Grand Prix 2013 Korean Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Mokpo's love motels welcome you to the Korean Grand Prix, situated on bleak wasteland miles away from anywhere else. Envisioned as a 'motor city', with tall buildings surrounding the circuit, it is likely that the race will drop of the calendar in the next couple of years, showing the success of the Korean venture into Formula 1. It's not a brilliant circuit to be honest, and some of the races there were rather tedious. It is, therefore, seen as one of the less memorable grands prix of the season.

In terms of the championship, Vettel's won it. Only Alonso (60 points behind with 150 left to play for) has a realistically small chance of overcoming the young German.

The only really memorable race here was the inaugural one in 2010, held in wet conditions, and finishing in the dark after an unnecessarily long red flag & safety car period. When we eventually got racing on the construction site that was the Yeongam circuit, Webber span out, Vettel's engine expired, Alonso won, the midfielders forgot how to drive and Jonathan Legard got all confused between Hamilton & Button.

To be honest, it would be easier to skip these final races and fast forward to 2014. Ah well.

Ready, Steady, Discuss!!!

 

[Hamberg]

A more responsive strategy would have meant a three stop for Hamilton. Hulk overtook him (twice) did he not?

 

[Chris Stevens]

@RasputinLives I think it's fair to say that Hamilton could have gone quicker than Hulkenberg if he was in free air, you have to say the traction out of T1 and the top end speed of the Sauber kept Hulkenberg ahead. Not to put Hulkenberg down at all, I think it was a great performance, great defensive driving and racing skill shown today. Time for him to be bumped up the grid

 

[Chris Stevens]

@FB Yes, Vettel seems to be very lucky with safety car timing

 

[Jos the Boss]

We're all wrong, clearly Sauber have TC not Red Bull!

 

[Titch]

Compare Hulkenberg with Paul di Resta, both in the middle of the field, and Hulkenbergs drive was very good.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives

The Sauber was definitely the slowest car at that time compared in that train but it was crucially quick in the one area needed to hold position the traction of turn 2 onto the back straight with a skinny wing to help straight line speed no doubt

I don't want to take anything away from Hulkenberg because he kept 3 world champions at bay behind superbly and if I was Willi Weber or whoever his manager is be knocking on Lotus, and Mclaren and tell them to rethink their driver line up seriously now

Hamilton had one of those races where he feels he's been shafted by the team and the timing of the safety car

I think what really is the problem is the Tilkedrome effect where there are only seriously 1 or 2 places to pass a slower car and the rest of the circuit unfortunately its a matter of following the car in front

 

[Il_leone]

a tweet on BBC suggested it was more exciting to watch the safety car lead the race than Vettel

I know its luck in F1 but Vettel has definitely enjoyed the rub of the green the way Schumacher use to . The timing of pit stops at Red Bull - whilst Seb gets clear air , Webber 's stop was fractionally slow and he came out when Perez tyre blew and running right over the debris and gets T-boned by Sutil

 

[RasputinLives]

I'm not arguing that the Sauber was the slowest of the cars in the chain I'm arguing that he held other people up. They all had chances to pass him and none of them could get them done. Also Alonso and Hamilton were both in front of him at one point and got overtaken. I also don't go with the DRS zone being the only place to pass as we saw further down the field passing in various different places.

Lets not do down Hulkenbergs performance by saying it was car set up. He was in 4th today on his race alone, no fancy strategy or lucky break that was where he was.

How often do we see a driver get a lower place car in that sort of position and then slip back down the field without a fight (I'm looking at you Ricciardo).

'Holding up' implies he was snail pace which he certainly was not.

 

[Il_leone]

RasputinLives I am not taking anything away from Hulkenberg but the design of the circuit meant as long he kept it nice and tidy at turn 1 and turn 2 he should be okay for the whole lap because he was a rocket down the straight .. that has happened many times in the past

I want to point out the flaw in Tilke's design of the circuit

Yes Ricciardo does his customary slide down the field which may not bode well for anyone hoping it is not another Vettel walkover in 2014

 

[Mephistopheles]

Good race..

 

[Olivier]

I couldn't watch the race (too lazy to wake up at 2:00 am). Why was there a Jeep acting as SC?

 

[Chris Stevens]

JUst thought I'd share this, got an F1 blog. Stopped it for a a couple of years but I thought I'd start up again. So here are some thoughts from the race http://grandprixreviewer.wordpress.com/2013/10/06/hulkenberg-for-top-drive-mercedes-in-the-dark-times-and-fire-cars-on-the-track/

 

[Mephistopheles]

Olivier That was Hawkeye Pierce he was chasing Hot lips Houlihan, Radar was out to lunch and Frank was driving the safety car..

 

[Hamberg]

Good race..

I just want to savour this moment...

 

[snowy]

DRS.

 

[teabagyokel]

Looking at the /10 thread, seems we like races with marginal tyres more.

 

[GeoffP]

Not me!

 

[teabagyokel]

Alonso criticised Pirelli's tyres; Hembery's reaction:

"I can only suggest he goes to ask the soon-to-be four-times champion how to get the best from the same tyres."

Burn!

I am so fed up of all this. The races are rubbish if the tyres are durable!

 

[Chris Stevens]

Greenlantern101
It's out of character for di Resta to have so many DNFs, he's normally Mr. Reliable (don't forget the first DNF was not his fault, even so it still doesn't look good). He is a talent that's for sure, but the loss of pace in the team and these incidents are just coming at the wrong time for him. He had a great first half to the season before Pirelli changed the tyres, I think he desevres a spot next year- he's just got the finish the final few races

 

[Blog Zbod]

I couldn't watch the race (too lazy to wake up at 2:00 am). Why was there a Jeep acting as SC?

I don't think the full tale has yet been told. The FIA apparently ordered it onto the circuit -- it was the fire control vehicle -- to extinguish Webber's burning car. Which was alight for at least 45 seconds before a local official applied the first extinguisher to it. The major malfunction was that it entered the circuit well before the safety car was ordered out.