Totally agree ExpatHotspur - there is a good piece in "Motorsport Magazine" this month which basically likens F1 to FIFA. Gary Lineker made some very critical remarks of FIFA with Sep Blatter running it, the corruption, stupid decisions etc. Lineker being a very well respected former football and now pundit was listened to in many circles.

 

However, the editor of MS felt that F1 was being run like FIFA - substitute Bernie for Sep! But concluded that there was no one brave enough to voice concerns against the running like football has with Lineker.

 

I will try and get the article on here.

Given how long it's been known that this season's rules mandated turbo-compound powerplants, why is anyone surprised that the engines have an engine note rather than just A NOISE?

Both Hamilton and Rosberg have had their gearbox seals broken and both have had new gear ratios installed for Singapore

 

 

Drivers can only do this once during the season (for 2014)

Ken, it's not about turbo for me, it is about lack of revs and this is what always made F1 for me really. I was all right with the TV noise (they amp it big time as I learned) until I went to see Silverstone this year - extremely disappointed with the soundtrack.

Going back to the reason for lack of noise. As I said, it is not the turbo but the lack of revs which is direct function of frankly mind boggling insane fuel flow restrictions...

 

*confession time* - I started watching NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racing   - I was always fascinated with them fire breathing monsters pumping out 10,000bhp

Edited 19 September, 201411 yr by Jabozuma

Ken, it's not about turbo for me, it is about lack of revs and this is what always made F1 for me really. I was all right with the TV noise (they amp it big time as I learned) until I went to see Silverstone this year - extremely disappointed with the soundtrack.

Going back to the reason for lack of noise. As I said, it is not the turbo but the lack of revs which is direct function of frankly mind boggling insane fuel flow restrictions...

 

*confession time* - I started watching NHRA Top Fuel Drag Racing   - I was always fascinated with them fire breathing monsters pumping out 10,000bhp

This deserves a considered reply. 

 

There is substantial energy being extracted from the exhaust gases by the turbo-charger and exhaust energy recovery (I don't have figures for F1, but Scania could get about 40bhp (equivalent) out of an 11l 330bhp diesel running at 2_000rpm peak so I honestly believe that most of the "lost noise" is being used as boost power). That energy is no longer available to be noise.

 

I think you're wrong about the "lack of revs"; I grew up watching Scottish Championship races and the highest revving engines we saw were Rootes Competition 998cc 4s in Hillman Imps, Davrians and the like which made about 9_000 rpm and were decently LOUD. Well, ok, except for an odd BDG, one time we saw a DFV in an F1 car, a Cosworth GAA (in a silouette Lotus Esprit), and that one guy who ran an RX7. Anyway, the point is that you can get painfully loud non-turbos at under 10_000rpm with an unsilenced exhaust.

 

I've never seen Top Fuel cars live, but always thought that they made their power from immense compression ratios rather than high engine speeds.

The aural pitch of the old engines was special, v8 or v10, and part of the event. Being soaking wet & cold, stood on the Kemmel straight in Belgium, or at Stowe at Silverstone (before they moved the pits) you were 1 mile + from the pits, but you heard the first car fire up on Friday morning, and leave the pit lane, and it made all the hairs on my neck stand up, and my heart rate increased. When the pack came round together on the first lap I had eargasm. It's some consolation the racing hasn't been ruined by the new engines, but I just don't feel motivated to visit an F1 venue anymore, pay 500 euros for myself and my son, and not need earplugs. The noise is part of what motorsport is all about.

I don't know Ken, I was there, standing at the last corner (Vale?) before the pits straight and I could not hear cars approaching the corner, there was no noise whatsoever! As for the energy I think what you means is thermal energy being extracted by the turbo, not the sonic energy, that stays as is, no change to it really. It is dependant on the speed of exhaust gases (top fuels get over 1g downforce from exhaust gases at full chat alone!) and shock wave characteristics. What I am missing is not the decibels alone but the note of a high revving engine. Coasting to corners screws up downshift noises as well unfortunately as internal combustion part of the power unit runs on shut injectors, just inertia i.e. no noise bar mechanical noise. 

I know what you are saying about 9krpm cars being loud enough I love 125cc 28k revving kart engines noise despite it comes off a small coffee cup of a cylinder

 

Top Fuel dragsters get power form 90-100% nitromethane fuel and massive, over 4.5bar boost maxing out at 5.0bar (it takes up to 800bhp to drive the suprcharger alone!)- cylinder compression ratios are really low, 6.5:1 - as for noise this is out of this earth, 150 dB and will render you deaf instantly and can cause brain damage if no protection worn. Some people compared top fuel pass to drag strip being bombed

 

@ExpatHotspur - "eargasm" - loving that and yes, I miss it too...

The safety car sounds better these days - at least it has a decent growl.

 

Mind Formula E sounds awful - they need serious sound generators on those things.

Agreed, that SLR sounds sumptuous! 

I think Formula E should stay as it is as the lack of sound is true to its nature

Should be like the old days. You get in, point it in the right direction and off you go.

The driver these days is simply a puppet of the statisticians back in the pits and HQ. May as well make them drones

I'm not so sure. They have a lot more to do than just drive, so it's a more taxing job today with more things to worry about and consider than *just* driving. It's become far more complex than just putting enough fuel in, having tyres that last a long time and have driver aids like traction control to keep you on the road.

 

But I agree that it's less "old-fashioned motorsport" and more "multi-tech-balancing-act".

I just don't feel motivated to visit an F1 venue anymore, pay 500 euros for myself and my son, and not need earplugs. The noise is part of what motorsport is all about.

 

Out of curiosity which track did you watch the new motors at?  

Out of curiosity which track did you watch the new motors at?  

I've been going since 2007. I watched the V8's at Nurburgring, Sliverstone (2), Spa (2), & Monza. Being based in Prague from Jan this year, I had the choice of Hockenheim, Austria and the Hungaroring as new venues to me, all 5 ish hours away door to door driving. I chose Austria this year. When I'm on my own, I buy cheap seats in the GA "mosh pit" get there early, and get my elbows out to secure a nice spot. With my young son, a grandstand seat is less stressful, because you know you place is reserved, and you aren't going to get wet, but it does ramp the price up. The circuit, unchanged in layout with new facilities is great, and the area its in was beautiful. The anticlimax of the F1 sound after the Porsche of the GP2/ GP3 was stark for me. 

Well seasoned F1 spectator then! It seems to split opinion the noise, my mate was moaning like **** at the start of the season but after going to silverstone and seeing them in person he was creaming himself over the noise.

I loved the V10's, V8's were so so, I need to hear the turbos in person. Watching the race now they sound banging in Singapore, echoing off the walls and buildings.

I have to say it was the first time watching the Singapore qualifying highlights that I really really noticed all the noises, included tyre screaching under hard braking. The reduced noise is less in your face, but I prefer it as it's almost like an MTV Unplugged version of motorsport, and I find it gives a more intimate kind of feeling. Maybe the street circuit with all the walls emphasises the noise, but seeing the drivers' eyes as well really brought me into the action even more.

 

And I can't remember the last time I laughed so much (being a Lewis fan over Nico) when he said "Damn it!" over the radio. That seriously made me chuckle

 

Can't wait to see it tonight on the Beeb's highlights. No spoilers please before that for those that see it on Sky! Or use spoiler tags if you want to talk about it!

Eh? How'd I use spoiler tags? Chances are a F1 discussion thread will be discussing a race after it's over, I just dont go on FB or this thread if I'm working while a race is on 

user [ spoiler ] this is a spoiler [ / spoiler ] (minus the spaces)

For example:

 

Great race. I loved it how

there was so much action and I'm not actually giving anything away by saying this making this spoiler usage completely useless!

Well Lewis nailed that! Great result. Pressure now well and truly on Nico!

 

No spoilers please before that for those that see it on Sky! Or use spoiler tags if you want to talk about it!

 

So you don't want to know the result or details about the race but you would happily log on to a car based forum and look at the F1 thread immediately after a race???  Really?

As much as the commentators built it up it wasn't as exciting as it could have been. Did feel like an older race where it was more about toughness as several drivers were getting burns and feeling pretty bad with the heat.

What happened to the conspiracy theorists who promulgated the idea that Mercedes favoured Rosberg over Hamilton?

So you don't want to know the result or details about the race but you would happily log on to a car based forum and look at the F1 thread immediately after a race???  Really?

Nope, I just meant that for those of us who don't have Sky and only catch up on the beeb's highlights which is sometimes a couple of hours after the race finishes I was burnt on the qualifying result as I was helping my dad with a new laptop he'd just bought running W8.1 and first thing on the news page "Hamilton pips Rosberg at the Singapore F1 qualifying". Argh. I now hate W8.1 with the live news feeds!

 

Joking aside, it is becoming more and more difficult to not hear a result with all the social media and coverage nowadays...

 

I just thought I'd mention it as the spoiler stuff is often used on other forums discussing news, film, etc. And I consider it netiquette to not ruin something for someone

 

I would stay away from a motoring forum until I get the chance to see the result, I'm also speaking for others out there in the same position.

Edit.

It seems we could use spoiler tags as mentioned above.
I don't think it's unreasonable to ask people to hide discussion of the race until after the highlights have been shown on the BBC.

 

Is this visible

I am with Martyn, bit boring with no battle of any significance for first place . It was actually quite sad to see how easily Lewis drove around RedBulls - there was simply no competition really. 

Vergne was brilliant at the end

I must admit I was dissapointed with Williams cars.

Is it me or Kimi finally woke up and got the BBW sorted for himself?

I am with Martyn, bit boring with no battle of any significance for first place . It was actually quite sad to see how easily Lewis drove around RedBulls - there was simply no competition really. 

Vergne was brilliant at the end

I must admit I was dissapointed with Williams cars.

Is it me or Kimi finally woke up and got the BBW sorted for himself?

Big Breasted Woman ???