"PushToStart" (pushtostart)
05/14/2014 at 13:12 • Filed to: None
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"PushToStart" (pushtostart)
05/14/2014 at 13:12 • Filed to: None | 3
| 17 |
Today the Mercedes AMG F1 team introduced a new exhaust for their F1 challenger designed for the sole purpose of making the new V6 power units louder after complaints that the sport is "too quiet" after they got rid of the V8 engines the sport has been using since 2006. While it is obvious that the new V6's don't emit the same noise that the engines of the past did, why does this warrant a complaint? F1 has proved to be a leader in integrating new technology into the sport, so over time, changes like this should be expected. I'll be the first to admit that I like the sound the V8's made more, but I'm not totally against the V6's, and certainly not to the point that I'd !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! because it's not as loud.
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In the past, when F1 made a regulation change to "make the sport more exciting to watch" most people who followed the sport claimed that it was ruining and cheapening the sport. However, most of those changes actually have made the races more exciting and have added something positive to the "entertainment" factor of the sport. For instance, it's way more exciting to watch a battle where DRS is a factor than when its obvious that driver A is just going to pull away from driver B on the straight because driver A's car is faster in a straight line, thus ending a battle for position. Also, that isn't just for show, either. When drivers are put in a position where the guy behind them has a chance at passing them on the straight, it makes them more careful to defend their position, so more driver skill is involved than just pulling away and lapping the track by themselves.
The difference between those changes (I'll continue to use DRS as an example) and this new "megaphone exhaust" is that DRS actually changes the driving dynamics of the car. It makes the driver do something differently in order to drive the car effectively. This exhaust is purely for show. There's no purpose other than to make more noise, it doesn't change (or improve) the sport, and it doesn't show what the sport is really about. Formula One is supposed to be about going fast, and showcasing the top drivers and manufacturers in the world. With this idea, the viewers should naturally go to Formula One. If they like it -great, if they don't -then fine, they don't have to watch. The exhaust is the opposite of that, though. Its F1 trying to appeal to the audience. It's saying "Here, you think we're boring, look at this thing we can do to be less boring!" And that's the real problem here. Why should the teams feel pressured to make some kind of gimmick in order to appeal to the audience, why can't we just go with what's happening now, and over time we'll get used to it.
Photo credit: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!
ddavidn
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:14 |
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Took me about 5 laps to get used to it. Not really a big deal, in my opinion. But I'm not actually attending, so I'm not sure how different that experience is.
For Sweden
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:14 |
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They should have just gotten fart cans from Pep Boys.
McChiken116 - Patrick H.
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:16 |
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that and it looks like the F1 car's asshole prolapsed
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PushToStart
> ddavidn
05/14/2014 at 13:17 |
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Exactly. I think people constantly thinking about it and complaining about it is effectively keeping them from realizing that it's not so bad.
McMike
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:19 |
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The only think worse than quiet F1 cars, is F1 cars trying to be noisy on purpose. It's the same thing as the BMW M cars being whisper silent in the cabin, then adding fake noise to make up for it.
Disclaimer: I don't like the quiet F1 cars this season. I want hi revs, screaming, volume, and violence. I understand that the regulations are responsible. I'll get over it, but I'll miss them dearly.
YSI-what can brown do for you
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:20 |
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GP2 cars have sounded better. Even during the V8 era. So I suggest you just go watch that!!! In the end though, the noise is a big reason people go to watch races, not on TV but live. Without it, it just watching cars going around in circles.
themanwithsauce - has as many vehicles as job titles
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:27 |
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I like the quieter sound. It makes it much easier to hear things like the tires sliding and the radio messages. I love the subtle technical nuances in the sport so to me, people bitching that the lack of noise "ruins the race" is not only wrong, it's counter intuitive to the sport. The engines sounded loud and nasty because that was how that engine was. It was the technical character of the car. And that's awesome. These car's aren't the V12 brutes, they're turbo V6 fighter jets that take a lot of skill to drive compared to the V10 and V8 engined vacuums of the previous generations. The lack of grip and wicked torque curve of the V6 compared to last year's V8 cars has me loving even the low ranked teams' fights for position on the track.
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McMike
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:27 |
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McMike
> For Sweden
05/14/2014 at 13:29 |
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speaking of fart cans....
mrbwa1
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:34 |
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It's really too bad that F1 has abandoned the US. We have the perfect solution for adding more noise to the exhaust system.... Whistle tips!
jariten1781
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:36 |
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The problem with this argument is it assumes most people are watching for the sporting aspect. That's not true. The whole reason you have stuff like paddock girls, races around yacht harbors, Ferrari world, ferris wheels, concerts, camera shots of random famous people, etc is solely to increase the spectacle. This change is for those people, not the engineering and motorsports fans.
DarrenMR
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 13:39 |
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Maybe they are jealous of the VW scene?
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PushToStart
> jariten1781
05/14/2014 at 15:09 |
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Those types of people on the yachts and etc. probably prefer the quieter engines so they can hear the private orchestra they hired to play on their boat while they sip 10 thousand dollar champagne and bitch about how their servants only put 2 ice cubes in their water at dinner instead of 3 like they told them to.:P
philipilihp
> PushToStart
05/14/2014 at 16:16 |
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I don't mind the V6s, since there has been some DAMN good racing going on this year, even with those 2 dudes up front pulling away from everyone else constantly. Plus, the sound if kind of interesting and that makes it good for me. Putting a trumpet on the exhaust because some people aren't losing their hearing is shit.
minardi
> PushToStart
05/15/2014 at 07:59 |
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If they want more engine sound, just add a microphone on each car near the exhaust and feed it through the track PA system and broadcast signal. No need to use this joke (which I think it is intended to be a sarcasm by the Mercedes Team)
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PushToStart
> minardi
05/15/2014 at 10:15 |
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I'd like to think it's a joke, but it costs a shit load to design and make that exhaust, so for it to not work, that's an expensive prank to play. I think they would've been better off to render a picture of it as a joke, not design, build, and install a part during valuable testing time.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> PushToStart
05/26/2014 at 13:25 |
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That's it, I've had it. Anyone who keeps complaining about wanting F1 to be the pinnacle of technology can shove it.
" Noise is form of energy, and the less you hear , the more you use in propulsion "- Ulrich Baretzky Audi R10 engine designer, Truth in 24.