Why F1 rules!

[Robert K]

I've watched Formula One racing now for a little over 20 years now. I've always been facinated with the technology of the cars. Currently, the new spec calls for 2.4 liter (approx. 184 cu.in.) V-8 engines. These engines are now turning 19,000-20,000 RPM's!!! That's approximately 165 ignition cycles (sparks) per cylinder PER SECOND! I still can't believe it's physically possible. Anyway, the point of this post is to provide a link to a video that shows last year's Honda car with 3.0 liter V-10 engine against a Honda full tilt racing motorcycle in a quarter mile drag race. Unbelievable!

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i

http://www.metacafe.com/watch/51275/fifth_gear_boat_vs_f1_vs_bike/

[Paul in NZ]

wasnt there a boat too????
Just finished watching the Australian GP the v8s do rev to about 20,000 rpm,one team still has the v10 but it is restricted to 16 or 17000 revs to limit output to 720 hp,200 hp down on last year.They are already matching last years times mostly because they are allowed (more)tyre changes again
Complex rules this year !

[F4Phantom]

I recon stuff all the rules! Go back to the roots of F1. No rules, just inovation, anything goes, just get the fastest cars on the planet. It seems to me that everytime a new innovation comes along they rule it out. I know there is safety to think about but seriously I find F1 boring compared to what it could be. The other side to this way of thinking of course is that rules actually encourage faster and better cars, which they do. Restrictions/opposition actually make us think of new and innovative ideas to overcome the problem. EG. when turbo's were ruled out, the cars were just as fast within 2 years (from memory please correct me) without the turbo's. Still tho, I would prefer a no rules race.

[Paul in NZ]

The race today was one of the best....Alonso had it all his own way tho,Kimi posted the fastest lap of the race on the last lap,heidburg in the Sauber bmw came 4th,ralph in the toyota came 3rd

[mattyb]

i have to admit that f1 lost me few years ago. rules changing all the time etc etc. drivers becoming prima donnas. The wrc drivers seem to be a bit more respectful of their fans. The A1 grand prix is a brilliant concept and I would much rather get behind this than F1 these days. A1 grand prix has 20 nations with the same car and it is totally dedicated to driver talent etc. If you have not had a chance to see it yet have a look and make your own mind up.

[Jr ///M5]

Thanks for sharing the siren song of the F1 Robert. Those cars are unbelieveable! I love to hear the engines sing when there's a race on TV, despite the fact of the rules implied in F1 racing, in my simple way of thinking, there must be a reason for them. Can you imagine what it would be like driving one of those?

Jr

[Randell]

i used to be an absolute F1 addict... ever since i was a little tike in the 80s i've been hooked, but i didn't even watch last season it was rubbish.. ruled by money and a few teams with lots of it, there really was no point watching

today's race however.. was AWESOME. the rule changes might not be for everyone but at least it gives us something good to watch! i haven't seen a race that good for years. and we in australia were lucky enough to have MURRAY WALKER (!! legend!) give some brilliant commentary, i usually have to cringe through those pathetic aussie channel 10 goons calling the melbourne race, i wish they'd just stick to v8 supercars and leave the F1 to james allen and martin brundle from ITV, but hearing murrary commentate again was better than anything!

[Guapo]

...i didn't even watch last season it was rubbish...

...i haven't seen a race that good for years...

I guess you missed out on Suzuka last year then, eh? :D

[Cactuar]

What a race it was!! I haven't been this excited since Suzuka last year. Brilliant racing.

[Jay 535i]

I was an addict up until '99. I hated the rule changes they instituted for '98, most of all those ridiculous tire and narrow chassis. I watched for that year, then gave up.

I'm trying to get back into it now, now that the era of predictable Ferrari domination is over. Yesterday's Australian GP was actually a great race, with a dramatic finish.

[Incantation]

pretty lame stacking it up against a stock motorcycle. i wonder why they didn't have a motogp bike with a wheelie bar on it .. that would have been a true race

[Robert K]

I can't even imagine driving an F1 car. To be honest, I think it would be terrifying! Speed is gained so quickly, that I'm sure you can get in trouble before you even know you're in trouble. I have complete respect for the drivers. I'll never forget a couple of years ago during a race when the rear end of Kimi's McLaren stepped out a bit in a long corner at well over a hundred miles an hour. I believe he won that race. In the post race interview, they commented on the slide and asked if he lifted. He gave a slight grin and said, "Never." The technology of the cars might make it easier for the drivers to drive, but they still have to have incredible skills to keep them under control.

Like many have stated, rules changes are bothersome. I think that has a lot to do with the politics of it. I think Bernie Eccelstone and Max Mosley like to exert their influence over the teams and do it through the rules. But regardless of the rules, the cars still end up being absolutely astounding. I mean did you see in the video how the F1 car simply ran away from the motorcycle after about 100 mph? And that was a race bike no less. The driver of the car had to be laughing his butt of as he pulled away. For all we know, they've got a smile on their face for the entire race. They get to drive the most sophisticated car on the planet AND get paid millions to do it. Unbelievable!!!

It sounds to me from the other posts that this last race must have been a great one. My family and I have sworn off TV because we feel it's become a wasteland. We don't have cable, a satellite dish, or even an antenna. We just watch movies occassionally that we feel have some merit. I do however have a deal with my youngest brother. He tapes all the F1 races for me, including practice and qualifying, then mails them to me. So....I have to wait about 3-4 days to get to watch this race. I can hardly wait now.

Grace and peace,

Robert K
1991 535i

[Jay 535i]

Like many have stated, rules changes are bothersome. I think that has a lot to do with the politics of it. I think Bernie Eccelstone and Max Mosley like to exert their influence over the teams and do it through the rules.

To be fair, I think most of the rules changes have been instituted in an effort to slow the cars down, for safety. They've helped a bit, but not much, and they've ruined F1 as the "pinnacle" of racing. The "pinnacle" would run on real slicks, right? ;)

IMHO, there's one very obvious solution to the problem of slowing the cars down without crippling them: delete the wings. That'll reduce cornering speeds, increase the size of braking zones, diminish the 'dirty air' that makes it impossible to pass in F1, and generally improve the racing immensely. But, of course, that would also remove the biggest advertising spot on the cars, and so it will never happen. Shame on them all. :(

[Cactuar]

Robert, you're definitely in for a treat! You'll be at the edge of your seat :D

[Jay 535i]

Yup. Make sure you watch right up 'til the end. It was a good one.

I don't want to give away too much, but it's obvious that this business of using a single engine for two whole weekends is affecting the race results. I think I like it, actually. It adds an extra element of risk and strategy to things.

Enjoy.

[SharkmanBMW]

I just had to cheer when Shumi hit the wall... WOO HOO!!
even though he's not winning, I still love to see him fail!

And that blowup at the final turn.... AWESOME camera view, it was fun to watch!

I'll take F1 over anything oval, ANY DAY!

[kyleN20]

f1 is to sports cars, as NASCAR is to muscle cars.
imagin if a f1 car entered a nascar race, goodbye competition

[Jay 535i]

I just had to cheer when Shumi hit the wall... WOO HOO!!
even though he's not winning, I still love to see him fail!

Yeah. His mistakes, once a very rare thing, seem to be getting more frequent in his 'old' age.

[Paul in NZ]

pretty lame stacking it up against a stock motorcycle. i wonder why they didn't have a motogp bike

it was the moto gp bike.The bike got the launch cause the f1 car had high gearing from its last outing once he got into second though it was as though the bike had rolled the throttle off.The boat was nowhere even though he got a rolling start.
They had two different runs one a standing quarter and the other was down round a marker and back...

[DueyT]

it was the moto gp bike.The bike got the launch cause the f1 car had high gearing from its last outing once he got into second though it was as though the bike had rolled the throttle off.The boat was nowhere even though he got a rolling start.
They had two different runs one a standing quarter and the other was down round a marker and back...


Actually, that CBR 1000RR was a heavier works superbike, not a GP bike, and is at least 60-70 lbs heavier than a MotoGP bike. A Honda RC211V is a Moto GP bike, specing in at 325 lbs (148kg -- as do other makes of bikes in the Moto GP class.)

Since it was a Euro-based race there wasn't the opportunity to line up an 8000+ hp top fuel dragster...320mph+ at 4.7-4.8 sec in the 1/4...standing near the staging area during an NHRA top fuel digger race is something to behold..."feeling" the 8000hp almost makes you spill your beer when they launch! :D

Cheers,
Duey