In the round-up: Renault say McLaren are helping them develop a new simulator.
Links
Top F1 links from the past 24 hours:
Renault begins work on new simulator project (Autosport)
Eric Boullier: “Our simulator should be ready in March. We are building it ourselves. We have some technology help from McLaren and I have a guy working for me now who was previously the head of simulator at Red Bull.”
Exclusive video preview – F1 2011, the videogame (F1)
“Codemasters have released a preview video exclusively to Formula1.com, showing the world’s fastest sport in glorious slow-motion.”
Saying goodbye to Europe (BBC)
“One of the most common requests I get is from people who have tickets to the race asking to get into the paddock. I tell them they would soon be bored of sitting around drinking coffee and would see more in the grandstand.”
Fernando Alonso meets the fans in the chat room (Ferrari)
“I knew I only found myself leading thanks to a good start, but that sooner or later [Sebastian] Vettel would have got past. We were both very determined after the start, him in attacking me and me in defending my position. But looking at how it ended up, it was a spectacular move.”
Force India completes its final aero test with Max Chilton (Force India)
“With the race drivers otherwise engaged, the team called on the services of GP2 racer, Max Chilton, who agreed to step in and help out.”
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Comment of the day
Bearforce1 has an interesting explanation for why the race broadcasts miss some of the key action:
This year has been terrific. I have been on the edge of my seat all the races.
I often find it hard to keep up with what is happening during the race because there is so many battles. I see in the forums complaints about coverage cause things are missed by the director, I think its because they just can’t fit everything in or keep up.
To be frank the only people who are complaining about it being boring are those who support teams and drivers other than Red Bull and Vettel. It is understandable that people feel this way and it may be boring for them but objectively the racing has (team/driver out) been super.
Bearforce1
From the forum
Share your F1 wallpaper.
Happy birthday!
Happy birthday to Al and Valentina!
On this day in F1
Innes Ireland won the Flugplatzrennen non-championship race at Zeltweg in Austria 50 years ago today.
Ireland lapped the field with Jack Brabham finishing second ahead of Jo Bonnier and Jim Clark.
Ferrari did not enter any cars having been involved in the tragic crash at Monza which left 16 people dead one week earlier:
Image © Renault/LAT
MVEilenstein
17th September 2011, 0:32
I disagree; I want to see all 24 cars racing, not only the battles the cameraman deems interesting. There was fantastic racing going on behind Schumacher and Hamilton last week, but we saw almost none of it, instead being forced to watch Hamilton chase Schumacher lap after lap.
F1Yankee (@f1yankee)
17th September 2011, 0:45
if you give any director a choice between wheel-to-wheel action with 2 guys that aren’t schumacher and hamilton and 2 guys that are, the 2 that are will always win.
xbx-117 (@xbx-117)
17th September 2011, 0:37
The new F1 2011 video was rather nice (epic music can sell almost anything), but sadly some of the close-ups showed just how low-rez the textures are, and how low the poly count is. Still, can’t say I’m not looking forward to it. Hope they really deliver this time.
Bernard (@bernard)
17th September 2011, 16:46
It also showed that despite the alleged access to CAD data they are still seemingly incapable of producing accurate car models. Even a child can see the McLaren nose is way too high thus requiring the suspension geometry to be fudged.
Speaking of the newly implemented and much talked about suspension system – it is way too soft, which is probably why they have made the ride heights ridiculously high. F1 cars don’t wallow about like boats nor do they rocket around the track with 3 inches of daylight between the road and the splitter.
All in all, pretty unconvincing for those of us interested in accuracy – and that’s before we even get to the racing itself.
F1Yankee (@f1yankee)
17th September 2011, 0:43
didn’t renault buy a new simulator a couple years ago? shortly after fernando called their’s a playstation, perhaps?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 1:29
And now it’s time to upgrade again.
sato113 (@sato113)
17th September 2011, 8:34
mclaren-renault working together?!
‘collaborate-gate’!
UKfanatic (@)
17th September 2011, 0:59
Im hearing alot of good news from renault I guess the latest developments are really helping the teams morale, guess they are now earning good money from the sponsors and the main base.
JustAnF1Fanatic (@justanf1fanatic)
17th September 2011, 1:49
i may be simpler than you (name joke) but i think red bull are going to become renault works, and current renault team will become lotus
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 1:35
The press embargo on F1 2011 has been released, so there’s quite a few early reviews out there. Most of the reviewers seem to agree that it is an overall improvement on F1 2010, but the game’s biggest problem is that it is an annual release, so after taking into account the new rules, there’s not a lot that is different from last year’s edition. I believe one review called it a
“confident step forward and not a quantum leap”.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
17th September 2011, 7:59
Such is the case with many of EA’s franchises. Its pretty unfair for anyone to judge the game on that, it can only work in the framework given. Nevertheless, thanks for the update!
RichyB (@richyb)
17th September 2011, 2:28
For anyone interested in the music used in the F12011 trailer, it’s “Brand X Music – Never surrender”, from the ‘300’ film, and also used in a recent Harry Potter trailers, if I remember correctly.
3v3r10n9 (@3v3r10n9)
17th September 2011, 2:50
Damn, I cant wait for this game.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 2:59
You only have to wait a week.
Cranberry
17th September 2011, 4:02
F1 2011…seriously?
Considering the shameful piece of unfinished software of smoke and mirrors that came on the disc last year, a quantum leap is necessary forward and not just a “confident step forwards”.
But Codemasters is not in the business of making quality games, all they want/need is money so they can keep their F1 licence(probably cost them alot…so pre-determined qualifying, cars in FP or qualifying only there to hinder the player, and only line-of-sight “cars” on the track during the GP to “give the illusion of a race”…this is the result of the modern “aimed for casual gamers” game development is, smoke and mirrors.
Journeyer (@journeyer)
17th September 2011, 4:11
Weren’t there updates released to fix most of these issues?
In any case, if the fans are buying it (and they are) even well after these issues have been found, then they get what they deserve.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 4:33
All of those issues have been fixed. They mihgt have lessened the gameplay experience, but they did not make the game unplayable.
F1Yankee (@f1yankee)
17th September 2011, 5:25
no, what makes it unplayable for me is the very poor controller support, GFWL, and menus from hell.
graham228221
17th September 2011, 9:43
lolz, this sort of stuff always makes me laugh. it’s a game, the whole thing is an illusion and could never be anything else.
Qualifying plainly wasn’t “pre-determined” for one thing, try taking someone out at the start of the session and they won’t set a time either until the end of that session or won’t set one at all. Steve Hood explained that it qualifying worked on something more akin to the matches in Championship Manager, an algorithmic engine that took account of various factors to produce something random but simple enough to be easily sped up or slowed down depending on whether the player is actively participating or not.
Now is having actual timings in qualifying, as apparently there will be this year, actually going to make the playing experience that much different or better? They’ll still be driving around based on the rules of the game engine, they’re not real people in there.
And the line-of-sight thing. You’re seriously telling me that having the cars fully rendered on the other side of the track will make a difference? It makes no sense, I’d rather the developers save the memory cache and frame rate for something I can actually see.
Some people need to get perspective, get out of their fantasy world and get to the go-kart track if they don’t like these very common game development tricks.
graham228221
17th September 2011, 9:55
Saying that, I’ll admit that F1 2010 had it’s problems that I sincerely hope have been fixed. Of course, there was nothing that stopped it being a game I’ve only just stopped playing a few weeks ago – for me and my girlfriend’s sanity before the new edition comes out next Friday.
I just don’t get all these people crying that they’ve been “conned”.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 10:01
Especially given that Codemasters had to develop F1 2010 from scratch. What they produced in just a few months was excellent.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 4:40
Interesting: Kimi Raikkonen has been spotted at Williams’ Grove HQ …
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
17th September 2011, 8:00
Ooo, where did you hear that?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 8:30
Here. However, I wouldn’t go reading too much into it – it’s a Romanian website that I’ve never heard of, and my Romanian isn’t quite good enough to translate the full thing on my own, so I’ve had take someone else’s word for it and find a translation online:
However, it may be supported by this, the cover of the August 25th issue of Autosport (which was apparently controversial). If true, the idea is not without merit – Williams no doubt have a long-term plan to get back to the front of the grid, but as much as we love him, Rubens Barrichello only has a few more seasons in him. Williams will probably want one man they can depend on to carry the flag. Maldonado brings the money, Raikkonen (or Sutil, who has also been mentioned in conjunction with the drive) gets the results. Restoring Williams to its former glory (or at least getting the team to a point where its former glory is just a tenth of a second away) would be one hell of a legacy to have. Raikkonen strikes me as an odd choice because he hates testing and development, and testing is what it’s going to take to turn the team around. My concern is that Raikkonen might lose interest in Formula 1 if there isn’t an instant improvement – can you imagine him sticking around if Williams are constantly looking at, but never threatening the points positions? Then again, the long-term challenge might appeal to Raikkonen.
I’ve already seen Raikkonen fans express outrage at this. Apparently they seem to think that after a two-year break, he can just step into a Red Bull (plaese). Others still seem to think that the FW33 can win championships; it just needs a driver like Raikkonen in it.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
17th September 2011, 8:38
Raikkonen coming back in the midfield is the only way I’d like to see him come back. I genuinely think it would be a waste of a top seat until we see if we’re getting inconsistent 2008-2009 Kimi back or 2003-2005 Kimi back. And anything to get rid of Rubens. McLaren used to say how good he was working with the car, so it’d be a like-for-like transition at least.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 8:47
If Raikkonen returned, I’d want to be sure of two things: first of all, a level of commitment from him. Williams’ current situation is not one that will be resolved easily, and while I can understand Raikkonen expecting progress from them, I think he’ll just be wasting everyone’s time if he abandons ship should the team fail to meet their targets.
Secondly, I’d want the fans to recognise this. I have noticed that Raikkonen fans can be very passionate at times, and on occasion are given to flights of fancy – case in point, the belief that Raikkonen can have two years off and expect to drive a Red Bull. But I think they need to recognise that no matter how good Raikkonen is, he’s not going to revolutionise Williams overnight.
matt90 (@matt90)
17th September 2011, 10:51
Inconsistent 2008-2009 Kimi would be better than 2010-2011 Massa. Although saying that I doubt he’ll ever return to Ferrari even if he does come back to F1.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
17th September 2011, 11:15
It appears Raikkonen’s visit might have had had more to do with the Jaguar C-X75 and a future in sportscar or endurance racing.
KaIIe (@kaiie)
17th September 2011, 15:23
Originally it was reported in the Finnish media that it was about Sam Michael’s farewell party (why would Kimi say no to free booze?). However, Bottas (current Williams test driver) said he knew nothing about it. So something is definitely going on.
Fixy (@)
17th September 2011, 18:05
Fingers crossed! Did he not want a competitive team for ’10, and now he looks at Williams for ’12?
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
18th September 2011, 9:14
Yes, he wanted a competitive team in 2010. And he may still want a competitive team in 2012 – but they’re all taken. Even if there was an opening at Red Bull, McLaren or Ferrari, it’s unlikely that they’d take him after two years on the sidelines. Williams is perhaps the best he can settle for, perhaps because it’s the team furthest up the grid with an opening. After all, Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, Sauber and Force India are all full. Raikkonen is unlikely to want anything to do with Renault after last year’s episode, and Toro Rosso will probably only take from Red Bull drivers.
Joey-Poey (@joey-poey)
17th September 2011, 5:11
Said pretty much the same thing about the broadcasts in the thread with fan videos of Monza when people complained about missing the action.
sato113 (@sato113)
17th September 2011, 8:35
hi all. back from hols now. seems i didn’t miss much. also starting to like Vettel a bit more now… he’s winning me over.
Icthyes (@icthyes)
17th September 2011, 8:40
I don’t think it’s just a case of not being able to keep up; often we’ll be watching a battle and it’ll cut away to someone entering the pits. They might be a race leader, but unless something dramatic happens we don’t need to stay with the stop whilst stuff is going on out on track.
Pawel Wroniecki (@pawelf1)
17th September 2011, 9:20
Have you seen new Robert Kubica photo?
LINK
SoerenKaae (@soerenkaae)
17th September 2011, 12:32
Alguersuari’s new single “Organic Life”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=br59k8ehhcw
Adrian J
19th September 2011, 11:05
So, McLaren are currently, or will soon be, helping:
Force India
Virgin Racing
Renault
Oh and every team has a McLaren ECU in there…
At what point do we start calling this “The McLaren Era”?? ;)
Mortimer N. Cobblepop
20th September 2011, 5:06
How about when they haven’t gone 12 seasons with only one WDC* and no WCCs to show for it?
*Ignoring the fact that they won the 2008 WDC with non-trivial help from Ferrari (Stepneygate) and Renault (Crashgate).