F1 2011 season news / pre-season updates

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So two teams doing that (FI and Mclaren). Probably a better solution than RB had recently by ignoring the test, as they are at least learning about the new tyres.
 
Didnt I read somewhere that Ferrari already have their car ready (well certainly crash structure has been fully tested and approved)

I think that was stated in the recent BBC article about their race team being restructured
 
Overlag said:
i doubt F1 is going back to floors like that, or why would they go to the effort to ban Double defusers?

Ive not heard anything about F1 changing its rules about the floor?
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For 2013 the rules are changing quite a lot. Much much smaller front and rear wings with more downforce generated from ground effect. That diagram looks like a mock up for what we might be able to expect.

In theory more of the DF from ground effect should reduce the gap at which cars are able to follow each other before lowing a lot of grip. Currently with so much generated by wings the car is generating lots of dirty air. Ground effect cars should be far less affected and so can follow closer and so COULD encourage more actual racing.
 
Todge said:
For 2013 the rules are changing quite a lot. Much much smaller front and rear wings with more downforce generated from ground effect. That diagram looks like a mock up for what we might be able to expect.

In theory more of the DF from ground effect should reduce the gap at which cars are able to follow each other before lowing a lot of grip. Currently with so much generated by wings the car is generating lots of dirty air. Ground effect cars should be far less affected and so can follow closer and so COULD encourage more actual racing.
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Ah i didn't know that, ive always argued that ground effect is "free" downforce and needs to be used more than wings. Looks like they have finally come to the same conclusion...
 
HRT no longer a part of FOTA.

So, who reckons they'll still be around at the end of the year? With the 107% qually rule returning, you'd have thought they'd need every bit of goodwill they could get. Somehow, I don't see thumbing your nose at the teams alliance as being the smartest move....
 
I'm sure someone will be along to correct me if I'm wrong on any of these, but if you apply the 107% rule to last year then I believe it looks something like this:

Bahrain - both HRT cars DNQ
Australia - both HRT cars DNQ along with the Virgin Racing car of Di Grassi
Malaysia - Senna's HRT and Di Grassi's Virgin DNQ
China - both HRT cars DNQ
Spain - both HRT cars DNQ
Monaco - both HRT cars DNQ along with Fernando "The Daddy™" Alonso, who lobbed his car into the armco during Saturday morning practice
Turkey - all cars qualify
Canada - Chandok's HRT DNQs
Valencia - all cars qualify
Britain - both HRTs DNQ
Germany - Liuzzi (just!) and Yamamoto DNQ, with Di Grassi failing to set a time as well
Hungary - both HRTs and Di Grassi DNQ
Belgium - no-one who didn't progress to Q2 makes the cut - Trulli, Kobayashi, Senna, Yamamoto, de la Rosa, Di Grassi and Petrov
Italy - all cars qualify
Singapore - both HRTs DNQ, along with Massa who lost his gearbox before he could set a time
Japan - both HRTs DNQ
Korea - both HRTs and Di Grassi DNQ
Brazil - everyone from Buemi and back DNQs because of that ludicrously quick lap from Hulkenberg who was on the right tyres at the right time
Abu Dhabi - all cars qualify

Even leaving aside the two oddball races (Belgium and Brazil), it's clear that HRT would have found it a hideous struggle to make the show on many occasions last season had the 107% rule been there. I can't imagine them finding it any easier this season.
 
JRS said:
HRT no longer a part of FOTA.

So, who reckons they'll still be around at the end of the year? With the 107% qually rule returning, you'd have thought they'd need every bit of goodwill they could get. Somehow, I don't see thumbing your nose at the teams alliance as being the smartest move....
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I can't see them being here myself and I will be surprised if they make it to the start of the season. Just seen a retweet from F1 Fanatic from Alan Baldwin on the subject.

"Spoke to FOTA secretary general Simone Perillo, who says HRT "did not fulfill their 2010 FOTA membership fee obligations"


*edit* on the 107% rule are those based on the fastest time in Q1 or Q3?
 
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JRS said:
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Monaco - both HRT cars DNQ along with Fernando "The Daddy™" Alonso, who lobbed his car into the armco during Saturday morning practice
...
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Indeed.

But you will also recall that up to that point in the race weekend, he was completely dominating proceedings. At the time of the crash, he was holding the fastest time in that session. On top of which he started the race from the back of the grid (I think he opted to start from the pitlane) and then drove such that he finished right on the back of his team-mate. Not bad at Monaco, I'm sure you will agree.

PS. With the 107% rule, what happens if somebody does not take part in qualifying (as Alonso did) is this an automatic disqualification from taking part in the race?
 
sunama said:
Indeed.

But you will also recall that up to that point in the race weekend, he was completely dominating proceedings. At the time of the crash, he was holding the fastest time in that session. On top of which he started the race from the back of the grid (I think he opted to start from the pitlane) and then drove such that he finished right on the back of his team-mate. Not bad at Monaco, I'm sure you will agree.

PS. With the 107% rule, what happens if somebody does not take part in qualifying (as Alonso did) is this an automatic disqualification from taking part in the race?
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As far as I know it's up to the stewards whether or not to let them in, this will depend on things like Practice times. If somebody who regularly qualifies for the race has a mechanical failure, I'm sure they will be able to race.
 
Pete19s said:
*edit* on the 107% rule are those based on the fastest time in Q1 or Q3?
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Ah, good point. I assumed that the rule would be based on the fastest time in qualifying now that they run each session on low fuel tanks but it probably isn't. Looks rather better for them if you solely go on the first part of qualifying. Give me a couple of minutes and I'll work it out with that in mind.

Hadn't seen that from Simone Perillo. That makes it even more hilarious - they come out saying "oh yeah, we're leaving FOTA, don't see that it has any point for us" yet in reality it's down to yet another unpaid bill. Once again I must extend my congratulations to the previous FIA regime and their team selection process....
 
Right, bearing in mind what Pete19s reminded me of....here's the 107% rule applied to 2010 using the first part of qually to determine the cut-off.

Bahrain - both HRTs out.
Australia - all qualify
Malaysia - both HRTs out plus Di Grassi
China - all qualify
Spain - all qualify
Monaco - The Daddy™ possibly out (failure to set time)
Turkey - all qualify
Canada - Chandok out
Valencia - all qualify
Britain - all qualify
Germany - Di Grassi possibly out (failure to set time)
Hungary - both HRTs out
Belgium - both HRTs, de La Rosa and Di Grassi out, Petrov possibly out (failure to set time)
Italy - all qualify
Singapore - Senna out, Massa possibly out (failure to set time)
Japan - all qualify
Korea - all qualify
Brazil - all qualify
Abu Dhabi - all qualify

So they miss four races altogether (put another way, about a fifth of the season!), and only get one car into the show on another two occasions.
 
deko said:
As far as I know it's up to the stewards whether or not to let them in, this will depend on things like Practice times. If somebody who regularly qualifies for the race has a mechanical failure, I'm sure they will be able to race.
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This is interesting. Surely this is open to abuse and could bear some intersting results.

The last time they used the 107% rule, if memory serves me correct, teams had access to spare cars, which means that even if a driver crashes his car in the practise session, he can then use the spare car in qualifying. Failing that he has the option to use his team-mates car to qualify.

Now, with the banning of using spare cars (without taking some form of horrendous penalty), the repercussions of pushing too hard in an earlier session and crashing out (just as Alonso did at Monaco) before the qualifying session starts, could have a major effect on the outcome of the races.

I can't say that I am a fan of this 107% rule. It certainly makes a new team joining F1, less likely as any new team has to consider the possibility that they may never ever start a single race during the course of the season, due to the 107% rule. As we saw this year, when you are new team, it is VERY difficult to compete at the same level as the established teams.

Sponsors are also likely to have clauses in their payment terms, such that if a team fails to start a race (perhaps due to the 107% rule), sponsorship money may be withheld. This will hit a new team VERY hard.
 
The 107% rule is a joke.

The FIA and FOM said they wanted 3 new teams in F1, so they then ignored all the teams who had the funding and staff to make a successful effort, and instead chose 3 who barely could afford to turn up (none of the teams arrived on the grid in 2010 in the same guise as they were in when they were selected).

They then slated them all year for being slow and 'embarrassing'.

And now they are bringing back a rule that will exclude them from racing because some of the top teams whinged!

:confused:
 
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