*** The official Formula One 2015-16 off season thread ***

[Vaud]

Scuffers said:

it's an impressive bit of analysis...

honestly, it's lacking enough raw data to be more than educated speculation, but after the next test, I suspect it will be much more indicative of their relative pace.

we need to see more long runs (ie. race distance stuff)

However, as Joe Saward said recently, if the observers could really tell what was happening, they would be F1 engineers and not journalists as the pay is much better as the former. He commented that the rival teams don't know what each other are doing in the tests, let alone armchair analysts...

I think it's interesting to look at but needs to be treated with a very skeptical eye. Simply because we don't know how the cars compare for legality (tests not being subject to parc fermé), what test cycle they are doing, etc...

[Vaud]

Dr Z said:

The author of that blog has a scientific background (and it shows), I believe he's done an admirable job sifting through the noise to present some convincing datasets. I questioned one of his assumptions and he gave a satisfying account of the underlying rationale. You'd be surprised at what the rival teams know and they have GPS too. It's just that all teams are publicly managing expectations given what they know. And there's not enough jobs going in the industry as are analysts.

I don't dispute his methods of analysis.

I dispute that we don't even know if the cars are race legal and so it may not be a valid set of data to be analysing - garbage in, garbage out.

[Vaud]

Dr Z said:

I would agree with this in response to Vaud, especially due to very limited real track testing available to teams. They do not have the luxury of conducting extensive testing of parts they couldn't homologate.

I'm not talking about exotic fuels or anything like that.

But if you are a mid-end level team, making some runs with less ballast and light fuel might help secure sponsorship...

[Vaud]

marcgti6 said:

Midday times here - http://www.pitpass.com/55558/Test-Times-Barcelona-...

I'm pleased for McLaren - not reading anything into the times per se, but at least they have some laps under their belt, and at least they aren't 6 seconds off the pace.

[Vaud]

rdjohn said:

I think you can take it as read that every team is running exotic fuel - nothing at all like the price and performance of the stuff we can buy at the pumps.

Sorry - I meant non-legal exotic fuel. My general point is that we don't know if the cars are legal, we don't know exactly what simulations they are running and what they are seeking to verify - so the data points are suspect.

Agree, all will become clearer very soon.

[Vaud]

Disastrous said:

Poor show from Ferrari if so, after such a positive step forward last year.

Testing doesn't really matter, does it? Can we wait for the first race before we castigate them?

[Vaud]

FOM's continued 1885 approach to content licensing and social media may be the death of them - or at least massively impact their ability to communicate with the next gen.

You only need to look at what can be done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIoO_N8bSP0

and (FIA approved but always taken down from Youtube)

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xg65wc_fia-gala-2...

They should be championing this stuff, not banning it. I can understand why they don't want to allow full races or full highlights from the current season - but their archive has so much potential!

[Vaud]

suffolk009 said:

A quick survey in my house shows Jamie is a total unknown to three under 16s - unlike Lewis.

And what image does he have out of interest?

[Vaud]

REALIST123 said:

NRS said:

I would agree. Cars are just not cool. Nothing to do with the engine noise. I'm 28 and where I am there is no one I know who likes nice cars. As mentioned cars are important in "is it an Audi" - but nothing more. If anything engine noise actually has the opposite result - listening to a Ferrari or similar and the comments tend to be "that's way too noisy" or "he's overcompensating" etc.

The main problems for FI is nothing to do with F1 in itself, it's that Kevin can get his iPad and watch football all day, skateboarding, skiing, play minecraft, upload his latest cool pictures to get likes, spend a few hours reading about what his friends are doing on facebook, watch porn etc. Back in the day it was you had 5 channels and so when Midsummer Murders was on one channel, news on another, and sometimes you can't even get the 5th channel then it got people into F1 early and effectively limited them to it even during boring seasons. Now they are much less likely to start liking it as there are so many other options, and even if they do like it then if they have a boring season they have a lot more to flip over to see instead. F1 has to shrink (like the music industry) - but it will get to a "new" level at some point and not completely disappear.

Not saying you're wrong but what a sad, unfortunate picture you paint of today's youth.

It's more than that. They aren't watching TV any more. They don't want to be bound by a TV schedule. They will pick and choose the content that they want at the time they want it.

Traditional TV is dead/dying to the sub 21 demographic.

[Vaud]

Adam Ansel said:

The biggest problem with F1 is that Bernie has not embraced the internet, which is rapidly replacing the old media which props up his empire.
Online could be used to massively enhance the F1 experience and thus make even more money for Bernie, but he just doesn't understand it.

Quite. Or he is badly advised. Or both.

He fails to realise that busy (younger and middle aged) people who will buy the brands offered are often time poor / cash rich - and want different ways to access the content.

[Vaud]

Dr Z said:

As for Manor, they look to have made up 2-3s of laptime from last year, however we may yet find out that you can't polish a turd and they might still be lapped twice by the front runners...this time only just...

Main difference from last year:

• Merc power
• Money
• An engine from the current year

I think they will be at the back 1/3rd of the grid, but able to create some surprises.

[Vaud]

OK, this is partially on topic, but wanted to share as it's F1 related and during the off season.

Joe Saward has just recounted a horrific account of an online troll. Worth a read. It's a real shame as Joe is both a great blogger, source of knowledge and been very good at engaging with his followers via his blog. I just hope that this doesn't drive him away from further engagement.

https://joesaward.wordpress.com/2016/03/04/humanit...

What goes through the minds of some people...?

[Vaud]

red_slr said:

In the world of IP logging and what not I am sure the Po-Po would be able to find this person quite easily.

It terminated in a data centre in Germany apparently. Looks like they were hiding via a VPN. He had posted the IP overnight (since deleted) and many tried to help find the originator. Not sure on German privacy rules for the police to track further.

[Vaud]

Technically Section 185 of the Penal Code - Insult might apply.

"An insult shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding one year or a fine and, if the insult is committed by means of an assault, with imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine."

But finding them might be hard.

[Vaud]

CraigyMc said:

In which country?

German Law. But it its TOR or VPN, the chances are the tracks are well covered so we won't ever know the originating country.

[Vaud]

suffolk009 said:

Twitter journos trackside are saying that Qualy is back to three knockouts and it'll start in Melbourne. #F1MESS

Whats the betting that the first 80%+ of viewers know about this is at the first coverage of the race weekend? Those that have even watched qualy...

[Vaud]

BarbaricAvatar said:

Either way, the public don't get to know exactly how fast everyone is until the first race, even though the teams may.

EDIT - Actually, that's not entirely correct. Some teams don't show their hand at all until they're being challenged. For example we didn't see the pace advantage that Mercedes had in 2014 until the 3rd race when then were fighting each other. I for one hate this trend, i'd rather see a dominant car win by over a minute than by 25secs, the latter just means they've been on an economy drive for half the race.

Cars never have run at 100% unless they have had to?

[Vaud]

suffolk009 said:

Interesting to read that Charlie Whiting has been saying nice things about the re-surfaced Watkins Glen. I suppose they'll want/need another F1 track in America soon.

Personally, I'd love to see them on an oval once a year. Bristol being my favourite, it's tiny. 850m long track, Nascar lap record under 15 seconds, and seats for 160,000 people.

Why, it's the most dreadful racing? Also you would need an entire new chassis and aero pack.

[Vaud]

S0 What said:

People really need to rewatch the old seasons, half the arguments about the good old days would be blown out of the water, too many rose tinted specs being used.
I've just finished the 96/97/97/99 seasons and the same old same old, tyres gone off, fuel saving, dodgy pay drivers, teams out in front by miles ect ect ect, just less radio traffic to put it all at the forfront.

Quite. And go further back in time and look at the gaps from the front to the back of the grid...

[Vaud]

longblackcoat said:

Point taken, but sometimes Joe will mention that he knows but can’t tell in order to make the point that there’s a real story there, rather than just hot air. It does mean you have to trust that he himself isn’t just making stuff up, but as I’ve been following his writing for a couple of decades and generally found him to be an honest reporter of the facts, I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Absolutely. Along with James Allen (as a blogger) I think they both have high integrity and reporting standards.