Grand Prix 2013 Indian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Here's CTA's discussion thread on the Indian GP, as F1 travels to New Delhi from October 25-27:

WDC:

Despite the best efforts of Webber and RoGro, Vettel needs only a fifth place finish to secure his 4th title, which means its all over in the WDC. But the drivers down the grid have more than pride at stake.

Alonso's lack of performance over the last 2 races, better pace from Hamilton and Kimi and the lack of any bad luck for Webber means that the 2nd to 5th positions in the WDC are yet to be settled. And good performances (or the lack of it) from several drivers (Hulkenberg, Massa, Sutil, Di Resta to name a few) could still determine where (and if) they are driving next season.

WCC:

RBR may be on the verge of winning the WCC, but only 33 points separate 2nd placed Ferrari from 4th placed Lotus, and the battle for 2nd position (very important from a monetary standpoint) is poised to go down to the last couple of races. Sauber and McLaren may have secured their respective positions from their rivals, but can McLaren get that elusive podium to avoid the record books from being rewritten.

Circuit and Race:

Despite having an interesting track layout, with each and every lap of the Indian GP being led by Vettel to date, its no wonder that the past races don't trigger too many memories. And with race not being held next year, a good race and crowd support will be essential for the race to return in 2015.

But throw in some encouraging signs from the Japanese GP (atleast Vettel didn't win it in Lap 1) and the tyre degradation battles in the last 2 races (tracks similar in nature to the BIC) and who knows, we could have an interesting Indian GP. But one things for sure, it will be a pleasant surprise if we dont see that finger....

 

[Mephistopheles]

Yes GeoffP Alonsos race was ruined and finished any chance however slim of him winning the WDC and the price he paid was greater but my question only referred to Button.

Your not a politician are you? Because getting a simple answer to a simple question from you is proving to be extremely difficult..

Just kidding...

 

[Il_leone]

http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12473/8994408

Now lets see what happens if they qualify next to each other next week

The team is still after 2nd place in the constructors but it seems Kimi is already thinking about driving in red

 

[Il_leone]

Di Resta 's points sneaks him back ahead of Hulkenberg but looming behind them is Perez after his 5th place and you'd think the pace of Mclaren today will mean he should beat them both in the standings

 

[Mephistopheles]

I have to agree the McLaren looked really sorted this weekend but to little too late.

 

[Mephistopheles]

It seems team orders have reached a whole new level:

Forget "Save your tyres." Forget "Save fuel." Forget "FIFTY" you can even forget "Multi 21." Now it is simple and crystal clear to all, the new team order is "Get out of the ****ing way."

 

[RasputinLives]

I think when you've just nearly speared your team mate and pushed him off the track you prob deserve a bitbof a shouting at.

He seemed to put up very little fight with Rosberg and Massa but go all guns out with Grosjean that speaks volumes.

 

[RasputinLives]

Oh and lets remember thebteam have given a couple of KIFTY orders to Grosjean in the past which he has dutifully followed.

 

[pirateplunder]

I've watched the incidents again a couple of times this morning. Where Grosjean went off was the first point they came close enough to pass and to be honest Grosjean picked a stupid place to pass given the circumstances. If the pass wasn't complete before turn 4 he shouldn't have tried to make it through turn 4, instead sat behind kimi, turned tighter and done it on the exit. Sure, Kimi could have backed out before turn 4 but there's not a huge fault there and in fairness to not make the pass on that straight means he must have come from a very long way behind.

Given the circumstances for Grosjean to try to overtake on the outside of turn 4 against someone with shot tyres who was about 2 seconds a lap slower is stupid beyond belief.

After that incident he let Kimi get ahead and couldn't pass before turn 5 and then Kimi moved over at the exit to 15. That sounds a lot but other than possibly between 14 and 15 its about the first sensible place to do it once you're into turn 5.

I'm not a massive fan of Kimi's - often I find his attitude to be just rude rather than cool but if it wasn't for the incredibly bad feeling towards him from the team this story would have a very less unbalanced narrative.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

I agree pirateplunder. I haven't re-watched it but my feeling at the time was that Grosjean was taking an unnecessary risk.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Mephistopheles you said "Alonso slammed into the side of Buttons car" which sort of sounds like it was Alonso's fault. What you should have said was "Button moved too far towards the apex resulting in a collision with Alonso who had nowhere to go due to the Toro Rosso beside him ; it was a racing incident which ruined....".

I'm being picky today, chasing the paper box around the street at quarter to seven this morning was not a good start.

 

[FB]

You should make the box out of something heavier than paper Bill Boddy

Sorry

 

[Fenderman]

I wish I had posted my predictions on Saturday and put some money on them down the betting shop. I would have sparked a shit storm on CTA but I would now be saying "I told you so" and would be somewhat better off financially than I am.

Right now I'm tempted to score somewhat low. This is what I what expected to come to pass.

Tyres - Duff softs will mean early pit stops and dodgy strategies. Only Red Bull and Lotus will really benefit.

DRS - Stupidly long DRS zones guarantee sitting duck overtakes. Red Bull will fly past the rest with ease regardless of their strategy. Finishing order will reflect the order of car superiority since any car even marginally better than another will move up the order regardless of who is at the wheel. Only the following will upset this prophecy: 1) team-mates messing each other up or taking one or other out; or 2) start and 1st lap lap incidents knock off front wings or puncture the wimpy boots.

SV - the usual. If he's in the lead at turn two he's gone. Even an early stop won't hurt because traditionally no-one interferes with the title contenders when they need to attend to their own race. 4x WDC by turn 3 regardless of whatever else happens since he can lead most of the race and will never be at risk during any maneouvre.
MW - podium or mysterious DNF

NR - should at least be able to retain a podium position. Usually when NR has out-performed LH in qualy' LH goes backwards a couple of places or gets totally screwed in some kind of incident.

Alonso - May have to overdrive or take risks. Will either screw his own race or someone will screw it for him.
Massa - Usually when he out-performs Alonso in qualy' he puts in a steady drive and scores points or becomes invisible

Kimi - Storming drive from low grid position to score some useful points
Rogro - If he keeps out of trouble at the start he will surprise people by seeming to not have SAD (Spatial Awareness Deficit) anymore Regardless, that will be an illusion because long DRS zones should mean he can stay out of trouble being passed and passing.

JB - Anonymous race but will fare worse than SP due to having wasted time and effort with 2014 "set up" experiments
SP - Anonymous but will mysteriously score a couple of points. Will be hailed as genius if he gets better than 8th which will be possible if MW has mysterious DNF and/or Alonso's frantic charge ends in disaster, LH's problem's magnify or one or more of the chaps doing very long stints on the harder compound come unstuck when using the sponges at the end means they hit the cliff and slide back down the field faster than a kid on a seaside water slide.

The rest - I didn't think about them.

Final prediction - I will be asleep shortly after the first round of pit stops and will wake up for the last ten or fifteen minutes.

I am currently watching race on Iplayer to work out exactly which predictions were completely accurate or otherwise. However, The ones I would have put money on (were I a gambling man) were pretty damn close. Couple opf notes from BBC Build up show (which I missed completely) - RB correctly predicts SV victory. GA predicts MW victory failing to take into account ludicrously extended DR zones and assuming the SV would have to fight his way through traffic.

They're now on the warm up lap so final judgement and score to follow in a couple of hours ...