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  What on Earth has happened to Williams?

Posted by: NeilP
14-05-2018, 02:17 AM
Forum: F1 General Discussion Board
- Replies (5)

I am big F1 fan but with very limited knowledge on the technical side of things I would appreciate some comments from a lot of you very knowledgeable guys as to what on earth has happened to Williams. It is as though they have fallen off a cliff. Obviously their budget is nowhere near the manufacturers teams but from what 3rd in 2015 they have slumped the very back of the pack.

I was quite surprised when Mercedes dropped Paddy Lowe but I guess with James Allison out there and being a rising star so to speak I understand the move. Is Lowe primarily responsible for this drop off in performance with his design work?  I mean the car looked almost undriveable at times this past weekend.

I understand their two drivers are in essence pay to drive guys but certainly Stroll whilst not a brilliant driver he did have some decent races in 2017. Sirotkin I do not think is ever going to be a F1 quality driver.

Educate me guys....

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  2018 Monaco GP

Posted by: Jody Barton
13-05-2018, 07:03 PM
Forum: 2018 Race Threads
- Replies (133)

So looking into S3 times throughout the weekend the Monaco Grid if we're going off of times here in Barca and S2 in Aus should look like this:

1) Verstappen
2) Ricciardo
3) Hamilton
4) Raikkonen 
5) Vettel
6) Bottas
7) Magnussen
8) Alonso
9) Ocon
10) Sainz
11) Hulkenberg
12) Perez
13) Gasly
14) Leclerc
15) Grosjean
16) Vandorne
17) Ericsson
18) Heartly
19) Stroll
20) Sirotkin

If that's how it lines up I fully expect you all to worship me as your God!!! Don't worry, it's not bloody likely.

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  F1 2018 tyres

Posted by: Jody Barton
12-05-2018, 07:19 PM
Forum: Technical Talk
- Replies (26)

Soooo... with tyre gate rumbling I decided to look into this 0.4mm in tread reduction for Barcelona, Paul Riccard and Silverstone. Interestingly it seems this is actually a reduction to what the 2018 test tyres were when teams ran them in 2017. The extra 0.4mm was added after feedback from most teams.

So. Could this be Mercedes problem? They expected the tyres to act one way, and with the increased tread they struggled? Take the extra 0.4mm back out again and in Barcelona they're front runners again.

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  Drivers who will lose their seats next year

Posted by: Jody Barton
12-05-2018, 03:36 PM
Forum: Driver Contract Gossip
- Replies (71)

Stoffel Vandorne

I really think with McLarens much improved performance Alonso will stick around, and McLaren are dumping Lando Norris in their second car in 2019, make no mistake. Vandorne will be toast.

Lance Stroll

He looks awful, I know the car is crap, but he is making a crap car look truly terrible. Surely not even his daddy can save his seat now.

Marcus Ericsson

He's had way too many seasons in F1, and quite frankly Leclerc is finding his feet, and finding it's not too hard to beat the Swede comfortably, just like Wehrlein did, with the B-spec Sauber last year. 

Romain Grosjean

Honestly I think his days are numbered. Were I Haas I'd be looking at his continued crapness and just say do one you big fat cry baby. He's making Magnusen look like a potentially WDC in waiting. 


Do you think anyone else is for the chop next year?

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  World Cup Moved to One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest

Posted by: Monster Hesh
10-05-2018, 11:25 AM
Forum: F1 General Discussion Board
- No Replies

World Cup Moved to 'One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest' off topic.

[Image: Dhu9PpwWkAEc7yD.jpg]

Teams really knowing the tyres now. I think those with only 1 or 2 sets of softs, may struggle.
Confirmed DRS zones at Hockenheim 

[Image: Dh-lNINX4AErb-0.jpg]

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  Future of tracks

Posted by: BrendanSylvester
05-05-2018, 04:11 AM
Forum: F1 General Discussion Board
- Replies (5)

I saw a layout of the proposed Miami circuit. I suspect this track will divide opinion.

However, I think it's a very exciting addition to the calendar. It's sort of like a cross between BAKU and a 'curved AVUS', and to my mind will somewhat make up for the loss of the old Hockenheim.

My point is, to make Formula 1 exciting, it should be run on exciting circuits. If Liberty really care about the spectacle, they should race on circuits that provide exciting racing. They could potentially make a 20-25 season based on tracks that produce top racing.

So, I invite my fellow Bantees to think of a potential circuit line-up, or leave comments.

I'm being very 'realistic' about what's possible.
Imagine a season that had all of

Bahrain
China
Baku
Miami
Silverstone
Spa-Francachamps
Monza
Paul Ricard (though they put a stupid chicane on the backstraight)
Montreal Canada
COTA
Sepang (yes, bring it back!)
Mexico City
Istanbul (but convert turns 12/13/14 into one long sweeping final corner)
Nurburgring
Austria-Ring
Interlagos
and maybe upgrade a couple of old classics like
Estoril
Zandvoort
Donington

I also think it may be worth considering a race in New Zealand!




Every fortnight there would be a treat of a race to look forward to. I hope Liberty do consider that certain tracks create good racing and start to eliminate some of the yawners (Abu Dhabi and Socchi come to mind)

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  Oil Burning

Posted by: Jody Barton
03-05-2018, 01:59 PM
Forum: F1 General Discussion Board
- Replies (6)

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/135756...n-loophole

Soooo... More rules clarification over oil burning. The FIA say it's a pre-emptive strike, but they pull apart Ferrari's oil routing systems, and then we get a highly specific ruling on it? Coincidental?

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  2018 Spanish GP

Posted by: forzaferrari
01-05-2018, 03:17 PM
Forum: 2018 Race Threads
- Replies (220)

Pirelli has unveiled Formula 1 teams' tyres selections for the 2018 Spanish Grand Prix, with Williams on a vastly more aggressive strategy than any of the other outfits.

The Italian tyre supplier has opted to go a step softer with its picks for the recently-resurfaced Barcelona venue than in either 2016 and 2017, and will bring the supersoft, soft and medium compounds to the upcoming race.

Every team but Williams has opted for between five and eight sets of the softest available compound, whereas the Grove-based outfit had made nine sets of supersoft available for Lance Stroll and 10 for rookie Sergey Sirotkin.

Both of its drivers will have only a single set of the yellow-walled soft tyre.

Besides Williams, only Sauber and Haas opted to split tyre choice strategies between its two drivers, with Kevin Magnussen and Marcus Ericsson on one fewer set of softs and one more set of mediums than Romain Grosjean and Charles Leclerc respectively.

The top three teams in the field all differed in their selections, with Mercedes' opting for the most cautious approach and selecting the same amount of supersofts and softs for its drivers, at five.

Ferrari will bring seven supersoft sets to Red Bull's sixth, making up the difference by selecting one fewer set of the white-walled medium compound than the Austrian outfit.

The Spanish Grand Prix will be the first of three races where Pirelli is running modified rubber, with the FIA having granted the supplier's request to allow it bring tyres with lower tread thickness.

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  Porsche seriously considering F1 (Gerhard Berger)

Posted by: Jody Barton
27-04-2018, 12:44 PM
Forum: Team Gossip
- No Replies

I take it a few of us have heard Bergers comments yesterday claiming that Porsche are seriously considering an F1 team, and that the retention of their WEC technical staff shows they were serious about the endeavor. Apparently they've not just retained their 350 staff, they've upped it to nearly 400. Why would you retain that expertise and increase their number if you didn't have a project in mind? Berger has been close to Porsche since 2009, when he became a sort of ambassador for them, and also helped with some of the their driver program. So... they're serious.

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  Exhaust Blowing

Posted by: LotusLover
27-04-2018, 08:14 AM
Forum: Technical Talk
- Replies (3)

Morning All

'Why is exhaust blowing back in the news?'

http://www.skysports.com/share/11346950

Not hot off the press, my question is who has complained? RB or MB or is it someone else?

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