The Lucas di Grassi Formula E Thread

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 26 Oct 2014, 20:57

Simtek wrote:A few days ago while the forum was infected the layout for the Miami circuit was unveiled: http://www.crash.net/crash/news/210035/ ... ealed.html

It's a bit too street-circuity for my liking, but then again so was Beijing, which I enjoyed.

The reason it is a bit street-circuitry may be because it is a street circuit :lol:

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 26 Oct 2014, 21:04

andrew wrote:
Simtek wrote:A few days ago while the forum was infected the layout for the Miami circuit was unveiled: http://www.crash.net/crash/news/210035/ ... ealed.html

It's a bit too street-circuity for my liking, but then again so was Beijing, which I enjoyed.

The reason it is a bit street-circuitry may be because it is a street circuit

Touché.
OK then, allow me to rephrase: It's got a bit too many 90-degree turns for my liking.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 28 Oct 2014, 01:13

i'm just sad they redeveloped the semi-permanent bit that IMSA Camel GT and CART/ICWS used.

it's a little "mickey mouse" and back-and-forth-ish, but it's a lot better than just 8 turns.
also, as you could probably tell, the map of the track on the website isn't an accurate map of the current "Museum park road"..... and by that i mean that road no longer exists. way to get my hopes up and check google earth, FIA.

andrew · Post by **andrew** » 17 Nov 2014, 17:11

Formula E makes its return this weekend in Malaysia after a very long break. Prost has his 10 place grid penalty after his incident with quick nick. Antonio Felix da costs will race instead of Sato according to the fan boost page. Although Almin aguri have 3 drivers listed on there, the others being Leimer and Legge.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 19 Nov 2014, 09:31

All those of you on the same lump of North Atlantic rock as me: ITV4, Saturday, five in the morning. Highlights will be shown later, but this is where the hardcore Formula E fans reside... right?

Backmarker · Post by **Backmarker** » 19 Nov 2014, 10:26

I feel like the gap between races has been too great, a lot of the excitement that was generated at Beijing has completely died down now. At least the other gaps between races are a bit more sensible.

roblo97 · Post by **roblo97** » 19 Nov 2014, 11:27

dinizintheoven wrote:All those of you on the same lump of North Atlantic rock as me: ITV4, Saturday, five in the morning. Highlights will be shown later, but this is where the hardcore Formula E fans reside... right?

Yeah, I am planning on doing an all nighter before the raceas well

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 19 Nov 2014, 14:22

dinizintheoven wrote:All those of you on the same lump of North Atlantic rock as me: ITV4, Saturday, five in the morning. Highlights will be shown later, but this is where the hardcore Formula E fans reside... right?

Right! FE and F1 qually on the same day!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Nov 2014, 10:45

Autosport have reported that it will now be compulsory to use FanBoost if you are lucky enough to gain it. This is apparently is response to it not being used at all by the drivers in the last round in Beijing.

MorbidelliObese · Post by **MorbidelliObese** » 21 Nov 2014, 10:51

Haha no wonder that I actually enjoyed the first race more than I thought I would, nobody used the CrapBoost - I'd already figured that Senna wouldn't have had the chance, Legge was always going to be miles back anyway, but pleased to know di Grassi won without it.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 21 Nov 2014, 11:35

MorbidelliObese wrote:Haha no wonder that I actually enjoyed the first race more than I thought I would, nobody used the CrapBoost - I'd already figured that Senna wouldn't have had the chance, Legge was always going to be miles back anyway, but pleased to know di Grassi won without it.

Legge and di Grassi had battery concerns that prevented them from using it in the first place, I think. Not that it would've made any difference anyway.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 21 Nov 2014, 18:29

AND it looks like they're ditching the formation lap, because it took too long last time (worries about energy conservation). Will instead just form up, move forward five rows of the grid then start. Drivers don't seem keen. Story on Autosport before on Formula E's own site, it seems.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 05:54

FanBoost has been given to Senna, Legge (both had it last time - wonder if this will be consistent?) and Heidfeld (the sympathy vote?). And Servia on pole with Bird alongside on front row.

Post by **Londoner** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:09

Goddamnit Brabham, you had a perfect chance to take Senna out, and you hit Heidfeld instead.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:11

And the safety car picks up the wrong driver! And one woman driver gets caught out and hits the other woman driver on lap 1.

And why so many laps behind the safety car? Get going already!

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:19

Poor Heidfeld

Post by **Londoner** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:19

ARGH FRANCK WHY.

apple2009 · Post by **apple2009** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:20

dr-baker wrote:Autosport have reported that it will now be compulsory to use FanBoost if you are lucky enough to gain it. This is apparently is response to it not being used at all by the drivers in the last round in Beijing.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:20

What does Heidfeld need to do to finish a FE race?

sw3ishida · Post by **sw3ishida** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:21

dr-baker wrote:And the safety car picks up the wrong driver! And one woman driver gets caught out and hits the other woman driver on lap 1.

And why so many laps behind the safety car? Get going already!

Add Heidfeld to this post and it's like a compilation at all the rejectfulness for these first 9 laps

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:23

sw3ishida wrote:
dr-baker wrote:And the safety car picks up the wrong driver! And one woman driver gets caught out and hits the other woman driver on lap 1.

And why so many laps behind the safety car? Get going already!

Add Heidfeld to this post and it's like a compilation at all the rejectfulness for these first 9 laps

True. And that is either clever or rejectful for Abt, have to wait to see (early car change at end of lap 10). And safety car in quicker this time !

Post by **Londoner** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:42

Oh god, Formula E's got F1-style stewards. EURGH.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:43

Penalty for Trulli, not for causing a Trulli Train but for an energy infringement.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:52

Senna just passed Prost on track!!!

Post by **Londoner** » 22 Nov 2014, 06:58

Senna bins it hard on the final lap. Idiot. :roll:

Great win by Sam Bird, no-one had an answer to him today.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:05

A great race, full of action. Much better covered than in Beijing. And still no music from FE's DJ/"eJ"!

Although the cars still seem so, so quiet, even relative to F1!

Zergon · Post by **Zergon** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:12

Loved the racing, so much stuff happining and not a single boring spot during the whole race (well, maybe safety car moments but I really needed those to catch up :lol:

). Standings updating wrong were the only thing that kept annoying me as it made it bit hard to know who was were behind the leading pack (at one point, Buami was 17th lap down according to standings and then few laps later he as suddenly 10th and on the lead lap for example). I would also loved to hear if that first turn cutting from Prost, Di Grassi and D´Ambrosio actually led to anything. I guess not since they didn´t get any penalties during the race but it would had been nice to get a confirmation from that. Still, watching that race was a great way to spend Saturday morning and I will certainly watch the next race too.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:17

British national anthem was cut short. Bird's mechanics continue singing anthem anyway! And some nice trophies again.

WaffleCat · Post by **WaffleCat** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:31

Great race, seriously amazing. It had everything. Everything. Last lap crash, exciting battles all around, a superb drive, and its fair share of rejectfulness. It was probably one of the best races I have ever seen.

As I said on the chat, this race has just got me back into motor racing. And back to F1Rejects. So, never thought I'd say this a year ago, but thank you Formula E.

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:39

WaffleCat wrote:
As I said on the chat, this race has just got me back into motor racing. And back to F1Rejects. So, never thought I'd say this a year ago, but thank you Formula E.

Just hoping that the Abu Double Grand Points race isn't an anti-climax after that. Although it will be hard to match a race like that!

And back to bed I go...

Post by **Ataxia** » 22 Nov 2014, 07:48

dr-baker wrote:And the safety car picks up the wrong driver! And one woman driver gets caught out and hits the other woman driver on lap 1.

Nuthin' like a bit o' girl on girl!

Really enjoyed that race, definitely worth getting up for! Gutted for Nick though, he might have been in with a shout of a podium today. Bird flew away with it today.

Paul Hayes · Post by **Paul Hayes** » 22 Nov 2014, 12:49

Just watched a recording of today's race while waiting for the F1 qualifying to start. Some thoughts...

Another entertaining race, although no battle for the lead this time, as Bird had it all wrapped-up.

I like the idea of the aeons-long warm-up lap being done-away with, and the safety car seemed to be brought in quite quickly when all was ready to go racing again, too.

Is there a Curse of the Fan Boost? Everyone who has it seems to go on to have an awful race. Poor Heidfeld, walloped out of it again through no fault of his own.

The coverage still needs some work - the director never seems to be quite on top of what's going on. I don't know if he or she simply has a smaller team working with them than in bigger series such as F1, so fewer people monitoring sources and helping to work out what to cut to when, etc.

Franchitti seemed to make an odd error, too - did he keep talking about Senna doing so well with a damaged car, when the hit with the wall actually happened with Senna's first car, before the stops?

Nicki Shields, the pit lane interviewer, might need to work on her tact when speaking to the celebs in attendance - "Apparently you're a very famous actress here in Malaysia?"

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 22 Nov 2014, 15:10

I'm sure we all said it before last time - Formula E will still have a few teething troubles, the most obvious at the moment being the shonky telemmetry (no, Oriol, you don't really have a full battery after five laps!), the "F1-style stewarding" that's already been pointed out, and the inescapable fact that this mid-race car changing will most likely be with us for a few seasons yet. But if they can pull off that kind of race every time - or even most of the time - that'll be throwing down the gauntlet to F1 and saying "beat that!"

The significance of the race winner is certainly not lost on me either. I remember when Timo Glock re-signed for "Marussia Virgin Racing" as it was still called at the end of the 2011 season, he said the team's ultimate goal was still to score their first podium at the 2014 Russian Grand Prix. We all know how that has turned out. So as the Manor/Virgin/Marussia F1 story slams shut, Virgin Racing lives again and is a winning team at the second attempt - with one of their previous F1 drivers as the first ever winner. If I was Richard Branson I'd be a lot happier right now than four years ago.

I also want to see a lot more dicing between Senna and Prost. That's the battle that sparked my interest in F1 in the first pace, coming up for a quarter of a century ago!

dr-baker · Post by **dr-baker** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:25

It's occurred to me that Nick Heidfeld could probably have been in the top-3 of the championship at this stage if he had not been taken out of each race. If he becomes a title challenger, I hope these races don't decide the outcome...

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:32

dr-baker wrote:It's occurred to me that Nick Heidfeld could probably have been in the top-3 of the championship at this stage if he had not been taken out of each race. If he becomes a title challenger, I hope these races don't decide the outcome...

I'm beginning to worry that his condition has worsened from never winning races to never finishing them.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:36

dr-baker wrote:It's occurred to me that Nick Heidfeld could probably have been in the top-3 of the championship at this stage if he had not been taken out of each race. If he becomes a title challenger, I hope these races don't decide the outcome...

In a 9-race season? Of course they will.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:37

Salamander wrote:
dr-baker wrote:It's occurred to me that Nick Heidfeld could probably have been in the top-3 of the championship at this stage if he had not been taken out of each race. If he becomes a title challenger, I hope these races don't decide the outcome...

In a 9-race season? Of course they will.

I say bring back dropped scores solely to improve Nick's chances!

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:40

I thought it was a great race, really feisty stuff from most of the drivers and an improvement on Beijing. The fan-boost thing, I think, needs to be abandoned though. Unless some of the younger fans want to correct me and tell me they think it's a great idea it reeks of something some old bezzer has concocted because he thinks thats what engaging with da kids looks like.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:44

CoopsII wrote:I thought it was a great race, really feisty stuff from most of the drivers and an improvement on Beijing. The fan-boost thing, I think, needs to be abandoned though. Unless some of the younger fans want to correct me and tell me they think it's a great idea it reeks of something some old bezzer has concocted because he thinks thats what engaging with da kids looks like.

I'm a younger fan and yes it is bullshit, worse than DRS. Thankfully it hasn't had a massive impact on the racing (yet).

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 22 Nov 2014, 16:45

dr-baker wrote:Penalty for Trulli, not for causing a Trulli Train but for an energy infringement.

Shouldn't we now be calling it a Trulli E-Train?