2018/19 Formula E season

[chunterer]

They definitely look quicker than the old device. Are they actually?

Helluva line up of drivers and some great racing.

I wasn't sure but I will be tuning in for as much of the new season as possible.

Re the commentary. Varsha is much better than the bloke who anchors. Nicholls? He's awful!

[gert]

Originally Posted by chunterer

They definitely look quicker than the old device. Are they actually?

Hard to say for sure.

At the Valencia pre-season test the best time overall was 1:16:977
A year ago it was 1:18:565

I don't know if they used the same layout of the track, and have no clue about the weather either.

We'll see after a few events when they have raced at tracks where they have been to before?

[Mike Bell]

Just to add my support to the new cars and format. Only thing I’d happily lose is the fan boost.......

As has been said by others, it would be great to see the cars running on a traditional circuit at some point- if only to make a more direct comparison with other single seater racing.

Add the fact that BBC are showing the races in the UK, I will be tuning in again when possible.....

[Plato]

the fan boost can easily be cheated same way driver of the day in F1 can be.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Just to add my support to the new cars and format. Only thing I’d happily lose is the fan boost.......

As has been said by others, it would be great to see the cars running on a traditional circuit at some point- if only to make a more direct comparison with other single seater racing.

As above - I'd lose the fan boost, lose the "attack mode" Mario Kart ******** and go to proper circuits. The racing was pretty good (and the driver lineup is impressive) but the circuit looked awful (just concrete, fencing and hoardings) - I know 'street circuits' is their thing but surely they can make them look better than that? Also the cars still sound dreadful - it's ok for a bit but by half distance the sound was actually irritating.

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

Add the fact that BBC are showing the races in the UK, I will be tuning in again when possible.....

That makes it much more watchable - just being able to fire up the iplayer and catch up on the race is great. I'll watch more races - so I guess that's an improvement.

[bella]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

As above - I'd lose the fan boost, lose the "attack mode" Mario Kart ******** and go to proper circuits. The racing was pretty good (and the driver lineup is impressive) but the circuit looked awful (just concrete, fencing and hoardings) - I know 'street circuits' is their thing but surely they can make them look better than that? Also the cars still sound dreadful - it's ok for a bit but by half distance the sound was actually irritating.

i don’t blame them for staying away from proper circuits. like has been said before, they’re still no faster than a formula renault and that would draw inevitable comparisons with existing single seaters that would do them absolutely no favours at all.

personally i wish they’d sort the tyres out. yes, it’s great that they run ~eco friendly long lasting road tread, but they must lose a fair amount of performance there.

[Akrapovic]

The car tops out at its vMax quite early, so although it's Formula Renault speeds, it actually looks even worse.

I like the circuits tbh. It's a bit different. I don't mind the idea of the tyres, but they couldn't cope with standing water, which makes them a bit pointless.

[NSX_LeMans]

2016 car was just 2 seconds slower than a GT3 at Donington Park. That is not that slow, not in qualifying trim, at least.

[bella]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I like the circuits tbh. It's a bit different. I don't mind the idea of the tyres, but they couldn't cope with standing water, which makes them a bit pointless.

the absolute rubbish they have to run in testing because they're on a limited allowance is... astounding. i'm sure there's a good reason for the road tread though.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by bella

i don’t blame them for staying away from proper circuits. like has been said before, they’re still no faster than a formula renault and that would draw inevitable comparisons with existing single seaters that would do them absolutely no favours at all.

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I like the circuits tbh. It's a bit different.

Street circuits can be ok (Monaco and Baku for example) - they really need to showcase the city they're in. If you're calling a circuit 'London' for example then you need to see the sights, the landmarks, the things people think of when they hear 'London'. The race in Ad Diriyah could really have been anywhere - it was all concrete, fencing and hoardings - looked more like an industrial estate than a city - the F1 track in Valencia suffered from the same problem.

Originally Posted by bella

personally i wish they’d sort the tyres out. yes, it’s great that they run ~eco friendly long lasting road tread, but they must lose a fair amount of performance there.

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

I don't mind the idea of the tyres, but they couldn't cope with standing water, which makes them a bit pointless.

They can do what they like with the tyres in terms of life/grip - just stop them squealing please! I guess running on those tyres is also a deliberate way of keeping speeds under control - but also encouraging racing - braking distances are increased, the cars are more 'slidy' so a mistake can cost you more. The racing itself is fine - it's the circuits, noise and gimmicks I don't like.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Street circuits can be ok (Monaco and Baku for example) - they really need to showcase the city they're in. If you're calling a circuit 'London' for example then you need to see the sights, the landmarks, the things people think of when they hear 'London'. The race in Ad Diriyah could really have been anywhere - it was all concrete, fencing and hoardings - looked more like an industrial estate than a city - the F1 track in Valencia suffered from the same problem.

They can do what they like with the tyres in terms of life/grip - just stop them squealing please! I guess running on those tyres is also a deliberate way of keeping speeds under control - but also encouraging racing - braking distances are increased, the cars are more 'slidy' so a mistake can cost you more. The racing itself is fine - it's the circuits, noise and gimmicks I don't like.

Bert, I’m with you on both points! Squealing tyres don’t belong on a single seater......

[midgetman]

I'm a great supporter of FE, I think it's on the road to great things. Can you sense a however coming...???

All the Mario Kart stuff is pants. That includes the Mickey Mouse circuits (to mix cartoon characters!). Unfortunately this is the demographic to which they have pitched the racing, to try to "engage" the "youth" of the world. Let's be honest, given the low viewing figures even after four seasons it clearly hasn't worked so please can we go back to proper racing now? You never know it might just put viewing figures up ....

Sent from my SM-A520F using Tapatalk

[GasperG]

Squealing tyres can be heard because of low engine sound, in other series engine is so loud that you can't hear it.

[NaBUru38]

Exactly, and I think it's awesome. It makes you feel that car are taking corners as fast as they can.

[Armco Bender]

I like the engine sound it goes with the futuristic looking cars,it's like watching something out of 'Thunderbirds"...

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by NaBUru38

Exactly, and I think it's awesome. It makes you feel that car are taking corners as fast as they can.

It makes me think the cars aren't taking the corners as fast as they can - they're just struggling for grip and could take them a lot faster with better tyres. Squealing tyres is wasted power.

[Mike Bell]

Apologies if this has all been discussed before, but after watching the short video about the tyres I now appreciate why they squeal. Quote- ‘the technology is really relevant to road cars’.......

I’m not saying there is anything wrong with that, BTW!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3-CmQ40BLbg

[bella]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

It makes me think the cars aren't taking the corners as fast as they can - they're just struggling for grip and could take them a lot faster with better tyres. Squealing tyres is wasted power.

exactly. but then if the tyres were more grippy, would they use more power? is it a bit of a limiting exercise?

i like the idea of hearing more than just the engine note - see the f1 sound, which is more complex if a bit less satisfying than it used to be. but it just feels a bit weird to be using those tyres. you can get tons of use out of a well-constructed slick, which is something michelin are pretty good at (eg the formula renault tyre).

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by bella

exactly. but then if the tyres were more grippy, would they use more power? is it a bit of a limiting exercise?

Possibly - also I suspect if the tyres were grippier we'd have less overtaking (less grip = longer braking distances + more chance of mistakes).

Originally Posted by bella

i like the idea of hearing more than just the engine note - see the f1 sound, which is more complex if a bit less satisfying than it used to be.

The sound is a big problem for Formula E (for me anyway ) - really not keen on it (whiny motor + tyre squeal). But I like turbo chatter and anti-lag though so I guess I'm a dinosaur!

Originally Posted by bella

but it just feels a bit weird to be using those tyres. you can get tons of use out of a well-constructed slick, which is something michelin are pretty good at (eg the formula renault tyre).

Yep the Formula Renault Michelins are pretty good tyres - we've used the F Renault rear tyres on the rally car for track days and they hang on quite well!

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

Yep the Formula Renault Michelins are pretty good tyres - we've used the F Renault rear tyres on the rally car for track days and they hang on quite well!

I know Escorts that race on them as well! But unless I’m mistaken they’re 13” wheels on F Renault? One of FEs ‘boasts’ is of the large (18”?) diameter wheels that are more relevant to today’s road cars.

[bella]

they’re completely unrelated, i was just using the example to demonstrate they can produce something suitable for single seaters if they wanted to!

[Armco Bender]

That was classic,BMW heading for an easy 1-2 until they took each other out.....

[Nikki Katz]

The andrettis seem easily the fastest cars, but to me their driver lineup suggests that they were expecting to be backmarkers again. They seemed to be doing a decent job despite that prior to this, but that crash was just bad from both of them

[chunterer]

Originally Posted by Nikki Katz

The andrettis seem easily the fastest cars, but to me their driver lineup suggests that they were expecting to be backmarkers again. They seemed to be doing a decent job despite that prior to this, but that crash was just bad from both of them

Tail end drivers?!

Hardly, both had strong single seatet careers and are top liners in DTM and GT racing as works drivers.

[Plato]

Shame for pascal wehrlein,
Turn 1 was a fuster cluck,
Massa and Waffle are doing well....
proper tail end charlies.