Grand Prix 2010 Singapore Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

If there's one thing I will happily admit now, I haven't got a clue who will win this race. In the past I've attempted to look at the recent form of the various teams and try and match that with the suitability of the car to the circuit and from there make my predictions. Most of those have been wrong I grant you however this time I feel they would be even more wrong than usual.

If there is one thing I am prepared to bet this season the eventual winner of the drivers crown will have done so as much because his rivals have blown their own chances as he has in scoring the most points. In a season this tight with currently six drivers in with a chance of the title on both a mathematical basis and more crucially on performance of their cars I don't think there has been as potentially a tight a finish to a season for a long time.

I think it's clear that barring a huge pile up or a mass batch of mistakes the eventual winner will come from RBR, McLaren or Ferrari but the question is, which team will turn up on the day? Which driver will make the least mistakes and who will have luck on their side?

From outside the top three teams there are a batch of contenders waiting to pick up where the others leave off. Mercedes has a driver who knows how to perform at this track while Renault, Williams, Force India and Sauber will all think they are in with a shout.

Towards the back of the field, sadly for Red Bulls Italian brother it seems to be more about making up the numbers from here on in and not having to suffer the ignominy of being the first established team to be overtaken in qualifying (in outright pace) by one of the three new guys.

As for the three new teams themselves, the battle for 10th place is becoming all the more important with the financial implications involved. Of the three, Lotus would realistically, although they would not want to, be the least harmed by not finishing in 10th hence the reason they are spending more time focusing on the 2011 car. Virgin have announced that they are bringing a further upgrade package to Singapore in order to push as hard as they can for that 10th place spot. Currently all that is required to pinch that is for one of the teams to get a driver into 12th spot at the chequered flag. Given the high retirement rate and potential for problems at this circuit that wouldn't seem as far off a prospect as it would be at other tracks with even HRT hoping their cars could make it to the line and allow them some much needed cash if they are to survive next year.

Finally, in terms of driver changes, Paul Di Resta will once again miss out on a Friday run as he did in Belgium to give the regular Force India line up more track time. Virgin will run the Belgian, Jerome D'Ambrosio in place of Lucas Di Grassi which I believe sees the first Belgian on an F1 track since Bertrand Gachot. Lastly it's a welcome back to Nick Heidfeld who replaces Pedro De la Rosa at Sauber.
 
Speshal said:
FB said:
A real man's solution to a visor problems in the rain...

Is it just me that looks at Graham Hill and thinks............


images


Looks like Michael Schumacher ;) ;) ;) ;)
 
Your not alone speshal, but british f1 champs have a habit of donning face fungus, obviously Mansell comes to mind and more recently button...
 
I think we are overdue one of Vettel's right swerves at the start tomorrow - hopefully he will only harm himself, if he is that stupid again.
 
I sincerely hope all the main players can get past the first lap without incident so we see a proper race of it.

A DNF now would surely scupper anyone's chance of the WDC.
 
The McLaren drivers seemed pretty intent on getting past Vettel at the start when interviewed, but it's not that long a run to Turn 1 is it? I could see a distinct possibility of three abreast into the first corner and tears before after bedtime.
 
Dunno if it was just the graphic on BBC but it showed that P1 is on the left hand side of the grid (ie the inside for turn 1) but wouldn't this make it the dirty side of the grid with the cars staying as far right as they can. Just wondering if p1 is a bit of a poisoned chalice.

Very impressed that the McLarens were so close to the Red Bulls; I wonder how much it is down to updates to the car and how much is to do with the Red Bulls suffering under the new flexible bodywork tests.

And if I were Massa, I wouldn't buy a home in Singapore as it would appear to be a bit of a bogey track; at least the fuel rig can't follow him down the pit lane tomorrow.
 
BlackCountryBob said:
And if I were Massa, I wouldn't buy a home in Singapore as it would appear to be a bit of a bogey track; at least the fuel rig can't follow him down the pit lane tomorrow.

That sounds like you're suggesting there is a spectral fuel rig that follows Felipe around, never seen moving but when Felipe turns around... its there.

So he's unlucky in Singapore - at least he can get his dream home in Budapest!
 
teabagyokel said:
BlackCountryBob said:
And if I were Massa, I wouldn't buy a home in Singapore as it would appear to be a bit of a bogey track; at least the fuel rig can't follow him down the pit lane tomorrow.

That sounds like you're suggesting there is a spectral fuel rig that follows Felipe around, never seen moving but when Felipe turns around... its there.

So he's unlucky in Singapore - at least he can get his dream home in Budapest!

How very Doctor Who, don't blink Felipe or the fuel rig will get you.
 
Alguersuari's looks good this weekend although he couldn't get into the top 10.

Haha at the Hulk throwing a paddy, not he warrants the nickname the hulk now after that looked more like a 13 year old who just been told hes grounded :D

Cannot wait till tomorrow though hopefully it will not be a borefest the grid positions look quite tasty for the WDC battle.

I Think ill put a bet on Lotus getting a point, ive just got a feeling its going to be one of those races.
 
Red Bulls poor starts could come to haunt them, and vettel is on the dirty side. Bad news for Hamilton he could catch up with vettel just at the wrong time. I think Rubens could be a dark horse for mixing up the front runners race plan tommorow. First lap turn 5 could see some desperado moves from anyone who needs the oints, other then that it will be down to the pit stops.
 
Brogan said:
As expected, Massa is getting a new engine.

Bearing in mind he starts from the back, it made sense to do it now.

And shows quite clearly how ill conceived and penned the engine regulations were. The same amount of reactionary thought went into it as rules concerning team orders and just about every other reg in the modern era. The FIA should invest in a brain cell that works, the one they are using currently was well past its cell by date in 1976.
 
Another extremely disappointing race at a rubbish circuit ruined by a completely unnecessary safety car.

I was rooting for Webber to take the WDC if Lewis didn't but not any more.
He needs to stop ramming into other drivers, although it seems to be a Red Bull driver trait.
 
Brogan said:
Another extremely disappointing race at a rubbish circuit ruined by a completely unnecessary safety car.

I was rooting for Webber to take the WDC if Lewis didn't but not any more.
He needs to stop ramming into other drivers, although it seems to be a Red Bull driver trait.

funny i saw hamilton turning on Webber whilst he was trying to make a move around the outside.

Racing incident yes, but Hamilton was the one who closed the door.


And oh here we go again, its always the circuits and never the car isn't it, despite no matter how many times we see good races in other formula.

And race wasn't that bad either

*EDIT*

another point, is it just me or was the marshaling slow all this weekend, That for me would be the bigger concern, although im not weather it was just me though
 
Makes you wonder doesn't it?

You have to wonder how it would have changed things if the stewards had handed down a drive through after investigating it during the race? I tend to wonder how they come by these time penalties after the race ?? It's as if they look at the finishing tables work out a reasonable peanalty and apply it.

In my book there should only be one time penalty to be applied after every race and that is the average time taken to transit the pitlane from one end to the other plus 10 seconds for a stop go and just the transit time otherwise. That way it's above board and equal.
 
A drive thruogh at valencia and a drive through at catalunya are about 10 seconds apart. They should adjust the pit lane max speeds so that they are all the same.
 
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