Formula 1 - 2009 Season

[Bludd]

Reportedly Renault is changing too, replacing Piquet with Romain Grosjean, who has been driving GP2 this season

This I don't understand. Toro Rosso is meant to be the Red Bull junior team, but Renault is their only team in F1 and while Nelsinho haven't racked up the podiums and points, he's been better than Bourdais and Grosjean haven't been stellar after his crash in Monaco.

Also, Nelsinho haven't really been able to challenge Alonso like Hamilton did, but Hamilton is exceptional, and Alonso can't be the easiest challenge to take on.

 

[Tahir2]

http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2009/07/16/f1-links-barrichello-spoof-video/

 

[Bludd]

Hahaha

 

[Davros]

Thats not rubens

 

[Cheezdoodles]

Sorry if this has been answered. I heard that McLaren has some sort of boost system? Kers or something?

 

[Bludd]

Thats not rubens

Indeed. It is what we in the business call "a joke".

 

[Bludd]

Sorry if this has been answered. I heard that McLaren has some sort of boost system? Kers or something?

Everyone can have KERS as it is allowed, but not mandated, under the regs.

BMW, Ferrari, McLaren and Renault all started the season with their own systems, and BMW was the biggest proponent of KERS in F1. Renault and BMW have scrapped it, but the McLaren system seems to be working well and Ferrari say their car is terrible without it.

The teams seems to have agreed not to use it next year even if it is allowed. It has been an expensive flop for F1, even though I had high hopes.

 

[Dave Baumann]

Gonna be interesting to see what happens with KERS next year. FOTA opted to drop it, but as far as I know, at the moment, that wasn't part of the 2010 rules "agreement" - Williams are supposedly still developing their kinetic energy KERS system, and given they were outside of FOTA when that agreement was made they could still choose to implement it in 2010 if they rules don't actually change.

 

[MfA]

A fully kinetic KERS with CVT coupling to the drive train makes the most sense anyway ... making a sidestep to electricity for capture/storage/driving the wheels just doesn't make sense AFAICS. Not until they start putting hybrids in F1, which I think is going to take a while yet ... that would certainly not be conducive to lowering the budgets.

 

[Bludd]

Gonna be interesting to see what happens with KERS next year. FOTA opted to drop it, but as far as I know, at the moment, that wasn't part of the 2010 rules "agreement" - Williams are supposedly still developing their kinetic energy KERS system, and given they were outside of FOTA when that agreement was made they could still choose to implement it in 2010 if they rules don't actually change.

But surely when the budget cap rules are gone, the KERS power and storage will be the same as this year and not doubled for cost capped teams.

Still, Williams probably did the wisest thing wrt. KERS. They created a company called Williams Hybrid or something and they are marketing their flywheel KERS. I would really like to see it race, though.

 

[Dave Baumann]

But surely when the budget cap rules are gone, the KERS power and storage will be the same as this year and not doubled for cost capped teams.

Indeed, but FOTA agreed to drop it even under one set (or their set) of rules. As far as I'm aware the non FOTA teams are not under this agreement yet.

 

[Bludd]

Indeed, but FOTA agreed to drop it even under one set (or their set) of rules. As far as I'm aware the non FOTA teams are not under this agreement yet.

But Williams and Force India were in FOTA before April 29th. Only the new teams aren't for sure under the agreement and they surely don't have the money to develop it on their own. Mercedes could sell it to them I suppose, but that would be weird.

 

[Dave Baumann]

But Williams and Force India were in FOTA before April 29th.

Both of them were suspended from FOTA when FOTA agreed to drop it - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8088272.stm

 

[Bludd]

Both of them were suspended from FOTA when FOTA agreed to drop it - http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8088272.stm

AFAICS, KERS will not be removed from the 2010 regs unless everyone agrees, and if the FOTA teams all agree they won't run it anyway, they can pressure the other teams. Cosworth won't have KERS, Williams' isn't ready and Force India won't be getting the Mercedes system if Mercedes isn't running it in their own team.

 

[Bludd]

Renault are not ditching Nelsinho for Hungary.

 

[Davros]

I don't think Hungary would fit in the car.

 

[Bludd]

I don't think Hungary would fit in the car.

You are not allowed to tell jokes any more since you didn't get that Kelsey Grammer/Rubens Barrichello joke.

 

[Bludd]

Henry Surtees, 18, has died from his injuries after an accident in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77088

Tragic and very sad. My condolences to his family and friends.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTDiYS1NVW4

 

[GMâ„¢]

Yes I was watching the race when it happened. What a very tragic accident indeed. It looks like the wheel was actually gaining momentum on the bounce. As far as I can see it hit him with enough force to render him unconcious and he carried on without breaking into the barriers. At least he passed away in relative peace and his last memory is doing something which he enjoyed, RIP Henry Surtees!

 

[Bludd]

I'm having hopes for Fernando Alonso this weekend. The pace he showed in Germany was good and if the team can build on that, they may have a shot at some good points. Podium? Probably not, unless "stuff" happens in the race. Weather forecast looks to be OK, but showers are predicted for Saturday, according to the forecast at Autosport.com