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

The championship is still alive!!!!!!!!!!! Okay that may be a bit over optomistic

Despite another crushing win by Vettel in Singapore, Buttons valiant second place ensures that the championship mathematically remains possible for the experienced Britain, but for him to take his second world title he requires Vettel to not finish in all the remain races and Button to win every race and to be honest there is as much chance of me winning the lottery.

Indeed, Button has had a strong 2011 and this would be more highlighted if it wasnt for the sheer dominance of Vettel who has taken a podium in every race apart from Germany. He has outperformed his beleagured team mate Hamilton who is under severe pressure from the media after another incident, this time with Massa who didn't take kindly to it and made his feelings clear after the race.

But at Ferrari they seem to be going through the motions after a great win at Silverstone, Alonso has strong drives without challenging and Massa is regularly in the middle of the points without ever challenging the podium, surely he'll be on the way out soon as he's not performing at a level that Ferrari require him to be if they want to be serious Constructors Champions in the future.

Big news at Mercedes as Aldo Costa and Geoff Willis have joined the team, with the team struggling (in comparison) since their return to the sport in 2010, these two signings might just get them back at the front in the near future and might convince Schumacher to extend his contract, Singapore aside, Schumacher's performances have been a lot better this season and at the very least he has matched Rosberg and perhaps there is still life in the old dog yet and the podium might not be too far away.

Japan has become famous for title deciders with Prost/Senna being the most memorable with the crashes at the final chicane and turn 1 being some of the most controversial in the sport (particularly the latter after a dispute over the start position). The track is regarded as one of the best driver tracks on the calendar, second only to Spa and returned to the calendar in 2009 after Fuji pulled out of F1 due to financial problems after holding the grand prix in 2007 and 2008 where Hamilton and Alonso won respectively.

No doubt the championship will be won in Suzuka but you never know, stranger things have happened in F1, surely the reliability of the Red Bull can't hold out forever, can we hope?

For Galahads superb circuit write up see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/suzuka-international-racing-course/
 
Another stunning lap from Vettel "Yes baby, that's what I'm talking about" but what happened to Hamilton?
 
I can't even begin to express my disappointment. How on earth did they mess that up? Lewis, clearly the fastest man and he gets denied a shot at pole. Still, how did Webber and Schumacher jump Lewis?
 
DC mentioned he started out in front of Webber and Schumie from the pit lane but was behind them at the end of the lap. Have to put it down to cock up methinks.
 
Oh dear Mclaren! self-destruct button again. both of them should have been quicker than Vettel today. Didn't think I'd be saying that but certainly looks like it. Well done Seb though - think he was on the limit today.

Quick mention of the own goal Toro Rosso scored in Q2 - should have done that second run
 
Just seen the replay, not McLaren's fault (although they sent him out very late) Lewis got his timing wrong and Webber and Schumie gobbled him up at the chicane.
 
Hamilton was also told he needed to get a 4 second gap to Massa which he didn't seem to have. Looking forward to hearing from Lewis. What support from his team principal.
 
hmmm on the Lewis front - just didn't look like he knew how important it was to get a move on. Was that his fault or the teams? Red Bull and Merc obviously got the message out hence Schumie and Webber bombing it through the chicane.

Lewis doesn't look chuffed. I thought he'd get pole today
 
Hamilton had a small gap to the car ahead. Any closer and his lap would have been compromised.

Add this to the comedy of errors in 2011 for McLaren/Lewis.

edit - It looks like Button was still in the chicane
 
Shall we take bets for a Hamilton penalty for compromising Schumacher's qualifying? Thank goodness Schumacher was reasonable about it, can you imagine if that was a red car behind him!
 
Hamilton had a small gap to the car ahead. Any closer and his lap would have been compromised.

Add this to the comedy of errors in 2011 for McLaren/Lewis.

That's what I wanted to see, the gap to the car in front. This was a message from the pit wall to him before he went out...

" If you catch a car before then, it will hurt you. You need at least a 4s gap to the car in front."
 
So if he needed the 4 seconds to the car in front, and that car in front was Jenson, who should have been getting the hurry up???

I would have thought that was Lewis fault had I not seen that message that is still on full view on McLaren.com.
 
Looks like Macca were paranoid about Lewis being anywhere near Massa. I can imagine in the cock-pit the radio messages would have been somewhat confusing. Whitmarsh said "we told him he needed more space" and then he's said "we told him not to let anyone past" and he also said "we told him not to back anyone up". If that's a reflection of the radio messages that would have been somewhat disconcerting for Lewis. They should have shut up and let him get on with it. Eddie somehow hasn't heard what what Whitmarsh just told us so he's talking crap, I'm afraid.

Edit: and WTF were they thinking of sending him out so late? No way is Vettel going to lose the championship so how come the faster driver gets sent out second? I seem to recall (from the Alonso/Hamilton team-mate days) that Macca's policy used to be the opposite.
 
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