Tag: f1 2014

F1 2014: Attention F1 Gamers

It’s no great revelation that most F1 fans have fantasised about what it is like to complete a flying lap in a Formula 1 car. As most of us dreamers are unlikely to experience the breathless minute and a half of pure exhilaration we look for the next best thing – gaming.

Formula 1 games have come a long way since the early days of Geoff Crammond’s Formula One Grand Prix. From console to pc the genre has continued to progress over the decades to land with its current creators, Codemasters.

As present holders of the official F1 licence Codemasters has announced two new titles. F1 2014 will feature all the “seismic” changes to the sport while drawing on the developer’s experience in this specific category. Creators have revealed that F1 2014 will feature refined handling and a new driver evaluation system calculated according to your personal skill level. This announcement doesn’t exactly make us light up light a halogen lamp. To refine means to correct or modify something that already exists. It means that Codemasters thinks that their previous attempt at an F1 title was close to the mark; it wasn’t.

Simulation gaming is about realism and while we don’t expect a 100% likeness to the real deal we also don’t expect to win the Abu Dhabi grand prix in Kobayashi’s Caterham. For the true simulator snobs rFactor remains the Holy Grail. For the less obsessed gamer there are several arcade, read easy, racing sims to satisfy that twenty minute stretch of boredom while you wait for your Candy Crush lives to replenish. Fact is, there is a market for both and Codemasters are trying to create a happy medium to satisfy both ends of the scale.

Their attempts at F1 games haven’t been awful but they’ve been far from mind blowing. The first title, F1 2010, was well received and praised for its attention to detail and intricate weather system. However, the high praise was based on the fact that fans had been starved of a new title for several years. Thus, objectivity was clouded by the giddy anticipation of finally getting your hands on a brand-spanking new F1 game. Enthusiasm started to wane a year later with the launch of F1 2011 and the knives started to appear. A tweak to the multiplayer function and a few new rules wasn’t enough to dupe gamers who struck the fatal blow by dubbing it a meagre replica of its predecessor. In 2012 Codemasters had another go but interest and enthusiasm was lukewarm at best. The following year introduced a F1 Classics mode which allowed gamers to pound around Jerez, Brands Hatch or Imola in a classic Lotus, Williams or Ferrari. The throwback was a classy homage and was appreciated by the sport’s fans.

In an attempt to sell its 2014 title Codemasters is talking up the “exciting and refreshingly different experience” it will deliver. Of course gamers will give it a fair chance and conduct their own meticulous examination of its so-called refreshing makeover so we’ll reserve judgment too. The truth is that most are a whole lot more excited about the second announcement made by Codemasters.

The 2015 title, to be released early in the new season, will be a next-gen release. What is next-gen? First, it’s important to understand that with greater processing power comes great responsibility. Next-generation gaming means tighter, more defined graphics, and a level of realism which will increase the sense of immersion. It should require all game developers to swear on an Atari that they will utilise all of its mammoth potential and deliver a gaming experience beyond our wildest dreams.

Should F1 2015 be the answer to your gaming dreams and it continues to command your attention you’ll be happy to know that it will receive live digital updates as the season progresses.

Whether you’re an occasional gamer or the compulsively obsessed kind Codemasters wants you to buy their game. They’re trying to convince you by setting a lofty goal for them. By announcing a next-gen F1 title they now have a responsibility to deliver something special. If all they produce is a simple reproduction of previous titles they will dump the franchise into gaming oblivion. If they knock it out of the park then F1 gamers may just find themselves one step closer to that virtual F1 cockpit.

August 17, 2014
F1 2014: Hungarian GP Preview – Tricky Hungarian Test Awaits

Less than seven days later the Formula 1 paddock descends on the city of Budapest for the Hungarian GP. Technical in nature the 4.381 km circuit will require high downforce, efficient cooling and most importantly a good qualifying performance.

The Hungaroring is often referred to as Monaco without the barriers because of its tricky layout which for the most part has only one racing line. Consequently, there won’t be much opportunity for overtaking nor will all mistakes go unpunished. The Hungaroring retains some of the old-school Formula 1 characteristics which means that gravel traps and barriers loom in close proximity. Contrastingly, there are several tarmac run-off areas which offer some reprieve for error-stricken drivers.

Given the lack of proper overtaking opportunities strategy will be particularly important. The extremely high track temperatures seen at Hockenheim has given the teams vital information as to how to Pirelli rubber will react when exposed to similar conditions in Hungary. The tyres we are bringing to Hungary are a step harder, to deal with the increased demands, so we would expect the usual two pit stops,” predicted Pirelli’s Paul Hembery.

The circuit’s layout is dominated by medium to high-speed corners with little time spent at full throttle. However, the average speed of the lap remains fairly high. “The Hungaroring is a great track,” says McLaren’s Jenson Button. “Everybody thinks of it as a slow circuit, but, out the back, it’s got some pretty decent corners – Turn Four requires some serious commitment, and it’s made harder because it has a blind apex. Equally, the sequence of S-bends that make up Turns Eight to 11 are really satisfying to drive.”

Lewis Hamilton has been dogged by issues in qualifying for the last several races as he trails fourteen points behind teammate and championship leader Nico Rosberg. However, Hamilton is prepared to come out fighting once more and resolutely said that enjoys having to fight for victories and the title.

The 2008 champion may have more to fight against this weekend than just his teammate. The Williams team has been on the cusp several times of mounting a serious battle for victory and if they can continue their stunning momentum Hungary may be their best chance yet.

Williams’ chance to win the Hungarian GP will come on Saturday. The Hungaroring, much like Monte Carlo, is notoriously difficult to overtake on. Despite the fact that race pace is always priority for Bottas, Massa and their engineers they may devote a bit more time and effort than usual to enhancing their one lap pace. But locking out the front row or securing pole position won’t be all that is required. The team will have to take an aggressive approach on strategy as they still lack on overall race pace when compared to the Silver Arrows.

By this stage of the season the duel between the Mercedes drivers is as intense as at any other point.

However, their attention may be required elsewhere this weekend. Can Williams steal the all mighty Mercedes’ thunder?

July 23, 2014
Ayrton Senna – An Enduring Legacy

The 1^st of May will mark twenty years since the death of the great Ayrton Senna – The last driver to die in a Formula 1 race.

Before the fateful day and for many years afterwards Professor Sid Watkins was at the forefront and leading the vital charge towards a safer sport. His desire was to make the sport safe so that no driver would ever again lose his life in a racing car. Twenty years after one the darkest days in the history of the sport Prof Watkins is no longer around to see the result of his and many other’s groundbreaking work.

The evolution of safety in Formula 1 is brilliantly documented in the film 1: Life On The Limit. It starts with Martin Brundle’s crash at the 1996 Australian grand prix. Despite looking horrific from the outside Brundle jumps out of the car, uninjured, and runs down the pitlane to his spare car; a seemingly ordinary occurrence in modern Formula 1.

The film spans the 1950s, 60s and 70s – the most dangerous era of the sport. Three-time world champion Jackie Stewart was just one of the pioneers of making Formula 1 a safer sport. He describes getting out of the cockpit after the 1968 German GP:

“We had a driver die every month on the same weekend for four consecutive months. And we were racing on the fifth weekend in circumstances that we should never have been allowed to go out in. You couldn’t see 60 metres of visibility because of the fog and heavy rain. And the very first question I asked when I got out of the car was, “Is everybody OK?”

It is a tragic reality that because of those who lost their lives in this deadly era of the sport improvements to safety became paramount. Throughout the film Jackie Stewart, Emerson Fittipaldi, Mario Andretti and Niki Lauda recount how they strove to make the sport safer.

Bernie Ecclestone and Max Mosley feature heavily in the film as well. The link between Ecclestone and the decrease in fatalities after he takes control of the sport is unmistakable. Several instances are depicted where Ecclestone refuses to race at certain tracks if the necessary medical facilities were not available and up to standard.

The film includes some unsettling footage which includes the fatal crash of, amongst others, Jochen Rindt. From these painful scenes the film starts to build on the incremental improvements in safety. Medical centres and medical helicopters became mandatory at every racing track, barriers and circuit are re-designed and helmet technology is completely transformed.

The film creates a stark contract between the first three decades of the sport and what we know it as now. Drivers getting into their cockpits had no idea if they would survive the race or which of their friends might die that. In stark contrast Lewis Hamilton said during his interview that he has never feared or worried about death and that “it’s almost like you have control of the danger.”-An astonishing statement in relation to those early years.

On the 1^st of May as Professor Sid Watkins attempted to assist the injured Senna he recounts that as the clouds parted over Imola he knew there was nothing that could be done for his great friend. Since that day and thanks to pioneers such as Prof Sid Watkins, who delivered four decades of unprecedented service to Formula 1, no driver has lost his life since.

As we remember the day Formula One lost Ayrton Senna, you can read our special tribute to Senna here. Or watch the full 1994 San Marino Grand Prix here.

May 1, 2014
Martin Brundle expecting “total calamity” for F1 in 2014

Formula One driver turned commentator Martin Brundle has warned that F1 will experience “total calamity” in the early part of the 2014 season.

F1 will adopt new 1.6-litre turbo-charged engines next year, while teams will also need to make greater use of energy recovery systems.

“I’m expecting total calamity in the early stages of 2014 and it remains to be seen if that’s entertaining or confusing, but I have no doubt that these brilliant engineers and designers will master the issues sooner than later” Brundle wrote in his Sky Sports F1 column.

He did however agree with Jenson Button that certain revisions in the new 2014 regulations and technical changes like those to aerodynamics could dent Red Bull’s supremacy and make for a more level playing field.

Button recently said that he’s expecting the 2014 cars to be more difficult to drive due to increased torque and less downforce, something he doesn’t seem to excited about but he expressed his views that we should be looking at a more level playing field next season.

“I agree with Jenson Button, big changes can only hurt Red Bull given they have such an advantage, but no doubt the usual suspects with the biggest resource will get there first. I’m hoping that we won’t have a three-tier Ferrari – Renault – Mercedes championship in whichever order for both power and efficiency, but it’s possible,” Brundle wrote.

Brundle added that teams have a lot of work ahead of them saying, “I’ve asked my trusted sources in the paddock and they just roll their eyes and throw their arms up in the air. There’s a huge amount of work to do in a very short space of time.”

The Briton seemed most concerned about a crisis in the sport around the current financial state some teams are finding themselves in. He added that, “The midfield driver market should settle down in the next week or so,” just prior to the confirmations that Pastor Maldonado will move to Lotus in 2014 and Nico Hulkenberg will head to Force India.

Brundle added, “I’ve never seen anything like it frankly, and it doesn’t bode well when the only team – Lotus – to consistently take the fight to Red Bull can’t afford to chose its own driver line-up and take the best available.”“My alarm bells are going off for the general health of F1 and it needs urgent action, if not then a crisis, before it’s back on track,” Brundle said in closing.

Photo Credit: By greenmashup (Martin Brundle) [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

December 5, 2013