CarMad Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 So only a couple of races to go but its still all to play for. Hamilton is in the lead but as we all know from last year anything could and probably will happen. I'm sure we aren't done with controversy yet this year and there has certainly been a fair bit. I'd like to see a good clean but fun race regardless of who wins but what are the chances of that hey. Hamilton has so far topped the practice time sheets so far but that means nothing come qualifying and race day. Its another early start if you are watching it live, I think I will wait until I get up. Chinese Grand Prix on ITV Live qualifying Saturday 18 October 0615-0815 ITV1 & itv.com/f1 Qualifying re-run Saturday 18 October 1525-1725 ITV1 Live race Sunday 19 October 0700-1005 ITV1 & itv.com/f1 Race re-run Sunday 19 October 1455-1800 ITV1 Race highlights Sunday 19 October 2315-0015 ITV1 Highlights re-run Monday 20 October 1800-1900 ITV4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I too am hoping for a decent race - and thats cars racing other cars - hopefully the stewards can take a back seat and maybe even let the other teams race the red cars... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted October 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 We can but hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I'm hoping for a conflagration at turn one that takes out both McLarens and both Ferraris, allowing Kubica to pick his way through the mess and go on to win, putting himself in a fine position to steal the title from under the noses of both the undeserving fools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 if that turned it into a mass fight to the finish at Brazil then why not! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techieboy Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Non-China related but what the feck are those meddling muppets on about now - FIA opens tender for standard engines - F1 | ITV Sport? I wonder how competetive that tender process is going to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 It's mostly about trying to limit the costs so that F1 doesn't price itself out of existence. Oh, and I know most of you will hate the idea, but ... well, there's only one candidate out there for current best engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
techieboy Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Oh, and I know most of you will hate the idea, but ... well, there's only one candidate out there for current best engine. That'll be a Mercedes engine then? But haven't we got a single engined, single chassis championship in A1GP now? That's hardly set the world on fire. It's only engine manufacturer and sponsor money keeping it alive now. Once the non-"chosen ones" abandon it, it'll die a death. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 That'll be a Mercedes engine then? Comedian to the last... I agree though - I definitely don't want to see a control engine in F1. There have to be other ways to limit costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 To keep the costs down, they could stop changing the rules each year. They could also make the teams use the same design car for 2 years, with NO changes. They already have one tyre company, which stops competition on that front. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Back on topic, I hope Hamilton keeps his head. This is about the time when things went wrong last time and then the pressure build up took it's toll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazza_g Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Comedian to the last... how many engine failures have Ferrari and McLaren had this season, just to compare? for the future of the sport, part of F1's appeal is that its the pinncale of motorsport - I understand the need to support the smaller teams but 'cheapening' the sport so its futher over-regulated and development is stifled doesn't float my boat for the race, fingers crossed Lewis manages to play the sensible game...arrrghhh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garcon magnifique Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 how many engine failures have Ferrari and McLaren had this season, just to compare? Seeing as this is racing we're talking about, I'd rather judge it on engine power. for the future of the sport, part of F1's appeal is that its the pinncale of motorsport - I understand the need to support the smaller teams but 'cheapening' the sport so its futher over-regulated and development is stifled doesn't float my boat Agreed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted October 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 Fingers crossed they don't go for a standard engine. But it seems they are working on alternatives. autosport.com - F1 News: FOTA discusses response to Mosley Personally if they didn't change the regs so often the development costs would be much less and save a small fortune and the teams would naturally get closer together as they all optimise the designs. But hey who knows what will happen, I bet adding kers will tech is driving up a lot of costs but I bet Max doesn't let them drop that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 .... They should have got rid of Mosely while they had the chance! If there is only one standard engine, how will the car manufacturers be interested in F1? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingRed Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 I said at the time they proposed standardised components that it was the start of a slippery slope. All the talk of reducing costs over the last few years from the FIA has been nothing of the sort. Their principle concern is in taking ever more power for the FIA itself to dictate the level of competition. The most expensive part of the process of designing a racing car is the custom composites for the chassis and aero parts. Both areas that require extensive CAD capability and testing (e.g. track time and wind tunnels) and both massive hurdles for any new privateer trying to enter the sport and for any trying to match the development budgets of the manufacturer teams. Under present rules every team has to foot these costs to develop their own chassis and aero and the FIA has never displayed any inclination to change the status quo. If the governing body was genuinely interested in encouraging competition between drivers on track and in drawing more competitors to the sport then they would simply allow privateer outfits to purchase complete customer cars from the manufacturers. How much better would race day be if Red Bull and Torro Rosso were fielding Ferraris? If Force India had a brace of McLarens? And if poor old Frank Williams could get BMW's off the shelf? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarMad Posted October 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 I will put my Frank Williams head on shall I.... If the other teams can buy a car off the shelf there will be no constructors championship, one of the cornerstones of what makes F1 F1 for years is gone. It becomes some junior formula where you can buy one of a couple of different chassis and the engineering and design element of the championship is over. F1 isn't all about the drivers its as much about the teams and the skill in creating the very best car. Yes some have more resources than others and its more about money now that ever before but companies will always have cash to waist and a brand to promote that F1 can help them with, credit crunch or not that will not change. Funds might drop in the short to medium term for a while but why not cut the drivers salaries and get the top teams to help the smaller teams with engine deals but NOT chassis and aero. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Tone_ Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 Well a bit of a boring race but it was what we kinda needed after all the "issues" we have seen, and as a result of no issues the FIA didnt have any decisions to make to aid the ferrari team like last week. Next weekend will be very interesting - cant wait.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
m4ttm4son Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 Agree, looking forward to next week. Let's hope it has a mixture of the past few races - wheel to wheel action, a clear winner, no shenanigans and no FIA rulings. We can but hope Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncS3 Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 Just watched the recording - shows how things have been lately, after the race I immediately went to the bbc sport page to check in case there had been any post race stewarding decisions.. Dunc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cruiser647 Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 Well done Lewis! Need another display like that for Rio please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRobin Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 I will put my Frank Williams head on shall I.... If the other teams can buy a car off the shelf there will be no constructors championship, one of the cornerstones of what makes F1 F1 for years is gone. It becomes some junior formula where you can buy one of a couple of different chassis and the engineering and design element of the championship is over. F1 isn't all about the drivers its as much about the teams and the skill in creating the very best car. Yes some have more resources than others and its more about money now that ever before but companies will always have cash to waist and a brand to promote that F1 can help them with, credit crunch or not that will not change. Funds might drop in the short to medium term for a while but why not cut the drivers salaries and get the top teams to help the smaller teams with engine deals but NOT chassis and aero. ^^^^ Spot on! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RacingRed Posted October 19, 2008 Report Share Posted October 19, 2008 (edited) I will put my Frank Williams head on shall I.... By all means. If the other teams can buy a car off the shelf there will be no constructors championship, one of the cornerstones of what makes F1 F1 for years is gone. It becomes some junior formula where you can buy one of a couple of different chassis and the engineering and design element of the championship is over. If the FIA continues to enforce standardised components across all teams then you get the same situation. In fact, standardising will be demonstrably worse as literally all the cars will be the same design with a different coat of paint and sponsor livery. At least by allowing customer teams to purchase complete cars you keep the manufacturer input and allow competition between them to continue. Manufacturers will be competing not only to design a car that can win them races but also attract privateers to place their orders. F1 isn't all about the drivers its as much about the teams and the skill in creating the very best car. Yes some have more resources than others and its more about money now that ever before but companies will always have cash to waist and a brand to promote that F1 can help them with, credit crunch or not that will not change. Agreed, but how is that relevant to standardisation being further introduced to the design of the cars? Standardised components leads to, as you correctly identified, the loss of the R&D aspect that sets F1 apart from other open wheel series. But allowing customer chassis sales is not the same thing as standardisation. BMW won't be buying a Ferrari, neither will Honda buy a Toyota. The manufacturer teams will still be designing their own cars. But the privateers will be freed from having to do so. Competing design will still be a factor. You're correct that there will no longer be a manufacturer title. But it can simply be replaced by a 'team' championship. Additionally there could be an end of season award for the best manufacturer either by the design that won the most races or by calculating total points haul divided by number of chassis fielded. Funds might drop in the short to medium term for a while but why not cut the drivers salaries and get the top teams to help the smaller teams with engine deals but NOT chassis and aero. Have the manufacturers pay to help the privateers? Why would they want to do that? At least by allowing customer cars the manufacturers will be partly reimbursed for their work and the performance boost that the privateers gain. What you are suggesting is that they and are compelled to subsidise the privateers, and from the salaries of their drivers no less. I can't see any of them being willing to do that. Edited October 19, 2008 by RacingRed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssFour Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 I will put my Frank Williams head on shall I.... If the other teams can buy a car off the shelf there will be no constructors championship, one of the cornerstones of what makes F1 F1 for years is gone. It becomes some junior formula where you can buy one of a couple of different chassis and the engineering and design element of the championship is over. F1 isn't all about the drivers its as much about the teams and the skill in creating the very best car. Yes some have more resources than others and its more about money now that ever before but companies will always have cash to waist and a brand to promote that F1 can help them with, credit crunch or not that will not change. Funds might drop in the short to medium term for a while but why not cut the drivers salaries and get the top teams to help the smaller teams with engine deals but NOT chassis and aero. If I was Frank Williams I would be placing orders for Ferraris and Mclarens becasue its the only way he will ever be competitive again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mook Posted October 20, 2008 Report Share Posted October 20, 2008 If I was Frank Williams I would be placing orders for Ferraris and Mclarens becasue its the only way he will ever be competitive again. Whatever happened to Williams? Is it lack of money, lack of driver talent, lack of engineering talent (not to knock the engineers, because they all work bloody hard, but there seems to be a lack of a chief engineer's dynamism), lack of interest from Patrick Head..? Shame, because if you look back to the 80s and 90s, everyone was out to beat Ferrari, McLaren and Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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