Official 2023 Australian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***
Poll: Official 2023 Australian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***
Total Members Polled: 170
Discussion
honda_exige said:
Always used to find it crazy how far forward the cockpit was on 70s F1 cars.
Hard to find calibrated side on views, W14 seems similar to the Aston, both appreciably more 'cab forward' than the McLaren.
In the ‘70s cars, the driver’s ankles were the front crash structure! It’s only relatively recently (after Schumacher’s crash at Silverstone?) that the pedal box has been required to be behind the front axle, and the car pass a head-on crash test. Hard to find calibrated side on views, W14 seems similar to the Aston, both appreciably more 'cab forward' than the McLaren.
axel1990chp said:
Do get the impression Lewis is making up excuses and his head isn't fully in it these days. Doesn't seem to be anywhere near what he is capable off. Maybe this year is the year to call it
Lando Norris will be hoping so! I think he’ll renew for a couple of years more, so long as the gap gets closed by development during this season.
SturdyHSV said:
andburg said:
honda_exige said:
Interesting Hamilton saying he's not comfortable with the driving position of the W14 (and W13). Don't recall him mentioning this last year but could be mistaken.
________
https://the-race.com/formula-1/mercedes-seat-posit...
We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers,” said Hamilton. “Our cockpit is too close to the front.
“When you’re driving, you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you’re driving a car.
“If you were driving your car at home, and you put the wheels right underneath your legs, you would not be happy when you’re approaching the roundabout!
“So, what that does is it just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. And it makes it harder to predict, compared to when you’re further back and you’re sitting closer, more centre.
“It’s just something I’ve really struggled with.”
Asked by The Race if Hamilton had accepted that Mercedes would retain the seating position because of the team’s belief it was part of making the fastest possible car, he replied: “Yeah, I listened to the team and that was the direction that they said that we should go.
makes sense________
https://the-race.com/formula-1/mercedes-seat-posit...
We sit closer to the front wheels than all the other drivers,” said Hamilton. “Our cockpit is too close to the front.
“When you’re driving, you feel like you’re sitting on the front wheels which is one of the worst feelings to feel when you’re driving a car.
“If you were driving your car at home, and you put the wheels right underneath your legs, you would not be happy when you’re approaching the roundabout!
“So, what that does is it just really changes the attitude of the car and how you perceive its movement. And it makes it harder to predict, compared to when you’re further back and you’re sitting closer, more centre.
“It’s just something I’ve really struggled with.”
Asked by The Race if Hamilton had accepted that Mercedes would retain the seating position because of the team’s belief it was part of making the fastest possible car, he replied: “Yeah, I listened to the team and that was the direction that they said that we should go.
sure I've read various places say as a driver you want the car to pivot round your head. Moving the pivot behind will take some major adjusting to
Only mention it as I was struggling not to be skeptical about what input he could have really offered but that's another good example that I hadn't thought of.
Also, a better comparison picture from that linked article above:
Edited by SturdyHSV on Thursday 30th March 12:12
tertius said:
honda_exige said:
Obviously the photos aren't 100% accurate due to angulation but the Merc doesn't seem too dissimilar from the Ferrari/Merc/Aston, only the RB seems to be significantly different.
I'm struggling a little bit to not see this as an excuse from Lewis. At some point do you suggest it's evidence that he isn't adaptable? Or that adaptability lessens with age? - Alonso shows that isn't necessarily true for all.
Would be interesting to see it as a proportion of the wheelbase - I.e. the drivers head is x% of the distance from the front axle to rear axle. I think that might be more relevant.I'm struggling a little bit to not see this as an excuse from Lewis. At some point do you suggest it's evidence that he isn't adaptable? Or that adaptability lessens with age? - Alonso shows that isn't necessarily true for all.
If you look at those pictures the front wheels are aligned but the rear wheels are all different.
Sandpit Steve said:
Apparently a gift from CH. Petrus1983 said:
Piginapoke said:
My spies at McLaren inform me that ALL paint is coming off and they’ve dispatched the tea boy to Halfords to buy some go faster stripes. My moneys on Lando for the win now. Petrus1983 said:
My spies at McLaren inform me that ALL paint is coming off and they’ve dispatched the tea boy to Halfords to buy some go faster stripes. My moneys on Lando for the win now.
Toto has already said that the 2022 silver car had 6kg of paint and stickers, but the 2023 black one has 3.2kg. That’s a massive saving, if you can get it past the sponsors. Gassing Station | Formula 1 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff