Vettel's Gearbox

We're Vettel's gearbox problems genuine?

  • Yes, what fantastic gearbox management.

    Votes: 3 7.9%
  • No, what a thinly veiled ploy.

    Votes: 19 50.0%
  • We shall never know...

    Votes: 16 42.1%

  • Total voters
    38

ExtremeNinja

Karting amateur
Contributor
No need to go into great detail on this. There has been speculation about the Brazilian 2011 GP, which I subscribe to and am a party to, that Vettel had no problems with his car and handed the victory to Webber in an orchestrated gesture and deception by the Red Bull team.

So, what do you think?
 
The lap chart speaks for itself.

vettel-webber-2011-brazilian-grand-prix-lap-times-png.2938


Third fastest lap of the race too, on lap 68.
 
Well, I don't know if anybody is suggesting that there was a performance problem with the gearbox. If it was overheating, I daresay it would work perfectly well up to the point that something melted? The key thing then is the degree to which Vettel was indeed short-shifting, which probably varied from lap to lap?
 
Well, I don't know if anybody is suggesting that there was a performance problem with the gearbox. If it was overheating, I daresay it would work perfectly well up to the point that something melted? The key thing then is the degree to which Vettel was indeed short-shifting, which probably varied from lap to lap?

I think Brogan's chart shows that Vettel was indeed slower than Webber consistently from the time the problem occurred, suggesting that he actually was short shifting. I doubt he would have gone that deep into the deception, playing along for 50 odd laps? His driving suggests that Vettel did believe there was a problem.
 
I thought the radio transmission was the biggest giveaway.

"Hmm. Well done Sebastian, you should be very proud of yourself".

And this was mid-race and said in a tone of jest.

edit: wasn't there a lot of laughing reported on the Red Bull pit wall mid-race too?
 
I think Vettel would have. Hed done all he needed to do. Webber hasn't moaned about being second fiddle all year. Vettel got his season pole record yesterday. At the pace Vettel was running at, he could well have won that race. There was really no need for him to concede that position. Once again, the radio message between Webber and Rocky was an obvious joke about the situation.

"I feel like Senna in '91"

Clearly said through a cheeky grin. When have you ever heard a driver enjoying car problems?
 
As with all the usual theories we seem to have to sift through each weekend, I reckon he had a genuine problem but if not I couldn't give two figs. Sorry but even if they pulled a fast one (which I don't believe they did because why bother?) at least it's better than Mansalls oh so obvious "after you" to Patrase in 1992.

Mark won the race, Vettel was already world champion and I expect dissapointed that he wasn't going to win but at the same I expect not too bothered since the title trophy already had his name on it and a space in the cabinet ready.

I guessed from the moment the radio call went out with regard to a gear box problem that the JFK club would be holding their first meeting of the weekend.

Sorry for the grumpy post but I've got a headache, suffering from lack of kip due to a little 'un and it's been a long season full of nonsense.

Well done Mark Webber and even more well done Vettel on a fantastic season and a dominent title. That's my two cents.
 
Hey. I've no problem with it either, and I'm no conspiracy theorist. In this particular incident, I don't think I could pretend I had fallen for what I deem to be Red Bull's private joke of the season.

Hope you get a good kip tonight. At 31 I'm battling teething myself, albeit at the back of my own mouth. :(
 
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