The actual engines may be quieter, but the controversy about the sport's new turbo V6 engines is making a deafening sound. Australian race promoter Ron Walker missed the scream of the old V8s so much last weekend he vowed to scour Melbourne's race contract in search of a breach.
An FIA source told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport: "There is nothing in the promoter contracts prescribing a minimal decibel level." The source also scoffed at Walker's suggestion the issue drove fans away from Albert Park. "Those who did not come have not yet heard the engines," he exclaimed.
However, it remains a possibility the new low volume of F1 could have contractual consequences. Sepang circuit boss Razlan Razali told the local New Straits Times newspaper that the engines will surely "affect the atmosphere of the race". "So we'll want to see more of how this issue develops," he added. Malaysia's F1 contract expires after the 2015 race.
Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel turned up the volume even more when on Friday he crassly described the sound of the 2014 cars as "shit". "And batteries should be where they belong, in a mobile phone," he is quoted by the German news agency SID. Red Bull might at least have a solution to the noise problem. "If we change the turbo blades, it will sound better," team director Dr Helmut Marko said.
Williams' Felipe Massa, however, thinks F1 simply needs to get used to its new guise -- again. "Years ago, when they made the decision to change the engine (for 2014), the first thing everyone said was that the sound will be different," he is quoted by Brazil's Globo. "Now it's too late. They can try anything, but it's impossible to make them sound like a V8. Instead they thought it was the right direction to go with the new technology, so that's how things are now," added Massa. (GMM)
New F1 sound could influence Sepang contract negotiations
- Published on 28 Mar 2014 13:58
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- By: Rob Veenstra
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Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix
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Spain
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Bahrain
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Bahrain
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
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Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
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Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
6 - Mar 8
Australia
Albert Park
13 - Mar 15
27 - Mar 29
Japan
Circuit Suzuka
10 - Apr 12
Bahrain
Bahrain International Circuit
17 - Apr 19
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street Circuit
1 - May 3
United States of America
Miami International Autodrome
22 - May 24
Canada
Gilles Villeneuve
5 - Jun 7
Monaco
Monte Carlo
12 - Jun 14
Spain
Circuit de Catalunya
26 - Jun 28
Austria
Red Bull Ring
3 - Jul 5
United Kingdom
Silverstone
17 - Jul 19
Belgium
Spa-Francorchamps
24 - Jul 26
Hungary
Hungaroring
21 - Aug 23
Netherlands
Circuit Zandvoort
Driver profile
- Team -
- Points -
- Podiums -
- Grand Prix -
- Country BR
- Date of b. Apr 21 1981 (45)
- Place of b. Sao Paulo, BR
- Weight 59 kg
- Length 1.66 m
4 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Felipe Massa
Team profile
- Team name Williams
- Base Grove, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom
- Jacques Villeneuve 1
- Logan Sargeant 2
- Ayrton Senna 2
- Jacques Villeneuve 3
- Nicholas Latifi 6
- Jacques Villeneuve 6
- Nico Rosberg 7
- Nico Hülkenberg 10
- Nico Rosberg 10
- Jenson Button 10
- Pastor Maldonado 12
- Pastor Maldonado 16
- Nico Rosberg 16
- Nico Rosberg 16
- Valtteri Bottas 17
- Lance Stroll 18
- Pastor Maldonado 18
- Felipe Massa 19
- Alexander Albon 23
- Sergey Sirotkin 35
- Nyck de Vries 45
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
- George Russell 63
- Valtteri Bottas 77
- Robert Kubica 88
- 161,846 comments on Williams
- 39 members have this team as their favourite
- Tweets about Williams
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