad sound, just dull and naturally a bit quiet.

The highlight? The parade laps on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Now there were some proper sounds. Listening to DC dropping back and giving the Red Bull the beans really hammered home how much we've lost in terms of sonic experience. Not least because you could hear him attacking the international pit straight from Stowe.

On the Sunday, the noise of it coming past us as they left Becketts, it sounded fantastic.

[Daston]

That was the first F1 I have seen live and must admit both me and my wife were shocked by just how groin punching-ly loud the 2012 Redbull was going down the hanger straight.

We both agreed that the new cars were a bit too quiet but there were lots of interesting noises going on. What struck me was the sound of them on approach. We were sat in the grandstands at Becketts and you couldn't hear the cars coming at all they just appeared in silence.

[Dick Dastardly]

Here's a couple of videos from the weekend that highlight just how big a difference there was between the GP cars and the new F1 cars:

GP2: http://youtu.be/kHNeZbwIKvk
F1: http://youtu.be/HRlyOnAjqsc

Both filmed from the BRDC grandstand at the end of the starting straight.

[MitchT]

Just watched some footage that a mate who was at Silverstone posted on Facebook. Quite sad to hear the GP2 cars sounding so much better than the F1 cars. The older Red Bull car in the 'historic' F1 cars demonstration sounded like an F1 car should.