A Friendly Tip For Bernie Concerning Engine Noises

"Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)" (gaborvajda)
04/10/2014 at 09:44 • Filed to: f1, formula 1, formula one, gp1, formula nippon, super formula, auto gp, formula renault, f5000, formula 5000, nascar

Apparently, a deal was struck last weekend - just before the race in Bahrain - between Bernie Ecclestone and the FIA to do something with F1's !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Here's a tip I am suggesting for consideration.

For the record and to reference Capt. Obvious, the noise is merely a by-product - and not the cause - of the greatest displeasures F1 is facing currently. The cards have been shuffled for sure and if things go !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Bernie will still be in the position to !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and just call it a day.

I, personally, do not have a problem with the engine noise. I admire the technology behind it and I mostly watch it on a small-screen TV with a single mono speaker anyway (as most of the people on the planet). Also, it is at least least much different from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! single-seater series !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (but !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ), which makes it unique.

Noise =/= efficiency, which is not necessarily F1 strictly speaking, thus - if I was making decisions - I would simply take the easy way and go ahead with the GP1 plan and place it above GP2 with a common chassis and larger engines involved. In other words, I would reintroduce F5000. A cheap, no-compromise, loud series for the masses.

Looks like F1, sounds like NASCAR, what is there to lose?

These forgotten pieces of tracks could be put into good use as well. I already love this idea.

Share your F5000 memories from the past.

DISCUSSION (10)

Grindintosecond > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/10/2014 at 09:58

when the IRL chaned to 4 liter n/a engines, they souneed just like NASCAR that year. It was a horrible thing.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Grindintosecond
04/10/2014 at 10:03

GP2 is running 4-litre engines and they sound awesome. I admit it's quite weird to make a mental connection between the sound and the image, but it could work. IRL didn't sound right because it was running exclusively on ovals. The cars in the video above are just awesome.

Grindintosecond > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/10/2014 at 10:18

IRL did get the sounds alot better later on. but that's all mostly exhaust tuning. NASCAR now in the present day do have nice sounds on the large ovals....michigan and what not when unrestricted but they also have a 60 deg. crossover pipe and the such making the noise really sharp. IRL back then sounded like a cigar boat and they were stock block based as well so they weren't really full on race engines yet like GP2 has so far.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Grindintosecond
04/10/2014 at 10:23

I now looked up some videos from the era and overall I don't find them that bad. It's just it isn't too interesting with the same tone - due to ovals - through the whole race. It's different with NASCAR, because - for me at least - the sound fits much better with cars with roofs.

I didn't see either of them live, so I cannot really comment.

Grindintosecond > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/10/2014 at 10:26

I understand that. That was the whole problem; the sounds did not fit at all. I was there on pole qualifying day when the first new cars hit the track. the stands, before packed with a larger than race day crowds, were probably 10% of what they used to be. the sounds were just not right and the cars were 20mph slower average laps. It's a shame we couldn't really see how tough they were to drive but it was too much of a change. if F1 did this and lap speeds were 10 seconds slower, the crowds would be throwing things on the track and getting out pitchforks.

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Grindintosecond
04/10/2014 at 10:30

True. F1 fans are quite hard to please, aren't they? That is why I said F1 needed no change in this particular field, because what for?

But I can imagine a loud, single-seater series along the lines of F5000, running at tracks F1 visited many years before the last time.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/10/2014 at 10:39

"most people watch on a small screen with mono speakers"

I would argue that very, very many people watch on an HDTV with at least stereo speakers these days. I am not arguing that there are many out there that can't afford or haven't bothered to upgrade to an HDTV, but large screen tv's with stereo speakers have become very much a widespread thing...

Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V) > Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs
04/10/2014 at 10:43

The very, very many might just be a small percentage on a global scale (and don't forget people who e.g. watch it in a pub). Anyway, the point is that the sound of the TV does not make it 100% justice, whatever your set is.

Yowen - not necessarily not spaghetti and meatballs > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/10/2014 at 10:52

Yeah, I'll definitely agree with that. I must make it to a race in the next few years, to get the full experience. It's just a very expensive experience to procure.

TA4K > Gabor Vajda (@Gabor_V)
04/11/2014 at 19:05

My more recent F5000 memories include being on startline in that video. Awesome cars to watch and hear. This year for that event they had a couple mid 80's F1 cars racing with the 5000's too.