2014 Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang

[raymondu999]

The problem with a pit stop is, that with an extra pit stop you have to gain about 30sec on the track, because this is the time you loose due to the extra pit stop. This extra pace burns much more fuel than the better tires can safe.
So more stops means more pace, means more fuel consumption.

The pace would come from the tyre grip. More pace does not always mean more fuel consumption. Pushing more doesn't mean more fuel burn.

For equal cars, a car with worn tyres will use more fuel and be slower - for reasons I already have outlined.

[SectorOne]

This would be very good. Rosberg tried different lines last year through the fast corners before the first straight, but didn't succeed. Maybe also due to marbles...
But I don't remember if we saw different lines in the Bridgestone time...especially for the hairpin I strongly doubt that there is another line with which you can really get the power down.

Rosberg succeeded many times but the problem for him was the other DRS zone which ment he got overtaken everytime on the main straight.

Also to point out, i never said the hairpin had multiple lines, just that it presents a undercut opportunity.
Also the two corners i´m talking about (that you said first and second corner for some reason) is Turn 14 and Turn 1.

turn 13 and 14 is such an oddball corner that you can choose to go really wide, lose time on entry and then try and claw it back.
So when there´s two guys fighting what you usually see is the guy in front goes tight to get away quickly while the guy behind goes really wide, gets on the power nice and early and gains back the time at the very end of the straight.
Problem is gauging how wide you go to not lose the guy in front.

If you also stay tight you have to stay in his dirty air and that´s even worse.

[Helios]

One thing is for sure: Lewis is under massive pressure for the Malaysian GP. He's already got a 25point deficit to Rosberg and everyone in the team knows that these first couple of races are the most important ones for Mercedes, should they lose their car-advantage to RB or any other team as the season continues. Plus he really needs to avoid the inner team- pendulum swinging towards Rosberg, because despite their talk about both drivers being equally treated and free to fight they also know that at some stage they simply need to focus on one of them a tad more if they want to win the drivers championship. We have seen how wrong it can go with McLaren in 2007 for example.

[spin1/2]

bothered me about Melbourne (without joking) was that four different teams with three different engines and speed (Hulk, Alonso, Button, Vergne, Raikkonen) were racing at the same, pedestrian pace during middle period of the race. After pitstop there was some action: Alonso and of course Button/Bottas jumped.

That is because you need a greater speed difference to overtake. There may have been half a second between them but that was not enough to overtake. So all they could do was go conservative and try to make jumps during pit stops/safety cars (like button did)

[iotar__]

bothered me about Melbourne (without joking) was that four different teams with three different engines and speed (Hulk, Alonso, Button, Vergne, Raikkonen) were racing at the same, pedestrian pace during middle period of the race. After pitstop there was some action: Alonso and of course Button/Bottas jumped.

I'm not sure about number of stints/fuel logic. Maybe more stints - faster laps - bigger consumption. Longer stints - steady, slower.

That is because you need a greater speed difference to overtake. There may have been half a second between them but that was not enough to overtake. So all they could do was go conservative and try to make jumps during pit stops/safety cars (like button did)

The speed itself is not in question, it's all about what was the source of their speed at this stage of the race or philosophy behind it. They had DRS and not even a single attempt. Assumption: fuel management, pacing philosophy, reliability, deltas.

Differences in pace appeared after the pitstop, I doubt it was tyres only, more like another stage of the race (less distance/unknowns) but let's leave that.

[SiLo]

Hamilton should know that if the car is reliable he can beat Rosberg at most races. Across a season this equates to a lot more than 25 points. I don't think he will be too worried about that gap. Also double points for the last race.

[SectorOne]

Lauda even comforted him and said he did not finish the first race while Prost won. But at the end of the season Lauda was world champion.

[Helios]

Lauda even comforted him and said he did not finish the first race while Prost won. But at the end of the season Lauda was world champion.

Source?

[godlameroso]

I'm not sure what to think of Ferrari, the nature of Malaysia is nothing like Albert Park, I think their biggest problem isn't downforce but drivability. Also you can't say that Australia is going to be an accurate representation for the rest of the season. We all know that the cars will go radical development throughout the season, remember when the rule change hit in 2009, the McLaren was a dog of a car, languishing at the tail end of the midfield, and became a race winner as the season progressed. It's too early to write anyone off. Remember how fast Lotus was with their mid chassis exhaust at the beginning of the season only to slip back as they were not able to develop as fast as others? I suspect the usual suspects will finish on top towards the end of the year, but it's exciting to see the mix up at the moment.

[Traction]

bothered me about Melbourne (without joking) was that four different teams with three different engines and speed (Hulk, Alonso, Button, Vergne, Raikkonen) were racing at the same, pedestrian pace during middle period of the race. After pitstop there was some action: Alonso and of course Button/Bottas jumped.

That is because you need a greater speed difference to overtake. There may have been half a second between them but that was not enough to overtake. So all they could do was go conservative and try to make jumps during pit stops/safety cars (like button did)

..which takes us back to 2013

[iotar__]

That is because you need a greater speed difference to overtake. There may have been half a second between them but that was not enough to overtake. So all they could do was go conservative and try to make jumps during pit stops/safety cars (like button did)

..which takes us back to 2013

Absolutely not, on the contrary, evidence is there:
- with tyres teams could influence their characteristics through design with repeatable (more or less) results, with engine/fuel you end up with what you have, ask Renault teams
- drivers could be better or worse at it (Perez) or could benefit tactically and make a difference (Alonso) with pacing, technique, car control when sub-optimal, moves at the right time - it all seems to equalise itself in 2014
- there were different tyre compounds strategies and/or differences in tyre management, creating competitive advantages and variety
Before getting labelled as some Pirelli fan - it wasn't some great era, it's not the end of the world either but that's how it looks like ATM, it may change. It's not about liking this or that but about description of reality, imagine if someone said this in 2013:
"The long runs weren't as much fun as I'd hoped they'd be, because you need to save a lot of fuel. And that's such a different way of driving - you're lifting off very early, and there's lots of lift-and-coasting around the lap." (Button). 50 dramatic headlines about demise of pure racing.

[SectorOne]

Lauda even comforted him and said he did not finish the first race while Prost won. But at the end of the season Lauda was world champion.

Source?

After Hamilton retired at Albert Park only to see his German teammate Nico Rosberg go on to win, Lauda said: “I hugged him (Hamilton) and said: This was only the first race.”

“In 1984 I also failed in the first race but I was world champion in the end,” Lauda recalled telling Briton Hamilton.

http://grandprix247.com/2014/03/18/laud ... eans-over/

[Helios]

Thx.

[zeph]

Lauda even comforted him and said he did not finish the first race while Prost won. But at the end of the season Lauda was world champion.

Source?

After Hamilton retired at Albert Park only to see his German teammate Nico Rosberg go on to win, Lauda said: “I hugged him (Hamilton) and said: This was only the first race.”

“In 1984 I also failed in the first race but I was world champion in the end,” Lauda recalled telling Briton Hamilton.

http://grandprix247.com/2014/03/18/laud ... eans-over/

Funny how things can change. Didn't that same Lauda accuse Hamilton of reckless and dangerous driving in 2011, even suggesting he would kill someone if he continued to drive like that?

[Helios]

Lauda tends to change his mind about people on a weekly basis, I wouldn't read too much into that.

Still remember when he praised Schumi on RTL for his drive in Montreal 2011, only to suggest he should retire the very next race in Valencia.