Pardon the Interruption

[oldredracer]

I'm watching the 2nd F1 practice (TIVO), particularly Massa's hands on a hot lap and I was reminded big time that things ain't what they used to be. I remember watching Hill (Graham) at the Glen graciously waiving thank you at Pete Lovely who had let him by and I was struck by the thought that if a current driver were to remove his hands from the wheel to waive at anyone at all, the whole damn car would probably shut itself off.

[dalyduo]

Not to mention turning off their "in steering wheel" facebook and twitter screens.

Originally Posted by oldredracer

I'm watching the 2nd F1 practice (TIVO), particularly Massa's hands on a hot lap and I was reminded big time that things ain't what they used to be. I remember watching Hill (Graham) at the Glen graciously waiving thank you at Pete Lovely who had let him by and I was struck by the thought that if a current driver were to remove his hands from the wheel tol waive at anyone at all, the whole damn car would probably shut itself off.

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by oldredracer

I'm watching the 2nd F1 practice (TIVO), particularly Massa's hands on a hot lap and I was reminded big time that things ain't what they used to be. I remember watching Hill (Graham) at the Glen graciously waiving thank you at Pete Lovely who had let him by and I was struck by the thought that if a current driver were to remove his hands from the wheel tol waive at anyone at all, the whole damn car would probably shut itself off.

You're probably closer to the truth than you think--pretty soon it's not going to be about who's the best driver, but who's the best at dividing attention between what's going on outside the car and twiddling with all the knobs:

http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/89...teering-wheel/

[cdh]

Originally Posted by Slowhands

You're probably closer to the truth than you think--pretty soon it's not going to be about who's the best driver, but who's the best at dividing attention between what's going on outside the car and twiddling with all the knobs:
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/videos/89...teering-wheel/

Cool vid, thanks Harsha

[Andor]

Yeah, its impressive how much multitasking they are doing while driving at very intense speeds! Formula 1's technology is so advanced we need another hand to be able to race! lol... Formula 1 Malaysia race is about to start in 10 min!

[knightrider]

Thanks for the extremely interesting steering "wheel" vid. Harsha! Can you say "m-u-l-t-i-t-a-s-k-i-n-g".

[Slowhands]

Originally Posted by oldredracer

I'm watching the 2nd F1 practice (TIVO), particularly Massa's hands on a hot lap and I was reminded big time that things ain't what they used to be. I remember watching Hill (Graham) at the Glen graciously waiving thank you at Pete Lovely who had let him by and I was struck by the thought that if a current driver were to remove his hands from the wheel to waive at anyone at all, the whole damn car would probably shut itself off.

Here ya go, Oldred:

One of the chief talking points in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix was the pit-stop gaffe from 2009 World Champion Jenson Button. Already a lap late to come in, the Englishman pulled up at the blue Red Bull pit box – which was prepared to receive the chasing Sebastian Vettel – as opposed to his silver McLaren area.

“There's always a first time,” Button, who had been leading the race before his first stop, is quoted as saying by Reuters. “I came into the pits, was looking down and flicked a switch which I thought was the right one, which we always do before a pit-stop.

“As I was driving in I realised, 'Oh my God, it's not actually the right switch'. I'd flicked the wrong one - so I turned that one off and turned the right one on and, as I look up, I am there already.

“So I drive in thinking it's the right stop and it's not. So they waved me on...it's not really a big story, it cost me about two seconds. I still would have finished in the same place in the race and Lewis Hamilton still would have won.”

[dalyduo]

Ha! Well there you have it. At a certain point all the color coding and differences in size and shape become too much even for an F1 driver to remember. It's kind of like the time I saw Jack Nicklaus take about 5 swings to get out of a pot bunker on the ultimate evil Scotland course (I've forgotten the name. ). I thought, "well, at least he's human like the rest of us on occasion." If that happens every week you lose your job. If it happens once... you're human.

Originally Posted by Slowhands

Here ya go, Oldred:

One of the chief talking points in Sunday’s Chinese Grand Prix was the pit-stop gaffe from 2009 World Champion Jenson Button. Already a lap late to come in, the Englishman pulled up at the blue Red Bull pit box – which was prepared to receive the chasing Sebastian Vettel – as opposed to his silver McLaren area.

“There's always a first time,” Button, who had been leading the race before his first stop, is quoted as saying by Reuters. “I came into the pits, was looking down and flicked a switch which I thought was the right one, which we always do before a pit-stop.

“As I was driving in I realised, 'Oh my God, it's not actually the right switch'. I'd flicked the wrong one - so I turned that one off and turned the right one on and, as I look up, I am there already.

“So I drive in thinking it's the right stop and it's not. So they waved me on...it's not really a big story, it cost me about two seconds. I still would have finished in the same place in the race and Lewis Hamilton still would have won.”

[oldredracer]

I still think the Red Bull guys should have bolted on a set of badly worn intermediates and sent Button on his way.

[cdh]

Originally Posted by oldredracer

I still think the Red Bull guys should have bolted on a set of badly worn intermediates and sent Button on his way.

that or simply remove all four wheels, put the car on blocks and go for a coffee Red Bull break