Grand Prix 2011 Canadian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Thought this might be useful if you wanted to sing along to the Canadian National Anthem before the start of the race.

Anyway, on to the Grand Prix, after all that’s what we’re here for. Last year Bridgestone provided tyres, which didn’t like the surface at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve too much, and the powers that be in F1 thought “ah, ha here’s an idea to spice up the racing. Why don’t we ask those blokes at Pirelli if they can make sets of boots for F1 cars that fall apart on the warm up lap”, and they did.

In 2010 Hamilton put his car on pole (you may recall him pushing his car back to the pits, so light was it on fuel) and then went on to win an exciting race with teammate Jenson Button standing on the 2nd step.

So what for Canada 2011? Red Bull, at least car No.1, has been a tad difficult to beat but McLaren and Ferrari are getting closer during the race. With 5 wins out of 6 races Vettel has a healthy lead in the Championship and some bookmakers are already paying out on the title being his. Vettel was 3rd on the grid last year, behind teammate Webber, and finished 4th with unspecified gearbox problems, still ahead of Webber who had led for many laps but got caught out by the high tyre wear rate.

Fernando Alonso was 3rd last time out in Canada after getting mugged by a hard charging Jenson Button. Mercedes had a mixed race, Rosberg was “best of the rest” behind the McLaren’s, Alonso’s Ferrari and the Red Bull’s whilst Michael Schumacher treated the race like a destruction derby, straight lining chicanes and bouncing off other cars with gay abandon. What of Felipe Massa I hear you ask; well, he was one of Schumacher’s victims and lost time pitting for a new nose cone.

This is very nearly the last Hurrah for the exhaust blown diffuser and we have two, yes 2, DRS zones. So expect cars breezing past another before and after the pits, when they’re not in their getting new tyres of course.

Will it be another Red Bull walk over or can the McLaren’s and Ferrari’s tame the charging Bull? How will the Pirelli tyres hold up dusty and bumpy Ille Notre-Dame Circuit? Will it rain? Who will win? Can one of the minor teams struggle up into the points? I don’t know but I get the feeling there will be lots of speculation.

And we have our own track side reporter this year - take a bow Ray in Toronto and make sure you post some good photos

For Galahad’s excellent circuit write up, track history and all the stats a boy or girl could want click here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/circuit-gilles-villeneuve/
 
Ok - caught up on the race now after a wet weekend in Bognor and have to say I was left breathless(by the GP not the weekend in Bognor).

Never in my life did I ever think I'd be shouting at the TV screen cheering for Schumi but hey it happened. Hated the safety cars but stopped moaning when we saw all the action. Not going to get involved in the Button/Hamilton/Alonso/Webber debate because I have to say after watching them all loads of time I really genuinally don't know - I really don't - I could argue everyones cornor. I know it was entertaining to watch though.

I really thought Vettel was going to get away with it in the end but he cracked for the first time this season. I think he was so gutted at the end because he was pacing himself - with Schumacher and Webber as a buffer I don't think he expected to be attacked so was just maintaining the gap when Button was suddenly there he realised he needed to pick up his pace and paniced - but each driver lives and learns and I'm sure Vettel will learn.

Pleased for Jenson because I thought he was unlucky in Monoco and has put in some stella drives this year and I always like a driver who you can genuinally tell is absolutely over the moon to win a GP.

As for postings and rumblings on CTA - whether you're delighted with the result, annoyed about your fave driver being taken out or just effed off with DRS, KERS, The FIA, The way wet races are handled or even Rhianna hanging around the pit lane - this is F1 - this is why we watch it - for the unpredictability and the emotions, for the fact that it has you shouting at your TV screen and churning over the woulda shoulda coulda's in your head after. We all come the CTA so we can voice what we think and hear what other think too and there are people on this forum who's opinions differ wildely from mine (cough*RAY*cough) and sometimes getting me spitting mad at their logic but I love reading what they put as it would be boring if everyone just said the same thing and didn't make you rethink things. Hell Evil Whippet has (nearly) made me take a liking to Quick Nick of late!

The race we just had was amazing entertainment and whether it went your way or not be safe in the knowledge that another day not so far away the reverse will happen and you'll be the one dancing on the ceiling. Thats F1, thats why we love it and although we all try, no one and i mean no one, can predict whats going to happen next.

(apart from me of course I said I had a feeling Jenson was going to win ;))
 

Kubica and Schumacher 2010 exactly the same and both took penalties, though it was latter said that Schumacher did nothing wrong sticking to the racing line. Kubica rode him off the track, the instances are vastly similar.

Funnily enough, that video shows at no point was Kubica ahead, Button was definitely ahead of Alonso, so your point fall down at the first hurdle.
 
Rasputin, I couldn't have put it better myself...
When it was running that was a fantastically involving race that even had my wife shouting at the screen; and I do think the best man won. Button has been charging and agressive the last few races (against earlier charges that he's cruising and only plays the percentage game) and could have done this at Monaco. Many of us love Hamilton and Koby for driving exactly as Button did yesterday... give praise where it is due if that is what you really admire.

What are people complaining about?
We had overtaking.
We had wheel to wheel combat.
We had some superb demonstrations of driver skill.
We had no serious injuries.
Considering the weather we didn't even have many DNF's.
... and apart from the SC starts I think that the scrutineering team got it preety much right.
 
What are people complaining about?

I agree, really there's nothing to be complaining about, except the amount of safety cars, but tbh I think the stewards got it more or less right.
Last race everyone was complaining that drivers weren't allowed to race anymore; yesterday they were allowed to race and now you guys are complaining about the lack of penalties! Make up your mind, really.

Btw, I think Button should get angry more often - he was awesome after the clash with Hamilton!
 
Btw, I think Button should get angry more often - he was awesome after the clash with Hamilton!
Just what my wife was saying... she's a Lewis fan because he goes for it and is frustrated that Button seems to play it safe too often: well he didn't yesterday:D
It's too easy to forget that Button is a blinding racer when he gets the pig in him and he has been for a good chunk of this season.
 
Funnily enough, that video shows at no point was Kubica ahead, Button was definitely ahead of Alonso, so your point fall down at the first hurdle.

It looks pretty relative enough, after all if Button was ahead he would not have hit Alonso, by virtue of clocking his 5 o'clock is indicative of him not being ahead when it mattered most.
 
Still debating this? It was a racing incident, both were at fault.

Alonso should he really went round the outside? Button looked as if it was a half-hearted move then went for it...
 
@Rasputin

I appreciate and agree with many of the points you make in your post. But I can't help thinking that you experienced the race in a different manner than most of the people on here, and around the world for that matter. Having missed one race Live last year, Monza, I watched that GP with a completely different frame of mind, somewhat disconnected from the actual event and my fellow fans that follow this spectacle so closely.

When you had Brundle on the grid talking to Fittipaldi (Honorary Steward) about how the track was looking good, pleading with Maylander for a proper race start, and the complete lack of precipitation in the air, the GP was immediately marred when the SC led them away for the actual start to the motor race. And then a potential race winning car gets taken out. Strike 2. By the time we got to the 2 hr red flag, you can understand why some people won't see this sequence in the same way as someone who may view this race 1 day, 1 year, or 3 decades from now.

When I get around to watching Onboard footage today, I'll enjoy it almost as much as any other race I go through, because I've already dealt with the outcome. The last thing I wanted to do yesterday during that red flag period was start work on an overtaking video. The entire day was nearly a washout until the Montreal skies opened up long enough for a short sprint race to take place, with the result ending up quite satisfactorily in my opinion. Button's win made the race a classic. The championship battle may live on for another race or two now. On to Valencia!
 
Well, having not being able to log i for a few days I couldn't comment on the race yesterday.

I was out of breath by the end of that! How awesome was it?! For good measure I watched it again just like I did for last years
's Montreal race (minus the 2 hour interval of course ;)).

Plus it was finally good to see a different winner for a change! Not got much to add on what has already been said tbh

10/10
 
I hope the FIA take a look at the circumstances when the SC is deployed, the only (rain) decision they got right was the red flag, even than, the race should have restarted at least half an hour before it did. I hope Charlie Whiting looks at himself, he very nearly ruined a brilliant race.
 
Oh and I forgot to add that I still think Mclaren were wrong to go with a wetter setup - it was an uncertain gamble that, luckily for them this time, paid off (at least for Jense).
 
Considering the weather we didn't even have many DNF's.

... and apart from the SC starts I think that the scrutineering team got it preety much right.

There's a contradiction here. These are the best drivers in the world, they should be allowed to start the race in a proper fashion. A terrible precedent has apparently been set, if the track has any moisture on it, Maylander leads lap 1.
 
@ Keke

You are probably right about being disconnected from the race by not watching it live - I have to do that sometimes due to life stuff and it does always feel not quite as good as watching it live even if I'm only watching a few hours after with no idea of a result - and I take your point about the safety car starts - I would have been spitting a lot more feathers had I been watching it live - I do think the red flag was the right decision though.

I think my main point of my post wasn't aimed at the situation with the rain etc but at those he seemed to be falling out of the race because of what had happened to certain drivers they were following - I guess it was a long way of saying its all swings and roundabouts and without the depression of the lows you wouldn't get the sweet feeling of the highs.

By the way - did anyone spot Ray?
 
There's a contradiction here. These are the best drivers in the world, they should be allowed to start the race in a proper fashion. A terrible precedent has apparently been set, if the track has any moisture on it, Maylander leads lap 1.
I didn't mean it to be a contradiction... I too wanted proper starts and felt the safety cars weren't needed on those occasions. I do wonder if maybe there was concern that the drivers wouldn't assess the risks and just floor it with full KERS hoping for the best; the wrong though in my opinion because, as you say, these are the best drivers in the world and intelligent with it.

When I referred to the lack of DNF's it was in relating to the weather conditions when the race was running. In the past we've seen far more drivers coming a cropper on damp / greasy tracks than we saw yesterday.
 
@ Keke

You are probably right about being disconnected from the race by not watching it live - I have to do that sometimes due to life stuff and it does always feel not quite as good as watching it live even if I'm only watching a few hours after with no idea of a result - and I take your point about the safety car starts - I would have been spitting a lot more feathers had I been watching it live - I do think the red flag was the right decision though.

I think my main point of my post wasn't aimed at the situation with the rain etc but at those he seemed to be falling out of the race because of what had happened to certain drivers they were following - I guess it was a long way of saying its all swings and roundabouts and without the depression of the lows you wouldn't get the sweet feeling of the highs.

Well said. :thumbsup:

I can certainly say I went through a range of emotions yesterday. I'm sure I will remember this GP weekend for a long time, for good reasons and bad.
 
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