We enjoy our “Mailbag” question session on our TPF Podcast and if you have a question you would like to ask Negative Camber, Grace or Paul, just leave your question in the comment section below and we will read and answer your question on our podcast.
"You can't take F1 to America, you have to take America to F1."
tpf@theparcferme.com
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These are questions for Mr. International, aka Paul. Both Lewis and Bottas experienced a tire failure last week where the tread separated from the carcass. The video and still images clearly show delimitation. Delamination will occur when the internal temperature exceeds a point at which the adhesive strength is not as strong as the centripetal force. However during the race the apparent (surface) tire temperature did not exceed Perrelli’s guidelines. Therefore the internal temperature must have been higher than at the surface. Increasing the tire pressure mitigates carcass flexing and lowers the internal heat generation resulting in this weeks’ pressure… Read more »
Hi there, just discovered your show and liking it a lot! I have a question for both Mr. N. Camber (if that is your real name) as well as Paul: when looking at onboards from an F1 race, what are you focusing on? Or to put it another way: how do you know when a driver is struggling with a particular aspect of the car? Is there a method to analysing the onboard shots? To me, it seems all I can consistently take from watching them is whether or not they can get past the guy in front or not.… Read more »
Hi Erik, great question, we’ll try to get this answered on Monday. Also, my name is Todd and thanks so much for listening. ;)
In our lives if we get fired from something, its generally with immediate effect. How does a professional athlete in F1 or really most other sports cope with the idea they’ve been shown the door but are expected to perform at an elite level for perhaps several months? Seb Vettel is the obvious current example of this. It’s kind of different when they leave on or at least partially on their own terms as that is sort of like an extended notice period I imagine or even if they have some knowledge as to their next destination at a guess?… Read more »
I’m sure Todd or Paul could answer this better, but in Seb’s case, there’s two factors that will keep him pushing fast on course. When the lights go out, drivers like all elite athletes, get into ‘the zone’. It may sound like hyperbole, but the get into a state where the outside world is basically put on pause, and only the activity at hand matters. 2 Seb doesn’t have a drive next year. So if he were to put at the back of the field, no one will want to pick him up. Now more than ever before, he’s marketing… Read more »
In addition, when an athlete is no longer to get into ‘the zone’, they start making mental errors, in racing this often results in repeatedly getting involved in accidents. This is know as as being put out to Pastor.
Do you forget the rookie errors Seb was making at Ferrari?
You probably refer to the lack of car feedback and controlability?!
yeah i think the last time seb vettel was in the zone was around 2013.
Completing my wife’s fantasy GP entry for this week….
When asked “Most places lost by a driver?”
SWMBO answered “Vettel”
Well, there is that harsh reality. :)
Long time listener but new to Patreon and also the website. Question for all of you: did you see the Fastest of All post that F1.com just put out regarding the machine learning rankings of the drivers? A few surprises on there, for me at least!
Hi guys. Do you think the sale of Williams F1 team to a “American” group of investors will expand the fan coverage in the USA of the spot and possibly encourage the likes of Hass and others to participate more in the long run.
Big fan of the show. Andrew from the uk
IMHO … no. Maybe I’m the exception, but, growing up liking american football my team was the Miami Dolphins and NOT my local New York teams. Sure, kind of had a bias for them against other teams, but, liked Miami for their coaching and QB’s for ages. I choose my F1 team favorites like anyone else I think, team characteristics (constructor, driver, history, underdog, hero) Personally I like Red Bull since Checo came on board and having learned more about Alonso’s history and watching today’s race I’ll root for Aston Martin more even though I couldn’t appreciate the Stroll’s less.
I guess Lewis is ready to retire https://youtu.be/t6H2wU8IjI0
Just watching the start of the Indy 500 with the empty stands. It brought back the worst memories of a F1 race featuring six cars. The stands were nearly empty at the finish. The best camera angle at the flag was over the shoulders of two fans who stayed and yelled “Boo” on every lap.
Regarding the exiting of an Indy car with shields should be a concern for all. However one must find the root cause of slow exits and not assign cause based on impressions. In reviewing the videos there were several items that led to slow exits. Immediately after an incident the state of the driver impacts process; injury, mental state, and hormone recovery all impact reaction time. The steering wheels do not always release easily or quickly. Seat belt release is mechanically quick unless the driver is mentally confounded. Then there is a plethora of cables, drinks tubes, and cooling hoses… Read more »
I agree, I think they need to take a long look at extrication.
The comment that blacks clothes, or racing suits, are naturally hotter may not be a true statement. Studies show that the heat conduction of the material may actually make black the same as other colors. As driving suits are designed to insulate from heat, it is reasonable to assume that Bottas would loose 3 kg in any color as the cockpit temperature is so high. https://www.npr.org/2012/07/25/157302810/summer-science-clothes-keep-you-cool-more-or-less
I have always thought it was a huge mistake for Merc to go to black paint and suits and they did it for PC/Lewis reasons not for performance reasons and it has cost them.
Two questions: 1. Why are you not giving Lance Stroll any love? He is high in the driver standing, doing a decent job of driving the car and staying out of trouble. He deserved earlier ridicule and skepticism, but he seems to have grown as a driver and become a legit F1 driver. He’s not my favorite, and other people might deserve or do better in the seat, but if its OK to make light of him in the past he deserves the flip side of plaudits for his recent performance. (Mention of Flip included for Grace). 2. I am… Read more »
We did give Lance some love on the last race review. He did a great job! We have discussed that at the time. :)
There has always been an element of sport to making fun of Lance and it’s not entirely justified he’s been a damn sight better than a lot of the pay drivers to say nothing of Ricciardo couldn’t carry Lance’s helmet to the grid at this point but people still talk about him like the second coming. It’s almost like public perception in the age of the internet isn’t an accurate barometer of a person’s worth.
The only other place on the planet where this happens is the Fiefdom of Kent.
LOL!
Good morning, Todd! This question is for both you and Mr. International. First off, I continue to love your podcast and look forward to each week’s episode. I have been a listener since 2014. My question has to do with ground effects. Ground effects were banned from the support a long time ago, and I’m curious as to why they aren’t being reconsidered. For example, would a significant reduction in downforce/wing withe the reintroduction of ground effects promote closer racing and non-DRS passing? Let me know what you think! P.S. – As a fellow IPA lover, have you, Paul, had Bell’s Hopsolution? It’s a Double IPA that… Read more »
So I have my re-watch on in the background at my office this morning. Vettel and LeClerc are being interviewed. Behind them, you can see the crew stretching and generally preparing for the race. What I want to know is, who’s the asshole in the shot, standing around in LeClerc’s garage bay, hanging on to some handcart? No stretching. No pretense. I think the guy was having a smoke and an espresso back there. Maybe indicative of why Ferrari is stinking it up right now?
He’s the ‘Ideas Guy’ Leave him alone.
This maybe a question not for now but for the off season. Are we about to see a father/son in F1 event that will smash all others. I talking about a Mr m Schumacher Jr and Ferrari collaboration.with the upcoming regulation changes and M sch the 2nd being available to start his F1 crusade imminently. What are your thoughts,hopes and dreams of the three of you as ti what may happen moving forward. Is this the one thing that will turn Ferrari around from its current miss fortune? Or am I just living in cloud Cuckoo land?
Dear Todd and Paul, I am concerned by the concept of reverse grids for several reasons. These concerns are independent of the type of “starting order inversion” applied. Starting order inversion examples include; reverse the entire grid, or just reverse the order of Q3, or one of many other permutations. In each case, there is an implied disincentive for the top teams to continue to innovate. This is my first concern. In a series where the entrants are all essentially equal in lap time performance (can you spell NASCAR?), inverted starts may add interest. However in a series in which… Read more »
Hey Todd and Paul,
I was watching practice 1 and the Sky F1 team commented that Lewis had “1 minute and change to get back to the pits and get off that set of tires.” What rule are they referring to? Thanks so much for all that you do!
Okay, so here’s a radical idea prompted by this weekend’s race at Mugello. We all know that the whole revenue thing re the Scuderia is and always has been absurd. Ferrari gets special treatment simply because they’re Ferrari, and without them F1 wouldn’t be F1. That’s completely cockeyed and utterly unfair. Or as we say here in the States (along with our compadres in the Sovereign Fiefdom of Kent), “Bullshit.” But what if we change the payout model? What if we come up with a way to reward Ferrari for being Ferrari, but alter the arrangement so that it incentivizes… Read more »
Hey guys,
Quick question about the floor skidding along the ground, whilst is looks great with all the sparks (cue Bernie at the FIA meeting), how much time (if any) is lost by the friction generated by it. Since we’re dealing with fractions of seconds over a 90sec lap.
Would it be better to reduce the amount of time that it skids (and therefore slows the car down) or is the benefit of being close to the ground out way the reduced lap time?
Sorry, bit long winded there.
Keep up the good work guys.
Fabio.
Here’s a question. Why is F1 so hell bent against complementing a lap to lapped cars on safety cars and restarts? As much fun as it is watching the back markers tootle around for a whole lap, why not, as the commentators have noted on several occasions, just complement them a lap and be done with it. I can’t think of a situation where doing so would give any advantage beyond what is already gained by allowing them to ‘unlap’ themselves.
Sochi .
Discuss.
LOL!
Formula One needs a Skills Competition like other sports have with the ‘All Star’ break. Where we could finally see who is actually supreme in identical machinery. It’ll never happen but a person can dream, can’t they?
In some ways, that’s rain.
Hello to the TPF gang! I record all the practice sessions but usually only have time to watch one, maybe two of the three sessions. Which practice session do you guys suggest to watch to gain the most information on the track and how each car is handling to give you the best idea of how the race might turn out on Sunday?
In episode 704 NC mentioned looking for a Red Bull clone. At Lidl grocery stores their store brand energy drink and it’s sugar free variant are dead on knockoffs. At 89¢ a can you can stick it to Helmut and save money.
I may have to order some of that. :)
Hi Todd and Paul,
So when Daniel spun out at the end of Q2 and his tires looked ruined. I was wondering since he made it through the session and if those were the tires he did his fastest lap on how would they determine what set he would have to start the race on? Love the show I look forward to it each week.
Is there a viable method to influence Liberty Media about track selection? I was mesmerized with the in-car camera views. Elevation changes coupled with corners make Autodromo Internacional do Algarve one of the most enjoyable tracks to view. A few changes to allow for other than DRS passing would be needed, but the elevation changes alone make it a beautiful experience.
After watching the amazingly cool track that is the Portuguese Grand Prix and other amazing tracks we’ve seen this year, it makes me wonder. Do you think anyone has tapped Tilke on the shoulder and said, “Hey, bud, your tracks suck.” Seriously, why do they keep going to this guy to design cutting edge bore fests?
Hello Todd, Paul, and Grace. To get my eye in for Istanbul Park in preparation for the Turkish Grand Prix, I wanted to watch a past race, but didn’t want to look up suggestions since they are usually accompanied by why the race was good and who won. That takes a significant portion of the excitement away. Without giving anything away, could you recommend which Turkish Grands Prix I should watch? Thank you
A question about the kingdom of Kent:
What is the difference between a Kentish Man and a Man of Kent?
Good afternoon and thanks for such a great show. Do you think McLaren have not been scoring as well in the 2nd part of the season as they are focussing on 2021 and integrating the new Mercedes power unit, rather than developing the 2020 car? Many thanks Neil… in Surrey Uk, not that far from Kent!!
In the Bahrain GP, what is the light above the air intake? Sometimes it’s purple, green or yellow. Can’t figure it out.
There’s something about DRS I’ve not heard discussed and I’d like to hear the take of the Gateway Arch-Sovereign Fiefdom of Kent-Foggy Bottom brain trust on the matter. I’m not a fan of DRS or any such gimmickry designed to artificially induce action on the race track. However, some time ago I spotted what I believe was a deliberate incorporation of DRS and the rules surrounding it into race strategy. That’s something which, if true, adds a more interesting dimension to the picture. In the Vettel/Red Bull era, time and again I’d see Seb put huge effort into grabbing pole,… Read more »
H Guys, George Russell proved what we all now about F1. It is all about the car. Take Hamilton out of the car, put George in and the car still wins. Something must be done to put the driver back in control and not the boffins in the garage. I think everyone is missing the big point of the Romain Crash. I think we should be focusing on what started the fire! The ignition source must of be the hybrid system. I am sure given the heat of the batteries or the discharging of the energy that is normally recovered… Read more »
If you put Latiffi in the car would Latiffi win? I won’t argue that a lot of it is the car, but the fact that George looked and was stronger than Bottas in a car he’s not really driven before… Does that say that Hamilton’s car is better than Bottas’ or that maybe George is that good?
Thanks for keeping the pod going through a strange year. Even before sergio’s win to me it is clear he should be racing in Red Bull next year on merit. I think it would benefit Max to have a seasoned pro along side him to learn from and help develop a car. As Max said in the last race, “well done to Alex for a podium but he was still 40secs behind so what can we learn from that”(or something along those lines). But if this does not happen Sergio was very confident about 2022 – so who would that… Read more »
Question about the grid. Is there any reason in particular why many (if not all?) grids have the cars start beyond the Finish Line? I never paid much attention to it, until the Russian GP where my son and I (our hobbies include video games, fishing, and hoping Hamilton’s car breaks down so someone else can win) cheered for joy when it looked like Hamilton was not able to set a hot lap, only to be crushed when we realized the finish line is BEFORE the grid slots, rather than where the cars actually start the race. It seems like… Read more »
Hey NC – I meant to ask this last week, but why did George Russell have to use a 3 year old seat for the Sikir GP? Surely they had time to make him a new one, afterall HAAS was able to make a seat for Fittipaldi. This didn’t make any sense to me!
Looking forward to the podcasts in the offseason, as ever!
Schumie Toronto
Congratulations!! You’ve just won a contest and now own the Yas Marina circuit. What changes do you make to the track to improve it?
Just a thought I had contemplating this exact question. After the Portugese GP experiment where they cut it down to a fast loop, I think that could be a reasonable solution. The course is flat; can’t do anything about that. But with a shorter lap, it could bring more lap traffic tasty action where a slight mistake can make the difference. Or, sprinklers :P
Greetings all,
We wanted thank all three of you for an entertaining and occasionally insightful podcast. After today’s race, we wondered what changes to the track layout to make Abu Dhabi not boring.
pg
Lewis Hamilton said at the last race that he expected to sort his contract out by Christmas. He didn’t mention which year.
Will he end up on a race by race deal like Senna at McLaren in 1993?
Of all of Lewis Hamilton’s ‘toughest race ever’s what was Lewis’ toughest ‘toughest race ever’s?
While watching Formula1.com’s recap of the top 10 crashes of 2020, two things struck me. One, I’m so glad to be watching formula one in this era as there were some really scary crashes, that could have led to more than one hearse in the season had it been a few decades ago (which I simply don’t have the stomach for). But number two, and for the point of discussion, when a car goes into the gravel, do you know if they ever start in second gear, or do they always have a tendency to start it in first gear… Read more »
Dear Todd, Paul and Grace, Just jumping in on Todd’s comments on F1’s attempt to capture the attention of the younglings. I got into F1 in 2010, having gotten intrigued by the sport thanks to video games that featured it. For 5 years only my uncle and my best friend were also interested in it among the people I know. Even here in the Netherlands, it was a niche compared to soccer, ice skating, pro cycling and eh… darts. Then one Mr. M. Verstappen enters the stage. A significant portion of the Dutch population starts tuning in. Ziggo Sport soon… Read more »
Great insight, Erik, loved the detail. Yes, a hook is what it takes and if that’s video games or other things, I understand that. Here in the US, the Netflix series has done a good job of getting people hooked and it doesn’t show races, it shows the drama and politics and that is where I would focus with other content F1 develops.
Love your pod cast and the thoughtful content. However (here comes the big butt), could you PLEASE slow down the velocity of Grace’s speech? It’s sometimes hard for my Geriatric brain to keep up!! Thanks, keep up the good work.
LOL…she’s east coast, they all talk quickly. ;) Thanks so much for listening, Rex. I’m a midwest boy so things are a little slower paced around these parts. ;)
That’s why she’s always asking if ‘you know?’ XD Love her insight though.
Haas livery features multiple images representing the Russian flag. Russian sponsor (URALKALI), Russian driver (misogynist), Russian flags. Ah, HAAS, the all-American team.
Regards to a second US race. I’d love to see a night race in or near Manhattan. Perhaps dipping into central park and around the United Nations building.. it would make for great TV and showcase the one of a kind city that you have.
Has anyone been able to tell if the Williams car still has the Senna tribute on the nose like past seasons? Or is this a sign of things already changing since the sale? I can’t find one, but maybe the livery isn’t finalized
I didn’t see it but it’s early days so let’s see what the actual livery looks like on the first race.
Any insight onto why Ferrari went with green on the MW? Is it because of the tobacco advertising link (that maybe red & white was too on the nose)?
I haven’t read much about why it is green but perhaps it is tracking with their logo color change which is green. Looking at their website and their big endorsement of the great reset and sustainability, I think it could be that.
Hi Todd,Paul and Grace,
I was wondering if you could explain the diffuser and the different direction McLaren went with there’s. Thanks love the show never miss an episode. Brian from Austin.
Todd, I was tipped off to this article on Gasly, it’s a fantastic read. If you haven’t already seen it I hope you enjoy it.
https://www.theplayerstribune.com/posts/pierre-gasly-formula-one-racing
I did read that. A good article and very touching about his relationship with Anthoine.
Looking forward to the race reviews being back. From the weekend debate about high/low rake and the effect on performance am I right in thinking that this effects the car more during the high downforce elements. So with Bahrain being a relatively low downforce track (apart from sector 2, where red bull dominated in quali and Max was visibly quicker than Lewis during the race) do you think the gap between RB and Merc will be a lot further at more downforce dependent tracks. Secondly, I am sure that the mighty Merc will be able to counter this but it… Read more »