2013 Bahrain GP - Sakhir

[Phil]

It would be sometimes nice to know what the driver is refering to when talking about "we". I noticed for example that Vettel practically always talks about "we" as if he is the only driver in the team - or perhaps always talking about his side of the garage (i.e. on those weekends where Webber had a win and Vettel later talked about that they had a bad day etc).

I've also noticed that other drivers, like Hamilton or Rosberg seem to acknowledge more often that they are two in a team and that on many occasions, when they use the word "we", they are in fact talking about the team as in the whole team, including both drivers.

When Lewis is saying that "we're struggling" - is he refering to the team or himself?

[astracrazy]

you'll have to look at other interviews to get who they are referring too. If nico and ross say the same thing then theirs your answer. Otherwise he means his side of the garage

[BorisTheBlade]

Could someone explain in simple terms, what makes a track front limited or rear limited?

I.e. is it about tight/slow corners (mechanical grip important) vs wide/fast corners (aero important)?

I think it's about what kind of corners a track has. For example China has a lot of corners that get steeper to the end. That means that you need to brake while cornering and the apex is short before the end of the corner. So the fronts get stressed badly. Tilke uses that kind of corner a lot because a couple of years ago that increased the error rate of the drivers and led to more overtaking - at least that was the reasoning behind it.
On most other tracks it's the other way around. Corners start steep and widen so that a driver doesn't brake that much while cornering but accellerates more. That in turn stresses the rears more.
(I hope I didn't embarrass myself completely with that statement but that's how I understand it [-o< )

[godlameroso]

Mostly it has to do with which turns yield the fastest lap time. In a track like China that has three very long turns that put a lot of energy on the front left, but not a lot of stress on the rear tires because you're not accelerating through those turns. In contrast, Bahrain has a lot of heavy braking events, 8 in total I think, and after these heavy braking events you have to accelerate hard to get to the next corner. This heavy acceleration is what wears the rears, particularly turns 1 and 10. Because you have a kink after turn 1 so you're turning and accelerating, and turn 10 because it's the slowest turn on the track, the exit is off camber and there's ALWAYS sand on that blasted turn.

[raymondu999]

Don't forget Turn 4 - downhill exit, and off camber to boot. Mind you the Turn 8 hairpin isn't the easiest corner to manage your tyres on either.

[Gridlock]

Very strange noise coming out of Rosberg's engine ... maybe they are playing with engine mappings?
This year is the same rule regarding engine mapping?
I mean they could use only the first 4 races engine mappings?

1) I think the engine maps are those nominated at the start of 2012.

2) Rosberg downshifts very late. He was warned he risked breaking his gearbox last weekend because he was operating outside the norm.

[raymondu999]

IMO the compound change has favored those softer on their tyres now. The race is now a definite two stop for the likes of Lotus and the McLarens, saving them a pitstop with OPP vs OOPP - whereas previously it would've been OPPP vs OOPP (ie no stop saved)

[RicerDude]

Delamination on hamiltons left rear.

[Forza]

Saturday Free practice 3

[zgred]

[Gettingonabit]

Saturday Free practice 3

Very close - less that a quarter second between the top six, cant wait for quali.

[pocketmoon]

MERCEDES AMG F1 ‏@MercedesAMGF1 now
Lewis' gearbox will be changed before qualifying following the incident in P3... Lewis will incur a five-place grid penalty as a result

[turbof1]

Anyone who knows what got Hamilton's tyre to explode?

[seventhsin]

Looks like the floor is damaged too, that delamination is dangerous! Pirelli ought to investigate that..

[Neno]

Anyone who knows what got Hamilton's tyre to explode?

I smell conspiracy with all of change tires structure and make favor to Mercedes and Red Bull specialy when Bahrein was
first step to offical conversation between teams and Pirelli director.
It's not coincidance that after Pirelli director, declined change tires from Bahrein, that already on next training ON mercedes tire exploded Just to make Pirelli to change tires and prolong situation with tires.