Title says it all!....

So many rule changes....

 

What's an F1?

 

What's an F1?!?!?!?

Imagine nascar, but not boring.

 

Oh. That would be a big improvement!
Go fast, turn left. Not all that much variety going on there.

 

This years F1 cars have only 1.6 litre engines.....

 

I used to watch the F1 a few years ago until I realised no two cars are the same and how racing politics impede the race.

Give all the drivers the same car and just leave them to get on with it and then you've got a real race on your hands.

 

Give all the drivers the same car and just leave them to get on with it and then you've got a real race on your hands.

Then you get a race where all the cars go the same speed around and around, nobody can ever pass anybody... which basically describes either F1 or NASCAR.

 

Used to watch almost every race but haven't watched regularly in the last decade or so. It's now just too boring, the team with the most money wins, which means they have the most money next season so guess who wins...

 

I follow the racing weekends, through one media or another.

The last 2 years the FIA has been changing the regulations so fast that previous infrastructure in knowledge and technique doesn't carry on into the new season. The last two ones where pretty intense and interesting, since many big teams just couldn't find their steps into the new regulations, leading to some unexpected results.

Yeah, Fettel won again, but he's a wonder-kid anyways.

 

I prefer motorcycle racing, at least most finish and on the same lap, too.

 

What's an F1?

I surmise from the thread context that F1=Formula 1 racing. I'm not a race fan, and so I didn't know either.

I'd rather be riding my motorcycle than watching other ride.

 

Still don't know the difference.

Back in the days of leaded gasoline at 25 cents a gallon, races were won by the people that designed new parts and configurations. This improved the cars and the engines, and the best design had a good chance of winning. Now, everybody has the same car and the same engine and the original purpose of racing does not exist. If you compare two identical cars in a race and one of them wins, what does that tell you about the advantages of the winning design? Nothing.

 

formula 1 is a specification for the race cars. weight, wheelbase, aerodynamics and such. there are differences in the cars, unlike some other types of racing, where the same exact cars are used.
for instance formula v, uses volkswagon 4 cyl engines in race chasis.
formula 1 s the mose expensive of the racing formulas, with only the richest factory entries.

 

I've edited the title of the thread, to make it clearer especially for our American cousins.

formula 1 s the mose expensive of the racing formulas, with only the richest factory entries.

Almost true.... However many of the teams are independent, they simply buy their engines from a particular manufacturer,
and then develop the rest of the car themselves.

It is also true to some extent that the richest teams are likely to be the most successful,
but that is quite normal in such technical sports (sailing for example).

What I find interesting is that in all probability no other sport has such a profound ability to affect our everyday lives. The innovations that these race teams are required to make in order to circumvent the "Rules" filter down into our every day road cars....

 

Ahhh the edit didn't work!!!
How does one go about editing a thread title?

 

Hello,

Only the mods can change the titles of a thread.
What would you like the title to be?

Bertus

 

Thanks Bertus,
If F1 could be changed to Formula 1
It would be clearer I think.
By the way I sent a message via the 'contact us' link at the bottom of the page, is that the correct way to contact an admin?

 

Hello,

The "contact us" goes only to our administrator, jrap, who unfortunately is rarely online.
You can PM the mods or report the thread with your comments.

Bertus

 

Still don't know the difference.

Back in the days of leaded gasoline at 25 cents a gallon, races were won by the people that designed new parts and configurations. This improved the cars and the engines, and the best design had a good chance of winning. Now, everybody has the same car and the same engine and the original purpose of racing does not exist. If you compare two identical cars in a race and one of them wins, what does that tell you about the advantages of the winning design? Nothing.

That couldn't be further from the truth.

As, alfacliff said F1 car designs must obey certain specifications and rules, which are updated each year.

For example, when the aerodynamic diffuser was regulated at a specific height, 2 years ago, the Red Bull team designers thought of splitting it in two layers, in order to improve performance while remaining within height regulations.
It's this kind of details that make the difference.

Another important point is that, since regulations are updated from season to season, the most important decision a team manager has to make is when to stop research on this year's design and start focusing on the next year's car. This is where championships are won or lost.

That said, yes, the team with the most money can usually hire more expert designers, have better laboratories and generally spend more on research.
But there are regulations there too and often times a smart choice/idea is worth more than a bigger budget.

 

Sounds like they need a salary cap.