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

And so on to Spain, after the anti climax that was Turkey, it seems that no-one can stop Vettel as he marched to his 3rd win in 4 races and is in dominant form as we head to the Iberian peninsula. Despite the highest amount of overtakes since records began (126), a lot of people were questioning how authentic these overtakes were due to their artificial nature because of the DRS. The Spanish Grand Prix hasn't been known for its overtakes, indeed this is a track where more often than not, the driver who gets pole goes on to win so thats the race in the bag for Vettel. In 2010 the race was won by Mark Webber in the first of back to back wins from Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel. lewis Hamilton was on course for second until a wheel rim failure with two laps to go.

After a dominant performance in Turkey, Red Bull will be aiming at another one two in Spain, and on current form and given the nature of the track it is hard to see past the Red Bulls from extending their championship lead. However Ferrari and particularly Alonso have showed that Red Bull won't have it their own way and no doubt Alonso will be boosted by a capacity crowd all cheering him on. Mclaren planned to bring updates to Turkey but abandoned them and instead will introduce them this weekend to plug the ever increasing gap with Hamilton currently second in the drivers championship, over 30 points behind Vettel.

Mercedes were Jekyll and Hyde in Turkey and its not exactly hard to figure out who was who. Mercedes Rosberg has shown improved form recently and has been mixing with the Mclarens and Ferraris and with continued development, Mercedes will be confident of a top 5 finish this weekend.

Renault have seemed to have fallen back recently with Heidfeld and Petrov in the lower reaches of the points, their podium form of Australia and Malaysia now seems a distant memory and have now been overtaken by Mercedes in the development battle. In the midfield it is really tightening up as Toro Rosso have found a speed boost with Buemi claiming points in Turkey and Kobyashi coming from last on the grip to claim a top 10 position with Force India not holding the same level of competitiveness as the first few races with Di Resta's first DNF of his career.

While Team lotus didn't gain the jump that they hoped, they have high hopes that this weekend is the one where they establish themselves as a solid midfield runner while Virgin and HRT continue to fight it out over who gets the wooden spoon.

With the arguments over DRS raging on, no doubt we will see a circuit record of overtakes as cars breeze past each other down the main straight but if only one thing is certain it is that Red Bull will be right at the front barring major developments (or crashes)

For Galahads excellent circuit write up, see here http://cliptheapex.com/pages/circuit-de-catalunya/

 

[Slyboogy]

Completely forgot, but at the start of the race i was fuming at Vettel for doing his dangerous weaving again. When are they going to stop him from doing that. It will cause at least one pile up at this rate.

Webber weaved a lot, causing him to "weave" when technically he was going to the outside instead of the inside which Webber blocked off.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Yeah but how often can he do it so dramatically before we point the single finger directly at him. It is extremely dangerous the way he does it. Similar to the Schumacher chop back in the day.

 

[Slyboogy]

But who was he chopping? He was making a move on Webber who weaved causing Vettel to change direction, Vettel got the taste of his own medicine but he took it well.

And it's not as if he was the lead car, he moved over because Webber chopped him, like he did last year at the same place. Seems to me Vettel learnt his lesson from the start last year.

 

[Brogan]

Charlie Whiting has already made it clear that weaving off the start line is permitted.

 

[Boyle]

One "what if" is how close Jenson could have got to the front had he not been held up at the start of the race following his poor start. Probably still would have been 3rd and simply closer but you never know.

 

[Jen]

Charlie Whiting has already made it clear that weaving off the start line is permitted.

Fine, but what does Charlie know - he's been proved wrong so many times recently.

 

[Brogan]

Button did well to come back and finish third, considering where he was after the first lap.

 

[MCLS]

For all the criticism at Mclaren on Friday about their updates, they really proved a lot of people wrong.

 

[johnnoble1990]

Webber weaved a lot, causing him to "weave" when technically he was going to the outside instead of the inside which Webber blocked off.

Just re-watched it and Webber doesn't weave. Vettel moves his left, then right, then left. Webber just went left from the start. Because of Vettel's weaving so does Alonso trying to get a toe. I know it's been said it is fair, but to me it is incredibly dangerous and has no skill to it.

 

[Slyboogy]

Just re-watched it and Webber doesn't weave. Vettel moves his left, then right, then left. Webber just went left from the start. Because of Vettel's weaving so does Alonso trying to get a toe. I know it's been said it is fair, but to me it is incredibly dangerous and has no skill to it.

Drivers do this in every grand prix, if Vettel started on pole today and did that I would have accepted that fact. But somehow when other drivers in the past down the field do that to try a manouevre it's fine but when Vettel does it to try and get ahead of Webber at the start it's deemed as "dangerous"

Why is that? Is it because he has done it in the past starting on pole? Total different situations here, he didn't get a penalty for doing that starting first, so why should he get a penalty for doing it when there's more of a reason to do so?

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Ticking off for the McLarens! Stewards see sense. Sort of.

 

[MCLS]

Hamilton and Button have been reprimanded but NO penalty.

 

[Brogan]

Yay!

Hopefully that will be for all the drivers.

 

[Fenderman]

Martin B just gave a very good analysis of the Vettel/Hamilton battle on the Beeb's Red Button forum. Recommend folk's see it if you can. Lewis's early pitstop in particular cost him time - compounded the issue of him staying out a lap or two longer. Strange that Martin questioned that in the commentary but forgot to mention it in his otherwise sound analysis.

 

[Brogan]

I said at the time they kept Lewis out for a lap or 2 too long.

McLaren seem to have a habit of doing that.

 

[MCLS]

We were saying that at the time.....

 

[Jen]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing

 

[Jru]

For the first set of stops Hamilton drove faster once the other cars pitted, he set the fastest lap of the race at that point I believe. I was hoping that the difference between the hard and soft would mean that when Vettel pitted earlier Hamilton would be on the quicker if older tyre. Apparently not.

 

[Fenderman]

Re. the delayed pitstop (edited 'cause I'm slow). Indeed you were and I was shouting at my telly. my neighburs must think I'm nuts.

Re. Hindsight .... peep's were commenting on it as it happened and we're reflecting on that now.

 

[Slyboogy]

Collin Kolles believes most of the cars on the grid are illegal, and will protest after Monaco if there's no action.