British GP 2011 - Silverstone

[Traction]

Shame about RBR being "disadvantaged" at Silverstone. Surely they should have taken the first FOUR positions instead of just two.

Looks like Alonso could be the only hope for an actual race rather than a red cow procession. Maybe rain will help.

Good to see a political screaming match that does NOT center on Ferrari. Just what DO Ferrari have to do to their engine? Anyone know?

Swap it for a Red 'Cow' Renault.....

[Just_a_fan]

Ah first they lower the pits and then they have to rise the grandstands so you can see into them. However you turn it a lowered pit makes no sense at all. A higher one yes but lower no. I would love to see them getting flooded with water.

The new pits are built on a slight hill. They either had a ramp up to the pits or a ramp out of the pits. They went for the latter. Why? Ask the designer because I'm buggered if I know..

[andartop]

So Red Bull were just bleating.

And apparantly Mclaren weren't

Well no they weren't the were right to be upset by regulation changes as it has clearly hit their performance. But they weren't threatening to protest, Red Bull were, yet they clearly are still in front.

Their performance may have been hit, but they also did a Ferrari in their qualifying strategy: went out on a new set of softs in Q2 when they didn't need to and everybody else was coming in because of the rain, then went out in their first run in Q3 with said set of softs when everybody else was on new softs (according to BBC), and by the time for their second run it was already too late as the rain had started again. That said, Button qualified 5th, which means the car was at least good enough for 5th and 6th. I guess Lewis didn't really give it his all driving the socks out of his car for his yet another best qualifying lap ever.

[Ray]

Even though the regulations on who could do what with various throttle settings is really confusing and lame, the real problem is a mid season rule change. These cars were designed with this effect in mind and it should be changed for next year, not this one. Everything the FIA changes/bans/reduces costs the team money with no real benefit to the racing or the efficiency of the cars. Every time the teams come up with something truly clever, the FIA bans it and they have to spend even more money coming up with something else to regain that performance. It's like they are trying to get them to spend money.

This race should be great though. I really enjoyed all the finger pointing and strong words to the press from Red Bull and McLaren while Ferrari were very very quiet. Either they are royally screwed still, or Domenicali has something seriously good up his sleeve because they are never quiet about something so big as this regulation change.

[Ray]

Also, why in the hell is the pit lane so beautifully built in a way that the fans who pay damn good money for their seats can't see the teams? Who in the hell is so stupid to sink the pits below veiwing level? To me that shows that we as fans, especially ones that pay to see the races, are second to sponsors. The sponsors have no disadvantage with the pit lane being designed by an idiot.

[forty-two]

RE the new pit lane, I've been thinking about that, and it occurs to me that to excavate a channel through a hill, then shore up the wall of the excavation and build staircases etc. must have cost more than it would have done to simply built it a plateau of flat on which to build the pits.

The only downsides to building up the ground to a flat level plane as far as I can figure would be that the pit entry would have been uphill (might be an issue if someone's engine died on the way into the pits for example), and would have taken longer as they would have had to allow time for settlement of such an embankment OR build the lot on concrete piles (expensive).

Any structural engineers around?

[Mr Alcatraz]

Ferrari is very fast

Yes they are fast and I don't want to rattle anyone’s cage, but.....
If Ferrari can keep pace with the Red Bulls on the harder compound I see both Massa, and Fred in the fight for the win. I don't think Fred is .58 faster than his teammate that was just what happened in q 3. Massa has been as fast as Fred this weekend. I will give the competitive edge to the gentleman Alonso however. JMHO

(might be an issue if someone's engine died on the way into the pits for example)

That would make a lot of sense

[forty-two]

That would make a lot of sense

Not just a hat rack my friend!

[Just_a_fan]

RE the new pit lane, I've been thinking about that, and it occurs to me that to excavate a channel through a hill, then shore up the wall of the excavation and build staircases etc. must have cost more than it would have done to simply built it a plateau of flat on which to build the pits.

The only downsides to building up the ground to a flat level plane as far as I can figure would be that the pit entry would have been uphill (might be an issue if someone's engine died on the way into the pits for example), and would have taken longer as they would have had to allow time for settlement of such an embankment OR build the lot on concrete piles (expensive).

Any structural engineers around?

There could also have been planning restrictions on the height of the building which meant that sticking it on a fill rather than in a cutting would limit the size of the upper sections. It might have meant the loss of the stupid wave thing on the end which would have been a good thing in my view - building a sail-like structure facing the prevailing winds is a stupid idea!

As for the foundations, building on a fill would have made the foundations and ground floor structure more involved and thus potentially more expensive.

[SiLo]

Come on S.Africa fight me you 15 year old pussy! I'll kick your a$$ American style! yea' babe fight me!

That's exactly what I thought. Should be a good race, I'm really hoping for rain because wet races are always much more entertaining.

[Traction]

Come on S.Africa fight me you 15 year old pussy! I'll kick your a$$ American style! yea' babe fight me!

That's exactly what I thought. Should be a good race, I'm really hoping for rain because wet races are always much more entertaining.

Somehow I think this race won't need rain to make it entertaining....Webber on pole with Vettel 2nd then Alonso, Massa and the rest so close behind...fast track...Button out to prove a point, Hamilton with a poor qualifying is going to have to hack through the pack, Ferrari looking competitive....man I'm winding myself up for this one...

[Goran2812]

hope the race doesn't disappoint after so much winding up...

[Mr Alcatraz]

Ya' 'awl boys are in a heap o trouble!
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/92994

[Lorenzo_Bandini]

Yes, it's why Ferrari is so quiet, because they know whatever the exhaust config they will be fast.
In FP3, Alonso was the fastest with prime tyre..

[Traction]

hope the race doesn't disappoint after so much winding up...

better not....