Formula 1 2021

[utee94 16090]

https://www.facebook.com/CircuitofTheAmericas/videos/1531318210563013

 

Facebook video won't embed, but DannyRic is going to take a lap in The Intimidator's 1984 Chevy Monte Carlo.  Apparently Zak Brown owns that car, and is letting Ricciardo drive it as a reward for getting his first podium with the team.

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2021 by utee94

[Prepuce of Doom 21288]

Not a video, but a couple of pictures. 

 

[Chewbacca 7830]

6 hours ago, wood said:

Good to see Canada on there in its usual slot. Maybe I'll head up again for the next one. And ... Suzuka is back. Fuck yeah.

If you have never been to either one, would you do Canada or COTA?  Youngest and I want to see an F1 race in person (DTS fans, so I'm driving up the price/demand on the rest of you).  We've been to Austin many times (have wife's family in East Texas), but have never been to COTA.  Montreal looks like a great city and we've never been there.  Don't think wife would be on board with just me and youngest leaving North America and I don't have a lot of desire to go to Miami.

[utee94 16090]

21 minutes ago, Chewbacca said:

If you have never been to either one, would you do Canada or COTA?  Youngest and I want to see an F1 race in person (DTS fans, so I'm driving up the price/demand on the rest of you).  We've been to Austin many times (have wife's family in East Texas), but have never been to COTA.  Montreal looks like a great city and we've never been there.  Don't think wife would be on board with just me and youngest leaving North America and I don't have a lot of desire to go to Miami.

Not to speak for them, but @wood and others have had nothing but glowing reports about Canada.  I've never been but would certainly love to.

For me, COTA is an obvious slam dunk because as much as I've loved following F1 since my youth in the 70s/80s, I never dreamed they'd actually put a racetrack in my backyard.  It was kind of like a dream come true in a lot of ways.  I've really enjoyed the race in Austin and have no complaints about it.  Sure it's expensive and all that, but ya know, it's cheaper than going to Europe to watch a race.  So there you have it.

 

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

Montreal is really damn cool. I have not been for the race, but was there a few weeks after it was held and biked around the circuit.

One thing to note is that the GA areas at CGV are really bad, from what I hear, so get actual seats. The thing COTA does have for it is good GA areas, at least.

[wood 11766]

5 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

If you have never been to either one, would you do Canada or COTA?  Youngest and I want to see an F1 race in person (DTS fans, so I'm driving up the price/demand on the rest of you).  We've been to Austin many times (have wife's family in East Texas), but have never been to COTA.  Montreal looks like a great city and we've never been there.  Don't think wife would be on board with just me and youngest leaving North America and I don't have a lot of desire to go to Miami.

If I could only do one, I'd do Montreal. I've been twice and was fantastic both times. But if you can do both, do both. 

[wood 11766]

4 hours ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Montreal is really damn cool. I have not been for the race, but was there a few weeks after it was held and biked around the circuit.

One thing to note is that the GA areas at CGV are really bad, from what I hear, so get actual seats. The thing COTA does have for it is good GA areas, at least.

Yep, COTA has bigger views from expensive grandstands but I don't have to get a hotel or a plane ticket. Montreal has the great Metro to the race, poor GA views in a very nice setting but you're much closer to the track in their grandstands than at COTA, cheaper grandstands (we paid less than GA at COTA, even back when COTA's GA was cheaper than it is now), the incredible city and people who open their arms wide to F1 every year, huge Fan Fests, etc.  At CGV, the Turn 2 area and the hairpin are awesome. The last time I was there, there were 3 simultaneous Fan Fests happening downtown. All three were packed with people and vendors, and each was bigger than the Austin Fan Fest ever was before it closed up shop. Montreal's Thursday Pit Walk is also open to the public even without a race ticket - not just people with high end tickets like at COTA - and goes basically all day rather than about an hour.  

Edited October 16, 2021 by wood

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

Yeah, I think I’d choose hairpin seats if I attended a race at CGV. I’ve heard they are fuckin allsome.

[wood 11766]

18 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Yeah, I think I’d choose hairpin seats if I attended a race at CGV. I’ve heard they are fuckin allsome.

Yeah they're great. I sat on the exit of the hairpin. The PA system there is so awesome you could hear it above the 2010 F1 cars, and the video board there is great too. In between sessions you're right by the Historics Paddock, and the rowing basin is right behind the GS. People hang out on those steps all over the place. It's a really great, chill atmosphere throughout the park. Best flyover I've ever seen, too. 2 CAF F1-18s. Next is Indy, with 2 Navy F-18s.

The GS on the exit of turn 2 is also awesome, as you can see the cars coming straight at you on the straight, through the turns, and then off to the left to 3. You can also see right down pit lane and and the cars come straight at you on pit exit.

Edited October 16, 2021 by wood

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

When I went, it was a few weeks after the 2014 race, when this happened:

I took a piece of the concrete wall that I found.

I thought I had some photos, but I guess since I rented a bike and rode there I didn’t really take any.

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

But, yeah. Parc Jean Drapeau. Wall of Champions. Bring it all back. I’m happy.

[wood 11766]

1 minute ago, Anton Chigurh said:

But, yeah. Park Jean Drapeau. Wall of Champions. Bring it all back. I’m happy.

If you go, do the track walk after. You can still see the gouges in the concrete there near the hairpin where Kubica got damn near killt himself (for the first time)

[Guest]

Can I just say how much I love F1, especially with Longhorn Football being what it is? I don't have that huge attachment to a driver like I do to UT. It's so nice to watch races and just want to see a good race instead of caring so much about who wins.

And you can't beat 1.5 hours with no commercials versus 4 hours with Dr. Pepper ads bashing me over the head.

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

Can I just say how much I love F1, especially with Longhorn Football being what it is? I don't have that huge attachment to a driver like I do to UT. It's so nice to watch races and just want to see a good race instead of caring so much about who wins.
And you can't beat 1.5 hours with no commercials versus 4 hours with Dr. Pepper ads bashing me over the head.

🥲

[utee94 16090]

10 minutes ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Can I just say how much I love F1, especially with Longhorn Football being what it is? I don't have that huge attachment to a driver like I do to UT. It's so nice to watch races and just want to see a good race instead of caring so much about who wins.

And you can't beat 1.5 hours with no commercials versus 4 hours with Dr. Pepper ads bashing me over the head.

This is absolutely one of the big reasons I enjoy F1 so much.

I have a favorite team, but when they suck (which Ferrari has for many years now) I also have other favorite drivers to pull for, like Fred and DannyRic, and beyond that I can still just root for a good race.  It's pleasant and fun and not soul-sucking like rooting for Texas football has come to be.

Yay, racing!

 

[wood 11766]

Too bad F1 has Rig 12 Refs though. 

Can't get out of this hillbilly conference soon enough.

[wood 11766]

Get ready to see lots of spots like this all over COTA next weekend for F1. Here they're grinding the nasty bump entering Turn 14. Photo courtesy of my man at the track.

Edited October 17, 2021 by wood

[XYZ 2154]

Fucking idiots built a race track on clay.

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

Sounds like Petronas will be leaving Mercedes after this year and that Aramco will be their new oil sponsor.

[wood 11766]

17 minutes ago, Anton Chigurh said:

Sounds like Petronas will be leaving Mercedes after this year and that Aramco will be their new oil sponsor.

Wow.

[Anton Chigurh 3335]

FWIW, it sounds like they’re leaving all Motorsport. They are ending Yamaha SRT in MotoGP, too.

[RPM 26641]

12 hours ago, FirstTimeCaller said:

Can I just say how much I love F1, especially with Longhorn Football being what it is? I don't have that huge attachment to a driver like I do to UT. It's so nice to watch races and just want to see a good race instead of caring so much about who wins.

And you can't beat 1.5 hours with no commercials versus 4 hours with Dr. Pepper ads bashing me over the head.

You can say the same for NASCAR. Their field is too big and the races are too long. Back in the day this was okay because the racing was wide open fender smashing. Now it just drags out the race and time for more commercials. While the passing in F1 could use some work, it's a better product overall.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, RPM said:

You can say the same for NASCAR. Their field is too big and the races are too long. Back in the day this was okay because the racing was wide open fender smashing. Now it just drags out the race and time for more commercials. While the passing in F1 could use some work, it's a better product overall.

Had a few years where I watched a bit of NASCAR. Still like watching the Super Speedways, but yeah, it pales in comparison to F1 -- especially with the stage format that NASCAR introduced. That's why I get worried about the Sprint Race qualifying in F1. It has echoes of NASCAR trying to be cute and just messing up the sport.

The weekend format and qualifying format is perfect for the sport. Sorry you don't think it makes you enough money. 

[utee94 16090]

It had been many years since I watched a NASCAR race, before seeing the live ones at COTA last May.  And the "stages" absolutely threw me for a loop.  They were ridiculous, and absolutely killed the momentum of the races.  Especially the Sunday Cup race which was already delayed by so many flags anyway.  Those stages are ludicrous, tedious, and  boring.  Truly a terrible idea.

 

 

[Duval Street 420]

3 hours ago, RPM said:

…While the passing in F1 could use some work, it's a better product overall.

Take away all the downforce wizardry we currently have and return to a simple single front and rear wing.  It’ll never happen but I think we’d see much closer racing.  Then again I’m all for returning to leather helmets in football to promote more fundamental tackling and stopping these kids from using their heads as weapons.  But hey, unpopular opinions are my thing.

[XYZ 2154]

I wish they would do away with the DRS. It’s stupid.

[52-80 19377]

20 minutes ago, XYZ said:

I wish they would do away with the DRS. It’s stupid.

No fuel limit.  No lift and coast to conserve fuel. 

No parts-change-limit.  Drive all out and if your engine blows, put in a new one.  If not that, then go to back to spec motor.  Either we're watching drivers drive, or engineers engineer, but not some weird half and half.

 

[Fastbreak 4055]

They better have the Singapore GP next year...I was on the part of the track today.

[utee94 16090]

5 hours ago, Duval Street said:

Take away all the downforce wizardry we currently have and return to a simple single front and rear wing.  It’ll never happen but I think we’d see much closer racing.  Then again I’m all for returning to leather helmets in football to promote more fundamental tackling and stopping these kids from using their heads as weapons.  But hey, unpopular opinions are my thing.

 

3 hours ago, XYZ said:

I wish they would do away with the DRS. It’s stupid.

 

3 hours ago, 52-80 said:

No fuel limit.  No lift and coast to conserve fuel. 

No parts-change-limit.  Drive all out and if your engine blows, put in a new one.  If not that, then go to back to spec motor.  Either we're watching drivers drive, or engineers engineer, but not some weird half and half.

 

Can't disagree with the spirit of any of this.  I've always said, I'd be all-in for having ZERO technical regs. And I mean ZERO.  And almost no sporting regs.

You wanna roll out a 6-wheeled car?  Go for it.  You wanna roll out a car with no wings?  Go for it.  You wanna roll out a car that is nothing but a giant wing like a B2 bomber?  Sure why not?

No fueling requirements.  Refuel if you want.  Or load up and never refuel.  It's up to you to strategize.

Not tyre requirements.  Change tyres twenty times in a race.  Never change them.  Use solid steel wheels with no rubber at all if you feel like it.

Only regs I'd want to see, are true safety ones.  Halo is ugly but it works, so keep it.  Improved fire-suits and gloves and booties, after the Grosjean incident?  Yup, that'a good.  HANS device?  Yeah, for sure.

Obviously that's a fantasy world where very few teams could afford to compete, but I desperately miss the old days of wide open innovation.  There are plenty of spec series in the world, and I don't want F1 to be one of them.  

 

[ChickenSandwich 9960]

As a simple change, I would like them to get rid of the tire monitoring devices and leave that only up to the driver. 
 

I would also limit team communication as far as reading them off settings and modes to change for each corner etc. 

Engineer for six days, let the drivers go at it on the seventh. 

[wood 11766]

7 hours ago, XYZ said:

I wish they would do away with the DRS. It’s stupid.

 

7 hours ago, 52-80 said:

No fuel limit.  No lift and coast to conserve fuel. 

No parts-change-limit.  Drive all out and if your engine blows, put in a new one.  If not that, then go to back to spec motor.  Either we're watching drivers drive, or engineers engineer, but not some weird half and half.

 

These are the two biggest things fucking up F1 right, and the engine limit is esp ludicrous as it's done in the name of cost-cutting. It's actually more expensive, because of all the R&D costs involved in making these incredibly expensive PUs more reliable. Not to mention all the engines they go through on the test bench, that never count toward engine limits. From everything I've read, they use more engines this way than they did before.

DRS is just lipstick on an ugly-ass pig. I'd rather see 1 long wheel to whell battle that ends without an overtake than 20 easy DRS drive-bys.

[wood 11766]

5 hours ago, Fastbreak said:

They better have the Singapore GP next year...I was on the part of the track today.

That's one I really wanna get to. I hear it's really great in person, & one the tracks where the fans can get closest to the cars.

[wood 11766]

30 minutes ago, ChickenSandwich said:

As a simple change, I would like them to get rid of the tire monitoring devices and leave that only up to the driver. 
 

I would also limit team communication as far as reading them off settings and modes to change for each corner etc. 

Engineer for six days, let the drivers go at it on the seventh. 

Todo este.

[Duval Street 420]

7 hours ago, utee94 said:

 

 

Can't disagree with the spirit of any of this.  I've always said, I'd be all-in for having ZERO technical regs. And I mean ZERO.  And almost no sporting regs.

You wanna roll out a 6-wheeled car?  Go for it.  You wanna roll out a car with no wings?  Go for it.  You wanna roll out a car that is nothing but a giant wing like a B2 bomber?  Sure why not?

No fueling requirements.  Refuel if you want.  Or load up and never refuel.  It's up to you to strategize.

Not tyre requirements.  Change tyres twenty times in a race.  Never change them.  Use solid steel wheels with no rubber at all if you feel like it.

Only regs I'd want to see, are true safety ones.  Halo is ugly but it works, so keep it.  Improved fire-suits and gloves and booties, after the Grosjean incident?  Yup, that'a good.  HANS device?  Yeah, for sure.

Obviously that's a fantasy world where very few teams could afford to compete, but I desperately miss the old days of wide open innovation.  There are plenty of spec series in the world, and I don't want F1 to be one of them.  

 

Agreed, just spec safety equipment, leaving the rest open for a truly ultimate racing league would be awesome.  See more 919 Evo type creations.

[52-80 19377]

 

[utee94 16090]

Do any of y'all know how to find out when DannyRic is going to drive Dale's '84 Monte Carlo?  I know some of you follow the twitterverse a heck of a lot closer than I do.

If it were on Thursday that would be awesome, I'll be dropping off the RV and getting it set up, and could work that timing around when Ricciardo would be on track.

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by utee94

[wood 11766]

2 hours ago, utee94 said:

Do any of y'all know how to find out when DannyRic is going to drive Dale's '84 Monte Carlo?  I know some of you follow the twitterverse a heck of a lot closer than I do.

If it were on Thursday that would be awesome, I'll be dropping off the RV and getting it set up, and could work that timing around when Ricciardo would be on track.

I'm wondering that as well, and I haven't seen anything at all about a pit walk on Thursday.

[utee94 16090]

16 minutes ago, wood said:

I'm wondering that as well, and I haven't seen anything at all about a pit walk on Thursday.

The pit walk is listed on that preliminary F4 schedule I posted a couple weeks ago, as a "3-day ticket holder pit lane walk" from 3:40-4:40 on Thursday.  They usually tend to wait 'til the last minute to send out the email.

And I also wonder if they're going to skip it this year, in order to preserve the COVID bubble they try to maintain for all of the teams?  Fans get pretty close to some of the crew during the pit walk. (In fact I actually have a picture of me standing with Binotto along the Ferrari engineers' wall from 2019.  He was amused because I was wearing a Fernando Alonso McLaren hat...)

Here's that same schedule again:

 

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by utee94

[wood 11766]

48 minutes ago, utee94 said:

The pit walk is listed on that preliminary F4 schedule I posted a couple weeks ago, as a "3-day ticket holder pit lane walk" from 3:40-4:40 on Thursday.  They usually tend to wait 'til the last minute to send out the email.

And I also wonder if they're going to skip it this year, in order to preserve the COVID bubble they try to maintain for all of the teams?  Fans get pretty close to some of the crew during the pit walk. (In fact I actually have a picture of me standing with Binotto along the Ferrari engineers' wall from 2019.  He was amused because I was wearing a Fernando Alonso McLaren hat...)

Thanks. Just FYI F1.com lists it at 4:40-5:40.

I'm thinking I'll probably skip it this year anyway because I'm tired of the whole standing in line and fighting the crowds for a view bs. You only get an hour at COTA which fucks the whole thing up because it's too crowded, & then the assholes with the rope come through early to push you out. Fuckers treat you like you're trespassing. Last year or the year before they let us in late and kicked us out early. Really makes you feel appreciated as a customer. Montreal does it right. All day pit walk. Anyone can come out - ticket or no ticket. That way it's actually less crowded, because people can come and go, and it's super chill and fun, not hectic like here.

I remember in 2012 I came out on Thursday. There was not much of a pit walk at all, and there was hardly anyone there. It was also much less roped off than now. I was walking right up to the cars and taking pics while they were waiting for scrutineering, chatting with Bruno Senna, etc. Just me & him, and not another person within 75 feet of us. Can you imagine that now? After a while I looked around and there were just 5 or 10 fans left in the whole pit lane. It was amazing.

Lots of good pics from that day here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.552367118111171.138881.157330087614878&type=3

Edited October 18, 2021 by wood

[Duval Street 420]

33 minutes ago, utee94 said:

 

 

Friday Formula 1 NASCAR Demo…any ideas?  Possibly when Danny runs?

[utee94 16090]

2 minutes ago, Duval Street said:

Friday Formula 1 NASCAR Demo…any ideas?  Possibly when Danny runs?

Interesting, I read through that schedule multiple times and never really registered that.  Could be?  That would be really great if they did it while the fans are there.

 

 

[wood 11766]

Re: Danny Ric in the #3, F1.com has NASCAR demos listed all three days, at 1235, 1035, and 850 respectively. That could be the #3. Right after FP1 on Friday and right after Qualifying on Saturday. Amazing that COTA doesn't show the full weekend schedule on their site.

Edited October 18, 2021 by wood

[utee94 16090]

I'd be pretty surprised if he did it all 3 days, and especially on Sunday race-day.  But maybe?

 

Edited October 18, 2021 by utee94

[XYZ 2154]

Hey surly, how do I go about getting two GA tickets for Friday? Am I too late? Am I fucked?

[utee94 16090]

4 minutes ago, XYZ said:

Hey surly, how do I go about getting two GA tickets for Friday? Am I too late? Am I fucked?

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1/tickets/single-day?fbclid=IwAR3YFvka76zgKHzn4Jc3gskP1EP7kc_AxpjEPkahO5gsl4e0mcWaci_OZfY

 

 

[XYZ 2154]

5 minutes ago, utee94 said:

http://circuitoftheamericas.com/f1/tickets/single-day?fbclid=IwAR3YFvka76zgKHzn4Jc3gskP1EP7kc_AxpjEPkahO5gsl4e0mcWaci_OZfY

[utee94 16090]

Just now, XYZ said:

They just recently made those available.  Like @wood and others, I'm puzzled as to why they ever "stopped" selling GA tix, but at least now you know you can still buy some.

Looks like they have some "verified resale" tix available in the bleachers too, if you prefer.

[wood 11766]

18 minutes ago, XYZ said:

Hey surly, how do I go about getting two GA tickets for Friday? Am I too late? Am I fucked?

Go to tickpick.com.

I bought three there the other day for $86 total for all three for T15.

ETA: I just checked and they still have lots of reserved seats starting at $25 a ticket.

Edited October 18, 2021 by wood

[Guest]

Also, check the third-party resellers. As of a couple of weeks ago they had Friday tickets for much cheaper than buying through COTA.

[Guest]

Just now, wood said:

Go to tickpick.com.

I bought three there the other day for $86 total for all three.

All three days or for three Friday tickets?