2011 Malaysian Grand Prix Thread

[steveaki13]

Looking ahead it seems as though Sepang offers us the risk of more heavy rain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/5013

Thought it was time to start this thread.

[Sleeper]

I dont think we need a weather forcast to tell is it will be raining at some point in Malaysia, its more likely to be a case of when not if.

[555-04Q2]

Or how much rain!

[SGWilko]

Are they still running the race late afternoon local time?

[Sonic]

Looking forward to this one. I like the track, and the unpredictable weather always adds a bit of spice.

Pirelli say the higher temps will likely lead to a 3 or 4 stop race, so with a bit of rain it could turn into Donny 1993 again with half a dozen stops each - could be fun.

[Sleeper]

Are they still running the race late afternoon local time?

Yes.

[steveaki13]

They should really move the time back to its earlier slot.

I mean, the rain is fine, if it was a heavy shower as in 2001, but we all know if it rains at this time, then its likley to be race off.

However we could be lucky. After 2009, everyone said "It'll be stopped again in 2010, as it always rains at a set local time". And we didn't see anything of it.

Providing we see a full race (rain or not), then I think it should be a good one.

[CaptainRaiden]

I'm guessing the two long straights at Sepang would be the DRS zones this time? I think this time it should work perfectly, at least plenty more overtaking than in Australia, where the main straight was shorter and also the first corner didn't need hard braking.

[RJL25]

I'm guessing the two long straights at Sepang would be the DRS zones this time? I think this time it should work perfectly, at least plenty more overtaking than in Australia, where the main straight was shorter and also the first corner didn't need hard braking.

Also the sweeper leading onto the front straight in Australia requires good front grip and therefore good front aero, exactly what you don't get when following another car closely through there, which meant it was always very hard for the car behind to get a good run onto the main straight.

I think the DRS zone should be the main straight at Sepang, not the long straight leaidng into the finral turn, because the corner leading onto the main straight is a tight sweeper which cars can close right up in, where as the corner leading into the final straight is a more difficult corner for cars to follow closely and get a good exit in.

[Hawkmoon]

There are a few interesting questions to be answered:

1. Will the DRS be effective?

2. Will the Pirelli's behave as expected for once?

3. Will HRT actually race?

4. Will Red Bull dominate again?

5. Was the gap between Vettel and Webber in Melbourne a one off or will Das Wunderkind kick some more Aussie arse?

6. Will Ferrari figure out how to get some one lap speed out of their car for the first time in what seems like forever?

7. Will any of the locals actually show up?

Should be good getting an answer to some of these.

[CaptainRaiden]

Also the sweeper leading onto the front straight in Australia requires good front grip and therefore good front aero, exactly what you don't get when following another car closely through there, which meant it was always very hard for the car behind to get a good run onto the main straight.

I think the DRS zone should be the main straight at Sepang, not the long straight leaidng into the finral turn, because the corner leading onto the main straight is a tight sweeper which cars can close right up in, where as the corner leading into the final straight is a more difficult corner for cars to follow closely and get a good exit in.

Some interesting points there. IMO allowing DRS on both the long straights would be a good idea, because cars which are within one second can use the back straight to close right up, and then overtake on the main straight easier. We could also see cars retaking position between the penultimate corner and the first corner, i.e. overtaking the car ahead on the back straight and the overtaken car then retaking its position on the main straight. We would see plenty of overtaking moves this way, presumably. However, I don't know if the FIA have only a one straight DRS use policy, because logically they could have allowed its use in Melbourne between turns 10 and 11 as well, after the Clark corner.

[CaptainRaiden]

Before the FIA could make its decision, Felipe Massa is already against it:

http://www.planet-f1.com/news/18227/6855176/Massa-against-excessive-use-of-DRS


Felipe Massa admits he would prefer not to see the drag reduction system used on both of Sepang's long straights.

The DRS was first used two weeks ago in Melbourne, but such is the layout of the Albert Park circuit, that the system could only be used on the start-finish straight.

However, at the upcoming Malyasian GP at Sepang, there are two straights on which the DRS could be used. The FIA are yet to announce their DRS policy for the race, but Massa is hopeful that the system won't be overused.

"The situation will be interesting here, because for the moment the plan is to be allowed to use DRS during the race on the straight in front of the pits, but at Sepang the straight that runs back the other way is actually longer. It is also true that it would offer a higher chance of overtaking," the Brazilian told Ferrari's official website.

"So we are waiting for the final decision from the FIA to see if we use DRS on the front straight, the back one or both.

"The right decision could make the race more interesting for drivers and the spectators too.

"Personally, I am not sure that allowing DRS on both straights is the best option, because I think it might actually make overtaking too easy.

"You have to get the right balance between helping the chances of overtaking and having almost too much passing.

"At Sepang, the two straights follow one another, so if you are quicker than the car ahead, you might not even try and pass on the first straight, preferring to get well prepared and as close as possible, before then having a simple overtaking move on the second straight."

According to Ferrari's deputy technical director Pat Fry, the key to effectively using the system is positioning, with the 15mph benefit to the pursuing driver useless if the driver has not got themselves into the right area.

"After testing through the winter, most of the teams are all closing in on a similar level of drag reduction so the increase in speed provided by the system is delivering between 20 and 25 km/h (12-16mph)," he explained.

"I think it has made overtaking slightly easier, particularly when you are stuck in traffic, trying to get past backmarkers, but as we saw on the main straight in Melbourne, it is still difficult to overtake cars with a similar overall performance level to your own.

"You need to be somewhere in the order of three-tenths of a second behind another car going into the final corner before the DRS zone, to stand a chance of pulling alongside them by the end of the start-finish straight," he added.

Does anybody agree with him?

[Mark]

Yeah, I see his point, there should be some consistency with the way the system is deployed, you should probably have it only once per lap. And that should either be on the pit straight, or the longest straight, quite often these are the same, but not always as in Sepang. The FIA needs to choose one of these options and stick to it.

[Dave B]

Round black news: tyre allocation will stay the same as Australia, ie hard (silver) and soft (yellow); but practice will see some evaluation tyres being used:



During the two free practice sessions on Friday, Pirelli will be providing an extra two sets of dry-weather tyres for the teams to assess. The new tyre is an experimental hard compound that could be used in the future, in keeping with Pirelli's philosophy of combining entertainment with cutting-edge technology.

[Robinho]

pretty certain the DRS will only be the pit straight, which is configured that you usually see a decent amount of slipstreaming and overtaking on anyway, so should make it that bit easier for the distance they allow it open for. until it rains, and they they'll disable it anyway.

[F1boat]

If it is dry, I think that RBR will win very very easily.

[Dave B]

Here's the answer regarding DRS:



The FIA confirmed on Thursday that the DRS detection zone, where drivers must be within one second of the rival ahead of them to get the wing activated, will be situated 207 metres before the final corner at Sepang.

The DRS activation zone, where drivers can use the rear wing for a straight-line speed boost, will start just five metres after the final corner and run for the entire length of the start-finish straight.

Source: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90478

[Robinho]

as we expected then pretty much. should do the trick nicely, until it rains, DOH!

[N4D13]

There are a few interesting questions to be answered:

1. Will the DRS be effective?

2. Will the Pirelli's behave as expected for once?

3. Will HRT actually race?

4. Will Red Bull dominate again?

5. Was the gap between Vettel and Webber in Melbourne a one off or will Das Wunderkind kick some more Aussie arse?

6. Will Ferrari figure out how to get some one lap speed out of their car for the first time in what seems like forever?

7. Will any of the locals actually show up?

Should be good getting an answer to some of these.
Let me try:

1. Yes, it will. I wouldn't expect it to be great, though. It should make passing easier, not ultra easy. But it depends on the weather, ofc.

2. If "as expected" you mean "lots of degradation and three- or four-stoppers", they probably will. Anyway, as before, it'll depend on the weather.

3. Yes. They weren't that far from 107%, which isn't really bad taking into account that they had no set-up or testing whatsoever, plus they had last year's front wing. With proper testing, I'd expect them to be well inside 107%.

4. Yes. :( (Edit: if their tyre wear is as high as some say, it might not be so easy for them)

5. I'd expect Vettel to outperform Webber consistently during the season, but not as much as happened in Melbourne.

6. They might raise their game in qualifying, but I expect Red Bull to be the major force in qualifying during the season.

7. No comment.

[ioan]

Before the FIA could make its decision, Felipe Massa is already against it:

http://www.planet-f1.com/news/18227/6855176/Massa-against-excessive-use-of-DRS

Does anybody agree with him?

No.
Two consecutive straights would be fairer, so the car that was is passed on the first straight get's a fair chance to fight back on the second straight. This would make this stupid gimmick less important for the race outcome.

[Firstgear]

No.
Two consecutive straights would be fairer, so the car that was is passed on the first straight get's a fair chance to fight back on the second straight. This would make this stupid gimmick less important for the race outcome.

But that wouldn't really make a difference. If the passing bacame so easy, the car behind simply wouldn't try a pass on the first straight. He'd wait to make his move on the second straight so he couldn't be repassed.

[ioan]

But that wouldn't really make a difference. If the passing bacame so easy, the car behind simply wouldn't try a pass on the first straight. He'd wait to make his move on the second straight so he couldn't be repassed.

And what if he can't pull it off on the 2nd one, isn't it better to have 2x as many chances to pull it off?

[Barreis]

What kind of weather do they predict?

[truefan72]

F1 website says the weather is poor

damn,

anyway, just 90 minutes to Fp1

[airshifter]

But that wouldn't really make a difference. If the passing bacame so easy, the car behind simply wouldn't try a pass on the first straight. He'd wait to make his move on the second straight so he couldn't be repassed.

I agree. And from what we saw in Austalia it's not as though DRS makes a pass all that easy anyway. Button took quite a few tries to make his pass, and he was close enough we would have expected an attempt even without DRS.

By having the DRS zone where it is, it might also make for pass/repass situations on the final corner. In past years often a driver will pass on the straight, only to go too deep into the corner and create the over/under pass situation.

[Koz]

Damn, everyone seems to be leaving the track :s

[pino]

1 2 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:37.651 22
2 3 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:39.316
3 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:39.791 2.140 29
4 15 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1:40.377
5 12 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1:40.443
6 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:40.453
7 9 Nick Heidfeld Renault 1:40.525
8 11 Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:40.581
9 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:40.601
10 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:40.646

Full results :http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2011/846/6827/

[F1boat]

The gap speaks for itself.

[pino]

The gap speaks for itself.

Sad but true :p :

[Ari]

Ferrari seem to be nowhere. RBR will smash this GP wide open with BOTH drivers on par.

McLaren seem to be the ones taking the fight to RBR. Button had the best three sector times in FP2.... if you put them together he would be .3 faster than Webber in the session. He lifted for the last corner.

Looks an interesting GP!

[Garry Walker]

Hopefully Ferrari will only get worse from now on.

[pino]

Hopefully Ferrari will only get worse from now on.

What about if they are getting better and better...are you going to commit a suicide ? :eek: :p :

[Garry Walker]

What about if they are getting better and better...are you going to commit a suicide ? :eek: :p :
Far too many people would be happy over that, so I will not give them such pleasure yet :p :

[pino]

Far too many people would be happy over that, so I will not give them such pleasure yet :p :

I am one of them :wave: :p :

[pino]

1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.876s 24
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.881s + 0.005 30
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.010s + 0.134 23
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.090s + 0.214 30
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.088s + 1.212 26
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.089s + 1.213 31
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.565s + 1.689 25
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m38.570s + 1.694 16
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.583s + 1.707 27
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.846s + 1.970 31


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90506

[SGWilko]

1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.876s 24
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.881s + 0.005 30
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.010s + 0.134 23
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.090s + 0.214 30
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.088s + 1.212 26
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.089s + 1.213 31
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.565s + 1.689 25
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m38.570s + 1.694 16
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.583s + 1.707 27
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.846s + 1.970 31


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90506

Red Bull and McLaren seem to be ahead of the rest again.....

[truefan72]

The gap speaks for itself.

Practice 2
1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.876s 24
2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.881s + 0.005 30
3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.010s + 0.134 23
4. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m37.090s + 0.214 30
5. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m38.088s + 1.212 26
6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m38.089s + 1.213 31
7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m38.565s + 1.689 25
8. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m38.570s + 1.694 16
9. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m38.583s + 1.707 27
10. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.846s + 1.970 31

sure does

lets wait for the race results to determine the gap
Even Qualy times, while good indicators, will not mean as much in the race, as in Melbourne

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Red Bull were showing a better pace than McLaren on the longer runs.

[SGWilko]

Red Bull were showing a better pace than McLaren on the longer runs.

Red Bull were on the softs on the long runs, what were the McLarens on?

[N4D13]

It appears as though we should expect to see a great job from the stewards this weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BlX6wYMzg

[gloomyDAY]

It appears as though we should expect to see a great job from the stewards this weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BlX6wYMzgHAHAHA!! Wow. I can't believe his buddies just ran him over without batting an eye.

[truefan72]

great news for HRT

[DazzlaF1]

great news for HRT

Aye, within 107% and quite comfortably too, Lotus I thought were the big surprise, only 4 tenets off the Williams, impressive

[truefan72]

damn Vettel and that flexi wing!

[ioan]

Impressive Vettel! :up:

Delivers when it matters!

[F1boat]

Very fun qualy. Awesome lap by Vettel, I can imagine that the pressure must have been pretty big. Congratulations for Lewis and the McLaren team, they seem to be very, very close. Renault and Ferrari seem pretty even, the less said about Mercedes GP and Williams F1, the better.

[djparky]

Very fun qualy. Awesome lap by Vettel, I can imagine that the pressure must have been pretty big. Congratulations for Lewis and the McLaren team, they seem to be very, very close. Renault and Ferrari seem pretty even, the less said about Mercedes GP and Williams F1, the better.

agreed about Williams- the car is slow- qualifying sessions like that make me wonder why they bother carrying on- they weren't far off the pace last year- so far this year they've been awful

[Mia 01]

Sebastian is a better driver than Lewis, that´s the only differece today.

[Zico]

Sebastian is a better driver than Lewis, that´s the only differece today.

Hmm.. It would probably be very close in terms of raw pace but In equal machinery over a season I reckon Lewis would finish ahead.. a better all rounder imo.

[jens]

Subjective to say, but RBR and McLaren are probably about matched. Race trim performance still remains to be seen. Also Ferrari and Renault could be roughly equal on this track. Nice to see Kamui in Top10 again - hopefully Sauber gets some (non-DQ'd) points this time. Lotus is more like what they should be, this time. Surprising to see Williams so far back. While Lotus seemed to genuinely struggle with tyres in Oz, then it looks like circuit/tyre characteristics were not an excuse for Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams. They are indeed not any good. Di Resta is adapting well to F1 and coming strong - this is alarming to Sutil, whose future F1 career might be in danger at this rate.

[Garry Walker]

It appears as though we should expect to see a great job from the stewards this weekend.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BlX6wYMzg


Quality :D

[Mia 01]

Hmm.. It would probably be very close in terms of raw pace but In equal machinery over a season I reckon Lewis would finish ahead.. a better all rounder imo.

Seb will be WDC again this year.

Opposite he never arrogantly mentioned about monkeys at the back.

Lewis don´t deservs your support.

[truefan72]

Subjective to say, but RBR and McLaren are probably about matched. Race trim performance still remains to be seen. Also Ferrari and Renault could be roughly equal on this track. Nice to see Kamui in Top10 again - hopefully Sauber gets some (non-DQ'd) points this time. Lotus is more like what they should be, this time. Surprising to see Williams so far back. While Lotus seemed to genuinely struggle with tyres in Oz, then it looks like circuit/tyre characteristics were not an excuse for Ferrari, Mercedes and Williams. They are indeed not any good. Di Resta is adapting well to F1 and coming strong - this is alarming to Sutil, whose future F1 career might be in danger at this rate.

:up: agree with the entire analysis except for the sutil matter,
I suspect he would have beaten DiResta if he ran a lap in Q2,
I think than Sutil has the measure of the rookie, besides he beat him already in Australia from further back in the starting grid right?

[Zico]

Seb will be WDC again this year.

Opposite he never arrogantly mentioned about monkeys at the back.

Lewis don´t deservs your support.


Mclaren look to have made a big step forwards and are probably on par or at least very close, my opinion is not based on whether I like/dislike either driver but on more subjective personal performance related criteria such as racing ability.

You sound confident that seb will be wdc again this year, Im not so sure.. really looking forwards to race pace comparisons between both teams tomorow. ;)

[DazzlaF1]

Mclaren look to have made a big step forwards and are probably on par or at least very close, my opinion is not based on whether I like/dislike either driver but on more subjective personal performance related criteria such as racing ability.

You sound confident that seb will be wdc again this year, Im not so sure.. really looking forwards to race pace comparisons between both teams tomorow. ;)

With the prospect of high tyre wear on this track, this is a race that could favour the drivers who are good at tyre preservation which gives me a funny feeling about Button in 4th, he could very well spring a suprise

[Malbec]

With the prospect of high tyre wear on this track, this is a race that could favour the drivers who are good at tyre preservation which gives me a funny feeling about Button in 4th, he could very well spring a suprise

In Melbourne both McLarens managed to make their tyres last a couple of laps more than the Red Bull. I reckon that will be the deciding factor at Sepang, both teams are fairly matched on pace but the RBR eats its tyres faster.

[DazzlaF1]

In Melbourne both McLarens managed to make their tyres last a couple of laps more than the Red Bull. I reckon that will be the deciding factor at Sepang, both teams are fairly matched on pace but the RBR eats its tyres faster.

True, because of that, I can see McLaren squeezing out a 3 stop strategy while I cant see Red Bull doing anything other than a four. Unless it rains of course which I think would fall to Hamilton's advantage

[ioan]

True, because of that, I can see McLaren squeezing out a 3 stop strategy while I cant see Red Bull doing anything other than a four.

Any chance we get the calculations that brought you to this conclusions?
If you have specific data we don't have please share it with us. :)

[DazzlaF1]

Any chance we get the calculations that brought you to this conclusions?
If you have specific data we don't have please share it with us. :)

Tis only a hypothesis mate based on Button's ability to make the tyres last

[Mia 01]

Lewis needs to score good soon (he is already history). Seb wil be the ones that counts in the bbok from now on.

[N4D13]

I just wanted to quote Pirelli's Paul Henberry on tomorrow's weather forecast:

"We've heard that there's a 90% chance of rain tomorrow, but I'm English so that probably means there's going to be bright sunshine."

Now that's quality. :D

[gloomyDAY]

Tis only a hypothesis mate based on Button's ability to make the tyres lastOne of the greatest myths in modern F1 history. The Bridgestone eggheads said differently about Bunsen's tire wear last year, but hey, what do they know?

Vettel did get pole, but I think Hamilton will win tomorrow. Switching those lanes on the starting grid seems like a disadvantage to the driver on pole position.

[ShiftingGears]

Vettel did get pole, but I think Hamilton will win tomorrow. Switching those lanes on the starting grid seems like a disadvantage to the driver on pole position.

Well, the drivers think otherwise, as the decision was made with unanimous support from the drivers before qualifying, I believe.

[garais22]

If I understands correctly, then:
Sepang/KL International Airport (http://www.wunderground.com/history/station/48647/2011/04/10/DailyHistory.html)
Now +28C and Heavy Rain Showers

[Dave B]

First sports of rain according to a RT from @5LiveF1

[Dave B]

fergieweather SEPANG update: First raindrops now fall at circuit. With shower / storm development now f'cast to accelerate, a wet race start is possible.
3 minutes ago ·

[Robinho]

given the possibility of rain, here's a theory for you - Red Bull know they are that quick that they qualified with a semi wet set up, giving up a few tenths in qually for a better race car? or have McLaren made that much of a inroad into RB?

[ioan]

No rain in the next 30 minutes, according to Torro Rosso.

[ioan]

WOW Heidfeld had a great start!
Horrible start for Webber!

[Daniel]

Fantastic start by Heidi :)

[ioan]

And Alonso again behind Petrov! :D

[Daniel]

not anymore sadly

[Ranger]

BBC reported that Webber's KERS system failed, hence the horrible start.

He'll have a long afternoon. :(

[ioan]

WTF Ferrari? It took them more tan 10 seconds to change Massa's tires! :down:

Edit: They did much better for Alonso, I wonder why is that?

[ioan]

BBC reported that Webber's KERS system failed, hence the horrible start.

He'll have a long afternoon. :(

He was already slow from the stand still, KERS is used only from a certain speed otherwise it doesn't help at all.

[Daniel]

Fantastic racing all round today :)

[ioan]

Heidfeld the loser of the first tire changes.

[Daniel]

Jeezus Button, that was crap

[ioan]

Button slower than slow.

[ioan]

WTF is with Webber's race craft, he did never try to cover the inside when under attack today.

Big mistake Heidfeld, under pressure from Massa now.

[ioan]

Red Bull fell fool of the strategy games. Stupid move bringing in Vettel so early after Lewis.
Newey can build a great car however he seems to not be able to calculate the time needed to stay ahead of Heidfeld and Massa,

[Daniel]

Yeah they've screwed the pooch

[ioan]

Stella and Alonso are a comedy pair! :laugh:

[Rollo]

When they show a front end shot of the Red Bulls with the Infiniti logo on the front, I can't help but think that it looks like the moustache from "Geoff" the Hammerhead-i Eagle Thrust from series 14 of Top Gear.

[ioan]

A big slap on the face of the 'tire experts', Vettel's softer tires holding better than the hard tires of Hamilton and even compared to Button!
And Button overtakes Hamilton.

[Mark]

The marbles are crazy in places. Like the old days!

[Mark]

Fernando you tit!

[Daniel]

All turned to custard for d'ambrosio :D

[ioan]

Hamilton vs Alonso shows us why racing is much better without DRS!

[ioan]

Fernando you tit!

At least they raced!

[ioan]

WTH Lewis?!

[ioan]

:eek: The steering column of Petrov's Renault broke! :eek:

[Mark]

Nice air for Petrov!!

[Rollo]

Petrov has had enough and has thrown his PS3 controller away... no wait... that's a very very hard hit indeed. How's his bum? That's gotta hurt.

[Daniel]

Hope petrov is ok. Fantastic flying

[ioan]

Great race!

Congrats to Vettel, Button and Heidlfeld! :up:

[N4D13]

I'm amazed by the fact that the Bulls' KERS and DRS aren't working properly, yet they're still winning races. How come that? :p

[Mark]

Nice race! Pickem results are up!

[ShiftingGears]

Great race!

Congrats to Vettel, Button and Heidlfeld! :up:

Indeed. Hope Petrov's okay, that was huge!

[AndyL]

Not a bad result for the crap and slower-than-slow guy in second place, and the washed-up journeyman who doesn't deserve to be in F1 in third.

Edit: not to mention the guy in 5th who's lost his edge and been psychologically crushed by his teammate!

[shurik]

I wonder did the steering caused the accident for Petrov or it broke because of heavy landing? Seeing this whole thing immediately brought Senna accident to mind

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Is it only me who thinks the Austrian national anthem is the most deary one we ever hear in F1?

[ioan]

Those trophies look a tad small to me!

[Daniel]

The accident broke the steering for sure

[F1boat]

Vettel drove flawlessly, a richly deserved victory. Jenson and Nick were very smart and also did very well. Fred was slightly idiotic. Merc GP still very slow, but I am happy that MS got some points and were in front of his teammate.

[AndyL]

All turned to custard for d'ambrosio :D

"Thank goodness we got that one out of the way" :D

[donKey jote]

Fernando you tit!

+1

[AndyL]

What on earth happened to Rosberg today? Did he have some sort of problem, or was he just slow?

[Dave B]

You know, I'm warming to this DRS lark. It's making overtaking more possible but crucially NOT doing all the work for the driver; he still has to use skill, bravery and judgement at the right moment.

[DazzlaF1]

Here's how I see everyone after today

RED BULL: KERS or no KERS, Vettel looks like he cannot be touched when on song, can't say the same about Webber though despite a stirring drive to 4th

McLAREN: They've done more than enough to give Red Bull a few worries as the season progresses, should be a cracking fight between both teams.

FERRARI: Despite improved race pace, they do not look anywhere near championship winning material, they desperately need to improve their qualifying performance to stand a chance of challenging the top 2.

RENAULT: The big stars of the season so far, it's early days but I think they are now clear favourites for 4th place in the constructors championship.

MERCEDES: Something clearly does not look right with their car, horribly off the pace, overtaken by Renault and falling into the clutches of the Saubers.

MIDFIELD RUNNERS: Saubers look competitive and had it not been for two DQ's in Australia, they could have stolen a march in what promises to be an interesting battle for that 5th spot in the Constructors, Force India have looked disappointing compared to last year despite di Resta getting 2 points finishes, Toro Rosso look solid and Williams have a good car package but zero luck do far.

LAST YEARS NEWBIES: Lotus have shown huge improvement in qualifying speed, but also for all three teams, their race pace is actually quite decent too compared to the same stage last year, proved by Kovalainen only being lapped once and being competitive pace wise with some of the lower midfield runners, with more mileage and car upgrades to come, then the new 107% rule could become more pointless by the race

[steveaki13]

I enjoyed todays race and we only have a few days to wait until round 3.

Good stuff.

[Garry Walker]

I wonder did the steering caused the accident for Petrov or it broke because of heavy landing? Seeing this whole thing immediately brought Senna accident to mind

Because of the landing.

[ioan]

All this talk about the steering braking because of Petrov running over the curbs without checking that the steering column broke and not the steering arms of the car, and even the column broke 20 cms from the steering wheel, so either Petrov is that strong that he can brake a steel shaft or the failure was due to a manufacturing or material defect in that part.

[Garry Walker]

All this talk about the steering braking because of Petrov running over the curbs without checking that the steering column broke and not the steering arms of the car, and even the column broke 20 cms from the steering wheel, so either Petrov is that strong that he can brake a steel shaft or the failure was due to a manufacturing or material defect in that part.

Well, did you see how high the car jumped over the curbs?

[TMorel]

I'm surprised the suspension stayed intact but instead the column broke. Regardless, this might replace Markko & Beef's Ouninpohja jump as my screensaver.

[Daniel]

Well, did you see how high the car jumped over the curbs?

It wasn't the car travelling at warp factor snot and giving a huge g-loading that broke things, it was petrov himself :P

[jens]

Sauber is indeed an excellent car in tyre management as once again Kobayashi managed a 2-stopper. Renault's car seems good enough to take the fight to Ferrari in WCC for P3, having got two podiums in last two races against Ferrari's zero. But alas they have had only one car having a good race at once, so have fallen slightly behind the Reds.

Vettel/Red Bull is starting to remind Team Schumacher's best days. Four wins in a row, without an engine failure in Korea last year it would be six. Despite deteriorating form Force India has still managed to salvage points from each race so far. Di Resta is a bright light for them after various setbacks in terms of losing personnel recently.

Looks like we could have an interesting fight for WCC P5. Mercedes has some serious work to do to turn that in their favour, especially against Sauber. And at this rate of development a championship point is looming to Team Lotus one day.

[ioan]

And why would that brake the steering column 20 cms from the steering wheel? The suspension and the steering arms should brake long before the steering column brakes.
Do you have a car? Check the owner's manual and see why what happened to Petrov is not related to getting slightly airborne. We've seen worse take offs in F1 without a broken steering column as a result.

[fandango]

Around this time last year I was critical of Hamilton's weaving, and later running side by side in the pits with Vettel, but his battle with Alonso was great, and Alonso's clipping of Hamilton's rear should only have been an issue for the stewards if it had caused Hamilton to have a puncture. So where do they get this 20-second penalty? Is there a set of offences that falls into this category? Very silly call by the stewards, punishing drivers for a racing incident with a punishment that only has an effect on one party.

One element of the DRS, where it wins over KERS is the suspense: It shows a clear intention by the chasing driver, something you can see, and so the question is whether he can pull off the pass. A good race today :)

[motetarip]

I haven't watched the incident back but I thought it was Petrov's steering column assembly/housing that broke (not the column itself) which probably isn't all that robust.

[Malbec]

And why would that brake the steering column 20 cms from the steering wheel? The suspension and the steering arms should brake long before the steering column brakes.
Do you have a car? Check the owner's manual and see why what happened to Petrov is not related to getting slightly airborne. We've seen worse take offs in F1 without a broken steering column as a result.

Break not brake, brakes slow cars down.

I thought the column itself was intact but the mounting system that kept it in place came loose. That would be easily explained by the nature of Petrov's landing.

[ioan]

Break not brake, brakes slow cars down.

I thought the column itself was intact but the mounting system that kept it in place came loose. That would be easily explained by the nature of Petrov's landing.

Indeeed it was teh steering columns mounting. Even then how is it Petrov's fault that in the middle of the runoff there is a huge step that catapults the car .5 meters up in the air?

[gloomyDAY]

Anyone have a hi-res pic of Petrov in mid-flight?

[gloomyDAY]

Anyone have a hi-res pic of Petrov in mid-flight?http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljg64ttbS91qbm0mn.png

[airshifter]

Overall a great race today. The simple threat of the usual rain no doubt changed some strategies, and the little rain they did get seemed to put certain drivers on edge while others pressed on. And I'll say again I think the DRS is actually working to make passes possible but not take away the driver skill in doing so.

This race was a great example of not allowing DRS for a couple of laps also. The first two laps there was dicing just about everywhere in the field.

Great race! :)

[N4D13]

http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljg64ttbS91qbm0mn.png

:rotflmao:

I really shouldn't have entered the forum - one shouldn't start laughing maniatically while at class!

[AndyL]

BREAKING NEWS: Red Bull have agreed a deal with engine supplier Renault to swap the race numbers of Sebastian Vettel and Vitaly Petrov. Petrov will start the Chinese Grand Prix with 01 on the sidepod of his Renault. The team will also be painting it orange and adding a confederate flag on the engine cover.


http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ljg64ttbS91qbm0mn.png

Nice :D

[gloomyDAY]

:rotflmao:

I really shouldn't have entered the forum - one shouldn't start laughing maniatically while at class!Hey! You should focus on your studies...
...says the guy who ditched class today to snowboard with his girlfriend.

Hope you're not in class when you see this.

http://pic.phyrefile.com/s/sc/schumacherm/2011/04/11/2zgar6s.jpg