I don't see the logic in that: If Mercedes has something new, then why hide it? If it is a) so easily copied then a couple of weeks delay won't really matter as the other teams will have copied it if not for Melbourne, then for a race soon thereafter b) so unique that it requires the entire car to be rebuilt, then everybody else is already too late and there is no point in hiding it Therefore I think Mercedes simply extended their development time and deliberately skipped the first testing session. A risky gamble since there are so few test days left. Hey Barbazza, let me borrow your pic for a moment: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not according to this survey: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/11/05/f1-fanatics-favourite-drivers-teams/ Not according to these two recent surveys, where it is either McLaren/RB or McLaren/Ferrari: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/11/05/f1-fanatics-favourite-drivers-teams/ http://www.digitaltomorrowtoday.com/2011/08/04/who-is-the-most-popular-f1-team-on-facebook-and-twitter-infographic/ Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Lol, how many of those "sources" were UK based? I'd be willing to to bet that worldwide MS is among the most supported...
Find me a global survey please. Not that I don't believe you, but these were among the first surveys that popped up in a google search. Which didn't surprise me, since Britain is the homebase for this sport. But even if you move MS' a couple of places up, I doubt he is the most popular driver at this point: Fans are fickle and the fanbase of this sport is probably a pyramid with a wide base of younger supporters for whom Schumacher is somebody "from the past". Just look at us dinosaurs here on FChat: How many fans are there left of say Lauda/Senna/Prost? I'm pretty sure Vettel is currently the most popular F1 driver as it normally is the one who just won the title. MS has his die-hard fans, but I doubt that they are in a majority.
Strictly speaking for myself I would put any of those three against Vettel yet part of the equation would be same chassis. In regards too the topic all I can hope for is a chassis that is more suitable and competative for both drivers. I say this strictly because I'm a Schumacher/Brawn supporter. If I left anything out please let me know ok.
Well, you also have to take into account that many of these surveys are conducted on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter and many MS fans might be a little older and therefore less likely to even be on either website to participate. Any article on MS on, say, PlanetF1 has tons of comments and the positive ones get lots and lots of "thumbs up" ratings. While that is no barometer to go by, one does not win a phenomenal 91 races, 7 titles and bring Ferrari out of the doldrums without building a massive fan base. I've even encountered several people who used to despise MS but now cheer for him. I think his dedication to his comeback and his unwillingness to give up in the face of criticism or make life easy for the young guns (I.E. LH at Monza) has won him over some new fans to add to his old contingent. SRTMike has stated that during the driver parade at Montreal on 2010 (and maybe since you went last year you saw the same) that MS and LH got the loudest cheers from the crowd. The links you posted (particularly ranking the teams) shows a little too much skewed bias as everyone knows Ferrari is easily the most popular team worldwide yet McLaren or Red Bull finished at the top in those surveys. I have no concrete data to support my opinion as it's hard to put a finger on a worldwide favorite driver anyway (and I'm too lazy to look), but I still feel MS is among the most popular guys out there.
Believe it or not, but I was just thinking about this the other day. Why not just have the exhaust blow on the wing element and then have two air intakes at the rear of the engine cover that concentrate airflow and route/duct them towards the diffuser to achieve a "ram air" effect with lots of air moving over the diffuser and generating downforce?
Spoken like a true MS fan I doubt he is that popular anymore: his biggest fanbase was Germany and there definitely he has been dethroned by Vettel. He also had a big following in Italy but for obvious reasons that's not so hot anymore. He was big news in the UK but we know the more recent results from those surveys. As for Montreal: SRTMike was right. I witnessed that too but I chalk it up to the difference between Europe and the rest of the world. Every year Euro F1 magazines ask their readers and in recent years it was definitely Vettel.
Fair weather! Anyway, if MS notches up a couple podiums this year it will be great. I think there are a lot of people pulling for him.
I had one a few months ago done by I want to say Autosport magazine........grrrr, I can't remember which as I read about it while at a bookstore (didn't buy the magazine, wife dragged me there). Anyway, Michael was way ahead. And Ferrari was the most popular team by a huge margin over MB, Mclaren and Red Bull.
I'm not so sure about this actually, but up until a couple weeks ago I whole-heartedly agreed Seb was the new F1 guy for Germany. I just had an IT guy my company flew out from Germany to do training to our local IT guys and we had a chance to chat for a while. Turns out he drives an Alfa, lives in Berlin, and loves F1. Anyway, we were discussing Schu and at least in the venues and circles he is around, Schu is still the guy. This is anecdotal evidence at best but still interesting.
Spoken like a true technician of the sport. I'll admit I'm no pro, but I know a couple things. No, they ran W02 at the first test to learn the tires so they could input the data to their simulator and deduce the best base setups for W03. The base setups were then put on W03 and then W03 was put on their 'rig' which is essentially a rolling road which simulates all the bumps, turns, undulations, etc at any track they program to the rig. Running W03 on the rig with little knowledge regarding the new tires would be a waste of time and resources better spent elsewhere. I still don't see why anyone makes a big deal out of this. MB are not hiding anything at the front that everyone doesn't already know about, which is the f-duct which they still may or may not be running. Red Bull did this with RB6, Mclaren with MP4-27. Not a big deal. The car is probably not a WCC car but it will probably be what W02 was supposed to be.
From f1technical.net: http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/mercedes_w03_silverstone_2012.jpg
Exhaust exits far forwards compared to RB and trails through rear suspension Image Unavailable, Please Login
