Grand Prix thread 2015 USA Grand Prix Chat and Predictions

Probably best if we just park this and put it all down to alot of people misunderstanding the tone of the text.

 

Don't know much about the press, but I have the impression F1 reporting is fairly consistent globally.

I do believe that Merc initially they were happy for either driver to come out on top. Now a pattern has been established though, I concur that it's obvious they're keen to maintain the status quo. Rosberg is a much more compliant number 2 than Webber was for Vettel, and they can manage his vocal but passive approach easily whilst racking up the championships without any real difficulty. Compared to recent past, I think it's obvious to them how good they have it.

Ferrari might improve, but I suspect it's still to much of a gap for them to close for next year. Per the above, Rosberg isn't going to get the chance to challenge any more without circumstances going in his favour. It's not about who wins, it's about the sport having some unpredictability. Watching another dead rubber next year is going to be no fun at all.

 

Really have to hope that Ferrari can close the gap further before the start of next season for the sake of the sport. We really need some serious inter-team competition for both titles and it looks like they're the only possibility right now.

Macca and Red Bull look unlikely to be challenging, Williams will likely be almost there but not quite, and everyone else will be just hoping to survive another season.

As for Rosberg... He's going to have to come out swinging early otherwise he'll be playing second fiddle again... and I really don't see him managing it.

 

Let's be honest any team with a merc or Ferrari customer engine isn't going to be challenging for the title. That's why it has to be Ferrari to challenge.


What we need in the sport is some non team owning suppliers to up the competition.

 

Agreed, at one point there was so much choice. Take 1990 for example, off the top of my head a team could choose (assuming anyone could pick what they wanted) from :0

Honda
Renault
Ford (at least 3 variants depending on budget)
Judd
Lamborghini
Ferrari
Subaru & Life (why would you.......)

Old Turbo days were even better, 1986 :-

BMW
Renault
Honda
Ford
Motori-Moderni
Alfa Romeo
Hart
Porsche
Ferrari


Okay, these days the numbers have got to make sense, but back then some of those manufacturers were spending extraordinary amounts on an engine for just one or two teams.

It's just simply the costs of the new units that need sorting. Bring the costs down and the manufacturers will come back, most have learnt their lesson about trying to do it all themselves, so hopefully they may come back as just a supplier.

 

The PUs cost so much since the FIA banned most technologies. The teams had to spends millions instead of taking the easy 'banned' option.

 

Interesting, tell us more, please.

 

You'll have to remind me when I'm not typing on my phone