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

Got your breath back yet?

After an exhilarating grand prix which lasted for record time, it seems as if there is renewed optimism that Sebastian Vettel can be caught after a last lap slip in the moist conditions in Canada allowing Jenson Button to take his first win for over a year despite a turbulent race which included crashes with Alonso and team-mate Hamilton, a puncture and a drive through.

However, a candidate for most improved driver since the season started is a certain Michael Schumacher. Ridiculed early on after a poor start, he seems to have found the groove again and if it hadn't have been for the last safety car, he arguably would have gotten his first podium since returning to the sport, indeed he was closing the gap to Vettel and could even have taken the win at one of his favourite circuits. Now that he has overtaken Rosberg in the standings, is it time for him to push on and show that he is worth the 7 world championships to his name?

Another name that has been bandied about the press recently is Lewis Hamilton, after a disappointing race in Monaco, he followed it with a worse showing at one of his most successful circuits. During the race he hit everything that moved, and seemed to take the blame for most if not all of the incidents, whether he deserves the current criticism is another thing entirely. He knows he needs a strong showing in Valencia where he has finished 2nd on every single visit so far to the Spanish circuit.

It is the second home race of the year for Fernando Alonso, but it looks like he is going to need more than home support to beat the Red Bulls here, however an improved showing in Canada was masked by a clumsy incident with Button which punted him out of the grand prix. Felipe Massa had an overall strong race and recovered form an impact in the wall to finish 6th after beating Kobayashi in a drag race to the line.

Williams claimed their first points of the year finally with Barrichello claiming a handful of points while Toro Rosso managed to get both drivers into the points which will go some way into relieving the pressure on the two embattled drivers who will no doubt be looking over his shoulder.

Looking ahead to Valencia, it is easy for people not to get their hopes up about any exciting racing as the European Grand Prix here hasn't been known for frantic racing, particularly as the 2009 race didn't have any overtaking whatsoever, yes, there were 0 overtakes. But with a combination of two long straights and the new dual DRS zones, we should be seeing tons of overtaking into the hairpin, remember Kobayashi's overtake on Alonso late on last year.

No doubt Mark Webber will want to eradicate last years memories where he found that Red Bull literally did give him wings when he flew 360 degrees in the air after tagging Kovalainens lotus at high speed, seeing as this happened in what will probably be a DRS zone this year, I sincerely hope we do not see a repeat, while Webber walked away unharmed, it is never nice to see that happen in any kind of motorsport.

For Galahads superb circuit write up, see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/valencia-street-circuit/
 
My evidence lies in two facts, besides the ones i have aforementioned, in his last stint Hamilton was going slower than Jenson who was without KERS and whom Lewis was faster than in all his previous stints.

LH stopped on lap 42. JB on lap 48. If you look at all the prime tyre times, they are slower after 10+ laps.

I agree Lewis was frustrated, but you are going to have to show how that frustration led to deliberate underperformance to back up your accusations. If I say "quack" does that make me a duck?
 
Alternatively we could avoid tit for tat, point by point rebuttals now couldn't we? We all have an opinion, which we're all entitled to, but just because some one disagrees with you doesn't mean that they have to provide "proof" that your argument is wrong.
 
I believe KERS gives you more of an edge in the straights, where tyre performance is relatively insignificant, which at least should have given Hamilton an advantage over Button, the extra fourty or so kilos carried by Button without kers working would have been to his disadvantage, hence im saying Hamilton was just cruizing to make a statement!
 
And somehow you have came to the conclusion that "Hamilton was driving slow to send a message to the team" is a fact just because he said the team hasn't had major upgrades and that he said he "couldn't go any faster/slower"?
 
I suppose i've been spoilt by having attended the 2010 and 2011 Canadian GPs, two of the more entertaining races of the past 20-odd GPs.

I would have hated to have forked out good money to have flown and lodged and bought tickets to the Valencia race the last two seasons as opposed to having done so for Montreal.

Lucky me. ;)
 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13921513.stm

I still hold that this could be the biggest butt whipping ever handed out in the long season era. Nobody can fight the RB right now and is folly to even try.

I for one think that this high downforce rear wing has killed McLaren, sure they get the 5-6 lap performance of blinding pace, but they destroy the rears so to me it is a poor system and for Silverstone they need to consider removing and going back to the prior rear wing design.

I eagerly await to see what Ferrari's new Aero package delivers from the Brittish GP thereon....Maybe a second half revival by the Marinello boys.

As for the article I think that Alonso's comments are rational, you really can't beat a car that is at least a 0.5 sec/lap faster, sounds like nothing to laymen but in this sport it is like a mile apart, I fully expect this to be the shortest championship (both) in recent memory and expect that in the next 4-5 odd races the season will be over if the STATUS QUO continues.
 
I believe KERS gives you more of an edge in the straights, where tyre performance is relatively insignificant, which at least should have given Hamilton an advantage over Button, the extra fourty or so kilos carried by Button without kers working would have been to his disadvantage, hence im saying Hamilton was just cruizing to make a statement!
ARTICLE 4 : WEIGHT
4.1 Minimum weight :
The weight of the car must not be less than 640kg at all times during the Event.
If, when required for checking, a car is not already fitted with dry-weather tyres, it will be weighed on a set of dryweather
tyres selected by the FIA technical delegate.

Lets get facts straight shall we.
Irrespective of whether or not Buttons KERS was working, or indeed even if the car is not fitted with KERS there is no weight disadvantage or advantage to be gained.
 
Lets get facts straight shall we.
Irrespective of whether or not Buttons KERS was working, or indeed even if the car is not fitted with KERS there is no weight disadvantage or advantage to be gained.

I think the point was that Button suffered a lap time penalty from the extra weight of carrying a non operational KERS.
 
But that's the point.
All cars are underweight these days - they have to make the minimum weight up using ballast.

So even if KERS was removed, they would just replace it with the same weight in ballast.
 
The minimum weight was increased because of KERS. If you are carrying a non working kers (during a race) you obviously receive a lap time penalty. I think the point lies in weight to power ratio as opposed to just weight.
 
But your comment above re: "Button suffered a lap time penalty from the extra weight of carrying a non operational KERS" isn't correct.

He suffered a lap time penalty due to a non working KERS, the car weight would be exactly the same with or without KERS installed.
 
But your comment above re: "Button suffered a lap time penalty from the extra weight of carrying a non operational KERS" isn't correct.

He suffered a lap time penalty due to a non working KERS, the car weight would be exactly the same with or without KERS installed.

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Quite right.
It's a bit like a cat that doesn't t put any weight on after being neutered. Same weight as before but no grunt.

Or something.
 
Was there a Grand prix at the weekend? I watched some cars go round a car park for a few hours but couldn't see the Grand Prix.

Seriously need to get rid of Valencia.

Vettel has seriously got this whole thing in his pocket hasn't he? Looks like he's just pacing himself. May not be interesting to watch but give the boy credit he's been pretty amazing this season
 
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Quite right.
It's a bit like a cat that doesn't t put any weight on after being neutered. Same weight as before but no grunt.

Or something.

Yes,and a racing car makes a lovely cat : stick a few wires through the nose,screw 4 paws underneath,..:twisted:
 
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