Kimi Raikkonen has won a thrilling race that was full of action from start to finish. The Finn marks his first win since his return to Formula One and in the end fended off a charging Alonso who finishes second. Sebastian Vettel finished third after having started from 24th position.
myurr wrote:So in Barcelona why didn't McLaren take another engine for Lewis?
To move to engine number 9, they must have used engines 1-8 already. If you're on Engine 2, and you take a new engine on - then it's counted as Engine 3, not Engine 9. You still only have 8 to play with in that case.
myurr wrote:So in Barcelona why didn't McLaren take another engine for Lewis?
To move to engine number 9, they must have used engines 1-8 already. If you're on Engine 2, and you take a new engine on - then it's counted as Engine 3, not Engine 9. You still only have 8 to play with in that case.
The FIA Stewards did not punish Sebastian Vettel for stopping on track after qualifying because they believed Red Bull and Renault’s assertion that carrying on could have led to problems such as engine damage.
However the force majeure issue was a moot point as only 0.850 of the required litre for the fuel sample was left in the tank, so he was penalised for that instead – a little like getting Al Capone for tax evasion…
The Renault engineers had spotted dropping fuel pressure and, according to sources, the message to stop was passed to Vettel’s engineer after some 15 seconds.
After hearing the argument and seeing the data the stewards accepted as force majeure that the drop in fuel pressure could have caused problems as the last dregs of fuel went through the system.
However rivals teams are somewhat sceptical about that, and given the fact that cars are routinely run dry in testing without any concerns, it would seem to be an unusual argument.
The team also insisted that it believed that sufficient fuel was still in the car, but the FIA rules are simple – if it can’t be pumped out for any reason it doesn’t matter whether it’s there or not.
Even if he had stopped a few corners earlier and had a more than a litre in the tank the FIA would have decreed that he would not have had enough on board to get back to the pits under his own power and still have enough for the sample.
Such samples are taken at random, so there is a good possibility that had Vettel driven back and drawn attention to himself the FIA might never have discovered that he had so little in the tank.
One team told me today that they have a plan in place and if they are running low they would simply get the car back to the pits and argue about the sample size later, if indeed it comes under scrutiny at all.
That begs the question to what degree the decision to stop Vettel was influenced by concerns about the sample size, rather than any genuine technical worries – did the Renault engineer panic about the sample and flag it up as a reason to stop, thinking he was doing the right thing? And did it all happen so quickly that the team did not have time to think it through?
In other words had the team rolled the dice and not told him to stop, Vettel might still be starting from third…
FrukostScones wrote:no additional fuel found in Vettels fuel tank after disassembly of car/fuel tank.
Source? Would indicate another Red Bull lie if true
Or a faulty sensor or some other component giving a false reading. This would be more in line with a force majeure, which the FIA accepted.
That would require a faulty sensor on the fuel filler, in the car collector tank, in the suspension loads, and in the fuel tank itself. So that would be multiple sensor failure and unlikely. They also had some kind of reading as they knew to stop the car.
ecapox wrote:Remember guys, this pit exit is crazy. The lights are before the downhill piece. So when the HRTs pass that light vettel still has to navigate the tight left hander into the tunnel. He will be WAY back at the start. Might take a few laps to even get to the back of the HRTs.
Afaik the lights turn green for him when the field has passed S1.
Generally the pit lights turn green as the other people get past the pitlane exit - but the pitlane here is too unique to really use that as a proper reference.
ecapox wrote:Remember guys, this pit exit is crazy. The lights are before the downhill piece. So when the HRTs pass that light vettel still has to navigate the tight left hander into the tunnel. He will be WAY back at the start. Might take a few laps to even get to the back of the HRTs.
Afaik the lights turn green for him when the field has passed S1.
No that is wrong
Light will turn green when the last car goes past the pit lane exit line ( the line corresponding on track to the red/green light exit line in pitlane)
Does that mean Vettel might get in between the backmarkers at the start? i.e. does the pit lane exit shortcut the 1st corner enough?
That doesn't seem overly safe
I don't think so, coz he has to slow down for the downhill tunnel and then uphill
While the last cars can go really fast thought the first 3 corners
I think he might catch the last car by lap 2
However rivals teams are somewhat sceptical about that, and given the fact that cars are routinely run dry in testing without any concerns, it would seem to be an unusual argument.
That is exactly what went through my mind before I fell asleep last night when I went to bed. Teams often run the cars until they stop due to the lack of fuel in testing and the engines are just fine.
The fuel pressure drop that could have caused a serious engine failure is a mischievous lie. They realised that they don't have enough fuel, crapped themselves, pulled the car over and came up with this story. In my oppinion, they abused of using the force majeure situation and that alone deserves a punishment.
"...and there, very much in flames, is Jacques Laffite's Ligier. That's obviously a turbo blaze, and of course, Laffite will be able to see that conflagration in his mirrors... he is coolly parking the car somewhere safe."Murray Walker, San Marino 1985