Formula 1 2011: General discussion thread

frostie500

I thought it would be useful if we had a general discussion thread about F1 this year in addition to the race by race threads that I think we all found to be pretty useful throughout the course of the year.

We could use this thread for all the sundry details of the season that can get washed away in the race threads. There were a few major talking points, lets say the Red Bull wing fiasco in Silverstone, that was talked about in the race thread but was glossed over within a few hours with the race taking place.

Not sure how this will work but just like the race threads we'll suck it and see!

frostie500

Formula 1 enjoyed a renaissance in 2010. A host of fans returned to the sport amidst the most exciting title battle for a generation. Formula 1 now faces the same issue faced by authors of a great book, bands following a smash hit and a successful film maker….providing an even better sequel!

It is a daunting task facing the sport. Building on the drama of last year and continuing to find new ways to amaze the newly found fans that have found their interest in the most dramatic motorsport action in the world. The early signs though are very promising for 2011.

Fans can look forward to seeing continuity at the front of the field. Last year there were many questions about how Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher would react to their new teams but this year there is no such wonders about the leading drivers heading to the season opener in Australia.

While the title battle was arguably the most exciting since the Alain Prost and Aytron Senna battles of twenty years ago there was actually a lot of room for improvement in relation to the actual on-track racing. Overtaking was exceptionally difficult and the tyres offered little scope for different strategies to unfold during races.

Tyres will be crucial to the outcome of races

The durability of the Bridgestone tyres was such that there was little doubt that each driver would make only a single pit stop during the majority of races; the thrilling Canadian Grand Prix being one of the few exceptions. Any thoughts that teams had of availing of similar one stop strategies in 2011 though have already been cast aside by the design and philosophy of the new Pirelli control tyres.

The Italian tyre manufacturer has decided to go completely against the normal development paths of a control tyre manufacturer. Generally when a tyre company has no competition in a category they decide to play it very safe with a very hard compound that should not have any risk of failures. When there is a tyre monopoly, it is often said that the only time that the tyres get noticed is when something goes wrong.

As a result it is inevitable that a safe tyre is developed, as happened with Bridgestone. However when the sports governing body, the FIA, saw the exciting events of Canada it was decided that it was crucial for Pirelli to design a tyre that was much more aggressive; forcing teams to make additional pit stops. As a result Pirelli has developed a tyre that lives on a knife edge. Testing has shown that it is exceptionally difficult to maintain tyre life and that some races will see three stops to change rubber.

This is exactly what was needed following the uniformity of 2010 where it was all but impossible to go against the strategic grain and hope for a successful race. The coming season will be dominated by drivers who will either nurse their tyres, and hope to make a stop less than their rivals, or drivers who will race as fast as possible in the hope of opening a large enough gap to be able to make an extra pit stop and maintain track position at the end of races.
Formula 1 has not seen such a strategic conundrum since the control tyre was introduced in 2007 but it is sure to be one of the constant thorns in the sides of strategists up and down the pit lane in 2011.

While the change is tyre regulations has been welcomed by many fans as being one that will increase excitement it has generally been panned by drivers who have cried about how slow the cars are for them to drive and how they are not tested any longer. In recent years Formula 1 drivers have grown accustomed to near perfect cars that can be driven at 100% for the duration of a race. The new tyres will force them to adapt their styles and while they are not best pleased about it the move is actually another measure to see the cream rising to the top of Formula 1.

Will there be more overtaking in 2011?

While the change in tyre regulations was aimed at improving “the show” there has also been additional changes made ahead of the season. It has long been the case that there has been precious little overtaking at the front of the field in races but the coming season should see the battle at the front of the field feature wheel to wheel racing and crucially overtaking.

This will be due to the much anticipated adjustable rear wing which will allow drivers to reduce their aerodynamic drag, and therefore increase their top speed by approximately 10 mph, when they are within one second of the car in front during a certain section of the track. The device was brought in to make overtaking easier and while there are no guarantees that it will increase overtaking it does show that Formula 1 is committed to improving the spectacle of racing.

It remains to be seen how successful the device will be but teams and drivers are expecting it to make a significant difference in making overtaking easier. Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems, KERS, will also be reintroduced this year and it will be used by the majority of teams on the grid, unlike in 2009 when it was previously used.

While the adjustable rear wing can only be used by the attacking driver on a single 600 metre section of the circuit KERS can be used by any driver at any time, but only for a set period of time during each lap. The systems store the energy dissipated during braking, the heat build-up, and convert into kinetic energy to provide drivers with an increase in top speed when they activate the device.

As a result of all these changes there is a tremendous level of hope heading into the new season and while testing has led to many questions about what will transpire over the course of the 19 race season there is now only days to wait until the opening race of the season in Melbourne on Sunday when we will begin to get answers about the performance of teams and the success of new regulations.

frostie500

Red Bull
The reigning world chaampions will once again start the season as the favourites but question marks still hang over the team after their inability to dominate 2010 despite fielding a car that was comfortably the fastest on the grid.

A lot of pressure has been lifted from the team by securing both titles last season and they are now viewed as a genuine front running team and not the upstart squad that many viewed them as until last year. Since the major regulation shakeup of 2009 Red Bull has been the most consistent team and with the double deck diffuser now banned Adrian Newey’s design philosophy should be capable of reaching a higher plane than anyone else.

Whether this is enough to win the title remains to be seen. With both Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber fighting each other for the title it is inevitable that both will once again take points from one another. The intra-team battle looks set to continue and the structure of the team could once again prove to capable of adding unnecessary tension within the squad.

Ferrari
The Prancing Horse will start year with a car that is not quite as fast as the Red Bull in qualifying trim but one that should be very racy in the hands of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

There is much for Massa to prove in 2011. Last year he was thoroughly dominated by Alonso and seemed to revert to his pre-2007 state where his performances other the year were eratic. Last season he had some very good race weekends, Bahrain and Germany were the standouts, but whereas in the time before his Hungary crash he had managed to eradicate his poor weekends and find a great balance he is now once again chasing consistency.

Is this the year that he finds it? It is doubtful. Ferrari is a squad that works best when its attention is focused on one driver and in Alonso they have a driver with the personality to dominate a team. The Spaniard will be very strong in 2010 and will not suffer as poor an opening half of the season as he did last year. The new car is very comfortable on longer stints and with tyre wear to prove crucial in the coming season Ferrari could be in the box seats for winning its first drivers’ title since Kimi Raikkonen in 2007.

McLaren
McLaren will, once again, start the season with a car that is off the pace and while the MP4-26 is nowhere near as bad as the 2009 car the team have a lot of work to do to offer any significant resistance to Red Bull and Ferrari.

Last year the team was slightly slower than their competition but superb tactical decisions and great driving saw them challenge for the title. This year they have been hampered by poor reliability in testing and as a result have been unable to show the true potential of their radical looking new car. With preseason such an ordeal for the team it seems only a matter of time before they change the structure of their design team.

The season is far from over for the team and their development prowess has been proven numerous times but starting the year on the back foot will make it very difficult for them to win the title.

Mercedes
Mercedes has been one of the most intriguing teams in the pitlane this winter. The squad started with a car that was considerably off the pace but the team went to great pains to stress that their initial testing car was not their definitive 2011 car and that the final upgrade would paint a much clearly picture of their potential.

That upgrade impressed greatly last week in Barcelona and while it is very questionable why the team would take an approach that saw them so far off the pace for most of testing it is also clear that they have now made a significant step forward. The exact amount of progress that has been made will be unknown until Melbourne but it was definitely a positive step and the team are now confident of battling at the front throughout the year.

The form of drivers’ Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg will be one of the most interesting subplots of the season. In his comeback season Schumacher struggled to match Rosberg but with a full season under his belt the seven times champion should be much more competitive and capable of challenging his compatriot.

Renault
This season promised much for the Enstone based team but Robert Kubica’s unfortunate accident has left the team picking up the pieces for 2011.The new car has been competitive in testing but without Kubica at the wheel the team has lost its leading light and while Nick Heidfeld is a very competent driver he is not the front line talent that Kubica is.

Vitaly Petrov remains at Renault for a second season and while he struggled at times in 2011 the financial woes of the squad means that he is secure in a race seat for the foreseeable future. The young Russian had some good showings last year but this season should be a struggle for him, and unfortunately for the team. A repeat of fifth in the constructors’ championship would be deemed a very successful season in light of their winter.

Williams
This once great team has fallen on hard times in recent years but there is reason to be optimistic for Williams to return to form in 2011. The new car is one of the most innovative on the grid with a radical gearbox that keeps the centre of gravity low and clears the aerodynamic wake from the rest of the car well. The car has tested well and with Rubens Barrichello they have a driver capable of developing the car throughout the course of the year.

Their financial situation is still quite uncertain and the hiring of Pastor Maldonado and recent stock floatation illustrated just how limited resources are at Williams. Maldonado is a fast driver but it is likely that he will have quite a hefty repair bill by the end of the season. With a good car it could be argued that the team would have benefitted from scoring points on a consistent basis with their number two driver. As it is the majority of the pressure for results will fall on Barrichello’s shoulders but the Brazilian looks to be raring to go for 2011.

Force India
The team did not experience the highs of 2009 last year but overall they produced a more balanced car that was relatively fast at most circuits. The coming season though will, in all likelihood, be more of a struggle. The upheaval of the technical department in the last year will have had a dramatic effect on the new car and while Adrian Sutil and Paul di Resta are capable of producing good results it is unlikely that the car will be able to match the ambitions of the team.

Sauber
Sauber has performed well in preseason testing and looks ready to take a step back up the grid. At the recent Barcelona test Sergio Perez was fastest on the third day but instead of the team being viewed as a dark horse to challenge Renault there was a sense of déjà vu. Last season in testing the team had similar results before turning up at the opening race hopelessly off the pace.

This season’s testing results, as always, should be taken with a pinch of salt but the technical team is progressing well at Sauber and people like James Key are not to be underestimated, especially now that Sauber has found a good financial footing with various Mexican brands joining the team since Perez’ appointment.

The car looks to be competent and with aggressive racers like Kamui Kobayashi and Perez at the wheel sparks could fly for the Swiss team in 2011.

Toro Rosso
This is a critical year for Toro Rosso. While the team developed their 2010 car as an evolution of the previous year’s Red Bull car this year the squad have a car that is quite different from their stablemate and very innovative. The car features a double floor and the design cues from Adrian Newey’s Red Bull are still quite evident it is clear that the new car is a step forward.

Drivers, Jamie Alguersuari and Sebastian Buemi, have performed well in testing but both know that if they fail to perform in the opening races Toro Rosso will have no qualms about promoting test-driver Daniel Ricciardo to a race seat. With both drivers kept on their toes this could be the year that Toro Rosso moves back up the field and challenges the midfield for regular points.

Lotus
The Team Lotus name returns to Formula 1 in 2011 following Lotus Racings successful 2010 campaign. The team now has expectations that they can move clear of the tail end of the grid and challenge the established teams. A Renault engine and Red Bull rear end is a good place for any team to start developing a new car from and the Lotus looks to be a huge step forward from last season’s car.

Reliability has been a problem in testing but Mike Gascoyne has said that come the opening race all minor bugbears will have been fixed and the team can focus on finding performance. This will be crucial because when the car has run it has been clear that there is still room for improvement if it is to challenge the midfield runners.

Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen are both fast and very experienced and this season should offer both drivers the opportunity to race for more than being the “best of the new teams” as was the target in 2010.

Hispania
Last year Hispania was an absolute shambles with minimum development of the car, minimal budget and a huge amount of headaches for Colin Kolles. The coming season shows no signs of being any easier and while the team has a new car it has yet to turn a wheel in testing and for the second year in a row the HRT squad will arrive at the opening race with a car that will be woefully off the pace. The return of the 107% rule will make some races, particularly Melbourne, a struggle even to make the grid.


Virgin
Last year Virgin came into Formula 1 boasting of using CFD to design the entire car and the team did a good job, with the exception of not having a large enough fuel tank to start the year. This season however it is crucial that they challenge Lotus and show progress.

The new car has proved reliable in testing and while scoring points will probably be out of reach for the team they should be capable of mixing it with some midfield runners and gaining respectability. Virgin Racing has one of the smallest budgets in Formula 1 and while the sport continues to downscale it is nowhere near the level that Virgin is operating with.

Once more the burden of performance will fall on Timo Glock. The German is their undoubted star and was a consistent performer last year. He showed at Toyota that he has the ability to perform at the front of the field and his talents are quite clearly being wasted at Virgin.

frostie500

1. Sebastian Vettel has everything at his disposal to become the youngest ever double world champion. While last season the Red Bull was considerably faster than the Ferrari for much of the season it is likely that this season parity will exist at the front of the field, at least in races. As a result it is crucial for Vettel to iron out the mistakes that he made in 2010 and find the consistency that will be needed to hold off Alonso.

2. Mark Webber will have spent the winter trying to undertand how he lost the title last year. The Australian drove superbly for much of the year but struggled to beat his teammate in qualifying. His race craft though let him outrace Vettel in numerous races but when the season drew to a close his inability to out qualify Vettel in Japan and Brazil proved very costly to his title charge. The increased minimum weight limit could make all the difference for Webber in the coming season.

3. Lewis Hamilton was superb for much of 2010 but the former champion needs to stop putting himself in positions, such as at Monza last year, that leaves him at the mercy of other racers. Hamilton is the most spectacular driver in Formula 1 but if he is to add to his title haul in 2011 he will need a slice of luck because the McLaren is not yet fast enough to battle with Red Bull and Ferrari.

4. Jenson Button raced superbly in 2010 and took two well deserved victories in the opening four races. When he has the car setup exactly as he wants it he is as fast as anyone in Formula 1 but he is still prone to huge inconsistencies when the car is not to his liking. The new tyres could play to Button’s strengths with his economical style set to play firmly into his hands over the course of the year.

5. Fernando Alonso will start the year with Ferrari eager to make amends for their failure to win the title last year. The Spaniard struggled at the start of the year and made a host of uncharacteristic mistakes. In the coming season he will know that the team will be a firm title contender so it would be hugely surprising to see Alonso making such elementary mistakes again. With both Red Bull drivers fighting for the title Alonso will, once again, have the sole support of Ferrari and should take his third title.

6. Felipe Massa struggled in 2010 but has looked much more competitive in testing. Despite his protestations of equality at Ferrari there is little chance of this actually occurring and Massa will be asked to play the role of rear gunner for Alonso.

7.Michael Schumacher fell well short of expectations in his comeback season but he has looked more competitive in testing this year. The testing restrictions hampered Schumacher's progress heavily last year but by the end of the season he showed signs of progress and he should have a much stronger year in 2011. It is crucial that he starts the season competitively against Rosberg though otherwise this could be the last we see of one of the greatest drivers of all time.

8. Nico Rosberg impressed many last season with his domination of Michael Schumacher but now he needs to continue moving forward and challenge for wins. That will obviously be dependent on the performance of the Mercedes but Rosberg has always raced well and been one of the best overtakers in Formula 1. As a result he looks primed and ready to take a maiden victory in the near future.

9. Nick Heidfeld replaces Robert Kubica at Renault and the German is the perfect driver to try and lead the team in the coming season. He is a renowned development driver and should be a consistent points scorer.

10. Vitaly Petrov showed signs of progress last year, and raced very well in Abu Dhabi, but the Russian is still clearly not quite good enough to warrant a drive with Renault at this time. The car will be quick but it is unlikely that Petrov will be quick enough.

11. Rubens Barrichello has shown in the last two years that he is far from ready to step away from Formula 1. His performances with Brawn in ’09 showed that he could still win races and last year with Williams he showed that he can still lead the development of a car. The coming season should be very strong for Rubens and his experience could play a crucial role in determining the best times to change tyres during races.

12. Pastor Maldonado is the reigning GP2 champion but will face a challenging season as he tries to prove that he is more than just a driver with a budget. The Venezuelan is fast but he is also erratic and he will have some crashes in 2011. If he can learn from Barrichello he could spring a few surprises in the coming year but it would be foolish to expect too much from Maldonado in his rookie year.

14.Adrian Sutil showed signs of turning the corner and eradicating the mistakes that he had a tendency of making and was a solid performer for most of the season but the German has still to show on a consistent basis that he deserves to race stay with Force India.

15. Paul di Resta will make his Grand Prix debut in Melbourne. The Scotsman is hugely talented and is ready to grasp his opportunity with both hands. As Friday tester for Force India last year he has knowledge of most of the tracks on the calendar and will ease his transition to race driver. He should score points on a consistent basis and if he can outperform Sutil over the course of the year it will do a lot to cement his reputation.

16. Kamui Kobayashi was hugely impressive last year and gained a legion of fans with his forceful racing and overtaking ability. If the Sauber is competitive Kobayashi looks primed for another strong year.

17. Sergio Perez is another rookie and the Mexican has impressed in testing. The comparison to teammate Kobayashi will make it easy to evaluate the performance of Perez. He has talent and should be an exciting driver to watch during the races in 2011.

18. Sebastian Buemi remains with Toro Rosso for the start of the season but for how much longer can the Swiss driver stay with the team? He will need to perform well in the opening races if he is not to be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo.

19. Jamie Alguersuari had a strong year in 2010 and by the end of the season had gained an advantage over teammate Buemi. The new Toro Rosso looks strong and Alguersuari now has enough experience to get the most out of it. With Ricciardo lurking in the Toro Rosso garage this is a pivotal year for the Spaniard.

20. Jarno Trulli will look to fight for midfield respectability in the coming season but it is crucial for him to outperform Kovalainen if this is not to be his last season in Formula 1.

21. Heikki Kovalainen did a lot to rebuild his reputation in 2010 following his inability to compete with Hamilton while the Finn raced for McLaren. Last year he impressed, particularly in qualifying, and was the most impressive driver of the new teams. More of the same in 2011 is to be expected as he continues to show that he has the talent to race for teams further up the field.

22. Narain Karthikeyan will return to Formula 1 in 2011 but the former Jordan driver has little chance of performing well. The Hispania will be slow and Karthikeyan will be comprehensibly outperformed by his teammate.

23. Tonio Liuzzi was left high and dry by Force India and his only opportunity to race in 2011 was with Hispania. Liuzzi performed well in 2010 and should be faster than his teammate throughout the year.

24. Timo Glock was the one bright spark for Virgin in 2010 and the German should have another strong season this year. His qualifying performances were superb last year and with the Virgin much improved he could spring a few surprises in the coming season.

25. Jerome D’Ambrosio will make his Grand Prix debut in Melbourne but there is little reason to expect him to challenge Glock throughout the season. D’Ambrosio drove for the squad during Friday practice at numerous races in 2010 and impressed the team with his feedback and speed. He should be closer to Glock than his predecessor at Virgin, Lucas di Grassi.

ivanc

Ahead of Friday I've posted the new rule changes up on the site. Linky

As far as 2011 looks: Betcha old long face Alonso puts in a good show. Vettel will be strong. And I expect Schumi will have the widest car this year.

Hammers, Button, Webber and Rosberg should perform well but Massa's heart wont be in it.

As for the rest, expect good things from Lotus and a thrill or two from Kobay but prepare to be watching 20 car races for a lot of the season.

Mmmm.....I can smell the petrol already.

ivanc

frostie500 wrote: »

1. Sebastian Vettel has everything at his disposal to become the youngest ever double world champion. While last season the Red Bull was considerably faster than the Ferrari for much of the season it is likely that this season parity will exist at the front of the field, at least in races. As a result it is crucial for Vettel to iron out the mistakes that he made in 2010 and find the consistency that will be needed to hold off Alonso.

2. Mark Webber will have spent the winter trying to undertand how he lost the title last year. The Australian drove superbly for much of the year but struggled to beat his teammate in qualifying. His race craft though let him outrace Vettel in numerous races but when the season drew to a close his inability to out qualify Vettel in Japan and Brazil proved very costly to his title charge. The increased minimum weight limit could make all the difference for Webber in the coming season.

3. Lewis Hamilton was superb for much of 2010 but the former champion needs to stop putting himself in positions, such as at Monza last year, that leaves him at the mercy of other racers. Hamilton is the most spectacular driver in Formula 1 but if he is to add to his title haul in 2011 he will need a slice of luck because the McLaren is not yet fast enough to battle with Red Bull and Ferrari.

4. Jenson Button raced superbly in 2010 and took two well deserved victories in the opening four races. When he has the car setup exactly as he wants it he is as fast as anyone in Formula 1 but he is still prone to huge inconsistencies when the car is not to his liking. The new tyres could play to Button’s strengths with his economical style set to play firmly into his hands over the course of the year.

5. Fernando Alonso will start the year with Ferrari eager to make amends for their failure to win the title last year. The Spaniard struggled at the start of the year and made a host of uncharacteristic mistakes. In the coming season he will know that the team will be a firm title contender so it would be hugely surprising to see Alonso making such elementary mistakes again. With both Red Bull drivers fighting for the title Alonso will, once again, have the sole support of Ferrari and should take his third title.

6. Felipe Massa struggled in 2010 but has looked much more competitive in testing. Despite his protestations of equality at Ferrari there is little chance of this actually occurring and Massa will be asked to play the role of rear gunner for Alonso.

7.Michael Schumacher fell well short of expectations in his comeback season but he has looked more competitive in testing this year. The testing restrictions hampered Schumacher's progress heavily last year but by the end of the season he showed signs of progress and he should have a much stronger year in 2011. It is crucial that he starts the season competitively against Rosberg though otherwise this could be the last we see of one of the greatest drivers of all time.

8. Nico Rosberg impressed many last season with his domination of Michael Schumacher but now he needs to continue moving forward and challenge for wins. That will obviously be dependent on the performance of the Mercedes but Rosberg has always raced well and been one of the best overtakers in Formula 1. As a result he looks primed and ready to take a maiden victory in the near future.

9. Nick Heidfeld replaces Robert Kubica at Renault and the German is the perfect driver to try and lead the team in the coming season. He is a renowned development driver and should be a consistent points scorer.

10. Vitaly Petrov showed signs of progress last year, and raced very well in Abu Dhabi, but the Russian is still clearly not quite good enough to warrant a drive with Renault at this time. The car will be quick but it is unlikely that Petrov will be quick enough.

11. Rubens Barrichello has shown in the last two years that he is far from ready to step away from Formula 1. His performances with Brawn in ’09 showed that he could still win races and last year with Williams he showed that he can still lead the development of a car. The coming season should be very strong for Rubens and his experience could play a crucial role in determining the best times to change tyres during races.

12. Pastor Maldonado is the reigning GP2 champion but will face a challenging season as he tries to prove that he is more than just a driver with a budget. The Venezuelan is fast but he is also erratic and he will have some crashes in 2011. If he can learn from Barrichello he could spring a few surprises in the coming year but it would be foolish to expect too much from Maldonado in his rookie year.

14.Adrian Sutil showed signs of turning the corner and eradicating the mistakes that he had a tendency of making and was a solid performer for most of the season but the German has still to show on a consistent basis that he deserves to race stay with Force India.

15. Paul di Resta will make his Grand Prix debut in Melbourne. The Scotsman is hugely talented and is ready to grasp his opportunity with both hands. As Friday tester for Force India last year he has knowledge of most of the tracks on the calendar and will ease his transition to race driver. He should score points on a consistent basis and if he can outperform Sutil over the course of the year it will do a lot to cement his reputation.

16. Kamui Kobayashi was hugely impressive last year and gained a legion of fans with his forceful racing and overtaking ability. If the Sauber is competitive Kobayashi looks primed for another strong year.

17. Sergio Perez is another rookie and the Mexican has impressed in testing. The comparison to teammate Kobayashi will make it easy to evaluate the performance of Perez. He has talent and should be an exciting driver to watch during the races in 2011.

18. Sebastian Buemi remains with Toro Rosso for the start of the season but for how much longer can the Swiss driver stay with the team? He will need to perform well in the opening races if he is not to be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo.

19. Jamie Alguersuari had a strong year in 2010 and by the end of the season had gained an advantage over teammate Buemi. The new Toro Rosso looks strong and Alguersuari now has enough experience to get the most out of it. With Ricciardo lurking in the Toro Rosso garage this is a pivotal year for the Spaniard.

20. Jarno Trulli will look to fight for midfield respectability in the coming season but it is crucial for him to outperform Kovalainen if this is not to be his last season in Formula 1.

21. Heikki Kovalainen did a lot to rebuild his reputation in 2010 following his inability to compete with Hamilton while the Finn raced for McLaren. Last year he impressed, particularly in qualifying, and was the most impressive driver of the new teams. More of the same in 2011 is to be expected as he continues to show that he has the talent to race for teams further up the field.

22. Narain Karthikeyan will return to Formula 1 in 2011 but the former Jordan driver has little chance of performing well. The Hispania will be slow and Karthikeyan will be comprehensibly outperformed by his teammate.

23. Tonio Liuzzi was left high and dry by Force India and his only opportunity to race in 2011 was with Hispania. Liuzzi performed well in 2010 and should be faster than his teammate throughout the year.

24. Timo Glock was the one bright spark for Virgin in 2010 and the German should have another strong season this year. His qualifying performances were superb last year and with the Virgin much improved he could spring a few surprises in the coming season.

25. Jerome D’Ambrosio will make his Grand Prix debut in Melbourne but there is little reason to expect him to challenge Glock throughout the season. D’Ambrosio drove for the squad during Friday practice at numerous races in 2010 and impressed the team with his feedback and speed. He should be closer to Glock than his predecessor at Virgin, Lucas di Grassi.

25 Drivers? Did Kubica's mum not tell him he was grounded for the season after crashing her Peugeot?

amacachi

ivanc wrote: »

As for the rest, expect good things from Lotus and a thrill or two from Kobay but prepare to be watching 20 car races for a lot of the season.

Mmmm.....I can smell the petrol already.

I thought there were very few races last year when anyone was outside the 107%. Also if the new teams want to be taken seriously they should be making the biggest improvement of anyone this year.

frostie500

ivanc wrote: »

25 Drivers? Did Kubica's mum not tell him he was grounded for the season after crashing her Peugeot?

Read through a bit more carefully, theres 24 drivers but as ever the superstitious F1 teams wont race with a number 13 car!

ivanc

frostie500 wrote: »

Read through a bit more carefully, theres 24 drivers but as ever the superstitious F1 teams wont race with a number 13 car!

What about Moises Solana in 1963 and Divina Galica in 1976? Both had a big 13 stuck on the side of their jammers. Although in fairness Divina didn't qualify.

ivanc

amacachi wrote: »

I thought there were very few races last year when anyone was outside the 107%.

Tis true - in 2010 there was only: Both HRT cars - Bahrain & Malaysia. Di Grassi - Malaysia. Senna - Barcelona, Chandhok - Canada and Alonso - Monaco.

But it's going to be different when the pressure is on to make 107%.

I think you could see Virgin, HRT and Sauber's Perez struggle.

supremenovice

Anyone fancy Heidfeld for a maiden victory this season?
Hard to know how hot the Renault is compared to Ferrari and Red Bull.
The Renault was good in Monaco last season and Monaco has a habit
of throwing up one time winners (Panis & Trulli).

If youre 0-172 in F1, and teams are still hiring you, you must be nothing if not a survivor.
Can you imagine competing at something for 11 years and never winning? The man is overdue.
I personally hope he can get one.

ivanc

supremenovice wrote: »

Anyone fancy Heidfeld for a maiden victory this season?
Hard to know how hot the Renault is compared to Ferrari and Red Bull.
The Renault was good in Monaco last season and Monaco has a habit
of throwing up one time winners (Panis & Trulli).

If youre 0-172 in F1, and teams are still hiring you, you must be nothing if not a survivor.
Can you imagine competing at something for 11 years and never winning? The man is overdue.
I personally hope he can get one.

The Renault looks good and he's experienced and he did the early development work at Pirelli so he shouldn't be a slouch - but he's no Kubica and the best Kubica achieved in 2010 was 2nd in Australia.

He might be worth a small punt if the odds are good enough.

ratedR

supremenovice wrote: »

Anyone fancy Heidfeld for a maiden victory this season?

Yes !
For some odd reason I'm a hardcore Heidfeld fan. I've even literally got the t-shirt (bmw 09 season)

freestyla

Heidfeld always looks more like not interested or not motivated enough. A bit like Kimi was but Kimi at least had fast driving skills.

I m wondering, what's up with Masa? I simply can't belive he can beat Alonso at the end of the day.

Nico and Schumi will be the best subplot.

lord lucan

Heads up for those with Android phones,the official F1 app is available in the market from today.:)

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.formula1.twothousandelevenapplication&feature=search_result

Andrew76

lord lucan wrote: »

Heads up for those with Android phones,the official F1 app is available in the market from today.:)

https://market.android.com/details?id=com.formula1.twothousandelevenapplication&feature=search_result

Already downloaded and installed, 1 day 5 hours and 44 mins to go until FP1. Come on hurry up!! :pac:

Grim.

as much as i like albert park please bring the race to bathurst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLDksFTXf5o

lord lucan

Grim. wrote: »

as much as i like albert park please bring the race to bathurst

Lovely looking circuit,very reminiscent of Spa.

amacachi

freestyla wrote: »

Heidfeld always looks more like not interested or not motivated enough. A bit like Kimi was but Kimi at least had fast driving skills.

I m wondering, what's up with Masa? I simply can't belive he can beat Alonso at the end of the day.

Nico and Schumi will be the best subplot.

Thought Heidfeld was hard done-by so far. Ended up with IMO two of the top 5 drivers around at the start and hadn't enough money behind him.

Massa I'd throw a tenner on him for the title, he's either going to be great or ****.

Schumi will do well this year. He may have been poor last year but he didn't sign that three year contract on blind faith. While I may well be proven wrong on this, most of us here know how stupid it would be to thing that Schumi would be happy to just toddle around and pick up points and a cheque. He knows what he's at.

amacachi

Grim. wrote: »

as much as i like albert park please bring the race to bathurst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLDksFTXf5o

Whenever I see F1 cars on tracks they're not usually on I either think of Top Gear with the Renault car or this: http://youtubedoubler.com/?video1=JUhu13qp8Oc&start1=0&video2=seget3zOj_8&start2=0&authorName=Not+Sure

thegoth

WOW WOW WOW

ro_chez

Grim. wrote: »

as much as i like albert park please bring the race to bathurst

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLDksFTXf5o

Great track, but if F1 went there Bernie would probably get Tilke to destroy it first!

Grim.

thought this was very good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9DBlGpnzqY

amacachi

Judging from the flashy graphics I'm assuming HD is ready to go. :pac:

Also it's odd when ya see ads like the above, seems too good-humoured almost.

Lordhumphreys

Its like Spa and Monaco all rolled into one!

amacachi

Little conspiracy theory for the day, anyone else wonder if the two new South American drivers might be part of an effort to stitch up South America before IndyCar expand any more in the area?

pegasus1

Now you would think that being a HD feed they would shift the lap time graphics over to the left more! :rolleyes:

Charlie-Bravo

pegasus1 wrote: »

Now you would think that being a HD feed they would shift the lap time graphics over to the left more! :rolleyes:

+1 on this. And they have added more graphics since last year reducing the main viewing space in the middle. They've added the red 'P' indicating the driver is in the pit and chequered flag for finished the session.

Bernie...move the graphics over :cool:

pegasus1

looked on another forum here's what i found...

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showpost.php?p=19815024&postcount=857

My understanding is that FOM make two feeds of their 16:9 SD coverage available currently (4:3 safe and 16:9 safe). I don't know for certain, but last I heard the same was true of their HD feeds on-site.

Whether both versions are uplinked for people who pick up the host feed multilateral via satellite and don't have on-site presence I don't know. I'd be surprised if they only provided a 16:9 safe HD feed though - as many broadcasters still want 4:3 safe graphics for their legacy SD networks - but also want to run HD on their HD networks.

I would expect the races to originate in 1080i25 aka 1080/50i for 50Hz territories, and 1080i30 aka 1080/60i for 60Hz territories. Whether FOM provide a multilateral native version in both 50Hz and 60Hz territories - or standards convert to 1080i25 (aka 1080/50i) will be interesting - and also whether they provide both flavours on site. (I know that that the recent Japanese GPs - which are HD in Japan - have been converted via the 1080i30 to 480i30 to 576i25 route, rather than a 1080i30 direct to 576i25 route, much to the annoyance of 50Hz broadcasters...)

now bbc cop on and use the proper feed!!!

ivanc

supremenovice wrote: »

Anyone fancy Heidfeld for a maiden victory this season?
Hard to know how hot the Renault is compared to Ferrari and Red Bull.
The Renault was good in Monaco last season and Monaco has a habit
of throwing up one time winners (Panis & Trulli).

If youre 0-172 in F1, and teams are still hiring you, you must be nothing if not a survivor.
Can you imagine competing at something for 11 years and never winning? The man is overdue.
I personally hope he can get one.

Ahem.....18th on the grid. Petrov 6th. I wouldn't think he's too happy right now.

Top Dog

ivanc wrote: »

Ahem.....18th on the grid. Petrov 6th. I wouldn't think he's too happy right now.

And not only that - Petrov's fastest Q3 time was almost a full 2 seconds faster than the best Heidfeld could manage out of the same car :eek:

I'm sadly beginning to think that I bet on the wrong horse with this weeks competition