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I think it's a good idea to wear earplugs if you do regularly attend racing weekends. If you only go to watch a race every season or two, I don't think it's going to really have much effect on you.

It's probably like most things, where it's ok in moderation, but stupid if you go to 20 events in a year and don't take precautions. Most of my friends have worse hearing than me because they went to incredibly noisy nightclubs every single weekend. There are plenty of ways to ruin your hearing. I find my ears are ringing for longer after seeing a live band as opposed to watching F1, but I guess we're all different.

Customized earplugs ftw, although I only mainly use them for music-related activities. I think almost all the contemporary racing events have toned down their noise level in such a way that they're do-able without having to fear for your hearing, at least on this side of the ocean (eg. the GT Corvettes/Astons still sound brilliant, but are not really comparable to the old GT1's)

Think the only time my ears hurt listening to cars passing was a Ferrari in full tilt in a GT race at Porto. It's such a high pitched noise and I was standing by the fencing on the fastest bit that it hurts my ears pretty badly. That said, I never heard a F1 car before.

Actually, I think it's the Ferrari's that make the most painful noises.

430's GT2 are a bitch But the sound of their downshifting makes up for that!

When I went to the GP in March (Melbourne) I ran into a few of those bogans. One even said they should get rid of the F1s from Albert Park & make it a strictly V8 Supercar round.....

This video illustrates that perfectly. First the diesels, than the LMP1 (Lola Aston) and LMP2's and then the GT's. But yeah the rumble of the Corvettes is not something you forget.

the only time I attended a grand prix (2008 which was V8) the noise was great, pretty much the best thing I noticed when in the track for the first time in my life

is a pity that we doesn't have something like that but since F1 is going more to urban areas, is quite recommended lower noise levels

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Motorsports trend for 2024: everything is a bad taste joke now

Given how many circuits have had problems with residents complaining about the noise, it's not a bad thing if the cars are quieter. But as a spectator, I love that feeling when you walk towards the circuit and you can already hear the cars from a mile away. It gets you in the mood for racing.

Other than that, I'm really not sure that it would bother me. I need to get to a race in 2015 to find out. I just find it difficult to justify watching F1 these days, as the value for money is really poor compared to just about every other form of motor racing ever.

I'd say walking over hangar straight bridge when 2 astons and 2 ferraris at full chat went under was possibly the loudest. Either that or standing behind a Honda 6 Motorbike being warmed up at Mallory park. That defined ear splitting.

Motorsport-Total suggests that Montezemelo is to leave Ferrari imminently and that Mattiacci will step back across to the production car side of Ferrari to be replaced by Brawn.

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Dan Wheldon ¦ 1978-2011
Marco Simoncelli ¦ 1987-2011
Jules Bianchi ¦ 1989-2015
Justin Wilson ¦ 1978-2015

Yeah, I know he's mad and I don't care. I do not care. I did not care then. I do not care now. I'm here to race him.

Too many people here think that those who do not like the sound of the new F1 cars only feel this way because of the (lack of) loudness.
That's not true.
Loudness is not the only thing that makes the V6 turbos sound bad.
Cars do not necessarily need to be loud to sound good. They just need to have an original characteristic that makes you think "wow".
Le Mans GT Corvettes are not loud (especially since the new noise/exhaust regulations put in place in... 2010?). But they have that growl that goes through your chest and makes you shake.
Hybrid diesels are not loud, but they have that whoosing effect that makes them look like incredibly fast electric rockets:


More than the loudness, the screeching and shaking of the V8/V10 F1 engines was what had the people in awe. Le Mans Judd engines were not as loud but they still had this going for them.

Now, the moderns F1 turbos, what do they have? It's not that they're not loud, but the actual engine note lacks a soul. The turbo whistle is actually quite soft and hard to hear in real life. You do not hear crazy electric noises when the cars are braking, and at full speed in a straight line you don't hear that sound of a car whooshing through the air.
You could actually make all of the noises produced by the cars twice as loud, it would still sound bad.

In the end it's just my personnal opinion, but it's kind of annoying to see some people here who keep on using the old argument of "only dumbasses care so much about the sound/noise/loudness/whatever, only true fans can see beyond it" It only makes you like a moron. Some people care more about the looks of the cars, some other about the sounds, some others about the technology, the safety. I personally get off on the sounds cars make, and my favorite hobby is to put long onboard videos of cars while I'm doing things around the house, so you could understand how I'm kinda bummed about the new engines.

Long time motor sports journalist Eoin Young has passed away

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"An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government"


3x TBKL rFactor Hillclimb champion

That's terribly sad, he was one guy who didn't have an overwhelming bias towards particular team and drivers..
Great scribe.... RIP

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I think you should do what you want.

It's your forum and I paid the bills this year..

and if people don't like it they shouldComplain here

Today I came from work and put the TV on ridiculously loud for FP1 and instead of getting mad like during the V8 era, my wife laughed and said said that particular car on the screen sounded pathetic, like it was broken or something. And she does not follow F1, other than when I put the TV on, so she does not know about going on efficient turbo engines or the lack of noise or anything. Had to keep my poker face and say some excuse like "it's only the practice, he was probably lifting early".

You know the engines sound bad when your wife laughs at them. And you're the guy who shouts that the vacuum cleaner is too loud and you're completely fine with the sound of your car's V8's sound while the lady says that it could have more grunt.

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"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

Oh I wish the old V8's could come back. With a return to that noise level it would drown out the complaints from people about how quiet the V6 turbos are

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BTCC Pick Em's Champion 2010
Formula Fun Cup Champion 2013
http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk

But that's the point. F1 never goes back. No amount of fan bitching or stupid trumpets attached to the exhausts are going to change that.

Its not so much as its suffering in comparison to other series as leading the way (well after le mans ) and the other series will have to fall in line eventually.
I cant wait to see the reaction of the same bogans mentioned earlier to the next era of the supercars as by all rumours. ...v8 it won't be.

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

In other news, that tire that all the drivers (bar chilton) and Lauda signed went for EUR 25,000.00 on eBay



http://www.ebay.ca/itm/301291159097?ssP ... 1423.l2649

Say whaaaaaa?

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RIP Birmingham Wheels: here's some of the crash videos I recorded when it was there:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIaKIE ... 5t9d5PvoHA

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/paulhadsley

[youtubeidiot]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4M2lcReHz8A#t=87[/youtubeidiot]

RIP