The 2014 Formula One Season

Quote
Laton
Anyway, I feel stupid for bringing this up again but I really don't understand. Why are the Lotus tusks different lengths? I understand that one of them (the longer of the two) is the crash structure. But why is the other one shorter? I don't understand

Because you can only have one tip, but Lotus's way of allowing more air under the nose is to create a hole underneath (even though the similarly wide tips actually create double the surface area compared to a single tip).

@ Jim: I wasn't specifically referring to you, but more to the general feelings I see often at the start of seasons, like on forums and social media. I don't think I agree with the parts not being there. Last year for example, they had the Renault engine which wasn't bad. They had Bottas, of which I think we can all agree has speed. Maldonado has too, but needs to be calmed down. I felt Williams should have been easily capable of that, but they couldn't manage. The rear of the car was compact, which should've helped them with the coanda-effect, yet when they took the coanda-parts off, they went faster. Which they found out at the end of the season... They had Pastor's millions to play with (does anyone know if Williams' acquirement of new sponsors covers the loss of PDVSA?), which still didn't make Williams' one of the rich teams, but having Caterham - which has a much smaller budget - close to them was alarming. The ingredients were there but they couldn't tie them together. It somehow didn't work. It could well be that attracting new experienced staff and a driver that could lead a team are the proverbial glue here. I have not yet seen insights of which teams are doing very well (other than the obvious things), but if these sources say Williams look good on track, I guess they are more credible than some guy blabbering on a forum :p

Gary Anderson has observed that the Williams looks good, not the best perhaps but good and well balanced, and Gary Anderson is no fool

i think Williams decided to put all the new staff and major R&D into 2014 sacrificing 2013, like Brawn did with 2008 waiting for 2009. As it happened in that case, all the new staff work will be reflected on this years car (i hope). I see them fighting for the podium regularly and even wins as they are one of the most reliable teams right now.

Mercedes looks as the major favourite but they are the only ones that looked for a time until now. I´d wait to see whats going on in Ferrari (the only non-Merc powered car that could fight for something, and the team with arguably the most effective drivers on the grid). McLaren is in a good shape but i dont feel them as strong as the other 3 teams i mentioned.

As for Renault powered teams things simply dont look good. Some sources are reporting that while Ferrari and Mercedes cars reached top speeds of 360 km/h on Bahrain, Renault were only about 310 km/h (altough they could be limited for dont blowing all the time). RedBull situation is worrying, Newey could have repeating a Mp4/18 now... Toro Rosso looks better than his big brother, but im not saying its looking good there either. Lotus and Caterham look like the best of them (in fact Caterham seems the only one that could actually finish a race, though their pace is closer to a gp2 than to a f1...)

Sauber is moreless to be on the midfield and Marussia looks simply bad, so i dont expect surprises from them.

it is hard to bet a pecking order right now but i´d think of Mercedes, Ferrari, Mclaren as top teams, Williams as a dark horse. the rest is a big question mark as reliability will be fundamental now, even more in the first 4, 5 races. We could have some 80-ish finishes when only 5 or 6 cars finished and that will twist up everything a bit... Anyone else wanting a Monaco 1982 again?





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/25/2014 12:09AM by Frantic.

I think the influence on the FW36 the new staff will have had will have been relatively limited as it would have been well advanced by the time they started. The biggest short to medium term benefit will be coming from the factory and engineering processes. I.e. Pat Symonds will have spent his first weeks observing and analysing and then targeting areas for change to make it most effective.

I think the fact that the FW36 is looking relatively good isn't simply thanks to the new staff but a combination of other factors;

When the extent of the problems with the FW35 were known this would have encouraged the team to direct more resources to FW36 earlier than they may have done otherwise.

The effective elimination of blown diffusers and coandas exhausts removed a significant weakness in the Williams package compare to their rivals.

The switch to Mercedes power appears to have (by design or good fortune) to be very well timed for it could propel the team above rivals that they may not have otherwise out performed.

All the recent additions to the team have been very positive and encouraging. But 2014 isn't the test of the new structure, 2015 is. If they make good step forward in 2015, when the new technical regs will be settling down, then we'll know that the new structure is working effectively and moving the team forwards. 2014... Though is yet another interim year.

Building on what you've said Jim, another strong appointment for Williams as they've snapped up Rob Smedley.

Pay Symonds seems to be slowly bringing in some solid technical appointments, something which the team has lacked recently.

[wp.me]

Like you I have a really positive feeling about this year for Williams.

I don't go in for all that malarkey that you've got to support the team/driver from your own country, but I've really become fond of Williams since they were knocked off their perch, and I feel they are far more relatable than McLaren.

---

Races: 163 - Wins: 23 - Pole Positions: 24 - Fastest Laps: 22
Season 9: Constructors' Champions

Frantic écrivait:
-------------------------------------------------------
> [...] We could have some 80-ish finishes when only 5 or 6 cars
> finished and that will twist up everything a bit...
> Anyone else wanting a Monaco 1982 again?

I was more thinking of Adelaide 1985 on that respect. There was rain and fuel issues in Monaco 1982 if I remember correctly hence that weird finishing of the race.
There were more retirements due to mechanical failure at Adelaide 1985 with only 4 cars crossing the finish line, one of them with 3 wheels remaining (Philippe Streiff, Ligier, 3rd, crashing with Jacques Laffite, Ligier, 2nd, both finishing). That was a weird race too.

---

Found this gem:

That video is brilliant. :D

Even more weird is that the 1995 race, 10 years later and the other race that book-ended the run of Adelaide GPs, had some striking similarities with 1985.

---

Watch everyone join the Williams bandwagon if they start scoring points like old!

I think maybe three people on this forum have stuck by them through the bad times.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

If there are only three, I would be on that boat. But I think you are low-balling it.

---

It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

i have always respected Williams, i consider that team one of the few genuine racing teams... however i haven't been a supporter, or actually i only cheered for them during the Ralf years. (Can't call myself a supporter , lol)

Charles Pic, not renewed by Caterham, will drive for Lotus this season, but as third driver.

---

So he won't actually drive

---

Races: 163 - Wins: 23 - Pole Positions: 24 - Fastest Laps: 22
Season 9: Constructors' Champions

Ferrari2007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So he won't actually drive


+1

danm Schreef:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Watch everyone join the Williams bandwagon if they
> start scoring points like old!
>
> I think maybe three people on this forum have
> stuck by them through the bad times.

I've already added Williams' team name to my signature for 2014 But that's because of Felipe Massa driving there now!
Not really a Williams team supporter, do always respect the team though!

---

If you are racing, keep on racing and get some points!

GPG Super League S11 | Driver #41 | Team-manager | Snake Motorsports Racing Group | Next Race: Emmeloord - Flevoland GP | Constructors: 10th | Best Race Finish: 1st
GPG Super League Season 9 Testers Champion*

Ferrari2007 écrivait:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So he won't actually drive


Not in race obviously, but will be a Friday Driver.

---

Morbid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If there are only three, I would be on that boat.


I'd vouch for that. LS, too.

Wish they would hurry up with that livery

"C'mon guys, our car is @#$%& - we may as well go help someone else..."