[DScofield]

Can't wait. Go Kimi.

[f1mad]

(Original post by Marc Fiorano)
Exactly!

They barely carry any speed through the last chicane.

About the high rest Merc pic you posted, what are those horizontal plates sticking out of the floor next to the tyre? Don't recall seeing them before, are they new?
Teams are adding all sorts of detail to the floors, even minuscule holes/slots.

Hey, apologies for the rather late reply (only just noticed this post).

They're the brake ducts.

[f1mad]

(Original post by Marc Fiorano)
...

I wonder what Merc are doing with the "monkey-seat" though... looks like a clever interpretation of the rules there.

In-season development looks promising.

I'm happy to see they're not wasting time jumping on the exhausts bandwagon, seems like the flexi-wing fiasco all over again.

[f1mad]

[Marc Fiorano]

(Original post by f1mad)
I wonder what Merc are doing with the "monkey-seat" though... looks like a clever interpretation of the rules there.

In-season development looks promising.

I'm happy to see they're not wasting time jumping on the exhausts bandwagon, seems like the flexi-wing fiasco all over again.

Monkey seat wing looks interesting...am I seeing the pic right, is it asymmetrical?

Williams have a really interesting one as well.

[f1mad]

(Original post by Marc Fiorano)
Monkey seat wing looks interesting...am I seeing the pic right, is it asymmetrical?

I think that's due to the angle of the image, at the instant it was taken.

The main thing here is, there's a significant room for potential to exploit this area. You could have a blown "lemur-lounger" for instance.

Merc's shape in particular is interesting.

[Marc Fiorano]

Sky F1 has stopped me from doing so much revision.

They're showing like 5 hours of the 2004 season, good times!

Engine blowouts were epic back then lol and the beast cars cornered like a fly.

After watching the Bahrain 2004 I played back this year's race for a few laps to see how they compare. The cars just sound like road cars in comparison, and look so sluggish.

[SciFiRory]

can't wait for next weekend Spanish Grand Prix plus GP3 and GP2 races! all in HD

[f1mad]

Mercedes is "on the verge" of quitting formula one.

That is the alarming claim of the London newspaper The Times, in an article written by its authoritative F1 correspondent Kevin Eason.

Eason wrote that while rival top teams Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull will get to appoint directors once F1 is floated on the Singapore exchange, Mercedes has not been extended the same offer.

"Why should Mercedes have the same deal as the others?" F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone is quoted as saying. "What have they done in formula one?

"They won a race and that is it."

That attitude, Eason argues, has left Mercedes "on the verge of quitting formula one", having apparently conducted a study into how its Brackley based works team could be withdrawn.

Eason also quoted Ecclestone as having "scoffed" at the suggestion Mercedes quitting could wipe 20 per cent off the value of F1’s stock market floatation.

http://motorsport.nextgen-auto.com/M...ort,41337.html

I hope they quit rather than stand for the nonsense of that little ignorant and arrogant ****.

[f1mad]

.

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier has slammed plans to hold Formula 1's young driver test at Silverstone in July as 'nonsense' - and hopes bad weather forces it to be cancelled.

As AUTOSPORT revealed, F1's young driver test is being split into two venues this year, with 10 teams currently electing to run immediately after the British Grand Prix and only Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso opting to run in Abu Dhabi in November.

But Boullier is deeply critical of the Silverstone decision, which he thinks only makes sense from a cost perspective.

"It's a bit disappointing, to be honest," Boullier told AUTOSPORT. "I am a supporter of young drivers, and for me Abu Dhabi [in November] was the perfect scenario.

"The young kids finish the season, and you can organise this test in a hot, nice place, with nice variety. So I was actually a bit cross with the decision to bring it earlier to Silverstone.

"We had a strong discussion, let's say, and definitely I was against this, especially for the reasons raised. For me it is absolutely a nonsense to have a young driver test in July when all the young kids are in the middle of the season and focused on racing and the championship. We cannot disturb this. It is completely the wrong timing.

"You also have another issue: bringing this test in the middle of the season you have to consider there will be a different point of view for the team; and as a team it's another opportunity to develop the car and bring some parts to test."

Despite his criticisms of the Silverstone plan, Boullier says he had no choice but to sign his outfit up for it rather than Abu Dhabi because of cost and staffing reasons.

"Between choosing to go to Abu Dhabi for young drivers, which is very important for me, and Silverstone, I obviously have to choose what it best for the team and that is Silverstone.

"But actually I would like it to rain, so we will go back to the original schedule - which for me is the normal one."

Under the testing agreement that teams had signed up to, outfits can withdraw from Silverstone and switch to the Abu Dhabi test if there is a threat of it being disturbed by poor weather.

However, a team will be forced to commit to Silverstone if its car leaves the pitlane at the three-day test.

.

[Marc Fiorano]

Never understood how on earth F1 is neglecting Mercedes, even putting their team aside they're the most high profile engine supplier of the sport.

I would be massively disappointed if they leave as a team, we need more iconic manufacturers instead of these nonsensical private companies.

[f1mad]

(Original post by Marc Fiorano)

Never understood how on earth F1

It's not F1, it's that little half-wit; namely Bernie. He has far too much control in F1.

[f1mad]

McLaren have changed the profiling of their nose:

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=5&count=57317

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=4&count=57317

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=3&count=57317

Looks like the low nose was affecting rear-downforce after all.

[f1mad]

Schumacher claims racing on Pirelli tyres is like driving on 'raw eggs'

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/99437

Go Mike .

[AlexInWonderland]

(Original post by f1mad)
McLaren have changed the profiling of their nose:

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=5&count=57317

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=4&count=57317

http://www.suttonimages.com/preview....=3&count=57317

Looks like the low nose was affecting rear-downforce after all.

While looks are unimportant really, can't help thinking it's a shame to sacrifice some of the prettiness of that car.
Maybe I just have an inflated view of how good it looks compared to the rest of the field, I don't know really.

[f1mad]

(Original post by AlexInWonderland)
While looks are unimportant really, can't help thinking it's a shame to sacrifice some of the prettiness of that car.
Maybe I just have an inflated view of how good it looks compared to the rest of the field, I don't know really.

For all the flack Gary Anderson took, in the end he got the last laugh.

[f1mad]

[f1mad]

According to Sportbild: "The team is very optimistic in terms of in-season development; parts will be tested on track much earlier this season.

There's a 3 step plan for the upcoming races. The first step was completed at Mugello; the new package will be present for Barcelona; and another final step will be complete for Monaco.

The target is a 0.8 second gain by Monaco.

Schumacher was at Pirelli together with Geoff Willis, discussing how to improve the relationship with the tyre (supplier) on and off-track".

[f1mad]

[f1mad]