A little note on Vandoorne in Formula E with team HWA: he was contacted about the project in September... directly by phone by Toto Wolff who offered him the seat.
HWA, the german team involved in FE and racing also in DTM (it just won the 2018 in the famous german GT series), has direct ties with Mercedes.
Food for thoughts.
I think Vandoorne is good enough for F1, maybe better than Sainz. 'tis a crying shame that he ain't got a seat for next year.
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I am telling you that Formula E will be the new Formula 1 in the future. Eventually internal combustion engines will be passe' and electric technologies will be the new primary technology and propulsion standard. Not in the next 10yrs but possibly in the next 20-30yrs.
I also predict the art of shifting will die a slow death as electrics come to the fore. F1 already uses paddles...other series will follow suit as younger, newer drivers have no cars to learn from as the stick shift and clutch quickly fades away. Many new performance cars aren't even offered in a stick. Just paddles or a sequential push/pull lever.
Sad days ahead as we will basically be watching human piloted RC Cars...how long before they decide all driving is too dangerous, self driving cars are the norm, no one knows how to drive and racing is gone completely...then it will truly be RC Car racing.
Not in my lifetime I hope...but it's coming.
After few seasons with Alonso, Vandoorne has proven that he's not the next Hamilton I guess.Originally Posted by FaultyMario
In Europe everyone and her dog drives stick, still it's rare in here to use auto. Also, at least in Italy, you must drive a stick to pass the car driving license: stick is mandatory.
Also, in F1 they do still shift on their own... the upshifting and downshifting automated programmable gear changes have been banned some years go after a short life.
And actually I'm quite in favour of self driving cars on the roads.
With that said, Formula E is a different beast than F1 but quite some spectacle. And that's exactly because they are directing it AS a spectacle. Entertainment (not as idiotic as Nascar, let me say just to be polemic once) before motor racing.
It also has in quite some manufacturers either by direct involvment with their own team (Audi, Jaguar...) or with sponsored teams (like HWA with Mercedes and so on).
Add to that quite an interesting mix of young and seasoned drivers and you got a solid series (I rank it as interesting as F2, *almost*).
And look at the new Gen 2 car: it is amazing and futuristic. That's what I want to see. Open wheeler? Closed Prototype? Barchetta? I don't give a damn, that shit looks like a gorgeous anime-like sci-fi beast!
Well I’m jealous Europe still uses manual more than anything. It’s not quite dead yet!
F1 doesn’t use a manual transmission, it’s a paddle shifter right? Or you thought I said F1 was automatic...when I meant paddle shifter, just manually operated.
Still, eventually the art of driving as we know it will boil down to something close to RC racing.
Lewis Hamilton mastered the art of R/C racing before F1 you know.
Technology is just a tool, sometimes it’s okay to just let certain things go... racing isn’t about being nostalgic but about pushing to the limit. If the stick works, cool. If paddles work better, why not?
If you’re really faster than rest, you’ll be faster regardless what you’re driving...
You guys make it seem like Coulthard driving the CVT Williams was a good thing.
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Well not exactly but I hear you. I’m inclined to think someone who has mastered three pedals is a better driver than someone who only has to use two pedals. Nowadays people grow up having never experienced the lack of ABS, TCS, power steering and other amenities. So I have a little more respect for the old schoolers who had shitty tires, 900hp and very little downforce.
I also respect the athleticism of today’s drivers who have to undergo 5gs of cornering and braking loads for 2hrs straight while keeping laser focused on hitting apexes.
But watching some older footage is super cool.
Anyway, I have to admit Senna/Prost's MP4/4 was, and probably will forever be, the ultimate F-1 car!
Still, I have no doubt if current day drivers had to race using that kind of equipment now, they'll be able to adapt and learn and be able to approach Senna's or Prost's lap times.
Okay, maybe youngsters like Max won't ever be able to learn to drive stick?
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