Other Sports *** Official Formula One 2015 Season Thread *** - Page 4

**Donger** · 11:13 AM

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

KCTitus · 03-14-2015, 07:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

Hamilton's qualifying pole lap. Just ignore the Mexican talking...

A transmission with 8 gears...wow...thats just amazing to see how quickly and often he's shifting through all of those gears to get max speed. Impressive.

**TrebMaxx** · 03-14-2015, 10:42 PM

Went to every F1 race at Indy. Stayed in a tent at the camp ground area next to the track. What a great party weekend mingling with people from all over the world.

Ready for the 2015 season to kick off.

**Dylan** · 03-15-2015, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

Went to every F1 race at Indy. Stayed in a tent at the camp ground area next to the track. What a great party weekend mingling with people from all over the world.

Ready for the 2015 season to kick off.

Do you remember the tire-induced meltdown Formula 1 had at Indianapolis Motor Speedway years ago?

Just to recap: F1 drivers with Michelin (or Firestone) tires withdrew from the race after the formation lap in protest over tire safety, leaving a few drivers on the track.

With a stadium filled to capacity of over 260,000 munching franks and doing what American crowds at racing events do best - throw frank wrappers onto the field had suddenly turned hostile - F1 teams were rescued by police security and escorted out of the country. They were abruptly told never to return.

In 2012, F1 received an invitation to return after Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX built the first racing track specifically for Formula 1. History was made...Good times.

**TrebMaxx** · 03-15-2015, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan

Do you remember the tire-induced meltdown Formula 1 had at Indianapolis Motor Speedway years ago?

Just to recap: F1 drivers with Michelin (or Firestone) tires withdrew from the race after the formation lap in protest over tire safety, leaving a few drivers on the track.

With a stadium filled to capacity of over 260,000 munching franks and doing what American crowds at racing events do best - throw frank wrappers onto the field had suddenly turned hostile - F1 teams were rescued by police security and escorted out of the country. They were abruptly told never to return.

In 2012, F1 received an invitation to return after Circuit of the Americas in Austin, TX built the first racing track specifically for Formula 1. History was made...Good times.

Oh yeah I remember that well. It got pretty crazy almost to the point that I thought there would be violent protest. They did race at Indy the next year though and IMS gave us free tickets for that race.

**Donger** · 03-15-2015, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC native

Please tell me that you don't really think that is Spanish.

That is correct.

**Dylan** · 03-15-2015, 12:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KCTitus

17 and 18 for McLaren...looks like a long year.

It is over for Red Bull and McLaren this year - back to the development lab. None of the other teams is going to beat Mercedes for the championship.

Teams have the following tokens left to spend for development:

Mercedes: 7 tokens
Honda: 9 tokens
Ferrari: 10 tokens
Renault: 12 tokens

Why Red Bull switched to Renault this season is beyond stupid. Love Ricciardo - He is a superstar in the making. However, Ricciardo already has one engine down.

Why did Scuderia Toro Rosso have better reliability in qualifying than Red Bull? From the current pace, both Renault's engine and Red Bull's design seems to be the problem.

In addition, Alonso should have remained with Ferrari since their performance has shown the most improvement over the winter months.

According to BBC, after winter testing the pace of the cars ranking:

Fastest – Mercedes
+0.8-1.0s/lap – Williams
+1.0-1.2s/lap – Ferrari
+1.2-1.5s/lap – Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso
+1.5-2s/lap – McLaren, Force India, Sauber, Lotus

**Dylan** · 03-15-2015, 12:10 PM

Every time Formula 1 races in Australia, I mess up with the time-zone.

This morning I woke up to the news of the winner of the Australian Grand Prix - I hate that... I thought the race started at 1 PM EST... LOL

**Dylan** · 03-15-2015, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrebMaxx

Oh yeah I remember that well. It got pretty crazy almost to the point that I thought there would be violent protest. They did race at Indy the next year though and IMS gave us free tickets for that race.

Oh they did race again... Good for you...Glad to hear that.

I was having a little fun with the description of the tire fiasco.

KC native · 03-15-2015, 07:57 PM

Awful race overall.

What the **** happened to Renault? They have made their power unit worse in the off season.

During practice, the announcers said that there is a rumor Red Bull Racing had bought the IP to Renault's power unit so they can make their own next year. Horner was asked about that and he didn't deny it.

It's also pretty clear that Mercedes isn't delivering the same power unit to its customer teams that it is running. There is a bigger gap between WillIiams and them than there was last year. Also to reinforce how big their advanatge is, look at the difference between Lotus after the switch from Renault to Mercedes (despite their awful performance this morning).

The FIA is between a rock and a hard place. They're going to have to alter the rules to make the end of this season watchable. Obviously this drives up cost which they are supposed to be committed to cost cutting.

Hopefully this drives down viewership again this year and attendance so CVC pushes Bernie out. The revenue distribution needs to be completely overhauled. Ferrari should not be collecting a payment for being a historic team. CVC also needs to sell F1. They are just sucking money out of the sport and slowly killing it.

The only highlight is that Ferrari has made huge gains compared to last year. Even with that, they are a full second off of Mercedes pace.

KC native · 03-15-2015, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan

It is over for Red Bull and McLaren this year - back to the development lab. None of the other teams is going to beat Mercedes for the championship.

Teams have the following tokens left to spend for development:

Mercedes: 7 tokens
Honda: 9 tokens
Ferrari: 10 tokens
Renault: 12 tokens

Why Red Bull switched to Renault this season is beyond stupid. Love Ricciardo - He is a superstar in the making. However, Ricciardo already has one engine down.

Why did Scuderia Toro Rosso have better reliability in qualifying than Red Bull? From the current pace, both Renault's engine and Red Bull's design seems to be the problem.

In addition, Alonso should have remained with Ferrari since their performance has shown the most improvement over the winter months.

According to BBC, after winter testing the pace of the cars ranking:

Fastest – Mercedes
+0.8-1.0s/lap – Williams
+1.0-1.2s/lap – Ferrari
+1.2-1.5s/lap – Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso
+1.5-2s/lap – McLaren, Force India, Sauber, Lotus

Red Bull has been using Renault. Toro Rosso made the switch from Ferrari to Renault this year.

GloryDayz · 03-15-2015, 08:41 PM

I'd love to live the life style of those drivers! I can't think of one other group that lives a more awesome lifestyle than F1 drivers. Perhaps those in high-end yacht racing, but wow, it's a great life...

PornChief · 03-15-2015, 09:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dylan

It is over for Red Bull and McLaren this year - back to the development lab. None of the other teams is going to beat Mercedes for the championship.

Teams have the following tokens left to spend for development:

Mercedes: 7 tokens
Honda: 9 tokens
Ferrari: 10 tokens
Renault: 12 tokens

Why Red Bull switched to Renault this season is beyond stupid. Love Ricciardo - He is a superstar in the making. However, Ricciardo already has one engine down.

Why did Scuderia Toro Rosso have better reliability in qualifying than Red Bull? From the current pace, both Renault's engine and Red Bull's design seems to be the problem.

In addition, Alonso should have remained with Ferrari since their performance has shown the most improvement over the winter months.

According to BBC, after winter testing the pace of the cars ranking:

Fastest – Mercedes
+0.8-1.0s/lap – Williams
+1.0-1.2s/lap – Ferrari
+1.2-1.5s/lap – Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Toro Rosso
+1.5-2s/lap – McLaren, Force India, Sauber, Lotus

Think you'll find Red Bull have used Renault engines for a long time now.

PornChief · 03-15-2015, 09:42 PM

Anyway, the sports been ****ed by changing to those eco bullshit hybrid engines, they sound like shit. Bring back V10 and V12 5 litre monsters running hi octane fuel and **** trying to make fuel economy part of racing.

KC native · 03-15-2015, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PornChief

Anyway, the sports been ****ed by changing to those eco bullshit hybrid engines, they sound like shit. Bring back V10 and V12 5 litre monsters running hi octane fuel and **** trying to make fuel economy part of racing.

On TV they sound like shit. In person, it's much more interesting. You can hear the energy recovery systems kick in and actually hear tire noise.

The new power units were necessary to bring new blood into the sport. I like the element of pushing engineering within F1.

The fuel restrictions need to ****ing go though. It's bullshit that they have to conserve fuel during a race.

**Dylan** · 03-16-2015, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KC native

Red Bull has been using Renault. Toro Rosso made the switch from Ferrari to Renault this year.

Great assessment of the race.

Thanks for the correction - I honestly know that - I cannot understand what I was thinking, there was something that linked McLaren-Honda with Red Bull-Renault in my mind at the time - And it was not Newey.

I missed the race. However, Horner told reporters at the Australian Grand Prix that with their Renault engines, their cars were "undriveable." He estimated that Renault's PU was 100 hp down on Mercedes.

I was hoping that Ricciardo could replicate last season that saw him win a couple of races and compete for the world championship. A shame because there's a good chance he can be a star in F1.

Mercedes current domination will make it difficult for the rest to catch up. Although, Ferrari have made a good step forward and had the faster package. Perhaps Vettel can clinch a few wins.

I would love to see Rosberg win the world championship. Hate the thought of Hamilton winning another world title.

Just my opinion

02-20-2015, 11:03 AM
Donger "Think BOOM!" Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: 33.675° N 106.475° W Casino cash: $10369900 VARSITY	* Official Formula One 2015 Season Thread * 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 Last edited by Donger; 02-20-2015 at 11:13 AM..
Posts: 180,683

03-14-2015, 10:42 PM	#47
TrebMaxx Supporter Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Peoples Republic of CoMo Casino cash: $1497252	Went to every F1 race at Indy. Stayed in a tent at the camp ground area next to the track. What a great party weekend mingling with people from all over the world. Ready for the 2015 season to kick off. __________________
Posts: 4,321

03-15-2015, 12:10 PM	#52
Dylan The Lede Join Date: Aug 2007 Casino cash: $10016591	Every time Formula 1 races in Australia, I mess up with the time-zone. This morning I woke up to the news of the winner of the Australian Grand Prix - I hate that... I thought the race started at 1 PM EST... LOL __________________
Posts: 33,643

03-15-2015, 07:57 PM	#54
KC native Banned Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Fort Worth, TX Casino cash: $10049239	Awful race overall. What the **** happened to Renault? They have made their power unit worse in the off season. During practice, the announcers said that there is a rumor Red Bull Racing had bought the IP to Renault's power unit so they can make their own next year. Horner was asked about that and he didn't deny it. It's also pretty clear that Mercedes isn't delivering the same power unit to its customer teams that it is running. There is a bigger gap between WillIiams and them than there was last year. Also to reinforce how big their advanatge is, look at the difference between Lotus after the switch from Renault to Mercedes (despite their awful performance this morning). The FIA is between a rock and a hard place. They're going to have to alter the rules to make the end of this season watchable. Obviously this drives up cost which they are supposed to be committed to cost cutting. Hopefully this drives down viewership again this year and attendance so CVC pushes Bernie out. The revenue distribution needs to be completely overhauled. Ferrari should not be collecting a payment for being a historic team. CVC also needs to sell F1. They are just sucking money out of the sport and slowly killing it. The only highlight is that Ferrari has made huge gains compared to last year. Even with that, they are a full second off of Mercedes pace.
Posts: 24,946

03-15-2015, 08:41 PM	#56
GloryDayz (Sir/Yes Sir/Aye Aye Sir) Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Diving Casino cash: $3545380	I'd love to live the life style of those drivers! I can't think of one other group that lives a more awesome lifestyle than F1 drivers. Perhaps those in high-end yacht racing, but wow, it's a great life...
Posts: 115,453

03-15-2015, 09:42 PM	#58
PornChief Starter Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Australia Casino cash: $10005180	Anyway, the sports been **ed by changing to those eco bullshit hybrid engines, they sound like shit. Bring back V10 and V12 5 litre monsters running hi octane fuel and ** trying to make fuel economy part of racing.
Posts: 590