Which raises the question - how the heck do drivers get out now? Climb up through the hole, look over at all the shit bolted on the side of car blocking any step-off and just fall to the ground and roll?

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Which raises the question - how the heck do drivers get out now? Climb up through the hole, look over at all the shit bolted on the side of car blocking any step-off and just fall to the ground and roll?

Agreed.
Ingress/egress is going to be a bit more involved.

Can't imagine an emergency exit with it set up that way.

It's hard enough getting out already with the dangers KERS can create.

Renault R.S.18

Leaked photo of the STR13


Due for official release on Monday. Aside from the H on the nose & the halo, looks the same as the 2017 car.

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Which raises the question - how the heck do drivers get out now? Climb up through the hole, look over at all the shit bolted on the side of car blocking any step-off and just fall to the ground and roll?

I suspect it won't be any harder and probably provides a handrail to hold onto.

We'll see starting next week when the first test starts.

Mercedes W09

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:

quote:

Originally posted by Georgeair:
Which raises the question - how the heck do drivers get out now? Climb up through the hole, look over at all the shit bolted on the side of car blocking any step-off and just fall to the ground and roll?

Agreed.
Ingress/egress is going to be a bit more involved.

Can't imagine an emergency exit with it set up that way.

Valtteri Bottas, on getting out around the Halo - Actually it’s easier to get out of the car with the proper Halo rather than the mock-up because it’s stronger and you can lean on it.

Hmmm, still some variables like lubrication or software/mapping but this should be very interesting.

FIA to tell manufacturers to give their customers equal engines

FTA - The sport’s governing body believes “some [power units] are being operated in a different way to others being supplied by the same manufacturer”, leaving the customer team potentially at a disadvantage.
Manufacturers are already required to demonstrate the hardware they supply to their teams is identical. But following a new technical directive issued last month the FIA now requires them to ensure their hardware “must be capable of being operated in precisely the same way” by all teams who use it.

quote:

Originally posted by Ripley:
Hmmm, still some variables like lubrication or software/mapping but this should be very interesting.

FIA to tell manufacturers to give their customers equal engines

FTA - The sport’s governing body believes “some [power units] are being operated in a different way to others being supplied by the same manufacturer”, leaving the customer team potentially at a disadvantage.
Manufacturers are already required to demonstrate the hardware they supply to their teams is identical. But following a new technical directive issued last month the FIA now requires them to ensure their hardware “must be capable of being operated in precisely the same way” by all teams who use it.

They should require they do it like the Indycar series.
All teams pick from the same pile, regardless of who they are. Require that the installation be universal to all the teams running a particular brand.

Ferrari SF71H

McLaren-Renault MCL33

IMO, the Ferrari looks off without the Santander branding.
And, the MCL looks terrible.

Obviously I could be very wrong, but I think we are going to see something added to the Ferrari engine cover. I can't imagine they will leave it blank like that, and Phillip Morris made a statement about advertising their Iquos or whatever the hell their e-cig vapor thing is when they just resigned a new deal with Ferrari. Although the small rotated Marlboro logo could be all they do. Even if they put the prancing horse in that empty area it would be better.

Ugly that halo jmo, I know some will like it, meh it's ugly, and I would think it would create a vision distraction, sure the drivers will get used to it, but you can't put a pillar in the middle of the driving view area and not have it block some area of vision.

Why don't they just close the cockpit, make it of titanium, or better yet make them all remote control cars, put up video screens in a room in a hidden bunker in Austria and let all the cars be run by the drivers using Gran Turismo pS4's as the controller sitting in a recliner in front of a 360 degree screen if you need full safety.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
...I would think it would create a vision distraction, sure the drivers will get used to it, but you can't put a pillar in the middle of the driving view area and not have it block some area of vision...

Absolutely! With forward vision hampered like that, I'm afraid we're heading for some massive crashes this season. At least until they come to their senses and get rid of the damned things.

OK, the first days of testing are over. The weather made things inconclusive at best but ok for a basic systems shakedown. But a few things look promising for the mid-pack and behind teams.
Power unit reliability seems much better even though we don't know how much some of them may have been turned down. The Honda actually did the most miles of anyone and that by itself is a major improvement at any power level. The Renault powered cars didn't have any real power problems but the competitiveness to Merc and Ferrari is unknown.
The Mercedes and Ferrari teams seem to be at the front so far and reliable.
Force India and the mid-pack cars didn't seem to appear in the news at all.
Mclaren and Red Bull had a few hiccups related to the car itself but could be in the hunt. Just how far remains to be seen.
Maybe the next run will be in warmer weather and there won't be any snow days.

Mercedes turned the fastest time in testing, on Medium compound tires.
Next fastest was STR, I believe, on Hypersofts.
Looking like a potential for another MBZ dominant year.

We'll see how next week's testing goes.

On another note.

Cord Cutters: What's your solution for catching the races this season? We ditched uverse last month & I'd like to still be able to watch it all.
DVR would be preferable, so I don't have to be up at 2AM for the non-Americas races.

Thinking maybe PSVue, since it has DVR service.