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Sebastian Vettel has won his home Grand Prix at the Nurburgring despite close challenges from both Lotus cars throughout the second half of the race. Kimi Raikkonen finished a close second with Romain Grosjean ending third, just ahead of Alonso.
Well, I think today they had a shot at 4th and 5th.performergr wrote:"Alonso says it was better for Ferrari to start 7th & 8th on a different strategy rather than 6th & 7th do the same as the rest"
Ferrari are not good as they are with the mediums, or at least there is so much difference, so better to use the soft tyre with less weight at the end of the race and when probably everyone else will be in medium.Bomber_Pilot wrote:Well, I think today they had a shot at 4th and 5th.performergr wrote:"Alonso says it was better for Ferrari to start 7th & 8th on a different strategy rather than 6th & 7th do the same as the rest"
Yeah, that was bizarre. Massa was fastest in Q1 and Q2. With track evolution, they should have been to challenge Raikkonen for 4th at least.f1316 wrote:Massa's Q2 time would have got him 4th and everyone else improved in q3, so I'm really shocked with the strategy. Very odd to choose the one race when you are top in Q1 & 2.
Still, one positive for them is that their option stint will be on new tyres; everyone else (ahead) will start on used.
Except that the only things we've seen subsequently have been either very front limited, or very cool tracks, both of which favor Merc's race pace anyway. If they're quick at the Nurburgring in the race (and it remains hot) then we'll know that they've improved, but won't know whether it's because several weeks worth of improvements have arrived that would have arrived anyway, or if it's because they got the magical bit of info from the test that they needed.munudeges wrote:They took poles and were promptly two seconds a lap slower once the race started which they aren't any more, which is where 'that test' has been a watershed for them. But then, you know that don't you?Dyanxx wrote:Mercedes were taking poles even before that test, so yeah the "cheating" clearly helps them over 1 lap..GTSpeedster wrote:Cheating pays off.
Time to get over it dude. Ferrari had been testing with 2013 aero and mechanicals before Merc and yet they aren't suddenly winning. Or is that only because they didn't use the 2013 tub? I suppose you're also expecting all the other teams to leapfrog Merc at young drivers test, especially as they'll be running the new replacement tyres. Care to predict all the other teams gaining 2s a lap of race pace over Merc after that test? That is, after all, the figure you're quoting these tests are worth.munudeges wrote:Yadda, yadd, yadda, yadda. They did a 1000 kilometre test where no one else has been able to in a season where tyre longevity is vital. Open and shut. Hot or cold their pattern of qualifying and racing has been consistent - until after that test. It's a joke.
Actually, they almost certainly will get a very large advantage from the young drivers test – they'll actually be allowed to collect data, and do their own testing. That kind of thing really is worth its weight in gold. It just happens to not be what Merc did.myurr wrote:Time to get over it dude. Ferrari had been testing with 2013 aero and mechanicals before Merc and yet they aren't suddenly winning. Or is that only because they didn't use the 2013 tub? I suppose you're also expecting all the other teams to leapfrog Merc at young drivers test, especially as they'll be running the new replacement tyres. Care to predict all the other teams gaining 2s a lap of race pace over Merc after that test? That is, after all, the figure you're quoting these tests are worth.munudeges wrote:Yadda, yadd, yadda, yadda. They did a 1000 kilometre test where no one else has been able to in a season where tyre longevity is vital. Open and shut. Hot or cold their pattern of qualifying and racing has been consistent - until after that test. It's a joke.
Or the car is insanely quick, and that's just what Ham can squeeze out of it with a ridiculously oversteery setup.kaller wrote:The improvement of Hamilton (or the setup of his car for that matter) was rather remarkable going from just being able to handle oversteering to pole. I always wonder when smth like this happens if they just played tricks or if they really are that quick to analyze and fix the problems.
Lotus have been doing the opposite of what you propose to good effect: not so much pitting later in the first stint, but pitting earlier for the last stint. That is how the undercut works with these tyres: the sooner you get on them the better, until they've worn out. If the weather is as predicted tomorrow and they keep in touch with the front, it could win them another race. I hope so, as it would keep them in the running along with RBR and Mercedes and Ferrari.atanatizante wrote:Davidson said on Sky that Vettel lose that pole when he got wide in turn 3 and cutting turn 4 hence loosing 2 tenths ...
Anyway, bearing in mind that RBR were running in the race at 70-80% of their potential until now, it'll be interesting to know their true speed now and also what Merc has in their sleeve ...
Strategy wise they could do the first stint on options within 12-15 laps and maybe Lotus more with an 18-20 laps first stint.
Then on the second stint it could be for RBR and Merc either way PO or PP regading their tyre managment situation, with the fist one being a better strategy for the last part of the race.
Lotus could do then an one stop with an easily 40-42 lap stint on the prime tyres and Ferrari maybe a POO strategy with a long first stint followed with 2 blistering stints with 12-14 laps on options tyres.
So a very interesting race tomorrow ...