[ashok_lat]

Glad to see him back with Force India but feel very disappointed also to see a potential World Champion who can dethrone Vettel has not got seat in any of the top teams.

[zenren]

Originally Posted by ashok_lat

Glad to see him back with Force India but feel very disappointed also to see a potential World Champion who can dethrone Vettel has not got seat in any of the top teams.

No offense to any Hulk fans, but his weight is clearly a disadvantage for him to be a championship winning driver. Even with an increase in minimum weight by 10kg that is under consideration, other drivers like Vettel get the flexibility to use an additional 10kg for ballast or parts in their car which could transform the car from an average handler to an exceptional handler.

I'm almost certain that the huge advantage that Vettel had over Webber was partly due to having more ballast in his car to meet weight requirements, making it a better distributed car than Webber's. Hulk is always going to be at the receiving end of it as he is among the heaviest F1 drivers around which he cannot really change.

[Maky]

Isn't ballast monitored to not provide any benefit to any one car specifically?. Such as the 2006 Honda debacle with Button where fuel was being used as ballast, were caught and banned for 2 races.

As for Vettel face rolling webber is simply knowing how to drive the exhaust blown car better is all, I think. Prior to the blown diffuser we know webber and Vettel were on par, webber slightly edging out Vettel.

I'm so happy to see hulkenberg back with FI! With Perezs money, if he joins, FI should be a strong and healthy team come 2014 me thinks!

[Hatari]

What I find amazing is Eddie Jordan's information.

This is the 3rd time he's correctly predicted driver movements a month before anyone else came to know.

[zenren]

Weight of ballast used is the difference between the minimum weight and the weight of car with driver. If driver is lighter by 10-15kg, that would be the quantity of additional ballast on that car. They can move it around the car to aid in handling for a specific track as long as they do it before Q1.

Here is the current F1 regulation about weight of an F1 car:

Cars must weigh at least 642kg (including the driver but not fuel) at all times. Cars are weighed with dry-weather tyres fitted.

Teams may use ballast to bring cars up to weight but it must be firmly secured to the cars. Ballast may not be removed or added during a race.

source: http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/ru...ulations/8711/

Originally Posted by Maky

Isn't ballast monitored to not provide any benefit to any one car specifically?. Such as the 2006 Honda debacle with Button where fuel was being used as ballast, were caught and banned for 2 races.

I assume you are referring to the 2005 San Marino GP and the subsequent 2 race ban. They didn't get penalized because they used fuel as ballast. Disqualification was since they violated the weight requirements and gained an unfair advantage of having a lighter car when that fuel was used up.

Honda cars had a secondary fuel tank which when emptied made the car underweight. Since re-fuelling was allowed in those days, stewards ruled that Honda cars need not have been running with the minimum weight during the middle stints before the final pit stop even if the car was above the minimum weight at the end of the race.

[Maky]

Originally Posted by zenren

I assume you are referring to the 2005 San Marino GP and the subsequent 2 race ban. They didn't get penalized because they used fuel as ballast. Disqualification was since they violated the weight requirements and gained an unfair advantage of having a lighter car when that fuel was used up.

Honda cars had a secondary fuel tank which when emptied made the car underweight. Since re-fuelling was allowed in those days, stewards ruled that Honda cars need not have been running with the minimum weight during the middle stints before the final pit stop even if the car was above the minimum weight at the end of the race.

Must have been the 2005 season race then yes zenren.
They were filling up to meet min requirements just before the final pit stop and running underweight for the majority of the race.

[deetjohn]

A very good read. All aboard the 'power train' - new rules explained

F1 engines are now referred to as power-trains, to emphasise the importance of energy recovery within the motive package.

The V8 engines produced about 780bhp. The new turbo engines will on their own produce in the region of 620bhp or more, but the electrical energy will increase that back up to at least the same as before. Some insiders have even said total power could be as high as 840bhp at the start of 2014.

[anachronix]

No mention of torque numbers anywhere yet for the V6Ts.

With more torque, there is going to be more wheelspin and cars spin off (for cars without traction control that is ) and more tyre wear, right?

Originally Posted by deetjohn

A very good read. All aboard the 'power train' - new rules explained

[Maky]

Originally Posted by anachronix

No mention of torque numbers anywhere yet for the V6Ts.

With more torque, there is going to be more wheelspin and cars spin off (for cars without traction control that is ) and more tyre wear, right?

I can't seem to find the link but many weeks ago there was some mention of Mercedes, who allegedly has the most powerful unit, pushing for wider tires.

On a side note, I hope Mercedes does indeed have the most powerful engine. That would bring FI up there with other Merc powered beasts : D

[anachronix]

I think this is an important news.

http://news.sky.com/story/1178061/mc...5m-share-swoop

Ron trying to stop Mclaren from bringing Alonso back?

[sa_kiran]

Originally Posted by anachronix

I think this is an important news.

http://news.sky.com/story/1178061/mc...5m-share-swoop

Ron trying to stop Mclaren from bringing Alonso back?

McLaren would do well without Ron. All good/great drivers who left McLaren don't have kind words for Ron. Ron should remain just another shareholder, without poking his nose into F1 affairs.

[StarrySky]

Originally Posted by anachronix

I think this is an important news.

http://news.sky.com/story/1178061/mc...5m-share-swoop

Ron trying to stop Mclaren from bringing Alonso back?

Does Ron really need to up his stake in the company to prevent hiring Alonso? Would Kimi have been re-hired by Domenicalli if Luca did not approve?

Or Ron can make a public statement, in an interview or such, which implies that Alonso is unwelcome at McLaren. Alono's pride/arrogance will take care of the rest

[treadmark]

FIA confirms revised calendar for 2014.

Austria and Russia are the new venues that secured a slot; Korea, New Jersey and Mexico are dropped of! Though the provisional calendar had 22 races is now down to 19 because later three circuits failed to make a cut. Will these three be a threat for Indian GP in 2015?

Below is the event schedule:

March 16 - Australia (Melbourne)
March 30 - Malaysia (Sepang)
April 6 - Bahrain (Sakhir)
April 20 - China (Shanghai)
May 11 - Spain (Barcelona)
May 25 - Monaco
June 8 - Canada (Montreal)
June 22 - Austria (Red Bull Ring)
July 6 - Britain (Silverstone)
July 20 - Germany (Hockenheim)
July 27 - Hungary (Budapest)
August 24 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 7 - Italy (Monza)
September 21 - Singapore
October 5 - Japan (Suzuka)
October 12 - Russia (Sochi)
November 2 - United States (Austin)
November 9 - Brazil (Interlagos)
November 23 - Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

This time it's Abu Dhabi and not Brazil who will stage the season finale.

Cheers!

[zenren]

Originally Posted by treadmark

FIA confirms revised calendar for 2014.
This time it's Abu Dhabi and not Brazil who will stage the season finale.

Cheers!

Isn't 2014 Abu Dhabi supposed to be a night race? What a way to end the season. Anyway, we can be almost certain that the wet weather tyres wont be needed for the last race next season.

[deetjohn]

Originally Posted by anachronix

No mention of torque numbers anywhere yet for the V6Ts.

With more torque, there is going to be more wheelspin and cars spin off (for cars without traction control that is ) and more tyre wear, right?

We have to assume the torque curve of the new power-train will be very impressive compared to the V8s due to that electrical motor and its prolonged availability during each lap.

A lot of noise was made when TC/LC was 'banned' in 2008. Most media said many drivers will spin off and there will be a lot of smoke and wheelspin during the start. I also recall some reports saying the lesser drivers like Massa will suffer due to lesser electronic aids. But we all know how that season went.

So, lets first wait for Albert Park. And then as they say, for the European rounds till when nothing is clear.