Formula One’s two-seater car will have a new look for the 2018 F1 season.
The two-seater machine was introduced this year as part of F1 Experiences, giving fans the opportunity to take laps around circuits at near-F1 speeds.
The car, based on a 1998 Tyrrell 026, will be given a new styling package next season to make it resemble the current generation of F1 machines. Among the styling changes are reshaped rear wing endplates which mimic the swept-back style of the current cars.
Former Formula One designer Mike Gascoyne, whose consultancy company is responsible for designing the cars, revealed how the new car will look on social media.
The current two-seater cars have appeared at several of this year’s races in the hands of former F1 drivers Patrick Friesacher and Zsolt Baumgartner.
The current F1 two-seater
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THOMF1S (@thomf1s)
24th August 2017, 12:41
Where is the Halo?!
Jorge H
24th August 2017, 13:01
+1
ahaha :D
D.Duck
24th August 2017, 13:09
What is the point of this car for the passenger? Is it just to feel the sensations of cornering, acceleration and deceleration? Im sure it must be, because once you are all strapped down in the seat you obviously will not be able to see anything with that “roll-over PLANK” just behind the drivers head!!! I cannot imagine why they didnt just attach a roll-bar so the passenger had some forward vision!!! After all, youre not going to be driving at racing speeds, so why the need fro the plank that obscures the passengers view? Until they remove that plank this car is utterly pointless and a waste of good development cash. #:) quaaaaaaaack!
MaroonJack (@maroonjack)
25th August 2017, 7:09
I believe it feeds the image from the driver’s helmet camera to the LCD display in front of the passenger.
Mangy Black Sheep (@mangyblacksheep)
24th August 2017, 17:55
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA, you beat me to it!
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
25th August 2017, 1:23
Very funny, and it might improve the passenger’s vision.
RetardedF1sh (@retardedf1sh)
24th August 2017, 13:06
What’s the point of a two seater F1 car if the passenger can’t see anything? Why not make the roll hoop at least see-through?
D.Duck
24th August 2017, 13:11
#:)
The Last Pope (@the-last-pope)
24th August 2017, 15:05
Makes you also wonder if the engine can actually get enough air with the solid roll structure blocking the air box.
Pinak Ghosh (@pinakghosh)
24th August 2017, 13:12
It seems the person sitting on the rear seat will be at a disadvantage as the front view is blocked. Shouldn’t entry and exit points of the apex and racing lines be an important part of the F1 experience in addition to the G forces?
D.Duck
24th August 2017, 13:23
Just found this in Autosport about the “updated F1 Experience” cars…….”New tubs are also being built, and will feature upgrades including a less obtrusive roll hoop bulkhead, offering the passenger a better view.” Looks like they rushed this car out of the factory guys……maybe they ran out of “development funds” #:)
petebaldwin (@)
24th August 2017, 13:15
Keith, I noticed a typo. In your 2nd paragraph, you spelt “insanely rich people and sponsors” wrong.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
24th August 2017, 13:25
@petebaldwin Don’t the great unwashed also get to win passenger laps?
Gary
24th August 2017, 13:58
yes, all ten of the lucky great-unwashed-fans per season, out of the 1.5 million who attend the races, 0.0003%. I see your point!
tgu (@thegrapeunwashed)
24th August 2017, 14:51
@keithcollantine I certainly hope so! :-)
petebaldwin (@)
25th August 2017, 10:06
I’d love to know the figures – number of VIPs that got a ride at Silverstone vs number of commoners.
Depailler
24th August 2017, 13:17
At Silverstone year, a good amount of time was given over to the two seater track experience car. Normally there would be more support races, qualifying or practice for other formulas. Instead we, the paying public, got to watch a few people being driven round in the 2 seater. A great experience for those taking part – but deadly dull for spectators.
Fun for a few very wealthy or lucky visitors – or sponsors. But this is not a step forward for F1 and certainly not a way to engage a mass audience.
D.Duck
24th August 2017, 13:24
Just found this in Autosport about the “updated F1 Experience” cars…….”New tubs are also being built, and will feature upgrades including a less obtrusive roll hoop bulkhead, offering the passenger a better view.” Looks like they rushed this car out of the factory guys……maybe they ran out of “development funds” #:)
D.Duck
24th August 2017, 13:26
………….or somebody broke the last jigsaw blade just before they was about to cut a hole in it!! #:)
Ju88sy (@)
24th August 2017, 22:58
This is not quite true, two practice sessions were moved to the Thursday to provide activities for the loyal camping fans starting in the afternoon. The F1 Experience in no way reduced on track action. In fact the car sounds great! And only ran round for 1-2 laps in the normal gaps in the schedule.
Tony Mansell
24th August 2017, 13:33
Apparantly Williams are looking at it closely to see if they cant get away with just putting Stroll in the back of Massa’s
Boli (@boli)
24th August 2017, 13:51
HA!
Nikhil Patel (@tiya)
25th August 2017, 6:00
Hehe … Poor Stroll he’s not that bad.
Sumedh
24th August 2017, 14:33
So, if Monisha ever enters back into F1 as a team owner, we know how her cars would look.
petebaldwin (@)
24th August 2017, 14:46
Hahaha
“But my contract says I’ll get a race seat!!!??”
“Indeed. But does it say you’ll get a steering wheel?”
Yeezy918 (@)
24th August 2017, 14:37
Imagine having a carbon fibre wall inches from your face and your only senses are fairly violent G forces applied, your brain physically moving around inside your skull and an inability to even turn your head to the side to catch a glimpse of which part of the track you’re on as the harness and HANS device coupled with those G forces prove too much for your untrained neck muscles to overcome.
Doesn’t really sound like the best thing ever I must say. 😂
Miane
24th August 2017, 15:27
It’s like roller coasters and many people like them.
ADUB SMALLBLOCK (@waptraveler)
24th August 2017, 14:41
What engine is in this two seater?
petebaldwin (@)
24th August 2017, 14:56
A proper one. V10 I think.
anon
24th August 2017, 16:09
@petebaldwin, it is an old Cosworth V10, but they’ve had to detune it because, with so many parts of that engine now being obsolete, they’re having to stretch the lifespan of the existing components out (the electrical systems, for example, have had to be replaced completely because they’ve been out of production for so long that the parts no longer exist).
Formula1 (@s2g-unit)
24th August 2017, 15:12
@petebaldwin
Yes thank god. We can’t hear in during post session interviews.
g.spridersig
24th August 2017, 15:53
Oh……. it’s for spectators , me I thought that they were making F1 more like the real world with a nagging backseat driver
Damon (@damon)
24th August 2017, 16:21
The old CART (IndyCar) two-seater Reynard didn’t even have a middle roll bar in there:
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sep-1999-driver-mario-andretti-of-the-usa-who-drives-the-two-seater-picture-id490421?s=612×612
The normal roll bar was larger though, as you can see here:
http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/sep-1999-driver-mario-andretti-of-the-usa-who-drives-the-two-seater-picture-id490418
The current IndyCar Dallara two-seater seems to offer perfect view with the roll bar:
http://www.107percent.co.uk/images/sonoma/son4.jpg
…just as the old IRL (IndyCar)s:
https://cdn-9.motorsport.com/images/amp/0LZG3PNY/s6/indycar-the-runner-reality-television-show-2016-the-runner-reality-television-show-visits.jpg
There are also three-seater formula cars, huh!
Ferrari: https://brakebanzeen.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/ferrari-three-seater-f1-car-marlboro-red-rush-front-2.jpg
Arrows: https://wtf1.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/F1-Arrows-Three-Seater.jpg
Other: http://assets.coolhunting.com/coolhunting/mt_asset_cache/2015/03/formula-one-gp-experience-2.jpg
Side impact protection not necessary ;)
GeeMac (@geemac)
24th August 2017, 16:41
For those wondering what the two seater experience is like, here is some footage of a chap in the one owned by Yas Marina Circuit. It’s basically three minutes of headbutting the roolhoop…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yas_TM4X0f8
Not sure why anyone would pay for this…driving an F3000 car round Yas Marina was way more of a hoot than this appears to be.
reggie747
24th August 2017, 17:10
I was waiting for that guy to either throw up in his helmet or have his shoulders slip through the seat belts which looked more than a little loose !
petebaldwin (@)
24th August 2017, 20:46
1:32 in that video. HHAAAAAAHHHAAAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHA!!!! :D
John Cousins (@drone)
24th August 2017, 18:28
No Halo on the two seater eh? The cotton wool brigade will be having a coronary. Oh the humanity!
Rob
24th August 2017, 19:10
Doesn’t IndyCar run a two seater that the passenger can actually see out of? And, wasn’t there a three seater a while back with the passengers seated side by side behind the driver?
Damon (@damon)
24th August 2017, 21:58
If you would only bother browsing through the previous comments, Rob ;)
Baron (@baron)
24th August 2017, 22:48
I’ve scoured the comments and cannot find a reference to: Why the heck is it based on a 1998 Tyrell? I mean just why? Why not a more recent design? Do you pay 1998 prices to ride it? I think not. I’ll wait for a £5 wristband day.
Sam
25th August 2017, 5:42
Paul Stoddart bought a lot of equipment that BAR didn’t want when they took over Tyrrell – he’s the one running the two-seater team. It used to be painted in Minardi colours back when he ran that. He’s also apparently bought the rights to the Cosworth V10, so he can do with that what he will, including having new parts made if he needs it. All very fascinating.
Baron (@baron)
25th August 2017, 8:50
Paul Stoddart? I liked him when he was in F1. Always punched above his weight and everyone rooted for Minardi.. Good one. Mike Gascoyne a genius? Hmmmm, well he is very short and short people are generally successful, in films mainly.
Damon (@damon)
25th August 2017, 18:50
@baron
As it looks, they have been using those Tyrrells for a veeery long time. Nigel Mansell crashed one in 2006:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og7v6mouFBE
Sergei Mertyn
25th August 2017, 6:49
You guys underestimate the genius of Mike Gascoyne. The driver is in the back seat! The passenger has a perfect front view.
smallwesley
25th August 2017, 7:13
Simple – Add a flat screen to that bulkhead. Allow the passenger to select which car view he/she wants while taking a twirl. We’re all used to watching these little screens when we get on commercial airlines :)