The Stupid Questions thread

[Sportydan]

Does this count as a stupid question?

Its one of the best ive seen so far

 

[El_Bando]

 

[genjigonzales]

Among the rule changes for the 2011 season, one of the less prominent was that gearboxes must now last for five consecutive events rather than four.

Interesting - Furthermore, each team had to choose 30 ratio options before the season began to cover the demands of the 19 circuits, which must be able to cope with the slowest corners at Monaco, and the long straights of Monza, with DRS enabled.

Genji - Thats the best i could find.

Cheers, Sporty. Doesn't really answer it though. The answer's got be somewhere in Article 28.6, but I'm blowed if I can work it out.

For the purposes of this Article only, an Event will be deemed to comprise P3, the qualifying practice session and the race.
a) Each driver may use no more than one gearbox for five consecutive Events in which his team competes. Should a driver use a replacement gearbox he will drop five places on the starting grid at that Event and an additional five places each time a further gearbox is used. Any replacement gearbox must be fitted with the same gear ratios that were declared under d) below and will only be required to complete the remainder of the Event in question. Any change to the gear ratios declared under d) below will incur a further five grid place penalty. In either case a new five race sequence may start at the following Event.
Unless the driver fails to finish the race (or is unable to start the race for reasons other than a penalty imposed by the stewards) the gearbox fitted to the car at the end of the Event must remain in it for the remainder of the five race sequence. Any driver who failed to finish the race at the first, second, third or fourth of the five Events for reasons which the technical delegate accepts as being beyond the control of the team or driver, may start the following Event with a different gearbox without a penalty being incurred.
A gearbox will be deemed to have been used once the car's timing transponder has shown that it has
left the pit lane.
b) If a driver is replaced after the first, second, third or fourth event of a five event period, having finished the first, second, third or fourth Events, the replacement driver must use the gearbox which the original driver had been using.
c) After consultation with the relevant team the FIA will attach seals to each gearbox in order to ensure that no moving parts, other than those specifically permitted under
d) At each Event seals may be broken once, under supervision and at any time prior to the second day
of practice, for the sole purpose of changing gear ratios and dog rings (excluding final drives or reduction gears). Competitors must inform the FIA technical delegate which ratios they intend to fit no later than two hours after the end of P2. However, one additional change of ratios and dog rings will be permitted if a gearbox change is necessary on the first day of practice before the end of P2. Gear ratios and dog rings (excluding final drives or reduction gears) may also be changed under supervision for others of identical specification at any time during an Event provided the FIA technical delegate is satisfied there is evident physical damage to the parts in question and that such changes are not being carried out on a systematic basis.
e) Other than under d) above, a replacement gearbox will also be deemed to have been used if any of the FIA seals are damaged or removed from the original gearbox after it has been used for the first time.
f) For 2011 only, except during the last Event of the Championship season, each driver will be permitted to use a replacement gearbox without incurring a penalty the first time this becomes necessary during the season. Under such circumstances the replacement gearbox will only be required to complete the remainder of the Event in question.

 

[El_Bando]

In Malaysia both Williams drivers used their free gearbox change. In Spain (three races later) Barrichello needed another new gearbox after cooking it on the way out of the pits in a practice session.

Why didn't Barrichello get a grid penalty?

"A gearbox will be deemed to have been used once the car's timing transponder has shown that it has
left the pit lane."

there we go!

 

[genjigonzales]

"A gearbox will be deemed to have been used once the car's timing transponder has shown that it has
left the pit lane."

there we go!

Umm, no. Look, just consider the races. In the first race he used his first gearbox. In the second race he used his joker and took a free replacement. Then in the fifth race he used a third gearbox. Burning one out in the pitlane is simply the cause of having to use a third. It's the use of the third gearbox that should have incurred a penalty, not the failure of the second, which had been used for three races prior to being burned out in the pitlane in any case.

 

[North North Watford]

Why don't the drivers and race engineers swear whenever they're saying something they don't want to be broadcast to the world? Indeed, instead of devising rubbish codes, why don't they use unbroadcastable words as codewords?

 

[cosicave]

Why don't the drivers and race engineers swear whenever they're saying something they don't want to be broadcast to the world? Indeed, instead of devising rubbish codes, why don't they use unbroadcastable words as codewords?

Hahahahahahahahahaha! This is pure poetry from Watford! Brilliant. Not a stupid question at all!

 

[WestCoastBoogaloo]

Can someone please explain to me how Ferrari managed to make such a pigs ear of 2005? How does a team that has won the WCC 6 years in a row suddenly lose the capability of building a decent car?

 

[genjigonzales]

Can someone please explain to me how Ferrari managed to make such a pigs ear of 2005? How does a team that has won the WCC 6 years in a row suddenly lose the capability of building a decent car?

Excellent stupid question. I have read the answer to this so it's out there on the internet somewhere but I've forgotten what it is. Looking forward to reading the answer. I think it might have something to do with the tyres (as in "it wasn't our fault!").

 

[Sportydan]

Can someone please explain to me how Ferrari managed to make such a pigs ear of 2005? How does a team that has won the WCC 6 years in a row suddenly lose the capability of building a decent car?

A quick read of wiki says that bridgestone tyres struggled in 2005 against the michelin tyre, but overall what a downfall after 6 straight titles, they get their lowest WCC ranking since 1995.

 

[WestCoastBoogaloo]

Excellent stupid question. I have read the answer to this so it's out there on the internet somewhere but I've forgotten what it is. Looking forward to reading the answer. I think it might have something to do with the tyres (as in "it wasn't our fault!").

Well certainly the Michelins performed better than the Bridgestones, but that's all I can remember as I wasn't an avid fan back then.

 

[Bergkamp a Dutch master]

Question. 'Can someone please explain to me how Ferrari managed to make such a pigs ear of 2005? How does a team that has won the WCC 6 years in a row suddenly lose the capability of building a decent car?'
Answer. Bribery was refused?

 

[North North Watford]

Ferrari will no doubt claim that they still built a race-winning car.

 

[di Fredsta!]

They did win in Indianapolis

Speaking of Ferrari, and I cba to look it up. When was the last time they didnt win a race in the season? I'm guessing early 90s

 

[El_Bando]

Can someone please explain to me how Ferrari managed to make such a pigs ear of 2005? How does a team that has won the WCC 6 years in a row suddenly lose the capability of building a decent car?

My dad kept saying that all through the 2005 season are you my dad?

I say it was down to so many people praying for the Ferrari to be ****.

 

[WestCoastBoogaloo]

My dad kept saying that all through the 2005 season are you my dad?

I say it was down to so many people praying for the Ferrari to be ****.

You can't prove anything!

Seriously though, has anyone actually got an answer or is it as simple as the Bridgestones were terrible? They can't have been that bad as Ferrari stayed with them for the following year and were pretty competitive.

 

[genjigonzales]

You can't prove anything!

Seriously though, has anyone actually got an answer or is it as simple as the Bridgestones were terrible? They can't have been that bad as Ferrari stayed with them for the following year and were pretty competitive.

They could have been that terrible. The point is, Bridgestone's only competitive team were Ferrari because Ferrari wanted the tyres developed specifically for them so no other decent teams wanted Bridgestones. That meant the only meaningful feedback Bridgestone got was from Ferrari and, good or bad, it was a pretty one-sided view. They therefore produced tyres that were durable (as Ferrari would have wanted) but provided much less grip than the Michelins.Bridgestone (and Ferrari) would have learned from that and developed much more competitive tyres for the following season.

You're right, though, it wouldn't have been solely down to the tyres. The car was uncompetitive too and they didn't make the steps forward that other teams did, possibly comparable with 2009.

 

[Delete Me]

Who is that guy with the beard at the award ceremony that gives out the hats and water to the drivers?

I see people asking but no actual closure on the question.

 

[genjigonzales]

Who is that guy with the beard at the award ceremony that gives out the hats and water to the drivers?

I see people asking but no actual closure on the question.

Dunno about the guy with the beard but I remember someone on 606 (Czar-Orac unless I'm very much mistaken) saying the guy in the suit with no beard who hands out the watches was his mate - David someone possibly.

 

[Bergkamp a Dutch master]

He's Bernie's love child.