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

In a case of after the lord Mayor's show, we are back to square one after Valencia served up another placid race with the same result - A Sebastian Vettel victory. Some people reckon that the championship will be decided at Silverstone as if Red Bull still win despite the EBD ban, that is the championship over and done with for this season, and it's hard to argue with that considering Vettel has only dropped 14 points so far this season after 6 wins and 2 second places, not even Schumacher in his 2002/2004 pomp started a season like that.

So we go to a circuit where 3 drivers hold as their home grand prix, lewis Hamilton, Jenson Button and Paul Di Resta, but the Mclaren pair go into their home race in low spirits after their update package failed to get them closer to Red Bull on a circuit where Red Bull were supposedly weaker at than other tracks, a feeling that has been reflected across the paddock with Alonso admitting that the championship was virtually over and it would be more productive to focus on 2012 and 2013.

Silverstone has recieved a massive redevelopment as part of the 17 year contract it recieved when Donnington couldn't come up with the goods to stage a British Grand Prix and the new addition this year is the pit lane complex which looks stunning and has really elevated Silverstone into the 21st century as one of the elite grand prix facilities, (and certainly one to show off to the other countries when they come here ;) )

With the rule changes this could be the most unpredictable race of the season however, as we saw in Valencia, if anyone can adapt to rule changes, it's Red Bull, Adrian Newey has often been able to pull a rabbit out of a hat when the chips are down so don't be surprised to see Vettel take his seventh win of what has been a remarkable season for the young German who has swept all before him and is now walking towards his second World Championships and joining the select few who have won back to back Championships.

It's been a curious couple of weeks for Ferrari, off the pace and then suddenly back on it in Valencia and once again (like Turkey) they are the second fastest team again when the car is in the hands of Alonso (although Massa didn't exactly have a bad race himself)

Further down the grid at Toro Rosso, Alguesari has proven a point to his critics after a points finish at his home race and his second points finish in a row, and if he wants to keep his race seat there, he needs more of where that came from as Ricciardo is no slouch and will want the second seat at Toro Rosso next year. Even Sutil in the Force India shrugged off his critics to beat his team mate to claim a handful of points to relieve the pressure on his shoulders, albiet for only a short while.

For Galahads superb circuit write up see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/silverstone-circuit/
 
According to Adam Cooper on Twitter, the FIA has decided that the only DRS zone at Silverstone will be into Brooklands. There won't now be a second zone into Copse.
 
Strangely both Rosberg and Schumacher regard Silverstone as "one of two home races" for Mercedes, at least that's what they both said on the MGP website. So 5 drivers at their home race...

Renault also fancy their chances on S'stone's "fast sweeping curves". Sounds like they're racing on Ditta von Tease :snigger:
 
Will be great to see F1 coming home. Alot of teams are based in England like Mclaren, Team Lotus, Lotus Renault, Mercedes, Force India, Virgin Racing and Red Bull Racing.

I hope it completely throw's it down so we can have a race in mixed condition as thats the only way we're gonna see any other driver than Vettel win a race this season a GP.
 
Strangely both Rosberg and Schumacher regard Silverstone as "one of two home races" for Mercedes, at least that's what they both said on the MGP website. So 5 drivers at their home race...

Renault also fancy their chances on S'stone's "fast sweeping curves". Sounds like they're racing on Ditta von Tease :snigger:

So does Red Bull.Their factory is just down the road at Milton Keynes.They organise special events and seating arrangements for their staff.
 
I think we call this the seventh innings stretch in Baseball and it seems to be a bit of a clutch situation going on here, this is either the start of resistance or as pointed out above, the season becomes a formality.

I normally do the predictions;

1] Vettel
2] Hamilton
3] Alonso
4] Button
5] Webber
6] Massa
7] Petrov
8] Rosberg
9] Heidfeld
10] Schumacher

Bar any mishaps, Silverstone being the circuit it is I would reckon the fastest/best cars will trump so that is why I have gone for RB, McLaren, Ferrari, Mercedes, and Renault to lock out the top ten.

I will highlight McLaren as the side to watch out for as it was suggested in Montreal that the upgrades and package was tailored for a Silverstone GP revival, now is where I guess the limitations placed at Montreal and Valencia will really be said to be gambles well taken. So I put McLaren as the team to look out for and Liken them to A-Rod or David Ortiz (2007) walking up in a clutch situation needing to deliver.

As a formality I have gone for RB and Vettel to win, by virtue of being a better car and even without the said technology will likely be the team to beat, in this regard I would call RB and Vettel the Trevor Hoffman or Mariano Rivera, needing to come on in the 9th and shut it down.
 
Sorry, I don't understand baseball. But I guess your race predictions aren't far off the mark, except I would expect Webber to do better than 5th on a circuit he likes and in the fastest car. And I would expect Heidfeld to beat Petrov at Silverstone.
 
Strangely Silverstone has a bit of a record as a 'Bridesmaid' track. What I mean by that is that it seems to have a run of winners that are either the runner up in the championship or team-mate to one of the championship contenders.

For example:

2010 - Webber - team-mate of eventual champion
2009 - Vettel - Runner-up in title that year
2005 - Juan Pablo Montoya - Team-mate to title runner up
2003 - Rubens Barrichello - Team-Mate to eventual champion
2001 - Mika Hakkinen - Team-mate to title runner up
2000 - David Coulthard - team-mate to title runner up
1999 - David Coulthard - team-mate to eventual champion
1998 - Michael Schumacher - Runner-up in title that year
1996 - Jaques Villenuve - Runner-up in title that year
1995 - Johnny Herbert - team-mate to eventual champion
1994 - Damon Hill - Runner-up in title that year
1991 - Nigel Mansell - Runner-up in title that year
1990 - Alain Prost - Runner-up in title that year

thats 13 times in the last 20 years.

So if I go by that logic and add in the factor that the Red Bull is pretty much unbeatable round Silverstone then I'm tipping Webber for his one and only win of the season here.
 
Sorry, I don't understand baseball. But I guess your race predictions aren't far off the mark, except I would expect Webber to do better than 5th on a circuit he likes and in the fastest car. And I would expect Heidfeld to beat Petrov at Silverstone.

Fair do's, it is just gut feelings.

Went with Vettel as I don't see any reason why not to at this point, if they are atrocious at silverstone then perceptions will change other than that, Vettel #1 is the status quo.

I selected a pretty good showing by McLaren being the Home GP and they will leave no stone un turned to deliver big.

And for the Ferrari results, I perhaps feel form the word coming out from the team and Alonso that the aero mods are something the team thinks will make them competitive.
 
I don't see anything other than a Red Bull winner either. I don't think the OTT ban will have a major impact at Silverstone because so little time is spent off the throttle (braking).

What will be much more significant is the DRS "gain" during qualifying where the system will be in use for much of the lap - especially in some of the quicker corners like chapel, club, farm and woodcote. These acceleration zones will still see the full EBD effect which is what allows RBR to use DRS in places where others can't.
 
It's not often that a Silverstone race is continually wet though; it's just as likely to be wet-dry-wet, or dry-wet-drying. Or even a wet qualifying session and a dry race, so a mixed-up grid is a possibility (I just hope that it's not Mclaren who get caught out again if that happens).
 
It's not often that a Silverstone race is continually wet though; it's just as likely to be wet-dry-wet, or dry-wet-drying. Or even a wet qualifying session and a dry race, so a mixed-up grid is a possibility (I just hope that it's not Mclaren who get caught out again if that happens).

A bit like.........Canada then....? ;)

I've learnt my lesson from many years of standing in a field in Northamptonshire that if it's wet, it's usually wet all day.
 
I've come away burnt the last two years, last year was roasting! But I would like you all to stop commenting on this thread until Friday as it's compounding my depression that not only am I missing it live, I'm missing it on TV too :(

Thanks for your support:friends:
 
I've come away burnt the last two years, last year was roasting! But I would like you all to stop commenting on this thread until Friday as it's compounding my depression that not only am I missing it live, I'm missing it on TV too :(

Thanks for your support:friends:
Where are you going? The moon? America? :)

Surely there will be a bar showing it?
 
F1 Racing mag has a chart this month showing that Silverstone has the lowest % time spent on brakes at 9% of any circuit. If the ott ban does anything, it will have least impact here.

The top 4 are Monaco, Singapore, Canada and Valencia. I wonder why the ban was delayed for the last 3 races where it would have had the biggest impact...? :s
 
Back
Top Bottom