British Grand Prix 2016, Silverstone - Race 10/21

On another note, Gasly in the RBR ran an intallation lap with the Halo 2 on. He wore a set of glasses with a camera in the middle to capture a drivers eye view of it. It will be interesting to see if they release that footage.

Quick vid from yesterday

Skeeter said:

Yeah. Shame really as much more of the track used to be open.

The fact you now have to go 'inside' the circuit to get to some of it means its now a lot easier for them to close sections of the track off.

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Yep that's why I decided not to go today. Fancied rocking up at Luffield for some photography.

Theres a great spot at the Vale chicane between the end of the Club grandstand and the Vale stands. The fences are lower and you have an unobstructed view to the cars while they are doing 2 changes of direction and at slow speed.

Naturally, it was rammed full of people with lenses longer than my arm yesterday .

ScoobyDoo69 said:

Really? I'd suggest some ear defenders of sorts. Part of the fun of Motorsport is the sound, it adds to the drama of it all. What would you have done in the V12 era? I'd think you'd wear ear defenders before being drove out of the grandstand..

The current F1 cars have nothing exciting about their sound IMO. This was my first race since V6 turbo and I was simply disappointed, especially when the Porsches and GP2 sound so fantastic.

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I disagree.

I don't think the V6 engine today is better or worse than the past, it is just different. There's so much more experience and other sounds on the current engines. Skeeter is correct when he says that they're very directional - face up to the exhaust and there's some serious noise, but watch them approach down a straight and the volume is but a fraction.

My video from pre-season testing in Barcelona. Skip to about 1.15 and listen to the mechanical sound of an F1 car braking from 200 mph to 50 mph in 90 metres. An iPhone microphone doesn't do it justice - it is simply incredible. In the V8 era you'd get done of this - just a wall of noise (or, in the case of Renault, a tumble drier full of spanners with their blown exhaust solution!)

God that front facing exhaust on the Renault did sound bloody awful didn't it!

I prefer the sound of the V6 Turbos to the V8s now. So many different noises and more diversity, the V8s sounded great, but it was exactly the same sound on each car, that ear shattering high pitched whine, it was good to listen to in terms of power it made but it does get a bit samey - the V6 Turbos have more character and sound different depending on the car and the way the engine, PUs, wastegate etc. is layed out and configured.