Motorsport Off Topic Thread

deuse · 9 Jul 2017 at 05:41

Jono8 said:
That looks much, much better. In fact i like it.

Looks much better. But how is the driver going to clean the screen?

Jono8 said:
They are having a laugh aren't they!?

https://twitter.com/JeanTodt/status/882984630311432192

MooMoo444 · 10 Jul 2017 at 15:16

Imagine an engine blowing up infront of you and your screen being covered by an opaque layer of oil. Seems a bit dodge.

this_is_gav · 10 Jul 2017 at 15:38

MooMoo444 said:
Imagine an engine blowing up infront of you and your screen being covered by an opaque layer of oil. Seems a bit dodge.

It's a tricky situation. You've got to balance the chances of a smack on the head (of which there has been a greatly increasing number over recent years) against the danger posed by other elements (ending up upside down on fire (microscopic chance these days - when was the last crash which resulted in a car in a serious fire?) or engine oil, in which most cases wouldn't pose an immediate danger, but might have lasting issues resulting in a pitstop or something).

Then again there's no reason why wipers can't can used, as in LMP1. It can't even be too difficult to make a series of tear-offs that can be triggered from the cockpit.

MikeTheNative · 10 Jul 2017 at 15:46

I don't see why they just don't go full canopy it will look better than that half asked crap.

Duke · 10 Jul 2017 at 15:56

MikeTheNative said:
I don't see why they just don't go full canopy it will look better than that half asked crap.

I agree, although I like the open cockpit I think if they're going down this route you may as well go all the way.

MissChief · 10 Jul 2017 at 16:14

I also agree but then you get the drivers and purists saying F1 should always be open cockpit and for safety in case a car rolls over. Funny how LMP cars seem to manage just fine? They do multi-class racing, for far longer than any F1 car or driver does yet I've never heard of any LMP driver being stuck inside a car?

Flibster · 10 Jul 2017 at 18:26

MissChief said:
I also agree but then you get the drivers and purists saying F1 should always be open cockpit and for safety in case a car rolls over. Funny how LMP cars seem to manage just fine? They do multi-class racing, for far longer than any F1 car or driver does yet I've never heard of any LMP driver being stuck inside a car?

Doors that open sideways that also still have a roof vs a canopy that with either in it's entirety hinge up, sideways or slide forward.

I know which would be easier to get out of while upside down or say... against the barriers at Monaco.

MissChief · 10 Jul 2017 at 19:09

Flibster said:
Doors that open sideways that also still have a roof vs a canopy that with either in it's entirety hinge up, sideways or slide forward.

I know which would be easier to get out of while upside down or say... against the barriers at Monaco.

The Mercedes SLS has gull wing doors with small explosive bolts in the hinges that activate if the car is upside down. I'm sure they could come with something similar.

this_is_gav · 10 Jul 2017 at 20:52

MissChief said:
I also agree but then you get the drivers and purists saying F1 should always be open cockpit and for safety in case a car rolls over. Funny how LMP cars seem to manage just fine? They do multi-class racing, for far longer than any F1 car or driver does yet I've never heard of any LMP driver being stuck inside a car?

McNish was stuck in his R18 after his horror crash at Le Mans in 2011, but I can't immediately think of many others. I think Webber's the Mercedes in 1999.

I can't remember an F1 car upside down and on fire since Roger Williamson's terrible crash in 1973. The chances of it happening now are tiny to the point of it barely being a factor worth considering.

I think the only F1 crash resulting in any real fire in recent years was Webber when an oil line broke in the collision, and that shouldn't be a serious issue providing the marshalls aren't a complete shambles like they were on that day.

Flibster · 10 Jul 2017 at 21:43

MissChief said:
The Mercedes SLS has gull wing doors with small explosive bolts in the hinges that activate if the car is upside down. I'm sure they could come with something similar.

Hmmm... With the SLS there was still a roof once you had removed the doors, and the bolts were designed to just break the hinges so the doors can be pushed away from the car body.

With an F1 car, unless they raise the roll structure and as such the overall height of the the car, it will be laying on the canopy. They'd be better off with something along the line of the canopy explosives in military aircraft. Shatter the canopy. But then you've got shards of that moving about at speed...

MissChief · 11 Jul 2017 at 02:14

Flibster said:
Hmmm... With the SLS there was still a roof once you had removed the doors, and the bolts were designed to just break the hinges so the doors can be pushed away from the car body.

With an F1 car, unless they raise the roll structure and as such the overall height of the the car, it will be laying on the canopy. They'd be better off with something along the line of the canopy explosives in military aircraft. Shatter the canopy. But then you've got shards of that moving about at speed...

They could easily make the regulations state that there must be a flat surface of a specific size above the drivers head but below the air intake and rollhoop and mandate a specific type of bolt and attachment that can be triggered by the driver or by a marshall.

timmeh · 11 Jul 2017 at 02:47

They could just make it so the bottom blows out like a fighter jet ejector seat and the driver parachutes down back to the pits.

MissChief · 11 Jul 2017 at 04:41

timmeh said:
They could just make it so the bottom blows out like a fighter jet ejector seat and the driver parachutes down back to the pits.

Just the thing for the tunnel in Monté Carlo?

deuse · 11 Jul 2017 at 08:33

MissChief said:
They could easily make the regulations state that there must be a flat surface of a specific size above the drivers head but below the air intake and rollhoop and mandate a specific type of bolt and attachment that can be triggered by the driver or by a marshall.

And what happens if the bolt and attachment failed?
And before you say "military spec" they have failed on Jet fighters.
The LMP windscreen angle is no where near what a F1 is and that's why wipers work.

MooMoo444 · 11 Jul 2017 at 08:55

Just need remote control cars and have all the drivers in the pits with VR gear. Just like they do for drone racing.

job jobbed

Blackvault · 11 Jul 2017 at 09:09

MissChief said:
Just the thing for the tunnel in Monté Carlo?

That is where a Tony Stark/Iron Man suit with jet packs comes in handy...

The_Abyss · 11 Jul 2017 at 13:05

MissChief said:
Just the thing for the tunnel in Monté Carlo?

Easy. Finally get rid of Monaco as a race venue. Two birds with one stone.

GeezerButler · 12 Jul 2017 at 09:55

Sauber/Honda deal scrapped maybe? Does this explain Kaltenborn's swift exit?

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/130672/sauberhonda-deal-called-off-say-sources

Now that Vasseur is in charge there - maybe Renault instead, or just a Ferrari extension?

Also McLaren/Alfa Romeo - is the situation at McLaren that desperate?

http://en.f1i.com/news/273278-273278.html

poosemon · 12 Jul 2017 at 10:18

GeezerButler said:
Also McLaren/Alfa Romeo - is the situation at McLaren that desperate?

http://en.f1i.com/news/273278-273278.html

Surely given the "Mclaren" brand with the road cars a tie up with Ferrari/Alfa is not feasible?

GeezerButler · 12 Jul 2017 at 10:39

Sounds crazy to me as well - McLaren would have to be desperate as it would not only be an embarrassment for the F1 team but would be really poor PR for McLaren Automotive.