Formula 1 2018

[Robzilla32]

Anyone watching / attending?

[pogman]

I am watching and very excited for the new season. Who is you're money on for the title this season?

[Robzilla32]

Sigh...Mercedes. Not that I begrudge anyone their success as the goal is to win. Mercedes are the best all round team but it would be great to se another (Ferrari) win.

Anywhoo, I went yesterday and it was a great day out. Going to the race tomorrow too.

[Robzilla32]

Good to see that someone else is interested by the way as it is a sport that would be very easy to lose interest in.

[V28VX37]

Dropped by today, the V8's race was great fun in the wet, some proper driving skills required.

Still, I'm sorry to say that compared to 2003 when I first went to the F1's in Melbourne, the cars sound like s__t these days. Too quiet, too confused. Those older naturally aspirated V10's on song, reverberating from the nearby buildings was absolutely heavenly. A true symphony.

In addition to the safety halo, there's something else weird about the new cars too. There tyres seem... too small? Or have the cars grown?

Anyhow, I do feel that the whole circus is slowly going the way of the dodo. They don't seem very good at renewing the formula (pun) – it feels like most of the entertainment (F18's, The Roulettes, celebrity race etc. etc.) was pretty much the same as 15 years ago.

[Rusty Nuts]

Love the F1 have loved open wheeler action all my life, Just sad that pure talent is no longer the measuring mark of a works driver but who's daddy brings the most cash Verstappen's old man is as rich as god and pumps 25 odd million a season into the team so his little lad can have the best car in the garage. Same with Lance Stroll, and a couple of others Hamilton did the hard yards but Daddy bought his first drive at Mclaren Young Drivers. Unfortunately bravest and best are another thing of the past, the future of F1 is he with the most gets the drive. Long gone are the Jack Brabham days still the only bloke to design, build and drive to a World F1 championship. His third World championship in a BT19 powered by an all aussie repco Brabham V8 

How could you lose interest easily.

[djr81]

2 hours ago, Rusty Nuts said:

Love the F1 have loved open wheeler action all my life, Just sad that pure talent is no longer the measuring mark of a works driver but who's daddy brings the most cash Verstappen's old man is as rich as god and pumps 25 odd million a season into the team so his little lad can have the best car in the garage. Same with Lance Stroll, and a couple of others Hamilton did the hard yards but Daddy bought his first drive at Mclaren Young Drivers. Unfortunately bravest and best are another thing of the past, the future of F1 is he with the most gets the drive. Long gone are the Jack Brabham days still the only bloke to design, build and drive to a World F1 championship. His third World championship in a BT19 powered by an all aussie repco Brabham V8 

How could you lose interest easily.

Couple things. Verstappens old man has some coin (Jos used to drive for Benetton. That famous photo of the thing on fire during refuelling - that's him in there.). He doesn't pay Redbull anything.  You are probably thinking of Sirotkin in the other Williams.  It's more a comment on Willaims not having enough coil to pay drivers but they reckon Sirotkin to be able to drive. They would say that but who knows.

All lower formula driver bring money.  It's how it works.

Jack Brabham did not design his Brabham race cars. A bloke called Ron Tauranac did. He is a crusty old grump but a brilliant engineer. Brabham Ralt Honda is what his biography is called.  Worth finding and reading.

Good to see Kimi on the front row and the Renaults going well.

Edited March 24, 2018 by djr81

[Rusty Nuts]

Ron and Jack had an unusual partnership that more than once involved Jack completely ignoring his advice and discarding" improvements" Ron devised. The Jack Brabham Garage was just around the corner from my grandfathers house in the UK and as a kid my late father introduced me to the "not yet Sir" Jack. Couldn't believe, what seemed to me a Giant of a man, squeezed into those tiny F1 cars of the day,  Those same BT19s  were parked on the forcourt of the garage amongst the Mini Coopers that Jack used to sell. Sadly that garage is now a block of flats. Jack worked building Coopers racing cars years before he set up with Ron and it is a truth the respect Cooper held for him because selling Cooper products was how he earned enough to pay Ron, and win a World Championship.

You have probably gathered i'm pretty old from the above, and I was lucky enough to see and hear the Repco Brabham V8 used again in a Torana LC GTR driven as a Group c by Bob Jane.

I believe I said Verstappen's old man was as rich as god, and yeah ive seen him drive. The old man i mean. Disagree about Red Bull think you will find its third party still found by dad.

[djr81]

Legend has it Brabham left Coopers (As did Bruce McLaren) due to Charlie's (or John can't remember who was the father) unwillingness to develop and reinvest. Problem solved by teaming up with Tauranac to form Motor Racing Developments. For what it's worth Tauranac had some input into Coopers designs that Brabham drove in the latter years.

Brabham was a giant of a man in every sense. Sadly they don't make them like that anymore. Same for Ron Tauranac. Can only imagine how awesome it would have been as a kid to see all that. Would have been mid sixties?

Edited March 24, 2018 by djr81

[Rusty Nuts]

I did mean Lance Stroll his father and mother are both billionaires and pay for his ride. Its easy to influence third party sponsors I mean, when you own Canada. It works like this...Advertising your company name on the rear wing on an F1 car could set you back $25 million per season depending on the team. Somewhere less prominent like the wing mirrors may still cost $5 million per season.

Hence why for $25Mil. it says Aston Martin on a Renault powered RB14.

[djr81]

Strolls old man now part owns Williams. Hard to say no to that if you are the other team owners.

Sadly it looks like Williams will be at the back of the midfield this year.

[Rusty Nuts]

Yep Mid sixties , my old man never really told me how he knew Jack. Can you imagine four Red Bull Renaults parked up beside the road in the local garage and anyone can walk up unsupervised for a gander.

[Robzilla32]

Yay Ferrari!

Shame that a well timed / lucky pit stop decided the order that the cars finished in though but such is the nature of F1.

[pogman]

Yay Ferrari!

Shame that a well timed / lucky pit stop decided the order that the cars finished in though but such is the nature of F1.

Ahhh as a hamilton/mercedes fan i am dissapointed with the final result but as you say thats racing for ya. On to bahrain so we can see the silver arrow on top again[emoji3]

[Blue]

As someone who flat refuses to pay money for Rupert TV (And the only thing I would watch on it would be F1) it is a sad reflection that the pinnacle of my F1 coverage for the year is a telecast including a three lap ad break six laps from the finish.

 

The only way they will get my eyeballs back will be if I can dodge the geoblock on the new streaming service (Or they launch it in Aus, presumably the Ten deal, now novated to Foxtel prevents that until it expires)

[Missileman]

Brilliant moves by  Ricciardo, this is a good race so far...

Edited April 15, 2018 by Missileman

[Robzilla32]

Wow what a race. Was watching delayed a bit. Things didn't work out for my guys but still good stuff.

[Roy]

So has F1 started yet? Is Webber at Renault yet?

[djr81]

Be interesting to see where Dan ends up next year. Anyone got any advice for him?

[260DET]

Dan has all the skills to be a worthy world champ, I fear that he will never get the car to match those skills. A pox on Renault.