MODERN F1 CAR ON THE RING *Nordschleife* not the GP circuit!

Let me start by saying this shoots the FIA thing of the cars are to low and couldn't handle it today view all the HELL doesn't it. LET THEM DO IT FIA!!!

http://www.streetfire.net/2007/04/first-time-in-31-years-modern-f-cars.aspx

all from Streetfire.net

First time in 31 years, a modern F1 race car takes on the Nurburgring Nordschleife

Here are the raw un-edited press videos from Nick Heidfeld's attack of the Nurburgring Nordschleife. It's been 31 years since a modern F1 car hit the full ring. Note: At first the time of 8:34 appears slow, only 1 second faster than e36 M3, so I have to wonder if Nick did a full uninterrupted lap. The in-cockpit video is the fastest I've ever seen the ring fly by so I can only imagine there is a reason the BMW Sauber F1 car was two minutes off the track record.... surely this was the best opportunity to set a new record.

From the Press Kit

A modern Formula 1 vehicle was driven around the historic Nordschleife track at the Nurburgring in Germany for the first time in 31 years. A crowd of 45,000 witnessed BMW Sauber F1 Team driver Nick Heidfeld drive three laps around the 20.8 kilometre race track. His second lap, with a recorded lap time of 8:34, was his fastest. Heidfeld also reached a top speed of 275 km/h on the "Dottinger Hohe" straight despite the car's unusually hard demonstration tyres and short transmission ratio. The F1.06 was adjusted for maximum ground clearance to drive on the uneven traditional circuit. No other modifications were made to the vehicle.

It was mostly just a press event. He was told not to go all out, and he was nowhere near the limit. He was on slow tires and wasn't set up for the high speed straights. The reason he went slow- the circuit isn't safe enough for an F1 car's full potential. He was specifically told to go slow so they could take pictures and better show the car off to the crowd.

Top Gear did a blog-
http://www.topgear.com/blogs/motorsport/023-how-fast-could-quick-nick-have-gone/

An F1 car could go out there and set a record that would probably never be broken except by another F1 car, but I don't think it would be safe.

"Right, let's stop all this cack about ultimate lap times here and now. A modern F1 car would be simply lethal on the 'ring; it does not have the ground clearance to deal with the circuit's numerous bumps and dips.

Even if the car's ride height was increased the aerodynamic effect of all the wings and things would decrease significantly. It would be undriveable."

I would drive anywhere in the world, at any speed, but the green hell straight up scares the sh!t outta me. I think it's cool that they did it though, because it's a modern F1 car that has NEVER seen the ring.

Do you think the new cars are flawed because they can't handle a track like the ring? Maybe it's time for more changes? Maybe the Nurburgring needs a change.

I've always been a believer in change the cars rather then the track. Bumps,dips, and humps give a track charcter. Lemans and Sports car racing have made deal with Sebring for YEARS, Nascar has/d Darlington *getting repaved but the tire issue will stay the same they clame* So why not adjust the f1 cars for it with all the $$ they throw around they could easily make a car for the "Ring"

I know I started that whole thing about rebuilding the cars, but why did they stop racing on the super-long track in the first place?

From wikipedia According to the demands of the F1 drivers, the Nordschleife was reconstructed by taking out some bumps and installing Armco safety barriers. The track was also made straighter, following the race line, which reduced the official number of corners. The German GP could be hosted at the Ring again, for another 3 years from 1971 to 1973. Safety was improved again later on, e.g. by removing the jumps on the long main straight and widening it. A second series of 3 more F1 races were held until 1976, but even higher demands by the F1 drivers and the FIA's CSI commission were too expensive or impossible to meet. So the 1976 race was deemed the last ever, even before it was held.

Primarily due to its extraordinary length of over 22 kilometres, and the lack of space due to its situation on the sides of the mountains, the Ring was unable to meet the ever-increasing safety requirements, and was also unsuitable for the burgeoning television market. Niki Lauda, the reigning world champion and only person ever to lap the full 22835 m Nordschleife in under 7 minutes (6:58.6, 1975), proposed to the other drivers that the circuit should be boycotted in 1976 because of the safety arrangements. The other drivers voted against the idea and the race went ahead. Coincidentally, it was Lauda who crashed in his Ferrari, probably due to failure of the rear suspension. As his car was still loaded with fuel in lap 2, he was badly burned, being saved by the combined actions of fellow drivers Arturo Merzario, Guy Edwards, Brett Lunger and Harald Ertl rather than by the ill equipped track marshals. Also, the crash proved that the distances were rather long for regular fire engines and ambulances, even though the "ONS-Staffel" was equipped with a Porsche 911 rescue car, marked (R). For Formula One, this crash marked the end of the old Nürburgring. It never hosted another F1 race again as the German Grand Prix was moved to the Hockenheimring for 1977.

I'd say the crashes and saftey of the track and the way the races had become scary for the drivers.

Personally, and I know it's the dumb thing to say/do... but I'd say F the press and tell my pitcrew to put on good tires and just go for the record.

Knowing full well that it's just not a smart thing to attempt, but man... talk about the ultimate race... period.

Yeah I just found a really good magazine called Autosport (UK) and it talked about the attempt in a blurb. They said they used Bridgestone demonstration tires which would be 10 seconds off the pace on a normal circuit, and that's just BS.

Then again Nicky Lauda said to them "a Modern F1 car would fall apart at the " ...Rarusellllelli corner... whatever it's called, which is one reason Heidfeld did NOT drive through that corner for the demonstration. Was Lauda right? are today's cars WEAK??

Yeah I just found a really good magazine called Autosport (UK) and it talked about the attempt in a blurb. They said they used Bridgestone demonstration tires which would be 10 seconds off the pace on a normal circuit, and that's just BS.

Then again Nicky Lauda said to them "a Modern F1 car would fall apart at the " ...Rarusellllelli corner... whatever it's called, which is one reason Heidfeld did NOT drive through that corner for the demonstration. Was Lauda right? are today's cars WEAK??


No were just all a bunch of pussies:icon16:

Honestly racing is dangerous which is why their getting millions to do it... let em race