2014 Russian GP - Sochi

[FrukostScones]

those who now me from the livechat know that I love to "bash" Williams for their mostly bad strategic decisons...
in this AMUS article it is explained what they did to MAS, unbelievable...
also, In the Autosport article... Williams weren't expecting this "tyre life" when on friday it became very clear that you could go very long on those, especially the mediums...
Also interesting how the Merc engineers nearly screwed Nico because they also weren't believing what was happening (it was against their predictions.. )...

https://translate.google.de/translate?s ... t=&act=url

How did Nico Rosberg manage to drive through 52 laps?

Nico Rosberg was in Sochi more than 300 km with a set of tires on the road - which is this year new record . Pirelli's motorsport director Paul Hembery had joked the day before: "With the tire you can go through the race without stopping." The conservative choice of the mixtures and the unusually smooth asphalt made for a little wear. Nevertheless, it was a long time at Mercedes not sure whether the plan would rise.

"We knew that it is critical," says Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff. "20 laps to go, our experts have said that it probably will not work. We had a very funny debate on the radio. Our tire specialist who is for me the best in his field, has said that it will not work out. We discussed I introduced myself as ignorant and said:.! Let him just go through the oily surface, the tire has built up grip at the end and took so long to work ".

Why Felipe Massa got no further forward?

Felipe Massa started after his qualifying problem losing battle. From rank 18 points were a long way off. But Williams had a plan: The Brazilians should start on medium tires and then switch after only one lap on the faster soft rubber. "But then I caught a great first lap and was lying in 11th place," says the pilot. "I have asked over the radio if I do not it better to stay outside, but they have been gathering in my schedule."

As an engineer Smedley explained later, it was probably the wrong decision. It looked for a long time yet everything good for the comeback. In the slipstream of Nico Rosberg Massa fueled through the field. The speed was there. But behind Sergio Perez was suddenly an end to the forward thrust. "I just could not get over. His car had good traction and was fast on the straight," said Massa frustrated. "I wanted to wait until he goes to the box and then open the throttle., But because my tires were already over so that he could stay in front of me."

also: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/116344

[strad]

This race marked a first for me.. It was so boring I turned it off a third of the way thru and went out to wash the car. Came back, watched the rest, which confirmed I made the right choice.
This may be my last season. I've been watching races from decades past and there is just no comparison.
The main reason for faster and faster lap times hasn't been aero or power but softer and softer tires that disintegrate and leave marbles everywhere offline completely destroying any chance for real racing. The whole thing is just a pale shadow of the days of glory.

[FrukostScones]

This race marked a first for me.. It was so boring I turned it off a third of the way thru and went out to wash the car. Came back, watched the rest, which confirmed I made the right choice.
This may be my last season. I've been watching races from decades past and there is just no comparison.
The main reason for faster and faster lap times hasn't been aero or power but softer and softer tires that disintegrate and leave marbles everywhere offline completely destroying any chance for real racing. The whole thing is just a pale shadow of the days of glory.

there weren't any marples at Sochi though...
2000-2004 were yawny yawn

[SiLo]

I'm quite happy to put it down to the fact that they brought the hardest tyres because they didn't have time to run their usual tests on the track surface (what a load of rubbish). I think if they had brought softer tyres, we might have seen a much more entertaining race, but I guess Pirelli couldn't run the risk of people falling off the track because the had no more tyres to use.

[Richard]

Apparently the teams didn't have the track in their simulators due to the late construction. So I can see why Pirelli went for the conservative option due to the lack of testing.

[strad]

there weren't any marples at Sochi though...

I did not down vote you but that is just factually wrong. There were marbles just not as many as usual because of the track being new and not very abrasive.
The fact is that the single line with marbles everywhere is one of the main contributors to the inability to race and when you combine that with all having the same brakes and thus the same braking points you ruin real non aided passing and racing.

[Ciro Pabón]

Everlasting tyres = no strategy = procession

I said that on TV air and I was accused by Mercedes fanboys that I root for Ferrari. And Williams. Go figure...
The race was pretty boring, I was talking more Silly Season than commenting what's happening on the track. I hope to see Super-softs next year.

Interesting, namesake.

Well, you know, it's impossible to satisfy fans.

As I say: if they are called "fans", why aren't they cooler?

Hope that washes off easily


However, many times it's not what you say, it's how you say it.

I believe I've learned two things here:

1. I think it's better to state things starting with "I believe", "I think", etc.

2. Although you're a professional and you do not need advice of amateurs, I think you could give both sides of an issue to the public, with statements like:

"Although Mercedes deserves to be the dominant team after assembling an excellent group this year and perhaps Williams and Ferrari would benefit more of it, I think fans maybe deserve a more entertaining race, something that could be achieved using tyres with a faster rate of degradation".

Remember the first commandment of public entertaining: people always believe what you say... as long as you flatter them.

As Mal, the Borderland robot that wants to be human, says: "I will say self-deprecating things so that you are indirectly forced to compliment me!"

[FrukostScones]

there weren't any marples at Sochi though...

I did not down vote you but that is just factually wrong. There were marbles just not as many as usual because of the track being new and not very abrasive.
The fact is that the single line with marbles everywhere is one of the main contributors to the inability to race and when you combine that with all having the same brakes and thus the same braking points you ruin real non aided passing and racing.

there was nothing that qualifies as "Pirelli marples" in Sochi (maybe next the curbs on the runoffs... but haven't found an images where there are big marbles on the track).
Also there is always more grip on the racing line...
Sochi was so "dull" because of the massive fuel saving.
Singapore (also hampere by massive fuel saving) was more "interesting" because of the cheese Pirelli tyres (with marbles)

[Richard]

Overtaking talk .... http://www.f1technical.net/forum/viewto ... f=1&t=7493

[PlatinumZealot]

This race marked a first for me.. It was so boring I turned it off a third of the way thru and went out to wash the car. Came back, watched the rest, which confirmed I made the right choice.
This may be my last season. I've been watching races from decades past and there is just no comparison.
The main reason for faster and faster lap times hasn't been aero or power but softer and softer tires that disintegrate and leave marbles everywhere offline completely destroying any chance for real racing. The whole thing is just a pale shadow of the days of glory.

Where were you in 2013?? haha

[SectorOne]

I´m not sure what people are talking about but comparing to the last 10 years no season has had this much battles going on.
Not even close as a matter of fact.

edit: also someone mentioned marbles, this was the extent of marbles in Sochi.



Last year we had this,

[ForzaFer]

I´m not sure what people are talking about but comparing to the last 10 years no season has had this much battles going on.
Not even close as a matter of fact.

edit: also someone mentioned marbles, this was the extent of marbles in Sochi.

http://i.imgur.com/DwHkvUq.jpg

Last year we had this,

http://grandprix247.com/wp-content/uplo ... er1960.jpg

I get your point, but second picture is not from last year, it is Germany 2012, Hockenheim

[strad]

I'm talking about every race for a very long time. Not just Sochi.
F1 needs a total shake up. Bernie and the FOM cry that viewership is dropping, well it's pretty clear that that is because it has become boring.
The action many speak of this year is mostly contrived in my opinion. If they want to believe this is some great competitive season, the cat's meow, there is not anything others can say to dissuade them. They believe what they want to believe but those that have been around for decades can see the difference.

[mrluke]

Viewers are dropping because f1 is a broadcasting dinosaur.

Minimal online presence, threatening fans with court for sharing media, subscription tv channels etc.

How anybody can watch this weeks race and then declare we need harder tyres is just beyond me.

[ParkerArt]

is just a pale shadow of the days of glory.

I never understand this argument. The glorious days of yonder haven't existed for over thirty years. If you made a pole right now asking what was the greatest F1 car ever once, I am willing to bet serious cash that the MP4/4 would be in the top 3. That car was was far more dominant than the 2011 RB7, 2013 RB9 or this year's W05. Since MSC and Ferrari in the early-mid 00s, everything in F1 has been in the effort to promote passing and 'random' outcomes. Rightly so it has been called fake and ridiculous but now that we have a completely conquering car with two quality drivers, the sky is falling down because this whole season was a waste of time for the fans and sponsors.

You can't have it both ways. The Russian GP was exactly how any race from 1988 would have looked. Except that Hamilton didn't feel the need to lap the whole field and set the fastest lap.

If you want to go back to your 25 year old nostalgia tinted view without show business plastic tires, push to pass DRS and and fuel flow/power limits, than this race is what you are going to get. These Tilke-drome tracks that everyone hates is one of the only reasons that passing actually happens.

Why not just only watch Monaco so Bernie can see that viewers only car about a single file procession around a track with no passing at all. It would be great for the sport.