WhiteBlue wrote:strad wrote:F1 should have about as much relevance to road cars as NASA has to a Piper Cub.
You do know that road cars had disc brakes long before Ferrari would allow them on his race cars,,,and then only because a mechanic tricked him, and did it behind his back..Of course he also said aerodynamics were for those without strong enough engines.
Serously though...F1 is NOT about win on Sunday sell on Monday...Never has been.
Repeating an old mantra doesn't make it more valid or intelligent. All manufacturers in F1 decided last year that they wanted downsized turbos with direct injection and energy recovery (turbo compounding). What we see now is the typical destructive egotism of Ferrari who did not get the exact format they wanted. So they try to shoot the whole thing down and people who should know better applaud them for their anal behavior.
From Autsport:Ferrari's objection to the rules has been discussed in this column before and therefore requires no amplification other than to add that the Italian manufacturer is fully within its rights to object to the regulations on the basis that they are barely compatible with the company's marketing objectives - namely selling top-end, mechanically sophisticated sports cars powered by multi-cylinder engines.
A 1600cc turbocharged four-pot hardly fits that business model. Ferrari is in F1 to move expensive metal. While there is little doubt that la passion is omnipresent at Maranello, the company's raison d'être for remaining in the sport is bottom-line driven, as it should be for any commercial organisation with a responsibility to shareholders suppliers and employees.
Many accuse Ferrari of myopia or even selfishness, yet just as the new engine formula is incompatible with Ferrari's marketplace, the same can be said for Audi. By that logic, the hi-tech diesel-orientated German manufacturer should be accused of the same thing equally stand accused of selfishness/myopia for failing to embrace this 'F1-lite' – yet there has been not a whimper. Fortunately Ferrari is doing everything in its (considerable) power to remain in F1. Four down, two to go.
Mercedes cannot be faulted for wishing to stick to existing technology. The company employs 400 staff at its High Performance Engines division in Brixworth, and its V8 is an absolute gem, with - allegedly - the highest output, best fuel consumption and lowest cooling requirements on the grid – the last point being a crucial one for aerodynamics and weight.