F1 Digest - Singapore Preview
- Length: 8:58
- Size: 7.8 MB
- File: digest57.mp3
- Transcript: digest57.pdf
- Torrent: Coming soon
The most hotly anticipated Grand Prix for a long time becomes a reality as the paddock turns up at Singapore ready to put the politics behind them and get racing.
Vital Statistics
- Date: 28th September
- Circuit: Singapore
- Length: 5.1km
- Laps: 61
Preview
There are only three things everyone is talking about: what an amazing job the organisers have done with the lights, how they will cope by staying on European time, and whether it’s going to rain. Not everyone is as enamoured with the circuit as we are, but all say they are looking forward to what is a unique event in Formula 1.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:12 pmSteven Roy said:
I thought ‘me’ said Richard Cregan was moving to another Toyota job.
Honda have a simulator? Or is it an Accord hooked up to GP3?
What planet is Massa from? The tyre problem is fundamental to the design of the car. It is not something that can be tuned out.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:13 pmR.G (Hate FIA, change FIA, make FIA betterrrrr) said:
I’ve got a question, an unlikely one that won’t happen, but what if the lights fail mid-session. They can’t use the back up generators cos they have gone. Surely there will have to be a plan for this, and I am for one intrested in finding out what that is.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:15 pmme said:
didn’t i say i “heard” that he was? i may have to listen more carefully in future
they have a simulator, i sat in it at silverstone.
i was rubbish, but that was no fault of the equipment, just the wally behind the wheel.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:32 pmFlibster said:
They have multiple sets of generators - the chance of a partial failure is meant to be in the hundredthousands to one…
So 50:50 then.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:33 pmAlex Andronov said:
My understanding is that there are generators, back up generators and the third line of defence is that it switches to using the regular city electricity supply.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:34 pmR.G (Aiming to become the president of the FIA, UEFA, ICC and Sidepodcast) said:
OK, but that wasn’t the question, I was asking if it completley goes out mid-session. What would happen with the cars etc.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:38 pmChristine said:
If I was driving a Formula 1 car at high speed and all the lights did go out (even though it’s almost physically impossible)…
I’d stop.
September 24th, 2008 at 10:44 pmAlex Andronov said:
Sound advice
Alonso did suggest that it would be very dangerous if everyone stopped at different speeds. But you’d have to just all stop.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:00 pmDom said:
ooooh. That’s something I’ve been waiting to see for all too long
September 24th, 2008 at 11:04 pmJordan Allen said:
Wow! and “Me” calls me mean……That was just cruel….
September 24th, 2008 at 11:23 pmSteven Roy said:
Thanks Jordan.
September 24th, 2008 at 11:35 pmlou said:
September 24th, 2008 at 11:44 pmJordan Allen said:
And you got the stamp of approval from Lou, I see…..
September 24th, 2008 at 11:46 pmJourneyer said:
Will it rain?
Looks like it.
Currently forecasted weather is scattered t-storms starting Friday night:
# Tomorrow night: Variable clouds with scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly overnight. Low 77F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.
# Saturday: A few thunderstorms possible. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 70s.
# Sunday: Scattered thunderstorms possible. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the upper 70s.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:14 amme said:
here’s my issue with the rain. prior to the start of the season a big fuss was made about driving in the rain sans TC. yet nothing really changed. now driver’s are worried about driving in the rain at night. what’s the bet nothing comes of it?
September 25th, 2008 at 12:26 amJeremy said:
“Honda have a simulator? Or is it an Accord hooked up to GP3?”
What’s a GP3? Do you mean PS3?
September 25th, 2008 at 12:55 amSteven Roy said:
Microprose GP3 is an old F1 driving game
September 25th, 2008 at 1:45 amJordan Allen said:
Funny, I just happen to be the less than proud owner of its prequel, Microprose Grand Prix II.
I guess that’s that’s my I was on the floor laughing when the newer kids thought that this was a spelling mistake…..
September 25th, 2008 at 1:53 amEd said:
This whole street race thing has got me baffled. I’m over in the US and spent a lot of years following CART getting depressed about the proliferation of street races. Really, the only one worth a damn was Long Beach. Most of the rest are/were pretty boring (Valencia anyone?) The best courses are generally those with terrain, hills and dales, character! Monaco of course has all these plus so much history, and character, well it bleeds the stuff so its a ball to watch even if the racing isnt always so hot. The only reason to go with street circuits is they are cheap. The “course” is ready made, all you have to do is con some city into letting you close most of it down and your set. Who cares if its exciting? Go Bernie…weee….snore….turn off the lights, its time to go to bed.
September 25th, 2008 at 2:11 amme said:
the easy way to look at it, or at least the way i look at it is:
- tourism is big business
- bernie desires lots of money
- countries looking to attract tourists are more likely to pay bernie higher sums if he brings tourists direct to their doorstep, not to some backwater circuit in the countryside
street racing has little in common with good racing. in fact really if it wasn’t for the “night” variable, we’d probably all be dreading this weekends action, certainly based on what we witnessed in valencia.
i guess on the plus side, at least the cars are racing on real streets in singapore.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:13 amFlibster said:
Probably going to miss the free practice sessions on Friday - I hate hostipals.
Will set the stream recorder going though so I can watch them later on. 
September 25th, 2008 at 11:52 amAlex Andronov said:
You may well have a point. My feeling is that if visibility is reduced in the artificial light and the visibility is reduced by the rain then there is probably something in it.
The amount of rain that can fall that quickly means that it will probably have the same effect as if it happened during the day. The race will probably just have to be stopped.
September 25th, 2008 at 11:55 amAlex Andronov said:
On the subject of the lights going out…
I wonder if anyone has seen any discussion of what happens if one light goes out? Or one string of lights?
Even one light in a corner might be quite dangerous. I just had a vision of lights failing in the torrential rain.
I see how you could hook the generators to trip over to other generators and to the city grid if they fail… But does each light really have another light in it if the first one fails?
September 25th, 2008 at 12:01 pmSteven Roy said:
From what I have read there are four power circuits so unless the actual lighting unit fails it is possible for every fourt light to drop out for three seconds.
September 25th, 2008 at 12:21 pmAlex Andronov said:
That sounds, how you say, sub-optimal.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:54 amEd said:
That is of course the real reason! Ah well, its better than no F1.
Not too concerned about the lights going out. Night events are pretty much old hat, football (ours and yours), NASCAR, whatever, so lighting is pretty much old tech. It would be interesting though…