Formula 1 - 2014 Season

[Dave Baumann]

I heard about Formula E for the first time today. Really like the idea, was thinking about hybrid feasibility for F1 while cycling only last Wednesday, and this fully electric setup could well replace my (long fading) interest in F1. And it could give a nice boost for new city based tracks to drive virtual laps on too.

I think the main issue with the Formula E format is the fact the drivers have to change cars once during the race as a "refuel". I hope that they change this in the future to have replacable battery packs or even induction charging areas on the track (so they get a charge boost at points around the lap).

 

[Rurouni]

Is fan boost still on?

 

[Kaotik]

Is fan boost still on?

Yeah, 3 drivers get one 5 second burst of 30kW extra power in the race

 

[Rurouni]

Interesting ending... Prost turn into quick Nick and send Nick car slide into the sausage kerb thus flying and spinning and landing upside down. Nick is unhurt and for me, Prost should get a 1 race ban or the lightest need to start from the back.

 

[Arwin]

Interesting ending... Prost turn into quick Nick and send Nick car slide into the sausage kerb thus flying and spinning and landing upside down. Nick is unhurt and for me, Prost should get a 1 race ban or the lightest need to start from the back.

Missed the race, but found the incident - pretty bad one, being launched in the air by a curb and hittnig the railing mid air like that!

 

[Mariner]

Ouch.

 

[Wynix]

I just googled F-E; When do they plan on removing the ridiculous 220km/h speed limit? That alone makes it impossible for me to watch.

 

[Dgrey]

Nick is unhurt and for me, Prost should get a 1 race ban or the lightest need to start from the back.

Totally agree with you. Don't know what Prost thought in this moment what he was doing...
However, that crash lead to far more attention in the media for the Formula E.

 

[Simon F]

I heard about Formula E for the first time today.

I watched part of the first race but had to stop as the noise set my teeth on edge. Surely they could make them quieter or replace the sound with something synthetic but more pleasant.

 

[DieH@rd]

http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2014/9/16349.html

 

[Bludd]

It's going to be interesting. I agree that the drivers should drive the cars without driving instructions from the team.

They are supposed to be the best in the world.

 

[DieH@rd]

Yeah they got too many radio calls this and last season, even pitwall explaining to drivers which gears they need to use in certain corners.

 

[Lightman]

I was waiting for that change for a long time!
Now we will see much better racing as many of overtaking moves previously banned from pit wall now will happen
Drivers will have to feel the car and tyres much better plus manage brake temps, diff and fuel usage on their own.

I know of one driver who already knows what he is doing without pit wall interferences

 

[Rurouni]

What I'm surprised is that they also ban radio to help the start procedure. At least they need to allow radio for the start because of the complexity of the car.

 

[tongue_of_colicab]

Well if you are going to ban radio messages telling drivers how to drive to care it would be rather silly not to apply the same rules to getting the car off the line. A driver should be able to get the car off the line byhhimself right?

Anyway good thing they are banning radio calls. I never liked drivers being instructed from the pitwall onhow to drive.

 

[Rurouni]

The problem is current car is so complex and having a car (or few) stalled because of this complex procedure isn't good. If they want to ban it, at least give time to the team to simplified the procedure. Of course they have free practice to do that, but it isn't ideal and the rule feels forced.

 

[entity279]

So this will promote simplifying the car's controls in the long term. This should be good.

I do wish will see some silly mistakes in the short term as well

 

[Dave Baumann]

Well, it does put a few teams at a disadvantage as well. Potentially you'll see more being reported through the in-car dash. Most teams updated to a large LCD panel on the steering wheel this year, but some teams like Red Bull and Lotus opted to keep the basic single line dash readout which seriously limits what can be displayed.

Things like fuel flow target and break wear/balance adjustments are not allowed to be given to the driver over the radio under these rules, but I don't see why the larger panels can't be giving some graphical readouts to allow them to see how they are doing and give them more visual readouts to make the adjustments themselves.

 

[DJ12]

That is already banned as they are nut allowed to transmit information from the pit to the car

 

[Dave Baumann]

No, I'm not saying actual instructions set to the dash from the pit wall. What I'm talking about is graphical representation of data that is collected by the car and transmitted back to the pits anyway. For example, a fuel flow target can be pre-set and the dash gives an easier graphical readout of whether you are above or below target, or easier graphical representations of brake wear that will alert the driver to pre-emptively adjust the break bias, etc.

The point being that these larger screens can handle more information, per "page", and also represent it graphically which can be easier to interpret when you're hurtling along at 200MPH.