Posts by hollowhawk412

Morgan Murphy7 said:Man, if Aki gets a start like that tomorrow, or even better, we are in business.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgyWTSXPZ-M

🙏 🙏 🙏

That Fernando Alonso guy is such an absolute legend... he genuinely blew me away again today.

Look, I'm telling you... if there's any truth to the rumors about some kind of DRS-style upgrade in the works, and assuming they ditch this KERS thing—which, let's be honest, is basically his only real advantage off the line—then we're looking at being right at the top of the podium.

stormybadger8 said:the gap was 691.5 versus 650 kg😉 which is actually quite significant, especially when you consider that the base weight for all these cars without fuel is sitting right around 605🤷

I was actually referring to Q2... there wasn't any weight discrepancy during that session.

stormybadger8 said:It’s good to see you back in the mix😁

We didn't even get a chance to witness whether there was an actual KERS difference on the BMW or not, because Heidfeld went flying off at the very first corner—essentially getting catapulted out—and he likely ended up with a damaged car, and honestly, it’s entirely possible his KERS wasn't even functioning properly to begin with; then you have Alonso running wide as well, so there is absolutely no way to determine the true pace of Alonso and the Renault 😉

And here is another interesting little tidbit, Rubens mentioned that Kovalainen actually ripped that controversial diffuser right off his car during the impact at the rear😲 yet the BGP remained incredibly fast, even while dealing with a broken front wing, so if what he's saying is accurate, the BGP is quite frankly a perfectly engineered machine 😲 😲

Best to you as well...

The gap in qualifying between Kubica and Heidfeld was nothing short of obvious

Roger Wright94 said:Over at Ferrari, they’re claiming that KERS has triggered some totally unforeseen issues with the rear tires, which are just getting absolutely shredded out there. Honestly, I find it hard to wrap my head around how something like that wasn't caught during testing or predicted beforehand.
Their best comparison right now is looking at BMW, who are running the exact same strategy but are clearly in a different league of speed altogether.
At this stage, whether using KERS was even worth it remains a massive question mark.
So, we wait to see if everything plays out the same way in Kuala Lumpur-Malaysia, and then we can expect some real decisions to be made. They’ll have to make adjustments on the fly, and they'll need to move fast.

exactly... carrying 40 kg just to get minimal payoff...

Arthur Doyle70 said:hollowhawk412, just wanted to say hello 👍 You've been MIA from the forum for months now...

I'll be back to my usual self soon enough 😉

actually spending these past few days tinkering with some wiring 😁

Morgan Murphy7 said:This stands out as one of my absolute favorite tracks on the calendar. Honestly, you don't even need me to explain it; just take a quick look at the list of winners over the years and any sane person will immediately understand exactly why this circuit holds such legendary status. 😁

I still find myself thinking back to that race in Kuala Lumpur back in 2003, specifically when young Alonso took the green flag from 20th on the grid and somehow managed to slice his way up to 11th before he even hit the first corner.

He took off like he was launched from a catapult, honestly. If anyone happens to have a link for that, please just paste it here; it’s going to be worth every single bit. 🙏

When it comes to the upcoming races, I have to say my expectations are incredibly high. Honestly, I’ve already envisioned Alonso crossing that finish line in first place, with Piquet right there behind him taking second. 🙏

I’m convinced that Renault intentionally tanked their performance during the Australian Grand Prix just to throw their competitors off the scent, all so they could quietly dial in the car and cruise toward this victory without anyone seeing them coming.

My Renaults. 🙏

If I’m being completely honest, I actually thought one of your predictions from last year was absolutely spot on.

I’m sitting here thinking about the upcoming season, and frankly, I expect nothing less than a 1.22 Renault performance. 🙏 🙏

Since when have we actually seen anything resembling a win from Piquet? It feels like we've been waiting forever for a moment that might never actually materialize. 🙏

Alright, let's cut all the nonsense and get down to brass tacks...

I don't know, I could swear that during Q2 in Australia, the gap between the guy in first and twelfth was only about eight-tenths of a second... and that twelfth spot went to Alonso, though if he hadn't botched that final flying lap, he easily could have shaved off another tenth.

Look, there’s no way around it—Renault was fighting against two massive handicaps, much like what McLaren and Ferrari were dealing with at the time. They were essentially hamstrung by the lack of a double diffuser, and then you have the KERS system, which honestly seemed to do nothing but get in their way during qualifying sessions.
Honestly, looking back, the BMW was significantly faster without that KERS setup dragging it down. You have to consider the weight penalty—we're talking about an extra 30 to 40 kilograms added to the car, which is massive, yet the system only provides about six seconds of deployment. It feels like such a short window to justify carrying all that dead weight around the track.

It looks like the decision regarding whether KERS actually brings anything to the table at all will finally be hammered out during the upcoming race in Kuala Lumpur.

I honestly expect to see a massive amount of technical maneuvering and aggressive engineering tweaks coming from Ferrari, Renault, McLaren, and even BMW over the next few races; they're all going to be scrambling to find any kind of edge through new technical solutions.

Donna Nelson23 said:1. Once the teams submitted their blueprints and designs to the technical commission and were told that specific diffuser was within the rules.
2. It wasn't official, but Martin Whitmarsh actually visited the teams during the Barcelona testing and gave them a heads-up if anything looked illegal—like how Williams stripped those fins off the cockpit because he told them they wouldn't pass.
3. Yesterday's measurements right after they were approved.
4. Approval following the team appeals, where things were being deliberated until 1 AM.

And it looks like everything might end up in court in Paris after Santiago...

By the way... Whitmarsh isn't the one who decides what's legal...

And points 3 and 4 are actually just the same single event...

The stewards—just the three of them—decided they were legal. The FIA hasn't made its official call yet...

Donna Nelson23 said:1. Once the teams submitted their blueprints and designs to the technical commission and were told that specific diffuser was within the rules.
2. It wasn't official, but Martin Whitmarsh actually visited the teams during the Barcelona testing and gave them a heads-up if anything looked illegal—like how Williams stripped those fins off the cockpit because he told them they wouldn't pass.
3. Yesterday's measurements right after they were approved.
4. Approval following the team appeals, where things were being deliberated until 1 AM.

And it looks like everything might end up in court in Paris after Santiago...

it’s all just unofficial... behind-the-scenes advice...

At the end of the day, we really don't have a clue how any specific team managed their engine usage, fuel levels, or any of those other technical details, etc.

Donna Nelson23 said:The FIA really dropped the ball here—they should've dealt with this back in January when those diffusers first popped up during testing, instead of dragging their feet until the absolute last second... It’s honestly ridiculous that they've already been cleared as legal three or four times and yet it's still not enough.

Where on earth are you getting "three or four times" from? This is the very first time this has even come up... You can't just start questioning the legality of things right before the first race hits. During testing, people could practically be using parachutes for all the rules they were following.😉

Donna Nelson23 said:Since when did being innovative and creatively interpreting the rules stop making sense in Formula 1? This isn't some amateur spec series where everyone has to run identical cars. If teams didn't push the boundaries of the rulebook like this, we wouldn't even have ground effect "skirts," six-wheeled cars, turbo engines, or active suspension, just to name a few... Besides, Super Aguri was actually the first to use this kind of diffuser—when that team folded, one aero designer ended up at Honda, another at Toyota, and it looks like Williams just came up with the solution themselves. The other teams can either cry about it being illegal and try to ban it in court, or they can get to work and develop their own version...

Honestly, I didn't think conspiracy theories would start flying this fast—and we're still just basing it on the first practice sessions 🙄 Wait until the race is actually over before you start complaining...

Nobody is complaining... these observations were made a long, long time ago during testing...

It’s nothing particularly groundbreaking... aerodynamic components are restricted this year, including the diffuser itself.... I tried reading the article in English, which I usually speak and understand quite well, but it was just far too technical for me to form an actual opinion...

I personally think we need to wait for both the race and the final outcome of the situation... we need more information.

stormybadger8 said:But honestly, the whole thing is insane. If it turns out to be illegal, then everyone else gets screwed—especially Renault and Red Bull since they tried to pull something similar. And if these guys win and then lose points later? Total mess. Who’s to say they wouldn't be sitting in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th without it? Or maybe someone else wouldn't be in 1st if not for these shady diffusers. It's just one giant, ridiculous headache.🙄

I honestly believe we need to sweat a little more before we start handing out final grades, especially since Formula 1 is just so incredibly packed with drama.
Deception, honestly, isn't exactly some groundbreaking new phenomenon in this world. 😉

mistybear87 said:maybe even the constructors' championship

but even then

stormybadger8 said:So what happens then? Cars with an illegal diffuser scoop up the points🙄 and those points still count🙄. Honestly, a championship like this is just a joke👎. As much as I hate Ferrari, I'd rather see them win a season with a 500-point lead than deal with this crap☕.

Nah... the diffuser stays legal until it actually gets ruled illegal...

as simple as that

stormybadger8 said:The FIA has been making a huge mess and honestly, they’re still at it. How else do you explain how Renault had the absolute best car and the strongest engine back in '05/'06, then suddenly there's an engine freeze and Renault ends up with the weakest engine on the grid? 😵And now they're getting permission to bump up power by about 70 hp🙄—I mean, seriously? 😕Now we've got this whole mess with the diffusers. If they actually set clear rules, what kid is supposed to sit around philosophizing about it? If Renault and Red Bull asked for the same thing and the FIA told them "no way, that's illegal," how does it suddenly become legal for Williams, Toyota, and Brawn GP? 🤷Bottom line: the FIA is totally screwed because none of this makes any sense anymore. 🙄The dumbest part is having a winner for the first two races only to have their points stripped away later because of some "illegal" diffuser (which the FIA will decide on), even though the FIA approved it as legal before the race even started. 😵🙄

They won't strip the points even if it gets declared illegal later on

Morgan Murphy7 said:Unfortunately, he already showed what he's capable of today by going off track. 😁

I was reading up on 😁

Even last year, they were practically at their wits' end with him...

Have you heard what his salary actually looks like?😁

I honestly don't think it's even half a million dollars😁😁

Morgan Murphy7 said:ironfalcon43

What’s your take? Are we just being forced to endure Nelson Piquet Jr. claiming that Fernando Alonso doesn't have any real competition,

or is there actually someone being incredibly incompetent over at Renault? 🤷

It's just about satisfying the sponsors🙏

But if they don't show anything meaningful this season... he should be out the door immediately.🙏

Michael Lee4 said:The diffusers are absolutely in a gray area, and that trio will likely exploit it. The FIA will probably play along since they just handed the fans a way more exciting season than last year. It doesn't really matter if they ban those diffusers in three races or not—the damage is already done.

Since I love a good conspiracy theory, it’s pretty interesting how this specific diffuser "idea" only occurred to that trio (teams that haven't actually achieved anything in Formula 1 for decades), while the heavy hitters fighting for the podium (Ferrari, McLaren, Renault, and BMW) didn't think of it—or rather, they knew better. I get the feeling someone whispered in their ears exactly what would fly just to kick the season off with a bang.

Maybe I'm wrong, though... ☕

btw... you can tell a lot of drivers are missing braking points and sliding onto the grass, probably because they're still adjusting to the extra power from KERS. Either way, qualifying is going to be insane, and the race will be even better. As things stand, McLaren might not even make it out of the first round of qualifying. 😢

I didn't see your post while I was typing mine... though maybe I did address some of the reasons behind the conspiracy you're mentioning.🙏

Great post.🙏

Amanda Kelly said:It’s not quite that black and white. Those diffusers are definitely sitting in a gray area right now.
The teams using them took a gamble and it paid off. I’m not losing any sleep over it.
That said, it’s a massive headache when the rulebook is written so vaguely that everyone can interpret it differently.

To add to that, the absolute worst part of this whole mess is that Red Bull claims they actually approached the FIA back in 2008 asking for clarification on whether a double-decker diffuser was legal, and at the time, they were told it violated the rules... or so they claim, anyway.

Meanwhile, Toyota also reached out to the FIA seeking further clarification, and they were given the green light—or at least suggested it was legal, though we don't know if they were specifically talking about this exact diffuser...

In any case, we're dealing with a mountain of information mixed with plenty of disinformation...

Some people are just messing around, claiming that Toyota will definitely have to forfeit their first win or else the bosses will commit ritual suicide, while others argue that other teams desperately need to find sponsors.😉

Regardless, the cars without that multi-element diffuser are dancing around quite a bit on track.

Jamie Newman5 said:They waited until the last second because they figured those diffusers would get banned, and they didn't want to give anyone enough time to actually adjust.

And as for those diffusers... they're fine.🙂 I'm honestly pretty glad about how things are playing out, even if I am pulling for BMW—and they aren't even one of those three teams using that "illegal" diffuser loophole.

Digging a hole under someone else's shovel... turns out it's a pretty exhausting way to live. Not that I'm judging, just observing. Everyone's always trying to step over the person right in front of them, thinking they've found some shortcut. It rarely works out. Usually, you just end up tired and empty-handed. Same old story.👍

That isn't quite right... they protested as fast as humanly possible 😁
and that was right before the first race....
During testing, you can basically do whatever you want, and there's no such thing as a formal protest...

As for whether it's actually legal, the stewards made their call, but at the FIA level, everything is subject to appeal, and it wouldn't be a stretch to see a ban handed down later. Just look at Renault's mass dampers;
they passed the stewards' inspection initially, only to be banned shortly after... and with those dampers, the R26 managed to snatch seven out of the first eight wins...

What will happen next? I haven't a clue if they'll get banned, but within a certain timeframe, the double-decker teams will start prepping a single-decker version of the diffuser,
and vice versa... ensuring everyone is ready for whatever final ruling the FIA eventually drops on them....

In any case, for the next few races, these specific teams are going to enjoy a massive, obvious advantage...