Formula One world championship

Scott

bAdmin
Staff member
Renault renaming to Lotus will retain Reault engines.
Lotus renaming to Caterham will keep their renault engine and redbull gearbox.
Williams are changing from cosworth to renault engine

So off the top of my head, Renault now supplies engines to 4 teams (including redbull), and cosworth will only power HRT and Marussia (ex virgin).
 
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Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Thats right, Renault now does not have an official team to brand as Renault so they are an engine supplier. It makes sense to me the way they do stuff and they've had success in the past so more engines can only mean more data and progress.
 

pistonbroke

Eats Squid
I do too. When he rings the neck of a car he is a bloody demon. Here's hoping we have a big battle between the champions o days gone by.
For the Melbourne race, the schedule has been published on the F1 site but is still subject to change. As you know the Thursday is always limited for F1 action on track but the very first thing to announce to the world that F1 is on in Melbourne is............the two seater at 7.30am! Nice! I'll be there that early as I get a breakfast and a pitlane walk then some sessions talking to drivers in a group. Am I excited? You betcha.
I love F1, and your tickets sound awesome. But I went to the Melbourne GP a couple of years ago with a couple of free GA tickets. I thought it was crap live. From anywhere around the track you could only see maybe 200 metres of track. By the time the F1 cars hit the track for the race, everyone seemed to be pissed and sunburnt. Like most sporting event in Melbourne, it all seemed to be about being seen and drinking. What made it worth it was the noise. OMG the noise.
I think the Melbourne track is pretty poor for spectators and for passing. It needs some elevation change. Phillip Island would be better, but maybe not suitable for F1. Do we have any true great race tracks in OZ? Bathust would be epic, but also probably unsuitable.
The Melbourne track seems dicky and outdated to me. A lot of the newer tracks seem better. I think track design has come a long way since Melbourne was built. But they may have been quite restricted with building at around Albert Park. I think most of the newer tracks around the world started with empty space. Melbourne seems to be a watered down, sanitised, half assed street circuit.

I would never tell anyone to not bother going, though. Did I mention the noise?
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
The great thing about F1 is the cars and drivers need to adapt to many different venues, a lot like riding a mountain bike I guess. We've seen the cars on beaches, ice lakes, timber bull rings.......the one thing that always stays the same is the sound and the awesomeness of it all. I for one think the Melbourne venue is pretty bloody good for spectating in most areas. The most limited viewing spot would be near gate 5 in between turns 5 and 6 and man, that section is where an F1 car prevails over any other! You see the cars flat through turn 5 then grab high gears and knock off 100km braking and turning into turn 6 with no room for stuff ups. That is about the most limited area I reckon.
Melbourne has won all sorts of awards over the years for things that you don't get to see with a general admission ticket. I know people aren't going to pay a big sum like I'm happy to do but some of the seating is great and the chances to do the extra things are well worth it for me. The venue is great for the teams, close to major services, looks great on TV and has always given us one of the best races each year (similar to Canada). No where else in Australia could do it that hasn't done it already. The race has to stay in Melbourne or we won't see F1 in Australia again. That, my good buddies, would fucking suck and I'd be broke as I'd travel to many countries to get my fix. ;)
40 days to go...............
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Heaps of new cars have been released and the Jerez test starts later today so we'll see some action! So far I reckon the Sauber has the best look with the gun metal front and rear. The Red Bull and Toro Rosso's have the best shape but you all know that Ferrari steered by the raging Spaniard will dominate.......... I hope. I also hope Massa and Hamilton have some more agro and punch on at some stage. Hamilton won't have Sutil in his corner as they aren't mates any more so it should be a fair contest!
 

willsy01

Eats Squid
In order of release:

Caterham CT01......can't find any decent pics of the thing.

McLaren MP4-27. The only car so far with a smooth nose. Seems they anticipated the rule change when the designed the 2011 car.


Ferrari F2012. Eeewww.....


Force India VJM05


Lotus E20. Stepped nose, but much smoother.....


Sauber C31


Red Bull RB8


Torro Rosso STR07
 

PINT of Stella. mate!

Many, many Scotches
"My Ferrari's got no nose."

"How does it smell?"

"TERRIBLE!!"


HahahahahhhHaaahhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHhhahahahHHHHHHahahHahHHHJHAhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahHHahHAhahahahaahahHahahahahHahahahahahah!!!!!!!!!

Seriously though, what an ugly car!
 

Plow King

Little bit.
All pretty differing designs will be cool to see what works and what doesn't. What's the bet half the teams scrap their designs after the first race.

None the less I'm going to miss the beautifully devilish sound of the Renault exhausts :(
 

willsy01

Eats Squid
I daresay that come March 18, there will be some significant changes. There's no way any of the teams are going to give away much at this early stage.

Anything with a Ferrari engine seems to have very small side pod inlets which is interesting.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
I've done a big read on the regs for this nosecone and bulkhead caper and it simply seems as though McLaren are running their nosecone lower than other teams as they don't need to maximise the aero under the car as much as everyone else. Their car seems legal but doesn't look as mongo as the rest but still does comply. As far as I can tell, there is no limit to how low the tip of your nose can be that the McLaren exceeds. Interestingly, I reckon they'll be pretty quick straight out of the blocks this year as they seem to have not shuffled too much around on the car except for the exhaust outlet positioning which is still not shown as yet.
 
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Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
I wouldn't let any pre season testing give you an idea of teams' pace. Reb Bull did four laps on day one, Raikkonen did nearly 60. There weren't many cars on track but damn its good to see them in action again! Schumacher is quickest on day two albeit in the 2011 Mercedes, their car isn't due for launch until next week I believe.
I reckon Kimi will go okay and he'll podium some races early on. He is a dark horse for a win but I think the first time winners this year may well be Mercedes. I think POSM said Rosberg may be a contender?
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
I checked the Superbru website and says the F1 tournament will launch in late February. Old Shagger, you better remember to set us up again! ;)
Only one month of sleeps until the season arrives!
 

Old Shagger

Farkin Legend
yup

yep i will be on it and set it up again. I will pm everyone and reactivate a post thingo for all. I am so so so angry as i cannot attend the gp. I have my Water Polo grand Final on the Sunday- the hide of them..............

Red Bull will win. The end.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
You better hope the grand final location has a TV Shags.
It is too early to call the race but I said it earlier that I reckon Vettel will bounce them all again. I reckon it'll be closer but he'l still have the edge. I think Webber will do a lot better and McLaren will win more races. I hate to say it....I actually pain to say it but I think the new Ferrari will be further behind than last year's car was. I reckon an odd podium will be good for them. I hope I'm wrong and Alonso wins a shitload of races but I'm not getting the vibe.
 

Plow King

Little bit.
< month Yaaay. I'm going to wear a ferrari t shirt in spite of POSM and in order to get Dozer to smuggle down some booze from the high roller section.
 

Dozer

Heavy machinery.
Staff member
Nice one Plow, I'll glue that fucker to you! ;)
I don't think I've anticipated a season like this since the 1997 season when Damon Hill went to Arrows after wining the championship. I remember in Friday practice Villeneuve set a lap time in the low 1.24's and looked down to see his time and must have had a double take as he ran wide and threw his hand in the air with excitement. Prost had also entered a team painted in a tidy French blue and had V10 Peugot donks that sounded like something from heaven. Ralf Schumacher had also arrived at the Melbourne race in his first F1 drive with Jordan. I must have spent $500 on Jordan merchandise that year with that amazing looking hornet paint job, Christ it looked awesome! I think it was also 1997 that Lola entered some cars with Mastercard sponsorship and ran a V8 that sounded mickey mouse but went like a dog. They bailed mid year I think?
Now that we're closer to it, who's going? Where will we meet and gang up on Dozer to tell him Ferrari are shit? Sometime on Saturday? A mutual spot may be on the pit lane side of the pontoon? Bueller? Bueller?
 
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