The Renault engines might be a bit behind schedule but I don't think that's the problem, as Caterham are launching their car at Jerez. I think Lotus aren't going to Jerez because they can't afford to. Delaying the E22 is one thing, not even showing up with the E21 suggests money problems.
please log in to view this image If we expect the worst we will be happy if they only look half bad And will the FIA punish itself for breaking its own rules 2 out of 2 times?
God I hope that drawing is way off what they'll look like... If not, I won't ever forgive the powers at be! You've taken a sport we love and turned it into an uglier version of Cart! Heck, give it a few more years and they'll be no wet running!
What a monstrosity that car is. They should just ban front wings altogether and make them look like they did in the sixties. It would solve so many problems, they'd look nicer, they'd be less reliant on aero so they could race closer, and they'd be safer as the teams wouldn't bother with high noses because they'd have more rear downforce than they needed and would be more concerned with keeping the centre of gravity low to improve mechanical grip. If they opened up the regulations to allow them to be four wheel drive, with electrically driven front wheels they'd soon claw back the performance they lose, and the R&D would go into something useful, rather than the situation we have now where millions of pounds are wasted each year designing slots and flaps.
hmm, I like most of that, but I don't think they'd be safe, they would have to cover the wheels or someone would be taking off, protecting their front wings is what stops this happening more I think
Possibly. I'm not sure though, you have to rear end someone pretty hard to take off. At the moment most of the bodywork in front of the front wheel breaks in a collision, what's left is a pretty dangerous shape, with the high nose able to ride up the back of the car in front. I'd imagined them looking a little more like this kind of shape: please log in to view this image With a blunt front end which is a lot less likely to run up the back of a leading car, especially given how much lower they run the cars these days. I'd imagined the front wheels being powered by a Kers unit mounted in front of the driver harvesting entirely off the front brakes. This would force them to have a bigger front end rather than trying to streamline it too much, it would also force them to run the nose low because there'd be a lot of weight in there, which would also help prevent the cars taking off. I don't think a front left contacting a left rear would result in a car taking off either, it would just rip the front tyre off - see di Resta at Monza last year.
Mark Webber may disagree............ [video=youtube;2kNZzqqdhM0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2kNZzqqdhM0[/video] Though looking at it, was it the nose of the car the went up over the Caterham/Lotus rear wheel rather than his actual front wheel? Anyway, that was amateurish, here's how it's done properly. [video=youtube;kAWgnYJvW_U]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAWgnYJvW_U[/video]
caterham are close to announcing their driver lineup and as a lot of noise has been made about Kobayashi, Im pretty sure he will be back!!!
Well they can't leave it much longer! I'd love it if they did the reveal at the same time as the car. Had a big sheet covering the car and both drivers, and have Fernandes unveal the lot at once.
Would love it to be Kobayashi and Kovalainen. Probably going to be two unheard of pay drivers though.
At least one experience driver apparently So Kobayashi and/or Kovalainen isn't impossible, assuming Kobayashi counts as experienced. The aim to announce earlier than last year (4 days before the first test).
I had a weird thought the other day with Lotus and Caterham merging into 1 team. How Ironic would that be?
Not really a surprise after his name appeared on the FIA entry list. Disappointing but let's see how Chilton copes with the torque.
Badly, I suspect. I do hope the new engines help sort the wheat from the chaff in terms of drivers. F1 cars should be monsters that only the very best 22 drivers in the world can tame. Talent should become more important than money again.
