2013 Malaysian GP - Sepang

[Mandrake]

● 22 minutes of race radio communications.

http://img856.imageshack.us/img856/5922/30028588.png

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/1148/26495996.png
via F1 Fanatic

The radio communications at 9:12, very interesting. Vettel is told at lap 25 "3 second gap, save your tyres". The next lap he was close to Webber, more like a second or so from him. I could be wrong about the 3 second gap, it could perhaps meant his current gap towards an other driver, but I think he was by then already told to keep a gap which he blatantly ignored also then.

Well, I do not exactly know in which minute exactly that radio came in, but when it was broadcasted, there were no 3 seconds behind MW. LH was so close, that 3 seconds would mean Vettel was in DRS distance to Hamilton, or even closer.

On another note, with Hulkenberg finishing the first race in the sauber, how do we rate its performance? It's way better in Hulkenberg's hands, than in Gutierrez' hands, but is it enough for constant points finishes? I think the Force India is better on race pace, and so far the Sauber has not shown any significant special ability.

Also, Force India are very lucky with the drama around RBR, otherwise they would be shot to pieces for their work in the pits....

[385north]

I've read somewhere that Multi 21 refers to the order the cars will finish in, i.e. Car 2 1st and Car 1 2nd.

Can't quote a source, mind.

[John192]

It will probably be 2 on one dial and 1 on the multi, easier than saying 2:1 or 2.1.

There's more parameters on the display that you can't see, adjusted by the rotary dials.

or it could simply be that "multi 21" was a "code word" for hold position ad save fuel

[Steven]

I've read somewhere that Multi 21 refers to the order the cars will finish in, i.e. Car 2 1st and Car 1 2nd.

Can't quote a source, mind.

Indeed, I mentioned before as well that this is what I have read, but checking again I could not find any direct source, so we can only assume it's something like that (and it really looks like that).

@Ray I couldn't agree more. The context with Senna was completely different. It was like with Hamilton and Alonso at McLaren, but that wasn't a great situation for the team either. These days, teams are major businesses that need to be run properly, and drivers should listen to what is best for the team. I think Seb would have benefited a whole lot more by staying behind and take his 18 points rather than go annoy the hell out of everyone for his own personal glory.

[NormanBates]

I just re-watched the race.

When Vettel overtakes Webber, Hamilton and Rosberg and fighting each other, around 8 seconds behind the Red Bulls. Definitely not within DRS distance!!

[JMN]

As the steering wheel inputs all hook up to the same standardized ECU, it's reasonable to assume the majority of functions overlap between teams so I thought I'd see what I could drum up.

McLaren
The purple dial on the bottom left of the wheel looks quite innocuous but it’s the multifunction control and it governs over 50 different settings around the car. From the dashboard read-out to the engine parameters. http://cars.uk.msn.com/features/could-y ... ed#image=6 (admittedly not the best of sources)

Sauber
Multifunctional Rotary Switch (centre dial) which controls various settings. Used in conjunction with + and – buttons to change options http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/04/22/steering-wheels/

If nothing else atleast it suggests the MULT dial has 10 faces and can work in conjunction with other buttons to reach a significantly higher number of permutations. I noticed the Multi dial is drawn in the advert for the Red Bull Racing Haynes Manual, anyone happen to have read it?
Unfortunately we can only speculate how 21 relates to Sauber's more explicit layout for the dial:

[zeph]

Hahaha, looks like Vettel is thinking: "Did my nose just grow longer?"

[Ray]

Hahaha, looks like Vettel is thinking: "Did my nose just grow longer?"

Looks like Mark is trying to calculate just how far he can shove that microphone in Seb's ear.

[iotar__]

So this car again did 1 less stop then the top teams, even if it didnt rly pay off this weekend, but 21 and 22 laps on the hard for Grosjean and Kimi, compared to Vettel and Webber doing 10 and 12 on the hards.

Wonder what kind of pace they could have had if they had been higher up at the start and not had the traffic they ended up in.

Grosjean troubled with car more then Kimi again. He had free track in front of him most of time, but couldn't get from DRS zone of drivers behind him, this compromised Kimi also, because he was last in 4 car train, and both cars in front of him could use DRS because of Grosjean. But Kimi pace was there, when he had free track he had fastest laps in race. Too bad and unlucky weekend.

I thought these threads were for spot the difference games and such (if it belongs somewhere please else move it), not for hyping your favourite drivers with little regard to facts but if you insist:

1. Really was Grosjean "more troubled"? Yes and no. No, because I don't recall him going off track twice, first time losing position to his team-mate. I also remember him taking care of Ricciardo and particularly Perez and Hulkenberg quickly or in a spectacular fashion. Unlike his team-mate who was stuck behind them and couldn't do anything through no one's fault but his. DRS comment makes no sense, the one about free track for RG either or only to small extent (Massa and all drivers mentioned, Vettel train before pitstop + Raikkonen)

Yes, because was losing in the second sector alone some 0,3-0,5 (estimation from memory) not only to KR but to other cars too (less). I doubt it was a set up difference, rather than proof of being behind (ahem) when it comes to set up fine-tuning and familiarity with updated (second ahem), not to mention general direction when it comes to car (car, so it does belong here) development, starting position and reasons for it and so on.

2. About KR free air comment: if you're saying that every time Raikkonen had a car around him he was in trouble then I agree. Again - no bad luck involved. You can't have Australia every race, when they made his team mate disappear (no reference point), and Lotus had one pitstop advantage and no one in sight to race.

[fausto cedros]

They reminded me of two guys in red cars flashing trough bittersweet hills in 1982. We all know the ultimate outcome, I wish this won't be the case.

[Hail22]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXPYSHRruXA[/youtube]

[RB7ate9]

I've read somewhere that Multi 21 refers to the order the cars will finish in, i.e. Car 2 1st and Car 1 2nd.

Can't quote a source, mind.

Based on the pictures of the steering wheel I've seen, the "multi" function appears to only have single-digit settings (1-9 or 10). So a 21 or a 12 code does make sense to have it be code, as there doesn't seem to be a way to confuse 12/21 with an actual setting on the car.

[Hail22]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_T4nGaRm4[/youtube]

[Traction]

I'll just leave this here...even though it will be conveniently ignored


http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/93001

[MWcrazyhorse]

[/quote]

Picture and sound are out of sync. You can clearly see that at the end when they're already drinking champagne and the radio broadcast continues.[/quote]
I checked that and they are not. It is difficult to tell as the radio overlaps, but at 20:32-20:40 in the interview bit on the podium video again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xppm9tzXc8
you can tell that it is in sync, if you listen carefuly.