Motorsport Off Topic Thread

this_is_gav · 17 Oct 2013 at 19:39

Glaucus said:
Starting to like the look of mclaren for 2015

They'll have little input on 2015, unless they're released early of course.

Still, McLaren know how to make a fast racing car. They may have lost a few key men over recent years, but they've a huge design department.

They dropped the ball for 2013, but it's a clean sheet of paper for 2014. They'll certainly be better than they have been this year, but it's asking a lot to expect them to jump straight back towards the front.

Duke · 17 Oct 2013 at 21:09

Ferrari wheel in detail - http://edition.cnn.com/2013/10/17/sport/motorsport/f1-steering-wheel-interactive/index.html#index

Sky F1 mid-week report - http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/8976583/the-f1-midweek-report-episode-15

wonder_lander · 17 Oct 2013 at 22:36

Nico Rosberg's helmet has been stolen - http://www.nicorosberg.com/2013/10/help-to-find-the-thief-of-my-helmet/

Duke · 18 Oct 2013 at 10:22

Great article on Cosworth engine - http://www.f1technical.net/features/18858?sid=8c48cfb177733eabcf3e437186453f5d

drunkenmaster · 18 Oct 2013 at 10:54

this_is_gav said:
They'll have little input on 2015, unless they're released early of course.

Still, McLaren know how to make a fast racing car. They may have lost a few key men over recent years, but they've a huge design department.

They dropped the ball for 2013, but it's a clean sheet of paper for 2014. They'll certainly be better than they have been this year, but it's asking a lot to expect them to jump straight back towards the front.

Yup, the real problem is, like with Red Bull get the first year of new regs/car design right and it sets you up brilliantly till basically the next.

While 2014 is a clean slate, the current design thinking at Mclaren seems to be along the wrong path. Bringing in some top guys for 2015 might mean some good work on a car that is fundamentally "wrong". Think finally getting a team up and running on the Merc, but it's still working from a base design that chews up tyres and has no race pace. While having a full team over the past 18-24 months has clearly massively improved Merc, it still can't fix the fundamental problems. Having that team in place now could easily help Merc make a good 2014 car though.

Always liked Mclaren but if they get next years car wrong, they'll likely be on the back foot till the next big change. If you take Merc as an example a few really good guys at the start of 2015 won't make a huge difference till more like 2017, and it will more be big tweaks to an existing car, if that car has problems it might still have problems.

TaKeN · 18 Oct 2013 at 10:55

Duke said:
Great article on Cosworth engine - http://www.f1technical.net/features/18858?sid=8c48cfb177733eabcf3e437186453f5d

6 tons of load on a crank pin!! Mind blowing stuff.

deuse · 18 Oct 2013 at 11:17

Duke said:
Great article on Cosworth engine - http://www.f1technical.net/features/18858?sid=8c48cfb177733eabcf3e437186453f5d

I used to inspect the cosy engine parts

Guerrilla · 18 Oct 2013 at 12:44

Maldonado exit opens Williams door for Massa, I wouldn't mind Massa ending up at Williams but Maldonado to Lotus instead of Hulkenberg would be bloody crap

Skeeter · 18 Oct 2013 at 12:58

Sounds like its completely out of Williams, Lotus and Maldonado's hands. PDVSA will decide what they want, and their £20m will get it.

Indy500 · 18 Oct 2013 at 12:58

Bernie will make it happen (Massa to Williams) if he can't shoehorn in Felipe Nasr somewhere. Gotta keep that Brazilian audience

PinkFloyd · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:15

Oh god I hope Hulk gets the Renault seat and not Pasta...

smr · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:28

ugh, why can't that ugly little troll just shoo off into another series. If he joins Lotus I think I'd cry.

Duke · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:30

As much as I'd like to see Hulk in the Lotus (well, Mclaren ideally), at least if Maldonado does end up there we'll find out how good or bad he really is.

smr · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:32

Duke said:
As much as I'd like to see Hulk in the Lotus (well, Mclaren ideally), at least if Maldonado does end up there we'll find out how good or bad he really is.

that's true. If Lotus have a competitive car again like this year's it could show him up, then we can all have a good laugh.

GravyMonster · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:50

Maldonado at Lotus????

http://nooooooooooooooo.com/

Indy500 · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:54

smr said:
that's true. If Lotus have a competitive car again like this year's it could show him up, then we can all have a good laugh.

Not with Grosjean as a team-mate.

tummelv · 18 Oct 2013 at 13:55

Duke said:
As much as I'd like to see Hulk in the Lotus (well, Mclaren ideally), at least if Maldonado does end up there we'll find out how good or bad he really is.

Just like last year then when he had a fairly competitive car? Inconsistent as hell!

Nismo · 18 Oct 2013 at 14:18

Imagine all the spare bodywork parts that Venezuelan money will buy

leaskovski · 18 Oct 2013 at 14:50

smr said:
that's true. If Lotus have a competitive car again like this year's it could show him up, then we can all have a good laugh.

I don't know why, but I think he would actually do well. We know he can drive. That barca drive last year, was no fluke.

GravyMonster · 18 Oct 2013 at 14:52

Sniff Petrol said:
Nico Hulkenberg has confounded conflicting rumours that he would join Lotus, Force India, Williams or even Ferrari by accidentally signing for all four of them.

‘I don’t know what happened,’ the German driver admitted. ‘You know, people are always putting things in front of me to sign. To be honest, I stopped concentrating a long time ago. Only last month I accidentally signed a table, a spaniel and one of my own legs. So, for sure, it is no surprise that yesterday I accidentally signed completely watertight and legally binding contracts to drive for four different Formula 1 teams in 2014.’

Sources close to Hulkenberg say the under-rated racer is keen to dodge further embarrassment and is now working on a system to avoid letting down his multiple paymasters.

‘Nico is developing a sort of rota,’ confirmed manager Heinz Beenz. ‘So he will qualify, say, the Ferrari and then quickly run down the pit lane and jump in the Lotus and do a qualifying run for them, and so on. Whichever car he gets highest up the grid is the one he will drive on the Sunday and he will tow the other cars behind him.’

Although Hulkenberg’s plan is likely to be extremely tiring and presents a high risk of other cars getting tangled in his complex system of towing cables, the German racer remained upbeat about his contractual over-subscription. ‘Hey, it could be worse,’ he concluded cheerfully. ‘I could have accidentally signed for McLaren.’