2014 F1 Challengers Thread

[IndyAndy]

Looks like we'll get our first look at the 2014 F1 cars in just over a week now. - And before two weeks are up, we should see most of them. Here is what I've been able to find out so far:

McLaren: Will be the 1st to break cover, on 1/24 - This will be an online only event.

Ferrari: 1/25

Red Bull, Mercedes, Caterham: 1/28 - Day One of the preseason test at Jerez

Sauber, STR, Force India, Williams: No official dates yet, but all indications are that they will be ready by 1/28 at Jerez.

Lotus, Marussia: Lotus has confirmed that they will not be at Jerez. Currently looks doubtful that Marussia will be their either.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Indy, I'd like to take a gander at the new cars with the changes for 2014.

 

[Retroram52]

Gene Haas of Stewart Haas Racing in Nascar has officially submitted an application to start an F-1 Team and enter the circuit in 2015. Perhaps Tony Stewart may be the driver-perhaps?

 

[Schmoopy1000]

Gene Haas of Stewart Haas Racing in Nascar has officially submitted an application to start an F-1 Team and enter the circuit in 2015. Perhaps Tony Stewart may be the driver-perhaps?

Stewart wont fit into an F-1 car.
Kurt Busch has been dabbling in other types of race cars in the last few years & is Gene Haas's new toy. If you qwere gonna guess a current SHR driver. Maybe start there. But I seriously doubt he would start an F-1 team with putting a cup driver in as his driver.

 

[Retroram52]

Schmoopy, the suggestion of Stewart as the driver was meant in jest. It'll be interesting to see who ends up there in a year but I find it exciting that an American is breaking into that market that is often laughed at by the Europeans that think Americans are a collective bunch of racing hacks. I wish Hass the best and I hope he becomes a force in the F-1 circuit just to shut everyone up.

Of course the biggest egomaniac who besmirched Americans even thinking of getting involved in F-1 racing is lying in a hospital bed in Europe with a medical induced coma fighting for his life because his ego overwhelmed his better judgment and he skied into a rock and split open his naggen. That of course is Michael Schumacher who may not make it.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

yeah I was trying to figure out why Haas would take the jump into F-1. Huge gamble IMO. I honestly don't know a ton about F-1 but my understanding is extremely expensive.

Wonder if he is wanting to be the pioneer to be the 1st American team to be successful. Also with all the changes to F-1 & seemingly F-1 trying to get American teams into the sport if they made him some kinda deal. (would be good timing, if you were to take the plunge)

I would love to see an American team make its mark in the sport. Just don't understand the move by Haas. Would hate to be apart of SHR right now. Curious what the behind the scenes talks were/are that made Haas take this jump.

I know Scott Speed was looked at as an American driver to be on an American team in the past, but the team never got started.

 

[IndyAndy]

Oh, boy...

I sincerely hope that Haas isn't talking/listening to, or otherwise going to involve in any way Ken Anderson, one of his former employees. I remember forum board conversations at the time with a guy who was in the business & knew plenty of guys in the USF1 shop. The stories he told - which he had heard from them - made it seem quite clear that the USF1 fiasco was largely on Anderson.

 

[Schmoopy1000]

From Motorsport.com...............

Since 2002, 62-year-old Gene Haas has been involved in the owners side of NASCAR.
Now, he wants to compete in Formula One.
As we all saw with USF1, it takes a gargantuan amount of money to not only enter Formula One, but be competitive. This is not a problem for Haas.
Haas is the largest manufacturer of CNC machines on the planet and on top of that owns his own wind tunnel. Thus, the capital is there.
German website auto-motor-und-sport.de is reporting that he is entering his name in the hat for a 2015 start to what will be known as Haas Racing.
The plan is to get engines from Ferrari, with plans to have the necessary equipment to build chassis in house, but the first models would come from Dallara.
Lastly, Haas has gained the support of former Red Bull team manager Guenther Steiner, who will take the position of team manager.
Reportedly, Haas has a massive budget to make this happen and ensure a better outcome than that of USF1 who declared bankruptcy before ever making it to the grid of a Formula One grand prix.

 

[Retroram52]

Yea Schmoopy and Indy. I have seen that article and others as well. If anybody can pull off handling the $250 million a year budget required to operate and compete in F-1, it would be Gene Haas. His chances of success are indeed pretty good because he has been hanging around F-1 for some time and knows a lot of the intricacies and insiders stuff required to be successful. I like that he has the financial wherewithal to handle F-1 and that immediately gets him the respect from other teams that normally are snickered at by Europeans toward Americans.

This will be interesting and I think F-1 is ripe for an American based team participation. With all of the discontent in the American racing fanbase toward most racing series such as NASCAR for example, American racing fan migration to F-1 could very easily be on the horizon especially when they come to that exquisite venue in Texas and just to see Haas Racing among others. I can foresee Gene doing quite well in F-1 and actually slowly draining American race fan support away from the IRL as result. Perhaps Andretti Autosport might follow suit. We shall see how things develop.

 

[IndyAndy]

Sauber will reveal their car on 1/26. As with McLaren, this looks to be an online only event.

Scuderia Toro Rosso will reveal their car on 1/27

Still no official word on the others.

 

[Retroram52]

Looking forward to seeing these new cars.

 

[Retroram52]

The semi-annual Barrett-Jackson auction took place this week-end here in Phoenix and they auctioned off Michael Schumacher's 1998 F-1 Ferrari (F-300) car that one a championship. They even cranked it up on stage. It went for $1.7 million. Pretty car that is going to sit in someone's garage or showroom.

 

[IndyAndy]

And here it is: Your first official picture of a 2014 Formula One car.

Force India stole a march on the competition by releasing this pic just a few hours ago. Still no word on when their "official unveiling" will be.

 

[Retroram52]

I like the bent-down nose and the sleeker look. I want to hear that turbo-charged six to see if whines even higher than the 8.

 

[IndyAndy]

Here is the McLaren MP4-29, which was unveiled yesterday:

I'm reading the we may see quite a few of this year's cars sporting that "anteater" nose!

 

[IndyAndy]

And here is the Ferrari F14 T, unveiled earlier today:

 

[Schmoopy1000]

I like that McLaren

 

[Retroram52]

I like the sleeker look on both examples. Is it me or did they go to a lower but wider profile of tire on both the front and rear to accommodate the bent nose and other body panel design changes?

 

[IndyAndy]

Presenting; the Sauber C33:

****

@Retroram52:

Pirelli has stated that there is no difference from last year's tire size to this year's.

 

[Retroram52]

Thanks Indy. That is good to know. And I like this matte black NEC car. Badass.