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[Patrick S.]

Are you comparing top speed on an oval?

Yes, that was the question that I was asking myself; what cars have more raw speed.

 

[FrankCanada97]

Thank you guys for your answers, really interesting stuff. It's super cool to see the different approaches these series use.

This is just to illustrate the point about max performance vs reliability I mentioned. In the last race of the 2000 CART season, Honda, Ford, Mercedes and Toyota attempted to tune the engines to the max. As a result of many mechanical problems, only 6 of the 26 starters finished the race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbz8KONVrUk

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2000_Marlboro_500_Presented_by_Toyota/R

Engine failures these days are a very rare occurence, so that should be good for Alonso.

Yes, that was the question that I was asking myself; what cars have more raw speed.

Paul Tracy once set a trap speed of 256.948 mph (413.52 km/h) on an oval.

 

[Patrick S.]

He seems comfortable with the car so far.

The thing is, how hard is it to feel what the limit is on an oval? Go over it and you'll be in the wall.

The sensors in your butt tell you how close you are to hitting the wall

 

[FrankCanada97]

Is Alonso running in race or qualifying trim? Just for reference, last year's 4 lap pole speed was 230.760 mph.

 

[Big Takeover]

Marco said race trim.

 

[Business]

Really fascinating stuff that we can watch this live.

 

[Patrick S.]

Paul Tracy once set a trap speed of 256.948 mph (413.52 km/h) on an oval.

Holy crap, that is even faster than I thought!

This is just to illustrate the point about max performance vs reliability I mentioned. In the last race of the 2000 CART season, Honda, Ford, Mercedes and Toyota attempted to tune the engines to the max. As a result of many mechanical problems, only 6 of the 26 starters finished the race.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbz8KONVrUk

http://www.racing-reference.info/race/2000_Marlboro_500_Presented_by_Toyota/R

Engine failures these days are a very rare occurence, so that should be good for Alonso. ]

I didn't even know Mercedes was in CART. Did Norbert Haug manage Mercedes in that series, too?

 

[FrankCanada97]

I didn't even know Mercedes was in CART. Did Norbert Haug manage Mercedes in that series, too?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure any racing series Mercedes was involved in, he was responsible for.

 

[Patrick S.]

I'm watching that Alonso stream, is it just me or is the car set up with positive cambered wheels on one side of the car, and negative on the other side? Or does it only look that way, because of the high forces that are working on the car in those corners?

 

[PjotrStroganov]

Getting hyped. This stream is awesome with the comments.

 

[chuckddd]

Alonso needs to keep it under 220mph for phase 3 of rookie orientation.

219.5
219.5
219.3
219.3
219.1

 

[Chris R]

So he's only 10mph down on a lap? Not bad for his very first outing

 

[JDB]

Yep, these sure are ovals.

 

[FrankCanada97]

So he's only 10mph down on a lap? Not bad for his very first outing

He's not even allowed to run flat out yet, he is doing his Rookie Orientation Test. He is supposed to run a set amount of laps within certain speed ranges. Maybe there's some time today to really let him loose.

I'm watching that Alonso stream, is it just me or is the car set up with positive cambered wheels on one side of the car, and negative on the other side? Or does it only look that way, because of the high forces that are working on the car in those corners?

There are staggered tires, meaning that the left side tires are slightly more larger in diameter than the right side.

 

[Psychotext]

Odd. I like the car when it's still, but it's fugly in motion.

 

[FrankCanada97]

Odd. I like the car when it's still, but it's fugly in motion.

Just wait until next year, they're returning to a style reminiscent of CART:

 

[Zaru]

The worst part are those slim front tyres, they just look cheap and flimsy from the front compared to the big fat pieces of rubber we're getting in F1 this year.

Although Alonso must be loving this, driving a car that doesn't risk breaking down every couple dozen laps.

 

[KdotIX]

Just wait until next year, they're returning to a style reminiscent of CART:

McLaren-Honda-Andretti livery for next season anyone? Looks slick

 

[Jezbollah]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure any racing series Mercedes was involved in, he was responsible for.

Mercedes participation in Indycar (then CART) was essentially to rebadge Ilmor engines. Then when Mercedes left CART in 2000 (due to the split) Ilmor then worked with Chevrolet and then Honda in IRL.

 

[Spladam]

He seems comfortable with the car so far.

The thing is, how hard is it to feel what the limit is on an oval? Go over it and you'll be in the wall.

It would seem the muscle memory and seat-of-the-pants intuition would be easier and quicker to adjust to on a high speed oval vs road circuit. At least it seems so to me on account of the repetition with less variety.

Paul Tracy once set a trap speed of 256.948 mph (413.52 km/h) on an oval.

That is real freaking fast. It's the edge of human reaction time vs visual processing.

Just wait until next year, they're returning to a style reminiscent of CART:

I think that is beautiful.

 

[vacantseas]

For those of you that aren't too keen on the livery of the Alonso Indycar, it's a nod to the 1974 Mclaren Indycar which won that year's race:

http://silodrome.com/mclaren-m16c-indy-car/

 

[Mastah]

Fred just made double bird kill

 

[tomtom94]

For those of you that aren't too keen on the livery of the Alonso Indycar, it's a nod to the 1974 Mclaren Indycar which won that year's race:

http://silodrome.com/mclaren-m16c-indy-car/

Appropriate given Honda's F1 engine is about 40 years out of date.

 

[EnlightenedMint]

Alonso just murdered two birds, Vettel would have moved out of the way

 

[Mastah]

Poor birdies

 

[Spladam]

Wow, that was brutal. The commentators though, "killed two birds with one stone", "at least they didn't suffer". They exploded.

 

[FrankCanada97]

This just reminds me, why don't they use air jacks in F1? Having jack men seems archaic when you consider how technologically advanced everything else is.

 

[Fox Mulder]

This just reminds me, why don't they use air jacks in F1? Having jack men seems archaic when you consider how technologically advanced everything else is.

Weight.

Why carry that on board when you stop once or twice a race. The f1 pit stops are already just over 2 seconds. Don't really think they can even improve that really.

 

[RSTEIN]

Poor birdies

That looks horrific. And I'm not talking about the birds.

 

[PjotrStroganov]

Poor birdies

Double kill!

Press convo has started.

 

[Chris R]

R I P birdies

 

[Aiii]

Poor birdies

The Power Of Dreams in one effective still image.

 

[Goldrusher]

 

[Lima]

Might be my new favorite gif. God damn that looks cool.

 

[torontoml]

Fucking LOL, still laughing.

 

[Staab]

Bird fireworks

It's strangely hypnotic...

 

[StopMakingSense]

That spray of red

 

[Psychotext]

If it couldn't be the engine, something had to die.

 

[StopMakingSense]

If it couldn't be the engine, something had to die.

Now I'm imagining a Little Shop of Horror's - Honda F1 mashup. Alonso has to feed people to his engine to make it run each race.

 

[Kyougar]

Do you know how bloody difficult it is to get 2 birds on your two tires? That just proves that Alonso is the best driver EVA! Vettel wouldn't have the skill to kill those birds.

 

[JDB]

The sacrificial ritual has been completed.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Nice interview with Ricciardo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iE81lZrRjA

Spoiler

Let's make America great again

 

[KdotIX]

Kinda reminds me when the confetti flies when you kill a grunt in Halo

 

[Jezbollah]

Jesus, they got vaporised... :/

 

[Ark]

Alonso looks so much happier in all of his IndyCar interviews.

 

[mclem]

Now I'm imagining a Little Shop of Horror's - Honda F1 mashup. Alonso has to feed people to his engine to make it run each race.

"I'm a mean orange mother who's outta power"

 

[DrM]

The sacrificial ritual has been completed.

ultra slow motion footage would be ever nicer

 

[acm2000]

alonso vaped those birds on the way through, new flavour coming soon at your nearest vape store.

 

[Graphics Horse]

The sacrificial ritual has been completed.

I kinda hope he doesn't do well now or Honda are going to start making animal sacrifice a regular part of their strategy

Edit: nvm StopaMakingSense said it better

 

[A Fish Aficionado]

"I'm a mean orange mother who's outta power"

Trump?