Who here has been to a grand prix and who has only seen them on TV? As a fan we always hear about the difficulties about driving F1 cars, how they need to be as fit as olympic level athletes and as strong as boxers etc just to last 90 minutes in the cars as they are so fast. And that one of the biggest difficulties in driving them is simply thinking time, some just can't think fast enough to keep it on the road etc. seriously they look like they are having a nice relaxing drive at 30mph. Some of these videos coming back from testing look like you could outrun them ffs
Yep, been to a Grand Prix and they move like **** off a shovel. You really can't appreciate how fast they travel until you witness it. TV cameras don't do it justice at all. TV doesn't capture the speed, but nor does it capture the sound and smell. I'd **** my britches driving one of those things!
Been to Bathurst to see JB drive but that's about it. It wasn't the speed of the cars that surprised me, but the sound. AT the bottom of Mt Panorama I could still hear it screeching across the top of the mountain and could still hear it at the bottom from the top. A more beautiful sound one could not imagine. I wonder what 24 of them must be like....
How fast are you led to imagine they are? Sea-Man: if you've not been to a Grand Prix yet, do it! If this assumption that you have not yet attended is correct, I would like you to consider the following perspective: At most Grand Prix' you will see various support races. The cars of the support races are being driven at about twice the speed most road drivers would ever consider before wanting to bail - even if they've completed the RAF's two-week, bespoke, free-fall parachute course! Now consider that the Grand Prix cars obliterate these things as if they were standing still; with speed differentials during cornering often more than 80mph faster! (Yep, often more than 80mph faster than the fastest Porsches!). Now, although GP2 cars come reasonably close, there is nothing else remotely near the pinnacle which we all call F1⦠Let us consider a fast, flowing circuit such as Silverstone; where the advantage to an F1 car is at its smallest relative to any other car*. Here, a GP2 car driven by someone like Top Gear's Richard Hammond would only complete 4 laps for every 5 Hamilton/Alonso/Raikkonen/Vettel/et al (actually, take your pick of any F1 driver) could manage in an HRT. Seriously. And during this time, very few of the racing Porsches will have completed 3. Meanwhile, during this brief time, most road drivers in their road going Porsches will still be a lap down on their racing stable-mates and yes, 2 laps down on Hammond! â¦F1? Oh yeah, I almost forgot: they've already gone into orbitâ¦ââo0oââ *Slower, tighter circuits are even more difficult for cars of lesser series to keep up.
I have no clue how they do it... I really don't. We sit here moaning at them when they screw up with our armchair knowledge (excluding Cosi who knows more than most of us put together), but in reality they must be super human!
Sarge: Thankyou for your complement but it is me who is learning here. This is the very reason I take an interest in fora. Here, I learn more about people and their attitudes towards motor-racing than I can possibly achieve face to face with those paying considerable sums of money and learning to play politics so that they may hope to achieve their individual goals. Just ask Miggins: I believe he has an idea of what I'm getting at. What I like about this place is the honesty of people like Bhaji who tells it how it is but is always respectful to every person he engages with. This is how I hope to learn more about people, and their perceptions of motor-racing. For better or worse, my words are from the other side; and regrettably, too often out of touch (just ask at least 50% of the people I've ever met in a forum, including every moderator of this site and most of its membership!). But I read a lot. And I'm still learning. ––o0o–– P.S. I'm grateful for the patience of anyone who takes a moment to read my words. I know they are often difficult because I need them to be accurate in an effort to reduce misunderstanding and the possibility of repercussion. And on that note, perhaps EMSC has been the latest victim, for which I would like to take this opportunity to apologise for appearing rather fierce in refuting something which really did not matter too much…
I'm not sure how to respond to that last post Cosi. I think I do more reading here than actual posting, but what I really love about not606 is the knowledge that people like yourself share and how we're diverse in our support. I might not understand your technical input 100% of the time nor agree your firm views on people like Schuey, but our diversity as fans of the sport and posting together benefits us all and expands our knowledge of the sport. viva no606.... I feel like I should play a sappy song now.
All individuals have individual views. Only identical people could possibly agree 100% of the time - and that just 'ain't gonna happen' (as they say on this side of the pond). What is 100% more important, 100% of the time - is that we are respectful to one-another. You, Bhaji; are one of the best examples any forum member could follow (even though you might be a bit weird regarding that old German bloke….
Physiological and psychological changes whilst under 'stress' seem to have the effect of slowing time (at least it always seems that way to me). If you think about it during a GP the drivers body is operating at 2-4 times it's usual operating levels, there's gonna be more effects than just a 240bpm heart beat. As the flow of time is simply at matter of perception of the observer it could be that in this higher operating state there is a greater flow of perceptual information, which would account for the 'slowing' of time. that, at least, is a theory me and a friend came up with while discussing it (around the time of the Canadin GP I think)
I've never been to a grand prix, mainly due to the cost. It's ridiculously expensive getting off this rick anyway, when you have to pay 200-300 quid more to go and see a grand prix... I just don't have the money!
the first time I went to a GP I couldnt belive how fast they were going and how bloody loud they were!! They were V10s back then too!
Thanks yeah your assumption is right cosi, I've only ever seen on on a TV or laptop screen. I want to go see one soooooooooooo much!!! hahaha Seen all the good vids like this [video=youtube;awtqcTVgmpo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awtqcTVgmpo[/video] Definately gonna see it for real someday if bernie doesn't kill the british grand prix
why go to the british GP? If you're gonna spend the money you might as well make a holiday of it, how about the Italian Hils and a bit of Monza, or a bit of Monaco glamour, and there's always a quick hope on the eurostar to Spa.
haha Monza would be pretty cool, I wonder how the italian fans would like me waving McLaren flags around lol
You wanna get your self down to Silverstone Sea Man and watch the going through Copse, Maggots, Becketts, the direction change is unbelievable. The RB6 was able to take Copse flat, staring down the old pits straight and watching them chuck it in there is incredible. I think the best example of how difficult they are to drive that I could post on a forum is Vettel's onboard from Brazil last year, certainly doesn't look a relaxing 30mph drive. [video=youtube;7pQoIj0oJeU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pQoIj0oJeU[/video]
Miggins makes a very good point (above) although I've never been close to experiencing a heart rate of 240bpm*! I personally find living (and especially driving) 'on the edge' very calming; very much a form of meditation. Meditation involves deliberately holding one's attention upon an object, subject, or process. In this state, one's attention is so acutely focussed upon a 'singularity' that all else vanishes and one's mind becomes crystal clear, to the total exclusion of all else. It is a means of achieving a natural living state based almost entirely on reflexes and instinct. But all is conscious rather than sub-conscious; where unconsciousness can quickly follow! It is through this deliberate consciousness that one can slow time down in one's mind. This heightened perception Miggs speaks of, very much is perceiving time passing more slowly**. Has anyone else here been involved in some kind of accident where time seems almost to 'stand still' - perhaps to the point where you can 'organise' a more favourable outcome? This is a survival mechanism whereby one's mental capacity is briefly given a massive boost, thus increasing the chances of making potentially vital decisions more accurately. Personally being aware of this process a very long time ago as a child, I set about deliberately inducing it as often as possible. âââo0oâââ *I think the most I've been up to is about 170-175bpm but I have a rest-rate of between 46-50 in any case. **Since all is relative, the passage of time is perceived simply as the number of events one experiences; its antithesis being exactly what I'm doing right now: sitting around doing nothing and wondering where all 'the time' went!
Speaking of time just a moment ago (sic), might not sleep be perceived as a waste of it? More seriously: I also mentioned time as a relative thing. - In this sense, the time one chooses to 'waste' in sleep may depend upon one's location (relative to yours for instance)…
Haha… I suppose that too depends upon one's perception. It is certainly a bonus if it comes during an Endurance event. But actually, I was hinting at not currently being on home turf.
