In the round-up: George Russell says he was amazed by the demands on his body when he first tested an F1 car.
What they say
Russell spoke to the BBC about his first experience testing an F1 car:It was incredibly fast. It was honestly mind-blowing. I think the first time I drove I jumped from a Formula Three car to an F1 car and it was like my mind couldn’t keep up with the speed was the initial feeling.
The braking, we’re going into a corner at 200 miles an hour and you’re braking 100 metres before the corner, which was just absolutely bonkers. And my eyes couldn’t keep up.
Actually after my first-ever day in an F1 car my eyes were fully bloodshot and I think that was just from the forces. And that happened for the first three days I ever did, and the end of the day in my eyes were fully bloodshot.
So it’s just incredible. Your body takes time to get used to those horses. I’m fully used to it now but it was mind-blowing.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Social media
Notable posts from Twitter, Instagram and more:
Haas has joined other British-based #F1 teams in furloughing its staff. This was made effective from the start of the month. Some senior personnel are still working, on reduced salaries.
— RaceFans (@racefansdotnet) April 11, 2020
- Find more official F1 accounts to follow in the F1 Twitter Directory
Links
More motor racing links of interest:
Vizekanzler Werner Kogler - 'Wir sind noch lange nicht über den Berg' (Kleine Zeitung - German)
Austrian vice-chancellor Werner Kogler says the country may not hold its Formula 1 race in July.
Moments that made me – Lukas Dunner (F3)
"It was in Sochi and I was invited to be at the race weekend in Russia with Niki Lauda. Niki Lauda invited me for a dinner, and it was my father, me and Niki. He talked to me and we had a long chat and there was one important thing, which he told me that stands out. He told me that it is important to get the maximum out of everything that you have."
The inside scout – Felipe Drugovich (F2)
"Coming from go-karts, I was normally the conservative guy, the one who would play the long game, which usually worked out for me, and I think it has helped me quite a bit."
The Coolest Man In Japan (Daily Sportscar)
"He was at the wheel of the very first 2000GT prototype, when it started leaking fuel on his way out of the pits. After being guided back to the pits by Captain Hosoya, the after fire ignited in the exhaust, and aggravated by the combustible magnesium wheels, the car erupted into flames."
Interview: Gary Foote, CIO, Haas F1 Team (Info Security Magazine)
"F1 is a global sport and is highly reliant on technology. This offers up a lucrative target for cyber-criminals to cause disruption. With so much data being transferred around the globe, there is a risk that criminals may try and intercept sensitive information or leverage the platform for criminal activity."
Global TV audience watches F1 Champion Button win in All-Star esports series (Torque Esports)
"After starting on pole in the Legends Trophy event, 2009 Formula 1 World Champion Button charged to victory from the front of the grid to lead home two-time Indy 500 winner Juan Pablo Montoya and three-time World Touring Car Champion, Andy Priaulx."
We always endeavour to credit original sources. If you have a tip for a link to feature in the next RaceFans round-up please send it in via the contact form.
Advert | Become a RaceFans supporter and
Comment of the day
Does F1 really need lighter cars to produce better racing?
Just look at the best times for IndyCars (or rather CART at the time) in the 90′. Those cars were heavy (and pretty large too) because they didn’t use all that fancy materials, but man were they fast. And wow was the racing great.
Sure, lowering weight makes the cars more nimble. And yes, that is a good thing for race cars. But the question really is about priorities. Putting in more complicated structures and more expensive materials to lower weight really is pretty far down on my list of things to do
@Bascb
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Amy, Ben Thomas and Kyle Puttifer!
If you want a birthday shout-out tell us when yours is via the contact form or adding to the list here.
On this day in F1
- 90 years ago today the Ferrari team participated in its first race, the Mille Miglia, but its three cars retired.
Scottie (@scottie)
12th April 2020, 2:05
Changing the weight limit isn’t just about materials. Technology and understanding of packaging and thermal requirements mean equipment naturally gets better and more efficient over time.
The batteries that came in when KERS first entered in F1 are now door stops if they haven’t been recycled. So I think having a lower weight limit will just mean a challenge to make things lighter with existing materials.
Materials are already regulated in F1, particularly in engines.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
12th April 2020, 3:56
So do you think that better battery technology is the key to weight reduction, say with the introduction of new materials for batteries, or are batteries themselves the problem? The team that jumps to lighter batteries will have an advantage that is also relevant to road car technology. I am interested in any views…
anon
12th April 2020, 9:06
@ferrox-glideh there is a mandated minimum weight for the batteries, so there is no real advantage to gain there.
BasCB (@bascb)
13th April 2020, 12:35
yeah, which was a choice made for cost reasons as far as I know.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
16th April 2020, 4:25
@scottie @ferrox-glideh @bascb
It would be good if they can get a good handle on the budget caps, and then start to relinquish some of the cost-saving measures in place. If a team is able to develop new materials/technologies/methods whatever withing the $150-175M budget cap, then more power to them.
Cost saving regulations make no sense when there’s an over-arching cost-saving regulation. It should be opened up to allow more freedom, so long it’s all within budget.
Scottie (@scottie)
16th April 2020, 5:47
Makes sense, I agree
BasCB (@bascb)
16th April 2020, 7:07
I hope they do get towards that model @justrhysism, since it allows for real clever engineering to shine. But it will probably take some time.
First they will have to see how they manage to work with the budget cap – say a year or two. Then they have to discuss regulations, which could take anywhere from a year to a decade in F1 (I sure hope it won’t, but if the pressure is off by then, who knows). So it could be that we see this only when F1 gets in a really tight spot in about a decade when the era of ICE-engines sings its swansong in many markets.
Scottie (@scottie)
16th April 2020, 5:50
Sorry, didn’t know of the battery weight regulation.
Yeah, I think the batteries of today versus those that first came in early 2010’s will be far more effective to be honest. The start of all the weight gains was this new battery tech, and I think letting them work on making existing tech lighter will be a big step to improve the cars.
ferrox glideh (@ferrox-glideh)
16th April 2020, 23:20
I appreciate and agree with your analysis.
Jere (@jerejj)
12th April 2020, 7:45
The COTD is/was actually a reply to me concerning the matter in the previous round-up, but I agree.
Should the Austrian GP not take place on its slot, it’d (probably) get called off altogether for this year based on the previous words of being unwilling to change the date.
Jere (@jerejj)
12th April 2020, 9:25
Something I forgot to add: On this day in F1: The 2015 Chinese GP took place, a race in which Nico Rosberg complained about his race-winning teammate’s driving due to Seb’s closeness giving a potential chance for attempting an undercut against him.
BasCB (@bascb)
13th April 2020, 12:35
It was indeed @jerejj!
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
12th April 2020, 10:53
RIP Stirling Moss.
A true legend of the sport if ever there was one
Sensord4notbeingafanboi (@peartree)
12th April 2020, 11:30
Who knew Button could press a button?
Broke84 (@broke84)
12th April 2020, 12:49
So glad Russell got used to those horses.
Scalextric (@scalextric)
12th April 2020, 15:30
I wonder if they’ll all have to reacclimatise after all this time of. Can’t train eyeballs even if you can train other body parts.
F1oSaurus (@)
13th April 2020, 11:10
COTD confuses lack of sophisticated aero with lower minimum weigths. F1 racing was better in the nineties too. Not because of the lower weight (around 500kg for the car).
BasCB (@bascb)
13th April 2020, 12:39
Comment confuses things there (something of a thing for you it seems). Nobody mentioned that the weight was the reason why racing was better. Just that the racing can be really good with heavy cars too.
In F1 the racing in the 90’s was not better than it is currently. Just go and look at those older races. The top 2-3 finishing with laps between them, and several laps ahead of the competition wasn’t all that uncommon. And when we got refuelling, that was exciting for interesting strategies for about 2 season before it became a “been there, done that” repeat of the same moves.