The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

The place for anything and everything else to do with F1 history, different forms of motorsport, and all other randomness
User avatar
golic_2004
Posts: 916
Joined: 22 Dec 2010, 02:53
Location: Atlanta
Contact:

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by golic_2004 »

Techeetah now holds the strongest lineup for next season with Andre Lotterer joining alongside Vergne https://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/ne ... ad-957813/
The future McLaren http://imgur.com/sNFFMYF
User avatar
madmark1974
Posts: 799
Joined: 23 Aug 2010, 09:09
Location: Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, England

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by madmark1974 »

Hadn't seen this until now, some interesting changes :

2017/18 Formula E grid so far:

Renault e.dams
Sebastien Buemi
Nico Prost

Faraday Future Dragon Racing
Jerome d'Ambrosio
Neel Jani

DS Virgin Racing
Sam Bird
Alex Lynn

Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler
Lucas di Grassi
Daniel Abt

Techeetah
Jean-Eric Vergne
Andre Lotterer

Andretti
Antonio Felix da Costa
TBA

Mahindra
Nick Heidfeld
Felix Rosenqvist

NextEV NIO
Oliver Turvey
TBA

Jaguar
Mitch Evans
Nelson Piquet Jr

Venturi TBA
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Nelson's gone to Jaguar? That's a bold move. Still, I suppose they have one season's worth of data under their belts now and they'll be ahead of the curve when Mercedes and Porsche roll up later...

How I would like the next season to be like the first, with no one car clearly ahead - with at least a five-way battle for the teams' title between Renault e.dams, Techeetah, DS Virgin, Audi Sport and Mahindra. I suspect I won't get that but anything will be better than a Buemi cake walk.

I'd like Nick Heidfeld to be a winner as well, now that JEV's finally hit the top step.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
UncreativeUsername37
Posts: 3420
Joined: 25 May 2012, 14:36
Location: Earth

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by UncreativeUsername37 »

dinizintheoven wrote:How I would like the next season to be like the first, with no one car clearly ahead - with at least a five-way battle for the teams' title between Renault e.dams, Techeetah, DS Virgin, Audi Sport and Mahindra. I suspect I won't get that but anything will be better than a Buemi cake walk.

Buemi didn't actually win last season to be fair
Rob Dylan wrote:Mercedes paying homage to the other W12 chassis by breaking down 30 minutes in
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Six wins out of twelve rounds, and even at the others there was a sense of numbing inevitability that he was going to win, though he didn't. New York is the obvious exception. And if Toyota hadn't called on Seb's services that ruled him out for that round, Lucas di Grassi wouldn't be champion.

Now that I look at the standings, Seb's all but done a Jean-Pierre Jabouille job - all his points came from wins... or at least they would have done if this was F1 and there weren't points for pole and fastest lap. Six wins, two retirements, two disqualifications, two absences.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
novitopoli
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 987
Joined: 25 Aug 2014, 16:56

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by novitopoli »

https://twitter.com/NIOGlobal/status/914758565373628416

Luca Filippi replacing Nelsinho at The Team Formerly Known As Nextev.
sw3ishida wrote:Jolyon Palmer brought us closer as a couple, for which I am grateful.


Ataxia wrote:
Londoner wrote:Something I've thought about - what happens to our canon should we have a worldwide recession or some other outside event?

We'll be fine. It's Canon, non Kodak.
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ7PZNghXuI

So here's a video from Valencia giving a few views and opinions from the pre-season tests.

Audi/Abt's new livery reminds me of something very rejectful from the later half of 1996, so it does.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
Rob Dylan
Posts: 3477
Joined: 18 May 2014, 15:34
Location: Andy Warhol's basement

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Rob Dylan »

https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/133022/exf1-racer-kobayashi-to-make-fe-debut
Kobayashi!

Apparently Tom Blomqvist was supposed to have the drive, but money people stepped in and wanted a Japanese driver, so funded Kamui's move to Formula E. The comments seem to emphasis that they're happy for him to start the season, so don't expect him to be a regular on the FE grid, methinks.
Murray Walker at the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix wrote:The other [Stewart] driver, who nobody's been paying attention to, because he's disappointing, is Jan Magnussen.
Felipe Nasr - the least forgettable F1 driver!
User avatar
Barbazza
Posts: 1636
Joined: 30 Mar 2009, 19:30

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Barbazza »

More great news for fans of motor sport broadcasting as Vernon Kay is confirmed as the C5 host for next season. Given how tall he is, maybe they just want to make the shed that they shove their presenters in look a bit bigger.

The story on the FE website also confirms the wondrous news that they will be showing live races 'when we can be arsed' (paraphrasing slightly there, but you get the idea....)
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Hey Great news! I've checked the schedules and Channel 5 can be arsed to show the opening two rounds from Hong Kong... maybe live, maybe not, but they're on at 9:00 on the Saturday morning and 8:55 on the Sunday.

Banzai Kamui!
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
Rob Dylan
Posts: 3477
Joined: 18 May 2014, 15:34
Location: Andy Warhol's basement

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Rob Dylan »

Just as a reminder (because I just found out myself), the opening round of the "2017"-2018 Formula E championship is tomorrow.

This will be my first time watching Formula E in the UK. Does Channel 5 have an "All4" equivalent, where one can stream directly from what's on the TV on their laptop? I don't really possess one of those television things that one uses to watch television.
Murray Walker at the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix wrote:The other [Stewart] driver, who nobody's been paying attention to, because he's disappointing, is Jan Magnussen.
Felipe Nasr - the least forgettable F1 driver!
User avatar
This Could Be You
Posts: 1373
Joined: 05 Jun 2016, 16:40
Location: Somewhere else

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by This Could Be You »

Rob Dylan wrote:Just as a reminder (because I just found out myself), the opening round of the "2017"-2018 Formula E championship is tomorrow.

This will be my first time watching Formula E in the UK. Does Channel 5 have an "All4" equivalent, where one can stream directly from what's on the TV on their laptop? I don't really possess one of those television things that one uses to watch television.

Yep, it's called My5, and predictably, it's not very good (I haven't used it in a while, but the last time I did it was full of ads that ran perfectly then crashed running the WRC highlights I wanted to watch. Mind you, that still beats All4, which hasn't worked on Linux for three years despite it's predecessor 4oD working with no problems (and more reliably on other platforms). But I digress...)
Your Signature Here

Named after HRT, now on HRT
User avatar
dr-baker
Posts: 15428
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 17:30
Location: Here and there.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dr-baker »

This Could Be You wrote:
Rob Dylan wrote:Just as a reminder (because I just found out myself), the opening round of the "2017"-2018 Formula E championship is tomorrow.

This will be my first time watching Formula E in the UK. Does Channel 5 have an "All4" equivalent, where one can stream directly from what's on the TV on their laptop? I don't really possess one of those television things that one uses to watch television.

Yep, it's called My5, and predictably, it's not very good (I haven't used it in a while, but the last time I did it was full of ads that ran perfectly then crashed running the WRC highlights I wanted to watch. Mind you, that still beats All4, which hasn't worked on Linux for three years despite it's predecessor 4oD working with no problems (and more reliably on other platforms). But I digress...)

Might be better, if you're able, to watch it on Eurosport.

http://www.fiaformulae.com/en/champions ... SBF,JKCQ,1
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
MCard LOLA
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

This Could Be You wrote:Yep, it's called My5, and predictably, it's not very good (I haven't used it in a while, but the last time I did it was full of ads that ran perfectly then crashed running the WRC highlights I wanted to watch. Mind you, that still beats All4, which hasn't worked on Linux for three years despite it's predecessor 4oD working with no problems (and more reliably on other platforms). But I digress...)

The only problem I remember with 4OD, as was, was with Linux Mint, which refused to install Flash pointblank; Ubuntu, or whatever version I was trying to use at the time, was fine. Have all the distributions gone west with All4, then?

My5 I can only ever get to work properly with Internet Explorer. This is utterly infuriating.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
WaffleCat
Posts: 2293
Joined: 08 Jan 2012, 13:02
Location: Singapore

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by WaffleCat »

Saw the first round of my favourite racing series ever. Saw JEV spin WHILE setting pole position, something I've never seen before. He then goes on insane mode in defensive driving. Witnessed the Engel Express Train. Buemi and Di Grassi encountering their separate difficulties. The creation of the turn 3 Parking Lot-terer.

And finally, Sam Aviary Animal being one of the elite few to win a race after nearly killing a mechanic.

Can't wait for race two.
My friend's USB drive spoiled, spilled tea on her laptop and had a bird poo in her hand.

What did she do in her past life to deserve this?

Signup for the Random Racing League, Season TWO!!!
User avatar
dr-baker
Posts: 15428
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 17:30
Location: Here and there.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dr-baker »

WaffleCat wrote:Saw the first round of my favourite racing series ever. Saw JEV spin WHILE setting pole position, something I've never seen before. He then goes on insane mode in defensive driving. Witnessed the Engel Express Train. Buemi and Di Grassi encountering their separate difficulties. The creation of the turn 3 Parking Lot-terer.

And finally, Sam Aviary Animal being one of the elite few to win a race after nearly killing a mechanic.

Can't wait for race two.

Yeah, the race was a bit tame, wasn't it? ;) Hoping for a more eventful race tomorrow...
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
MCard LOLA
User avatar
This Could Be You
Posts: 1373
Joined: 05 Jun 2016, 16:40
Location: Somewhere else

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by This Could Be You »

dinizintheoven wrote:
This Could Be You wrote:Yep, it's called My5, and predictably, it's not very good (I haven't used it in a while, but the last time I did it was full of ads that ran perfectly then crashed running the WRC highlights I wanted to watch. Mind you, that still beats All4, which hasn't worked on Linux for three years despite it's predecessor 4oD working with no problems (and more reliably on other platforms). But I digress...)

The only problem I remember with 4OD, as was, was with Linux Mint, which refused to install Flash pointblank; Ubuntu, or whatever version I was trying to use at the time, was fine. Have all the distributions gone west with All4, then?

My5 I can only ever get to work properly with Internet Explorer. This is utterly infuriating.

Back when it was 4oD, all I had to do (while using Ubuntu, as I still do alongside Arch) was spoof my user-agent to Chrome on Windows and it would be fine. Now, whatever I set it to, the loading icon spins but never does anything
Your Signature Here

Named after HRT, now on HRT
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

WaffleCat wrote:Saw the first round of my favourite racing series ever. Saw JEV spin WHILE setting pole position, something I've never seen before.

He's the Stig. You heard it here first.

In a way I'm slightly miffed about Sam Bird getting a penalty that was so ineffective it didn't drop him out the lead. Otherwise, I think Nick Heidfeld might have fought JEV harder for that place, instead he just had to settle for being fewy angwy at JEV for weaving about too much in defence. He's not won a race for 17 years now, despite having the chance at season 1, round 1; is it ever going to happen?

The rejectful nature of the circuit (and many others) was quite well highlighted by Vernon "greeeeeeeht" Keeeeeeeh, standing on the bit of the central reservation that's been taken out to make an instant hairpin - drive down one side of the road, turn round at the hairpin and go the other way. Still, it's not as if other street circuits haven't been doing this a long time before FE arrived on the scene - Long Beach is an obvious one, and that A1GP circuit in Beijing...

I never thought Eduardo Mortara would be the one to find it easiest to get up to speed in FE; I'd thought it would be André Lotterer.

Getting a bit concerned at the progressive blandification of the liveries, though. Andretti, NIO and Jaguar are all in the same ball park. Before long they'll all be in the same shades of silver and light blue which are also the corporate colours of the series, just like we've had endless shades of silver, white and red in F1.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
dr-baker
Posts: 15428
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 17:30
Location: Here and there.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dr-baker »

dinizintheoven wrote:
In a way I'm slightly miffed about Sam Bird getting a penalty that was so ineffective it didn't drop him out the lead.

I find it stranger that Bird causes someone to fall over in the pit lane and the penalty allows him to maintain the lead and the win, while an admin error for Abt and Audi means disqualification from a win. Where's the logic?

(Although I would like to see success for Bird...)
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
MCard LOLA
User avatar
Samster
Posts: 1658
Joined: 02 Feb 2010, 20:27
Location: Newark, England
Contact:

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Samster »

Rosenqvist inheriting the win from a admin caused DQ may well be the most undeserved victory I've seen in a long long time given what he did on the first lap. :facepalm:
User avatar
Miguel98
Posts: 2450
Joined: 30 Mar 2014, 09:18
Location: Somewhere in Portugal

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Miguel98 »

That's another disqualification for an Abt car in FE. The third time since the series started. Surelly sometimes this isn't unprecedented? There's some really weird stuff that happens in FE with disqualifications: last year Buemi to basically keep the title fight alive, now this has happened two or three times already. Kinda fishy...
Mario on Gutierrez after the Italian Grand Prix wrote:He's no longer just a bit of a tool, he's the entire tool set.


18-07-2015: Forever in our hearts Jules.
25-08-2015: Forever in our hearts Justin.
User avatar
Rob Dylan
Posts: 3477
Joined: 18 May 2014, 15:34
Location: Andy Warhol's basement

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Rob Dylan »

Samster wrote:Rosenqvist inheriting the win from a admin caused DQ may well be the most undeserved victory I've seen in a long long time given what he did on the first lap. :facepalm:

Did you see who won the championship last season? :vergne:


But yeah, another FE race, another win that's DSQ'd. Checking the standings on Wikipedia, it's funny how they're completely different from the actual results of the races I saw. The whole thing is a massive sh*tshow, and although I've continued to give it second and third chances, I think that will be the last race I watch of this series. The whole thing is still a giant gimmick, no matter what a few big constructors might say against that. Just too much sh*te for me to enjoy it.
Murray Walker at the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix wrote:The other [Stewart] driver, who nobody's been paying attention to, because he's disappointing, is Jan Magnussen.
Felipe Nasr - the least forgettable F1 driver!
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Retrospectively I'm awarding Reject Of The Race for the entire weekend to Emanuele Pirro. It must have been him involved. it must be! Nobody else hands out such ridiculous penalties.

Perkele!
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
Barbazza
Posts: 1636
Joined: 30 Mar 2009, 19:30

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Barbazza »

dr-baker wrote:
dinizintheoven wrote:I find it stranger that Bird causes someone to fall over in the pit lane and the penalty allows him to maintain the lead and the win, while an admin error for Abt and Audi means disqualification from a win. Where's the logic?

(Although I would like to see success for Bird...)


Me too, Abt always seems to get disqualifications for daft reasons - but then, he was the one being friendly to us F1 Rejects forumites. I've said it before, but I think we've collectively cursed him......
User avatar
Barbazza
Posts: 1636
Joined: 30 Mar 2009, 19:30

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Barbazza »

Having criticised their coverage repeatedly last year, and now having finally watched both races today, I have to say well done to C5 for ironing out almost everything I hated about their coverage last year.

Vernon Kay was fine as a presenter and thankfully was at the track rather than sitting in a shed. It seems like they've got access to Sam Bird interviews on a regular basis which is good. Having the commentary team more involved in presentation is also a good move, especially as it means less of dopey Shields than before. And they waited until all the points scoring cars crossed the line before going to an ad break. Let's hope they keep this up.
User avatar
Rob Dylan
Posts: 3477
Joined: 18 May 2014, 15:34
Location: Andy Warhol's basement

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Rob Dylan »

https://www.autosport.com/fe/news/133599/montreal-cancels-planned-fe-season-finale

Montreal has also cancelled its planned Formula E race event for the 2017-18 season. They were supposed to be doing the finale double-header like last season, but it seems the brand-new mayor of Montreal has turned around and said that they don't want it anymore. It also looks like they might be short of a few Canadian Dollars to boot - it appears the organisers still haven't paid the FIA or whomever for the previous race...

Must be a real headache for the FE organisers now, with another race cancelling for the following season. They had a desire to see the same number (I think it was 14?) of races this year, regardless of where they were, but it seems like this is becoming more and more difficult if organisers are being difficult and pulling out.
Murray Walker at the 1997 Austrian Grand Prix wrote:The other [Stewart] driver, who nobody's been paying attention to, because he's disappointing, is Jan Magnussen.
Felipe Nasr - the least forgettable F1 driver!
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Ten days after the Marrakesh race and there hasn't been a single comment. I only do so now because this is the first chance I've had to watch it - I missed the original broadcast due to... just not realising it was on that day, because of the gigantic gap between races. So it wasn't a classic, I admit, but at least the winner was legitimate this time and none of the penalties were completely outrageous.

Already I think we're likely to have a fourth different championship winner, though I'd hope it isn't as the result of some background political machinations.

Also, I'd known of Neel Jani quitting the series after one weekend - not so surprising with the Dragon dropping to the bottom of the pile - but what happened to Kamui Kobayashi? Not a word of where he went.

3rd February for the next round - if I write it here maybe I won't forget. Then, 3rd March...
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
WaffleCat
Posts: 2293
Joined: 08 Jan 2012, 13:02
Location: Singapore

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by WaffleCat »

dinizintheoven wrote:Also, I'd known of Neel Jani quitting the series after one weekend - not so surprising with the Dragon dropping to the bottom of the pile - but what happened to Kamui Kobayashi? Not a word of where he went..


I believe Kamui was just present for Hong Kong only to replace Blomqvist. Why, I've no idea.

Funny how the moment Pechito takes over the Dragon, though, it starts running just as competitive as before. Huh.
My friend's USB drive spoiled, spilled tea on her laptop and had a bird poo in her hand.

What did she do in her past life to deserve this?

Signup for the Random Racing League, Season TWO!!!
User avatar
dr-baker
Posts: 15428
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 17:30
Location: Here and there.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dr-baker »

The next FE car is a strange-looking beast...:

Image

I know that when the A1GP Lola was designed, they wanted the car to be distinctive, but this is beyond that!

EDIT: Rear wing actually reminds me of this FIA proposal from a few years ago. I believe it was called the Centreline Downwash Generating wing (CDG):

Image

Image
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
MCard LOLA
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Great minds think alike - that F1 proposal with the split rear wing was the first thing I thought of.

As for the new car's "distinctiveness", I reckon they were trying to make the car look like it belongs in the next decade, which will be the present decade soon enough. Busy front wings and shark fins aside, how different is a 2017 F1 car to one from 1997? It's not exactly the stark contrast between a mid-1980s car and a mid-1960s car. Think of the new FE design as what F1 might have looked like by now if the designers had had the free rein that they used to - it was either something like this or that Red Bull X-1 (or whatever it was called) that Adrian Newey drew in his free time.

Also, according to Autosport (so it must be true), the halo will have a row of lights set in it, presumably for a similar effect to the single light that's in the roll bar now... whatever it's for.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
UncreativeUsername37
Posts: 3420
Joined: 25 May 2012, 14:36
Location: Earth

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by UncreativeUsername37 »

It reminds me of IndyCar. And I like how it makes the halo work. Though I sort of feel the futuristic look will be retroactively very silly in a few years, as the past's visions of the present (meaning the future, as of the time of writing) tend to be....
Rob Dylan wrote:Mercedes paying homage to the other W12 chassis by breaking down 30 minutes in
User avatar
mario
Posts: 8091
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 17:13

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by mario »

dr-baker wrote:The next FE car is a strange-looking beast...:

Image

I know that when the A1GP Lola was designed, they wanted the car to be distinctive, but this is beyond that!

EDIT: Rear wing actually reminds me of this FIA proposal from a few years ago. I believe it was called the Centreline Downwash Generating wing (CDG):

Image

Image

It seems that, like dinizintheoven, quite a few people are making similar comparisons between that design and the CDG concept. Mind you, I imagine that they might not want to bring up the fact that Migeot's research suggested that the CDG concept basically failed to deliver on any of the claimed benefits of that design.

I agree with dinizintheoven that it looks a lot like aesthetics was a major overriding concern in the design process, and that they deliberately styled the car with the intention of making it look like it would be "futuristic" and distinct from other open wheeled racing cars. However, as UgncreativeUsergname notes, I don't think it is a design that will age that well.

Mind you, I'm not a huge fan of the looks to begin with - it smacks of being designed with aesthetics being more important than performance. It feels as if there were more people from the PR department than the engineering department involved here, with somebody telling the designers that it had to look more "futuristic", "radical" and "aggressive", amid a deluge of publiciocrap.

The original concept that Spark Racing produced for this car was a simpler and more elegant design to me:
Image
Image
Image
When you compare the new car with the original concept, it comes off as trying too hard to look cool and different.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning:
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
User avatar
This Could Be You
Posts: 1373
Joined: 05 Jun 2016, 16:40
Location: Somewhere else

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by This Could Be You »

I have to agree mario- I loved the original concept, and the final design's a bit of a disappointment. Not only is it quite fussy, it also looks bulky in a way that the concept or even the original Spark SRT01 avoided, despite having similarly difficult to package internals. However, I suspect the extra components may not just be PR related- I suspect the original design might not have produced all that much downforce, especially at low speed, necessitating the larger, more complex wings (plus the batteries may be wide enough to impede having large Ground Effect Venturi tunnels under the car, in the same way the Ferrari Flat-12 used to)
Your Signature Here

Named after HRT, now on HRT
User avatar
Ataxia
Not Important
Posts: 6860
Joined: 23 Jun 2010, 12:47
Location: Sneed's Feed & Seed (formerly Chuck's)
Contact:

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Ataxia »

I think the new car's awesome. It's just so...out there. It's everything that a cutting-edge race series should aspire to have as the focal point of its image.

With the general apathy about F1's general looks (although the wider cars look a lot more aggressive, they've probably not generated the attention desired) it's great to see FE come up with a real pin-up star. This, along with the new IndyCar and *cough* the new Dallara F2 2018 *cough*, means we've got a really exciting set of new cars in the bigger single-seater categories.
Mitch Hedberg wrote:I want to be a race car passenger: just a guy who bugs the driver. Say man, can I turn on the radio? You should slow down. Why do we gotta keep going in circles? Man, you really like Tide...
User avatar
Salamander
Posts: 9570
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 20:59
Location: trapped on some prison island

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Salamander »

It's the second-best looking racecar I've seen in my life.

The best, of course, being the Ford GT:
Image

(Although after watching the Daytona 24 Hours, I can do without seeing the interior ever again :P )
Sebastian Vettel wrote:If I was good at losing I wouldn't be in Formula 1.
Everything's great.
I'm not surprised about anything.
User avatar
Butterfox
Site Donor
Site Donor
Posts: 6192
Joined: 30 Nov 2009, 19:45
Location: Stupid, sexy Flanders.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by Butterfox »

I find it easy on the eye. Whilst not particularly striking. Also i think the original concept looks messy and complex and this one looks more simple. The simple looks and flowing lines will make it commercially 'easy to understand'. The rear section could have been more elegant though.

Futuristic? Nah it's not that significantly different from an Indycar.
I don't know what i want and i want it now!
andrew
Posts: 1648
Joined: 18 Mar 2012, 19:34

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by andrew »

How long until Di Grassi rage quits Audi?
User avatar
dr-baker
Posts: 15428
Joined: 29 Mar 2009, 17:30
Location: Here and there.

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dr-baker »

Wotta Lotterer tension in those final laps!
watka wrote:I find it amusing that whilst you're one of the more openly Christian guys here, you are still first and foremost associated with an eye for the ladies!
dinizintheoven wrote:GOOD CHRISTIANS do not go to jail. EVERYONE ON FORMULA ONE REJECTS should be in jail.
MCard LOLA
User avatar
dinizintheoven
Posts: 3982
Joined: 09 Dec 2010, 01:24

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by dinizintheoven »

Race four has happened. UK viewers, did you notice? There it was, hiding on Spike, presumably because Channel 5 didn't want to disrupt their Saturday evening prolefeed for what turned out to be a race worthy of the anything-could-happen-and-it-usually-does first season. Go, yon heathens, and dial up My5, because it seems to be working on browsers other than Internet Exploder now.

How many of you thought that it was inevitable, during season 2, that Renault e.dams would steamroller the competition for the next few years? I know I did. How many of you assumed they would be the team to record the first ever one-two finish that had eluded the series for its first three seasons? I know I did. And I wonder if Alain Prost regrets the possibly nepotistic move to put his son in the second car when he's never quite looked up to the job after the relative success of the first season.

How many of you thought that the second team in line for the first ever one-two finish would be Audi Sport Abt Schaeffler Shannon Forti or whatever it is they're calling themselves now? I know I did. How many of you thought that at this point of the season, they'd have to hold yet another post-mortem on why their cars are looking to be every bit as useless as the (in)famous green-and-white F1 cars of 1996 they've chosen to resemble? To finish first, first you have to finish. Actually, just finishing tenth requires finishing, even with the propensity for FE races to contain several wrecks from the narrow streets, occasional rejectfully-designed hairpins and cars that can run right under the arse of the one in front without suffering any effects from dirty air.

How many of you thought that, after four races, the only driver with zero points on the board who's competed at more than just the opening double-header would be the defending champion, the one who probably shouldn't have been champion when he was, but should have been champion when he wasn't?

How many of you thought that Jaguar might have a shot at a win this season?

How many of you thought that the rule about minimum pit-stop times would be scrapped midway through the season, and it wouldn't cause chaos?

And finally, how many of you have a strange knack of making predictions (of sorts) that don't turn out to be true at the time they're meant to be, but happened later? To recap: in 2008 (on the Final Gear forum, because this one didn't exist yet - SEE NOTE BELOW) I wrote a fantasy version of the 2009 F1 season in which Super Aguri was taken over by Chinese owners and remoulded in their image. It happened... in 2016, to the FE team that was originally founded as Super Aguri on the initial entry lists. In one of the F1RMGP seasons I made a new team from the unlikely merger of Prost and DAMS, called it SPAM (Société Prost-Arnoux Motorsport), and sure enough, when the initial FE entry lists were published, there was Alain Prost teaming up with half of the Driot-Arnoux partnership, even if it was the other one to what I'd intended, and the team had a vaguely food-related name (jokes about Spam not being real food can be addressed to that brick wall over there). And in the Fantasy Formula E That Used To Be Fantasy Formula 1 Until Bernie Objected competition that nobody seems to bother with any more, I predicted Jean-Éric Vergne would be the champion of the second season...

Race five is in exactly one month, in Mexico. As that means it'll be in the evening again, expect it also to be on Spike. Forewarned is forearmed.


NOTE BELOW: some of that post has strangely disappeared, probably in the transition from one forum software type to another. The descriptions for Ferrari, BMW, Toro Rosso and Honda have all vanished - but I do remember Kimi Räikkönen was driving for Ferrari and had #27 with Fernando Alonso as his team-mate (which wasn't such a radical prediction at that stage), I think BMW had 29/30 to match the old Sauber numbers, Toro Rosso had 23/24 as Minardi had done, and Honda had the improbably 1/2 with World Champion Felipe Massa and Sébastien Bourdais as his team-mate, bringing in McDonald's sponsorship from his Champ Car days that adorned one side of the car with the Earth Dreams malarkey on the other so it was given a split livery like the BAR 001. The rest of the details have been lost to the electronic ether. Perkele!

FURTHER NOTE BELOW THAT ONE: scroll further down the post...
The original plan here was to have Jenson Button moving to McMerc, then I remembered Lewis and Nico's "bestest buddies forever" lark at Melbourne and figured they'd be better team-mates.
Remember: this was written in 2008. You can call me Nostradamus if you like.
James Allen, on his favourite F1 engine of all time:
"...the Life W12, I can't describe the noise to you, but imagine filling your dustbin with nuts and bolts, and then throwing it down the stairs, it was something akin to that!"
User avatar
mario
Posts: 8091
Joined: 31 Oct 2009, 17:13

Re: The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

Post by mario »

This Could Be You wrote:I have to agree mario- I loved the original concept, and the final design's a bit of a disappointment. Not only is it quite fussy, it also looks bulky in a way that the concept or even the original Spark SRT01 avoided, despite having similarly difficult to package internals. However, I suspect the extra components may not just be PR related- I suspect the original design might not have produced all that much downforce, especially at low speed, necessitating the larger, more complex wings (plus the batteries may be wide enough to impede having large Ground Effect Venturi tunnels under the car, in the same way the Ferrari Flat-12 used to)

As I understand things, the main objective for the new aero package wasn't around increasing the amount of downforce that the cars produced, but more focussed on reducing the amount of drag that the bodywork produced as part of a package of measures to improve the range of the cars by reducing drag losses. The efficiency of the overall package seems to have been the original objective, so in that respect enlarging the wings and making them more complex would seem to partially go against the original design brief. https://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/ne ... 73123/?s=1

The battery size may have been an issue - there are reports that they have increased the number of cells for the new cars slightly in order to increase the capacity, which also means the new car is reportedly badly overweight (there were suggestions that it was 42kg over their original target https://www.motorsport.com/formula-e/ne ... 92966/?s=1 ). It means that, rather than reducing the weight by 40kg, as had been the original objective, the new car has gained weight and now sits at 930kg.
There have been a few mentions of problems with cooling as well, since the enlarged battery pack and increased discharge rates means that the cooling requirements of the pack has increased: that may have driven a move towards enlarged cooling ducts, which may have also compromised the design in some ways.

That said, there have been some parties who have noticed that the edges of the floor do seem to be sculpted with a slight upwards curve at the front, suggesting that they have attempted to introduce some degree of sculpting to the underfloor (even though it may not be entirely ideal).

The final design does seem to be a bit polarising - I see that some posters here seem to be rather pleased with it, though I am leaning more towards your opinion and feel that the new design looks overly stylised.
Martin Brundle, on watching a replay of Grosjean spinning:
"The problem with Grosjean is that he want to take a look back at the corner he's just exited"
Post Reply