You have a lot more mechanical grip, which is very handy going around a curve. You have four wheels steering into a curve, which means you can enter it a lot faster without losing traction and/or you can reduce downforce which means you can go faster on the straight.
Where the f**k is Peter Windsor? I can't stand the new toolbag that's working the track prior to the start. And I get the sense that the drivers don't much care for him, either. His questions are retarded.
What a great race by Alonso to come back from that disastrous start. And man am I glad to see Hamilton go out the way he did. I'm a little disappointed that Alonso couldn't catch Massa for a podium. Either his car was not up to snuff at the end, or he was intentionally backing off to hold off Hamilton. Congrats to Button. Huge balls going for the slicks so early. That's what won him the race.
A couple of thoughts: 1) It was a much better race than Bahrain in terms of suspense, but I'd still say that it was in spite of the new rules and that we'll see more boring races in the future. I hope that all of F1 still focuses on how to make the races more attractive. Unfortunately, I've heard the first comments trying to put everything in perspective and claiming that it's all right after all...well it's not. It obviously was an exciting race because of the weather conditions, because everybody started on intermediate tires with the track drying up quickly. That's why we saw better racing. And that's why we saw different strategies. 2) Bridgestone is really doing a horrible job in terms of tires...how is it possible that the soft tire is good enough for almost the entire race distance (Button, Kubica, Massa, Alonso)? If it hadn't been for the rain, this race would have been just as boring as Bahrain under circumstances like these. 3) The four top teams are getting closer. McLaren has obviously closed the gap to Ferrari and RedBull and Mercedes is only slightly behind. It'll be interesting to see whether McLaren will drop back, once everybody has the F-Duct system... 4) Just like last season, Vettel could lose the title due to technical problems. Today his brake exploded after the team didn't put on the tire properly in the pits. It's really a shame for him as he totally dominated both races until his car broke down. 5) There are two winners this weekend. First of all there is of course Button. Nobody would have given him a chance this season. Not against Hamilton in his team. But apparently he's doing quite well. He dominated Hamilton during qualifying and he had no problem driving home his victory once Vettel was out. I think Button really profits from the new rules. He's one of the few guys who have always preferred a little understeer and he's known to be mild on the tires (the tire whisperer). So maybe he'll turn out to be a force to reckon with this season. The other winner is Alonso. He was almost out but thanks to the crash and the resulting safety car immediately after the start, he could quickly move back up again and with Vettel's crash, he's again received more points than his biggest rival this season. Add to that the fact that Webber and Hamilton took care of each other instead of him and he ended up with more points than he could have hoped for.
I'll admit that I smiled when Hamilton crashed. I'm sure what I have against that kid, but I just don't like him.
I'd have to add two or three things (or maybe emphasize) that benztown said: 1. Vettel is the best pilot in the circuit today. Hopefully his team/car will be more reliable in the following races, it looked like a flag to flag win yesterday until his accident. 2. I like aggressive driving because makes things more exciting, but seriously shouldn't have Hamilton been penalized when he sponed Webber of the track? 3. Ferrari has done with luck what their cars have not been able to supply... They're leading the championship with very conservative racing and iffy performances by their two pilots... I guess that this is a marathon, not a sprint, but I feel bad for RBR who has not dominated because externalities... I also agree with benztown that the races will be less exciting than this more often than not.. I think that eliminating fueling just makes races more boring and takes away one of the main ingredients of strategy (in my book strategy should be rewarded). They should go back to the start-as-you-qualy rule from previous season, tires, fuel and all... And Petrov should be kicked out of the circuit, he sucks big time...
Good post. Regarding best pilots I like Alonso, vettel and hamilton for the agressive driving. Sleeper pick to win a race for me would be rosberg. this guy constantly finishes top 6 and hopefully mercedes gives him a car to win in. Redbull is questionable with their fuel loads as well with this ride height adjustment during qualifying (from what I read). It would be nice to have Vettel compete but at 25 pts a win and a few more unfortunate DNFs this season might be a right off. The fuel thing I totally agree. As I stated earlier managers, coaches..etc use strategy at halftime, inbetween periods, timeouts...etc to adjust their team for the final push. F1 has removed that from the sport.
What about Kubica/Renault? I always like Renault, they seem to have a knack for making competitive cars out of the blue... Although it does not matter what car you give to Petrov... that guy is crap... But the car was pretty competitive both times until mechanical failure stroke and with Vettel at the wheel it was flying. It is a long season, but definitely, I agree that with the current points awarded DNFs take a bigger toll. Reliability seems to be rewarded, even if you don't finish in the podium, you can amasse a fair amount of points. Not only that, put a lot more variables into the equation and some teams were very good at strategy, and some of the big names sucked at it (Maclaren for once). Was it Renault that used to qualify high and make early pit stops, to capitalize on an emptier track?
I completely agree on Bridgestone. As a tyre manufacturer they are of course concerned about having their product being destroyed on global TV yet having your supposedly softer compound doing more than 50 laps is beyond ludicrous. they're providing control tyres for the competition and should assume that role. Of course , the rain made the race a bit crazy and unpredictable as it's often the case but I don't think that all races will be as boring as Bahrain. The Arab island Grand Prix has never really produced intriguing races and the new layout did not help either. We already know the usual suspects for boring GPs...Barcelona (great track though), Monaco, Valencia, Singapore...Hopefully, Montreal will feature some mayhem ! Anyway, that Melbourne race really reinforced the necessity to have the freedom of choice concerning tyres and having significantly different compounds available like it was the case in the refuel-less 80's. I'm so pleased with Robert's dedication at Renault, he even sports the brand's colour scheme on his helmet. He drove such a good race even if the start really helped to jump opponents. That's said the Renault was on par with Mercedes GP in race trim as long as both were running with the same set of tyres. So, apparently, what this car mainly lacks now is the pace on a qualifying lap. I don't really understand what's your beef against Petrov...Of course there are better drivers available out there and the fact that he's a Russian supported by the whole country and Renault's industrial policy and opportunities there bear such a weight in the Losange decision to hire him. But let's not forget that he's after all a rookie. Strange that people don't accept rookie errors anymore...He's been trapped after exiting the pits with hard slick tyres, it can also happen to seasoned drivers and he was a bit unfortunate to be beached on the gravel. As far as his pace is concerned, I think he's quite decent, especially in the race ; what he needs now is to be consistent and finish races.
I don't like him much either, or let's say I don't support him but I did not cheer when he was harpooned by Webbo. Little reward for all his efforts. Lewis without his dad and his P ussycat doll seems a bit unsettled, doesn't he ? *** I hope it'll rain in Malaysia but please no monsoon floods like last year ! Anyway, they were very 'lucky' (or not lucky depending where you stand) in Melbourne to not have more showers during the race...I did take that capture about 10 laps from the end (thanks to the guy who gave me the Melbourne radar link BTW). Hopefully, I'll find one for Sepang.
He seems to be driving a bit desperate. I guess I missed the background on his dad. Is he no longer allowed around the team or something?
Westbury does suck goat balls. Apparently, he's just filling in for someone who's dealing with family issues. I don't know if the new guy will be in Malaysia or not. Windsor is apparently doing TV work somewhere, but I have no idea where.
I really miss him on the track level. He knew what he was talking about and the PTBs seemed genuinely happy to talk with him. You can tell that the drivers, engineers, and owners couldn't give two shits about Westbury. He just comes off as an unknowing cockmunch.
Holy shit! [ame="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcyton_gp-china-2010-fp1-buemi1_sport"]Dailymotion - GP.CHINA.2010.FP1.BUEMI1 - wideo z kana?u Sport i ekstremalne@@AMEPARAM@@http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/video@@AMEPARAM@@video[/ame]
I couldn't get yours to work. This one isn't as good, but it at least shows it. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJBB3tAzve0"]YouTube- Buemi Crash FP1 Chinese GP 2010[/ame]
The imbed must not being working, but you can't click the link in the box title and it'll take you directly to the video at DailyMotion.
Simulation : [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuWAD7LPfJQ&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- F1-action.net: Un tour de Shanghaï avec Sébastien Buemi[/ame] Reality... Buemi was fortunate that all ended nicely, as were the cameraman whose device got hit and the few spectators also as the crazy tires bumped over the crest ! PS : A tire launching button must be one of Bernie's silliest ideas to spice up GPs...
Shanghai qualifying result: Code: Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:36.317 1:35.280 1:34.558 2. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:35.978 1:35.100 1:34.806 3. Alonso Ferrari 1:35.987 1:35.235 1:34.913 4. Rosberg Mercedes 1:35.952 1:35.134 1:34.923 5. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:36.122 1:35.443 1:34.979 6. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:35.641 1:34.928 1:35.034 7. Massa Ferrari 1:36.076 1:35.290 1:35.180 8. Kubica Renault 1:36.348 1:35.550 1:35.364 9. Schumacher Mercedes 1:36.484 1:35.715 1:35.646 10. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:36.671 1:35.665 1:35.963 11. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:36.664 1:35.748 12. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:36.618 1:36.047 13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:36.793 1:36.149 14. Petrov Renault 1:37.031 1:36.311 15. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:37.044 1:36.422 16. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:37.049 1:36.647 17. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:37.050 1:37.020 18. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:37.161 19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:39.278 20. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:39.399 21. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:39.520 22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:39.783 23. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:40.469 24. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:40.578 Some points: 1) McLaren has been the big favorite on this course with advantage at high speeds and the long straights in China. But it looks as if they are still quite a bit behind Red Bull and only on par with Mercedes and Ferrari. It'll be interesting to see how they do in the race, as Ferrari is usually doing better during the race than during qualifying. But the higher speed might give them the opportunity to pass others after those long straights. 2) Schumacher farther behind Rosberg than ever. Apparently he tried the new F-Duct ready rear wing, while Rosberg used the old one. Seems to be prety difficult to implement the F-Duct to a car that wasn't designed for it. Sauber has played with it at the last race and didn't get very far with it either. 3) Button once more quicker than Hamilton. I'm really surprised about that. I would have thought that Hamilton would wipe the floor with Button's ass. 4) And a big nod to Sutil. I think he deserves some props. He has made it to the last 10 every time so far. He really is a great driver. Another positive surprise this season is Alguersuari (and to a degree Barichello).
Final result: Code: Pos Driver Team Time 1. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1h44:42.163 2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 1.530 3. Rosberg Mercedes + 9.484 4. Alonso Ferrari + 11.869 5. Kubica Renault + 22.213 6. Vettel Red Bull-Renault + 33.310 7. Petrov Renault + 47.600 8. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 52.172 9. Massa Ferrari + 57.796 10. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:01.749 11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:02.874 12. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth + 1:03.665 13. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1:11.416 14. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth + 1 lap 15. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth + 1 lap 16. Senna HRT-Cosworth + 2 laps 17. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth + 4 laps Some thoughts: 1) McLaren did deliver. They were well ahead of anybody else today. Their speed advantage was key on this high speed course. Given their somewhat disappointing qualifying, maybe they did gamble a bit and went for a rain set-up? 2) Mercedes is probably still the #4 team, but at least Nico is very consistent. He's on the second place overall now, only 10 points behind Button. That's extremely good considering his car and with a major update being ready for Barcelona, I see him as another contender for the world championship. 3) A very bad race for Red Bull, but I still see them ahead. On this course McLaren was superior, but overall they're still #1. They made some unfortunate decisions today, but they'll be back. 4) Renault doing very well. I guess nobody would have suspected them to be so strong. Before the season, I'd have put them on 8th place among all the teams (behind Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso), but they're 5th now and very close to the top 4. 5) A very dodgy second safety car today. I can't help but suspect that the FIA wanted to make the race more interesting by bringing the field back together. Seemed to be rather unfair to me. 6) Yet another Ferrari engine went up in flames today (De La Rosa's). The engine might be Ferrari's biggest problem this year and could prevent them from winning the title. 7) Hamilton is probably the most aggressive driver. It's nice to watch, but the new rules don't help him as he needs more rubber. This is probably also why Renault is doing so well, their car seems to be rather mild on the tires. Anyway, I think that Hamilton's collision with Webber was also quite suspect. There should at least have been an investigation as he was very optimistic going into that corner.
I was ready to tell you "I told you so", specially after his crash during Friday's morning practice... But he was impressive yesterday. Not only he finished in the points, his driving was solid and he held his own against more experienced pilots. He still made a couple of goof offs, but it seems like he is finally comming together... Sorry Vitaly, I'll be more patient with you... I am very surprised by Nico, I was expecting him to be in positions 6 to 10 most of the time, but it seems like he is the most consistent driver out there, and althouth I knew Schumi was not going to be his old self, I did not expect Rosberg to outperform him. Kubica is another great story, he is second only to Rosberg in consistency and Renault as I said before, has a knack for putting together nice cars even if they don't have a dominant engine. If Petrov lives up to be a top 10 driver, Renault could be second or third in the constructors championship!!! That's my feeling too... They have the best package and two of the top 6-7 drivers in the circuit.. They should dominate more often than not and yesterday was just an anomaly... The problem with FIA is that they have made so many iffy decisions in the past, that even when they are not trying to come up with something fishy, it looks like they are... I was also kind of surprised by the second Safety, but from what I undrstood it had something to do with the waterflow in certain areas of the track, since the slopes are very marked in some sections... Hamilton and Webber are developing a very hostile relationship on track and to be honest with you I feel that so far FIA has been very permissive with the Britton... They need to do something before it really gets uggly...