OT: Racing 2012 (Spoiler Alert)

[Rodster]

That's not a race car. That thing looks like the Batmobile.

[pk500]

That's the car Ben Bowlby designed as a candidate to become the new IZOD IndyCar Series car for the 2012 season. When INDYCAR chose the new Dallara instead of the Delta Wing, Bowlby was able to convince a group to run it at Le Mans. Chip Ganassi sank a healthy chunk of change into that car's development, so I'm sure he wanted to see it put to good use.

I was lucky enough to stand next to this car in Ganassi's shop in December 2010. It truly is a Batmobile in person -- unlike any car you've ever seen.

The Delta Wing has about half the weight and aerodynamic drag of a conventional sports car, so it doesn't need a huge engine to propel it. That kind of green, innovative ethos fits much better with Le Mans and sports-car racing than IndyCar, which no longer is a platform for chassis and engine innovation due to tighter rules.

I hope the Delta Wing does well. Racing needs this kind of innovation to succeed. Plus Marino Franchitti is driving the car, and he's a damn good sports car shoe who should be known as more than being Dario's little brother.

[Rodster]

I can't say if Racing needs innovation or evolution, that's your gig. But man that's right up there with Nascar's first COT. That didn't go over too well.

[pk500]

I can't say if Racing needs innovation or evolution, that's your gig. But man that's right up there with Nascar's first COT. That didn't go over too well.

The Delta Wing couldn't be more opposite to the first COT, Rod. The COT was all about homogenization, putting every team into the same box with standardized parts and aero templates.

The Delta Wing is all about radical innovation in design and aerodynamics. There's almost nothing homogeneous about it because there's no other race car on Earth remotely like it.

[Rodster]

Yeah your right I should have said they're both fugly for race cars.

[Jimmydeicide]

Im surprised it even turns, seem to do alright.

[Rodster]

Im surprised it even turns, seem to do alright.

That's what I first thought when I saw that thing.

Looks like teams will be trying to copy Mercedes rear wing as fast as possible !

Mercedes F1 team's rear wing concept deemed legal by FIA
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/98035

[Rodster]

I'm looking forward to this years first race. I'm curious to see if Ferrari was literally blowing smoke and I wonder if they'll be as bad as they say they are?

Either way my boy Kimi is back so I got my priorities straight for this weekends race. Go Kimi !

[Rodster]

Watching FP1 Live

[Rodster]

Man this year looks like F1 will be a cracker of a season.

Sauber is looking really quick in Practice, so is Mercedes. Ferrari doesn't look nearly as bad as they were whining. Red Bull looks like RBR but have not upped the pace. I guess they are want for Q3 !

[DChaps]

Man, I am really pumped up for the full on start of the racing season (F1, Moto GP, Indycar, etc.) Let's pray that we don't have any of the tragedies of last year.

Jimmy and Paul's mention of James Hunt in the F1 2011 thread reminded me of a post of some info that I saw on the iRacing forums about the Ron Howard movie "Rush" which is about the 1976 F1 season.

Ron has been posting shots of the filming and it at least looks fantastic and pretty authentic.

To follow Ron's daily blogs, visit him on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Ron-H ... 8585686733

or on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/#!/RealRonHoward

[pk500]

Tom Pryce ... what a lost talent.

[pk500]

I strongly suggest Peter Windsor's Web show, "The Flying Lap," as a weekly watch or listen for F1 fans. Superb show with a great mix of guests:

http://smibs.tv/the-flying-lap

Podcasts of the audio are available, and shows are archived on YouTube. Really enjoyable, informative and entertaining for hardcore F1 fans.

[EZSnappin]

Thanks for the tip PK. Look forward to a listen today.

[Jimmydeicide]

Great Pics DC. Notice all the chicks are around my car.

[Rodster]

What do you guys think of Mark Webber's helmet cam? I think that's an awesome camera perspective for TV.

[Rodster]

Mercedes is looking STRONG. I wonder if we'll have a repeat of BrawnGP this year?

[pk500]

What do you guys think of Mark Webber's helmet cam? I think that's an awesome camera perspective for TV.

LOVE it. Reminds me of Need For Speed Shift 2 Unleashed.

[GB_Simo]

We haven't seen everything Red Bull have to offer yet. Surely we haven't...

One result from yesterday's practice that deserves all kinds of praise: Timo Glock taking 12th for Marussia. Changeable conditions, of course, but that car hadn't turned a wheel in anger all through the winter and the only thing keeping it from being the worst machine on the grid is the HRT. What a waste of a tremendous talent.

I strongly suggest Peter Windsor's Web show, "The Flying Lap," as a weekly watch or listen for F1 fans. Superb show with a great mix of guests:

http://smibs.tv/the-flying-lap

Podcasts of the audio are available, and shows are archived on YouTube. Really enjoyable, informative and entertaining for hardcore F1 fans.

Yes. I've started watching these on YouTube in the last couple of weeks. The recent ones with Mario Andretti and John Watson are very entertaining, as is the Chris Amon interview Peter did a while back.

One thing about that Rush film which concerns me: there's a still on the Internet of James walking through an accident scene set at Watkins Glen, in which the back of a badly damaged blue car is visible, there are shards of debris all over the road and James is in his civvies, walking barefoot. It is apparently meant to depict Francois Cevert's terrible crash in '73, but there's a crash helmet in amongst the debris which, so the story goes, is meant to represent a severed head. 100% historical accuracy is not what I expect and Ron Howard got enough right with Apollo 13 to make me feel we're in safe enough hands, but that entire set-up seems a bit bothersome, tasteless, tactless, call it what you will. Hard to judge without context, of course, but it didn't look especially good.

[GB_Simo]

My my...

[Rodster]

Well qualy was a real surprise. Nice to see McLaren up front and wow Lotus, nice. Ferrari?

I'm keeping fingers crossed for the old man in 4th.

[F308GTB]

Well qualy was a real surprise. Nice to see McLaren up front and wow Lotus, nice. Ferrari?

I'm keeping fingers crossed for the old man in 4th.

Roman Grosjean? Roman Grosjean? Oh well, well done Lotus-Renault. Just too bad the team failed to get the better compound on Kimi's car to get him out of Q1. Vettel and Webber must be thinking WTF, whereas Alonso and Massa must be wanting to shoot themselves. Great performances by Mercedes.

[Rodster]

Roman Grosjean? Roman Grosjean? Oh well, well done Lotus-Renault. Just too bad the team failed to get the better compound on Kimi's car to get him out of Q1. Vettel and Webber must be thinking WTF, whereas Alonso and Massa must be wanting to shoot themselves. Great performances by Mercedes.

I wonder how long Stefano Domencali makes it into the season? That car is a disaster much like the 1995 turkey they put out. They had the chance to bring in Ross Brawn when Jean Todt was on his way out but they decided to turn themselves into F1's Italian National team.

edit: I'd also like to add that if this season turns out to be the same or worse than last year for Capt. Morgan he won't be too happy to say the least. And I wonder if he'll demand changes as in his old Boss and current manager Flavio Briatore.

[pk500]

Grosjean was the star of qualifying, hands down. What a strong performance.

Nice to see someone kicking Red Bull's ass.

Rod makes a good point about Domenicali. He should try to arrange a solid severance package now.

[Zeppo]

Fascinating to see Grosjean qualifying third, but how rusty is Kimi, not being able to get out of Q2? I wasn't aware of the mess left behind at HRT and frankly I'm surprised the FIA let them continue if that guy really did take everything when he left. Will they ever actually qualify for a race this year? After today, it looks like it will take a miracle.

I guess the Mercedes duct isn't nearly as dramatic a bonus as Brawn's previous nifty trick with the Brawn car and Button, but the Mercs do look more competitive this year. I wonder if this year's car is better suited to Schumacher and how badly Rosberg will struggle this season.

I thought that Kovalainen and the Cosworths would be more improved, but I guess not so much. Also I'm surprised to see the Force Indias not doing better, but it's early yet. The Toro Rossos do seem to be continuing to improve.

I'm excited for the new Williams. Maybe it's the new leadership, maybe it's the new engines, but they don't look nearly as lost in the weeds as last year.

It'll be interesting to see if young Buxton's talk about the Mercedes engines proves out. Considering a Renault out qualified both Mercedes cars, and how much the loss of the rear diffuser seems to have set the RBs back, I'm not entirely sure he's right, but what do I know? Vettel was almost never the fastest in the speed trap last year, if he ever was even once, so maybe those Renault engines were far less the reason for their success than the aero package. What I'm saying is the Merc engines seem to me to have always been very competitive, and so while the McLarens and Mercedes cars seem to be better than last year at first blush, it's more to do with better aero for them and less of an aero advantage for the RBs.