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The Formula 1 2012 Season |OT2| WHY AREN'T YOU WATCHING THIS SEASON?!

Septimius

Junior Member
No, that's fantastic. But saying it's Schumacher was the failing these years, and saying it's Hamilton's triumph if all's well next year must be the biggest load I've heard in a while.
 

DrM

Redmond's Baby
There are rumblings that several people got sacked in Brackley on the same day that Lauda arrived and that Mercedes is now going after some key mechanics from other top teams.

Also, they will start using new wind tunnel and brand new simulator.
 

Septimius

Junior Member
I'm so conflicted that Mercedes is wanting to shape up now that Schumacher is gone. I don't know how I'd feel if Mercedes is the best team next year.
 
There are rumblings that several people got sacked in Brackley on the same day that Lauda arrived and that Mercedes is now going after some key mechanics from other top teams.

Also, they will start using new wind tunnel and brand new simulator.

Let's home they go in big for Newey. Hamilton + Newey would be such an awesome combination. With the amount of money that is now pumping into Mercedes and the eventual loss of Vettel to Ferrari there is a good chance that Newey could be swayed.
 

operon

Member
I'm so conflicted that Mercedes is wanting to shape up now that Schumacher is gone. I don't know how I'd feel if Mercedes is the best team next year.

I'm finished with Mercedes, am a Ferrari man but soft spot for Mercedes with Schumi there, but Lauda crap about Lewis succeeding where Michael didn't crap, etc and talk of going all out, getting more guys in why didn't they do that 3 years ago if they really wanted to push for it.
 

Goldrusher

Member
I'm finished with Mercedes, am a Ferrari man but soft spot for Mercedes with Schumi there, but Lauda crap about Lewis succeeding where Michael didn't crap, etc and talk of going all out, getting more guys in why didn't they do that 3 years ago if they really wanted to push for it.
You should fix your avatar...

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Igo

Member
I'm finished with Mercedes, am a Ferrari man but soft spot for Mercedes with Schumi there, but Lauda crap about Lewis succeeding where Michael didn't crap, etc and talk of going all out, getting more guys in why didn't they do that 3 years ago if they really wanted to push for it.
Because they had a 43yr old driver who wouldn't commit, and until last week were still haggling with bernie over the new concorde agreement. Getting Lewis was probably a big deal for the board at Mercedes, and I imagine that things still aren't rock solid in regards to their commitment to the sport.

Has it been revealed if Mercedes managed to get the same fanchise status that Red Bull recieved in the the agreement?
 

Jibbed

Member
Didn't think people would appreciate it's own thread with me going LOOK AT ME I AM EXCITE, so here felt appropriate.

I'm getting my Arai painted this week, it's just been sent off :D


Button's awesome, his helmet is awesome, JB are my initials.. you can see the thinking here.
 

Chris R

Member
Weather looks decent for this weekend, can't wait for the race :) Missed watching the last few races live but I'll be up for this one for sure (might even just go over to my friends place and force them to watch too since they are starting to get into the sport due to me going to Austin next month).
 

Leunam

Member
Didn't think people would appreciate it's own thread with me going LOOK AT ME I AM EXCITE, so here felt appropriate.

I'm getting my Arai painted this week, it's just been sent off :D



Button's awesome, his helmet is awesome, JB are my initials.. you can see the thinking here.

Awesome.
 

Pimpwerx

Member
Nice helmet design, jibbed.

I'm intrigued that Merc seems to be making moves. Getting Newey would be epic, but I don't know how realistic that would be. PEACE.
 
Nice helmet design, jibbed.

I'm intrigued that Merc seems to be making moves. Getting Newey would be epic, but I don't know how realistic that would be. PEACE.

They've been 'making moves' for about 18 months now. Next year will be the first car that's truly been influenced by all of their new technical heads. Next to zero chance of getting Newey though given that he's such a massive part of Red Bull. They'd pretty much have to give him the entire team to make it worth it for him.

I also think all the musing over the benefits of being at a manufacturer in 2014, based purely on engines in a bit overblown. Especially given that it's hardly rare in F1 for a customer to outpace an engine manufacturer.
 

Been mentioned and discussed a few pages back already.

Love or hate Bernie, but he seems to be the only person vocal about the new engines in 2014. Even in 2010(?) when the original 4 cylinder turbo engines were being discussed, he was already opposed to it, commenting it'll sound like shit.

I remember him saying if theyre switching to I4/V6 engines, they need to remove the 15k RPM cap and let the engines rev to 18k or higher. Respect +1
 

Adamm

Member
EDIT: Nvm (thanks fu3lfr3nzy)

Bernie is all about TV money & he knows crappy sounding engines will chase people away.
 
TV doesn't even come close to recreating the sound of an F1 car though. You feel that shit deep down in your soul.

Where you'll miss it is actually at the track. I doubt I'll even notice when watching it on TV with the commentary and endless camera changes.
 

DBT85

Member
EDIT: Nvm (thanks fu3lfr3nzy)

Bernie is all about TV money & he knows crappy sounding engines will chase people away.

I doubt anyone watching at home is going to give a shit about the sound of the cars enough to not watch F1 any more.
 
TV doesn't even come close to recreating the sound of an F1 car though. You feel that shit deep down in your soul.

Where you'll miss it is actually at the track. I doubt I'll even notice when watching it on TV with the commentary and endless camera changes.

I honestly doubt many casuals would even notice, let alone care. This is the problem with enthusiasts in general, they always tend to focus on the minutiae instead of the true appeal. The casual audience doesn't give a shit about Eau Rouge, x-cylinder engines, grooved tyres, g-forces, etc. They want fast cars going fast; and occasionally into other cars.
 

Jibbed

Member
After reading a pretty insightful article on Autosport (need to be a plus member), I'm now certain if Ferrari cut Massa loose, Hulkenberg will be in there first. It could already be a done deal.

Hulkenberg was back in a full race seat again this year, at Sutil's expense, and everyone looked forward to the confrontation with di Resta, both drivers seen as coming-men. It's been nip and tuck. Going to Singapore, di Resta had 32 points to Hulkenberg's 31. Nico had the team's best result, a fourth at Spa, but Paul's fine drive at Marina Bay equalled that and moved him 13 points clear. Here's one of those situations where each one of them might be merely good, but they could both be exceptional. It's hard to know. But whichever way you look at it, Hulkenberg, now 25 and with a second full season of F1 under his belt, will consider that his time is now. Giving up a Force India by taking a Ferrari deal with no guarantee beyond a year would surely be a gamble that Hulkenberg would take.
 
I have never liked Hamilton and his golden boy status at McLaren was a big part of that. All of my favorite drivers proved themselves at lesser teams before they were given the opportunity to drive at a top team.

I have so much more respect for Hamilton now that he has chosen another team. This is the defining point in his career. His championship with McLaren failed to impress me, if he wins with Merc next year, all hats off, my Hamilton bashing days will be done (mostly). Let's see if he can pull a Button and restore his focus on F1 and not all the bullshit that surrounds it.
 

Grim1ock

Banned
a fantastic post by someone on another forum.

really sums up mclaren to a Tee.


McLaren's got 99 problems but Lewis ain't one


Lewis is now past tense as far as the McLaren brand is concerned. Truth be told, it might have been the case for some time...what with the constant selling from the leadership at the beginning of each season that the car is going to be brilliant and be the all-conquering title challenger. And in consistent fashion, doesn't flatter on track until they find their way late in the season when it's all but too late.

Now new blood [Perez] has been injected into the system, into the McLaren way of doing things. Layered upon that is Martin Whitmarsh's penchant for his bromances. So first, the whole driver pairing and equality thing needs to be sorted. It's a serious issue because Perez isn't a hard guy like Lewis—not fully exposed to the harshness that top teams can offer in the way of politics. And we know Jenson plays that well. Perez could come in just like Juan Pablo and Alonso thinking he is all about the racing and doing the business only to find that before you race for McLaren, you must first define your political platform and work hard on your campaign. When Luca said Perez wasn't ready, I don't think he was talking about his driving. He meant he wasn't ready to run for "Prime Minister" of a top team. Perez has 99 problems and Jenson is one of them!

Jenson woke up on the morning of September 28th to what he first accepted as a dream come true. He is now the senior team leader in a lauded F1 team with what he expects to be a good car in 2013. As the hours wear on, it begins to hit him the knock-on effect Lewis' departure for blessed pastures will have on him and McLaren. Paddy Lowe all but stressed the importance of Lewis staying because the 2013 car was designed primarily around him. What can Jenson do with such a car? We don't have to look too far—the healthier part of the 2012 season showed that a balanced car was a mystery to Jenson, ever the hunter for mechanical grip. He was even lapped by his team-mate in Canada where there were no circumstances or conditions that may otherwise afflict one's performance. OK, I digress—Lewis goes extraordinarily well at Canada—he practically owns the circuit so maybe that is a poor example. A shortcoming of Jenson is setting up cars that isn't perfect...no argument about that fact. So what happens when the 2013 car isn't "pointy" and he can't find the handle? Turn to Perez's setup...the new team-mate just coming off his sophomore season who is looking to him for leadership? Where will the points then come from? What will the frustration then be in the garage? The pitwall? Ron's office? Jenson has 99 problems and instability is one of them.

Yes, then there is the leadership, specifically, Whitmarsh, Michaels, Ron and the like. The narrative coming out of their Brand Center is that they have a stellar driver pairing so they will step forward without skipping a beat after Lewis' flight. Well, darts look different when they are coming at you. In this case, one dart is the hefty engine bills they will now need to pay Mercedes in advance of any meaningful racing. Sure, McLaren aren't exactly in a position of needing a stimulus package to help correct their balance sheet. They do have a few quid but, given the board's nervousness about the cost of racing in this climate, according to Ron, now there is some added pressure for having to justify the cost with performance. The other dart is Whitmarsh having to justify everything his two drivers do on race weekends. That's no easy feat considering he has a driver he expects to win and a second driver that is the next "second coming" (you decide which driver fits the appropriate billing). Ron is watching very closely as his legacy is now in the balance and as Chairman, you dare not put him on the ropes. Mixed metaphors aside, Martin Whitmarsh has 99 problems and 2013 is one of them.

The fact that much is expected of McLaren by McLaren, as a team, a brand, they've got 99 problems and they are one of said problems.

I'm just saying.
 

DBT85

Member
Paddy Lowe all but stressed the importance of Lewis staying because the 2013 car was designed primarily around him.

No, Paddy Lowe said that the 2013 car was being designed on the basis that Lewis and Jenson would be the men driving that car. Not that it was designed "around" Hamilton.

But McLaren’s Lowe on Wednesday sounded confident that Hamilton will still be alongside Jenson Button in 2013.

“That’s how we’re working in terms of the design for next year,” he said.

“It is our assumption that they are the drivers who we will be fielding next year. We have two fantastic drivers in Lewis and Jenson and we are very keen to keep them.”

But he also admitted that whether or not McLaren has to change a driver at relatively short notice is “not a huge issue” in terms of engineering and design.
 

dubc35

Member
If you ask any team they're going to say they are designing future cars based on the drivers they have. Designing the car is enough, I don't think they have time to ponder pros/cons of certain design styles based on potential driver changes.
 

DrM

Redmond's Baby
So, next year Mclaren will have two drivers that are very 'gentle' with tires. This should be interesting to watch
 
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