BOF Posted February 2, 2015 Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 I think it's high time I start this year's thread, don't you? We'll start with the changes from 2014 to 2015 Driver changes Sebastian Vettel is now at Ferrari alongside Kimi Raikkonen. He replaces Fernando Alonso who has gone to McLaren to partner Jenson Button. Red Bull have promoted Daniil Kvyat from Toro Rosso to replace Vettel. Toro Rosso have dropped Jean-Eric Vergne and brought in Carlos Sainz Jr. and Max Verstappen. Sons of famous fathers. Marcus Ericsson has moved from Caterham to Sauber in an all new line-up alongside Brazilian Felipe Nasr. Gutierrez & Sutil are both dropped. The former joins Ferrari as test & reserve driver. Team changes Honda are back in F1 with McLaren who have moved from Mercedes who they had been with for 20 years. Lotus have taken up the available Merc spot by switching from Renault. It is still not certain whether Marussia/Manor or Caterham will turn up in Australia. Technical changes A driver has 4 power units per season instead of 5 Engine development time is 50% what it was in 2014 Noses are lower to try and avoid the ugly noses of 2014 Minimum weight increased to 702kg (from 691kg) Front & rear suspension must now be independent of each other Driver safety cell heightened Struggling teams can use 2014 chassis if they can prove they need to. Sporting changes Zero technical data to be shared via pit-to-car communication Double points abandoned (thank ****) Introduction of virtual safety car where cars must match a delta time or speed on their steering wheel in situations where a safety car is not required e.g. double waved yellows Minor change to final backmarker during safety car. If a race is suspended, cars will re-start from pit exit instead of grid. Pit lane start for driver if any personnel remain on grid after 15 second signal. Replacement of power units will be grid-penalty penalised based on its individual components. If the full penalty can't be applied on the grid, the remainder will be applied as a time penalty during the race. A new 10-second pit stop penalty has been added. Unsafe release will get a 10-second stop-go. Further penalties for driver's who are aware of this and attempt to drive the car regardless (?) Car launches Williams - 21 January Lotus - 26 January McLaren - 29 January Ferrari - 30 January Sauber - 30 January Toro Rosso - 31 January Mercedes - 1 February Red Bull - 1 February Force India - 19 February 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 2, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 Williams Mercedes FW37 Lotus Mercedes E23 McLaren Honda MP4-30 Ferrari SF-15T Sauber Ferrari C34 Toro Rosso Renault STR-10 Mercedes W06 Red Bull Renault RB11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted February 2, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted February 2, 2015 The Red Bull looks like one of our (JLR) vehicles when they're wrapped in camouflage! I like the nose on the ferrari Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 2, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 On the face of it you'd say they launched the Red Bull in Dazzle camouflage to try and obfuscate any developments they'd brought on-board. But personally I think it's a double-bluff. The camouflage will make people look harder, and I think the real 2015 Red Bull developments won't even be on it yet, so they've invited people to look really hard at something that's not worth looking at yet. Typical Red Bull Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mykeyb Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Force India could be in financial trouble. Bernie needs to sort this shit out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 The McLaren looks like last years marussia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choffer Posted February 2, 2015 VT Supporter Share Posted February 2, 2015 Do any of those cars actually make any noise? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maqroll Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 How long has Force India been around? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 2, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 People on f1-fanatic generally saying they love Sauber's livery. Personally I think it looks amateur and is something I could have knocked up in paintbrush. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 2, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 2, 2015 How long has Force India been around?The team can trace its origins back to Jordan in 1991 but they've been Force India since 2008. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Vettel 18/1 to win outright, surely thats a tempting bet each way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Vettel 18/1 to win outright, surely thats a tempting bet each way Would each way pay down to 3rd or 4th? I wouldn't take much from the latest testing. I expect Mercedes were running comfortably below full power. No point in showing your cards too early. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 only 2nd in paddy power Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brommy Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 only 2nd in paddy power Unless things change very significantly, I really can't see another team splitting the two Mercedes cars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 3, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 3, 2015 According to oddschecker, E/W on the WDC is only ever paid down to 2nd place at 1/3 odds. William Hill are the only bookie giving WDC odds but not offering E/W.As for Vettel. You can get him at 25/1 with Coral & Boyle Sports, so 8.3/1 to come 2nd. The Ferrari power-unit, whether in the Ferrari or the Sauber has been impressive early on, so that bodes well for them overall. I'd agree with brommy though. I think Merc are taking things steady early on. So I think Ferrari's pace is positive for them whilst not necessarily being bad for everyone else, if you get me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimzk5 Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 Ferrari will have had to make a massive step to catch the mercs, if E/W was paying out up to 4th id have a punt on vettell but your money would probably be better spent on bottas to finish 2nd in the drivers standings given how close at times they were to the mercs. Personally ill be backing Alonso, red bull had a shit load of trouble at the tests last year and turned up at Australian with a competitive car and with former red bull designer prodromu back at McLaren id fancy them to get back to form now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 3, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 3, 2015 Another day, another Ferrari-powered 1-2. This time Nasr tops the time sheets over Raikkonen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted February 3, 2015 Share Posted February 3, 2015 I have a slight worry the McLaren Honda is going to be the whipping boy of the grid. Hope they iron out their reliability issues and put in some quick times soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOF Posted February 4, 2015 Author Moderator Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'm keeping an eye on whether their issues are coolant-related. The back of their car is seemingly extremely tightly packaged, much to the curiosity of the opposition. Red Bull did something similar last year and ended up having cooling issues. I did hear the word 'coolant' being used in relation to McLaren yesterday but I think it was a leak as opposed to over-heating. Still though, it's not what they want. I'd be confident in Honda's ability to have a quick engine and also to get things sorted. I hope it doesn't take them the first quarter of the season though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StanBalaban Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts