A Friend Remembered A Tribute to Mike Bell 2021 Calendar

newlaprecord · 8 Apr 2018, 23:20 (Ref:3814220)

its crazy to think that you can achieve so little with a mercedes engine (and gearbox?) .. i mean how bad that car needs to be?

champcarman · 9 Apr 2018, 01:52 (Ref:3814237)

Quote:

Originally Posted by tux

What makes Stroll and Sirotkin such bad drivers?

Is it the drivers, one is an ex Euro F3 Champion , the other was competitive in GP2. They should try Kubica a bit more, at the moment I think it is 50/50 drivers and car.

Mekola · 9 Apr 2018, 02:24 (Ref:3814244)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greem

Psst.

Wanna buy some plans for a car that looks like a walrus? Bloke down the pub told me it's *amazing*.

Very funny...
Athough I still respect them for the FW07...

Mekola · 9 Apr 2018, 02:27 (Ref:3814245)

Quote:

Originally Posted by chunder

Yes, its called Stroll is going to buy the team.

Then we'll see the story of 1976 again on Williams F1 team:
"A Canadian millionaire buyouts the team, and then the Williams stay as directors of their ex-owned team, then..."
Oh my.

KineticEnergy · 9 Apr 2018, 11:33 (Ref:3814337)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee2

Not sure what else could have been expected.

They have drivers with close to zero set up ability at this level, and a questionable tech director leading.

Paddy Lowe? I recall reading Frank Dernie describing PL as "probably the cleverest guy he ever hired."

S griffin · 9 Apr 2018, 11:44 (Ref:3814344)

He must have done something right, he helped Merc to multiple titles

keithcollantine · 9 Apr 2018, 13:35 (Ref:3814382)

They were 1.3s slower in Bahrain than they were last year. Every other team got quicker.

wnut · 9 Apr 2018, 13:52 (Ref:3814390)

NO Felipe, no setup, no pace.

**Born Racer** · 9 Apr 2018, 15:00 (Ref:3814409)

I don't think the drivers are the main problem, as much as I would love to have seen Kubica given the gig or think Massa would be a better bet than Sirotkin. Nonetheless, Williams are just over 2 seconds off the front-running pace on long runs and about half a second off Sauber, so it's the kind of difference that better drivers could make up to allow them to compete more with Sauber, but not enough to resolve their fundamental problems, whatever they are. In Friday's press conference, Claire Williams said the team knew what they were. Whether they can solve them is another matter. The car doesn't look horribly-handling or anything, does it? It's just slow.

AdrianM · 9 Apr 2018, 15:09 (Ref:3814411)

Lowe is a great software and electronics guy. Not convinced if he's a match for Brawn in man management or Newey in car design though. Either needs a design genius at the helm or someone who can motivate and marshal the experts in each field.

**Born Racer** · 9 Apr 2018, 15:13 (Ref:3814413)

These days it's so difficult to assign such contribution to individuals really, because teams are so much huger so the days of it being something like the one-man-created designs of the past have gone to some extent. Although the contradiction to that is that one or two people can still make big human contributions to the matrix that is ongoing computer-led and continuously improved cars. So maybe you're right about a galvanising leader or Adrian Newey-type being as relevant as ever.

chillibowl · 9 Apr 2018, 15:56 (Ref:3814427)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mekola

Very funny...
Athough I still respect them for the FW07...

i do as well.

that was a time when the only chance they had to upset to order was to swing for the fences, take a path that no one else was on, and hope that they could find a silver bullet with which to stop the rise of the manufacturers.

that it didnt work out (and maybe it was to big of a chance to have ever worked) isnt really a problem for me.

imo though, they dont take those chances any more. whether it be with drivers, race strategies, or design philosophies.

they are kind of a bland team now and that is really shows in their goals, aspirations, and now their results.

top down there is no inspiration left here.

peebee2 · 9 Apr 2018, 16:23 (Ref:3814430)

Quote:

Originally Posted by KineticEnergy

Paddy Lowe? I recall reading Frank Dernie describing PL as "probably the cleverest guy he ever hired."

You’re assuming that’s a definite compliment?

KineticEnergy · 10 Apr 2018, 12:12 (Ref:3814631)

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee2

You’re assuming that’s a definite compliment?

I do know that Frank Dernie never really enjoyed being a manager type. Far too interested in getting the hands dirty. So maybe he hadn't hired that many over the years, largely leaving that to others to build them technical team around and beneath him.

Moneyseeker · 10 Apr 2018, 13:48 (Ref:3814646)

Rather worryingly, PL keeps saying they need to understand what has gone wrong and that it is nothing obvious, if it were they would have fixed it. Sounds like it might need a 'B spec car' could be on the horizon by the British GP or they face the real prospect of no points. They were still miles out of the points in Bahrain with 3 cars retiring ahead of them!