Has F1 lost its mojo?
Discussion
The Stiglet said:
The year of domination by the Williams FW15C. Hey, it even had a little 'push to pass' button that reduced drag by lifting up the rear end as a precursor to DRS. 20 years? Pah, what's the difference?
It was the Benetton that had the chassis rake change to reduce drag, and you lift the front, not the rear, to achieve that.we need to get back to racing drivers racing hard, not the current mess that is just a sunday cruise with drivers not pushing the limits of the cars because the tyres cant cope. These current tyres are a mess.
F1 should be a sprint. The fastest cars and drivers going at it for 90 minutes. It's now become an endurance event with tyre and fuel saving. You rarely see the cars at full chat and to me that was one of the most exhilarating things to see even if the race itself was slightly lacklustre.
Ironically, Le Mans has moved from being an endurance marathon to a 24 hour sprint in the current generation of super reliable cars!
Ironically, Le Mans has moved from being an endurance marathon to a 24 hour sprint in the current generation of super reliable cars!
Lose most of the rules ( except safety pod etc.) then actually police the budget cap.
Allow more testing for the struggling teams: time available inverse to points.
Maybe have some wildcard races with no tyre rules and several short sprints at the duller tracks.
Just need the poison dwarf to snuff it before any real change can happen.
Allow more testing for the struggling teams: time available inverse to points.
Maybe have some wildcard races with no tyre rules and several short sprints at the duller tracks.
Just need the poison dwarf to snuff it before any real change can happen.
Vocal Minority said:
22 races for next year is it? Where is the exclusivity?
I'm moving towards the position that the number of races is causing a bit of a problem. It's only recently that we've had to have those counters at the top right of F1 websites to tell us when the next one will start. I used to remember the fixtures list.
It might be my brain going due to age, but I know have difficulty remembering incidents, at least which race they happened at.
On top of that, and I think most importantly, I used to keep every race sacrosanct. On race day my wife would organise everything around me: no trips out as a family, no journeys to the countryside. These were my days, (to be enjoyed together as she used to watch them as well, and if it was my turn to entertain our small crowd of enthusiasts, she'd kindly organise the buffet, ensuring that it went in stages so that us greedy blokes didn't eat everything at once.
That was when there were a dozen to 14 races a season.
It does seem as if there is nothing special about individual races now.
From 1966 until around 2005 (when I was seriously ill) I never missed watching a GP live, either by being there or, if it was live on TV, by seeing it. The only one I didn't see live was when Senna was killed, and that was because of the death of Ratzenburger. I've missed none this year, but have fallen asleep in two. But I can't see me even keeping Sky F1 next season, not with 22 races. If the BBC lose all of them, I'll probably just await the highlights.
So I think part of the mystique, the mojo in the words of the OP, has, at least for me, dropped away due to there being so many races. They are no longer quite so special.
That's one emotive picture of the Lotus.
jsf said:
It was the Benetton that had the chassis rake change to reduce drag, and you lift the front, not the rear, to achieve that.
Not true http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_FW15CBesides, why would you lift the front to reduce drag when the rear is pushing the floor down? That's why DRS opens at the rear to allow free airflow
The Stiglet said:
jsf said:
It was the Benetton that had the chassis rake change to reduce drag, and you lift the front, not the rear, to achieve that.
Not true http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_FW15CBesides, why would you lift the front to reduce drag when the rear is pushing the floor down? That's why DRS opens at the rear to allow free airflow
I thought that the FW14B raised the nose and dropped the rear to reduce the angle of attack of the wings and reduce drag. Sure I read it in a recent MotorSport, and I'm pretty sure that's how it was described around the time it was racing.
Looks like I mis-remembered it. Every day a school day etc.
ETA,
Diffuser stall can also occur by lowering rear ride height (effectively cutting of the air to it), as well as by increasing it.
I thought DRS simply reduced the drag generated by the rear wing by opening a slot, not primarily to reduce rolling resistance as you seem to imply?
Edited by dr_gn on Monday 21st October 22:51
I suggest that this forum proves that F1 has lost something as there are relatively few posts in it. Now either everyone is working that much harder so has no time to post or they have lost interest in F1.
I suspect part of it is because there are less characters in F1, less balls out driving etc, but maybe thats just because I am older and regard the golden days as being Mansell, Senna, Prost.
I suspect part of it is because there are less characters in F1, less balls out driving etc, but maybe thats just because I am older and regard the golden days as being Mansell, Senna, Prost.
Vocal Minority said:
22 races for next year is it? Where is the exclusivity?
A lot of the places they visit have little motorsport pedigree. I am not saying the shouldn't have races, but Bahrain just doesn't have the weight of reputation as a host of say Italy. - If you could win only one GP, it would be Italy or Monaco or Spa etc not Bahrain or India.
TO be honest, any driver that has not won a race would not give a st at which track his 1st win came atA lot of the places they visit have little motorsport pedigree. I am not saying the shouldn't have races, but Bahrain just doesn't have the weight of reputation as a host of say Italy. - If you could win only one GP, it would be Italy or Monaco or Spa etc not Bahrain or India.
IMHO.
I don't know what has happened to it this year. It isn't Vettel winning because I just put that to one side and then focus on who is going to be 2nd. But there just appears to have been a distinct lack of anything happening in many races.
I suppose it doesn't help if you are a Button/Mclaren fan and when they are doing so badly you lose interest.
I have actually fallen asleep during some of the races this year.
We don't even have Grosejean doing a Wacky Races moment any more.
I suppose it doesn't help if you are a Button/Mclaren fan and when they are doing so badly you lose interest.
I have actually fallen asleep during some of the races this year.
We don't even have Grosejean doing a Wacky Races moment any more.
dr_gn said:
I thought DRS simply reduced the drag generated by the rear wing by opening a slot, not primarily to reduce rolling resistance as you seem to imply?
I'm no expert of course but isn't it roughly (!) the same thing? i.e. rear wing engaged with slot shut creates downforce by driving the rear floor into the ground? Once wing slot is open, air flows through cleanly with less downforce.Edited by dr_gn on Monday 21st October 22:51
Both set ups produce drag but less with the slot open as more stable airflow...?
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