Grand Prix 2017 United States Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

And so we enter the final phase of the 2017 season and we are now at the point where the points leading driver can win the title should his rival finish lower than a certain position (in this case, 4th I believe). It just so happens that we arrive at a track where the Mercedes team have always ran well having won the last 3 races held there. Also, of the 5 races held to date, Hamilton has won 4 of them and his title rival Sebastian Vettel the other.

Quite why Ferrari have managed to implode in the second half of the season remains to be seen. Kimi hasn't really been in the races all year and Seb seems to be losing the plot at every opportunity. The increasing speed, reliability and confidence from the Red Bull camp has not helped matters but any hope of this season being a close two way battle between Vettel and Hamilton disappeared a long time ago. Only a monumental disaster could stop Hamilton from winning the title now.

As for the track, its always been a popular one with drivers, teams and fans and to be honest definitely rates as one of the least worst 'Tilkedromes'. Turn one has given us some exciting moments in previous races and Nico Rosberg credits Hamilton's wide elbows in 2015 for giving him the drive to take the 2016 title as he vowed not to let a driver do that to him again. The remainder of the track contains a few nods to various circuits around the world.

The thorn in Mercedes side at the last few races has been Red Bull and they will be waiting to pounce should they get the chance of a run at the Mercedes cars.

You know that F1 is in something of a state when outside of the top 6 the odds of another car winning a race have been quoted by some book makers as 1000/1. There are many squabbles throughout the midfield with those all important points bringing home an extra few million dollars. With the departure of Jolyon Palmer from Renault all eyes will be on Carlos Sainz to see if he can get closer to Hulkenberg. Meanwhile back at Sainz's old team, Daniel Kyvat is set to make his latest comeback to racing.

Can Hamilton win the title here then?

 

[P1]

What's the point in doing a track lay out them. Just shove em on an airfield and let em do what they want.

How would you define a lap on an airfield?

At COTA if you allow them to use all the tarmac, there is still a "lap". It is a loop, just one with wider surfaces than the painted track area. An airfield would not be a loop. It's pretty obvious. Your assertion makes no sense whatsoever.

Basically I am saying legalize the track limit cheating that everyone is doing, so everyone can continue to do it and we don't have to bicker about it or deal with inconsistent decisions.

 

[gethinceri]

i'd just do doughnuts on the start finish line and I'd win.
It's a brilliant suggestion.

 

[P1]

Good old green English grass should do the trick. End off.

Not safe unfortunately. And I speak from experience having crashed a car after getting 2 wheels on the grass. It can be too slippery and make correction impossible. Its a fast track to the wall. That's fine for F1, but remember the economics of only having F1 races would not support this circuit.

 

[P1]

i'd just do doughnuts on the start finish line and I'd win.
It's a brilliant suggestion.

So then whoever is on pole would always win. So much for ending Mercedes domination!

 

[gethinceri]

It's very simple; design a track with clearly defined edges, perhaps some kind of substance could be designed so it could be used to apply markings indicating these edges, penalise drivers for moving outside of these limits - no ifs or buts, penalise every transgression.

 

[gethinceri]

Or doughnuts on the start line.

 

[Rutherford]

Not safe unfortunately. And I speak from experience having crashed a car after getting 2 wheels on the grass. It can be too slippery and make correction impossible. Its a fast track to the wall. That's fine for F1, but remember the economics of only having F1 races would not support this circuit.

Two birds with one stone. No more corning cutting and a small contribution to solve the issue of overpopulation.

Stop cutting corners and save lives.

 

[F1Brits_90]

we need to keep track limits because as few have said what the point of a layout if they are going to make there own track. for me this is very easy. I'm sure that drivers are in competitive situation (don't mean this in a bad way) but similar to kids where if you give an inch they will take a mile. if you dont establish boundaries. they will keep pushing to see what they can get away with.

take either Austria 2016 or 2017. at penultimate corner mightve been both years as i remember kyvat suspension fails. all throughout friday they were constantly overrunning T8 (picture) all 4 wheels over the kerbs so far over they were nearly in the neighbouring city. then stewards came down firm said if you put more than 2 wheels on that kerb your time will be deleted without question. amazingly not 1 driver exceeded track limits in qualifying. which proves they can do it they choose not too

 

[P1]

It's very simple; design a track with clearly defined edges, perhaps some kind of substance could be designed so it could be used to apply markings indicating these edges, penalise drivers for moving outside of these limits - no ifs or buts, penalise every transgression.

This whole penalize philosophy is shit. That's what leads to situations where the podium is not the order people finished on the track. Fans hate that. I hate that.

Whoever wins on the track wins. Allow them to use all the tarmac, and even the grass or gravel. I don't care.

 

[P1]

we need to keep track limits because as few have said what the point of a layout if they are going to make there own track. for me this is very easy. I'm sure that drivers are in competitive situation (don't mean this in a bad way) but similar to kids where if you give an inch they will take a mile. if you dont establish boundaries. they will keep pushing to see what they can get away with.

take either Austria 2016 or 2017. at penultimate corner mightve been both years as i remember kyvat suspension fails. all throughout friday they were constantly overrunning T8 (picture) all 4 wheels over the kerbs so far over they were nearly in the neighbouring city. then stewards came down firm said if you put more than 2 wheels on that kerb your time will be deleted without question. amazingly not 1 driver exceeded track limits in qualifying. which proves they can do it they choose not too

View attachment 11643

Agree its easy to be that clear in qualifying. But in the Race it's harder. Should you get penalized if someone else pushed you wide?

 

[Greenlantern101]

Did anyone else notice the huge eagle shadow cross the track? Turns out it was CGI and not real. Which makes me wonder what else might not be real right now and in the future. Bizarre. Or should that be buzzard.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Link

Formula 1: Mystery solved as Formula 1 admits eagle shadow was CGI

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Did anyone else notice the huge eagle shadow cross the track? Turns out it was CGI and not real. Which makes me wonder what else might not be real right now and in the future. Bizarre. Or should that be buzzard.

I wondered what that was. What was the point? Maybe the production crew were just bored. I get that impression quite frequently.

 

[gethinceri]

This whole penalize philosophy is shit. That's what leads to situations where the podium is not the order people finished on the track. Fans hate that. I hate that.

Whoever wins on the track wins. Allow them to use all the tarmac, and even the grass or gravel. I don't care.

You are quite the antagonist.

 

[RasputinLives]

If your parents had been murdered by the Joker so would you be.

 

[Rutherford]

I wondered what that was. What was the point? Maybe the production crew were just bored. I get that impression quite frequently.

ENTERTAINMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

 

[Bill Boddy]

Strange, but when I was younger and used to go to various events the entertainment was provided by the racing. How simple we were in not recognising what we were missing.

 

[Andyoak]

Not really, we had racing in those days

 

[siffert_fan]

Batman

If you think that the drivers should be able to use "the gravel, the grass, the tarmac" etc, you should be watching the WRC races rather than F1. If the self-proclaimed "best drivers on earth" can't stay within the confines of the racing surface, they are in over their heads and shouldn't be in F1, IMO.

 

[FB]

I haven't used this expression on here in a long time but "Please, don't feed the troll".