The F1 season 2004

Looking at the data logs for our hillclimb car I see that we can reach 60mph in between 2 and 2.25 seconds after travelling 25-30 metres. This without any 'driver aids'. We're 'hooked up', IOW the wheelspin is pretty much gone, by 1.5 seconds/15 metres.

An F1 car is probably of similar performance. The grid is spaced at 16 metre intervals. This means that if you start from the third row you could legally be in full 'traction control' mode by half way between the second and first rows.

Getting off the line involves something slipping, either wheelspin or clutch slip. I don't think it's possible to ride a carbon clutch 'by hand' during a dry start, but it would certainly be possible to electronically manage the clutch engagement in a pre-programmed way. And equally possible to destroy the clutch in short order....

I know a man who knows the answer to the Renault question, but it seems rude to ask it and more fun to speculate.

Paul

 

It can't be "someone at an F1 team", so it must "someone else at an F1 team" or "someone at another F1 team". Oh well, I guess we'll get to read about it after the end of the season.

 

I think some form of pre-programmed electronic clutch engagement is probably what Renault must be using. That would be legal (I think) because it's technically neither traction control nor launch control.

Michael.

 

The German press quotes Montoya as saying Button is "mad" for going back to Williams. He should be in a position to know.

Some of the reasons which may be behind Button's move:

• a dispute over payment. Button's contract seems to include a point bonus payment. Apparently it was based on the old points system. The current system awards more points to drivers. Richards' position seems to be that Button should be paid as if the old points system was still in place. The difference in calculation methods seems to have accumulated to a not-inconsiderable 3 mill. dollars
• emotional pressure (if we have to pay you this much, there's no money left for Christmas bonuses for the other guys)
• Richards is said to have asked Button to agree to a lower salary.

I can see why Button doesn't feel appreciated for his part in the team's progress. Apparently, he has only been responsible for $60,000 of damages to the cars whereas Sato has run up a tab of a cool million dollars ...

The contract loophole is said to be a clause in Button's contract which requires BAR to have a firm commitment from a major supplier for its engines. The Honda contract is said to state that Honda "intends to supply", not "will supply" BAR with engines next season. If this is true, it's sloppy management by Richards and/or the law firm that is handling the contracts. BAR should have asked Honda for a clause which is in accordance with the requirements of Button's contract. If Honda was unwilling to agree to such a clause, Button should have been approached for an amendment to his contract.

Of course, the latter would only work if Button was happy at his present team, which is where we came in.

 

A replacement for Button also seems to be hard to find. The grapevine has Häkkinen doing a test for BAR. Häkkinen apparently has "a Hugo and a boss at home", which may explain why he wants to get back into racing. But I very much doubt that Häkkinen would be a solution for more than one or, at most, two seasons.

JV seems to be favoured by BAT but loathed by the team. No a good position to start from. Coulthard would not be my first choice, either; he makes sense only if Sato also leaves the team.

Italian newspapers are speculating about Barrichello but that doesn't make much sense. Trulli wás approached but said no, I'm going to Toyota, thank you.

Richards will have to come up with some very good ideas soon.

 

I think it's somewhat ironic that Montoya is saying Button is "mad" to leav BAR for Williams. One could very well have said the same thing about his move from Williams to McLaren until the MP4-19B came out and even then, as Hungary showed, they're not out of the woods yet.

Michael.

 

There also seems to be some talk about Adrian Newey leaving McLaren for Williams. His contract ends Aug. 2005.

If this indeed happens, the outcome will be just too ironic for words.

 

Bernie's contract with the Hungarian GP promoters has now been prolongued until 2011. Seven more years of boredom.

 

Hi Markus,

"There also seems to be some talk about Adrian Newey leaving McLaren for Williams. His contract ends Aug. 2005.
If this indeed happens, the outcome will be just too ironic for words."

A lot of that depends on how good Adrian Newey really is. The best technical directors tend be better at seeing the bigger picture, able to recruit the best technical people and the best at motivating them to work together as a team. Detail people aren't necessarily the best at this!

Ian

 

More details about Buttongate are leaking out. The disputed payments were about 1.2 million dollars, not 3 as I previously wrote, and were hastily paid when Button announced his move.

Can you believe it? Richards pissing off his driver over such a sum when he'll certainly have to pay way more than that to get a reasonable replacement?

 

Hi Ian,

I have been pondering how to reply to your last post, and whether I should do it at all.

I think the fact that you've been working for Mr Newey is in the public domain, so all that remains to be said is that you surely (as usual) know what you're talking about in your somewhat elliptical post. Interesting.

 

There's another new angle to Buttongate which was published in a Brazilian paper "O Jornal do Paraná". Here's a rough translation:

Michael.

 

a shame really. i'm not sure if jenson has the skill but it would have been good for him to have a go at doing the same thing MS did with ferarri with BAR. i guess that's not going to happen now. guess he's going to be stuck racing in a suped up m5
cheers


julian

 

As usual in F1 the Machiavellian machinations and internecine warfare are *infinitely* more interesting than the tedious processions that are the so-called "races"

 

Julian, IMO I really don't think that Jenson has the drive, determination and, most importantly, raw intelligence and ability to have "done a Schumacher" at BAR. He's very good, but not that good. I think it's going to be fascinating how he copes (or not) with Webber at Williams next year.

Michael.

 

joel, i'm with you 100% on that one.

michael,
as i said i'm not sure that jenson has the wherewithall to achieve it but if BAR has/can get honda into bed with them, it would have been fascinating to see if he could have made a half decent fist of it. he's certainly one of the better hopes for this sort of thing than most of the rest of the grid. imho a large part of this is the team having confidence in the driver being able to achieve a good place using the hard work they've put in.
certainly button had this kind of aura to him given that he's had a lot of podiums this year. of course there is the drive, willingness to give up free time to testing etc. and technical know how but the latter can be learnt and he's not had a chance to show the former other than his turn around this year from the reported 'monaco playboy' he was a few years ago.
a shame.
cheers


julian

 

There's along interview wth JV in a German mag today. I can't be bothered to translate it, but the main points JV wants to get across are:

- this season's car is so good because of all the effort he poured into the team over the last few years;

- there's no bad blood between him and BAR, at least none that can't be got out of the way in a manly talk between him and Mr Richards;

- this season's car is so good because of all the effort he poured into the team over the last few years;

- many people have told him he should be back in F1 but so far none has offered him a cockpit for 2005;

- this season's car is so good because of all the effort he poured into the team over the last few years;

- he is really hot to go driving again and has been training harder than when he was under contract to BAR;

- this season's car is so good because of all the effort he poured into the team over the last few years;

- if nobody's giving him a cockpit, he will explore other options in the U.S.


Tosser.

 

Oh dear JV, those grapes really are quite sour aren't they?

Michael.

 

Looks like JV is not the only one claiming responsibility for this years BAR. F1Racing.net quotes Panis thus: "I tested a lot for the team when I was racing for them and I helped a lot with the car development. Without me the BAR team wouldn't be where they are at this moment".

 

Hi Markus,

"I have been pondering how to reply to your last post, and whether I should do it at all."

I can see that it was actually quite difficult to reply to!

"I think the fact that you've been working for Mr Newey is in the public domain, so all that remains to be said is that you surely (as usual) know what you're talking about in your somewhat elliptical post. Interesting."

I like the term "elliptical post"!

I have found it very interesting observing and getting more and more involved in the management of F1 teams. I learnt a lot at McLaren (both good and bad) and a lot more at BAR.

So JV has been explaining how he got the team to where it is is he??

His value to the team was enormous in the early days and reduced dramatically in the later days when Jenson was signed. So he did play a vital part in the development of the team. But maybe not in quite the way that he is suggesting in thise articles.

Ian