2013 Spanish Grand Prix - Barcelona

[Clew]

Mercedes should be doing better on this circuit concerning race pace. During practice they didn't seem to have as much tyre wear/degredation as usual.

Ferrari must be having their hands in their hair. Doing all weekend long during practices outstanding and then suddenly everybody else show their hand.
"Ah so mister Alonso, you have 3 kings? Looks like I flushed you at the river."
"That's nothing, I have 4 of a kind, jacks."
"Bitch please. I have a straight flush right here."

Strange...I thought either of them would have done better.

[iotar__]

So pole position for Vettel , close in the top 8, big gap between top 4 teams and the rest, Toro Rosso the only team with a big step forward.

The question is how long Mercedes can be a nuisance and who gets stops, tyre choices and wear right. I would expect Lotus and Ferrari to be slightly better than RB, unless in front and in free air.

[Lorenzo_Bandini]

Mercedes should be doing better on this circuit concerning race pace. During practice they didn't seem to have as much tyre wear/degredation as usual.

Ferrari must be having their hands in their hair. Doing all weekend long during practices outstanding and then suddenly everybody else show their hand.
"Ah so mister Alonso, you have 3 kings? Looks like I flushed you at the river."
"That's nothing, I have 4 of a kind, jacks."
"Bitch please. I have a straight flush right here."

ferrari is happy.

They are less than one tenth slower than Vettel in Q. It's oustanding when you know that Q is their main weakness.

[Gerhard Berger]

Rosberg's time was quicker than Webber's 2011 pole time.
Webber 2011 pole: 1:20.9
Rosberg 2013 pole: 1:20.7

Yep, and Webber had unlimited DRS, a blown diffuser with off throttle blowing. Shows how quickly F1 moves.

[Gerhard Berger]

Great work by Nico. Vettel will probably take Hamilton by the first corner - comment made during FP was that the clean side of the grid is worth a grid place so the first corner should be "interesting".

I think clean side only makes a difference on a new track which hasn't been rubbered in or a particularly dusty track like Hungaroring.

Look at the start last year - Alonso got the jump on Maldonado from the dirty side. In 2011, Vettel and Alonso were on the dirty side but got better starts than Webber and Hamilton respectively who were on the clean side.

[raymondu999]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiyPs72wrAI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4V9LnPybDY[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6HgsPPD1RI[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJdnpAFEDhQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K7HJDWjmOA[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmwxwcf4O5g[/youtube]

[ajdavison2]

IMO the race tomorrow will be decided by the pit phases, who can get the most out of the in-lap, get a good solid stop, then heat the tires quick enough to nail the outlap due to the overtaking nature of the circuit.

[flynfrog]

IMO the race tomorrow will be decided by the pit phases, who can get the most out of the in-lap, get a good solid stop, then heat the tires quick enough to nail the outlap due to the overtaking nature of the circuit.

“at the end of the game the team with the most points on the board is going to win.”


― John Madden

[Phillyred]

I predict:
VET
RAI
ALO
HAM
GRO
WEB
ROS

Mercedes' 1 lap pace is great, but I still think RB, Lotus, and Ferrari have the better race pace as it relates to getting the most out of the tires.

[CHT]

I am expecting business as usual for this weekend with Lotus RBR and Ferrari fighting infront

Vettel did mentioned something about only using option tires for Q. what kind of tire strategy is RPR planning for tomorrow?

short stint of option then prime prime?

[rkn]

Between 92 and 09 the pole sitter at Barcelona won the WDC except 05 and 07. Since 2010 the pole man won the race 2 out of 3 times. Fun stat

[iotar__]

I am expecting business as usual for this weekend with Lotus RBR and Ferrari fighting infront

Vettel did mentioned something about only using option tires for Q. what kind of tire strategy is RPR planning for tomorrow?

short stint of option then prime prime?

I don't think it was a choice. Based on pace they were forced to use mediums.

Between 92 and 09 the pole sitter at Barcelona won the WDC except 05 and 07. Since 2010 the pole man won the race 2 out of 3 times. Fun stat

But that was all before fake Mercedes qualifying pace. All those poles should have an asterisk with an explanation. I would go even further and ban Mercedes from the competition citing good of the sport as a reason. You watch qualifying and think: oh, they are quick, then you remember and mentally remove them from the pecking order.

At least they have decency not to whine that tyres are limiting their superb pace. it's partially the contrary. Then again no one can beat Red Bull at not having an honest bone in their bodies. The only question is: can Mercedes win Monaco by employing classic, moving chicane tactic? Something Kovalainen did some time ago. I would love to see a long Mercedes train and team blocking by Rosberg/Hamilton. What a triumph of pure, Bridgestone era, processional, win from the pole racing that would be.

[ajdavison2]

Between 92 and 09 the pole sitter at Barcelona won the WDC except 05 and 07. Since 2010 the pole man won the race 2 out of 3 times. Fun stat

But that was all before fake Mercedes qualifying pace. All those poles should have an asterisk with an explanation. I would go even further and ban Mercedes from the competition citing good of the sport as a reason. You watch qualifying and think: oh, they are quick, then you remember and mentally remove them from the pecking order.

At least they have decency not to whine that tyres are limiting their superb pace. it's partially the contrary. Then again no one can beat Red Bull at not having an honest bone in their bodies. The only question is: can Mercedes win Monaco by employing classic, moving chicane tactic? Something Kovalainen did some time ago. I would love to see a long Mercedes train and team blocking by Rosberg/Hamilton. What a triumph of pure, Bridgestone era, processional, win from the pole racing that would be.

So you would basically discount any poles that have not been translated into wins? Hardly seems reasonable.

[FrukostScones]

I am expecting business as usual for this weekend with Lotus RBR and Ferrari fighting infront

Vettel did mentioned something about only using option tires for Q. what kind of tire strategy is RPR planning for tomorrow?

short stint of option then prime prime?

option, prime, prime, prime!

[ajdavison2]

* insert joke about 'optionus prime' here* ... Sorry..