Motorsport Off Topic Thread

[this_is_gav]

I've been thinking that. I wonder what the chance is of multiple teams turning up with their own DAS interpretation. Admittedly it'd be risky running it with only two practice sessions to test it, though.

Almost impossible. Factories have been shut and in all likelihood DAS will need a new chassis, which will need crash testing.

Teams are using the same chassis next season as this, but I'm not sure if new chassis designs are banned now or at the end of the season.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I think Mercedes said they weren’t going to run DAS. With such a short calendar I wonder if that’s still true? They’ll need every edge.

 

[GravyMonster]

Almost impossible. Factories have been shut and in all likelihood DAS will need a new chassis, which will need crash testing.

Good point if it requires a new chassis.

 

[Slam62]

Almost impossible. Factories have been shut and in all likelihood DAS will need a new chassis, which will need crash testing.

Teams are using the same chassis next season as this, but I'm not sure if new chassis designs are banned now or at the end of the season.

No it won't they ran with both in Barcelona

 

[CaptainRAVE]

No it won't they ran with both in Barcelona

I thought they just opted not to use it rather than running with/without it?

 

[Slam62]

I thought they just opted not to use it rather than running with/without it?

Oh yeah maybe

 

[The_Abyss]

I like the look of the initial calendar, especially as Verstappen is 5/1 for the WDC. Here's hoping he bags a couple of wins in Austria - that should change the odds up!

 

[CaptainRAVE]

I like the look of the initial calendar, especially as Verstappen is 5/1 for the WDC. Here's hoping he bags a couple of wins in Austria - that should change the odds up!

I’d like to see him leading the championship to see how he handles the pressure. Then we’ll see how willing he is to push people out the way, it’s easy when you have nothing to lose.

 

[The_Abyss]

Yes, that would indeed be interesting. It is an area that Hamilton's matured in so impressively over the years since he joined Mercedes.

 

[this_is_gav]

No it won't they ran with both in Barcelona

I didn't mean that it needed a different chassis just that those designed without it in mind would almost certainly not have the space to incorporate it in their existing chassis.

It was the same reason why cars couldn't easily copy McLaren's F-duct and had to bodge their way around it (hence Alonso driving through Eau Rouge one-handed).

 

[englishpremier]

It’ll be interesting. Red bull could get off to a good start. It’ll be a tight championship with so few races. I wonder how much cars have developed since testing?

They have had an awful lot of time to develop the cars and engines, especially knowing that next year is going to have the same framework. Even if officially they aren't allowed to develop, that doesn't stop top aero guys coming up with ideas, and maybe even mocking a few things up on their computers at home.

Yes, that would indeed be interesting. It is an area that Hamilton's matured in so impressively over the years since he joined Mercedes.

For sure. Some of the best racing I've seen in recent years is Ham fighting with Kimi (on the rare days kimi got to the front in the Ferrari). Such clean fair racing and decisive moves by both of them.

The complete opposite of watching Vettel and Max battle, and to a lesser extent Dani Ric.

 

[Mr Jack]

Mercedes have blocked reverse grid races. Shame.

 

[JRS]

Mercedes have blocked reverse grid races. Shame.

Not a shame. It's gimmicky and has no place in the alleged pinnacle of motorsport.

 

[GravyMonster]

Not a shame. It's gimmicky and has no place in the alleged pinnacle of motorsport.

Entirely this. DRS is bad enough, we don't need more gimmicks to 'improve the show'.

 

[Mr Jack]

Not a shame. It's gimmicky and has no place in the alleged pinnacle of motorsport.

I wouldn't support full points reverse grid races, but as an alternative qualifying format? I think it'd be interesting to see, give a bit more interest to the double-headers, and the strangeness of this year's season is the perfect opportunity to try some things that wouldn't normally be done.

 

[Mr Jack]

Entirely this. DRS is bad enough, we don't need more gimmicks to 'improve the show'.

I would say that the functional effect of a reverse grid qualifying would be almost exactly the opposite of DRS. DRS functions to let faster cars breeze past slower cars without needing to make a skilful overtake, and damages the sport by letting it ignore the more fundamental problem causing a lack of overtakes in the first place. Reverse grid qualifying rewards drivers who have the skill to make their way cleanly through the field and punishes those that don't.

 

[Armageus]

Not a shame. It's gimmicky and has no place in the alleged pinnacle of motorsport.

Entirely this. DRS is bad enough, we don't need more gimmicks to 'improve the show'.

"Pinnacle of motorsport" isn't compatible with "entertainment" though for many (myself included). I'd rather have a "race" full of entertainment, rather than be bored to sleep as things have been for the last however many seasons.

Reverse grid qualifying rewards drivers who have the skill to make their way cleanly through the field and punishes those that don't.

I'd agree with this - whilst certainly not the "pinnacle of motorsport", reverse grids work well in BTCC.

 

[JRS]

"Pinnacle of motorsport" isn't compatible with "entertainment" though for many (myself included). I'd rather have a "race" full of entertainment, rather than be bored to sleep as things have been for the last however many seasons.

Well, if we're going to go ahead and admit that F1 is merely an entertainment franchise and is no longer the sport of Grand Prix motor racing...

 

[this_is_gav]

I can see Mercedes' issue. While Hamilton can be pretty good at coming through the field, his car isn't always. And these cars are certainly not ideal for reverse grids.

Still, given how disrupted and almost certainly shorter this season is I wouldn't mind something a bit more interesting to watch, but strictly for this season only.

While F1 is technically the pinnacle of motorsport there have been loads of gimmicks over the years and not just in recent years. I'm a stickler for tradition in sport, but sometimes you do need to do things a bit different to give something back to the fans in unprecedented cases like this.

They could do non-championship reverse grid races before or after the proper race or instead of a practice session to give us something extra. Or a midweek race for those events where they're staying at the circuit for two weekends in a row.

 

[UTmaniac]

No Baku, Suzuka or Singapore GP this year.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/53020714