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Car Forum / Ferrari Cars / October 2006End of an Era
I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't believe that I missed the opportunity. C. >I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. >Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't >believe that I missed the opportunity. Bit of an arrogant sod... F1 is now officially over. Spec engines next year, McLaren to be the only supplier of ECUs, spec trannys and chassis in the pipeline... IRL with a British accent.  Signature"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris." > >I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. > >Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > "...Luigi follow only the Ferraris." I'm in total agreement here. They're killing F1 with these regulations. It might as well turn into NASCAR. What's next, a schedule of strictly ovals? There's your "IR-bloody-L". That being said, what would you all suggest to make F1 better? Here's my thought for the day: Skinny tires, like 9" wide on an 18" rim. 2.0L naturally aspirated engines, unlimited cylinders. Minimum weight 500kg with driver. Unlimited aero aids and traction control permitted. Any combination over 650kg with driver receives an additional 200kg of ballast, which must be placed in front of the driver's feet. Max weight pre-ballast is 700kg with driver. Imagine, with the emphasis on lightness the aero stuff would have to be really wicked, and forcing the ballast on the front means the car will plow like a mofo without some killer engineering. Small engines without power adders will rev to the moon and utilize the latest technology. Small tires help explore the limits of suspension tech and traction control without taking the driver out of the equation. Okay, time for someone to shoot holes in my theory. -Matt- "Schumi will be back within two years." >> >I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. >> >Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] >engines, unlimited cylinders. Minimum weight 500kg with driver. >Unlimited aero aids and traction control permitted. Alas, most of what is actually wrong with F1 these days can properly be laid at the feet of over-dependance on aero influence and traction control. The influence and dependance on aerodynamic effects and forces make closing a gap in cornering unwise and unsuccessful and traction control along with the myriad of electronic baby sitters making the cars no more difficult to control than an X-box console. ...The problem then becomes how to reign in these too much goodnesses without dumbing the thing down to a Formula Ford. >Any combination >over 650kg with driver receives an additional 200kg of ballast, which >must be placed in front of the driver's feet. Max weight pre-ballast is >700kg with driver. I don't understand what your trying to do here: A maximum weight which gets penalized with more weight on the nose? ...Have you been uncritically reading Audi ad copy? Weight is bad. >Imagine, with the emphasis on lightness the aero stuff would have to be >really wicked, It's already truly wicked in practice. >and forcing the ballast on the front means the car will >plow like a mofo without some killer engineering. Small engines without >power adders will rev to the moon and utilize the latest technology. It's that very ecu technology which engenders cheating and provides for boring parades of lock-step uniformity. >Small tires help explore the limits of suspension tech and traction >control without taking the driver out of the equation. ...And allow insane top end speeds. I fundamentally disagree: Traction control is a wonderful thing in an overpowered burhgermeister sedan, or 'rear engined' sportscar', but the traction of a racecars driven wheels should be controlled by the driver's right foot. If the aero effects can be minimized the tires can get wider to provide greater "mechanical" grip, which most seem to agree is a large answer to F1's no passing problem. >Okay, time for someone to shoot holes in my theory. My counter proposal: 600kg w/driver, no fuel, no fluids. Ban removable ballast. Flat bottom, no diffusers, Minimal wing areas, 90deg monoplanar endplates: No fences, furbelows, or vortex generators. 3liter NA Otto-cycle engine, no restriction on cams, valves, cylinders. Mechanical differential. ECU cannot accept road wheel, drive shaft, transmission shaft or GPS data inputs. Transmission CU cannot accept wheel speed or GPS information. No TC, no anti-stall, no pit lane speed limiter. No rev limiter. Slick tires, road wheels whatever size the 360CS uses. 12" brake disks. Any dophin-safe materials may be utilized. Of course, I've just given the money interests apoplexy, but the sportsmen will love it. Signature"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris." "Luigi Topolino" <tifoso@mindspring.com> > traction control along with the myriad of electronic baby sitters > making the cars no more difficult to control than an X-box console. <blink>* I think one or two drivers might have something to say about that. ...but I do agree with the rest of what your 'counter proposal'. If only the powers that be listenned to the tifosi... -Paul * Copyright MJF 2000-2006. Used without permission. >"Luigi Topolino" <tifoso@mindspring.com> >> traction control along with the myriad of electronic baby sitters [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > >If only the powers that be listenned to the tifosi... You wouldn't trust it was me were there no hyperbole. Signature"...Luigi follow only the Ferraris." How about as back to basics as possible? Narrower tires, with 1 spec compound per race. 2-2.5L engines, ECU for engine control only, NO data from any other part of the car. Spec fuel. Fully manual transmissions, without any aids, electronics etc. Flat bottoms. Max limit on wing area and placement. Mandated 1 pit stop per race, with a minimum of a 4 wheel tire change. Good for a start anyway- I was unaware that next year F-1 was moving to a spec engine. Bad in a way, but also a return to the days when there were 20 Cosworths in the field. Best, Ross >> "Luigi Topolino" <tifoso@mindspring.com> >>> traction control along with the myriad of electronic baby sitters [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > You wouldn't trust it was me were there no hyperbole. <<How about as back to basics as possible?>> F1 is meant to be the pinnacle of motorsport. Dumbing it down so that some club race car is more high tech defeats the purpose. C. I was fortunate enough to watch him race (dominate) the '04 & '06 USGP's. His accomplishments are exceptional (his upcoming 8th world championship nothwithstanding). He will be missed... >I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. > Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't > believe that I missed the opportunity. > > C. >I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. > Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't > believe that I missed the opportunity. > > C. I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this is a "Michael Jordan" retirement. << I don't know why, but I get the feeling that this is a "Michael Jordan" retirement.>> Well, for anyone who has dominated F1 for as long as he has, racing anything else wold probably be seen as more of a hobby. So hopefully he'll start racing prototypes in a year or two. If anyone could convince Ferrari to field a factory team in sports car racing, I bet Schumacher can! C. > I actually got choked up when Schumacher announced his retirement. Likewise, I hope he wasn't pushed. > Right now I am regretting that I never saw him drive in person. I can't > believe that I missed the opportunity. > > C. Three more races left. You can still make it, how about Brazil? I'm very lucky to have seen him drive 40+ times including this his last GP in Europe. We counted over dinner in Milan that we'd seen him win 18 times for Ferrari. Truly great moments like Monza this year, Monza 2000 (when he turned the tide for his first championship with Ferrari), winning the championship in 2002 at Magny Cours with a late pass on Kimi and many more. The days from 1996 through the first championship in 2000 were, in my mind, his greatest time (save Jerez). Rebuilding the team, winning races in cars that were at best the third or fourth best on the grid, that was special. Five years with only one championship, but they were special. He will be missed by all (especially by those who loathe him!). The sport will never see his like again. T308 |
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