Lewis Hamilton/Tony Stewart trading rides at Watkins Glen!

Should be interesting. I know it won't happen, but I wish they would also get both cars out there at the same time so some of these NASCAR fans can see what a joke their cars are.

Is Tony Stewart going to be able to fit in an F1 car?

Alex

 

Lewis had better check with Niki Lauda first to make sure he approves. Or does Niki decide afterwards?

 

This should be pretty cool, does anyone remember when JPM and Jeff Gordon did the same thing at Indy.

 

Oh yes. I archived that tape. These situations where we have real 1 to 1 comparisons are rare and golden.

Laptimes do that nicely already.

What would be real fun is to run a F1 at an oval. Just to see how fast it can go and how it would blow NASCAR and IRL away on their home turf.

If I fit, I'm sure he'll be ok.

 

All I remember is Jeff saying he wasn't in shape enough to really drive the car.

I would LOVE to see this happen, I think it would be interesting to show the NASCAR fans the sheer speed of F1 as well. Though there is always the barrier that it isn't 'Merican so it's downplayed, I've experienced this so many countless times. I think it's actually a pretty legitimate question whether Stewart could fit in the Macca

 

Fantastic idea

 

There are many ways to accomodate heavier drivers. The original F1 seats are made to custom fit the drivers, but you can take that part out and replace it with a slimmer version. Remember at an event like this, the driver won't pull 3 Gs for 2 hours and won't take the car to the limit so "glueing" him in place isn't really required.

In historic F1 racing series there are often accomodations made to fit a "wider hip" into the chassis. Same goes for "rent-a-F1" events where they normally have several combinations of F1 cars ready to accomodate taller/shorter/lighter/heavier drivers.

I sat in a Sauber from the last 10 years and was comfortable enough and my buddy who is heavy and over 6 feet tall sat in Barrichello's Ferrari. If you don't have to go to the limit, it is doable.

 

There's a YouTube clip of a Honda F1 car doing demonstration laps at Motegi before an IRL race, it's amazing.

 

Good insight, I forgot how the seats are made for a glove perfect fit. I also was picturing it with the extra head protection device that is also removable. It really is golden when you get opportunities for a comparison like this

 

I would love to see that

 

Oh, really? Got a link?

I was just thinking that it is a shame that we don't have Honda anymore in F1. They'd be crazy enough to do such a stunt given what they did at Bonneville.

 

here ya go (obviously an amateur shooting from the stands but you get the idea):

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibErqT7zGQs&feature=youtube_gdata_player[/ame]

 

Thanks, but arrgh:

the guy does 5 laps, but manages to screw up every one of them:

lap 1 donuts
lap 2 slows down
lap 3 slows down
lap 4 donuts
lap 5 cool down

The best I could figure out was about 32 seconds for lap 3 but it got compromised. IRL does about 27 seconds, so no cigar for F1. I'm guessing the driver was under instructions not to do a consistent fast run to prevent a direct comparison. Oh well.

 

Afterwards

 

This is crazy. Tony is never going to be able to fit into the thing. Come to think of it, few nascar drivers would fit.......hmm

 

Someone better get footage of that fata$$ squeezing in there then. It's going to be priceless.

 

I met T Stewart when I worked in NASCAR. He is a really cool guy from my short times with him.

They'll squeeze him in. Sure the fitting is taking place in advance.

MB

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_IfM5X7QIU[/ame]

 

I just don't understand why fans of one discipline of motor racing must disparage the other. I'd put money that the top 5 or 10 guys in NASCAR would do far better in F1, than the top 5 or 10 IRL drivers in F1 given equal equipment to the task.

 

Alex: I hate to break this to you, but people that are fans of motorsports KNOW there are differences between the 'cars'.
You seem to imply F1 cars are the ultimate driving machines, but try going to a Sprint Car race or a World Rally race and get back to us: THOSE are cars and THOSE drivers have larger cajungas than any F1 or nascar driver.

I hear ya. I just don't understand bandwagon folks, motorsports is motorsports, it's not equal, and was never intended to be. F1 will NEVER had the nose-to-tail side-by-side racing at 180 mph in packs of 8 cars or more that nascar has.
I like F1, I like all racing, but the problem with F1 for the last 20+ years is if the car is not 100% PERFECT from the start, the driver may as well park it because none of them can make up for a bad handling car DURING a race. I guess that is what F1 is reduced to.