Sorry I tried, but cannot `get' formula E.
Discussion
andylaurence said:
What a contrast to F1. Overtaking, cars sliding around and genuine wheel-to-wheel racing. OK, so it doesn't have the noise (that people complain about with F1) and it doesn't have Maldonado crashing into the wall, but the racing in Formula E is brilliant! I'm very much enjoying the racing so far and the strategies they're having to use. If people are confused by the "used too much energy" rules, just remember that F1 has the same rules ... Ricciardo finished on the podium at Melbourne last year but was disqualified for using too much energy. The minimum pit stop time is the same as the rules that have been used in GT races for years to ensure drivers don't head out of the pits with their belts undone.
It doesn't need Maldonado, already plenty who are well able to crash, even when going so slowly...........SpeedMattersNot said:
take some offence to that!
I raced radio control cars for several years and whilst the nitro 1/10th scale cars sounded better (50,000rpm) they were considerably slower than their battery counterparts and the racing was never as good.
Check out this example. You can't say this isn't exciting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXLtPGrTGQ
Fair point I raced radio control cars for several years and whilst the nitro 1/10th scale cars sounded better (50,000rpm) they were considerably slower than their battery counterparts and the racing was never as good.
Check out this example. You can't say this isn't exciting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaXLtPGrTGQ
I was thinking more of a race between two 3 year old's cars bought from Toys R Us. 
Jayyylo said:
The minimum pit stop time is such a farce. It's totally messed up so many people's race because apparently the team can't manage a stop watch.
I did laugh at Sam Bird running out of energy just after taking the lead. Racing 101 - don't run out of fuel.
Would have been better if we had got a cut away to beardy frowning, after we had to watch him celebrate the pass.I did laugh at Sam Bird running out of energy just after taking the lead. Racing 101 - don't run out of fuel.
Dario is doing a good job on hamming up the lame action to make it sound interesting on the commentary. I particularly liked "the great thing about the aero packages on these cars is they arent affected by close running with a car in front, normally when you're caught in the wash you cant run close but these cars can." Translation: these aero packages are really all for show, they actually do sod all
Fire99 said:
Fair point I was thinking more of a race between two 3 year old's cars bought from Toys R Us.
No problem! I knew what you meant...most people perceive R/C cars as toys, as that's the category the vast majority of them are in. It's not uncommon for a racing spec. nitro 1/10 to cost more than the average first car - it certainly was in my case with two separate engines for qualy and race costing £239 each from France without; carb, clutch, mounts etc. I was thinking more of a race between two 3 year old's cars bought from Toys R Us. emicen said:
Jayyylo said:
The minimum pit stop time is such a farce. It's totally messed up so many people's race because apparently the team can't manage a stop watch.
I did laugh at Sam Bird running out of energy just after taking the lead. Racing 101 - don't run out of fuel.
Would have been better if we had got a cut away to beardy frowning, after we had to watch him celebrate the pass.I did laugh at Sam Bird running out of energy just after taking the lead. Racing 101 - don't run out of fuel.
Dario is doing a good job on hamming up the lame action to make it sound interesting on the commentary. I particularly liked "the great thing about the aero packages on these cars is they arent affected by close running with a car in front, normally when you're caught in the wash you cant run close but these cars can." Translation: these aero packages are really all for show, they actually do sod all
It could also be the case that the underside aero is maximised as this doesn't interrupt the rear domain as much as over-body aerofoils do.
Either way it's a new concept and I'm surprised people are writing it off entirely, as whether people like it or not, there has to be an alternative to internal combustion engine racing. Its days are numbered...unless they use a fully synthetic nitro mix fuel like my old radio controls car engines did. Even my monster truck engine has 2.5hp @ 29,000rpm...from 4.1cc...
Some Gump said:
charlie7777 said:
Watching the coverage of theses events I can't help thinking of "The Emperor's New Clothes"
Watching the overage, i can't but help thinking "this is s
t".Fomula cars should be fast. These visibly are not. It's like formula ford that looks the part.
The noise is very important to the spectacle. It's why they gave tie-fighters that lovely 'roar' in Star Wars...space movies in silence would be hideously boring!
But the sport still carries some interesting principles. A guest lecturer last week exposed that the handling set-ups of the cars are heavily compromised to maximise the battery life and energy as much as possible, for example rear toe in - which is why you see them skating around quite a lot on the brakes.
I like it!
Mr_Thyroid said:
I think problem is the drivers. They are all failures. They have failed in, or failed to get to F1 and F-E has no prospect getting them back into the top tier. So the racing lacks meaning and passion.
Do you really believe that all drivers only aspire towards F1 and then after that, they just give up? I'd say you couldn't be further from the truth...and if you'd ever been fortunate enough to attend 'charity' karting events you'd realise no matter how far racing drivers have got to, or from Formula One, it doesn't stifle their hunger.
SpeedMattersNot said:
Mr_Thyroid said:
I think problem is the drivers. They are all failures. They have failed in, or failed to get to F1 and F-E has no prospect getting them back into the top tier. So the racing lacks meaning and passion.
Do you really believe that all drivers only aspire towards F1 and then after that, they just give up? I'd say you couldn't be further from the truth...and if you'd ever been fortunate enough to attend 'charity' karting events you'd realise no matter how far racing drivers have got to, or from Formula One, it doesn't stifle their hunger.
The F-E drivers are all ones that have aspired to F1. They are in a formula that the fans do not respect yet and as such any success is missing the vital respect and hence the hunger is missing 2%.
Mr_Thyroid said:
SpeedMattersNot said:
Mr_Thyroid said:
I think problem is the drivers. They are all failures. They have failed in, or failed to get to F1 and F-E has no prospect getting them back into the top tier. So the racing lacks meaning and passion.
Do you really believe that all drivers only aspire towards F1 and then after that, they just give up? I'd say you couldn't be further from the truth...and if you'd ever been fortunate enough to attend 'charity' karting events you'd realise no matter how far racing drivers have got to, or from Formula One, it doesn't stifle their hunger.
The F-E drivers are all ones that have aspired to F1. They are in a formula that the fans do not respect yet and as such any success is missing the vital respect and hence the hunger is missing 2%.
It's my opinion that you could give the girls and boys involved in Formula E a chance to compete in supermarket sweep and without any viewers, they'd be as competitive as ever.
I think you underestimate human nature.
I was channel hopping, saw this and thought this might good after a few more seasons, once it all beds in and starts to find its way.
The major problem is the lack of noise ( same as the electric TT ), racing for me has to have a soundtrack [1], that you can feel when trackside. The swishing and whooshing doesn't cut it. If I'm trackside I should not be able to hold a conversation without shouting :-) There's going to be a generation who will know only of the silent racing, poor kids.
The final nail in the coffin was Alain Prost appearing on-screen in a pitbox, ugh.
[1] ear bleeding 500cc two-strokes were painful, but what a joy.
The major problem is the lack of noise ( same as the electric TT ), racing for me has to have a soundtrack [1], that you can feel when trackside. The swishing and whooshing doesn't cut it. If I'm trackside I should not be able to hold a conversation without shouting :-) There's going to be a generation who will know only of the silent racing, poor kids.
The final nail in the coffin was Alain Prost appearing on-screen in a pitbox, ugh.
[1] ear bleeding 500cc two-strokes were painful, but what a joy.
I think the series is definitely getting stronger but of course the yesterday's race was still littered with rookie errors and avoidable incidents.
There seemed to be good wheel to wheel racing and the tight racing lines meant a lot of drivers were out of shape fairly often as soon as they were near the dust. The first corner was a total mess but at least the stewards didn't try and penalise everyone that cut the corner.
There seemed to be good wheel to wheel racing and the tight racing lines meant a lot of drivers were out of shape fairly often as soon as they were near the dust. The first corner was a total mess but at least the stewards didn't try and penalise everyone that cut the corner.
It's incredibly slow - have you noticed they never give you a lap distance ?
Very poor ticket sales at all the events so far. It's simply no engaging the public. And for me that's a good thing.
Though it's a shame for Donington who are getting a nice revenue from it at the moment. There will be a second year (just) and then it will be done.
Very poor ticket sales at all the events so far. It's simply no engaging the public. And for me that's a good thing.
Though it's a shame for Donington who are getting a nice revenue from it at the moment. There will be a second year (just) and then it will be done.
Glad to see that some of the cynics are starting to soften their stance.
A lot of people on here are very quick to forget that they are not the target audience for FE, they are also a bit slow on the up take with who is behind the teams - look at some of the team names, there are clues as to the real identity of some of these entities.
As for the questions over speed and so on, this will start to come. Don't forget that Y1 is a spec series, Y2 will start to see some relaxation on this with teams developing the cars themselves.
If anyone thought that the race on Saturday night was dull they seriously need to look at their prejudices - Australia F1 almost had ne nodding off, Long Beach FE had me watching through to the flag, despite a 4am drive to Oulton, full day there and then another 2 hour drive to where we were staying the night and me being full of cold.
A lot of people on here are very quick to forget that they are not the target audience for FE, they are also a bit slow on the up take with who is behind the teams - look at some of the team names, there are clues as to the real identity of some of these entities.
As for the questions over speed and so on, this will start to come. Don't forget that Y1 is a spec series, Y2 will start to see some relaxation on this with teams developing the cars themselves.
If anyone thought that the race on Saturday night was dull they seriously need to look at their prejudices - Australia F1 almost had ne nodding off, Long Beach FE had me watching through to the flag, despite a 4am drive to Oulton, full day there and then another 2 hour drive to where we were staying the night and me being full of cold.
Mr_Thyroid said:
I think problem is the drivers. They are all failures. They have failed in, or failed to get to F1 and F-E has no prospect getting them back into the top tier. So the racing lacks meaning and passion.
Lol. Most are better drivers than half the rich kids in F1 at the moment, and all much better and more experienced than in pretty much any other single seater series below F1. You think just because a driver doesnt 'make it' in F1 that makes them a failure? There are plenty of extremely good and well respected drivers who dont race in F1 just in case you haven't noticed.
Rude-boy said:
Glad to see that some of the cynics are starting to soften their stance.
A lot of people on here are very quick to forget that they are not the target audience for FE, they are also a bit slow on the up take with who is behind the teams - look at some of the team names, there are clues as to the real identity of some of these entities.
So, if Motorsports fans are not the target audience for this series, who is? The small cadre of people that want to watch slow cars trundle round and the outcome heavily influenced by twitter? A lot of people on here are very quick to forget that they are not the target audience for FE, they are also a bit slow on the up take with who is behind the teams - look at some of the team names, there are clues as to the real identity of some of these entities.
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