Flying Finn

All the teams have their own forecasters but as you said, WTF do they get their satellite info?
Major ****-up although for their defense, had the rain arrived as they predicted, Kimi would've had a great position. Now, he was just ****ed.

Everyone (Todt, Brawn, Byrne, that Japanese engine guy etc. etc.) have left Ferrari and they've been replaced by Italians...
Sounds kind of familiar, kinda like Ferrari in 80's, early 90's?...
These kind of tactical errors NEVER happened when Todt and even more so, Brawn were running things...

Amd BTW Bernie, is it really a good idea to have a race in a place where there is a monsoon season going on?

ew928

Bernie probably gets paid extra by the local umbrella makers or something.

Woot. Italians running Ferrari again.


Been thinking about KERS. If they really want to make it more interesting, let the teams have unlimited KERS. As much assist as long as they want. As long as it's recovered energy.
That will make the teams and drivers manage when and how much KERS they want to use.
Best Motoring (Japanese Auto Show) put a Lexus LS600? and it's hybrid cousin LS600h on track with other like sedans.
The hybrid version was slower than the regular car. Hybrid assist ran out before end of 1st lap.

This way the teams will really brainstorm on how to get as much energy recovery as possible instead of aiming for something that gives 80hp for 6.5 seconds per lap.


Someone get Ferrari a wireless connection and some web sites to local doppler radar.

wanna911

During the race and watching the clouds go by, did anyone else wonder how much more likely one of the cars is to get struck by lightning considering the electrical forces that are generated even through the chassy. It seems like it's now 22 lightning rods on the track were there to be any lightning at a course.

Could that be an issue? I can't imagine they could exclude the possiblity. Or could lightning hit targets moving that fast?

A.Wayne

In case you guys weren't paying attn, lighting struck twice this weekend

A.Wayne

Poor Felipe as he stares into the great Italian abyss .........

No brawn = yawn .......................


By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Sunday, April 5th 2009, 14:15 GMT



Felipe Massa says his Ferrari team must find solutions to its problems quickly in order to get its championship challenge back on track.

The Italian squad has now failed to score in two consecutive grands prix after another poor race at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

Last year's runner-up finished ninth in today's race, while team-mate Kimi Raikkonen was down in 14th.

Massa, who retired from the Australian Grand Prix last weekend, says Ferrari must react quickly if the team is not to lose all chances in the championship.

ew928

So F1 overlords, moving the race to a late late afternoon time slot to suit the European audience, in a country that's bound to see afternoon downpours so any race interruptions will guarantee an aborted race.
How'd that work out for you?
[/rant off]


It's like those heavyweight boxing pay per view fights that don't last the 1st round.


Anyone know why the 2nd McLaren doesn't want to do racing laps.

jrotsaert

The car is insulated from the ground by 4 big fat tyres... Electricity always chooses the path of least resistance so no extra risk there...

Astro0boy

I was wondering the same thing. I guess the drivers could wait until they see the lightning coming at them, quickly park the car, do that little "hop" to the ground, making sure that they don't touch the chassis on their way out, and run for cover.

Veloce Raptor

Did you see Kimi hop onto the nose of the car and then the ground? Varsha commented that you should never touch car + ground simultaneously with KERS.

As I have said, KERS islunacy thought up by some eurotrash PC asshat. It will likely get someone killed.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

bobt993

If your suggesting that the tires insulate the car from the KVA potential of a lightning strike, this is not correct. The voltage potential of a lighting would easily find it's way to ground even with tires. It is the Faraday cage effect that protects you in a vehicle since the electrical charge travels on the surface of a conductive object. Having your head sticking up out of the cockpit is not a good idea though. If you think electricity directly hitting a car from several miles up would then not travel another 6 inches to the ground then think again.


Insulating from the KERS, yes, because while on board a carbon fiber car, you are at the same potential as the charged surface should you touch it. Hoping out of the car avoids being a conductor to ground.

Flying Finn

Very true, this whole KERS was introduced to F1 in order to develop it for street vechiles, only way for F1 teams to really fully develop it would be to let them "run free". The way it's set up now does basically nothing imo...

Not true, when lightning strikes a car, person is protected by the outer shell of the car. Tires have nothing to do with it. In F1 car I don't know how lightning would react since the car doesn't have s "shell" like normal car, nor is it steel

+1 I really don't get the whole KERS either... Seems that the teams would be better off without it and for sure if it had never been introduced, the money that has been poured into developing it is major...

A.Wayne

Finn , KERS is the least of KR and Ferrari problems

I bet KR would like a full Hr of it so much for it's lunacy ............

any driver willing to run 100 mph thru a snow filled forest 12 feet from trees is not worried about being electrocuted .................



The amigos are pretty quite of late ... Lewis , Ray , wikipetey ......

PogueMoHone

We don't always agree.... but, right on!

arrivederci

What's even more amazing is that the Ferraris aren't as bad as the Mclarens, but their team decisions are horrible. Massa in quali? Kimi on wets? If they weren't such idiots with race strategy...

Oh, and Kovi out on the first lap of both races. Bah. Nakajima even usually completes the first few laps before crashing...

arrivederci

1.21 gigawatts + KERS could be some fun...