2014 Formula 1 Thread

[Slowhand]

WHAT a week at Jerez. Have to pump the brakes and not read too much into it, but man, super interesting week of testing. Probably the most followed testing session in a very long time. Autosport had very good coverage of it.

It's ridiculous to count out Red Bull at this point, or even suggest that they're really behind the 8-ball, but the problems that the Renault team are still huge. With all of the laps that the Mercedes and Ferrari-powered cars got in, there's certainly a gap right now. Will probably be largely bridged by the team we reach Australia, but one can imagine that this will have implications that reach as far as halfway into the season.

Massa sounds like he looks quick in the Williams, as did Bottas. Magnussen showed he can at least toy with the big names off the bat, even if it's so ridiculously hard and useless to read too much into these times. McLaren looks good, and they should, given they had a 6 month head start on all of the bigger teams.

Cars look ridiculous, but I'm going to gloss over that, hardly worth discussing at this point.

Motors don't sound as bad as everyone had expected.

And, it is so kickass to see these guys battling the oversteer. Less downforce at the back + lots more torque = awesome for the fans.

All in all, I think we're in for a real treat this season, and lots of parity. Hopefully.

[pHILSANITY07]

Mercedes powered teams look good. Renault powered looked bad. Right now Mercedes looks to be the front runner in my opinion. I don't know how much red bull is struggling is real or a ploy. I think they aren't in a crisis, but they do have some issues to iron out if they are going to win the constructors title.

[Slowhand]

Mercedes powered teams look good. Renault powered looked bad. Right now Mercedes looks to be the front runner in my opinion. I don't know how much red bull is struggling is real or a ploy. I think they aren't in a crisis, but they do have some issues to iron out if they are going to win the constructors title.

They're struggling with the power unit because they chose a really aggressive packaging solution to keep the side pods as narrow and sculpted as possible.

I think the biggest thing to consider with regards to Red Bull is that they've yet to run at any significant speed. Newey's cars have been fastest for 3=4 years running now for a reason and that's because he has the aero more figured out than anyone else on the grid. RBR may be having teething problems with the power unit, and the Renault's unreliability may yet prove to be RBR's achilles heel this year, but I fully expect the RB chassis to be at the front of the pace battle.

[pHILSANITY07]

If you was a betting man, would you take Jenson button at 10/1 odds or Hamilton at 10/3 odds? For the championship?

[Slowhand]

If you was a betting man, would you take Jenson button at 10/1 odds or Hamilton at 10/3 odds? For the championship?

I think I might take Jenson, to be honest, perhaps even straight up. Lewis is quicker, but Lewis is also more mistake prone and isn't as mentally tough. And while I think Lewis would win if the cars were equal, and the Mercedes looks to be good, if Jenson is in better machinery then I think he finishes ahead of Lewis. He's a great manager of a competent car; like a Vettle without the ridiculous level of raw talent. Plus, Jenson has a VERY traction-friendly style; he likes to guide the car around with subtle changes of direction, and Lewis likes to hustle the car. With less downforce and more torque, I think Jenson has the edget here.

But it comes down to the cars, probably. From the reports I've read, the McLaren looks very good. And they have that very trick rear-wishbone set up, which looks to be producing significant rear-downforce. Yes, that will be copied by every other team by the time we hit Australia, most likely, but the adage goes in Formula 1 that if you're letting your rivals see something that obvious, you probably have something trickier/more effective that's out of site.

Even if that's not the case, McLaren will certainly have an edge on working the aero around the rear of the car right now, and I think this season will be a tale of two things: reliability, and who recovers the most and the quickest from the rear-downforce lost due to the new regs.

Gary Anderson (former F1 designer) has been doing a column for Autosport, and this was his analysis after day 3:

Which cars have caught your eye from trackside?

The McLaren seems to be a nice car to drive. The front end isn't exceptionally positive, but it looks well-balanced and changes direction well. There is no sign of the inherent understeer of 2013.

The Ferrari looks like it is missing a bit of downforce. In the medium-to-high-speed corners, especially the one onto the back straight, you can hear a bit of tyre squeal and in the lower speed corners the rear is giving up on corner exit.

With these turbo engines being quieter, you can now hear the tyres crying enough.

The difference between Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso is that Fernando loves to leave big black lines on the track, primarily to make a point to the team about where the car needs improving.

The Mercedes looks good, rides the kerbs well but does have a little understeer. Perhaps that is because it is set up to protect the rear tyres.

The Mercedes-engined Williams looks good with Felipe Massa driving as it did with Valtteri Bottas.

The front end is positive but not at the expense of the rear and in the middle of the chicane, the car changes direction well.

[momo]

2014: year of the phallic front nose. i think it should be and interesting year at least.

Ferrari sounded great IMO.

[momo]

I'll be watching the Monza race in person this year so I'm stoked. Still have my Austin psl so unless I sell that off for profit, I'll be at 2 races this year.

[momo]

[Bputacoma]

I'll be watching the Monza race in person this year so I'm stoked.

Soo jelly. I'm tempted to go to Montreal this year...

http://www.groupon.ca/deals/montreal...anada-33717895

[mk5.0]

I will be at the Austin race and we are also trying to make the Brasil race too.

[Ruffdaddy]

I'm going to laugh my ass off if the double points is what gives vettel the championship after reliability issues are resolved at the back half of the season.

[momo]

actually, that would be pretty funny.

i feel like mclaren should have a strong car, and while i like button, i have no faith in the team though. i've witnessed nothing but bone headed mistakes that have cost them wins and possibly a championship. maybe it will be different with whitmarsh out, but i never saw him as the problem.

mercedes is still going to be high up contender but i think ferrari should win constructors this year. top driver line up, should be able to maximize team points.

it's odd to think of rbr as a wild card this year. if the renault power plant has no issues when the season starts, then vettel is still favorite for the championship. I expect rbr to exploit the car design better than anyone else.

got about 3 weeks for the next set of winter testing in Bahrain.

[pHILSANITY07]

Next week is Bahrain test. Interested in seeing who's improved and who's done the best work since Jerez. Really interested in seeing how Red Bull does.

[momo]

the overly plain blue williams might be carrying Martini livery this year. hopefully that means the billboard will be back at the hairpin in monte carlo

[pHILSANITY07]

the overly plain blue williams might be carrying Martini livery this year. hopefully that means the billboard will be back at the hairpin in monte carlo

also on the bridge at Monza like in 2006.