The Official Formula 1 thread

[Quasikomodo]

One days testing per.. Month? Day? Season?

So any of these new drivers who haven't 'Raced' in F1 before, could test?

Apparently its one day during the race season ie from the first race weekend to after the last race weekend.
Teams can also conduct six one day straight line only aero tests.
Teams can also substitute aero test days for 24 hours of full scale wind tunnel testing, in previous years this was limited to 60% scale models.

[TofuEater]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/motoring/news/article.cfm?c_id=9&objectid=10625705

Contains an youtube video about Fangio's drive at the Nurburgring in 1957.

[Speakman]

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/motorsport/3291179/Virgins-new-F1-racer-designed-like-no-other


designed using Computational Fluid Dynamics, rather than wind tunnels and constant refinement. Far cheaper, but how will it last on track? guess we shall she when it runs its first test laps in the next week.

im liking the colour scheme

[Spork]

Is the front of it higher than the F1 cars of last year?

Although I didn't watch much F1 last year so I guess I can't really remember what they looked like.

[Speakman]

it looks it to me as well

[Obbles]

I think its the paint job that causes that efect

or maybe it is higher

Ill tell you in just over a months time :3

[Nostargate]

pretty much all will look like that this year...indian f1 car for comparison

The Official Formula 1 thread

The Official Formula 1 thread

[Speakman]

interesting, that indian car is a fair bit longer (assuming its to scale). i spose thats the benifit of designing from scratch, Virgin can have a smaller car while incorporating the larger tanks, whereas the India car will have existing specs that they have just added to or developed, lengthening the car to accomodate the tanks.

[Obbles]

Its getting so close I can smell it

[Zarkov]

Cause and effect - the impact of 2010’s new rules
Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull Racing RB6 Formula One Testing, Day Two, Barcelona, Spain, Friday 26 February 2010. Vitantonio Liuzzi (ITA) Force India F1 VJM03, makes a practice pit stop. Formula One Testing, Day One, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday 25 February 2010. Toro Rosso front wing detail. Formula One Testing, Day Three, Barcelona, Spain, Saturday 27 February 2010. Ferrari wheel. Formula One Testing, Day One, Barcelona, Spain, Thursday 25 February 2010. Jaime Alguersuari (ESP), Scuderia Toro Rosso. Formula One Testing, Day Three, Jerez, Spain, Friday 19 February 2010.

Formula One racing is a fast-moving sport and every season sees the introduction of regulation updates aimed at achieving a range of different objectives. Although less far-reaching than the new rules brought into force for the 2009 season, this year’s revisions are just as interesting.

From the ban on refuelling to the use of narrower front tyres, and from the removal of KERS to the reorganised points system, there’s a lot to catch up on before the Bahrain Grand Prix gets underway next month. In a bid to analyse their impact, we extract the primary changes and detail their possible repercussions…

CHANGE - Refuelling ban in races
Sporting regulations, article 29.1
29.1 a) Refuelling is only permitted in the team's designated garage area.
b) No car may be refuelled after it has left the pit lane for the first time whilst the pit exit is open for the race.
c) Fuel may not be added to nor removed from a car during a race.
IMPACT: By far the biggest change this year is the ban on refuelling during races for the first time since 1993. As the cars feature significantly larger fuel tanks, up from around 80 litres to something nearer 250, packaging the tanks efficiently has become a top priority for the teams, with wider rear bodywork and longer wheelbases much in evidence during pre-season testing. There will still be pit stops, as drivers need to use both tyre compounds during dry races, but they will be significantly quicker, with stops possibly lasting less than four seconds. The ban on refuelling will also impact race strategy. Cars will be much heavier and slower at the start of Grands Prix, which will influence tyre wear, and the lifespan of its drive train and brakes. Those teams running with more economical engines will benefit. To put it simply, the less fuel needed at the start - the faster the car. The drivers, meanwhile, will have to handle the change in weight distribution.

CHANGE - revised points scale
Sporting regulations, article 6.4
6.4 Points for both titles will be awarded at each Event according to the following scale :
1st : 25 points
2nd : 18 points
3rd : 15 points
4th : 12 points
5th : 10 points
6th : 8 points
7th : 6 points
8th : 4 points
9th : 2 points
10th : 1 point
IMPACT: With the grid expanding to 12 teams in 2010, the FIA have introduced a new points structure. In place of the previous system, which saw the top eight drivers scoring 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and one point respectively, the top ten finishers will score points. With more points on offer, the bigger field will be rewarded. Another hope is that the bigger difference between the points on offer for the winner and for second place will mean more reason for drivers to push for victory.

CHANGE - Minimum weight increased to 620 kg
Technical regulations, article 4.1/2
4.1 minimum weight: The weight of the car must not be less than 620 kg at all times during the Event.
4.2 Ballast: Ballast can be used provided it is secured in such a way that tools are required for its removal. It must be possible to fix seals if deemed necessary by the FIA technical delegate.
IMPACT: Raising the minimum weight of the car by 15 kg was initially prompted by the need to offset the disadvantage faced by taller (and therefore heavier) drivers in cars equipped with KERS. Although the teams have agreed they will no longer use KERS in 2010, the minimum weight is still increased. This means teams have greater freedom to play around with weight distribution.

CHANGE - Narrower front tyres
Technical regulations, article 12.4, wheel dimensions:
12.4.1 Complete wheel width must lie between 305 mm and 355 mm when fitted to the front of the car and between 365 mm and 380 mm when fitted to the rear.
12.4.2 Complete wheel diameter must not exceed 660 mm when fitted with dry-weather tyres or 670 mm when fitted with wet weather tyres.
IMPACT: When slicks returned in 2009, tyre size remained unchanged, which meant that in terms of contact area the fronts gained proportionally more grip than the rears. For 2010, this has been remedied and the front tyre width has been reduced from 270 mm to 245 mm. The smaller tyres will enable the cars to be better balanced from front to rear.

[Zarkov]

CHANGE - no wheel fairings
Technical regulations, article 12.8, wheel assembly
12.8 The only parts which may be physically attached to the wheel in addition to the tyre are surface treatments for appearance and protection, valves for filling and discharging the tyre, balance weights, drive pegs, tyre pressure and temperature monitoring devices and spacers on the inboard mounting face of identical specification on all wheels for the same axle.
IMPACT: In 2009, you didn’t have to look hard to notice the wheel rim covers, which become so commonplace up and down the pit lane. This season they have been banned. This means one less thing to go wrong when pit crews tackle the new speedy fuel-less pit stops and also (possibly) more overtaking, as the airflow behind a car will be less turbulent. Teams, however, will look elsewhere to recover the aero advantage of the rim covers.

CHANGE - wheel rim heaters banned
Sporting regulations, article 25.3, control of tyres
25.3 f) The only permitted type of tyre heating devices are blankets which use resistive heating elements. The heating elements may only act upon the outer tyre surface.
IMPACT: Although the use of tyre blankets is still allowed, the restriction on the inner heated core, which is used to heat the wheel rim, is set to make the warm-up of tyres much more important.

CHANGE - modified safety car rules
Sporting regulations, article 40.7
40.7 All competing cars must then reduce speed and form up in line behind the safety car no more than ten car lengths apart. In order to ensure that drivers reduce speed sufficiently, from the time at which the “SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED” message is shown on the timing monitors until the time that each car crosses the first safety car line for the first time, drivers must stay above the minimum time set by the FIA ECU. With the following exceptions, overtaking is forbidden until the cars reach the first safety car line after the safety car has returned to the pits. Overtaking will only be permitted under the following circumstances :
- if a car is signalled to do so from the safety car ;
- under 40.14 below ;
- any car entering the pits may pass another car or the safety car remaining on the track after it has crossed the first safety car line ;
- any car leaving the pits may be overtaken by another car on the track before it crosses the second safety car line ;
- when the safety car is returning to the pits it may be overtaken by cars on the track once it has crossed the first safety car line ;
- any car stopping in its designated garage area whilst the safety car is using the pit lane (see 40.10 below) may be overtaken ;
- if any car slows with an obvious problem.
IMPACT: - During a safety car period, backmarkers are no longer able to ‘unlap’ themselves whilst running behind the safety car. It’s hoped that this will shorten safety car periods and see quicker restarts during the 2010 season.

CHANGE - second additional engine penalty
Sporting regulations, article 28.4
28.4 a) Each driver may use no more than eight engines during a Championship season. Should a driver use more than eight engines he will drop ten places on the starting grid at the first Event during which each additional engine is used. If two such additional engines are used during a single Event the driver concerned will drop ten places on the starting grid at that Event and at the following Event.
IMPACT: Each driver is allowed to use no more than eight engines during a season. If he does use more than his permitted eight, he will drop 10 places on the starting grid of the event at which an additional unit is to be used. An extra caveat in 2010 is that if he uses a second additional engine during a race weekend he will be handed a 10-place grid penalty for the following event. This makes engine sustainability even more significant, particularly as the season’s close approaches.

CHANGE - reduction in on-track aero testing
Sporting regulations, article 22.1
22.1 a) iii) six one day aerodynamic tests carried out on FIA approved straight line or constant radius sites between 1 January 2010 and the end of the last Event of the Championship. Any of these days may be substituted for four hours of wind-on full scale wind tunnel testing to be carried out in a single twenty four hour period.
IMPACT: Since 2009, testing during the season has been banned, with the exception of a small number of straight-line aero tests. In 2010 the number of test days available has been further reduced from eight to six. This will mean teams will have to capitalise on their limited time on the track all the more, and could prompt more general testing to be conducted during Friday practice sessions before Grands Prix.

CHANGE - dry tyre availability
Sporting regulations, article 25.2/4
25.2, quantity of tyres: During the Event no driver may use more than eleven sets of dry-weather tyres (six of ‘prime’ specification and five of ‘option’ specification), four sets of intermediate tyres and three sets of wet-weather tyres.
25.4 Use of tyres :
a) Each nominated driver will be allocated three sets of dry-weather tyres for use during P1 and P2, two of “prime” specification and one of “option” specification. These are the only dry-weather tyres which may be used during these sessions.
One set of “prime” specification must be returned to the tyre supplier before the start of P2 and one set of each specification before the start of P3.
IMPACT: The number of dry tyres available to each driver has been decreased from 14 to 11 sets per weekend. In order to persuade teams to run more comprehensively during Friday practice sessions, one set of dry tyres must be returned before the start of Practice Two, and two sets before the start of Practice Three.

CHANGE - qualifying to race tyres for top ten
Sporting regulations, article 25.4
25.4 d) At the start of the race each car which took part in Q3 must be fitted with the tyres with which the driver set his grid time. This will only be necessary if dry-weather tyres were used to set the grid time and if dry-weather are used at the start of the race.
IMPACT: One of the more interesting changes to the tyre rules for 2010 is that any driver who participates in Q3 during Saturday qualifying must start the race on the same tyres he used to set his grid time. This will prompt a real brainteaser for team strategists, who will have to decide whether it’s worth qualifying on a softer (quicker)tyre, even though it may not serve the driver so well on a full fuel load at the start of the race.

CHANGE - testing for driver substitutes
Sporting regulations, article 22.1
22.1 c) No track testing may take place between the start of the week preceding the first Event of the Championship and 31 December of the same year with the following exception
If a team declares that one of its current race drivers is to be substituted by a driver who has not participated in an F1 race in the two previous calendar years, one day of track testing will be permitted between the start of the week preceding second Event and the last Event of the Championship. The following must be observed:
- Any such day may only be carried out by the new driver and may not take place on a circuit hosting a race in the current Championship year.
- Any such day may only take place within a period 14 days prior to the substitution and 14 days after the substitution has taken place.
- If a team, having declared the driver’s substitution and performed the test, does not then enter an Event with the new driver, the team will be penalised by a reduction of one day from the pre-season track testing days available in the following year.
IMPACT: Last season Jaime Alguersuari made his Formula One debut in the Toro Rosso having only previously driven an F1 car during a straight-line test. In effort to avoid this scenario again this year, the FIA have somewhat relaxed their in-season testing rules. So if a team declares that one of their current race drivers is to be substituted by a driver, who has not participated in an F1 race in the last two calendar years, one day of track testing will now be permitted. This will only be allowed if it takes place on an approved circuit not being used for a Grand Prix during the current season.

[Zarkov]

12 - 14 Mar 2010
2010 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Pos    No    Driver    Team    Q1   Q2   Q3    Laps
1    5    Sebastian Vettel    RBR-Renault    1:55.029   1:53.883   1:54.101    14
2    7    Felipe Massa    Ferrari    1:55.313   1:54.331   1:54.242    16
3    8    Fernando Alonso    Ferrari    1:54.612   1:54.172   1:54.608    20
4    2    Lewis Hamilton    McLaren-Mercedes    1:55.341   1:54.707   1:55.217    19
5    4    Nico Rosberg    Mercedes Benz GP Ltd    1:55.463   1:54.682   1:55.241    13
6    6    Mark Webber    RBR-Renault    1:55.298   1:54.318   1:55.284    13
7    3    Michael Schumacher    Mercedes Benz GP Ltd    1:55.593   1:55.105   1:55.524    15
8    1    Jenson Button    McLaren-Mercedes    1:55.715   1:55.168   1:55.672    17
9    11    Robert Kubica    Renault    1:55.511   1:54.963   1:55.885    17
10    14    Adrian Sutil    Force India-Mercedes    1:55.213   1:54.996   1:56.309    16
11    9    Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth    1:55.969   1:55.330      12
12    15    Vitantonio Liuzzi    Force India-Mercedes    1:55.628   1:55.653      13
13    10    Nico Hulkenberg    Williams-Cosworth    1:56.375   1:55.857      14
14    22    Pedro de la Rosa    BMW Sauber-Ferrari    1:56.428   1:56.237      13
15    16    Sebastien Buemi    STR-Ferrari    1:56.189   1:56.265      14
16    23    Kamui Kobayashi    BMW Sauber-Ferrari    1:56.541   1:56.270      13
17    12    Vitaly Petrov    Renault    1:56.167   1:56.619      14
18    17    Jaime Alguersuari    STR-Ferrari    1:57.071         6
19    24    Timo Glock    Virgin-Cosworth    1:59.728         7
20    18    Jarno Trulli    Lotus-Cosworth    1:59.852         6
21    19    Heikki Kovalainen    Lotus-Cosworth    2:00.313         7
22    25    Lucas di Grassi    Virgin-Cosworth    2:00.587         7
23    21    Bruno Senna    HRT-Cosworth    2:03.240         6
24    20    Karun Chandhok    HRT-Cosworth    2:04.904

[kilabee]

Poor effort from Sky TV again.4 Channels of sport and they only replay qualifying just before race start.I might have to make a pointless phone call to customer "service"

[Zenith]

Looks like lots of Q3 times are slower that Q2 - I assume many opting for hard tyres for the race.
Should be a good season, thou Sleep>F1 for me so I don't think I will see much. Gone are the days of getting up at midnite to watch on TV1

[Spork]

Looks like lots of Q3 times are slower that Q2 - I assume many opting for hard tyres for the race.
Should be a good season, thou Sleep>F1 for me so I don't think I will see much. Gone are the days of getting up at midnite to watch on TV1

the post qualy press conference was quite funny, the person asking the questions (I pressume theres only one?) asked Vettel what he feels about getting pole, then asked Massa abotu second, then when it came to Alonso he asked;

'So Alonso, why do you feel there was a much larger gap in at the end of qualifying than there was at the start?'
To which Alonso replied with;
'I guess it has to do with the heat.. Etsetrah' (purposely misspelled)

Probably funnier to hear it said than read, but it seemed as if he didn't give a crap about the gap, and was expecting to be asked about getting third.

--

Go Vettel! Also good to see Webber up in sixth, hopefully he can get something out of that.

[Zarkov]

the post qualy press conference was quite funny, the person asking the questions (I pressume theres only one?) asked Vettel what he feels about getting pole, then asked Massa abotu second, then when it came to Alonso he asked;

'So Alonso, why do you feel there was a much larger gap in at the end of qualifying than there was at the start?'
To which Alonso replied with;
'I guess it has to do with the heat.. Etsetrah' (purposely misspelled)

Probably funnier to hear it said than read, but it seemed as if he didn't give a crap about the gap, and was expecting to be asked about getting third.

--

Go Vettel! Also good to see Webber up in sixth, hopefully he can get something out of that.

Wait for Alonso tantrums to start when things don't go right.

[Speakman]

Schumacher looks weird not-in-red

http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/

hopefully Webber and RBR and build on last years success. big time Webber fanboi here.

[Spork]

Schumacher looks weird not-in-red

http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/

hopefully Webber and RBR and build on last years success. big time Webber fanboi here.

 
One of the big things that I can see getting in the way of Webber is Vettel.

Although if Webber finished second in every race of this season except the ones where Vettel didn't finish or for some reason finished low in the grid, and Webber finishes first, I would be happy.

[Speakman]

i can see that rivalry being very benificial for the team, picking which driver will come out on top will be very hard

[Zarkov]

12 - 14 Mar 2010
2010 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Pos    No    Driver    Team    Laps    Time/Retired    Grid    Pts
1    8    Fernando Alonso    Ferrari    49    1:39:20.396    3    25
2    7    Felipe Massa    Ferrari    49    +16.0 secs    2    18
3    2    Lewis Hamilton    McLaren-Mercedes    49    +23.1 secs    4    15
4    5    Sebastian Vettel    RBR-Renault    49    +38.7 secs    1    12
5    4    Nico Rosberg    Mercedes Benz GP Ltd    49    +40.2 secs    5    10
6    3    Michael Schumacher    Mercedes Benz GP Ltd    49    +44.1 secs    7    8
7    1    Jenson Button    McLaren-Mercedes    49    +45.2 secs    8    6
8    6    Mark Webber    RBR-Renault    49    +46.3 secs    6    4
9    15    Vitantonio Liuzzi    Force India-Mercedes    49    +53.0 secs    12    2
10    9    Rubens Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth    49    +62.4 secs    11    1
11    11    Robert Kubica    Renault    49    +69.0 secs    9    
12    14    Adrian Sutil    Force India-Mercedes    49    +82.9 secs    10    
13    17    Jaime Alguersuari    STR-Ferrari    49    +92.6 secs    18    
14    10    Nico Hulkenberg    Williams-Cosworth    48    +1 Lap    13    
15    19    Heikki Kovalainen    Lotus-Cosworth    47    +2 Laps    21    
16    16    Sebastien Buemi    STR-Ferrari    46    +3 Laps    15    
17    18    Jarno Trulli    Lotus-Cosworth    46    Hydraulics    20    
Ret    22    Pedro de la Rosa    BMW Sauber-Ferrari    28    Hydraulics    14    
Ret    21    Bruno Senna    HRT-Cosworth    17    Mechanical    23    
Ret    24    Timo Glock    Virgin-Cosworth    16    Gearbox    19    
Ret    12    Vitaly Petrov    Renault    13    Suspension    17    
Ret    23    Kamui Kobayashi    BMW Sauber-Ferrari    11    Hydraulics    16    
Ret    25    Lucas di Grassi    Virgin-Cosworth    2    Hydraulics    22    
Ret    20    Karun Chandhok    HRT-Cosworth    1    Accident    24

[Quasikomodo]

Hoo ha!! Its a redwash!!

[Spork]

Ferrari got lucky with the Vettel exhaust problem.

Vettel got very unlucky with the same problem.

[Spork]

Anyone want to buy an F1 ticket? =(

4 day pass!

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/2010-Formula-1-Australian-Grand-Prix-ticket_W0QQitemZ270549920587QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Tickets?hash=item3efe082b4b

[Zarkov]

Race will be more exciting than Bahrain?

[Obbles]

ONE MORE DAY OF WORK!!!!!!

w00t