[165th]

[165th]

All settled in and dry at the Velocity Lounge. No bloody Mary's till 10am!

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by 165th

All settled in and dry at the Velocity Lounge. No bloody Mary's till 10am!

Excellent. It is 10:08 @ time of this post...how many Bloodys have been consumed?

[165th]

They know how to set up a Bloody Mary bar that's for sure.

[165th]

It took 10 minutes to get thru the line that had formed at the bar since 7am, LOL

Worth the wait!

[165th]

[165th]

Cowboy cheerleaders. Things are warming up.

[Alvin]

Diffey, Hobbs & Matchett look silly on their outdoor podium reporting the Pre-race info. Would think producers could've moved them indoors.

Nice to see race will be held today...albeit w shortened Quali this morning. Nico another pole w Hamilton knocking on the door of securing his 3rd world title...perhaps today?

Should be an interesting race to say the least.

[165th]

Final preps

[165th]

Well at least Rossi had a nice livery on his car.

[Alvin]

Wow! What a race!

[165th]

It was indeed!
A celebration is in order.

[Alvin]

Originally Posted by 165th

It was indeed!
A celebration is in order.

Already a week has passed and time for Mexico City F1 Grand Prix race...practice today, w Quali Saturday, and Sunday's race is scheduled to be televised on local NBC stations.

[Alvin]

Nico has rear brake fire and failure of both rear wheels during yesterday's practice in Mexico...NBCSportsNet showed "handful of carbon fibre rotor shreds" from the same MERC brake failure.

[Alvin]

2015 Brazil GP: Manor Formula One F1 Race Preview
PaddockTalk · 15 hours ago http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-293404.html
All you need to know about Round 18 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship > Race dates 13-15 November…Location Autódromo José …

All you need to know about Round 18 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship > Race dates 13-15 November…Location Autódromo José Carlos Pace…Debut race 1973…Number of laps 71…Circuit length 4.309km…Race distance 305.909km…Left hand corners 10…Right hand corners 5…Race start time 14.00hrs local…Driver numbers Will Stevens 28 Alexander Rossi 53

It’s hard to believe, but Round 18 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the Formula 1 Grande Prêmio Petrobras Do Brasil 2015, will be the penultimate race of the 2015 season. For the Manor Marussia F1 Team, the previous 17 rounds have flashed by, during an intense year of rebuilding and developing the team for the new challenges ahead.

It feels like a long time since the Team was last racing in Brazil, having missed the last three rounds of 2014, of which this event was one. It is fantastic to be back however, to sample the new Paddock facilities at the Autódromo José Carlos Pace and be reminded of the one thing that never changes - the incredible atmosphere generated by the passionate Brazilian fans.

Alexander Rossi returns to the cockpit alongside Will Stevens, and after a very exciting battle of team-mates in Mexico last time out, together they will be pushing for another two-car finish to add to the Team’s impressive tally.

John Booth │ Team Principal

"First of all, it’s great to be back in Brazil. Obviously, last year, we missed out on this and two other races. As one of the more traditional circuits, and with one of the most passionate crowds, it was sorely missed. Secondly, congratulations to the Autódromo José Carlos Pace on delivering the much-improved Paddock facilities. The old ones had a certain charm, but the new environment is much more conducive to our race team operation and also looking after our guests. As we embark on the penultimate round of the 2015 season, it becomes clear just how much we have achieved as a Team, since we hastily regrouped at the start of the year. As a result, the races have flown by and it feels like there has hardly been time to draw breath. We want to ensure we end the season on a high note, so with the motivation of a fantastic battle between Alexander and Will in Mexico and yet another two-car finish - those cars just keep going round, don’t they? - we will keep pushing hard during the
next two events. This track provides a good few challenges for the engineers and drivers; there is the consideration of the altitude - which has implications for both engine and aero - the typically mixed weather forecast, and arriving at the right compromise set-up. It is a race that always keeps a team on its toes, right up until the final lap."

Will Stevens │ Driver No. 28

"The race in Mexico was a very exciting one between me and Alex. In the end, it didn’t deliver the position I held for much of the race, but I felt like I was back to where I was, after a few slightly more challenging rounds on my side of the garage. A stronger weekend there has really fired me up to end the season on a high note, so I’m feeling very optimistic about the next two races, in Brazil and Abu Dhabi. Obviously Abu Dhabi I’ve raced at before, but Brazil is another new circuit for me, and one I’ve always been excited about racing at. What’s great is that it’s a new experience for me personally, but an old classic with a lot of heritage and obviously forever tied to the legacy of one of my own inspirations, Ayrton Senna. It’s also a very challenging circuit, which are my favourites, as it’s another opportunity for a driver to show their skill in arriving at a good compromise set-up to cope with the different circuit characteristics. I’m looking forward to it."

Alexander Rossi │ Driver No. 53

"Brazil is my final race of 2015 for the team and I really hope it will be as positive as the past four have been for me. I’m very satisfied with my performances thus far, so we will need to keep the momentum going to end on a really strong note. This is a track that I’ve raced and won on in the past, so I will be looking forward to hitting the ground running on Friday. The weather looks like it will be a variable again, as is so often the case with this circuit, but I have grown to be quite comfortable with the car in all conditions, especially after the past two race weekends. I can’t wait to get out there on Friday and resume the on-track battle with Will for one final time this year."

[Alvin]

Raikkonen “not expecting miracles” in Brazil

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ra...les-in-brazil/

[Alvin]

Mayor: F1 Can't Look to Austin for US Grand Prix Bailout
http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireSto...ilout-35180639

"The mayor of Austin says Formula One officials can't look to the Texas capital for a bailout of the financially struggling United States Grand Prix.

Mayor Steve Adler said Friday the state of Texas should stand by its previous agreement with the Circuit of the Americas. Track officials say that deal includes a promise of at least $25 million per year from the Major Events Trust Fund.

But Gov. Greg Abbott's office this week said it is trimming about $6 million in annual funding. Circuit officials and Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone say that could threaten the future of the Austin race after just four years.

The U.S. Grand Prix still gets about $19.5 million from the fund and nearly $23 million total in public money."

[Alvin]

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2015/...state-funding/

F1: USGP threatened by cut in Texas state funding

By Adam Cooper

Published November 11, 2015
FoxSports

The future of the USGP has been thrown into doubt by the news that the Texas state government has dramatically reduced the subsidy it pays to the Circuit of The Americas, and which in effect goes some way to covering F1's sanction fee.

Originally the state had made a $250M commitment over 10 years, and the race received $25M per year in 2012, 2013, and 2014, but this has been cut to $19.5M for this year. The circuit was made aware of this number before the race weekend, although the news has only just emerged.

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It comes on top of the losses caused by the bad weather at this year's event, which led to reduced sales of concessions and also had an impact on the event's viability.

“To use a technical term, I think we’re screwed,” circuit chairman Bobby Epstein told the American-Statesman. “It hit us cold. No one could foresee this coming. But the big question now is, ‘Is the race coming back?’”

Meanwhile Bernie Ecclestone told the paper: “If it’s changed, it’s going to be difficult to continue the race in Austin.”

The whole COTA project was built around the idea that the race qualified for a subsidy that is paid to major events to reflect the income that they generate for the cities that host them. This is in effect based on how much tax revenue out-of-state visitors generate during their stay.

The Texas Major Events Trust Fund was approved by previous state governor Rick Perry and administered by the office of Comptroller Susan Combs, who worked closely with event founder Tavo Hellmund, and Ecclestone when CoTA was first planned.

However, on Sept. 1 responsibility was transferred to the office of current Governor Greg Abbott, who took over from Perry in January this year.

Following an audit by Texas State Auditor John Keel, Abbott's staff have used a different formula and concluded that the event is worth around 20 percent less to the state than previous figures suggested.

In his report Keel noted: “Although the Comptroller's Office prepares post-event studies after a major event, those studies cannot accurately determine whether the estimated incremental tax receipt increases were actually collected.

“Specifically, those studies state that determining the measurable change in tax receipts due to a major event is difficult due to the size and population of the state. In addition, taxes are remitted to the State based on receipts from 30-day to 90-day periods, which makes it difficult to isolate the economic effect of a particular major event.”

He also made it clear that in the past some tax types had incorrectly been included in the calculations: “The Comptroller's Office inappropriately implemented that methodology by including certain information in its calculations that is not permissible. Specifically, when the Comptroller's Office used economic modeling software to estimate the incremental tax receipt increases associated with major events, its estimates included tax impacts for tax types that statute does not permit to be considered.

“Based on output from a demonstration that the Comptroller's Office's staff performed using the estimated direct spending amounts for an actual major event, auditors determined that 22 percent of the total funding that would have been approved for that major event was caused by the inclusion of tax types that were not permissible.”

[mrrat1]

A great race in Texas!!

Well it was a pretty good run.......never thought it would be so quick!

I have a feeling that a big Corp will jump in as a major backer for the race to continue.

[Alvin]

F1’s Engine Changes Spur Debate and Litigation for 2016 and Beyond

F1’s big four have agreed to lower the cost of their engines to struggling teams.

Anyone not living under a rock for the past three years has heard people condemn and attack the current lineup of Formula One power plans. Though there have been several improvements for 2016 announced, the world is still waiting with bated breath for these changes which ought to improve the spectacle significantly. With promises for more aggressive engine noise and improved distribution to the smaller teams, the hope is that Formula One will become more engaging and competitive with midfielders whose chances for a podium were limited by soaring engine prices.

There still exists an argument between some of the engine manufacturers and big wigs like F1 magnet Ecclestone, who at times insist that F1 ought to return to atmospheric V8s for greater appeal. Of course, a high-winding V8 might have the sonic advantage over the somewhat-muted V6, but short of changing the engine formula, there may be a solution to make the turbocharged V6 more exciting.

2016 Changes

To address the aural side of things, a recent change announced the implementation of a separated wastegate-to-exhaust tailpipe. Calling for a separate exhaust for the wastegate also does away with the silencing effect of last year’s system, which dumped the wastegate gasses into the main exhaust. Though losing a certain amount of efficiency, a vocalized wastegate and a divorced exhaust system will generate an exhaust note up to 25% louder. However, part of the turbocharged engine’s appeal isn’t just the volume, but the induction’s audio. Formula Spy wrote this article discussing the signature popping, whistling and cracking. Hopefully, this change will add a little more texture to the dull and muted tones.



When power is concerned, the whole business becomes trickier and much more complicated. Subject to stringent rules regarding fuel burn rate and reliability, the modern engines cannot be asked to make more power simply by means of increasing boost given the current fuel flow rate. Of course, nowadays, the engine is only one component of the “power unit,” so the efficiency of the MGU-H, as well as the frictional losses of the motor and the ancillaries are the only avenues to more thrust. For those of you not in the know or familiar with F1, the MGU-H is the ‘Motor Generator Unit – Heat’. It essentially captures waste heat from the turbocharger through an electric generator, which is then stored.


The 1986 Benetton made over 1,100 horsepower on qualifying boost. Don’t expect those sorts of numbers anytime soon.

Engine Availability

Perhaps the most prevalent issue on the other side of the fence is the availability of engines to the lesser teams. Mercedes and Ferrari have created a division between themselves and the rest of the field thanks to their resources and thus, their ability to refine the motors within a set of exacting rules. In addition, Renault and Honda, though troubled with problems of their own, have limited production numbers, thus making securing an engine a big task for teams like Marussia.

To address this problem, FIA President Jean Todt announced that midfield teams will be able to secure engines from the sport’s four manufacturers for a more reasonable cost, thereby negating the need for an additional supplier. Reuters reported that currently, the four big manufacturers are banding together to see a reduction in engine costs, which should hopefully level the playing field somewhat. In return for lowered engine costs, it has been reported by BBC that F1’s current engine formula will remain until 2020.


The affable Daniel Ricciardo is not the only driver who has voiced their complaints about the current engine formula.

As ever with Formula One, the politics and big business involved make it tough getting these rules to take effect directly or quickly, but we should see in the coming months what effect, if any, this litigation will have on the level of competition. One thing’s for certain: if the exhaust changes are made and the cars become more reliant on mechanical grip as they’re predicted to, we may see a very exciting year with plenty of overtaking and a few more fans plugging their ears as the cars fly by.

Edit: Check out this interesting comment below

Trevor Elvery Works at ExxonMobil Corporation
Always makes me laugh when the talk about reducing engine costs.
So what do the do, bring out a turbo charged unit which must have cost a fortune for the manufacturer to produce.
Now in an attempt to make more noise they are to develop a new exhaust system.

I have a solution, go back to the V8 from 2014. Stop changing the configuration of the power unit and keep the engine rules as they where. Allow manufacturers to modify there engines during the season as they see fit.
Then we could see a return to the good old days. Renault, Cosworth, Honda, Mercedes etc.
Changes cost teams a fortune
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