2014 Formula 1 Rule Changes

[bluesblaster]

the fact that modern technology laden race cars can go around corners faster than race cars from forty some years ago doesnt make the sport the least bit more exciting in my opinion. I use to attend lots of SCCA (open wheel and can am) and IMSA races during the 70's and 80"s.Lots of great drivers and cars and loved every minute of it, lost interest when things got all techy and uber expensive. None of that stuff made the racing better or more exciting, it just costed more. Thank god for nostalgia racing events.

 

[Mysterion]

When I think F1 the names that come to mind are Jim Clark, Graham Hill, John Surtees, Dan Gurney and Jackie Stewart. For my money the mid 60's to mid 70's were the golden age of F1. These were the years before race cars became 200 mph billboards, a shifter type gear box, no computers, just man and machine. I dont want to see a race car using the same "platform" as your everyday grocery getter, thats just boring. Honda should just stick to making Civics

All true, and I too find contemporary racing pretty dull. But I also think of Jochen Rindt, and Bruce McLaren, and Mark Donohue, and a lot of others who died in those old cars.

And FWIW, recall that John Surtees drove for Honda's initial FI entry, in the '67 season.

 

[bluesblaster]

No doubt about it, those old cars were dangerous, I believe J. Rindt s death was attributed to fire, as were many others, the fuel fires were always a problem with these cars. Donahue died days later from his injuries, a cerebreal hematoma that wasnt detected right away. McLaren was testing a new car without any body work on it at the time, just a bare open chassis when it got away from him and crashed head on into a berm.

Honda entered F1 in '64 and won there first race in '67, a honda motor in a lola chassis

 

[Mysterion]

Rindt's death and Stewart's close call in a gas-filled monocoque did much to spur later safety improvements. Rudimentary aerodynamics caused a lot of hairy crashes, especially during the era of elevated wings. I thought McLaren's car lost the rear wing/bodywork prior to his fatal crash...?

As a kid, I built a Tamiya 1:12 model of Surtee's F1 Honda. The 'bundle of snakes' exhaust seemed so cool to an 11-year old...

 

[bluesblaster]

I believe your correct about the McLaren crash, the one piece rear body work wing assembly came loose(can am car) and lifted the rear of the car off the ground. It happened during a test session and it was sans much of the outer bodywork for some reason at the time, leaving the driver more vunerable.