[dim635csi]

Originally Posted by spencers

Lolololol
https://mobile.twitter.com/didpastorcrash

http://hasmaldonadocrashedtoday.com

[TS135i]

Its now official, there's more hype and excitement leading up to the race than the race its self. Might pass next one.

[solstice]

It boggles my mind how the Benz engine can be so much more powerful. There's really no secret how to make power and we are not talking small obscure cash strapped small engine manufacturers. It's Renault, Honda and Ferrari for heavens sake. If it was reliability that had a large gap I'd understand but this much power gap? They should all be ashamed of themselves. Lol, I'm not signing up for a new NSX that's for sure...

[Squddie]

Originally Posted by solstice

It boggles my mind how the Benz engine can be so much more powerful. There's really no secret how to make power and we are not talking small obscure cash strapped small engine manufacturers. It's Renault, Honda and Ferrari for heavens sake. If it was reliability that had a large gap I'd understand but this much power gap? They should all be ashamed of themselves. Lol, I'm not signing up for a new NSX that's for sure...

I am genuinely curious what would happen if BMW would enter.

Hey the 6-cylinder should be right up their alley.

[954Stealth]

I wonder if BoP adjustments should (or could...regs are pretty specific) be made to the Benz.

Haas better pull something magical out of their bag of tricks or they stand no chance next season(am I already talking about next season? That's not a good sign of 2015 keeping my interest)

[ashtaron14]

Assuming it's the same engine, what I don't understand is the margin between the Mercedes Works team and Williams, Force India, and Lotus.

I could understand a few seconds of margin from aero, but it's hard to believe it's even the same engine.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by ashtaron14

Assuming it's the same engine, what I don't understand is the margin between the Mercedes Works team and Williams, Force India, and Lotus.

I could understand a few seconds of margin from aero, but it's hard to believe it's even the same engine.

Even a few seconds is hard to believe. Unless they install the wing upside down or something they should all be able to set up the aero close.

[E9TOU]

Originally Posted by ashtaron14

Assuming it's the same engine, what I don't understand is the margin between the Mercedes Works team and Williams, Force India, and Lotus.

I could understand a few seconds of margin from aero, but it's hard to believe it's even the same engine.

I was thinking the same and I think Massa thinks the same too. But McLaren did state last year that a customer team cannot win the championship. All things being equal, Mercedes knows their engine better and they know how to utilize it. Also IIRC, I think Mercedes withholds the source code for the software.

[ashtaron14]

^ Depressing

On another note did you know, that Toto Wolff's title is "executive director (business)". It's not Team Principle or Racing Director.

You just don't feel much motorsport passion out of him.

[dim635csi]

Originally Posted by E9TOU

I was thinking the same and I think Massa thinks the same too. But McLaren did state last year that a customer team cannot win the championship. All things being equal, Mercedes knows their engine better and they know how to utilize it. Also IIRC, I think Mercedes withholds the source code for the software.

I thought all the cars using standard DME/ECU made by McLaren Applied Technologies. In this case, source code doesn't help much, because it is the same for everybody. Teams have their own mapping for sure, but it shouldn't make such a difference.

http://www.mclaren.com/appliedtechno...-ecu-formula-1

[FormulaMMM]

Differential between Merc and customer teams isn't that surprising I wouldn't say.

We're talking about a sport where an exhaust blown diffuser won championships. Remember that RB and Vettel were never fastest in the speed traps, didn't have overwhelming power. Merc have the strongest engine and look to have the best aero now as well. Some of the onboards with Lewis today looked very '13 Vettle'esque. No twitchiness from the chassis, no countersteer required. Full control.

Rest of the field is done for. Ferrari can't make up 30 seconds. As far as driver's championship is concerned, Nico is the only hope.

Ferrari v Williams should be interesting.

Gutted for Kimi.

[hellrotm]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

I wonder if BoP adjustments should (or could...regs are pretty specific) be made to the Benz.

Hell no!

BoP in F1...no thanks.

You want a balanced spec series, go watch any other racing series. F1 to me is more about the cars, not giving drivers the same level equipment.

[ashtaron14]

That's true, especially when everyone else was testing their cars Mercedes was testing for reliability. Just shows how much further they were, even for testing.

There's always next year, and WEC. What about that GTR LMP1?

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Hell no!

BoP in F1...no thanks.

You want a balanced spec series, go watch any other racing series. F1 to me is more about the cars, not giving drivers the same level equipment.

It'll never happen ... I was just "thinking out loud"

[ashtaron14]

Is it just me or are the cars sounding slightly better?

This is the close up of Crashtor, and hear the Mercedes V8TT of the GT/C63 at 0:33.

[954Stealth]

...

[ptack]

I'm rooting for Button this season. Going to need a lot of help from typhoons, Maldonado, Perez and hopefully Kobayashi (if he gets a ride) to take out as many other cars as possible.

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by spencers

Lolololol
https://mobile.twitter.com/didpastorcrash

The picture of Pastor that he uses killed me.

[954Stealth]

Red Bull have warned they could quit F1 unless the sport's regulations are overhauled in the wake of Mercedes' crushing victory in the Australian GP.

On Skysports. Funny, weren't they doing this very thing a couple seasons ago?

Also, Red Bull has had talks about selling STR to Renault and Renault becoming its own F1 team. That'd shake things up for sure

[NickyC]

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

Red Bull have warned they could quit F1 unless the sport's regulations are overhauled in the wake of Mercedes' crushing victory in the Australian GP.

On Skysports. Funny, weren't they doing this very thing a couple seasons ago?

See this is the problem I have. I hate F1 now due to it not being competitive, but I don't want to see Mercedes penalized because they are doing it better than everyone else. McLaren is a complete catastrophe and I'd fire everybody involved, and many of these other teams have the same resources and talent as Mercedes. It absolutely boggles my mind that they can be so far ahead of everyone else.

I don't see a fix to the situation. The sport is just going to suffer tremendously because of this. Even when Ferrari and Schumacher were dominating everything, you still had the screaming V10s and the gorgeous tracks with history. There's just nothing saving the sport right now for me.

[954Stealth]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

Hell no!

BoP in F1...no thanks.

You want a balanced spec series, go watch any other racing series. F1 to me is more about the cars, not giving drivers the same level equipment.

There is this, though:

""They are absolutely 100 percent right," Ecclestone told Reuters about the need to equalise performance.

"There is a rule that I think [former FIA president] Max [Mosley] put in when he was there that in the event...that a particular team or engine supplier did something magic - which Mercedes have done - the FIA can level up things.

"They have done a first class job which everybody acknowledges.

"What we should have done was frozen the Mercedes engine and leave everybody else to do what they want so they could have caught up."

[E90SLAM]

Originally Posted by solstice

It boggles my mind how the Benz engine can be so much more powerful. There's really no secret how to make power and we are not talking small obscure cash strapped small engine manufacturers. It's Renault, Honda and Ferrari for heavens sake. If it was reliability that had a large gap I'd understand but this much power gap? They should all be ashamed of themselves. Lol, I'm not signing up for a new NSX that's for sure...

I wouldn't read too much on Honda's performance into normal road legal cars. Like previous F1 experience didn't help Honda and Toyota on their road vehicles. I still wouldn't buy a Honda or Acura coz their boring vehicle line-ups....especially Acura consists of Sedans and SUVs.

Originally Posted by Squddie

I am genuinely curious what would happen if BMW would enter.

Hey the 6-cylinder should be right up their alley.

Neh~ BMW doesn't do V6~

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

...

Yah...I heard about McLaren lower their expectation before the race to just "finish". WTF!!! That's pathetic....what happened to Ron Dennis goal of being the best, and here to win. F***.....coming here to and finish the race will feel like a win. WTF is that shit!

Are they trying to make HRT, Manor-Marussia, and Caterham feel better? Or McLaren is trying to join them? Sh1t, Bruce McLaren will in anger and awake from his grave.

Originally Posted by 954Stealth

There is this, though:

""They are absolutely 100 percent right," Ecclestone told Reuters about the need to equalise performance.

"There is a rule that I think [former FIA president] Max [Mosley] put in when he was there that in the event...that a particular team or engine supplier did something magic - which Mercedes have done - the FIA can level up things.

"They have done a first class job which everybody acknowledges.

"What we should have done was frozen the Mercedes engine and leave everybody else to do what they want so they could have caught up."

I also did recall McLaren mentioned about being a customer team (before Mercedes's primary customer was McLaren), they can never win. Also something related to the time-frame of Mercedes provide engine mounting drawings and etc to customers team were of course later than the works team.

Don't forget Mercedes develop their chassis and engine parallel in house. Where as customer teams will need to allocate some more room in engine compartment without knowing the final drawings provided from Brixworth, Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrain. That means customer team cannot fully optimize the chassis.

Also, Although the ECU were supplied by McLaren Applied Technology, and governed by the FIA. But there's also certain programming that can be done within FIA regulation. Such as engine mapping, clutch, etc. Perhaps there's some sweet spot that at certain RPM can do a better launch? Who knows. I'm sure Mercedes always have something close to their chest and up their sleeves.