Chinese GP 2012 - Shanghai

[Gerhard Berger]

Alonso needs a mention in regards to this race...running wide in an attempt to overtake seemed llike a basic mistake to me....

certainly not his best race, that mistake definitely cost him at least a couple of positions. Before that he was tracking Hamilton and Webber.

Good reality check for us and the team. With Alonso driving an average race, this is the reality of where we stand.

[Maelstrom]

Raikonnen was very unlucky. Very bad strategy for him. The Lotus wasn't looking that strong this weekened either. Wonder whats up with that.

Vettel actually drove a pretty good race today. He fought for positions and when Jenson and Lewis overtook him he fought to the end. But I was happy Webber pipped him.

Flawless race from Rosberg. Who could have expected it? Some people were saying it would be a 10/13 finish. Jenson was unlucky and might have challenged Rosberg but he was looking to finis a solid second atleast. The tyres were actually decent today. He actually managed a two stopper.

Good race by Jenson and Hamilton too. Alonso really drove well too and seeing where Massa finished he really couldn't do any better.

But the person who had a really bad race was probably Kobayashi.

[bhall]

I question if you even have watched a lap of the track once..

And I wonder if you're under the impression that the Formula 1 season consists of a series of 20 races in Shanghai.

[Goran2812]

You have to take into account that Alonso found himself on the dirty, and may I say very dirty side of the track, he couldn't do jack about stopping the car or not going out of the track... Same thing happened to Grosjean...

[Nando]

I question if you even have watched a lap of the track once..

And I wonder if you're under the impression that the Formula 1 season consists of a series of 20 races in Shanghai.

Were we not discussing China´s speed traps where you claimed they have traction issues? Yes i believe this was the whole convesation.

Or are you implying that your argument only works for other tracks and not this?
Despite you were pulling speed trap figures from this track? In qualifying.

Here´s a picture for you. a split second before this picture was taken, he reached his highest speed on the straight, 314km/h



Notice that he´s only halfway. This is why the whole traction limited thing is simply not true in China.

[myurr]

Don't think Perez fared too well either to be fair. I don't remember Kobayashi making any really bad mistakes, that car just wasn't looking that fast today.

I think temperatures have played a huge part in the race today. Conditions were a lot cooler than usual, so let's see how everyone does in Bahrain. I think with the higher temperatures the order will shift again. The only team I'd dare put money on being there or there abouts would be McLaren as they've been pretty consistent.

[bhall]

I know I'm in the minority, but these tire lotteries aren't very amusing to me.

[vall]

Alonso needs a mention in regards to this race...running wide in an attempt to overtake seemed llike a basic mistake to me....

well, it was becuase of the marbles. Nothing wrong with trying to overtake outside, but those marbles make you drive as on ice. So, yes, his mistake was to underestimate the merbles. But untill them he was on the same pace with Webber and Hamilton.

BTW, did LH move twice to defend from Vettel?

[myurr]

BTW, did LH move twice to defend from Vettel?

No.

Took the corner, moved right to follow the racing line, moved left to defend (which is his one allowed move) and then returned toward the racing line to take the corner. That final move is explicitly permitted as long as a cars width is left, which it was.

[Maelstrom]

I know I'm in the minority, but these tire lotteries aren't very amusing to me.

Meaning? Could you explain?

[fenix4life]

Didn't really understand why so much drivers were using a short seventh gear. It looked like a lot of drivers were already at full speed when arriving at the DRS zone.
Hom many drivers didn't had a lot of difficulties when the driver behind was using his DRS.

[bhall]

Umm, Craig, that's a Mercedes.

And the conversation started with the suggestion that the Ferrari is "draggy." I mentioned traction-limited top speed as a response to that.

Now I'm going to exit while you struggle to gain traction on the gist of the discussion.

Ciao.

[myurr]

Didn't really understand why so much drivers were using a short seventh gear. It looked like a lot of drivers were already at full speed when arriving at the DRS zone.
Hom many drivers didn't had a lot of difficulties when the driver behind was using his DRS.

Most were hitting the DRS zone with a small amount of revs left, the DRS was then giving a small boost.

The reason they run it fine on gearing is that the torque bands for the engines are very narrow so if they had a long seventh gear they would end up outside that band when DRS wasn't available. That would then further compromise their top speed during the race.

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

I know I'm in the minority, but these tire lotteries aren't very amusing to me.

How is it a lottery when the driver is in full control of the car and how it uses these tyres?

[Mandrake]

Yeah maybe, I think he overtook 1 or 2 in the first few laps, as he was back in 15th at the first sector on lap 1.

Id say 4 in the whole race maybe ?

Does it really matter how many overtaking manoevers there were? I am surprised he passed somebody at all, with that sitting duck on the straights he was never gonna profit from the DRS window.

I know I'm in the minority, but these tire lotteries aren't very amusing to me.

Was there really tire lottery? There were 2-stoppers and 3-stoppers, both strategies with advantages and disadvantages. I didn't see any abnormal tire behavior this race.

What can be concluded is: In these conditions on this track, the RedBull in the hands of Vettel is the kindest car to its tires. He had his second set of hards put on from lap 31 (or so?) and only lost out in the very last moment. Others suffered much earlier. But still, with their current Quali and race pace their not gonna win any championship at all this season.