2014 launch thread

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 11:55

Watching Autosport's feed. Yay!

Just found out Hamilton's crashed. Likely technical failure.

AustralianStig · Post by **AustralianStig** » 28 Jan 2014, 12:10

eytl wrote:Just returned to the opening posts of this thread and noticed this right from the top:

AustralianStig wrote:Oh my...

https://twitter.com/clubforce/status/42 ... 96/photo/1

... The nose actually looks pretty good too from that angle.

Can't wait to see more!

Would you like to review that?

The nose still looks good from that angle

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 28 Jan 2014, 12:29

From where I'm seating, something seemed to get loose at the back of Hamilton's car, lots of pieces on the track, then a cloud of smoke. I actually missed him going off the track, but it became obvious from the skidmarks.

The Mercedes sounds beautifully, it's a pity that I won't hear more of it today. I've got a couple of soundclips though. The Toro Rosso wasn't that good but I believe Vergne wasn't going for it. All the others haven't gone down the main straight yet. Well, Kimi does as a write - dpn't love the sound, but we'll see when he pushes more.

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 13:00

Front wing failure from the Mercedes.

Caterham have already ate lunch and are close to revealing their car according to a Tweet.

watka · Post by **watka** » 28 Jan 2014, 13:28

go_Rubens wrote:Front wing failure from the Mercedes.

Hopefully this isn't some fundamental fault with the wing design as it's the only one that looks in any way natural. I think we can be hopeful as Hamilton always has some sort of incident on the first day of testing, so it can't be the car's fault. :lol:

AxelP800 · Post by **AxelP800** » 28 Jan 2014, 13:34

Force India: Another sticking out 'Pinocchio' (I'll call those things Pinocchio from now

)
Mercedes: Normal flowing nose. But those two camera mountings? We have to wait...
Ferrari: Stepped down nose. Still normal
Red Bull: Pinocchio II
Toro Rosso: Baseball bat
Williams: Pinocchio III
Lotus: New form of tuning forks
McLaren: Short Pinocchio
Sauber: Horizontal stalacmite
Caterham: Suspended bridge

That's my opinion on 2014 cars. For now

VirtuaMcPolygon · Post by **VirtuaMcPolygon** » 28 Jan 2014, 13:39

I just hope Caterham out Dong them all. :mrgreen:

VirtuaMcPolygon · Post by **VirtuaMcPolygon** » 28 Jan 2014, 14:04

This one is growing on me… reminds me of an animal who's bits slide out of nowhere…

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 14:13

Ewww... Caterham, you disappoint me.

Williams is about to reveal.

McLaren unlikely to run thanks to electrical/hydraulic issues. It sounds like 2005 all over again!

Post by **Londoner** » 28 Jan 2014, 14:13

Well, that's one well-hung car Caterham have there. They better hope they're not stuck at the back this year...

Seriously, that car could end up on the Sex Offender's Register. Yeesh.

EDIT: Having seen pictures of it on track, that's a worrying lack of sponsorship on the car.

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 28 Jan 2014, 14:33

After several stints sounding rough, Vergne goes out again and stops in the track.

Post by **Ataxia** » 28 Jan 2014, 14:38

From the shape of the bulkhead, it seems Caterham could have the scope to implement a Ferrari/Mercedes nose if they wished...

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:03

Williams finally on track. Beautiful dark blue livery, but the lack of sponsors is worrying. And I guess this will be their usual interim livery.

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:04

Any pictures of the new Williams?

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:04

VirtuaMcPolygon wrote:

It seems all that speculation on the F1 Technical forum wasn't too wide of the mark... except the one thing that nobody saw was a still-obvious 2013-esque step.

"Fans of H.R. Giger will be impressed", allegedly. Abiteboul from you there, Cyril.

AdrianSutil · Post by **AdrianSutil** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:13

Well Mercedes win the award for best design. Caterham's looks so left-field I would love it to be the best one whilst Foreindia and ToroRosso are just doing it their way to annoy everyone.

Wallio · Post by **Wallio** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:32

AdrianSutil wrote:Well Mercedes win the award for best design. Caterham's looks so left-field I would love it to be the best one whilst Foreindia and ToroRosso are just doing it their way to annoy everyone.

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The Dumbo ears kill it. I was one of the biggest fans of the pre-'09 cars with all there flip-ups and such, but now that cars are "clean" the Merc's winglets stand-out and to me look ghastly. And are they even legal? To me, the RBR looks the best, because Newey made the nose what it is supposed to be, the crash structure and nothing more. If you look at it quick enough, you can't even notice the "package". On track at speed, I doubt you will see it.

I must say though, the Catheram is growing on me. All the winglets and channels under the nose lead me to believe its fairly radical, and that means they're actually trying this year. Good on them.

Of course all that being said, I still think the Lotus is the most bad@$$, especially if they flip the nose based on circuits.

That being said, I must say I think we as F1 fans are dangerously close to becoming todays video gamers. Spoiled ninnies who are never happy. We have clamored for years to have the cars look different, and now each and everyone does, and not just in the nose, but sidepods and rear-end packaging too, and we're now bitching that they look ghastly. (Not so much on here, but F1 sites in general) I for one applaud this new design trend.

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:42

It's started to rain at Jerez. Now it's stopped, but with the track dump, no one is going to risk a crash in the remaining minutes, so this is the end of day one.

EDIT: As I was about to leave, Force India go out again!

And one installation lap for Red Bull.

And Pérez nearly spins!

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:46

Wallio wrote:
AdrianSutil wrote:Well Mercedes win the award for best design. Caterham's looks so left-field I would love it to be the best one whilst Foreindia and ToroRosso are just doing it their way to annoy everyone.

I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The Dumbo ears kill it. I was one of the biggest fans of the pre-'09 cars with all there flip-ups and such, but now that cars are "clean" the Merc's winglets stand-out and to me look ghastly. And are they even legal?

The FIA modified th regulations this year saying that the front wing camera mounts had to be within X and Y proportions on the front wing, which basically for Mercedes meant that they had no choice but to use the cameras on the front wing right there because of the strict FIA rules. The FIA did this so the teams didn't use the cameras as aerodynamic devices. If anyone is to blame, it's the FIA. But even then, I wouldn't blame them.

To me, the RBR looks the best, because Newey made the nose what it is supposed to be, the crash structure and nothing more. If you look at it quick enough, you can't even notice the "package". On track at speed, I doubt you will see it.

This is exactly why I like the Red Bull's design. And Newey's genius. I was also wrong in my prediction that the Toro Rosso was inspired off the Red Bull; they are completely different based on the front.

I must say though, the Catheram is growing on me. All the winglets and channels under the nose lead me to believe its fairly radical, and that means they're actually trying this year. Good on them.

Well, that may certainly be true, but their driver lineup makes me wonder whether they really tried. Well, Ericsson is probably there for money; he has very little F1 experience beforehand, and was average in GP2. Kobayashi is a very good choice though. Frijns is a good reserve. But when they selected Ericsson I kinda cringed and thought this was going to be just like the past 4 years.

That being said, I must say I think we as F1 fans are dangerously close to becoming todays video gamers. Spoiled ninnies who are never happy. We have clamored for years to have the cars look different, and now each and everyone does, and not just in the nose, but sidepods and rear-end packaging too, and we're now bitching that they look ghastly. (Not so much on here, but F1 sites in general) I for one applaud this new design trend.

This I can agree with. Your comparison to video gamers there is certainly true, especially for Code,aster's games (although the reasons there are very clear cut). I guess now that I think of it, I am now more in love (if I wasn't before) with the new technical rules. They allowed for the cars to look different because of many different solutions that could work in the long run. Fantastic.

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 28 Jan 2014, 15:59

Wow. I've just seen the new Mercedes-Benz and it is the best-looking of the 2014 cars so far (unless that nose is a draft and they plan to have an anteater one added soon). Funny how Hamilton crashed in his Merc at Jerez last year as well! :lol:

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 28 Jan 2014, 16:32

Wizzie wrote:

You couldn't make it up if you tried, could you?

this is exactly what i was worried about.
also, the Merc is the best looking car on the grid.
i did notice the RB10's exposed carbon fibre appendage.....maybe it's a metaphor.

LionZoo · Post by **LionZoo** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:30

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:31

The Force India is a shambles. Whoever felt that was a good design should hang their head in shame. They've literally taken last year's nose and bolted a dildo onto the end of it and painted it black.

The Caterham is just weird, I don't mind the legal section running down to the front wing so much (though they could do with blending it into the wing itself a little more) but it's more the top section. It doesn't flow at all - you have the boxy bulkhead and then the smooth curve underneath it. Hands down the ugliest.

Post by **tommykl** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:41

You know what the Caterham reminds me of? The Ferraris circa 1979-80.

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:46

It just keeps getting worse and worse. :shock:

madcat · Post by **madcat** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:48

Is it just me?

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:54

To remind Taki Inoue that F1 isn't truly over yet :lol:

And I like the winglets on the front wing to support the cameras.

madcat · Post by **madcat** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:57

I have to admit, from all so far, the Mercedes seems by far the nicest.

AndreaModa · Post by **AndreaModa** » 28 Jan 2014, 17:59

The only thing I don't really like about the Mercedes is the careless splurge of black paint on the engine cover, clearly to ensure the Mercedes logo is easier to see than black on silver like it always has been.

Wallio · Post by **Wallio** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:21

AndreaModa wrote:The only thing I don't really like about the Mercedes is the careless splurge of black paint on the engine cover, clearly to ensure the Mercedes logo is easier to see than black on silver like it always has been.

I like that the best Makes it look like they "scrapped" the paint off, like the old Silver Arrows.

go_Rubens wrote:
I have to respectfully disagree with you there. The Dumbo ears kill it. I was one of the biggest fans of the pre-'09 cars with all there flip-ups and such, but now that cars are "clean" the Merc's winglets stand-out and to me look ghastly. And are they even legal?

The FIA modified th regulations this year saying that the front wing camera mounts had to be within X and Y proportions on the front wing, which basically for Mercedes meant that they had no choice but to use the cameras on the front wing right there because of the strict FIA rules. The FIA did this so the teams didn't use the cameras as aerodynamic devices. If anyone is to blame, it's the FIA. But even then, I wouldn't blame them.

.[/quote]

Ah, I didn't know that. I wonder if there is any drawback to being forced to run them there, especially on a nose as contoured as Mercs.

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:24

You know, with these ugly cars, I can't fathom that during the reveal, the drivers would stand there and smile as if the car looks like a masterpiece. If I was a Force India driver, I'd give a creepy smirk, but none more.

James1978 · Post by **James1978** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:33

Well I can stomach most of them but the Force India is the biggest eyesore I've seen in a long time. Wish they'd kept the previous livery without the black now. And they were the midfield team I was the most excited about as well.

Wallio · Post by **Wallio** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:42

After going on F1.com and seeing the Williams, I may have to change my vote. I really like it. Weird seeing an F1 car with the number 77 though. That's going to take some time to get used to.

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:45

Back at home now.

Those last few minutes of running were the most intense of the day. It's telling that Red Bull, Williams and Force India decided that they were better off doing a few laps just after the rain had fell (it wasn't too wet, but still) instead of taking it safe. Pérez had a moment in the penultimate corner, he was a bit sideways there. And the Red Bull sounded AWFUL in those three laps Vettel did, I was surprised that he did two consecutive laps without stopping.

The Mercedes engines sounded louder and better than the Renaults and the Ferraris, maybe they were running higher RPM, maybe they are more powerful, or maybe both, but I really liked them. Coupled with the best-looking car in the Mercedes, I won't be disappointed to see them winning this year!

Post by **mario** » 28 Jan 2014, 18:59

eytl wrote:
Shizuka wrote:Am I the only one, who finds the Mercedes W05 as a sleek design?

No, I think it's gorgeous.

And, for that matter, if you avoid looking at the nose the Toro Rosso is an absolutely beautiful car as well. It's the closest thing I've seen in many, many years to a car that resembles a late-1980s, early-1990s look.

What's with the Force India, though? Not only does it win the ugliest nose award hands down (now we know why they've incorporated black into the colour scheme), it looks terribly bulbous and ill-fitting in the engine cover department. Reminds me of the Life L190 ...

I have to agree that the Mercedes W05 is probably the best looking car in the field - Red Bull's car also looks quite well packaged too, and I'd agree that, if you could get rid of the extension on the Toro Rosso's nose, that car would also look quite striking too.

tommykl wrote:You know what the Caterham reminds me of? The Ferraris circa 1979-80.

It does have a certain vibe of the 312T4/T5 about it - to be honest, the more I look at it, the stranger and stranger their car looks. OK, that nose design might allow a reasonable amount of air to pass beneath the nose, but the sidepods seem to be incredibly bloated and the packaging of the car as a whole looks very ungainly (hopefully they've just been extra conservative for the test sessions and intend to tighten that up as time goes on).
It seems a few are wondering if Caterham are perhaps hoping for a reliable enough car and hope to make up places through sheer attrition if there are as many problems as expected during the first few races (we've already seen most teams struggle to post more than ten laps today due to persistent mechanical and electronic issues, with McLaren not even making it out of the garage today).

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 28 Jan 2014, 19:40

I think of a pontoon plane when I see the Caterham.

Hamilton's crash:
http://youtu.be/Y21HsqofIvE

WeirdKerr · Post by **WeirdKerr** » 28 Jan 2014, 19:58

Jocke1 wrote:I think of a pontoon plane when I see the Caterham.

Hamilton's crash:
http://youtu.be/Y21HsqofIvE

the caterham looks like an upside down march 711 in green....

S951 · Post by **S951** » 28 Jan 2014, 20:39

Merc W05 easily my favourite of the new lot, of the Dong noses Williams looks good

want to see what Marussia is like though seeing as they've been low nose for years now

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 28 Jan 2014, 20:48

I agree that the Mercedes is the only acceptable face of F1 2014 at the moment. Still 2 more attempts to emulate the Footwork Porsche and get my undying support - I'm rooting for Marussia personally!

Aerospeed · Post by **Aerospeed** » 28 Jan 2014, 21:14

Red Bull, Mercedes and Williams look like the best so far in terms of looks. The more I look at the Ferrari, the better it becomes, though it is still an eyesore. But as I can recall from one of my winter camps, "being ugly means it'll work better." I had a plaid sleeping bag that everyone made fun of... until the next more when everyone froze and I didn't.

The Caterham looks like someone's lego car slapped together and they were short on pieces :lol:

How rejectful!