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/
 
Do you think ALonso or Hamilton would have accepted the same situation if they were told not to pass Seb on the last lap

Neither Alonso or Hamilton will ever roll over for anybody. They are both selfish drivers who race for themselves. The team comes second for these guys. Best type of racer in my opinion. Props to Webber for his defiance.
 
Hamilton is the most marketable driver in the sport.

I doubt RedBull would care which one wins. I'm sure the suits in Austria would love to have the words 'Lewis Hamilton' 'RedBull' and 'World Champion' in the same sentence

I think if Vettel secures the championship again this year, Redbull will gladly welcome Hamilton into the team. They'll be happy to pair both drivers after securing two championships. As mentioned above, Hamilton is very marketable and Redbull is a business first and foremost.
 
It was neither a lack of balls, nor intelligent driving, as far as Vettel passing Hamilton is concerned.
He just couldn't get past.

In the same way Webber couldn't get past Vettel, or Massa past Hamilton (even with the penalty of having to save fuel).

He just couldn't get past? We know that. The question is surely why? I think the responsibility for that failure lays solely with the driver.
 
Red Bull have yet to experience when too competitive animals go at each other that it strains the whole team like Ferrari, Mclaren and Williams have so that would test both Horner and Dieter's resolve
 
It was neither a lack of balls, nor intelligent driving, as far as Vettel passing Hamilton is concerned.
He just couldn't get past.

In the same way Webber couldn't get past Vettel, or Massa past Hamilton (even with the penalty of having to save fuel).

Difference was Vettel had plan B options which was use a pitstop to gain undercut whereas both Webber and Massa caught their pursuers with two laps left which meant it was " all or nothing "

In Webber's case he was told to back off when he was within distance to pass Vettel
 
:D Today is the day Vettel took another 18 points inspite of his team costing him 2 positions in the pits.

Today is the day the driver in the WDC lead INCREASED his championship points gap.

Today is the day you saw a thinking man's driver not piling into the back of a McLaren simply so you could have the satisfaction of knowing whether or not he can make a move stick off line on the wet.

Why risk everything - i.e. a healthy haul of points - when you have a resurgent Ferrari team about to mount a WDC challenge?

Alonso and Hamilton have nothing to lose now. They can be more aggressive. They have to be more agressive right now. Vettel has everything to lose now...and that's why he/RBR were (relatively speaking) more conservative.

It's a logical way to go about your racing. Did you notice the way he kept going off line on to the wet in order to cool his tyres? Intelligent boy!

Cooling your tyres is all well and good. But if you find yourself behind a much slower car and don't have the race craft get past it then it's not much use.

Vettel had some bad luck today. He drove his car as fast as he could and got a good result. I would expect nothing less.

Not being able to get past that McLaren? I would expect much more.
 
Cooling your tyres is all well and good. But if you find yourself behind a much slower car and don't have the race craft get past it then it's not much use.

Vettel had some bad luck today. He drove his car as fast as he could and got a good result. I would expect nothing less.

Not being able to get past that McLaren? I would expect much more.

I don't call it bad luck when you increased your lead over your rivals and your teammate was told to not pass you as well as his other nearest challenger retired after his team fluffed the pitstop where as you can carry on after yours
 
How is a slow pit stop not bad luck? It certainly wasn't good luck whether it was ultimately costly or otherwise. I think it's odd to dispute this.
 
Considering the net result at the end you have to say its good luck - extending your lead !

I'm not sure I understand what you are saying. Vettel came second and extended his lead because he was lucky to have a slow pitstop which lost him the lead in the race? This is a silly conversation. I'm bailing.
 
There are bad pits stops, but you have to be in the position ot punish them, unless Ferrari and Alonso have something to do with that to,.....handbags.
 
There are bad pits stops, but you have to be in the position ot punish them, unless Ferrari and Alonso have something to do with that to,.....handbags.

Some very confusing posts going on today. Alonso would probably have won the race today anyway. He was the fastest man today. Great performance.

Vettel having a bad pitstop was not good luck.

Just so everyone is clear on my position. Now, I will get my coat and you can put your handbags down.
 
With you there Extreme, Alonso would have probably won anyway but we'll never know as Red Bull screwed up Vettel's pit stop. Good race all round, plenty of excitement. McLaren once again had a stinker, Ferrari fans will once again think this is their man's chance to chase down the title but with the return to the original engine mapping in Germany I can't see that happening.

Red Bull did what was best for the team in telling Webber to hold back. If he didn't want to be in that position he should have done better in the other races so far this season. I also think Vettel did the right thing in using the undercut to get past Hamilton. He tried to pass on the track and the car wasn't quick enough, well in that case find another way round, which he did.

Wonder if Seb can beat Barry Cello's time on Top Gear tonight? Roll on 8 o'clock :D
 
but with the return to the original engine mapping in Germany I can't see that happening.

Thats a scary rude awakening, is this going to be an on/off affair, allowed not allowed will people make up their minds. Personally, ban them as it gives un realistic racing results.
 
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