2012 Singaporean GP - Marina Bay

[astracrazy]

i don't think it would be worth doing a 3 stop

i'd expect one and even maybe two safety cars. If we get two it's most likely we will hit the time limit first (especially if we get a safety car later in the race where lapped cars are sent to the back - that takes up 2 laps).

The above helps the 2 stoppers....

[zgred]

Morteza, FrukostScones, andrewf1, n smikle, Shrieker, Just_a_fan - thanks guys, I will try to keep snapshoots coming whenever I will be around.

[raymondu999]

Interesting that Vettel and Grosjean were the only two drivers to not improve their Q2 laptime in Q3. Even Webber could improve. Perhaps this is indicative of setup changes geared for better tyre life pre-Q3? Does anyone know if track & ambient changed from Q2 to Q3?

Isn't it more likely that their tyres fell out of their optimum operating window as the track cooled?

Yes that's exactly what I meant really. My question was basically "what if Grosjean and Vettel's inability to get pace in their car in Q3 is indicative of a more long-run based setup choice"

Their post-race quotes would also seem to support this theory:

After Q1 and Q2 we felt positive but it didn’t quite come together in the final session.

I was happy until the end of Q2, but then in Q3 we weren’t able to go with the track and improve. In Q3 I couldn’t feel the grip so well and convert it to the lap time.

Really 37 seconds?

James Allen has it listed as 26 seconds for a pit stop with a 24 seconds loss relative to running on track. Sounds somewhat more reasonable.

Perhaps the time spent on the limiter (plus stationary pitstop time) is not 37 seconds, but I think the time delta between being on track and in the pits could be nearer to 37s than 26s. Reason being the last two corners are cut out by the pit entry. A car staying out will go through a fast corner and carry that speed onto the straight, while those entering the pit lane will have two little mechanical corners to navigate.

[ell66]

aside from the start the biggest threat is vettel, he's been extremely fast all weekend, so it'll come down tyre deg, its allways hard to tell how much fuel they all run in practice during there long runs.

[raymondu999]

Yes, I think the biggest question is 2 stop vs 3 stop. I think the 2 stop is quicker, but a 2 stop might kill the tyres? Also we need to look at the safety car. If the safety car comes out late in the race (just after Mr. 3-stop's last stop, then the 2 stoppers are f*cked). Generally they come out mid-race though, so maybe closer to the 3-stoppers' 2nd stops

[Slife]

Reading the starting grid made me wonder, why is MSC #7 when Rosberg beat him last season ?

I thought it was because he liked odd numbers or something, but after reading the regulations

If more than one driver fails to set a time during Q1, Q2 or Q3 they will be arranged in
the following order :
i) Any driver who attempted to set a qualifying time by starting a flying lap.
ii) Any driver who failed to start a flying lap.
iii) Any driver who failed to leave the pits during the period.

So it would seem that Rosberg (since he went out first) should be ahead of MSC, but alas:

If more than one driver falls into a single category in b) or d) above they will be arranged on
the grid in numerical order.

I think in 2010, Nico agreed to give his number 3 to MSC for number 4. I wonder if Nico realizes the disadvantage he gave himself.

[PlatinumZealot]

Really 37 seconds?

Yeh, 37 stops sounds off, It's not a long pit lane, so I'd bet more like 15-20 seconds cost. The result – a net roughly 0 gained, but you'd need to make a bunch of overtakes, so it still doesn't sound like it's worth it.

Williams have 40 seconds on their site. I guess 37seconds is a good stop.

http://www.williamsf1.com/news/view/2244

I can use the Williams data and the tyre data from Paul hembry: SS degrade at 0.3 seconds a lap, Softs degrade at 0.1 seconds a lap. SSoft 1.5 seconds faster - to make a sort of graph showing the overlaps.

[LionKing]

So it would seem that Rosberg (since he went out first) should be ahead of MSC, but alas:

Where is the basis of this going out first in the regulations?

If they had set an identical time in Q3, the first guy to set it would start in front but they did not set a time.

I don't think he will bothered since he was already slower than MSC in Q2.

[Slife]

So it would seem that Rosberg (since he went out first) should be ahead of MSC, but alas:

Where is the basis of this going out first in the regulations?

If they had set an identical time in Q3, the first guy to set it would start in front but they did not set a time.

I don't think he will bothered since he was already slower than MSC in Q2.

In the event of driver's not setting a time, the one who went out first (a flying lap) is placed ahead in the grid.

[LionKing]

So it would seem that Rosberg (since he went out first) should be ahead of MSC, but alas:

Where is the basis of this going out first in the regulations?

If they had set an identical time in Q3, the first guy to set it would start in front but they did not set a time.

I don't think he will bothered since he was already slower than MSC in Q2.

In the event of driver's not setting a time, the one who went out first (a flying lap) is placed ahead in the grid.

Can you point to that in the regulations perhaps?

[Shrek]

weather looks wet for the race

[Slife]

Can you point to that in the regulations perhaps?

36.2 b) of the Sporting Regulations, or just scroll up and see my original post.

[Chuckjr]

weather looks wet for the race

[-o<

[dave34m]

weather looks wet for the race

Wow really, that will be very interesting. I think we have all been waiting for a wet night race. Wonder how it will go

[Shrieker]

I hope the hell not lol. I agree it'll be very interesting but it can't be good for hami now can it ?