*** Official Formula One 2015 Season Thread ***

[Donger]

I realize that many Americans aren't Formula One fans, but I'm hoping that this thread will generate some new interest in this wonderful formula of racing. We've had a United States Grand Prix off and on over the years, but the USGP now has a (hopefully) permanent home at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin.

Here's a primer on the formula:

The FIA Formula One World Championship (also Formula One, or F1) is the highest class of single-seat auto racing that is sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The "formula", designated in the name, refers to a set of rules with which all participants' cars must comply. The F1 season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix (from French, originally meaning great prizes), held throughout the world on purpose-built circuits and public roads. The results of each race are evaluated using a points system to determine two annual World Championships, one for the drivers and one for the constructors. The racing drivers, constructor teams, track officials, organisers, and circuits are required to be holders of valid Super Licences, the highest class of racing licence issued by the FIA.

Formula One cars are the fastest road course racing cars in the world, owing to very high cornering speeds achieved through the generation of large amounts of aerodynamic downforce. Formula One cars race at speeds of up to 360 km/h (220 mph) with engines currently limited in performance to a maximum of 15,000 RPM. The cars are capable of lateral acceleration in excess of five g in corners. The performance of the cars is very dependent on electronics – although traction control and other driving aids have been banned since 2008 – and on aerodynamics, suspension and tyres. The formula has radically evolved and changed through the history of the sport.

And, here's the schedule for the 2015 season:

The following twenty Grands Prix are currently scheduled to take place in 2015.

Round Grand Prix Circuit Date

1 Australian Grand Prix Australia Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit, Melbourne 15 March
2 Malaysian Grand Prix Malaysia Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur 29 March
3 Chinese Grand Prix China Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai 12 April
4 Bahrain Grand Prix Bahrain Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir 19 April
5 Spanish Grand Prix Spain Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona 10 May
6 Monaco Grand Prix Monaco Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 24 May
7 Canadian Grand Prix Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal 7 June
8 Austrian Grand Prix Austria Red Bull Ring, Spielberg 21 June
9 British Grand Prix United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 5 July
10 German Grand Prix To be announced[68][69] 19 July
11 Hungarian Grand Prix Hungary Hungaroring, Budapest 26 July
12 Belgian Grand Prix Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 23 August
13 Italian Grand Prix Italy Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza 6 September
14 Singapore Grand Prix Singapore Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore 20 September
15 Japanese Grand Prix Japan Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka 27 September
16 Russian Grand Prix Russia Sochi Autodrom, Sochi 11 October
17 United States Grand Prix United States Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas 25 October
18 Mexican Grand Prix Mexico Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City 1 November
19 Brazilian Grand Prix Brazil Autódromo José Carlos Pace, São Paulo 15 November
20 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi 29 November

Here is a link to channels and times for the GPs. Most are shown on NBCS:

http://www.foxsports.com/motor/schedule?circuit=1

[Demonpenz]

anyone playing f1 2015 for ps4?

[alpha_omega]

I know we are in the summer break, but this story seemed noteworthy....

Jenson Button burglary: Gas suspected in F1 driver break-in

Anaesthetic gas may have been used against Jenson Button and his wife Jessica during a burglary in France, the Formula 1 driver's spokesman says.

Two men, who stole jewellery including Jessica's engagement ring, may have pumped gas through the air conditioning before Monday's break-in, he said.

The spokesman said they were unharmed but "unsurprisingly shaken".
But medical experts said they were sceptical that burglars had used gas in the raid on the villa in Saint Tropez.

The Sun newspaper reported that valuables worth £300,000 were stolen.
The couple, who married in December, were staying with friends in a rented villa at the time of the burglary.

Button's spokesman said: "Two men broke into the property whilst they all slept and stole a number of items of jewellery including, most upsettingly, Jessica's engagement ring.

"The police have indicated that this has become a growing problem in the region with perpetrators going so far as to gas their proposed victims through the air conditioning units before breaking in."

Philippe Guemas, deputy prosecutor in Draguignan, France, told Europe1 radio that "nothing has been established" and said the claim that gas was used in the raid was made by Button's entourage as the driver felt unwell the following day.

"To our knowledge there has never been a burglary like this in St Tropez where gas was used to knock out the victims," he said.

"We have taken blood samples, which will be analysed."

An operations director for SRX, a home security firm based near Mr Button's home, said the possibility of burglars using gas did not surprise him "at all" and he had received requests to install measures to prevent such attacks.

But the Royal College of Anaesthetists said although it could not rule out that "some sort of agent" had been used, it was "highly unlikely" the group had been rendered unconscious by anaesthetic gas.

This, a spokesman said, would require "massive amounts of gas".
He added: "When you combine that with the fact that these gases are expensive and difficult to get hold of, we are very sceptical."

There has been an awful lot of rumour about sleeping gas burglaries in France, but precious little hard evidence.

A number of doubts spring to mind: What gas do they use? In what quantities? How do they ensure it will be effective in the right parts of the house? And through the air-conditioning system? Really?

In the camping-car community, there have been persistent claims about burglars using sleeping gas.

On chat-lines, holidaymakers share their experiences and ask about ways to protect themselves.

But again - no-one has ever appeared in court charged with gassing and stealing. No police officer is on the record.

Who knows? Maybe Jenson Button was indeed the target of a gas-and-steal.

The head of a security firm I spoke with in St Tropez says he has never heard of an actual case of a sleeping gas burglary. "I don't believe in it at all," is what he said.

Button, 35, who drives for team McLaren, is based in Monaco, about 80 miles (130km) along the coast from Saint-Tropez. He won the F1 championship in 2009 driving for Brawn GP and finished in eighth place in 2014.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33814823

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Demonpenz

anyone playing f1 2015 for ps4?

I bought it for XBone.

[KC native]

AND MOTHER****ING SPA FRANCORSHAMPS IS THIS WEEKEND.

WATCH IT YOU ****S!

[Donger]

My favorite GP of the year.

[KC native]

[KC native]

Originally Posted by Donger

My favorite GP of the year.

It's one of my favorites too.

US ratings were actually up for F1 this year last I saw. I think Haas has timed his entry into F1 very well.

[KC native]

They have added a kerb (bad teeth spelling) to radillon this year. That will punish anyone who misses that corner (and it's key because it opens up onto the long straight).