Audi in F1 for 2015
Discussion
Mikey G said:
But do they need people from F1? A rulebook and a bunch of clever designers should be enough for a benchmark, then they make an announcement such as this (potentially), draft in an ex team principal for the final design, and they then have 12 months to make a working race car.
Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
Show me where that has worked before. You need at least a nucleus of good, current F1 people. Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
BAR / Honda / Toyota all tried clean sheet.
Mikey G said:
But do they need people from F1? A rulebook and a bunch of clever designers should be enough for a benchmark, then they make an announcement such as this (potentially), draft in an ex team principal for the final design, and they then have 12 months to make a working race car.
Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
Ok so this is clearly a wind-up. I'm not bothering to fan the flames any more.Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
Honda was old BAR? BAR was Tyrell? Not exactly a clean sheet...
Toyota yes, and they didn't exactly have much circuit racing experience at the time apart from engines in indycart?
I just think Audi are a bigger fish currently in the motorsport world than others who have tried the same..
Toyota yes, and they didn't exactly have much circuit racing experience at the time apart from engines in indycart?
I just think Audi are a bigger fish currently in the motorsport world than others who have tried the same..
rubystone said:
Vaud said:
I think it is a nice aspiration, but the F1 world is too small. People with those skills moving about is too hard to hide.
Indeed it is. And not a whisper.Btw I like your Hesketh pic. I have an original one of those in my collection along with some other period pieces.
I have an old friend who owned a Hesketh car for a while and I have had the pleasure of sitting in it making very childish BRRRRM noises. Happy times.
Justaredbadge said:
I don't think they'd do it under the audi name anyway.
they have another name on the books that has f1 heritage within the last couple of decades...
Lambo would make more sense given their engine involvement a thousand years agothey have another name on the books that has f1 heritage within the last couple of decades...
....
but with 'Audi etron' thrown in there
rubystone said:
Mikey G said:
But do they need people from F1? A rulebook and a bunch of clever designers should be enough for a benchmark, then they make an announcement such as this (potentially), draft in an ex team principal for the final design, and they then have 12 months to make a working race car.
Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
Ok so this is clearly a wind-up. I'm not bothering to fan the flames any more.Strip down the bare bones of an LMP1 and compare parts to an F1 car and you may see many similar design aspects.
This is a picture I took at Le Mans last year, you can hardly say there isn't a certain similarity...
I struggle to see what Audi would gain from entering F1. There's no point in quitting WEC/LeMans just because they're successful. In fact a lot of their marketing strategy relies on it, not to mention WEC and sportscar racing is a lot more relevant to their road car programmes and technology and F1 isn't. If F1 changed the engine rules again to make it more like WEC, and allow true competition on the engine side then they could consider it, but as it stands F1 offers nothing that can't be done already in other racing series. Same with tyre technology.
F1 really needs to be a competition on all fronts just not on the aerodynamic side, and as such I don't see VAG considering F1 without that happening. I'd also expect them to want to be involved in the rules making process in a hands-on fashion rather than being told they're now racing for double points. F1 needs change.
Besides if they're serious about it then I'm sure it would be as an engine manufacturer first and not a full blown factory team, but that would imply having a top team willing to use their engines which isn't happening unless Red Bull ditches Renault.
F1 really needs to be a competition on all fronts just not on the aerodynamic side, and as such I don't see VAG considering F1 without that happening. I'd also expect them to want to be involved in the rules making process in a hands-on fashion rather than being told they're now racing for double points. F1 needs change.
Besides if they're serious about it then I'm sure it would be as an engine manufacturer first and not a full blown factory team, but that would imply having a top team willing to use their engines which isn't happening unless Red Bull ditches Renault.
Edited by hdrflow on Sunday 23 February 07:49
I don't think it will happen either. When the new engine regs were on the table the whole reason for the 4 cylinder engines was that Audi/VAG were interested and were insisting on it, they eventually ruled themselves out which opened the door for the V6s that we have this year.
Its not the first time they've toyed with the idea but they always bail sooner or later.
Its not the first time they've toyed with the idea but they always bail sooner or later.
Gaz. said:
PW said:
Is F1 so much harder than LMP1?
It took 3 seasons for Mercedes to become competitive, starting with a team that had just won the championship. It has been 14 years since McLaren last won a constructors title. Caterham & Marussia have failed to get even close to the mid-field after several seasons. Toyota, BMW and Honda all left the sport with no real success to their names. Renault have badly messed up with their engine this year, after seasons of being the engine to have.
Toyota won 3 races in their first season in the WEC.
Sorry, I think Mikey was referring to starting a team, having the infrastructure and getting a car on the grid rather than winning a WCC straight away It took 3 seasons for Mercedes to become competitive, starting with a team that had just won the championship. It has been 14 years since McLaren last won a constructors title. Caterham & Marussia have failed to get even close to the mid-field after several seasons. Toyota, BMW and Honda all left the sport with no real success to their names. Renault have badly messed up with their engine this year, after seasons of being the engine to have.
Toyota won 3 races in their first season in the WEC.
VAG is one of the largest manufacturing groups in the world, who knows whats going on in a quiet part of Wolfsburg. For all we know they may already be developing an engine in a dark room somewhere.
DanielSan said:
You don't know much about the basic designs of the top LMP1 cars do you?
This is a picture I took at Le Mans last year, you can hardly say there isn't a certain similarity...
There's a certain similarity between a Caparo T1 and an F1 car too. And an Alfa 4C has a carbon tub. But neither has been built to F1 specifications. This is a picture I took at Le Mans last year, you can hardly say there isn't a certain similarity...
Since you are clearly involved in the design of LMP1 cars, given your comment, do let us know what the similarities are between the two disciplines.
TVR1 said:
So, it's confirmed.
A new team from scratch, no buyout of a current team.
It must be good to have another mainstream manufacturer part of it, mustn't it?
That and Volvo in Australian V8 touring cars again, closely followed by AMG and Toyota, it looks like a very exciting couple of years ahead in top level Motorsport.
You say it's confirmed, but by whom and where? You would have thought that mews like this would be all over the motorsport press, but they are all silent on the matter.A new team from scratch, no buyout of a current team.
It must be good to have another mainstream manufacturer part of it, mustn't it?
That and Volvo in Australian V8 touring cars again, closely followed by AMG and Toyota, it looks like a very exciting couple of years ahead in top level Motorsport.
DanielSan said:
You don't know much about the basic designs of the top LMP1 cars do you?
This is a picture I took at Le Mans last year, you can hardly say there isn't a certain similarity...
There was a certain similarity between last year's Marussia and the Red Bull, unfortunately similarity isn't enough to be competitive. This is a picture I took at Le Mans last year, you can hardly say there isn't a certain similarity...
Mikey G said:
VAG is one of the largest manufacturing groups in the world, who knows whats going on in a quiet part of Wolfsburg. For all we know they may already be developing an engine in a dark room somewhere.
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