Poll Out of Ten: 2015 Belgian Grand Prix

[Lewywo4]

One question, don't know if anyone has the answer. How was Rosberg allowed to make up 1.5 seconds under the VSC? and why was nothing done about it? What's the point of the VSC if drivers don't drive to their 'hold station' deltas?

I don't have an answer racecub, but became more annoyed when Nico was brought in first before Lewis, on lap 13.

 

[Spinodontosaurus]

^That was to protect him from loosing position to Perez and Ricciardo, who were going very quickly on fresh tyres.

 

[Brogan]

It's not the first time Mercedes have pitted the driver behind first.
Hamilton was the beneficiary at one of the races earlier this season.

 

[RasputinLives]

So I'm enjoying watching Kvyat chasing down Massa whilst keeping an eye on the gap between Grosjean and Vettel. I have a little chuckle to myself when Button comes on the radio and says "the guys changing tyres have a made a mistake even we're catching them". Then David Croft tells me about Rosberg closing the gap by a tenth on that last lap and I actually have to stop and think what he's talking about. The mercs! I'd forgotten they were in this. Kind of sums the race up for me.

I've given it a 6. It would have been a 7 but it losings one as despite paying for Sky so I don't have to watch the BBC but I still had to see David Coulthard asking crap questions and being generally a prat on the podium.

 

[aaron8831]

Gave it a 6 due to RoGro being back on the podium. That smile and expression of happiness are a reminder of how hard this sport is. Otherwise, I thought it was a pretty average race. Kvyat at the end was entertaining.

 

[soccerman17]

8:00 AM start, I fell asleep about 15 laps in, didn't wake up until the race was over. Was it boring? Kind of. Was I tired? Definitely.

 

[teabagyokel]

Lewywo4 - Rosberg was in a battle for position which he was within a millisecond of losing. Hamilton was miles clear of all. Had they forced Rosberg to pass a Force India (and possibly a Red Bull) in order to pit Hamilton first, they would have been staggeringly irresponsible.

Mercedes have been rightly accused of playing strategies as if there's only two cars on track. On this occasion, they played the game in front of them and won. Even the most myopic supporter must recognise the improvement.

 

[cider_and_toast]

For gods sake teabagyokel, never let the truth get in the way of an angry Hamilton fan. There's no telling where it may lead.

 

[RasputinLives]

When are you going to understand teabagyokel. Merc shouldn't be concentrating on how well the team can do but what they could do to help Lewis.

Personally I'm annoyed that they actually changed Rosbergs tyres when he came in. They should have left him there with no wheels on whilst Hamilton went a lap in front. Its a blatent attempt to sabotage Lewis!

Thing is it doesn't matter when Nico got pitted. Hamilton was always going to beat him.

 

[racecub]

Silly talk again if a Hamilton fan expresses a view. Why ridicule people you disagree with?
I personally didn't have an issue over Rosberg being pitted first, other than being slightly miffed that it cost Lewis four seconds. I could see why they did it. As has been pointed out, it's happened the other way round on other occasions. But I do think Mercedes were over reacting to threat from Perez. He wasn't a serious threat.
I think the gain under the VSC was another issue though and would like to know why it was allowed.

 

[RasputinLives]

They weren't reacting to a threat. They were getting Rosberg into 2nd to give them a 1-2 as, if you remember, he was behind at the time.

By the way it has nothing to do with Hamilton fans its just a bit of a silly thing to say.

 

[Titch]

I was under the impression that Hamilton had won. So what's the problem.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think the gain under the VSC was another issue though and would like to know why it was allowed.

This has been a great issue of debate across the Spa weekend in GP2 and GP3 as well as F1 and basically it comes down to the fact that the VSC has been falsley advertised. Its meant to 'hold' the race by limiting all drivers to a certain speed but its been wrongly interpreted as meaning all gaps would stay the same. It doesn't.

You can drive at the same speed as someone and still make time up round the track if you have a different line or if one driver is weaving to keep tyres warm etc. Not to mention that it kicks in at an exact point and lets go at an exact point. If the VSC is switched off when one driver is at the end of the straight going into a chicane with another at the begining of the straight then the guy behind is going to have more monentum and make a gain.

Its the FIA's fault for promoting it as a 'hold' when really it should be promoted as a 'the leader won't lose all his lead like a normal safety car'. It would be impossible to keep the gaps the same when we are talking such tiny margins so we're always going to have winners and losers.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Let's also not forget that the VSC is all about driving to a fixed time. One driver may drive within 1/100th of the VSC time while another may drive within 1/10th. Both are legal but one a fraction quicker. It depends on how much of a margin you are willing to leave.

 

[Titch]

I would find it very difficult to stick to a VSC speed limit. I have enough trouble on the motorway when all the lights are flashing 50MPH. Most other people seem to be afflicted in much the same way.

 

[Lewywo4]

For gods sake teabagyokel, never let the truth get in the way of an angry Hamilton fan. There's no telling where it may lead.

I'm hardly angry when Lewis wins, but rather in a good frame of mind..

 

[Lewywo4]

Mercedes have been rightly accused of playing strategies as if there's only two cars on track. On this occasion, they played the game in front of them and won. Even the most myopic supporter must recognise the improvement.

Maybe Nico needs to drive a little bit faster, so that this problem doesn't arise so many times on Lewis's end.

 

[RasputinLives]

Wow. Just wow.

 

[teabagyokel]

It looks as if Mercedes admits that they made a big MISTAKE by bringing Lewis in a lap later than originally scheduled, which possibly, a good possibility of costing Hamilton the win at Brazil.

This comment was made after a race in which Hamilton spun his car into a run-off area on said in-lap, when his pace suggested he would emerge in front of Rosberg.

 

[cider_and_toast]

In other news, my dad, a massive Button fan, said the race was bloody awful and switched off half way through. So now you know where I got my grumpyness from.