Willis Unimpressed By Hrt'S Car Design

[duest 0]

Read about Geoff Willis's opinion on the design of the HRT racer here:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82630

Ouch! No media spin there at all. He's really quite scathing! It's also interesting to read that HRT are a bit hamstrung at the moment on the development front. Not a good sign.

[HandyNZL 1]

Dallara will not like their name being muddied in the media, much less in motorsport circles. Unfortunately for them, they have no guarantee of being paid to make the corrections to the car - afterall, it has had no testing to speak of, and is basically limping along. The thing handles like a bitch, with too little of this, and too much of that. Dallara is a capable engineering and car manufacturing firm. They do supply cars to quite a few formula series, so I would say the engineering is actually sound. Geoff Willis on the other hand, is on the whole "I could have done it better" band wagon, but anyone can say that after the fact.

Of the three new entries, HRT is furthest behind, thanks in no small part to a lack of money. But for all the new teams, the biggest thing that has been against them has been father time himself...6-months to get a car on the grid is actually quite an achievement.

Virgin looks the most promising still in my eyes. I think if they were running around with any other lump than the Cosworth, that they would be there or thereabouts...not out the a## end of nowhere.

Lotus is a dilema for me. The car looks wrong, but seems the most compliant in handling terms of all the new teams. This could be due to a very reserved approach to the design. Gazza does not rank too high with me on the engineering front, but his personality is great to have back in F1. They have taken the wise route of established drivers (even if one is gay) and a basic design. If they have the funds to maintain some sort of development arc, then they may close the gap to the other teams.

If any of the three teams get within 1.5secs of pole by the end of the season, then I would think that they have done what is needed in their first year. F1 is not a one year thing...nor should it be a three year plan for any team...to begin to compete takes five years...to be consistantly competitive takes seven or eight. Can any of these new teams last that long? Not with money coming in they won't, and sadly, HRT will be the first to bite the dust, not least because they are unable to develop the car.

[Rainmaster 7]

As a technical consultant to the team I don't understand why he has come out and said all that. Why not just work to try and improve the car? Either that, or stop being a consultant and then come out and state your feelings. Stinks of a lack of class to me.

[Persevere 0]

As a technical consultant to the team I don't understand why he has come out and said all that. Why not just work to try and improve the car? Either that, or stop being a consultant and then come out and state your feelings. Stinks of a lack of class to me.

Thank you.

[Jean Todt 4]

As a technical consultant to the team I don't understand why he has come out and said all that. Why not just work to try and improve the car? Either that, or stop being a consultant and then come out and state your feelings. Stinks of a lack of class to me.

Guess he is just p**sed off and had to let some steam off....he will be fine for some time...

[duest 0]

6-months to get a car on the grid is actually quite an achievement.

Absolutely! A phenomenal achievement!! I'm especially impressed with Lotus's efforts in this regard. I'm least impressed with USF1's efforts...

Virgin looks the most promising still in my eyes. I think if they were running around with any other lump than the Cosworth, that they would be there or thereabouts...not out the a## end of nowhere.

Lotus is a dilema for me. The car looks wrong, but seems the most compliant in handling terms of all the new teams. This could be due to a very reserved approach to the design. Gazza does not rank too high with me on the engineering front, but his personality is great to have back in F1. They have taken the wise route of established drivers (even if one is gay) and a basic design. If they have the funds to maintain some sort of development arc, then they may close the gap to the other teams.

Louts is the most promising team in my eyes. Like you say, the car looks wrong. However, I think this is a product of their very limited design time. Their focus was firstly to get a car on the grid, and secondly to finish races. Hence aerodynamically the car is a dinosaur. Now the focus is to add performance. I think the car will look much more like a modern F1 car when they add their major aero upgrade in Barcelona.

I'm also not sold on Mike's engineering credentials. He doesn't seem to be the guy to be at the helm when the car is at the pointy end of the grid. However, I think his experience and approach is exactly what a new team like Lotus needs. He'll take that team a long way, and with time into the mid pack. I'm just not sure he could take the team the whole way to consistent race wins. Having said all that, I do enjoy listening to what he has to say, his tweets and insights.

I think aerodynamically, Virgin is significantly more advanced than Lotus. However their pace is comparable to that of Lotus. Both teams run the Cosworth engine, so I'm not convinced Virgin would be there or there abouts with another engine...

....sadly, HRT will be the first to bite the dust, not least because they are unable to develop the car.

Yep agreed. HRT won't last. I think Virgin and Lotus are ok for now. Virgin because I think it would be bad for the Virgin brand if the team folded within 2 years. Lotus because they appear to have good enough backing and sponsors.

[yurp 0]

As a technical consultant to the team I don't understand.

Wow! - You're the technical consultant for HRT.

Things start to make more sense now.

[Jean Todt 4]

Wow! - You're the technical consultant for HRT.

Things start to make more sense now.

[Rainmaster 7]

Wow! - You're the technical consultant for HRT.

Things start to make more sense now.

[Autumnpuma 0]

Geoff is a brilliant aero guy the spearheaded the whole introduction of CFD in F1...and he's a decent technical director to boot, so please hold off on the criticisms. His role was to consult HRT, which means he told them what to do and left them to do it. He had no input into it past the telling. Now he sees what they've done with his suggestions and he's given his honest opinion about it to a reporter who asked him. I don't see where class has anything to do with it. He gave a professional assessment of the car, which is what he's paid to do. That it embarrasses HRT or Dallara is tough nuts. They've nobody to blame but themselves for the car's poor design. Geoff gave them good advice and they're to blame for not following it, even if they've got good reasons why. There are two ways to take criticism; whinge about it or pull yourself up by the bootstraps and get to work....guess which one leads to success?

Dallara has never had much of a reputation in F1 circles to muddy, in my not so humble opinion. Their stint with Ferrari was pathetic to say the least and one of the truly embarrassing periods for Ferrari.

Geoff is likely wanting to work for HRT if he can be certain they can fund what he wants for the car. I'm sure he'd want to use Dallara only for their resources and not for their designs..which are not up to snuff for F1.

I hope it works out for Willis. He could really improve the HRT and he's better than that short guy designing things over at Lotus.....

[Quiet One 15]

Bah, I am unimpressed too. And has any journo written anything about me? Nosiree! This is just a popularity contest, I tell ya.

[Autumnpuma 0]

You wanna talk popular? Ok, try this on for size. You ever heard of Johnny Quest? Well, Geoff Willis is actually Race Bannon and here's proof:

You just don't get more popular than that.

[Quiet One 15]

You wanna talk popular? Ok, try this on for size. You ever heard of Johnny Quest? Well, Geoff Willis is actually Race Bannon and here's proof:

You just don't get more popular than that.

Well, I guess no question who plays the part of Hadji in the team, at least, right?

[mikathegreat2 2]

Ouch, not very good to have a person on your own team dislike the car!

[aussief1 4]

One of the big problems with the Dallara Campos / HRT partnership, was the problems they faced with the ownership of the team and just weather Dallara would in fact be paid for their work in the first place.

The design process as stated by Willis was stop / start the whole time no doubt with a rotating group of engineers working on and picking up from where the others left off, no way to design a car in my opinion. If the gestation period for the chassis had been more stable and this is what was produced then of course we have a problem. Not all fault cam be laid at the feet of Dallara is my point.