Yes, because most people have the attention span of moths these days. And, while Indy Car is running spec Dallara chassis, there are two engine manufactures with a couple more taking a peek in for the future. F-1 wishes it could put a product on the track as good as Indy Car where virtually the entire field has a chance of winning as we saw yesterday with Pagenaud's outstanding drive. And, say what you will, the Indy Car teams are happy because they've got stable rules, their cost containment is in check (unlike F-1 or even NASCAR), just ask Penske and Ganassi what they think of Indy Car's business model versus NASCAR's these days. https://us.motorsport.com/nascar-cup/news/penske-gen7-indycar-cost-control/4364926/ BHW
It's not the first time. I think that in 1960 every car in the Indy 500 was either an Offy-powered Watson roadster or a close copy of one. Then Jack Brabham showed up a year later with a Cooper-Climax...
It's interesting, those whom long for the days at Indy when guys would bring their garage projects to the Speedway and contest one of the most important races in the world conveniently forgetting that losing 3-4 drivers per year occurred regularly putting racing in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Read Chris Economacki's book "Let 'Em All Go!" for a look back at the happy old days when the American Indy Car and Sprint Car series were losing drivers left and right, many incidents of which Economacki graphically described throughout the book. Some of those incidents looked more like airliner crashes such were the out of control fires of burning racing fuel with thick plumes of black smoke billowing into the grandstands for the spectators to inhale and we saw these types of scenes right up practically through the early 80s. Things have come a long ways since then of course when USAC had to pull their heads out of the sand and address the safety initiatives of CART. The tracks and cars are far safer (save for the fluke incident such as Justin Wilson's at Pocono) and while racing (especially oval racing with a three foot thick wall surrounding the circuits) will never be 100% safe but with car construction methods constantly improving and additions of Safer Barriers, incidents such as the type we became used to seeing as kids are a thing of the past, how else to explain how Dixon walked away from his aerial incident at Indy a couple of years ago with hardly a scratch? Those of us paying attention have seen Indy Car turn the corner and re-emerging, taking its place as a premier form of open wheeled racing on the world stage. Spec racing? Yes, but as mentioned, this is keeping the costs under control to the point now where many are pointing to Indy Car as a model of how to go racing without costs into the hundreds of millions. There are a lot of spec series around the world. Virtually every junior formula ladder series are spec these days and even the top touring car series, the DTM is a spec series with all cars utilizing the same chassis with participating manufacturer engines and bodywork being their only difference. BHW
^^^this^^^ I love(d) F1 for the technical innovations by the constructors, but the increased developmental always runs the risk of allowing dominance by one team, especially with deep pockets. As fans we want good racing. Sure, it's somewhat satisfying when your lifelong team dominates. But if the WCC or WDC are all wrapped up mid-season I submit that interest and viewership drops off, which is not ideal for that racing series longevity. Regardless, as mentioned above IndyCar is very very good right now. It was a bright spot in an otherwise mundane F1 weekend. Now if they could figure out how to go commercial-free and bring a few more fans to the races...
Based upon that video......Fred pinched it in turn four. You don't go that low that early unless you enjoy the outcome Fred got. Fred needs to take the refresher course on driving the big oval!
I know people struggled with getting the hang of the car last year and now Alonso picks the most difficult race to drive one in and with a team that's never set up the car before. Quite the undertaking!
Do they still have a technical alliance with Andretti? big hits, glad he’s ok and it sounds like they’re piecing a car back together for him.
Clearly the car understeered at the exit of Turn 3. The team said that they'd been battling understeer all day, made an aero and rear damper change of dampers and sent him back out and still the car was understeering. So, they're still chasing the set-up. BHW
It sounds like a number of people were having issues with drafting. Alonso's crash came with him drafting behind Rahal I believe.
Only alliance is with Carlin and that's to get engines if I remember correctly. Although I believe Carlin has some sort of partnership with Andretti but given the Honda portion of the deal I've assumed Andretti is being hands-off with them this time around. Dallara chassis that McLaren assembled in house. Given that they're chasing constant electrical issues with the car I'd put that more on the team that built the car versus the chassis provider.
McLaren bought the car, assembled the team, built the car at their headquarters, and are running the operations at Indy themselves. I'm not following you when you say they're only sponsoring the team.
Historically, Penske did construct its own chassis for CART and IndyCar. That is, until the decision was taken by IndyCar to mandate a spec Dallara chassis for everyone. Prior to the Chevrolet and Honda engine manufacturers being allowed to develop their own respective aero packages (which has now since morphed into a single aero package for all the teams), Penske used to design and produce their own bespoke aero package. And for decades, the Penske Damper unit in the UK has had an essential role in the team's success.
Being clever about what? Its not a McLaren. Stop calling it a "McLaren". Its an orange Dallara. The quicker people are honest about what is on the track the quicker people will understand this sham. Being "clever" is calling a Dallara a "McLaren" because it has a logo on it. I really would like to know if people here would do if Ferrari bought a Dallara, put in a Chevy engine (that is in name only also because Chevy has nothing to do with it), painted it red, stuck on a prancing horse, and called it "A Ferrari". You think that would fly? "Ferrari returns to Indy!"
Are commentators referring to the car as "a McLaren" or "the McLaren"? I haven't noticed if they have, but that would be incorrect. I figure it is just "McLaren" as in the team when they talk about the car's performance. i.e. "McLaren (team) spins and hits the wall in practice."
The good folks at Indycar would like you believe that its a Ferrari. As for those of us with a little more intelligence....it ain't even close to being a Ferrari! As for the current rendition of the Fredmobile....Indycar wants you to believe that because its painted orange....its a McLaren. The good people here at Ferrari Chat know the difference ! It doesn't look anything like what Gordon Murray has drawn!
Okay you two....you know I agree totally...however, (very important...'just rhetorical as I know the answer about the design), what are we to think of the 333SP, also the vast majority of which Dallaras??? ....that, as I recall, was never run by Ferrari itself.....???? Black sheep to me! Also an aside....do you mean when I watch NASCRAP I'm not seein' Fords, Chevies, and Toyotas??? And all this time I wuz t'inkin'..... Blasphemy!!!! (Just stirrin' the pot )
Let's recap what got us here: "Not been the best of starts for McLaren and Alonso." Nowhere in the statement was it implied that the car was an in house design job from McLaren. It was implied that it wasn't the best of starts for the team and for the driver. From here you took it upon yourself to remind everyone, yet again, that IndyCar is a spec series which you've said probably 17,000 times between all of the Indy threads now. That dead horse is nothing but pulp now, bub. You must be a ****ing riot at parties.