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/

 

[Fenderman]

How many years are you going back Fenders? Not many, I think

Senna vs just about anybody, Schumacher vs Hill years spring easily to mind. Granted it has gone exponentially nuts since 2007 when a young bloke named Hamilton came along who could be blamed for almost anything ...

On a sombre note, even the Italian authorities have not been averse to apportion "blame" when circumstances have been, let us say, undesirable.

 

[Jen]

Senna vs just about anybody, Schumacher vs Hill years spring easily to mind. Granted it has gone exponentially nuts since 2007 when a young bloke named Hamilton came along who could be blamed for almost anything ...

On a sombre note, even the Italian authorities have not been averse to apportion "blame" when circumstances have been, let us say, undesirable.

Perhaps you're right - it just seems to have racked up in the last few years which has detracted from the racing and 'racing incidents' no longer exist.

 

[Speshal]

Dull as dishwater

 

[Slyboogy]

Perhaps you're right - it just seems to have racked up in the last few years which has detracted from the racing and 'racing incidents' no longer exist.

You must wonder what would happen if Montoya was still currently in F1

 

[Jen]

You must wonder what would happen if Montoya was still currently in F1

I loved Montoya - a bit of a handful though

 

[Slyboogy]

I loved Montoya - a bit of a handful though

I think we all did...we all miss a character!

Especially since there are so few nowadays...

 

[snowy]

'racing incidents' no longer exist.

I have this strange vision of F1 cars being chased round the track by injury lawyers on mopeds...

 

[Il_leone]

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!)

The three tracks where overtaking is possible and plently

Spa - Eau Rouge up the hill and then onto the straight

Turkey - the circuit climbs up and then down along a straight turn 10-12

Brazil - a drive up the hill (Junquoa) and a long blast down the straight at the start line or the downhill plunge after the Senna S into turn 4

So your theory does hold substance a banked corner to get drive up and then the tow is created to allow for passing

 

[mjo]

I think what is common with all the circuits mentioned above have a reasonably fast corner before the overtaking zone. Even in Malaysia, the hairpin before themain straight isn't that slow.

 

[KekeTheKing]

It should be pretty obvious by now that having a hairpin before a long straight is a terrible design. Safe yes, but utter shit for racing.

 

[The Artist.....]

I think what is common with all the circuits mentioned above have a reasonably fast corner before the overtaking zone. Even in Malaysia, the hairpin before themain straight isn't that slow.

This is true, but you need to contrast that with, say Magny Cours or Barcelona - the corners leading onto the main straight (with the overtaking zone) were also quite fast - but had very little overtaking at the end of the straight. The reason for the lack of overtaking was the reliance on aero-grip - so in order to have overtaking, you need a fast corner, which is not aero-limited (i.e. it has some banking to help through the corner), and then a sharp corner at the end of a long straight!

 

[Bill Boddy]

Or alternatively you could cut down the wings to single element and much smaller. Then there wouldn't be the turbulence and slipstreaming through a fast corner into a straight would be possible.

Nah, let's have more and longer DRS sections.

 

[Brogan]

Brundle calls Massa's penalty "a nonsense".
In addition, he has this to say:

I wrote this column on the plane back from Delhi and around me were drivers and team principals, along with other people I respect, and nobody can understand the Massa drive-through penalty.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/formula_one/15524577.stm

 

[The Artist.....]

I have to say that this incident is very much a racing incident - although in this case it's a strange one, as the incident, as it occurred, was one that was caused by Hamilton taking a less aggressive line - had he just stuck one up the inside, they both would have made the corner, but because he backed out of it, Massa turned in on him, and caused the crash!

 

[no-FIAt-please]

No driver deserved a penalty really, sounds like people in the paddock are leaning towards placing the blame on Hamilton.

 

[Josh]

No driver deserved a penalty really, sounds like people in the paddock are leaning towards placing the blame on Hamilton.

He said nobody can understand the Massa drive-through penalty, how can you possibly take that to mean people think Hamilton should receive the blame?

 

[cider_and_toast]

For me, that was the biggest story of the Indian weekend - that it was a great event that is already one of the best races on the calendar.

This just sums it all up for me. After going on about the dull race and how there was only one line into several of the slow corners and how there should be a wider exit rather than a wider entry and that the kerbs were brutal and should be changed for next year, what is Brundles final assessment?

One of the best races on the calendar !!!!

It's not about the location, it's about the track surely?

 

[mjo]

This just sums it all up for me. After going on about the dull race and how there was only one line into several of the slow corners and how there should be a wider exit rather than a wider entry and that the kerbs were brutal and should be changed for next year, what is Brundles final assessment?

One of the best races on the calendar !!!!

It's not about the location, it's about the track surely?

But I'm sure we'd all be complaining if we had a decent f1 track in the middle of the Sahara desert.

 

[cider_and_toast]

But I'm sure we'd all be complaining if we had a decent f1 track in the middle of the Sahara desert.

Hell no, I wouldn't mind if they built a track on an man made Island in the middle of the north sea as long as there was an exciting race.. The amount of hype and BS surrounding the Indian GP means that it will now join Valencia for me as one of my most hated races of the season.

 

[mjo]

Hell no, I wouldn't mind if they built a track on an man made Island in the middle of the north sea as long as there was an exciting race.. The amount of hype and BS surrounding the Indian GP means that it will now join Valencia for me as one of my most hated races of the season.

Yeah, it was over hyped by many people (the BBC).