Grand Prix 2014 German Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

The races are now coming thick and fast and the Drivers Championship is warming up nicely after Nico Rosberg's first DNF of the season gave a relatively easy win to Lewis Hamilton. The circus moves on now to Germany, at the emasculated Hockenheim circuit.

Last year Vettel won the first home race of his career. This year I'm sure another German driver, in the shape of Nico Rosberg, will be hoping this will be his turn. After Lewis won his home race maybe Mercedes will have something predetermined (oops, I've just started the first conspiracy theory).

Outside of both Mercedes cars failing it's hard to see any other team winning. Should the Silver Arrows falter Williams are looking best placed to pick something up but I suspect it's more likely to be a podium for either Massa or Bottas. McLaren appeared to find some pace at Silverstone, maybe their technical team have finally realised they have the best engine on the grid and should, perhaps, take advantage of it. Red Bull will also be looking to pick up the crumbs and, as appears to be the pattern, Ricciardo is more likely benefit than Vettel.

The Force India cars were off the pace in Silverstone, perhaps Hockenheim will better suit them. I'm sure the other Nico will want to put on a good show for his home crowd. It will be interesting to see which German midfield runner Fernando Alonso chooses to have a fight with. His preference most races has been Nico Hulkenberg but at Silverstone he decided to have a fight with Sebastian Vettel, which was quite entertaining.

Toro Rosso will be just behind the Ferrari's and Red Bull's, maybe collecting point or two. Of the other teams Lotus will just ahead of Sauber, the biggest question will be who will crash into whom during the race. Marussia and Caterham will fighting to be last, with Caterham almost certain to win that battle.

I forgot to mention Kimi Raikkonen. Hopefully he will be fully recovered for the German race but, on current form, Ferrari might look to stick someone else in the car.

Did I mention I'll be there? Well I will. Look out for a fat bloke with two kids waving like a tit at the camera. Maybe I'll put some Union Jack underpants on my head, that should please the German TV director Bring on the frites and wurst!

 

[teabagyokel]

Of course she would beat Toto, but what of anyone who is actually a racing driver?

 

[F1Yorkshire]

Would Toto even get his shoulders into the car?

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's only practice... not representative... blah blah blah...
But without having had a regular drive, Susie got into the car on the once in a blue moon occasion she's been allowed to, and ended up just over 2 tenths behind a current regular, proven driver in the sister car and even less behind the two Force Indias, which have been regular points and podium contenders this season. I'd say that's not too shabby. Would she beat Max Chilton in equal machinery? Almost certainly.

Sometimes I think that to satisfy some of the experts on here, she'd have to lap Senna, Schumacher, Moss, Clark and Fangio (each in their prime) round Spa or the old Nurburgring, while simultaneously coming up with a solution to the nuclear fusion conundrum. While doing all that, she would be using her hands-free kit to broker everlasting peace between Israel and Palestine and ordering the weekly shop from Waitrose online. Then on the warm-down lap, while picking up rubber and doing a few donuts, she'd concoct and patent the formula for cheap mass-production of hydrogen.

On second thoughts, that wouldn't be enough would it? Because she's only a woman and women aren't good enough for F1.

 

[soccerman17]

Very impressive today. Still not sure she deserves a drive on being one of the top 22 single-seater drivers in the world but she may be more deserving than certain pay drivers named Pastor and Esteban and a journeyman with Capri-Sun sponshorship.

 

[RasputinLives]

Chad Stewarthill she doesn't have to win everything to impress me she just has to win something. Or score a point in something. Anything in any catogry.

I'm very pleased for her that she had a good run, I really hope it improves her as a driver and ya know what I love hearing her view on the Sky TV prog as she seems a genuinally lovely person. None of this changes the fact that I can think of nearly 100 drivers who have demonstrated more skill and talent and deserve that session in the Williams more than she does. Lets not kid ourselves - this isn't Max Chilton level pay driver this is Phillipe Adams level pay driver.

I was born and raised about equality and I know it when I see it. This isn't it. This is someone getting a chance at something they haven't earned because of who they are. I would love to see women drivers in F1 but I want them to be their on merrit not marriage.

 

[teabagyokel]

I think caution is a great asset at this point:

1. We don't know exactly what programmes all of the combinations were running.
2. She only actually beat Giedo Van Der Garde in a Sauber, the Lotus, Marussias and Caterhams.
3. I'm not sure 15th is a great performance in a car which took pole two races ago.

I don't think she has given us that silver bullet which shows she is worth an F1 place.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

I'm not sure 15th is a great performance in a car which took pole two races ago.

And 11th, just 2 tenths quicker, by an experienced ex-Ferrari driver in equal machinery who has masses of F1 race experience, is a race winner and was once world champion (for a few seconds, anyway) is?

I agree teabagyokel that caution is to be recommended, but not much of it ever seems to be shown by those so keen to write her (and female drivers generally) off. That's all I'm really arguing against.

I would love to see women drivers in F1 but I want them to be there on merit not marriage.

But for men it's alright to be there only by dint of having a rich daddy and/or sponsor?

 

[RasputinLives]

No. Thats not what I said is it? I would prefer every driver to be here on merit alone. In fact I've been a big advocate for the exact opposite. But please take a look at the worst of the worst of these 'daddy's boys' in the sport at the minute. You'll find even they have a track record a hundred times better than Susie.

Also if Susie was one of these 'daddy's boys' there would not be one single person supporting her being in F1.

Sakon Yamamoto did not have a fan club.

 

[Incubus]

Something I am finding a bit ironic here.

While Wolf certainly seems to divide opinions, it stands to common sense that men and women should be treated equally and judged on merit alone.

So why does the subsect of women driver even come up at all, and why so much heated debate on a driver who only takes part on FP1's?

Doesn't that somehow detract from the entire point, both on the part of the "pro's" and the "anti's"...

 

[F1Yorkshire]

It's not the fact that she is a woman. It's the reasons behind why she has got her shot at F1. There are quicker drivers out there who are not getting their chance due to sponsorship or other restrictions.

Fair play to Susie. She's used what she has available to get noticed and she may not be the slowest on the grid but she's no more deserving than any other of the pay drivers out there.

F1 should be a league system. Let the pay drivers buy their way into GP2 and GP3 but if they want to get to the top echelon then it should be by merit alone.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

it stands to common sense that men and women should be treated equally and judged on merit alone.

Hear Hear (except that the scale of prejudice against female racing drivers, as displayed here and elsewhere, must limit their opportunities - the 'glass ceiling' if you like)

So why does the subject of women driver even come up at all, and why so much heated debate on a driver who only takes part on FP1's?

Precisely because male drivers are not, as a general rule, subjected to the same high standards of 'merit alone' that women are.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

Anyway, what about the FRICking suspension?
Removing it certainly seems to have affected the cars somewhat (well if it didn't, what was it doing there in the first place?) but it doesn't seem to have shaken up the order at all, other than that Red Bull (Ricciardo at least) seem to be a bit closer to the Mercs, though that might be completely unrelated to FRICS. A better session for Raikkonen too after his recent travails.

 

[RasputinLives]

Precisely because male drivers are not, as a general rule, subjected to the same high standards of 'merit alone' that women are.

Ermmm....yes they are. There is whole swathes of articles on it every year. Just the slightest hint of money or a strange driver choice and people are going on about money getting them the seat. Pastor Maldonado is constantly villified as a pay driver and he is a GP2 champion and Grand Prix winner. The moment Kvyat was announced as an F1 driver someone on here posted his name with letters replaced as dollar signs just because he seemed a choice out of left field and happened to be Russian.

Don't imagine a prejudice becauae she's a woman. If people were praising some other two bit male no hoper for a practice performance then I'd equally be in here arguing my point.

In fact check out my tyrades on Van Der Garde and Bruno Senna.

 

[Monkeyhead]

Anyway, what about the FRICking suspension?
Removing it certainly seems to have affected the cars somewhat (well if it didn't, what was it doing there in the first place?) but it doesn't seem to have shaken up the order at all, other than that Red Bull (Ricciardo at least) seem to be a bit closer to the Mercs, though that might be completely unrelated to FRICS. A better session for Raikkonen too after his recent travails.

For the moment it seems that Mercedes was having the most efficient FRIC system. The Red Bulls seem dangerously close now. Sauber looks somewhat faster too.

 

[Incubus]

How do we know it's anything to do with the FRIC systems though? This is a very different track to both Austria and Silverstone so there's no way of comparing.
Plus, the gap this morning from Rosberg to the nearest non-Merc car is 6 tenths over a relatively short lap...

 

[teabagyokel]

Chad Stewarthill - Massa was disappointing, don't get me wrong.

 

[Chad Stewarthill]

RasputinLives don't get me wrong; I wasn't accusing you of prejudice towards women, your arguments are always well informed - but there is plenty of it out there.

Anyway, that ought to be my last word on the 'women drivers' issue for now, as practice is over and Qualy now approaches. At the moment I'm more interested in the Rosberg / Hamilton battle for pole. Rosberg seems to just have the edge, I wonder if Lewis can find that extra something in Q3 that has eluded him in the last few races, or will the pressure get to him? Mind you, both the Williams drivers look quite handy at the moment too; they could nick in there if either Merc driver slips up.

 

[mjo]

I tell you what, those Williams cars aren't in bad shape for tomorrow - given Mercedes' recent reliability record, I doubt that it will be a comfortable stroll for Nico tomorrow. Throw in Hamilton in p15, and the genuine possibility of rain tomorrow, and we could have a cracking race on our hands.

 

[no-FIAt-please]

I just wish we had a fair fight between the Mercedes drivers in the Championship.

I'd love to see a Williams win tomorrow, both for the Championship and because I'd like to see Bottas sneak his maiden win, his momentum has been building recently and with a bit of luck he might just be able to do that tomorrow if Rosberg runs into trouble.

 

[mjo]

I just wish we had a fair fight between the Mercedes drivers in the Championship.

???

They've both had their fair share of bad luck this season.