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/
 
Well they all could be blamed but none should, I'm more bothered about who starts where cuz it should be schumi P7 not kamui
Well according to the BBC website results table, Schumacher is in 7th and Kobayashi 10th, based on their Q2 times. Neither set a time in Q3, and it makes no difference how many sectors you complete unless you complete all three, in which case by definition you have completed a lap and therefore set a time.

So Kobayashi could only end up 7th on the grid if Schumacher and the two Renault drivers ahead of him received penalties and I can't see any reason why they would (except Schumacher of course).
 
Well according to the BBC website results table, Schumacher is in 7th and Kobayashi 10th, based on their Q2 times. Neither set a time in Q3, and it makes no difference how many sectors you complete unless you complete all three, in which case by definition you have completed a lap and therefore set a time.

So Kobayashi could only end up 7th on the grid if Schumacher and the two Renault drivers ahead of him received penalties and I can't see any reason why they would (except Schumacher of course).

So why do they all go on about going out on the hard tyre to cover all the non-runners?
 
So that's why Schumacher wanted to beat the chequered flag at all costs, even running through the gravel and dirtying his tyres.
He had no intention of completing the lap, but just wanted to start one to fend of Kobayashi.
 
Well that puts a dampner on my day but Schumi should start on the primes as should Nico

Hmmm should Nico?

If, as all teams are saying this circuit will be very hard on tyres, then shouldn't he start on the primes as the Merc will be faster than the cars around him, he could probably make up a fair few places before the first round of stops, then the has the option of options (see what I did there!) later on in the race when everyone else is on primes.
 
Hamilton, Schumacher and Webber all stuffed up by not leaving enough time. Having said that, if Lewis hadn't backed them all up after 130R they could all have made it through. All would have had compromised laps, but there is no God-given right to a 3 second gap to the car in front, as Lewis was trying to do. Hamilton should have got on with it, so I'm not surprised Webber and Schumacher did what they did. Schumacher lost out the most by not getting the lap in as he drops behind Kobayashi. As for Schumacher getting a penalty - that's ridiculous. He wasn't the one dawdling and trying to make a gap, compromising those behind him.
 
Hamilton, Schumacher and Webber all stuffed up by not leaving enough time. Having said that, if Lewis hadn't backed them all up after 130R they could all have made it through. All would have had compromised laps, but there is no God-given right to a 3 second gap to the car in front, as Lewis was trying to do. Hamilton should have got on with it, so I'm not surprised Webber and Schumacher did what they did. Schumacher lost out the most by not getting the lap in as he drops behind Kobayashi. As for Schumacher getting a penalty - that's ridiculous. He wasn't the one dawdling and trying to make a gap, compromising those behind him.

They were all late to the party. Webber elbowed Hamilton in the face to get through the door which is fair enough. Schumacher smashed the window and climbed through it. Come to my party and do that and you'll go out the same way you came in.
 
He wasn't the one dawdling and trying to make a gap, compromising those behind him.

Although it was only last race when plenty were sticking up for Massa when Hamilton felt he was being held up in Quali by him. Swings and roundabouts. If Massa was entitled to hold his ground in Singapore then the same applies to Hamilton here, 'dawdling' or not.
 
Although it was only last race when plenty were sticking up for Massa when Hamilton felt he was being held up in Quali by him. Swings and roundabouts. If Massa was entitled to hold his ground in Singapore then the same applies to Hamilton here, 'dawdling' or not.

Webber Suzuka = Hamilton Singapore (no double standards there)

Schumacher Suzuka = errrrrrr (nope, the two don't equate)
 
Although it was only last race when plenty were sticking up for Massa when Hamilton felt he was being held up in Quali by him. Swings and roundabouts. If Massa was entitled to hold his ground in Singapore then the same applies to Hamilton here, 'dawdling' or not.

Except in Singapore Lewis was trying to get track position, which Massa didn't want him to have. At Suzuka he prevented someone getting a flying lap by backing them up.
 
I thought massa was at fault at singapore quali as the entire lap massa had been holding his ground, but why? HIs instalation lap was so much slower than hamiltons, why didn't he just let him get ahead and bug alonso instead. This one was more hamilton's fault although I suspect the team screwed up more.
 
Yes people, remember, the difference between Singapore where Massa was holding Hamilton up on his out lap and this instance with Hamilton holding Webber and Schumacher up is Hamilton was potentially stopping those two drivers being able to set a time and did so in Schumacher’s case, unintentionally of course but in Singapore it was just track position where Hamilton could have simply backed off and made room to Massa.
Webber and Schumacher didnt have that option, tho nobody deserves any penalty as it was nobodies fault but their own (or the teams) to when they chose to join the circuit and leave it till the very last moment. They all should have gone out 20 seconds earlier, there was no advantage to be on the very last second as opposed to 20 seconds earlier. It was a mistake/bad luck.
 
Well that was... interesting to say the least. Not really sure what Michael was thinking, he should at least have gotten a reprimand for that? Lewis did appear to be driving a bit slow and I'm not sure why the team didn't tell him to get a move on, I don't think he would have made it even if they didn't overtake him, would he?

I feel sorry for him, he could have gotten pole provided he didn't make any mistakes, he sounded as if he was going to cry when being interviewed. I really hope he's going to have a great race tomorrow.

Kobayashi did great though, getting his car into Q3! Definitely on for a good result tomorrow. I didn't get to see Perez after Q2, but if he really looks as bad as you guys say he does then I hope he will be feeling good enough to race and get a good result.

Also good to see Massa in front of Fernando, let's hope it stays that way tomorrow although I doubt it will.

Too bad for Nico, he looked pissed (understandably). It will be interesting to see what he can do from all the way back there. Remember, he doesn't have any used tires so he'll be having a fun race hopefully. Definitely keeping an eye on him.

Anyway, I think we'll be having a great race tomorrow. Can't wait.
 
I don't think he would have made it even if they didn't overtake him, would he?
Quoted for truth.

Everyone seems to have overlooked that small detail.
Unless he was on the gearbox of the car in front, he was never going to make it, and neither would Webber and Schumacher, even if they had been line astern.
 
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