I've been invited to the F1 Fans Forum - what shall I ask??

[Hamberg]

Hi all

I've just had an official invite to the fans forum at MTC next week! My question submitted was actually around the thread I started on the the racing line and overtaking etiquette but that was just an example so I may not get to ask it so please let me know if there are any burning questions in any of the three sections I can ask. These are the sessions:

Session 1 – Sporting competition in F1
Martin Whitmarsh, (FOTA chairman and Team Principal of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes)
Ross Brawn, (Team Principal of Mercedes GP Petronas)
Graeme Lowdon, (Sporting Director and President of Marussia Virgin Racing)
Robert Fernley (Deputy Team Principal of Force India F1 Racing)

Session 2 – Technical development
With Paddy Lowe, (Technical Director of Vodafone McLaren Mercedes)
James Allison, (Technical Director of Lotus Renault GP)
Paul Monaghan (Head of Car Engineering at Red Bull Racing)

Session 3 – Lewis Hamilton and Kamui Kobayashi

The one's with the most likes (Fenderman be selective ) I'll try and do in a poll so if I get the opportunity to speak I can get the best one answered.

Is anyone else going?

Connectivity
There will be wireless available during the Forum to enable you to blog live from the event and update your social networking sites in real time. For all the Twitter users out there, we are encouraging use of #FOTAFans

I'll do my best!

Cheers all

 

[KekeTheKing]

That's awesome Hamberg. (Is there a jealous smiley?)

I'll have to put my thinking cap on to come up with a truly inspired query. Stay tuned.

 

[Slyboogy]

Why is there any need for the DRS, I goddamn hate the thing, I rage about it week in week out!!

I like Keke will think about something more "inspiring" if I can...

 

[Brogan]

Nice going

Whatever question you do ask, can you do it in a journo stylie, i.e "Hamberg from cliptheapex.com, ....."

 

[Slyboogy]

Also, can I ask...how did you get "invited"? Did you apply for it or ? I don't know much about this F1 Fans Forum thing so bear with me

 

[RevMaxPower]

Re Session #2 - Latest update on the 2013 engine plans? The current consensus is what and why? Are we staying "as is" until 2014 now?

 

[Hamberg]

I saw a tweet that showed how to apply, I basically had to email them with a question I would ask and my twitter account and that was it.

It was 5 times oversubscribed apparently but I was pretty quick with it.

Don't worry Bro, if the question comes from here I will certainly be giving credit I know what you're like with that

 

[Road of Bones]

Well done Hamberg!

Could you ask them if they feel that by banning the F-duct, double-diffusers and now the EBD (amongst other things - mass dampers "spring" to mind) they think that the FIA is stifling the creative freedom of the teams to build the best cars that they can (within the rules framework)? Do they see it as an artificial way to close the field up during a season when one team has stolen a march on all the others?

(...and for that matter, why didn't they do something similar during the Ferrari years? )

Have fun!

 

[Slyboogy]

How about - "was there any point in banning the F-Duct if it's been replaced by the DRS?"

 

[Hamberg]

Do you not like DRS Sly?

 

[Slyboogy]

How can you tell?

Well the F-duct was as much as I didn't like it was a piece of innovation, but then it got banned and replaced by something mandatory and artificial...

Hope you can see my point

 

[Hamberg]

I'm not a fan of the DRS but the concept is great, it's the way that it's applied that sucks. I think F-Duct caused safety concerns didn't it?

 

[Slyboogy]

Well I don't want to derail the thread, if I am I apologise but -

DRS can be a concern for safety as it can cause collisions due to one car having greater speed and getting caught like we saw with Di Resta in Canada, I am sure there are many other examples past, present and future to go along with it.

I for one don't remember any collisions happening with the F-duct.

 

[landogeorgelewis1]

Oh brill news this Hamberg, bet your feeling all excited like a school girl about going to this, i know i would be!

I'll get my thinking cap on and come back with a question for you tomorrow night .

 

[Jen]

Well done Hamberg, you seem to have a handle on most things F1 but I'm sure the lads can give you a couple more questioning possibilities .

There is only one thing I would like to know (and this is of personal interest) - if F1 is supposed to be the cutting edge of motorsport and innovation; why then do the 'powers that be' change the goalposts mid season (when one set of engineers do better and produce a faster machine), to enable the others to catch up.

Is it really down to money and spectacle? If so, bring in the mediocre designers and engineers and leave it at that and then the really clever guys can go where their work is valued.

I know we have threads on various innovations but no-one has ever given us a reason for all of the changes - we might think we know why but it would be nice to get a response from someone who is supposed to know why.

 

[Porceliamone]

How about:

"According to data gathered and compiled on cliptheapex.com overtaking has increased 5 fold this season (or however much it is) compared to the last few and indeed there has been more overtaking this season per race than ever in the history of F1. Many fans are concerned that the introduction of artificial overtaking devices such as KERS and DRS are taking away from the driver skill involved in the sport. Some drivers have demonstrated that they are more than capable of overtaking another evenly matched car without the aid of such devices prior to their introduction. Are they designed to assist lesser teams and drivers and give everyone a fair 'crack of the whip' as it were, or do they simply pander to the 'I want more and I want it now' philosophy adopted by much of the nation today to increase viewing ratings?"

 

[Mryzyz]

KERS is not an 'artificial overtaking device'

 

[gethinceri]

KERS is not an 'artificial overtaking device'

Just like Narain Kartikheyen is not an officially sanctioned mobile chicane.

 

[ExtremeNinja]

Can you ask if I can come please Hamberg?

That is all.

 

[jez101]

What are Formula 1's plans for the internet? It seems that there is so much potential for a technical, data rich sport to exploit and yet all we have is the most basic timing screens.