Formula 1 - 2011 Season

[Dave Baumann]

Damn that's vague. So they can run no KERS again like last time ? But don't they increased the min weight of the car this season ? so no KERS might be too much of disadvantage ?

KERS is not mandatory, a number of the smaller teams have already come out and said they will not run it this year. And, yes, not having KERS will be a bigger disadvantage this year than it was in 2009 not just because of the minimum weight limit, but also because of new rules on weight distribution and the smaller front tires.

In 2009 the KERS cars actually started off with a big disadvantages relative to the non KERS cars because the weight of the KERS system meant they had less ballast to put towards the front of the car, which was required to get the best out of the fat Bridgestone fronts. In 2011 the front tires are not as fat as they were in 2009 and there is an enforced weight distribution as well.

 

[Bludd]

KERS is not mandatory, a number of the smaller teams have already come out and said they will not run it this year. And, yes, not having KERS will be a bigger disadvantage this year than it was in 2009 not just because of the minimum weight limit, but also because of new rules on weight distribution and the smaller front tires.

In 2009 the KERS cars actually started off with a big disadvantages relative to the non KERS cars because the weight of the KERS system meant they had less ballast to put towards the front of the car, which was required to get the best out of the fat Bridgestone fronts. In 2011 the front tires are not as fat as they were in 2009 and there is an enforced weight distribution as well.

Indeed. So which teams do we know will run KERS and a movable rear-wing from race 1?

Williams has two KERS they have been working on, fly-wheel and battery. They have said they will race battery because of packaging constraints.
HRT has a deal with Williams, maybe they will get Williams battery KERS.
Virgin? I heard Cosworth was working on their own KERS so maybe Virgin can get that one.
Lotus will most likely get a Renault KERS, since they get Renault engines and Red Bull rear-end.
Toro Rosso may get a Ferrari KERS and same with Sauber since they both run Ferrari engines.
Force India may get Mercedes-Benz KERS, since they get their engines from there.
Red Bull will get Renault KERS, I am sure. I don't think they have made their own.
Mercedes has got their own KERS, so that is a given.

Rest are teams that ran KERS in 2009: Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, so they already have it and can update/develop it themselves.

I think Ferrari and Renault have made their KERS with the help of Magneti Marelli.

 

[Dave Baumann]

HRT, Virgin and Lotus (the green/yellow one) have all said they will at least start the season without KERS.

 

[Bludd]

HRT, Virgin and Lotus (the green/yellow one) have all said they will at least start the season without KERS.

Okay thank you.

I use the FIA F1 entry chassis designation, so I call the Lotus Renault GP cars Renaults and the Team Lotus/Lotus Racing cars Lotuses.

 

[Bludd]

Jonathan Legard is out of BBC's F1 coverage. Martin Brundle will take over as chief commentator with David Coulthard joining him as expert commentator.

I like Brundle a lot, he has a lot of knowledge and he's easy-going and usually correct. Coulthard is okay, he may need to get a bit quicker verbally, but I suspect he'll get there.

Jonathan Legard was too quick verbally, it was as if he was commentating for radio. He's knowledgeable but I just couldn't get over that radio-style commentary. It is as if he thought we can't see the cars on the screen.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88861

 

[tangey]

Didn't even know the name of the guy, but I do recall him often saying things that brundle was quick to correct, and his style was indeed not great, I associate his voice with athletics (was/is he an athletics commentator ?). I don't think he enhanced the experience at all.

Brundle is very well informed, appears to still be well connected, and is good on the ear.

I wonder will Brundle still be doing the starting grid/paddock bit. His ability to get a word with virtually all the main players is a great assest, and very much adds to the build up to the race.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

I believe I read somewhere he will still be doing the grid walk.

I'm glad they got rid of Legard. that guy seriously pissed me off every time he opened his mouth. Besides his over enthousiastic screaming he was often wrong too and just annoing to listen to.

Brundle is much better. He doesn't scream (tip to legard: no point in getting all worked up about a car going around a corner), has a good voice to listen to and knows what he is talking about. Plus I like how he is being sarcastic at times. Makes things fun when there is not much going on on the track.

 

[Bludd]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88865

Formula 1 will be broadcast for the first time in true 'native' High Definition this year, after Sky Germany announced on Tuesday its improved coverage plans for 2011.

Awesome. Who will follow up? BBC? Viasat? Speed?

 

[RobertR1]

Speed better have this in HD or I'm gonna go beat up a NASCAR fan :|

 

[Bludd]

FOM confirms HD world feed

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88873

Great news!

 

[Davros]

1080i
ive only ever seen interlacing on a crt and it was bad, whats it like on a lcd

 

[Bludd]

1080i
ive only ever seen interlacing on a crt and it was bad, whats it like on a lcd

I do not know of any HDTV broadcast that is 1080p.

If you have a progressive display, interlacing artifacts (combing, stuttering) is very bad.

TVs should handle 1080i fine, usually. For progressive use, you should deinterlace and then resize to anamorphic 720p. If the video stream has been through telecine, you should just invert the telecine and not deinterlace to get the proper frames.

 

[Silent_Buddha]

1080i
ive only ever seen interlacing on a crt and it was bad, whats it like on a lcd

It's indistinguishable from 1080p on any TV with a halfway decent deinterlacer (most TVs).

Regards,
SB

 

[Bludd]

BBC will show F1 in HD in 2011

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88883

 

[Lightman]

Interview with Domenicali about current and future drivers at Ferrari, 2011 cars and so on:

http://translate.google.pl/translat....quotidiano.net/turrini/le_risposte_del_dom_4

Puts some light on the Massa contract matters and also slips why we had so many Kubica to Ferrari stories last year.

'I said Mass for 2011 will be decisive.

​

It 's a common understanding, his and ours.

​

We will evaluate on the basis of the results and if he went we would be happy to keep him strong.

​

Alternatively, among those that may be available the most interesting is Kubica.

​

We like the Polish, which is only engaged with Renault again for another two years.

​

We'll see the evolution of things ... '

 

[Bludd]

trouble-ahead-for-force-india/
sutil-de-resta-and-hulkenberg-for-force-india/

Drivers in F1 should be wary: having a contract to drive doesn't really mean anything. If both parties have agreed to break the contract, it is fine (see: Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari or Fernando Alonso, McLaren). If one party doesn't uphold the contract, legal action is usually the result.

What should Tonio Liuzzi do? Go out strong and make Mallya look bad? Quietly sue? Don't do anything? His F1 career is basically finished unless he can drive for HRT which is a big step backwards.

There's the FIA Contract Recognition board which holds all the (at least driver) contracts in F1. All the teams and drivers have signed obligations to follow the rulings of this board, as has the FIA and I think the commercial side too. Liuzzi can go that way but it will take time and he will have to pay for it.

 

[DarthShader]

Joe Saward is a big Liuzzi fanboy, so take what he says with a grain of salt.

 

[Bludd]

Joe Saward is a big Liuzzi fanboy, so take what he says with a grain of salt.

Still doesn't take away the fact that Liuzzi has a contract to race in 2011. What isn't true in those posts?

 

[DarthShader]

Kimi got the boot out of F1 this year in a very similar situation. What was Saward's take on that a year ago? The precedent has been set, dunno why goes so emotional on this...

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Kimi got the boot out of F1 this year in a very similar situation. What was Saward's take on that a year ago? The precedent has been set, dunno why goes so emotional on this...

Uhhh not Kimi got the boot.... plus a bag with 25million in it. So that makes it perfectly legal as Ferrari just bought out his contract. Besides that Kimi didn't really care either because after winning the WDC he couldn't be botherd anymore.

Liuzzi's case if different. It seems he as a contract for a 2011 race seat. Ofcourse Mallya can give him a large bag of cash to buy him out of the contract but it seems that didn't happen (yet).