I LOVE THESE KINDS OF VIDEOS

[Ceptorman]

 

McLaren Honda could use some help….

 

Honda's problems are of a different sort, and stem from FIA sporting regulations. Buried in the regulations is a clause that prevents engine manufacturers from making any significant developments and/or engine modification during their first year in the sport. It is entirely up to the FIA to define what is  "significant", which they have already to a great extent. And since the FIA board includes some manufacturers, i.e. the competition, McClaren/Honda and Ron Dennis will just have to take in the rear for their first year together (reunited, I know, but the break-up lasted a couple of decades, so it's considered New again).

 

McClaren's 2015 season is purely all about testing aero, and tuning tricks. They knew this when they made the decision to move away from Mercedes power plants. And Mercedes had an advantage last year because of the way they packaged their turbo system. They isolated the compressor side of their turbo system, moving it away from the exhaust (don't as me how), which helped to improve power (cooler, denser forced air induction) and more importantly allowed them more freedom for internal aero development.

 

2016 will see a completely different animal in McClaren. Alonso and Button are merely test drivers this year, and they know it.

 

I wonder what Alonso thinks about how well his old car goes with Vettel at the wheel? Ferrari has definitely upped their game. I didn't know about the rule of making significant changes during the year for a new team. Do they do this to keep the cost down, or safety reasons?

 

I'm a huge Honda fan, and I know they do not taking being uncompetitive very well. With all their resources, it's a shame we can't see what improvements they could implement until next year, but they knew the rules going in. 

[Gilbert]

I wonder what Alonso thinks about how well his old car goes with Vettel at the wheel? Ferrari has definitely upped their game. I didn't know about the rule of making significant changes during the year for a new team. Do they do this to keep the cost down, or safety reasons? I'm a huge Honda fan, and I know they do not taking being uncompetitive very well. With all their resources, it's a shame we can't see what improvements they could implement until next year, but they knew the rules going in.

 

Alonso's a clever fellow, I think he's the most technically brilliant driver who's also consistent. And he knows Ron Dennis's ability at putting a winning team together. Their relationship (despite the British media's attempts at demonizing Alonso) was never as bad as it was being played-out to be. Particularly by British F1 personality/commentator David Hobbs and the British publication F1 Magazine. Both enjoyed taking cheap shots at Alonso, all part of that "God Save The Queen, & England's McLaren Racing ".

 

Alonso was able to do what few Ferrari drivers ever have, he got his taste for Ferrari out-of-the-way while his career was still on a high note..... I anticipate Alonso will be retiring soon, within 5 years, plus or minus a year. He's dying to get that elusive third World Driver's Championship. I honestly believe he would have had it a couple years ago, in a Ferrari no less, had it not been for all those dipshyt Romain Grosjean moments, particularly the 2012 Belgium GP.

 

 Sebastian Vettel is young, cocky and eager to mimic his idle, he want's to build the team around him like the Schumacher-Ferrari relationship.... which he'll never be able to do, because he doesn't have anyone like Ross Brawn to bring to the table. I seriously doubt Christian Horner or Adrian Newey will go running after him, particularly Adrian who is himself a significantly higher commodity than Sebastian Vettel.

 

The First Year engine development rule was in effect for all the teams that participated last year, which is why nobody was allowed to mimic the Mercedes turbo packaging.... and yes, the rule was designed to supposedly save teams money (the smaller teams, who ended up folding the last two races regardless of the rule) .... and just like the stupid fuel metering limitation, both, IMHO were just idiotic, and if anything, they're Anti-F1.....  but not as stupid or idiotic as Bernnie's last race double-points brain fart. Bernie would have caugh hell had Nico won the title as a result of the last race double points thing.

 

Anyway, to get back on track,...  Mercedes's brilliant turbo packaging idea, was indirectly protected by the First Year engine development restrictions. And it was the reason nobody was able to compete at the same level as the Mercedes drivers. Though I will admit Lewis is a brilliant racer, with a big pair of nads. I love the way he drives the car, he's such a pure racer.

 

 The apparent success of Ferrari's new Team Principle (Maurizio Spaggetti-whatever) was not of his doing. Maurizio is merely reaping the benefits from Stefano Domeniciali, Pat Fry and especially James Allison's hard work. Of all the Ferrari top guys, I believe Allison is the only guy to got to stay on board, and is currently their new Technical Director (aka Fall Guy). Maurizio's going to need a lot more than an Italian accent and his hardcore scuderia passion to take the team to the top. It is truly James Allison's team right now, and Maurizio is going to have to depend on him for everything. I suspect by mid-season or the Monza GP we'll know if he brings anything special to the Ferrari table. Last years Monza snafu, resulted in Ferrari shacking up the team jar.... and probably played a major roll in Alonzo choosing to leave. Their problem, as explained in racing magazines, is the direct result of a lack of communication between the Engine and Chasis Builders.... and what makes it really comical, is that both are done in-house, under one roof.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Gilbert

[Travis In Austin]

Isn't there another rule, no work during the mid season break? I cannot keep up with it all. And wasn't Bernie talking last year about the teams going to 3 cars this year?

[Gilbert]

Isn't there another rule, no work during the mid season break? I cannot keep up with it all. And wasn't Bernie talking last year about the teams going to 3 cars this year?

 

Both Red Bull and Ferrari have mentioned numerous times over the yeas that they may (?) bring a 3rd cars to their line-up, and to my knowledge there is nothing in the regulations that prevents or limits the number of entries, it just means more $$$ in Bernie's pocket, which he'll be delighted to collect.

 

It's an expensive sport, and Bernie loves his money, so with that said, Bernie isn't going to do anything that'll choke or restrict the flow of cash into the sport. A lot of this money saving stuff is just smoke and mirrors IMHO, and a lure to entice smaller, less rich entries into the sport... which still means more money for Bernie. 

 

Hell, even the new US F1 team owner Gene Haas had to pay Bernie over $20M last year, and that was just to be guaranteed a place on the grid in 2016. That's Bernie's way of weeding out the BS trash talkers from the serious contenders. He figures If they can't afford to pay a paltry $20,000,000 sign-up fee, they don't belong in the sport.

 

During the summer break teams can and will make modifications (but not necessarily improvements) to their cars. It's a big deal, and everybody is eager to put them to the test during the second half of the season which is mostly at European venues. But regulations regarding on-track testing (wind tunnel testing too) are a completely different animal, testing reg's are constantly changing, constantly evolving. On-track testing is the single most important area where big ($) teams had a huge advantage, so that aspect of F1 had to be snuffed significantly enough to entice and lure in some new money for Bernie.

 

I think it was Steve Matchett who discussed the new rules/changes on testing, and they're always significant. I recall the number of kilometers teams are allowed can not exceed 15k kilometers per calendar year. But there's another rule that allows teams to over-ride some test restrictions, as long as a majority of the other teams agrees..... When, Where and How Many Days of testing are allowed is probably the most heavily sanctioned part of the regulations.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Gilbert

[Travis In Austin]

Gosh the rules now, wow. Finally had some time to read a couple of my back issues of Autoweek last night, and I think some of them are great. Four engines (I mean power unit), whoops, I mean 5, for whole season. Reliability becomes a major issue at the end of the season.

Each team has a number of "tokens" it can use during the season to make engine improvements.

It looks like Honda got a pass and will be able to make engine improvements during the season without penalty, which is a major brake for them but seems to be the most logical approach.

http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117386

[Gilbert]

Gosh the rules now, wow. Finally had some time to read a couple of my back issues of Autoweek last night, and I think some of them are great. Four engines (I mean power unit), whoops, I mean 5, for whole season. Reliability becomes a major issue at the end of the season.

Each team has a number of "tokens" it can use during the season to make engine improvements.

It looks like Honda got a pass and will be able to make engine improvements during the season without penalty, which is a major brake for them but seems to be the most logical approach.

http://m.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/117386

 

 

I had known about the durability requirements and tokens, but did not know Honda was allowed to make the same upgrades (significant or otherwise) as their competition.

 

Still unfortunately for McLaren regardless, because they've roasted two Honda power plants in 3 races.

 

Thanks for the link... got Autosport saved as a bookmark.

Edited April 14, 2015 by Gilbert

[Travis In Austin]

I have to get up to speed every year, by the time F1 comes to Austin in November I like to be at least half way informed.

[Ceptorman]

I have to get up to speed every year, by the time F1 comes to Austin in November I like to be at least half way informed.

I miss F1 not coming to Indy. It sure was a different group of fans over Indycar and Nascar. I remember a display IMS had setup for a couple of years that had a Ferrari, Indycar, and a Nascar Cup car all side by side. The Ferrari looked very tiny compared to the IRL car, this was around 2000.

[Gilbert]

I think the Indy venue left a bad taste in Bernies mouth, to say nothing of how the fans felt. If I recall, that was the year Singapore's night race came to fruition.

[Daddy Dee]

Well, it looked so easy on the Dukes of Hazzard!

Edited April 18, 2015 by Daddy Dee