So that's it, eight days of testing over and a field full of close evolutions looks set to see the status quo largerly kept. A generic feel of the form and order: Group 1: Mercedes - enough said Group 2: Ferrari - ought to be Mercedes greatest challenger having won what Ron Dennis would coin the 'winter world championships' Williams - emerged from typically pragmatic noby J i m - F1
It doesn't look quite a ugly as I feared but still dammed ugly all the same. There's not really a justifiable excuse not to persue its development though and we get used to weird looking cars eventually anyway. I'm not convinced that in isolation it would have done much to save Senna though as pointed out it was the suspension which struck his head. The changes made in the miby J i m - F1
Well... That's ruined the aestheticsby J i m - F1
I doubt we can read too much into the lap time leader board at the moment but for sure, that's a impressive showing from Hass.by J i m - F1
I'm probably unusual in that I actually liked the 1999 BAR. I don't think any of this cars are truly ugly to be honest. We've had time to get used to the annoying 'nob' noses now and the shapes of this generation of cars tend to look sleek if pretty much all the same but that's simply a symptom of these regulations and modern times. There's been one or twby J i m - F1
1995 was definitely the last year Ferrari looked the part, and then things got progressively more fugly from 1996 onwards.by J i m - F1
Laton Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > What's really annoying me this year is the > stupidity of the media, particularly with all of > them announcing the Renault as "launched" when > everyone with half a brain knows it isn't. To be fair... Even the ceo seemed to be under the impression it was the 2016 car. But yeah, toby J i m - F1
I quite like it... But don't get why they went to the bother of launching it on an old show car, it's not like they had a new team corporate launch to do like Renault.by J i m - F1
Not a massive surprise to be honest, it's a good deal for both sides. Merc get to put a protege in a F1 car and potentially develop him to graduate to the works team, whilst Manor get some technical support / time in the wind tunnel.by J i m - F1
Well that's definitely a bit blander than expected and there's conflicting reports over whether it's the official race livery or simply a interim paint job for testing. My best guess is that's an interim livery and it wouldn't surprise me to see a couple more marketing partners included come Melbourne although it's already clear that Renault have decided to port tby J i m - F1
I think the 1993 Ferrari also harked back to the 70s. But for me, for sheer aesthetics Ferrari never looked better than this.. But then again... Many of my favourite cars came from the 1991 seasonby J i m - F1
If I recall correctly the Williams was not a concept livery in the usual internet way of some random fan/journalist with photoshop but Williams actually using F1 Racing to 'launch' the car. So the media material was genuine images from the Williams PR & marketing department and not simply the work of F1 Racing's resident photoshop enthusiast.by J i m - F1
I'm definitely not as fanatic as I used to be. I remember how special it felt getting up at stupid o'clock to watch Japan and Australia 1994 and haven't quite matched that excitement since. Sure 2015 has been a bit flat, but I also have less time and energy to follow it as thourghly as I did before. I'm working day hours most Friday's so don't get to watch practicby J i m - F1
Channel 4... Slight surprise let's hope they don't follow ITV's method of F1 coverage. Promises of not in race adverts is a good start.by J i m - F1
It basically represents a few artistic impressions already out there. In looks it's as though a mid 90s car has mated with a mid 00s car.by J i m - F1
I'm hoping that 2016 provides a bit more excitement on the track, as I'm getting rather tired of the off track politics being far more worthy of discussion. We basically need Ferrari to close the gap on Merc and the midfield to compress a bit. Pirelli are trying to increase the so called tyre "cliff" again so cue plenty of whinging from the drivers and crying from Red Bull wheby J i m - F1
It was about bloody time they got all that sorted. I think it's a good thing ultimately, to have three manufacture teams potentially competing competively. It'll take a few seasons for them to get up to par but Renault always get it right eventually. So Red Bull keep Renault engines and get to call them Tag which is why Ron Dennis won't be happy. Toro Roso get year old Ferrarby J i m - F1
To be honest, I do rate Alonso above Button, and overall he's had Button in the shade. I fully expected that. But I also felt that Button would prove his closest match since Hamilton. And whilst the general unreliability of the package makes comparisons difficult and unfair, Button has definitely stood up to the challenge. He out qualified Alonso on first attempt and he certainly avoidedby J i m - F1
So F1 2015 is over and if I'm honest it hasn't been a particular exciting year, at least not by recent standards. I can't put my finger on it, maybe it's the regs but overall the teams have been too spaced out and the expected battle royal between Ferrari, Williams and Red Bull never materialised. I guess there's always plenty to talk about though. Mercedes Pretty mucby J i m - F1
Palmer confirmed at Lotus / Renault. Poor Vergne.by J i m - F1
If the red bull teams stay then I'm convinced their driver line ups will remain the same. Renault assuming they become Renault again have some "tasty options" personally my preference would be Jean Eric Vergne.. He makes sense... He's quick, French and has experience of the Renault engine from last year. Manor... I imagine they'll be keen to take Pascal thingy on...by J i m - F1
It seems to be getting quite desperate now. Red Bull have landed themselves in a right mess. They're doing a brilliant job of alienating themselves from everybody. They've pushed Renault to the point where they no longer want to supply any team except their own works outfit. Honda have said no, not that Red Bull would want a Honda engine anyway but that scant opportunity has also beeby J i m - F1
It would also push the cost of the engines up again... and that's the last thing the non works teams need.by J i m - F1
Works? Suppose they want it free of charge as well. Renault definitely dropped the ball with this engine formula, but Red Bull's politics have become really tiresome. I'd be tempted to make sure they'd always be a development stage (or two) behind simply for the sheer cheek. Wouldn't it be ironic if their build a complete pup of a chassis next year and the engine becaby J i m - F1
A little bit of a dull race by Singapore standards. Some deva ju initially for Rosberg, but how relived will he be that his car lasted and Hamilton's didn't? But realistically he's a long way of Hamilton still. Notable performances: Vettel obviously. In full fingermeister mode he controlled everything.. and gave the impression that he could simply check out at any given moby J i m - F1
Theres been much about future changes to both the technical and sporting regs in F1, here are some of my personal thoughts on some of them; Making the cars 5-7 seconds a lap faster Ooh, faster cornering speeds, cars more more physically demanding again may be even visually more spectacular and new lap records. Lovely, but this isn't a guarantee to improve racing and hence neither the sby J i m - F1
I'm not convinced Williams strategy was at fault to be honest. I think they made the correct calls given that ultimately Mercedes have the performance advantage. They gave it a good go. It was inevitable that Merc would move ahead at the pit stops for two reasons, 1) the Merc has a advantage good enough that it doesn't need the 'undercut' and so has flexibility in pitting eithby J i m - F1
SchueyFan Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Also how about Maldonado's lose on the main > straight before still overtaking Verstappen, > unbelievable! Was probably thinking "@#$%&, well this is going to be jumped on by Twitter" and so rescued the day.by J i m - F1
A bit of a slow burner this one... but it picked up a bit at the end. Possibly the first time Rosberg actually out raced Hamilton since 2013... but he still hasn't bettered him in a wheel to wheel dog fight. But credit where it's due, he commanded this race and the only answer Hamilton had was to make a mistake which didn't really affect any outcome anyway. Nice to see Massa&by J i m - F1