Grand Prix 2012 Indian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

With the championship nearing the climax, the F1 circus rolls into INDIA for the best race of the season! With Sebastian Vettel winning in Korea to make it three wins on the spin it seems highly likely that he will make it three consecutive titles after taking the lead of the championship from Fernando Alonso in the less competitive Ferrari but he took third in Korea to show that he wasn't giving up.

Korea saw the end of Lewis Hamilton's title chances after a dismal race where everything that could go wrong did go wrong and he ended up with half of the astroturf hanging off the car as he just about held onto 10th place from Sergio Perez. Korea was a less than spectacular race with the top 4 not racing at all with strict team orders in place to maintain formation in terms of the team mates as Alonso couldnt catch Webber so there was no overtaking at the front after the first few laps.

India is another Tilke track and while in theory it promises exciting racing, in 2011 it was the scene of one of the most dominant performances by Vettel as he completely destroyed the opposition and winning by a country mile. It seems that now Red Bull have managed to recapture their 2011 form with the double DNF at Monza being a watershed moment as Vettel has won every race since then. In contrast Monza was seen to be where Hamilton launched his title bid as he went into Singapore closing on Alonso in a faster car. But just 11 points in the next three races has wrecked this and his title hopes are now over.

Despite still being yet to win a Grand Prix yet this year, Kimi Raikkonen lies in third in the Championship with half a chance of landing the championship although it is plainly obvious that it will be impossible for Kimi to catch Alonso and Vettel without winning probably at least 2 of the remaining races, and while Lotus is quick enough for solid points, Kimi is still falling short of the podium and this, along with Red Bulls resurgence means that it's really a 2 horse race with Vettel and Alonso.

Alonso has now not won since Germany and his once formidable 40 point lead has been completely wiped out and he's now second in the championship, this won't have been helped by DNF's in Belgium and Japan, races where Vettel took 43 points and that's where the gap was reduced and while i don't think these incidents will have cost him the title, it will have made it a helluva lot more difficult, particularly with the pace of the Red Bull. Now, it's a case of whoever finishes ahead of each other the most times between now and Brazil, at the moment I would say Vettel is the clear favourite unless the Red Bull's reliability gremlins return.

Write up of the best circuit on the calendar and we are all really privileged to have a Grand Prix there - http://cliptheapex.com/pages/buddh-international-circuit/
 
Why can't they just have a rule of one wheel within the white lines at all times, no exceptions. It would make these things a 10 second decision and as long as the steward wasn't blind (literally :D) the right decision would be made.
 
It seems that the rule about not crossing the line marking the edge of the circuit works differently at each venue. At this one it appears to be totally ignored whilst at Hockenheim it cost Vettel second place. My answer is still the same, do away with the kerbs altogether.
 
But the rule is there, it is just not applied consistently. Grass is a very good rule enforcer, much better than stewards and with far less bias.
 
Webber will get another rubbish start and allow Vettel to shoot off into the distance. Ergo top 5 by the end of the first lap;


1. Vettel

long-road-ahead.jpg


2. Webber

3. Lewis

4. Alonso

5. Button
 
The Ferrari is a great starter and I can see Alonso being in third by the the second corner, maybe second if Webber lives up to his quite frankly useless starting record...
 
Re: those onboard shots of Vettel.

The kerbs as far as I know are considered as part of the actual track so I don't it would be right from those pics to say Vettel had all four wheels off the track, since he seems to have at least one wheel on the kerbs on each of those pics. In fact it could be judged to be brilliant use of all legal parts of the track.
 
i have just checked on the little rule book and it seems you are correct.
I remember a few races ago either Brundle or Coulthard (can't remember which one of the two) distinctly saying kerbs were very much an integral part of the track's limits. Maybe whoever said it didn't quite do their homework.
 
Riding the kerbs with two wheels is quite different to taking a short cut or running wide outside of the track limits to corner at a higher speed than would otherwise be possible when trying to stay within them. The rule in place is already simple. Exceeding track limits is defined as having all four wheels outside of the white line. What is so difficult to understand about that?

What is difficult to undestand is why Charlie and his chums seem to be so flexible and inconsistent in the policing of such a simple rule. It's often said that F1 is the pinnacle of motorsport. It's a pity that statement can't be applied to the governing body and its stewardship.
 
Brogan is quite correct as usual. I thought it might be helpful to reproduce the actual regulation on track limits, which makes interesting reading:
20.2 Drivers must use the track at all times. For the avoidance of doubt the white lines defining the
track edges are considered to be part of the track but the kerbs are not.

A driver will be judged to have left the track if no part of the car remains in contact with the
track.

Should a car leave the track the driver may rejoin, however, this may only be done when it is
safe to do so and without gaining any advantage.

A driver may not deliberately leave the track without justifiable reason.
 
Why can't they just have a rule of one wheel within the white lines at all times, no exceptions. It would make these things a 10 second decision and as long as the steward wasn't blind (literally :D) the right decision would be made.
They do (other than when no advantage is gained), see above; they just don't enforce it.

Too often, when a car is on its own on the track and doesn't gain a visible advantage i.e. gaining, or avoiding losing, a place to another car by leaving the track, it's ignored. In the BTCC they introduced a system of warning flags to drivers who leave the track limits, which turns into a penalty if the offence is repeated too many times in the same event. That might also work in F1, but I favour Bill Boddy's idea of just having grass outside the white line. Or put in proper kerbs, something like this:

trief_01.jpg
 
Was going to say the same thing,Vettel leaves a vapor trail and those watching the GP from 9:30 this morning wish they could us x6, x12 or even x30 fast forward on their Sky remote to get the inevitable done with....
Webber will get another rubbish start and allow Vettel to shoot off into the distance. Ergo top 5 by the end of the first lap;

1. Vettel
long-road-ahead.jpg


2. Webber
3. Lewis
4. Alonso
5. Button
 
I wonder if they've practised that, or whether they had to communicate the plan over the radio (take wheel off, give it to guy on right etc.). Either way it was very impressive!
 
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