Formula 1 2021 - General Discussion Thread (Read 1st post rules)

Burkie1203 · 18-08-2021 2:13pm

Bahrain outer loop I suspect will make a return or maybe Saudi x 2

18-08-2021 5:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770815#Comment_117770815

Til 09 it was 605kg, went up progressively and last season 752kg. Next year 790kg.

Frank Bullitt · 18-08-2021 6:28pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117772645#Comment_117772645

They have ballooned over the years.

Inquitus · 19-08-2021 12:57pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117773013#Comment_117773013

Are 2022 cars bigger still?

Frank Bullitt · 19-08-2021 4:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117775735#Comment_117775735

I think they are heavier at least. Granted, some of the size over the years was from the ban on refuelling.

quokula · 19-08-2021 5:22pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117772645#Comment_117772645

Yeah it's a travesty what has happened to F1 cars over the last decade or so. The hybrid engines are so heavy that race pace was multiple seconds slower than what came before despite being orders of magnitude more expensive. They made up for this with wider tyres (that also needed to be more heavy duty to handle the extra weight of the cars) and more extreme aero to claw back the laptime so they were no longer embarrassingly slow, but the laptime is being achieved in all the wrong ways and racing has suffered dramatically as a result.

There's a growing movement with the next engine formula to move back to something more suitable for racing, Red Bull are pushing hard for it and McLaren have surprisingly snubbed their engine suppliers and backed them up. There's talk of moving towards low-emission combustion fuels rather than increasing the hybrid component, which in reality has done nothing for sustainability and is irrelevant while Formula E exists and only serves to delay the needed transition to BEVs in the real world.

A move to lighter, racier engines would once again allow for smaller tyres that don't need to manage as much load, less extreme aero needed to make up the laptime, and eventually purer racing cars. But it will be a lot of baby steps getting back there I imagine.

quokula · 19-08-2021 5:29pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117770440#Comment_117770440

While infections are high, the government have little regard for controlling it, and F1 will go wherever they can make money so it will probably still go ahead.

19-08-2021 7:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777040#Comment_117777040

Aye it's the knock-on effects that aren't accounted for as much. The weight and aero is a big part of the tyre problem as well. Due to different surfaces and temperatures to make a construction that'll last half a race on average is properly difficult. The only way they've managed it is with tyres that need to be babied throughout the race.

I had some old clips thrown at me by YouTube and the cars at least looked fast. I know the current cars are faster on ultimate pace but how often does that happen in the race?

Just looking at this year's calendar I think we've had 4 races on the same circuits as 08.

Bahrain 2008 - Pole 1:33.096 Fastest lap 1:33.193 +0.097

Bahrain 2021 - Pole 1:28.997 Fastest lap 1:32.090 +3.093

Monaco 2008 - Pole 1:15.787 Fastest lap 1:16.689 +0.902

Monaco 2021 - Pole 1:10.346 Fastest lap 1:12.909 +2.463

Britain 2008 - Rain during race

Britain 2021 - Pole 1:26.134 Fastest lap 1:28.617 +2.483

Hungary 2008 - Pole 1:20.889 Fastest lap 1:21.195 +0.306

Hungary 2021 - Pole 1:15.419 Fastest lap 1:18.394 +2.975

So for the 3 comparisons that can be made in 08 they were 0.1, 0.9 and 0.3 off pole during the race. This year it's 3.1, 2.4 and 3. And fastest lap now is often done for a laugh at the end of a race, used to happen on low fuel with old tyres. But carrying 4 extra laps of fuel mattered back then.

I'm under no illusions that things used to be perfect or everything used to be better but come on, they're just driving to a delta during the races and it's a real bore.

barryribs · 20-08-2021 10:35am

Lots of former F1 drivers involved in Le Mans this weekend, spread over different eras. Fisichella is racing in the Ferrari and Jan and Kevin Magnussen in the Oreca. Olivier Panis has his own team this year in the LMP2 class.

Pen Rua · 20-08-2021 10:53am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117779552#Comment_117779552

Kamu Kobayashi - Toyota #7

Seb Buemi, Brendon Hartley - Toyota #8

Juan Pablo Montoya - Dragon Speed Racing USA #21

Paul di Resta - United Autosport #23

Stoff Vandoorne - Jota #28

Giedo Van Der Garde - Racing Team Nederland #29

Anthony Davidson - Jota #38

Robert Kubia - Team WRT #41

Kevin & Jan Magnussen - High Class Racing #49

Will Stevens - Panis Racing #65

Felipe Nasr - Risi Competizione #82

Roberto Merhi - G Drive Racing #25

Plenty of other familiar names in the field too - Callum Illot (former F2), Nyck de Vries (former F2 champ, recent Formula E champ), Norman Nato (former F2, current Formula E), Sam Bird (Formula E), Louis Deletrax (former F2), Alex Brundle (son of Martin), Tatiana Calderon (Alfa Romeo), Sophie Floersch (current DTM, former F3, girl who had the huge Macau crash), Beitske Visser (W Series), Sean Gelael (former F2, father supported many other careers including Stoff), Manuel Maldonado (cousin of Pastor)

pjohnson · 20-08-2021 10:54am

Doesnt De La Rosa hold the Bahrain lap record since 04? I think he was only subbing for Montoya at that race iirc.

flazio · 20-08-2021 11:59pm

Idea: Malaysian Grand Prix revived to replace Japan.

Discuss.

PopePalpatine · 21-08-2021 8:23am

Malaysia has had about 5 times as many COVID cases per capita as Japan.

Yes, I know they're heading to Russia and that rat-licker Greg Abbott's state, but:

Money talks
I'd imagine a Malaysian GP would either slot between Turkey and USA or Brazil (if that even happens) and ~~Da'esh Gold~~ ~~Taliban With A Few Extra Zeroes On Their Balance Sheet~~ Saudi Arabia, and quarantining would be a tad tricky.

AMKC · 21-08-2021 8:06pm

Billy Monger on Channel 4 now or on plus 1 from 9pm

Jordan 199 · 21-08-2021 11:29pm

Less than one week to go to the Belgian GP 😎

AMKC · 22-08-2021 9:39pm

Has this happened?

Juan Pablo Montoya just won the triple crown?

Monaco 2003

Indy 500, 2000 & 2015

And now Le Man's.

Or does it have to be a certain category?

bennyx_o · 22-08-2021 9:44pm

Have to win Le Mans overall, he only won his category (LMP2 I believe) so doesn't count towards the triple crown

donspeekinglesh · 22-08-2021 10:44pm

Yeah, he needs to win overall, not "just" LMP2. He's probably angling to get into an LMH or LMdH ride in the next few years though.

Killinator · 22-08-2021 11:50pm

Even at that he didn't win the LMP2 outright, he won in the Pro/Am sub class

Frank Bullitt · 23-08-2021 4:33pm

Qatar possibly on the cards for F1 this year!

Top Dog · 23-08-2021 10:23pm

Mercedes dragging the ass out of decision making yet again - https://www.planetf1.com/news/mercedes-hint-driver-decision-delay/

recyclebin · 24-08-2021 8:18am

I think the decision has already been made and both drivers know about it. Bottas out, Russell in. Mercedes aren't making it public as it would put a huge spotlight on Bottas to keep helping Hamilton and Mercedes for the rest of the season even though he has lost his seat. The British media would make him the scapegoat if Hamilton gets beaten.

quokula · 24-08-2021 10:24am

Toto Wolff is under investigation by the UK Financial Standards Authority for illegal insider trading related to purchasing Aston Martin shares shortly before announcing the deal between them and Mercedes that caused a huge jump in the value of those shares. Lawrence Stroll is implicated too. It will be interesting to see if there will be any repercussions.

muckwarrior · 24-08-2021 11:18am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117796344#Comment_117796344

It seems like way too big of a coincidence for it not to be true. However, I'm sure Toto would have been well aware of how it would look and wouldn't have gone ahead with it if he wasn't fully sure he could get away with it.