[Unrersvar]

Hmm, a few buttons at the seering wheel, thoose are grat fun.

Damn, missed the red light at the end of the pitlane. Sorry Kimi.

[Staillateno]

Drivers used to have to drive around Monaco one-handed in the days of manual transmissions, none complained they were too busy in the cockpit then.

If the more hectic cockpit increases the possibility of driver errors like in the old days drivers could miss a gear etc. then that's only a good thing.

Of course this doesn't have anything to do with my opinion on the adjustable wings which I think are an absolute joke. I'd have nothing against allowing adjustable wings but this thing that you can only use it if you are 2 seconds behind a car and only twice a lap etc. etc. is just BS of the highest order.

[banditorfv]

Drivers used to have to drive around Monaco one-handed in the days of manual transmissions, none complained they were too busy in the cockpit then.

If the more hectic cockpit increases the possibility of driver errors like in the old days drivers could miss a gear etc. then that's only a good thing.

Of course this doesn't have anything to do with my opinion on the adjustable wings which I think are an absolute joke. I'd have nothing against allowing adjustable wings but this thing that you can only use it if you are 2 seconds behind a car and only twice a lap etc. etc. is just BS of the highest order.

I concur

[tipokotap]

Drivers used to have to drive around Monaco one-handed in the days of manual transmissions, none complained they were too busy in the cockpit then.

If the more hectic cockpit increases the possibility of driver errors like in the old days drivers could miss a gear etc. then that's only a good thing.

Agreed.

Of course this doesn't have anything to do with my opinion on the adjustable wings which I think are an absolute joke. I'd have nothing against allowing adjustable wings but this thing that you can only use it if you are 2 seconds behind a car and only twice a lap etc. etc. is just BS of the highest order.

Double agreed. I think it was Martin Whitmarsh who was wittering on about how good the ARW was going to be as the can tweak it all season. So that at one track it might just be the last 300m of a straight that it was permitted or far more on another.

PUUUURLEASE! Might as well just have success ballast and be done with it

[OrefZorremn]

He's becoming the new Ralf. Whine. Moan. Complain. B!tch. Etc.

Come on, it's the same for everyone. Or do you want to be dumped down to Virgin where you won't have to worry about pesky KERS.

I do not think there are many drivers, who have not been criticized for whining. Is giving an opinion always a whine? And if most F1 drivers are whiners (which they surely should be based on the comments by F1 fans), then it surely should apply to elsewhere too. So it means most of the forum also consists of whiners. So the question would be - if you don't like whining, why you do it yourself? Whining about whining is also whining. Pot, kettle, black.

[steevyjeors]

I don't see the rest of the 23 drivers complaining. Besides, KERS will be used only on the straights, and so would be the adjustable rear wing. They don't have to worry about them in corners, and I'm sure they're capable drivers and won't just randomly push it wherever and cause accidents.

KERS was there on 2009 cars and there weren't any problems. And it's just one or maybe two more buttons to adjust the rear wing. If he's already complaining about them, saying "Too many buttons, but well, what to do, I'll have to adapt," then that sounds like a little defeatist attitude to me.

Quite a few of the other drivers have also commented on the increase in buttons. Rubens in particular described the problems in a recent interview in motorsport. I don't see it as complaining, merely a statement of fact. Complaining would go along the lines of "I hate" or "I wish we didn't have this".

You describe the button pressing in isolation but have you thought when these guys are going to be using both KERS and the rear wing? During overtaking perhaps?

[Starichok]

100% agree with Massa.

I wanna see these guys racing not buggering around with their steering wheel. Flaps, flops, kers, wings..... is this REALLY racing?

[jincomplet]

Quite a few of the other drivers have also commented on the increase in buttons. Rubens in particular described the problems in a recent interview in motorsport. I don't see it as complaining, merely a statement of fact. Complaining would go along the lines of "I hate" or "I wish we didn't have this".

You describe the button pressing in isolation but have you thought when these guys are going to be using both KERS and the rear wing? During overtaking perhaps?

If you look at the onboard laps of let's say 10 years ago, the buttons on the steering wheel have gradually increased ten fold, yet the majority of the drivers seemed to have adapted to them effortlessly. Are there more accidents happening because of the increase in buttons? No. IMO KERS is just a gimmick in the name of technology, and this adjustable rear wing has all the possibilities of becoming a big FAIL, but these are optional for all teams, and any of the top teams would be foolish not to utilize them, so naturally the drivers HAVE to adapt to them. Also, saying "too much" does sound more like a whinge than an opinion.

Having said that, I can understand where Massa is coming from, as he was almost fatally injured at Hungary in 2009, he would want things simpler, but being negative towards the new changes before the season even starts is not the way to go about it, especially when your seat is in danger at Ferrari. I for one welcome these changes, because it keeps the engineering aspect of F1 alive as long as engineers are allowed to put their own interpretations of these devices in action. Isn't anybody even mildly interested in how each team interprets the new rules? God forbid if they standardize these too.

[jincomplet]

Drivers used to have to drive around Monaco one-handed in the days of manual transmissions, none complained they were too busy in the cockpit then.

Yep, agreed 100%. I wonder how the new drivers would cope with manual transmission and a few more buttons thrown into the mix.

Of course this doesn't have anything to do with my opinion on the adjustable wings which I think are an absolute joke. I'd have nothing against allowing adjustable wings but this thing that you can only use it if you are 2 seconds behind a car and only twice a lap etc. etc. is just BS of the highest order.

I think it's going to be the most magnanimous FAIL of 2010. I don't know what's the point of allowing a device that you can use ONLY if you're within a predetermined amount of seconds behind the car you're trying to overtake. I don't know how they're going to keep track of which car is using it and when. This is gonna open up the pandora's box of idiotic steward decisions and penalties.

[steevyjeors]

If you look at the onboard laps of let's say 10 years ago, the buttons on the steering wheel have gradually increased ten fold, yet the majority of the drivers seemed to have adapted to them effortlessly. Are there more accidents happening because of the increase in buttons? No. IMO KERS is just a gimmick in the name of technology, and this adjustable rear wing has all the possibilities of becoming a big FAIL, but these are optional for all teams, and any of the top teams would be foolish not to utilize them, so naturally the drivers HAVE to adapt to them. Also, saying "too much" does sound more like a whinge than an opinion.

Many of the buttons on an F1 car are for functions that are to be adjusted when the driver isn't busy, like engine mapping or differential settings. The KERS and rear wing buttons are going to be used when the driver is going to be concentrating on overtaking.

IMO this is the particular problem. The speed differential between the overtaking and overtaken car at the end of a straight is going to be potentially massive as you may have a car using both KERS and a low drag rear wing coming up behind a car that may already have used up its KERS that lap with a high drag rear wing. On top of that you have the overtaking driver twiddling with buttons at the same time. The scope for a large accident is pretty big.

But a bigger point is, how do you expect drivers to describe challenges they face without it being called whinging? If one of your friends tells you that an exam is hard or a particular colleague is tough to work with do you automatically call him a whinger? Personally I find it extremely interesting when drivers talk about new regulations and the effect it will have on their driving.

[Heessduernbub]

Yup - get rid of the buttons and use voice control, like in the old Inspector Gadget cartoon.

"Go - Go Gadget KERS"

[vNGiDaFX]

But a bigger point is, how do you expect drivers to describe challenges they face without it being called whinging? If one of your friends tells you that an exam is hard or a particular colleague is tough to work with do you automatically call him a whinger? Personally I find it extremely interesting when drivers talk about new regulations and the effect it will have on their driving.

^This
I also highly doubt that Massa called around trying to find a reporter willing to listen to him "whine", though some of the members seem to think that's how these articles are born.
Most of the time the drivers are just answering direct questions, and personally I like hearing honest answers to those.

[banditorfv]

some of the members seem to think that's how these articles are born.

Trolls have to eat, and they slurp this crap up!

[viawbambutt]

There really isn't a comparison between having a lot of buttons on the steering wheel and changing gears with one hand on the steering wheel. While manually changing gears is much more physical it is more about doing one task and doing it well rather than managing about 20 different buttons for gimmicks that F1 doesnt need. (Read: ditch the Push to Pass button, and adjustible rear wing within one second of the previous car)

I'm betting most of you would rather be changing gears while steering with one hand rather than driving and having to manage about 20 different buttons on your steering wheel.

[Gmvkgkmn]

There really isn't a comparison between having a lot of buttons on the steering wheel and changing gears with one hand on the steering wheel. While manually changing gears is much more physical it is more about doing one task and doing it well rather than managing about 20 different buttons for gimmicks that F1 doesnt need. (Read: ditch the Push to Pass button, and adjustible rear wing within one second of the previous car)

I'm betting most of you would rather be changing gears while steering with one hand rather than driving and having to manage about 20 different buttons on your steering wheel.

Exactly.

Probably more like texting with both hands while driving...

[jincomplet]

Many of the buttons on an F1 car are for functions that are to be adjusted when the driver isn't busy, like engine mapping or differential settings. The KERS and rear wing buttons are going to be used when the driver is going to be concentrating on overtaking.

IMO this is the particular problem. The speed differential between the overtaking and overtaken car at the end of a straight is going to be potentially massive as you may have a car using both KERS and a low drag rear wing coming up behind a car that may already have used up its KERS that lap with a high drag rear wing. On top of that you have the overtaking driver twiddling with buttons at the same time. The scope for a large accident is pretty big.

Fair enough. But really when is an F1 driver not busy during a lap? Maybe only when on the main straight, which is where they will use the KERS and adjust the rear wing in 2011. Didn't drivers block the F-duct with their left hands while on the straight AND change the brake bias and fuel mixture too last year? I saw Vettel and Alonso doing that on multiple occasions. What about Ferrari drivers pulling on, what seemed like a nob beneath the steering wheel on the straights in 2007? So, out goes the F-duct and in comes maybe two buttons which you'll press on the straights with your thumbs. It's not like they're bombarded all of a sudden with a gazillion buttons, so Massa's opinion does sound like a little bit of a whinge. It's not like I don't like Massa or anything, and probably I did read into it way too much, but hey, it's the off season. They should unveil the cars already!

But a bigger point is, how do you expect drivers to describe challenges they face without it being called whinging? If one of your friends tells you that an exam is hard or a particular colleague is tough to work with do you automatically call him a whinger? Personally I find it extremely interesting when drivers talk about new regulations and the effect it will have on their driving.

I have no problems with drivers describing the challenges they face or giving honest opinions. As for the analogy, if my friend was the only one complaining about the exam in the whole class, then yes, I would probably call him a whinger.

[jincomplet]

^This
I also highly doubt that Massa called around trying to find a reporter willing to listen to him "whine", though some of the members seem to think that's how these articles are born.

Do you really honestly think people are this naive?

Trolls have to eat, and they slurp this crap up!

That's it Taz? No poem this time?

[ReggieRed]

I thought Felipe and Jensen were friends .

[russianstallian]

Do you really honestly think people are this naive?

I'd stick my neck out and say I know people are that naive, just to get a reaction......

[banditorfv]

I don't think there will be a lot of button pushing into Eau Rouge. although probably on the uphill kers, rearwing adjustment and, ?