So, I just watched the F1 practice fron Bahrain on SPEED, and what a spiritual lift!

I couldn't help but notice some interesting factiods that relate to IT at this juncture.

First, V10s are out, V8s are in, in an attempt to slow the cars down. Right...like that'll work! So far, in practice, on a dusty and sandy track, they are 1 second off last years pace! Who wants to bet that they won't be under the record before the weekend is over?

Second, we have a American in F1! WhooHoo! Too bad he's in a slow car. . Scott Speed for those that don't know, "won" the Red Bull drivers search and has a ride in the Red Bull F1 car. Red Bull bought the Minardi organization last year. Somehow, they convinced the FIA that the whole V8 thing was way too much trouble. So the FIA said, sure run last years V10....but....you have to run a restrictor with it.

This is were it gets interesting. The restrictor goes over the drivers head in the air inlet. I am sure there is more to it, but Steve Matchet says it is a carbon fibre plate with a hole in it.

The power output of the new V8s is reputed to be over 700, and they rev, (the Cosworth at least), to, get this.....20 THOUSAND rpms. And the development budget for the teams to create the whole V8 progamme, so far, is quoted at 1 BILLION Euros, or about a billion US $.

The Red Bull team spent about $100.00 or so, cutting some plates and mounting them.

Now, the size needed to restrict the V10 to the outputs of the new V8s??

77mm.

700 plus horsepower thru a 77mm hole...not even a SIR shaped 77mm hole!

Now, you knew it was going to come to this...just as a giggle, if you do the math, and use 740hp as your presumed F1 output, if the goal on the E36 was to limit the power to 220 crank, and you used F1 math, how big would the hole be?

Just under 23 mm!

No, I'm not trying to say or prove anything, I just thought it interesting, and F1 is back, so the world is a brighter place!