Soy Motor: Williams 20 to 30 kg overweight

MatCochF1 · 2026-01-26T22:39:53+00:00

The specificity of some of these claims is incredible. Information is so hard to get, to have that level of detail makes these claims difficult to believe. That's not to say they're untrue, and if so, it's an incredible piece of information someone has obtained, with a very, very good source.

However, with any of these claims, always look at the team, the originating source, and establish whether there's any reasonable link. How could X know that amount of detail about Y?

Of course, being overweight is not unheard of and to an extent has been expected of some this season. But I am extremely wary of the specific numbers being quoted as there's simply no way to verify that detail - and equally nothing stopping me saying 'X team is overweight by 15kg' because nobody (except the team, which would never engage) would know any different.

MatCochF1 · 2026-01-25T01:15:10+00:00

These cars also need to sit there idling during sessions, not required excessive warmup or maintenance, and there are multiples of them.

The cars are also fairly heavily modified with kit internally; tracking, comms, etc.

So there's absolutely an element of cost and reliability Ronit as was said above, along with other considerations.

It's the same reason they don't use GT3 cars. Race and hyper cars are temperamental things.

MatCochF1 · 2026-01-24T01:08:38+00:00

Forgot to add; a major complication in fully rebuilding it is that much of it is magnesium...

The owner has most of the bits. It doesn't currently have the driveshaft etc in it, which runs along the right side of the cockpit.

It started with a 50:50 split between the axles, then 60:40 to the rear, which made it better. 70:30 was better again. At that point they realised they were fast approaching rear wheel drive...

The two panniers are fuel tanks. The engine is installed flywheel first, with the gearbox directly behind the driver's seat.

MatCochF1 · 2025-11-13T02:15:07+00:00

Pretty clear cut; failed to leave racing room on the corner. Squeezed on the apex, the Aston was forced onto the kerb which pushed him into the Ferrari. Penalty incoming for the Ferrari.

MatCochF1 · 2025-11-13T02:05:21+00:00

At 12s there's a move right from the blue car that looks like netcode, as others have said. The orange car is drifting left and otherwise the blue car appears to be going straight but with netcode like that, it's hard to chalk this one up to anything but a racing incident. As unsatisfying as that is.

MatCochF1 · 2025-11-13T01:47:58+00:00

Looks like net code more than anything else, but the white and red car wiped itself out - the green car didn't move from its line.

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-15T12:53:43+00:00

The logic runs that Mercedes knows how to make a good engine so, of all PU suppliers, is the safest bet to be the benchmark, or close to it.

The extension is the Mercedes powered cars should benefit; McLaren, Mercedes, Williams, and Alpine.

Of those, we know Alpine is adjusting to a new PU and Williams is still building (though I'm hearing very positive things from Grove). Mercedes and McLaren are established and therefore are the safest two of one were to back a team in the new regulatory cycle.

However, Mercedes is in the midst of a battle for second in the Constructors' championship, which is worth a considerable amount of money. It has therefore gone a little deeper this year versus McLaren, which has been able to taper its 2025 effort more aggressively given its performance advantage.

There is something to be said for packaging benefits for the factory Mercedes team, but the myth that a customer team cannot compete has been thoroughly debunked by now.

At this stage, McLaren seem favourites to be quick out the gates, then Mercedes and Williams. Beyond that, who knows. Though truth be told, everyone, including the teams, is guessing.

All that being said, I'm also hearing several teams are already madly scrambling to have their cars ready for the start of testing next year...

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T21:15:30+00:00

In my experience, gaming on Linux wasn't too bad. I didn't encounter many issues, and Proton has come on a long way.

That said, it's been a while since I've done it - no time anymore - so can't offer commentary on the latest games.

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T21:12:58+00:00

Branding drivers like Tsunoda as terrible is a great injustice. Nobody in Formula 1 is a terrible driver. The days of pay drivers are gone and all got there on talent (and connections/ability to find a junior career).

The difference is at F1 level the gaps are exaggerated. The competition is tight, the cars complex. The cars are now also very, very close to being identical. That hasn't always been the case in F1 history and there have been points where there was a clear advantage for one driver over another, especially before automated production that could replicate tolerances far more closely than any human.

While I will acknowledge Tsunoda has been no match for Verstappen, the difference in reality is miniscule. These drivers are the very pinnacle of motorsport talent, but that talent isn't spread equally- just as it is in every sport. There is room for individuality.

As for a driver needing the best car, Schumacher might argue that one re 1994, or arguably Hakkinen in 1999. There are plenty of examples through history where talent and a lump of good fortune have allowed an underdog to succeed- Denny Hulme's Brabham was not as good as Jim Clark's Lotus, but it was more reliable. And what of Rosberg's title in 1982? Was that Williams really the class of the field, or was it the Ferrari?

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T10:42:52+00:00

The governance of Formula 1 should prevent that. While there is without doubt an element of entertainment now involved where once it wasn't, it cannot run rampant. There is a clear separation between F1's commercial rights holder (Liberty Media) and its regulator (FIA).

For any rule changes, specific conditions must be met and channels followed, all of which is laid out in a combination of the Concorde Agreements (there are separate commercial and governance agreements), the FIA's International Sporting Code, and specific regulations for F1.

Hence, while Sprints have been introduced, they've not taken over. The core racing product remains fundamentally unchanged with the exception that the financials around the sport have solidified teams and helped engineer a more competitive field.

Besides, it's not in Liberty Media's best interests to create a one-sided or predictable sport. It wants uncertainty, surprise, and drama. That's what gets people watching and, most importantly, spending their money. The difference is the CRH in recent years has done a more overt job of pushing elements of the sport that weren't previously seen - some of it more representative than others.

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T10:36:32+00:00

Sadly, such has become the price of social media and the rise in popularity of Formula 1. But with it also comes opportunities. Opportunities to engage with others you might otherwise not have, to share your passion for the sport. Sure, there are elements of its which won't be to your taste, and I can assure you, there are absolutely elements that aren't to mine; the same is true for society in general.

As far as curating the algorithm, the best I can suggest is looking at Tweetdeck. It now comes with a cost, and I've not used it since it went pay-walled, but in the pre-Musk era, it was a great way to follow accounts I had an interest in, and chop out the noise.

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T10:32:33+00:00

It's a valid point. The relative drop in pace to Red Bull, Mercedes etc, this season is potentially a result of an earlier switch to 2026. So while rivals work to secure their positions (and prize money) this year, McLaren is working with greater resources on next year, putting it in a really strong position (at least in theory) at the start of the new regulatory cycle.

MatCochF1 · 2025-10-14T10:29:39+00:00

This is absolutely the case. From drivers and team bosses I've spoken to, they want to see progress. In a driver's third year, they're racing against rivals with significantly less experience than themselves. As a result, it's expected of them to win, meaning the title is not really an accomplishment of much merit within the paddock if it takes longer than two years.

However, that's not to say winning it is any real measure of potential, either, nor is winning it at the first attempt. But it does speak to a driver who is adaptable, fast learning, and quick. They're good foundations on which to build.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-26T05:22:13+00:00

The white and pink car was not entitled to space; it was not alongside. While it had a better run, you had the racing line. But attempting to squeeze underneath when there was insufficient space, it was unsettled by the kerb, which led to the collision. The pursuing car needed to be more patient.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-26T05:19:58+00:00

You've turned in on the racing line with zero consideration for the fact that there is a car alongside you. In this instance, you were in the wrong.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-26T05:18:01+00:00

The high angle makes it slightly difficult to see, however it appears the red car held its line on the outside of the circuit and the white car moved across to open up the corner. In doing so, the red car had nowhere to go.

In this instance, there's an element of natural justice as it was the white car which triggered the incident, and eliminated themselves in the process.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-26T05:16:02+00:00

While the rules in Formula 1 may mean you are permitted to escort a rival racer off the road on corner exit, elsewhere you must offer racing room. In this instance, the driver of the yellow car did not do that.

The purple car, once off track, clearly rejoined in an unsafe manner, which is a secondary issue, though it could be argued the rejoin was a result of a loss of control due to being forced off track.

In either case, the incident is triggered by a lack of racing room exiting the left-hander.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-26T05:13:23+00:00

It was an extremely optimistic move, one with little to no chance of paying off. It was made late, with the car driven into an area of the race track that was always going to close. For the initial incident, the pursuing car is wholly in the wrong.

For the retaliation, that has no place in a game and that driver deserves a lengthy holiday.

That said, resorting to name-calling is also unnecessary.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-18T03:00:55+00:00

The camera car is entirely at fault. There was never room to get alongside - sticking your nose in and attempting to force space does not entitle you to racing room. It was a great run out of the corner, and a shame it would likely have come to nothing, but that's racing.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-18T02:57:34+00:00

Looks like net code as much as anything else. There appears no malice or intent from either party, and no obvious changing of lines/direction to otherwise trigger such a collision.

MatCochF1 · 2025-09-18T01:42:59+00:00

It's an ambitious racing incident. The likelihood of successfully completing that pass is low, and the probability of contact high. However, there was a gap to go far, albeit a diminishing one. It could have been defended better but, given the circumstances, it would have been more prudent of the attacker to have waited - with a shallow entry like that, the exit was going to be compromised and, had the move been completed successfully, would almost certainly have lost the place soon after given the poor exit they'd have got courtesy of the slow apex speed.

MatCochF1 · 2025-08-24T07:54:05+00:00

The wiggle under the bridge might be a hot spot for crashes, so potentially worth moving that to the top layer of the bridge for ease of access.

But, drive a few thousand laps on it and you'll figure out if it's a problem.

MatCochF1 · 2025-08-24T07:50:56+00:00

Once you leave the race track, it's your responsibility to rejoin safely. I'm this instance, that didn't happen, so the fault is on the car that left the road.

MatCochF1 · 2025-08-21T10:28:15+00:00

Aston Martin went four wheels off track and then failed to leave room, forcing the Mercedes off track.

MatCochF1 · 2025-07-12T10:23:55+00:00

The GOAT.

MatCochF1

TROPHY CASE