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Post by Carl on Apr 4, 2022 19:47:31 GMT
Sheer speed is an essential part of motorsport! No argument...  At the Riverside Can-Am in 1972, watching the acceleration of the Porsche 917-10 out from the very slow Turn 8 onto the long back straight looked like an illusion, astonishing everyone in the nearby Turn 6 grandstand. George Follmer set a track record top speed of 219 mph that year.
The next year, Mark Donohue's prediction of 250 mph with the 917-30 led track officials to change to the short course and avoid almost half of the straight, pleasing only the insurance underwriter.
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Post by René on Apr 4, 2022 21:27:17 GMT
Yes I very much agree with Mikael that the ‘out of this world’ cornering speeds of modern F1 cars is fantastic. And seeing them live in action is really amazing.
When I think of Spa and watching at Pouhon or Blanchimont or seeing the cars go up the Eau Rouge full blast is such a sensation, gives you shivers every time again. Or my visit to Silverstone in 2016 where we watched at Maggotts and Becketts during qualifying. Just fantastic.
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Post by Carl on Apr 5, 2022 0:27:21 GMT
Yes I very much agree with Mikael that the ‘out of this world’ cornering speeds of modern F1 cars is fantastic. And seeing them live in action is really amazing. When I think of Spa and watching at Pouhon or Blanchimont or seeing the cars go up the Eau Rouge full blast is such a sensation, gives you shivers every time again. Or my visit to Silverstone in 2016 where we watched at Maggotts and Becketts during qualifying. Just fantastic. I totally agree that Formula One cars are awesome in fast corners. It's in the approach to corners that newey's aerodynamic genius has subverted racing by making passing so damn hard that a totally artificial way to pass was conjured somewhere on a misty mountain top by incantation. If the new regulations are as beneficial to passing as hoped, the cars will be slightly slower and the racing improved. As we all know, speed is relative and I still remember what short work a well driven Formula Ford or F Production Spitfire made of the double apex Turn 6 at Riverside. A fast car well driven by a fast driver always impresses. |
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 5, 2022 8:29:22 GMT
Mikael I agree totally with you about speed is important if you are physically watching at the track. I remember Kyalami 1992 where I watched every bit of the F1 action over three days. The cars were awesome. As they went past in a literal blast of noise it was an assault on the senses that was in parts physical as the concussion caused by the disturbance of air felt like a punch in the gut. I sat enthralled throughout the race even though it was totally dominated by Mansell and my hero, Senna, was a distant second. I had recorded the race and the day after the Grand Prix I sat down to watch it. I turned off after ten laps and never watched the rest of it. It was so boring.
Back in the day, way before the races were broadcast live on TV, spectators were happy just to have been to the event and they formed the majority of people who saw the GP. Therefore speed and the visual experience of the event were very important. Multiple passes were an added bonus, or that's how I viewed it. I just wanted to see cars driven on the limit.
Nowadays with the vast majority of the paying public, through a variety of mediums, being from live broadcasts on TV or such like and the sound and speed are muted people want to see passing otherwise it seems boring. I still don't think you need multiple passes but I do think you need variety of winners and some form of unpredictability in the results. I know Carl would love DRS to go but I can't see that happening for at least the next two years. The drivers love it at the moment.
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Post by Carl on Apr 5, 2022 16:46:36 GMT
I have tried to agree about the awesome spectacle of speed experienced only at live events, but am apparently supposed to prefer televised races wearing my pajamas with a lullaby soundtrack... -  zzzzz |
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Post by charleselan on Apr 5, 2022 19:13:48 GMT
Like you Rob my last experience trackside was 1992 at the British GP and Mansell dominated much to the delight of his British fan base. Can't say i was over impressed with the cars to be honest, it certainly did not have the impact on me that the cars of 1979 did with the full on ground effect and on the old Silverstone as well.
To me aerodynamics have had the same effect as magnets on Slot Cars, just makes the whole thing unreal.
The emasculation of great race circuits is purely the result of these huge cornering speeds, and also the proximity spectators can get to the action.
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 6, 2022 11:12:18 GMT
Like you Rob my last experience trackside was 1992 at the British GP and Mansell dominated much to the delight of his British fan base. Can't say i was over impressed with the cars to be honest, it certainly did not have the impact on me that the cars of 1979 did with the full on ground effect and on the old Silverstone as well. To me aerodynamics have had the same effect as magnets on Slot Cars, just makes the whole thing unreal. The emasculation of great race circuits is purely the result of these huge cornering speeds, and also the proximity spectators can get to the action. John I think some of the impact of the cars was due to the tightness of the Kyalami track so we could get much nearer and also that I hadn't seen an F1 race since Brands Hatch in 1985. There was a point just after the pits where the cars went past about four metres from where we were standing. That was impressive. |
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Post by charleselan on Apr 6, 2022 12:34:26 GMT
Like you Rob my last experience trackside was 1992 at the British GP and Mansell dominated much to the delight of his British fan base. Can't say i was over impressed with the cars to be honest, it certainly did not have the impact on me that the cars of 1979 did with the full on ground effect and on the old Silverstone as well. To me aerodynamics have had the same effect as magnets on Slot Cars, just makes the whole thing unreal. The emasculation of great race circuits is purely the result of these huge cornering speeds, and also the proximity spectators can get to the action. John I think some of the impact of the cars was due to the tightness of the Kyalami track so we could get much nearer and also that I hadn't seen an F1 race since Brands Hatch in 1985. There was a point just after the pits where the cars went past about four metres from where we were standing. That was impressive. Talking of Kyalami Rob i began looking through my online magazine provider this morning and they have the 1968 February Motorsport edition as a flash back. The one with the beautiful cover of Jim in his victorious Lotus 49, I actually read the race report and also DSJ's Continental Notes which were enthralling. Somewhat poignant as tomorrow is the 7th April a date that will always be one of the darkest in my life time. Just to pop back to my earlier comment about Silverstone 1979 it was the speed of AJ's Williams FW07 that stood out for me, just on another level through those fast corners at that time. He actually ground to a halt in practice right next to where i was watching. |
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Post by chrisb on Apr 6, 2022 15:27:30 GMT
I just loved watching racing cars 'live' since I was 9 years old, even then the Lotus 25 and its peers looked incredible and twitch, roar and scrabble, they looked fast, obviously time elapsed and the car speeds increased incredibly, I still think of Ronnie in the 78/79 in 78 and how quick he just looked, same with Gilles a year later at Brands in the ROC, The FW07's at Silverstone the same year was also awesome to watch, they just looked like they were on another planet and you really did need to be a superstar to drive them. Reminiscing for a wee moment but at Silverstone I actually managed to speak to Frank, and congratulated him on Clay's win, not quite bravo but many congratulations, to which he did respond with a murmured thank you,
It was the turbo's that captivated me, and the Group C cars, skitting around corners at speeds that took you breath away, awesome power and little downforce, oh well, but F1 lost a lot of appeal during the FIFA/Ferrari days and then I didn't care for the V8 days although I still went to Silverstone but only for the Friday practice, it all got a bit too much after that - so I have not seen the modern F1 cars and how fast they corner or sweep - it is my intention to go either this year or next to either Belgium or Silverstone but looking more like next year - with regards to 'live' or TV, I have always felt you have to see F1 live, just didn't have the interest for so many years that is all, and Indycar then not sure now was 'better' on TV - not sure that was the case but it was so good to watch the Indycars in the heyday on TV - I really felt their speed - and now for speed its motorbikes for me that recaptures that sense of 'wow'
Tomorrow's anniversary is forever etched in my sadness, I would like to have gone to Duns tomorrow but unfortunately am unable to so need to plan when hopefully I get a new motorbike!
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 6, 2022 15:49:59 GMT
I love that picture in Motorsport of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49.
April and May are very sad months. Four of my five all time favourites died in those months. RIP Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, Aryton Senna and Niki Lauda.
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Post by Carl on Apr 7, 2022 16:50:02 GMT
I love that picture in Motorsport of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49. April and May are very sad months. Four of my five all time favourites died in those months. RIP Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, Aryton Senna and Niki Lauda. Rob, Who is your fifth favorite? If within the same time frame as the others, hopefully still alive and well.  I would guess Jackie Stewart.
Cheers, Carl
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Post by robmarsh on Apr 8, 2022 8:10:08 GMT
I love that picture in Motorsport of Jim Clark in the Lotus 49. April and May are very sad months. Four of my five all time favourites died in those months. RIP Jim Clark, Gilles Villeneuve, Aryton Senna and Niki Lauda. Rob, Who is your fifth favorite? If within the same time frame as the others, hopefully still alive and well. I would guess Jackie Stewart.
Cheers, Carl
Spot on Carl it is JYS. |
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Post by mikael on Apr 12, 2022 8:27:14 GMT
Some news from the major Danish newspaper "Berlingske" (12 April 2022):
Machine-translated by Google; unedited.
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Post by René on Apr 12, 2022 11:33:13 GMT
Yes, the seizing of Russian capital and property as sanctions against the Putin regime can be seen everywhere. Many of the super yaghts owned by the oligarchs are actually build in the Netherlands. Financially, it's a big blow for those shipyards but of course inevitable and necessary.
I am happy for Kevin. He belongs in F1 on merit.
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zzzzz 
