*** Official F1 2014 thread ***

[Zorba]

Holy crap, just watched qualifying and the cars sound absolute shite.

Bring back the noise imo.

 

[JusSumguy]

Bring back the noise imo.

agree... 100%

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[rodrigoudf]

the noise is horrible, the noise spins are lower than other years and the turbo.

 

[OzExorcist]

My bold prediction: by the midpoint of this season, at the absolute latest, people will have stopped caring about the change in engine noise.

Remember how people complained about how "weird" the cars looked in 2009 when the aero regulations changed? How long did that whining last? Not very long. Don't get me wrong, I much preferred the old engine sound too. But people will get over it.

 

[Pothole]

This just in, shares in the company that makes ear defenders have tanked and shares in Honda have gone through the roof as Civics sound like F1 cars.

 

[OzExorcist]

TBH I'm a bit surprised that it's the lack of volume that people are complaining about.

I was lucky enough to get up close to the cars trackside a few times over the past decade, and they did produce a staggering amount of noise. But let's be honest here, the vast majority of us consume this sport on television, in the comfort of our own homes, at a modest volume level.

It's the actual note of the engines that I miss, that particular screaming noise, not the volume level per se.

 

[JusSumguy]

 

[OzExorcist]

Background commentary is quieter in the second video as well. Can't say for sure, but it leads me to believe that the volume on the second part of the video has been turned down for effect.

Undeniable that the 2013 cars were better sounding. I just don't think volume is a huge issue per se.

And like I said, by mid-season at the latest I predict people will have gotten used to the noise and most of the whining will be over.

 

[JusSumguy]

It's far from a deal breaker to me.

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[OzExorcist]

Ditto. I definitely miss the old sound, but the actual racing action last weekend was great. And it's fantastic to see some shakeup and excitement in the pecking order among the teams too. I thought it was great to see Williams back charging into the points, for example, and the somewhat dull dominance of Red Bull in previous seasons isn't there any more. Exciting

 

[rodrigoudf]

GP Malaysia:

1) Lewis Hamilton (ING/Mercedes) 1m40m25s974
2) Nico Rosberg (ALE/Mercedes) + 17s313
3) Sebastian Vettel (ALE/RBR-Renault) + 24s534
4) Fernando Alonso (ESP/Ferrari) + 35s992
5) Nico Hulkenberg (ALE/Force India-Mercedes) + 47s199
6) Jenson Button (McLaren-Mercedes) + 1m23s691
7) Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes) + 1m25s076
8) Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Mercedes) + 1m25s537
9) Kevin Magnussen (DIN/McLaren-Mercedes) + 1 lap
10) Daniil Kvyat (RUSSTR-Renault) + 1 lap
11) Romain Grosjean (FRA/Lotus-Renault) + 1 lap
12) Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) + 1 lap
13) Kamui Kobayashi (JAP/Caterham-Renault) + 1 lap
14) Marcus Ericsson (SUE/Caterham-Renault) + 2 laps
15) Max Chilton (ING/Marussia-Ferrari) + 2 laps

Abamdoned:
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/RBR-Renault) 49 laps
Esteban Gutiérrez (MEX/Sauber-Ferrari) 35 laps
Adrian Sutil (ALE/Sauber-Ferrari) 32 laps
Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/STR-Renault) 18 laps
Jules Bianchi (FRA/Marussia-Ferrari) 8 laps
Pastor Maldonado (VEN/Lotus-Renault) 7 laps
Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes) 0 laps

 

[PTWilky]

Glad to see Hamilton is back on track. Though I must say that guy Bottas is a very good surprise, he'll get far you'll see!

 

[JusSumguy]

Yeah... it is a deal breaker. BORING. Miss the sound of F1.

Gonna start taping the races and watch IF I have the time. Just not as exciting to me. In fact, it feels like Indy Car Light... to me.

Methinks I'm not alone.

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[Zorba]

I agree with you Oz, it's not a volume thing it is the high revving note that I miss.

 

[AtiFCOD]

F1 2013 vs 2014 sound comparison - Melbourne - YouTube

Yeah these new engines have very faint sound. I remember how loud they were when I watched a race live at Hungaroring. I hope Ecclestone will buy F1 and bring back the good-old F1 cars and rules and get rid of the current management.
This F1 is less and less likeable after the chages. Sometimes I think they want to deliberately ruin it. The cars looks terrible, especially Ferrari. The engines are weak. This is not Formula1!

 

[JusSumguy]

F1's problem isn't with their management.

Their problem is with filling the fields, which translates to money. As in... too expensive to compete vs. the return.

They have to find a balance between cutting edge, and affordability. They're trying, and with a bit more jiggering, they'll get it done.

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[OzExorcist]

Agreed - if it weren't for the changes they've been making to cut costs over the past few years we'd probably only have a 10-car world championship, which would be horrible.

For the most part the rule changes they've been making have actually worked too. Overtaking has definitely improved since they changed the aero regulations and introduced DRS / KERS. The racing in the midfield so far this year has been pretty exciting too, and it should be up front again too once the teams start to catch up to Mercedes.

Don't get me wrong, F1 management is far from doing everything right. But they're trying to walk a fine line, and I think they're mostly doing it right.

 

[AtiFCOD]

Vettel dared to say his opinion about the sound:

...Sebastian Vettel weighed into the debate, describing the sound of the new engines as "s***" and calling it a "shame"...

...Vettel said: "I was on the pit wall during the race, and it is quieter than in a bar. I think for the fans it is not good. I think F1 has to be spectacular – and the sound is one of the most important things."...

I absolutely agree.

 

[rodrigoudf]

GP Bahrein:
1) Lewis Hamilton (ING/Mercedes) 1h38m42s743
2) Nico Rosberg (ALE/Mercedes) +1s085
3) Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India-Mercedes) +24s067
4) Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/RBR-Renault) +24s489
5) Nico Hulkenberg (ALE/Force India-Mercedes) +28s654
6) Sebastian Vettel (ALE/RBR-Renault) +29s879
7) Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams-Mercedes) +31s200
8) Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Williams-Mercedes) +31s800
9) Fernando Alonso (ESP/Ferrari) +32s500
10) Kimi Raikkonen (FIN/Ferrari) +33s400
11) Daniil Kvyat (RUS/STR-Renault) +41s300
12) Romain Grosjean (FRA/Lotus-Renault) +43s100
13) Max Chilton (ING/Marussia-Ferrari) +59s900
14) Pastor Maldonado (VEN/Lotus-Renault) +1m02s800
15) Kamui Kobayashi (JAP/Caterham-Renault) +1m27s900
16) Jules Bianchi (FRA/Marussia-Ferrari) +1 lap
17) Jenson Button (ING/McLaren-Mercedes) +2 laps

Not completed:
Kevin Magnussen (DIN/McLaren-Mercedes) 40 laps
Esteban Gutiérrez (MEX/Sauber-Ferrari) 39 laps
Marcus Ericsson (SUE/Caterham-Renault) 33 laps
Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA/STR-Renault) 18 laps
Adrian Sutil (ALE/Sauber-Ferrari) 17 laps

Better lap: Nico Rosberg (ALE / Mercedes) - 1m37s020

 

[JusSumguy]

The race sucked... but it was fun watching the various teammates fight for supremacy.

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[n3rv]

I got odds of 6/5 on Maldonado finishing the race... it was close but he just about made it. :laugh:

 

[JusSumguy]

The Electric F1 Racecar: How It Works

Dissecting the the car that shows what electric vehicles can really do

The Formula E Racecar

This year, the first fully electric racing series will debut in cities around the globe. Called Formula E, the new Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) championship is the zero-emissions complement to the Formula One (F1) international racing series.
Formula E will be open to any vehicle that meets FIA technical specifications, an effort to motivate manufacturers to push the bounds of electric-vehicle technology. But for the inaugural season, all 10 teams (each with two drivers) will race just one model: the Spark-Renault SRT_01E. With oversight from Renault, the French company Spark Racing Technology will build 42 of them, incorporating parts from F1 heavyweights Dallara (chassis), Williams (batteries), and McLaren (powertrain and electronics). When the first race starts, in Beijing in September, the SRT_01E will show bystanders just what electric vehicles can do.

A) Sound
F1 racecars typically produce 130 decibels at high speeds, but the SRT_01E generates only 80—slightly more than a conventional road car. The “modern, futuristic” sound will come entirely from the tires, transmission, and wind buffeting. The FIA may require cars to produce an artificial sound to warn pit crews as the vehicles approach.

B) Powertrain
Two McLaren motor generator units (MGUs)—the same ones used in the McLaren P1 hybrid supercar—link to a six-speed sequential transmission and power the rear wheels. Rather than requiring a rebuild after each race like an internal-combustion engine, the MGUs should last two years.

C) Push-To-Pass
During the race, the car’s motor will be restricted to a power-saving mode of 180 brake horsepower to conserve battery life, but drivers can strategically boost it to 270 bhp for a few seconds at a time. This push-to-pass system will enable drivers to overtake competitors as they exit a corner or accelerate down straightaways to defend against them.

D) Tires
Formula E will be the first single-seater series to require all-weather tires. The bespoke Michelins are treaded for use in both wet and dry conditions. Their 18-inch diameter provides better fuel efficiency than smaller tires, translating to extra power or additional battery life.

E) Pit Stops
Each team has four vehicles, and each driver must make two pit stops to switch cars during the one-hour race. At speeds of 150 mph, the batteries last about 30 minutes (and can’t be swapped out). Qualcomm will adapt its Halo wireless charging to safety cars this year and to racecars in season two.



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[OzExorcist]

LOL @ having to completely change cars during a pitstop

 

[JusSumguy]

 

[tothbopo]

DENMARK normally wee dont have anything going on in F1.

But this year is different!!!!!!!!

He only needs to stabelize