Why all the Jenson bashing?
I dunno... maybe his complete disloyalty and inability to honour the contracts he signs perhaps???
I have no doubt that Jenson has the capability to win the world drivers championship.
He certainly has the 'capability'... much in the same way that Damon Hill had the 'capability' too I'm afraid.
All he needs is a car to match.
I think he'll need one a little better than that to be honest.
No-one in modern Formula One can win the championship without a fast car, it is impossible.
I'd agree with that, but I think it's also possible that there are a certain calibre of driver, that can make up the difference in what can maybe considered not the fastest car.
I've seen nothing to suggest that Button is of that calibre.
If, and when, Honda give him that car, he will win. He is committed, fast, reliable and has the backing of teh whole team.
Which begs the obvious question... why hasn't he won the championship already? or at least more than one race?
The point about the lauch control is a difficult one. What is lauch control?
I can't be arsed to look back at the technical regs, but I believe the idea was to ban any electro/mechanical interference, and that the launch of the car had to be manually carried out by the driver with no traction control assistance either (I can't remember when the T/C was allowed to kick in, though I think it was when the car hit a particular speed), and without the assistance of an 'aid' system like in previous seasons which required nothing more of the driver than release a button on the wheel whilst keeping their foot pinned to the floor.
From what I have worked out Renault initiate a "launch control" technique by pushing the car back on the grid prior to teh formation lap starting. This will then be combined with a launch sequence mapping for the gear box control so that the gearbox and engine work in a set way only for the first shift through the box. This is just a setting on the control system.
That vaguely sounds like one of the suggestions I've read, I also seem to remember reading that during the formation lap start by pushing the car back on the grid, allowed them to change settings relating to the clutch (maybe the diff too) that would act as a primitive (passive) launch control/traction control system as they were anticipating the grips levels for the start, as opposed to reacting to the grips levels like an active launch control system would do.
Either way... it had to be pushing the spirit of the rules at the very least.
They start off great but dont develop through the year. Lets hope not.
I've been getting used to these closer seasons too!
Though you can't lose arguably one of the greatest designers ever and the current greatest aerodynamicist without it affecting the performance of the team.
That said, McLaren have been in a mess for some years... which can be traced back to the whole MP4-17, MP4-17D, MP4-18, MP4-19A and the MP4-19B all within the space of a couple of years of each other.
That... and committing enormous amounts of resources to the likes of Paragon and the 'Communications Centre'. You know what they say about priorities.
though looks like they're at it
again.
You are right there! The only time you see big changes is when you put the cars side-by-side or look at cars from 3-4 years agom then you can tell the difference.
I think that this approach has become more popular since Ferrari achieved spectacular success at the the turn of the century with evolving their cars each year, working through the problems and deficiencies of a design as opposed to trying to solve problems by starting from the ground up with a fresh design every year.
Though Peter Sauber is
suggesting that the Ferrari is unique, and the most changed from the previous years car. Which is an interesting observation, though obviously Ferrari's decision to switch to a no-keel suspension format, and their reluctance to allow photo's of the rear of their car be published hints at potentially innovative solutions.
Counterfit said:
Man, that Ferrari looks weird without the white wings to balance out the red.
I'd have liked to have seen them revert back to their mid-80's to mid 90's red, with black wings.
Counterfit said:
I recall Ross Brawn saying a few years ago: "We know how they're doing it, and we don't want to make those compromises".
I remember that, (and I'll have to paraphrase this I'm afraid) but I also remember Pat Symonds responding to how Ross Brawn had suggested the way Renault were doing it and that Ross wasn't correct, and that he was surprised that the other teams hadn't figured it out yet. It was apparently very simple and obvious. Obviously.
Though I could be wrong on that. I often am.
Counterfit said:
Also, where the **** have you been?
A mixtures of things really.
I only really checked back to see if someone had taken up the F1 batten and started a thread for the new F1 season, ably done by R.Youden I should add. Though to be honest I don't really have the time (or the inclination) to participate outside of the F1 threads on here anymore. Sadly.
Though I do really enjoy the banter in these F1 threads...
