Malaysian GP 2011 - Sepang

[red300zx99]

After watching the race LHs strategy has puzzled me. Each team is given 3 sets of both the prime and option tires. The top teams seem to run option-option-option in qual. Seems like LH might have run an option set twice during qual and put 2 heat cycles in that set, killing any possiblity of using them in the race. This gave him a sticker set to use in the race, his fast 2nd stint, but forced him to run 2 stints on the prime tire.

[myurr]

I think I've worked it out. Lewis actually used 3 sets of prime and 3 of option in qualifying. In Q1 he used two sets of prime. Q2 he used one of each, including flat spotting the options. In Q3 he used two sets of options.

So the reason his pace was so much worse on the primes was that he was using old tyres, everyone else was using new tyres. Qualifying obviously takes a lot out of those tyres and he was always on the wrong side of the degradation curve.

In China I wouldn't be surprised if we see teams doing the following, if they are confident: Q1 use one set of primes; Q2 use one set of options; Q3 use one set of options. That will keep more sets of tyres back for the race and will probably give them an advantage.

McLaren were overly cautious in Malaysia qualifying and ultimately paid the price.

[red300zx99]

So why'd he only run 2 stints on the options instead of 3?

[kalinka]

I think Whitmarsh explained it after the race. He said the last set of soft tyres which Lewis should've used in race, was damaged during the qualy. So he must go for the soft-hard-hard. It wouldn't be a big problem, if he wasn't stacked behind Heidfeld, because then he would preserve the first set much better, so the 3 sets would last until the end. Again when he was on last set, he couldn't preserve it because of obviously damaged diffusor+defending position. It just shows how much you can loose with tyres. Maybe it could be the better strategy to not run so close to Heidfeld, but I think I wouldn't like THAT Lewis , and he didn't had so much space behind too.

[mx_tifoso]

How/when was Hamilton's diffuser damaged?

[chepoi]

After watching the race LHs strategy has puzzled me. Each team is given 3 sets of both the prime and option tires. The top teams seem to run option-option-option in qual. Seems like LH might have run an option set twice during qual and put 2 heat cycles in that set, killing any possiblity of using them in the race. This gave him a sticker set to use in the race, his fast 2nd stint, but forced him to run 2 stints on the prime tire.

it might be cliche to tell but for me... it seems that this is the first early indications that LH will be in Webber car next year.

LH "cannot drive" without reigning world champion as a teammate (Alonso, Jenson)........ he might hate the number bigger than No 2 sticked in a car i guess... but if the teamate is a "lousy driver"... then he will be a champion....

[kalinka]

Whitmars after race interview :

Q: How much damage was there to Lewis's car from the Fernando incident?

"I think some louvres at the bottom of the rear wing endplate went and there was a bit of floor damage..."

I think it's hard to imagine that the diffuser remained intact after hitting from behind, and just the floor get damaged...so I think Whitmars means here the floor+diff was damaged, just not specifying it. But anyway, if I'm wrong, it still affected the rear DF probably.

[myurr]

So why'd he only run 2 stints on the options instead of 3?

As I said he flat spotted the other set.

[Shrieker]

Suzuka 1997 Race Start: http://f1tv.magnify.net/video/F1-GP-For ... suzuka-g-6

Skip straight to the end of the video to watch the start.

Villeneuve was disqualified from the race as a result of the moves he pulled to defend his position, since he already had a warning for yellow infringement from quali.


Vs. Vettel's defence in Sepang this weekend. See much of a difference ? Maybe a little. But not much.

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

[marcush.]

The tactics of the teams are puzzling me ....Some seam to be unable to harness their drivers and themselves from taking dumb decisions.

When tyre degradation is your concern ,wich clearly was the issue on sunday -AND you want to jump the very best- you have to gamble and outfox the rest.

As Mclaren I would have pushed to get into Q3 with minimum effort -eg one run on hards in Q1 and 1run on softs in Q2 and NO run in Q3 Netting p10.
Just look at Heidfeld and Petrov ..They almost took the lead coming from p6 and 8..
This way you have the choice of running brand new softs or brand new primes...both very attractive propositions...as the hard is 1 second slower but having 3 laps less on them they should be good enough to not be a drawback in the first stint ...as the degradation is lower and having new ones you got a head start with their speed...
Come on guys in F1.. give us some clever lateral thinking strategy!You could at least one time claim to have a car issue....right? I´m pretty sure Button could have won it that way.

[mx_tifoso]

That's interesting, as from the footage it seems that endplate was [almost] perfectly aligned with the rear wheel. I would have never expected such an exaggerated amount of damage.

[Gerhard Berger]

Suzuka 1997 Race Start: http://f1tv.magnify.net/video/F1-GP-For ... suzuka-g-6

Skip straight to the end of the video to watch the start.

Villeneuve was disqualified from the race as a result of the moves he pulled to defend his position, since he already had a warning for yellow infringement from quali.


Vs. Vettel's defence in Sepang this weekend. See much of a difference ? Maybe a little. But not much.

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

Villeneuve was actually penalised for ignoring a yellow flag in qualifying (he already had a suspended race ban for doing the same thing in Imola and Monza). He was never penalised for his move at the start of the race.

[alvinkhorfire]

Does anybody saw Vettel`s KERS on board footage working at the start of the race? We saw Webber`s but he said that his wasn`t working before the start?
What I`m trying to say is the fact that RB didn`t put KERS again!
These are the following reasons:
1.With KERS the rear tyres goes quickly because affects weights distribution. Just see 2009 season ...

I think both KERS units failed during the race. Vettel's one started working again towards the end of the race.

Most probably, Webber's KERS could not be used as it was faulty just before the race. However, does anyone has any definite proof that Vettel's KERS was faulty as well? The way I saw it is that the team asked Vettel not to use KERS because they do not want KERS to increase the rear tyre wear, rather than the KERS is damaged. After all, Vettel had a decent gap during second stint. KERS was turned off to extend the tyre life.

It seems that Vettel's "faulty" KERS is one of many lies from Red Bull, as his KERS was perfectly fine. Correct me if I am wrong.

[zeph]

I'm thinking it might be BS, about damage to Hamilton's car. I've watched the replay a dozen times and although things happen very fast, I could swear Alonso only hits his right rear tyre.

[kalinka]

I'm thinking it might be BS, about damage to Hamilton's car. I've watched the replay a dozen times and although things happen very fast, I could swear Alonso only hits his right rear tyre.

You can hardly hit just the rear tyre with that big front wing, if you look at this picture for example. Those gills must be damaged at least, but the edge of the diffuser is very close too.