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

Is the season over yet?

Unfortunately the answer is no as the F1 circus rumbles onto India for a brand new track, but after problems with the construction of the track, there is a degree of hesitation as not everyone is overjoyed about the prospect of a race there at the current moment in time. Added to the fact that it is another Tilke track, many fans aren't optimistic for an exciting race, but we've been proven wrong before. After all, we thought 2011 would be a close championship!!

Red Bull reasserted itself as the best car on the track after a dominant win in Korea with Vettel taking yet another win as he continues to rewrite the record books in the same way as Schumacher used to, just not as controversially as the elder German. Mark Webber had his strongest races recently pushing Hamilton very hard for second place, perhaps showing that he still has it for next season.

Hamilton put a long list of poor races behind to finish second in Korea after taking his first pole position of the season and it turned out after the race that he was running with tyre bits in the front wing which was costing a good couple a tenths a lap, something which would surely have cost him a true crack at a third race victory of the season, but at the very least it shows that he's getting back to his best, but a split with his partner might explain a less than happy mood recently.

Ferrari are constantly lingering as the team behind the top 2 and they are almost in a race with themselves as they are far quicker than Mercedes but not quick enough (mainly Massa) to challenge the Red Bulls and Mclarens for victories, particularly on a consistent basis after the problems with the EBD after Silverstone.

In the midfield there is a serious log jam as Mercedes, Renault, Force India, Sauber and Toro Rosso fight over points and championship places as a lot of money is at stake for 4th-8th in the championship and it's probably the best place to see action at the moment as the racing has been close and extremely well fought with different cars being better at each different circuit with none having the best all round package of the 5 teams. Now even Team lotus is getting involved in the action as they are starting to beat some of these cars on pure pace which will no doubt please the owners, and Kovalainen beating Petrov on pure pace in Singapore would particularly have pleased the team after the rows with Group lotus this season.

No-one knows what to expect from the Indian track, but early reports indicate it's better than previous Tilke tracks, but then it can't be worse than Bahrain and Abu Dhabi really.... We hope so anyway.

For Galahad's superb write up, see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/buddh-international-circuit/
 
I think the ticket prices needs to come down, and also make the sport a little more accessible to the fans. This would definitely bring more fans and money into the sport.

£350 just for a grandstand ticket for the Silverstone GP....

Mine wasnt that much. It was £228 for a gold grandstand for 3 days
 
Mine wasnt that much. It was £228 for a gold grandstand for 3 days

Well I must have got ripped off then! Bought from the official Silverstone website for that much for my girlfriends Christmas, it was just for the race and it was the Bronze grandstand. It might have been £250...that makes more sense, I know it was definitely over £200...
 
There are no conflicting stories. Massa hasn't denied that Hamilton spoke to him after the minute's silence, although he contradicts himself in as many sentences. Someone just needs to pull both of them to one side and speak to them before it gets out of control.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/95808.

Q. He said he tried to bring an end to hostilities after the minute's silence?
FM: No, he didn't try. He didn't try to do anything. When I tried to speak to him he passed through. He did not look to my face, so no. Not here. Here after the one minute silence he was at my side and then he just said, 'have a good race'. So this is trying to what? Have a good race? Is that not part of talking, or whatever?

Isn't that a big chunk of journalistic license?

Lewis says (paraphrasing) "Massa and I hadn't spoken to each other for a while, so as we were standing next to each other, I took the opportunity to wish him well."
Journo says to Massa "He said he tried to bring an end to hostilities after the minute's silence?"

Massa may understand this to mean "Lewis said that he has tried to talk to you about your recent collisions" to which Massa rightly says no, but he (FM) has been misinformed about what Lewis has already said.
 
Isn't that a big chunk of journalistic license?

Lewis says (paraphrasing) "Massa and I hadn't spoken to each other for a while, so as we were standing next to each other, I took the opportunity to wish him well."
Journo says to Massa "He said he tried to bring an end to hostilities after the minute's silence?"

Massa may understand this to mean "Lewis said that he has tried to talk to you about your recent collisions" to which Massa rightly says no, but he (FM) has been misinformed about what Lewis has already said.

I raised that point too...but...
 
mr-bean.webp
 
i dont want lewis to change his style.i just want him to perfect it.
he has been off form this season.hopefully he'll be back to his best or better than he's ever been next season.he should be over nicole by then.
 
Where was all the slipstreaming? Without DRS we might have had no overtakes after lap 1. You put a 1,000m straight out there and a tight corner leading onto it and still cars can't get a tow. if this layout cant deliver old fashioned slipstreaming overtakes, im stumped as to what might.

I do think the corner was the biggest cause of the LH / FM incident. I thought before the race that this might make a good ovetaking spot, but that corner needs a redesign to make a proper braking zone. The track needs that and it would open up moves that failed down the back straight.
 
Where was all the slipstreaming? Without DRS we might have had no overtakes after lap 1. You put a 1,000m straight out there and a tight corner leading onto it and still cars can't get a tow. if this layout cant deliver old fashioned slipstreaming overtakes, im stumped as to what might.

I do think the corner was the biggest cause of the LH / FM incident. I thought before the race that this might make a good ovetaking spot, but that corner needs a redesign to make a proper braking zone. The track needs that and it would open up moves that failed down the back straight.

I have long argued that what is actually needed is a banked corner, leading onto a long straight, with a hard braking area at the end. Whatever the problems with both China and with Indianapolis, both of these circuits have just this characteristic, and both led to lots of overtaking at the end of the straight....

Compare that with, say, Mangy Course, and there was a fast (flat) corner before a straight leading to a hairpin, and it was very difficult for cars to overtake.... Banking is the way forward (Like it or loathe it!)
 
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