Half way point in the F1 season, thoughts so far?

I thought that Hamilton's focus was 2014 with Merc and any wins this year was a bonus? Im sure I read that somewhere, and if that's the case he's not doing too bad! Hope next year they get a few more wins and really contend for the title from the start. Im not sure what's going on a McLaren, but if they don't fix it they may end up going the way of Williams eventually
 
sunama said:
Mercedes were terrible in races. They took an illegal tyre test, took a big risk, got involved in scandal and hey presto, 3 races on, they have race-winning pace. Last year, the moment they were made aware that Hamilton was listening to offers, they made an offer. McLaren were not happy, but then Merc are not playing happy families.
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lol, a blind test that most people realised in the young drivers test due to the restrictions on the car was almost completely useless..... turned around the ENTIRE car design of the past 3 years in a couple of weeks. LOL. You do realise that because they couldn't test parts, or compare parts, they learnt nothing and had no idea what the tyres were making it aside from Hamilton having more time in car with new wheel, settings and more practice, almost useless as a "test".

I find it funny that you think Merc have gained, where this was the race after the full on 3 day test they weren't allowed to go to, WITH tyre test, but Merc gained through a test with blind tyres and no comparison parts, sure.

The very basis of testing is doing one run with one part, and known tyre/fuel loads and then doing the same run with a different part to compare the feel/balance/speed of the car, Merc were not able to do that, PIrelli had a test, Hamilton got some time in the car, end of.

Their race pace HASN'T been terrible, their tyre wear at some tracks has been shocking, and others brilliant... this was said by super intelligent people at the time of the worst race.... wonder who that was.

Barca is the wrong style of track AND has horrible surface that destroys tyres, everyone had tyre issues, Merc were hit the worst. Every pundit, current driver, ex driver, commentator said the same thing. Barca would not be repeated as its the known worst track for tyres on the calendar, Monaco pretty much the best. The last race Merc had huge help from Mclaren and the heat which roasted everyones tyres, which hurt Merc, but hurt other cars more, more to the point Vettel had to back off from Hamilton, from Button and from Kimi because his car was overheating. Again the great equaliser was the heat.

Barca's problem WASN'T heat, but people decided that Merc should suck at every hot race because Barcelona can be hot, the problem was the combination of heat, tyre surface and generally poor track for the car anyway. Even with better tyre wear and arctic weather the track is just one that car wouldn't be fast at.

The car improved significantly after a couple races(without a tyre test... shocking) and has been very fast since then in quali AND decent in race, but it was just the part of the season that had the worst races in terms of heat/track surface/track style for them. Other tracks were always going to be less bad but also worse for other cars. Look at Lotus, zero tyre problems, the best wear on the grid and from one race to another on different style of tracks the car looks horrendous or amazing. That has been the case for most teams every season, a car will shine some places and suck at others.
 
Well, look at that. So drunkenmaster actually can post something sensible. Always wondered what that would look like....
 
*Dismiss another essay from drunkenmaster*

*Read following posts*

*Go back and read essay from drunkenmaster*

:eek:

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*Check I'm not dreaming*

:D
 
So far for me it's how good Mercedes have done. I knew it would take a long time for Lewis to get used to the car
but I never thought he would win at this stage of the season, maybe later yes but not this early.

You could see at the Canadian GP Lewis didn't trust the car to stop were he wanted it to and that was his main problem.

Now the brake problem seams to be fixed it's only the tires to worry about and if Lewis gets a win in Spa then it's game on.

McLaren. Coming from the fastest car last season to a midfield team
And I can't see them doing any good till they get another fast racing driver like Lewis.

Ferrari are doing their normal catch up-doing well and then fall back again.

But I still hate these tires, F1 drivers should be pushing to the edge all of the time and not just for 1 lap.
Come back Bridgestone asap.
 
deuse said:
Come back Bridgestone asap.
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I wouldn't mind having le-mans type tyres in F1. Especially with the 18" wheels. Or maybe 17" fronts and 18" rears.

That'd force the cars to be on the kerb less as there would be significantly less spring in the sidewall so they'd have to add it to the suspension. But, then they would bottom out more, so they'd have to raise the ride height... and loose downforce. ;) :D
 
this_is_gav said:
While it wasn't solely down to the tyres, I think many people forget just how boring much of the Bridgestone years were. Rose-tinted glasses?

A happy medium can surely be found.
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What was you watching?

The last 4 seasons of Bridgestone WDC was very close I think it was one point for two seasons.

Now it's vimto with 1,0000000000 points and lets add DRS(fake racing) oh and really crap tires
and it's what the weather is doing to say who wins!
F1 supporters have been walking away for the last 2 years. Viewing figures are down ect.

And as Webber said "it's not racing any more" and I agree.
 
Vettel/RBR would be great no matter which tyre brand they use (as long as the entire field is also getting the same tyre).

I remember with Brimstone, we reached a point where 1 set of tyres could last the entire race and some drivers would take their pit stop in the very last lap or the penultimate lap.
 
sunama said:
Vettel/RBR would be great no matter which tyre brand they use (as long as the entire field is also getting the same tyre).

I remember with Brimstone, we reached a point where 1 set of tyres could last the entire race and some drivers would take their pit stop in the very last lap or the penultimate lap.
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I don't remember that race when was it?
 
The first year of the new tyres was good as they still drove quick, then performance suddenly dropped off, so they pitted. Since then the teams now tip toe around to make them last.
 
deuse said:
What was you watching?
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Every race since 1989 bar about 15, when I've been at events myself. But thanks for asking.



deuse said:
Now it's vimto with 1,0000000000 points
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You remember this dude called Schumacher? He ****ed all over everyone for 5 consecutive years. People celebrated when anyone else won. Familiar?


I remember races such as Albert Park 2009, when Bridgestone completely misjudged the degradation and we had one of the best races for years as a result, the inspiration for the current tyres.


I'm not going to pretend that the Pirellis are ideal because I'd be lying, but something close to what we had last year would be fine - they could push the tyres and the 'cliff' didn't really come around - they wore gradually and pitted before the tyres wore out. They performed similar to races in the early 90s, before refuelling came in.


With the post-Michelin Bridgestones they'd be able to carry on using tyres from one race into the next weekend. In no way is that F1 - F1 is meant to be on the edge, not endurance racing. It's a fine balance.
 
this_is_gav said:
You remember this dude called Schumacher? He ****ed all over everyone for 5 consecutive years. People celebrated when anyone else won. Familiar?
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Yes MSC won the lot for years that's why the F1 viewing figures went down.

I remember races such as Albert Park 2009, when Bridgestone completely misjudged the degradation and we had one of the best races for years as a result, the inspiration for the current tyres.
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I remember nothing about tires in that race. But I do remember button going off in to the distance and winning
Rubens hitting as many as he could after having clutch problems and vimto\Kubica coming together
and the race finished under a safety car and the first time Mclaren used Kers.
About the tires hmmmm sorry nothing.

But I will watch it again soon and refresh my memory.
 
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The tyre split on the grid, with some (particularly Kubica in his underperforming BMW), knowing the softs would last but a few laps, choosing to start on the harder tyres (nothing special now, but it was such a refreshing change to the rock-hard era we'd endured).

Come the end of the race Button, whilst having a healthy lead in his car which had been but-a-dream just months earlier, was being hunted down by Kubica, before he tangled with Vettel. The last few laps, under safety car, were a let down in an otherwise super-tense race.

Perhaps much of it was romance. Ferrari and McLaren had been the front runners since 1998, yet now we had these pesky little underdogs in Red Bull and Brawn (probably the two teams with biggest budget in F1 now!) leading the charge.

Just out of interest, what would you class as the golden era of F1?
 
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I would have to say 1964 because racing drivers was real racing drivers. They knew they may not live to the end of the race and they was all mates.
Also they showed it a week or two later in our local community centre and 1964 was my first intro in to F1 :)

But I was mad on motor bikes and at school my step father got me a BSA Bantam lol and we used to go to Mallory park a lot.
 
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