Formula 1 2011: Round 5 - Spanish Grand Prix

Cookie_Monster

amacachi wrote: »

Also, back to the 12 lap qualifying!? Honestly never thought I'd hear someone say that.

why not though, or at least something other than the current ridiculous Q3. Quali only tyres would solve most of the problem, people would actually look for grid position rather than simply strategy for the race. No more being punished for 10th while 11th can choose tyres nor the type of thing we saw today with Schumacher...
That couplled with 2-3 points for pole would make it much better

Myrddin

amacachi wrote: »

but to tinker with them solely to make the difficulty of overtaking "right" is surely more artificial than what's currently happening

Is that not what the whole idealogy is behind the current tyres? To promote differing strategies, increased pit-stops & have a massive fall-off point where they effectively become useless? On paper it all sounds great, but so far in reality, combined with KERS & DRS, there's no genuine excitement watching any of the races so far, personally speaking anyway.

Yes there's loads of passing, loads of pit stops etc...but it doesn't 'feel' as real as perhaps it even is. Maybe sprinklers on the track wasn't such a bad idea after all eh Bernie :rolleyes::D

Maybe things will settle in after a few more races, & this is all just the normal hatred of change. I really hope so anyway, I han't felt any tension/nail biting moments since the season started. In fact, the race has been decided on Saturdays in all but one occasion...that doesn't sound like 'mixing things up' in my book.

Myrddin

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

why not though, or at least something other than the current ridiculous Q3. Quali only tyres would solve most of the problem, people would actually look for grid position rather than simply strategy for the race. No more being punished for 10th while 11th can choose tyres nor the type of thing we saw today with Schumacher...
That couplled with 2-3 points for pole would make it much better

Exactly. When not setting a time in Q3 puts you at a strategical advantage, you know theres something wrong there.

Ghost Train

We're still getting the teams having to set a fast time, good that its mixing up the order a bit. If Redbull weren't so strong might make it more interesting :pac:. One more set of soft tyres might be an idea or reward the top five qualifying driver with a fresh set for the race.

EvilMonkey

An extra 2 sets of softs and scrap the starting on your fastest tyres rule would sort out qualifying. Or a set of qualifiers for everyone in Q3

freestyla

amacachi wrote: »

Get the hards out of the way, something like a safety car later on would suit him massively. Also while the tracks don't seem to "rubber in" as much on this year's tyres the softs still seem to be better later in a race than early in a race, or else they hold on much better on lower fuel. Look at Webber's incredible pace in China for ~20 laps at the end while others were struggling to get more than 10 laps out of them at the start even when specifically trying to take it easy and make them last as long as possible.

Trouble is if he goes backwards at the start and ends up a pitstop behind some of the slower runners it could mess up his race.

ahaa Schumi could do Webbers and end up in top 3 easily if no extra drama stops him! old fox :cool:

mickdw

freestyla wrote: »

Schumi starting with hard tires right? whats the advantage? is it then he can somehow gain time between laps 10-20 while others are changing softs?

Schumi is free to pick his tyres for the race start as he didnt set a time in Q3.
Id say it will be soft tyres off the line tomorrow.

freestyla

I see many of you moaning about artificial feeling of racing this season. Well people.. at least we do have overtakings! ofcourse must give feedback but so we did every year and F1 bosses are trying to make it more entertaining every year changing rules.
I think its not easy to sit in high chair making decisions which affect 12 best motorsport teams on the world and millions of fans. These things never tried before so its hard to simulate them before actually apply them for real.

After all this is F1 - business, glamour, speculations, rumors, fast technical development, did I say super loads of money? Evey rule change increases F1 business turnover I guess so we wont see them deciding ie to have same rules for 5 years in a row - not profitable business. I also guess they couldn't even achive it because of so many companies, partners, fans, countries etc involved thus so much different demandings.

No wonder Kimi left to enjoy speed and cars elsewhere in more relax atmosphere.

amacachi

Sorry, what's this whole "current issues" with Q3? Since this system was introduced there's been people taking the option of not setting a time, it's not a phenomenom just from this season.

EDIT: I look forward to overtaking being too easy due to DRS tomorrow even though last season the drafting on the main straight was ridiculous. This year though people will have something to complain about when they see it.

Inbox

Anybody know how many new sets of soft tyres schumi has for tomorrow?

Cookie_Monster

LIGHTNING wrote: »

Apart from the recent Q3 issue`s the current format of qualifying is the best we have seen in a long time.

totally. IF, IF it didn't have the needless "Q3 to race" bit and was Q3 only...

It's a great format, I really love the elimination process, far better than the last 5 mins rush of the past after 55 mins of nothing.

losthorizon

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

totally. IF, IF it didn't have the needless "Q3 to race" bit and was Q3 only...

It's a great format, I really love the elimination process, far better than the last 5 mins rush of the past after 55 mins of nothing.

I agree for years and years it used to be boring until that last five minutes.

amacachi

I've a feeling everyone will be happy with this race, expecting a procession for the top 5 at least after the first corner.

EDIT: Ya gotta love the BBC's very OTT openings. :pac:

amacachi

What's everyone expecting/hoping for today? I think Button beating Hamilton would be good for the rest of the season and obviously a Vettel retirement would be nice. :pac:

Looking forward to seeing how Di Resta and Heidfeld get along, one would assume they'll start on the hards.

bleg

Any online streams?

Woden

hehe lol at Button taking the piss out of the Vettel finger

cherryghost

complete nightmare looking for a stream today BBC iPlayer isn't working on proxy at the mo...

freestyla

cherryghost wrote: »

complete nightmare looking for a stream today BBC iPlayer isn't working on proxy at the mo...

this one works for me thru proxy: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9493024.stm

amacachi

God I hate people who don't have TVs :pac:

freestyla

Here we gooo... I bet will be crash in 1st corner.. Lets see if Vettel is really grown up

amacachi

Awesome start for Alonso and Schumi!

Disaster for Button though.

freestyla

amacachi wrote: »

Awesome start for Alonso and Schumi!

Disaster for Button though.

and very good for Lotus, they still 15th and 16th

amacachi

Interestingly (to me) Kobayashi is going about 2 seconds a lap faster than the Force Indias on the harder tyres.

Heh "Safety car window is open." Hope Charlie is listening. :pac:

Ghost Train

Nice moves from vettel

amacachi

I really wish people would turn in on drivers like Hamilton and Vettel more. If they tried the kind of moves they use now in the 80s they'd be lucky to finish a couple of races a year.

amacachi

Stupid for Button to pit, going to end up behind a train of cars that he's currently faster than.

EDIT: I stand corrected. :pac:

amacachi

Vettel a SECOND faster in the middle sector alone. Unreal.


Pity they couldn't have stayed in the order they were in, it was looking like they'd end up 5 or 6 stopping. :pac:

EDIT: I wonder if Hamilton can go with one less stop from here on, looks like he still has decent life left in the tyres.

amacachi

Looking forward to Kobayashi coming through the field at the end and how the Force Indias get on later since it looks like all the frontrunners are leaving the hards til the end.
EDIT: And Heidfeld. :P

Ghost Train

Hamilton has a few extra laps in his tyres, wonder can they make it pay if Vettel has to switch to hards first

amacachi

Why take Button in now when he's faster than Alonso and Webber while they're on the hards!?

EDIT: I really don't get McLaren sometimes, great strategy with Hamilton today and they had the makings of a podium with Button and they take him in. I don't get that at all.