Some readers seemingly got a bit bent out of shape when I said F1 bores me at times. What I had in mind is best illustrated with this video from the very, very wet start of the inaugural Porsche Carrera World Cup at the Nürburgring, the same week end as the Nürburgring 24 Hours and the Valencia GP
You are riding with 25 year old British Porsche Supercup star Sean Edwards in the Team Abu Dhabi Gt3.. You will notice, there was no safety car start for this race as there was for the far less wet start of the Montreal race....
After the jump, have a look at a video from the N24. This time you are riding with Sergio "Sergini" Negroni in a 3.6 GT3 Cup. Despite being in the same class as the overall winnner and competing with 3.8 GT3 cups like the one Chris Harris was driving, (and losing their driving lights...)Sergio and his mates managed a 6th in class and 38th overall.
To be fair, without having actually been at the 'Ring - it's hard to say how much more 'wet' it is.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't know if a standing start would be wise - these guys did a rolling start. Say someone stalled on the grid or had a bad start, they'd be rear-ended being unsighted from the spray.
Although I do agree with you, I'm just seeing it from the other side. Just my .02c.
Insopportabili ste capre che si fanno i pompini a vicenda. Non capisco.
ReplyDeleteCazzo
:-)
@dL...The issue was not a standing start vs a rolling start but a rolling start behind the safety car vs a rolling start(no safety car).
ReplyDeleteAlso, during the straight there was a point where the field is barely visible. Granted the driver has better visibility than the onboard camera but I see AC's point. To me, there was a clear difference in weather between the two races.
Actually, not a very fair comparison.. We have only about 450 hp and a windshield in a GT3 cup car. Have you ever tried to race in the rain in an open cockpit?
ReplyDeleteWhat I especially objected to in Montreal was the notion the "top drivers in the world" could not deal with the new Pirelli rains.... The did a fair about of wet tests as it turned out in the pre season and it just seemed like a missed opportunity. Can you imagine the famous Donnington race started with 10 safety car laps?
ReplyDeleteHuge bollocks and incredible driving in that first clip.
ReplyDeleteF1 has bored me for a few years...
ReplyDelete@AC: about testing wets.
ReplyDeleteNone of the current drivers has ever tested a full wet Pirelli tire. They have no data whatsoever about it. None, nil, null, void, zero :)
Look, if Axis CG could go on track in Montreal in a car he had never ever driven in the rain, with wet tires he had never ever driven on, the F1 guys should certainly be able to do it. Enough excuses.
ReplyDeleteFantastic driving from Sean Edwards there! thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI'm right with you on the idea of F1 being boring. There are many examples of incredible and exhilarating driving in modern F1, but there's just something missing from it. It has no heart & soul anymore. Flamers: please note that I am NOT saying that F1 drivers aren't superhuman, because they are. Just saying that F1 as an institution is lacking.
ReplyDelete