2014 F1 Season.

Surprised to see no comments on this thread especially as it’s the new era of F1 with more new tech than we've seen in decades. Apart from incidents around the new technology,  it wasn't a great race & it was kinda boring.

Considering it was all new technology & the less than happy pre-season testing especially with the Renault engines, the high rate of attrition that was expected didn’t & with 15 of the 22 starters running at the finish, my take is a thumbs up to engineering & a positive start to the new regulations.

But as this forum is all about music I feel I must say something about the new F1 “music”.  Gone is the old V8’s sounding like an Contralto trying to be a Soprano; now we have the very mellow bellow of turbocharged V6 Baritones.  Nice via the Naim at realistic levels – shame the TV commentary spoilt the music. 

Mike, have to agree the aussie display was boring. It certainly was not a race and it looked to me more like a testing session with all cars present.

Needless to say RB up to usual tricks with an early cheat, but got caught out !

Kimi seemed to spend entire session fighting his brakes.

Good to see some new to F1 drivers, and they presented well on first day

Sad to say it was very lacklustre and i found myself wandering off rather than glued to the screen

I fully expect Red Bull to end up title winners.  They have the best team overall and the rest have basically been making up the numbers these past few years.  The massive changes in the rules evens the field at the beginning but the cream always rises to the top.

It was like watching Scalextric. Quiet, and someone always flies off at the first corner.

G

Red Bull owner threatening to withdraw from F1 because they are being picked on etc etc. So that's how they won 4 championships in a row?  

http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08663

Sounds like they are turning in to Ferrari, who to be fair haven't threatened to leave F1 so far this year.

I think there is a little more in this than just RB throwing their toys around

I was talking yesterday to a friend who is close to a team who use the Renault engines & he said the engines are not competitive with the 100kg/hr fuel flow across all the teams.

For some reason the experts who will adjudicate at the hearing can’t be available until the hearing 14 April & there is chatter around the teams that such a delay is unjustified & hints something tricky is going on.

Not sure about the detail but it seems RB will not be allowed to compete unless they comply to the FIA control & measurement of the fuel flow.  So do they fall in line or risk exclusion until after14 April.

Finally the press today is reporting Bernie has thrown his potty into the playpen & said the fuel flow regs are a joke. 

-   Now now children, please play nicely  -  

Good ol' days!

It's always the same with these teams , when everything is going well ie in their favour that's OK, but when their superiority is threatened  out go the toys.

The REAL Ferrari team are past masters at this.

From Kimi  

Well done Mercedes – the first 1 & 2 for many years,  1955 I believe was the last time.

But we need to start banging the drum for Britain on this success

Cars designed, made & developed in Brackley, Northamptonshire, Chassis parts made by various UK co’s. The engines – sorry power units - also designed developed & made in Northants at Brixworth. 

So Mercedes,  how about a Union Flag on the cars !!!

good race i enjoyed it. I just hope its not going to be a season dominated by one team, i like to see a good scrap.

Dull as dishwater IMO. Most races are a procession with artificial overtaking courtesy of DRS. To make matters worse you don't even get the fantastic noise anymore and it now sounds like a giant Scalextric set. 

Jim

Quote from Dietrich Mateschitz, Red Bull owner, summarises this season for me..

"I consider it equally absurd that we are going a second slower than last year and that the junior series GP2 is almost as fast with a fraction of the budget."

This is not what F1 should be about, and it seems to have gradually lost its soul over time.

It just all seems a touch too clinical for me.

And that awful sound of the engine, which reminds me of something I can't quite place at present.

Perhaps F1 should borrow from the Statement (read 1HP).

It's not all about efficiency and clean/green technology. I am all for technology, but it must utimately be about the continuous pursuit to get from point A to point B in the quickest possible time, punto. The moment you loose this very fundamental essence of F1, you get into all manners of commercially driven corporate crap.

F1 needs to take a leaf out of Naim's book and retire the 1.6l engines for sensible mid sized family saloons. That's after Hamilton wins this year's season ofcourse

Tony,

And as for the sound, maybe wait til you hear one for yourself.   I'll be glad to not have to wear ear defenders.

I don't think either Mr Vettel or Mr Coulthard (or even the allegedly crooked Bernie) agrees with you re the noise they make...or rather don't.  8 seconds slower lap times than 2008 says it all really.

Cheers

Jim

Sign of things to come!

... or the drivers