official F1 World Championship 2011 Thread

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

[Subject Delta]

Why, oh why the hell did McLaren send Lewis out to sit at the end of the pit lane and lose tyre temperature.

[simonlang]

Why, oh why the hell did McLaren send Lewis out to sit at the end of the pit lane and lose tyre temperature.

obviously to avoid traffic. it cost him already earlier on.

he was damn unlucky today, hope luck equals out tomorrow. if someone can fight vettel this year its only hamilton.

the others are at least one class lower.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Looking at the grid positions a really good result - i.e. podium place - is possible for Schumacher. Firstly his starts have been great this year, so there is a good chance he can pass Alonso and Webber at the start. Secondly Monaco is a course where he can really play out his experience.

[Subject Delta]

obviously to avoid traffic. it cost him already earlier on.

he was damn unlucky today, hope luck equals out tomorrow. if someone can fight vettel this year its only hamilton.

the others are at least one class lower.

Traffic wouldn't have been an issue there were only 8 cars on track. The time he lost with cold tyres was massive, he should have been far higher up the grid than that.

[Lovell]

Looking at the grid positions a really good result - i.e. podium place - is possible for Schumacher. Firstly his starts have been great this year, so there is a good chance he can pass Alonso and Webber at the start. Secondly Monaco is a course where he can really play out his experience.

Didn't he have to use all of his soft tyres to get that position though?

[Eddo89]

obviously to avoid traffic. it cost him already earlier on.

he was damn unlucky today, hope luck equals out tomorrow. if someone can fight vettel this year its only hamilton.

the others are at least one class lower.

The reality is though, he could have waited until the back, since he essentially have most of the track to find space, they needed 1 minute 15 or so for a fast lap anyway, but they got 2 minute 23, if you do the maths he have a lot of track position to play around when you consider there was going to be just 9 cars there. In the end, it was irrelevant as no one was able to get a better lap so I doubt Hammy starting with ideal temperatures would had gotten too far forward.

Speaking on the debate of tyres, I think what is important this year is that you normally go for 10 laps anyway. Assuming you didn't wreck it in the out lap or something, you really don't have to live with it being a poor tyre for too long. You may wreck your tyre 10% faster, well you lose a lap of good speed. Whereas you may go like 20 laps, thats 2 laps of good speed in the old tyres witha long stint of average grip. This year there isn't the push for a few fast laps as you are about to get some fresh tyre, to get ahead or stay in front, you already are on the limit for half the stint.

Another thing is, you can't seem to nurse these tyres too well anyway, you may get 5 more laps of average time, but with so many pitstops, the laps saved seemed irrelevant in the long run. And unlike past years, you don't have the luxury of holding off people, KERs with DRS and off they go. This also means fast runners are far less likely be compromised as slower cars on different strategy may merely be a thorn on the side for several corners, such as the rate tyres degrade, case in point at Vettel breezing past 2 what so supposed to be very fast cars in his outlap in Spain. There is less window of "good grip", thus you are more likely to meet slower cars at the end of their stint. There isn't this long middle stint where they are slow as hell but not slow enough to be past.

I actually think there is no surprise that really fast racers like Vettel and Hamilton is the top drivers right now. While the ones that have other assets like Webber and Button are behind. Maldonado's fresh raw pace is more than a match than Barrichello's experience but with ageing reflex and desire. I also seem to think this is Ferrari's problem, with the understeery nature, I can't but think it is almost a design towards preservation than aggression.

EDIT

Didn't he have to use all of his soft tyres to get that position though?

He did. But no one seemed concerned about the life of these tyres. And this is Monaco, at worse he will feel the effects at the final few laps of a stint but chances are you could have a 200hp KERs, you won't pass Michael without losing part of your wing if not your wheel.

I don't think anyone have a particular fresh set of tyres anyway as most used 2 sets for Q3. While understandably Vettel, Button and Alonso's last set barely raised a sweat and Hamilton had one more set to spare I believe, or at least a very fresh set used before Perez's scary accident.

[simonlang]

traffic, in monaco, is ALWAYS an issue. even if you only got 3 cars on track. the chance, that for example another driver had abandon his lap and then lewis would have hit traffic again.

its just that way. going out early was maybe the best thing to at least being able to do one clean lap. it was all down to 3 or 4 damn seconds anyway. had they put out the red flag some moments earlier mclaren could have done 2 flying laps.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Traffic will be even more of an issue tomorrow:

Hispania drivers allowed to race

Hispania Racing team's drivers Tonio Liuzzi and Narain Karthikeyan will be on the grid of the Monaco Grand Prix after being allowed to race on Saturday.

Neither Liuzzi nor Karthikeyan managed to set a time in qualifying, the Italian having crashed in final practice.

The Indian suffered a suspension problem during qualifying that meant he was unable to leave the pits.

Despite not managing to set a time, the Spanish squad confirmed that the Monaco stewards have decided to allow the duo to take part in the race based on their practice times.

Source: Autosport

Yay, two more mobile chicanes on the grid.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

Hamilton's best Q3 time deleted

Lewis Hamilton had his best qualifying time deleted for having jumped the chicane to set it and will drop down the grid of the Monaco GP.

The Briton had already endured a difficult session after finishing in seventh position, with his runs hindered by the crash involving Sergio Perez.

Hamilton's time, however, has been deleted by the FIA stewards, after they deemed the McLaren driver had jumped the chicane during that lap.

The British driver drops from seventh to tenth, although he is likely to start from ninth if Perez, as expected, doesn't race tomorrow.

Source: Autosport

[MightyJordan]

Jake Humphrey just tweeted that Hamilton was found guilty of cutting the chicane on his hot lap, so now he starts in 9th.

EDIT: Never mind, Meph beat me to it by mere seconds. :p

[simonlang]

does that mean that hamilton can start with the harder compound right?

if so, that race just might have turned into hamiltons favor. :cool:

now all he needs is that big ammount of luck alonso had there last year. then its wide open!

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

does that mean that hamilton can start with the harder compound right?

No. He can start with the tyres he used in Q3.

[simonlang]

but he didnt set a timed lap....

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

but he didnt set a timed lap....

He still took part in Q3.

[simonlang]

He still took part in Q3.

read the rulebook please.

[what]

He still took part in Q3.

Schumacher took part in Q3 but never set a time last week. If they've removed Hamilton's one and only time from Q3, he should be allowed to choose the tyres he starts on.

[Subject Delta]

A pretty elementary mistake from Lewis, when I saw it live I convinced myself that he did it on his inlap because it just seemed like something a driver wouldn't do on a hotlap. Lewis and his team have combined to spoil his chances of victory this weekend, a crucial mistake given the ongoing strength of RBR

[ahmz]

A pretty elementary mistake from Lewis, when I saw it live I convinced myself that he did it on his inlap because it just seemed like something a driver wouldn't do on a hotlap. Lewis and his team have combined to spoil his chances of victory this weekend, a crucial mistake given the ongoing strength of RBR

That was Button you saw.

[Subject Delta]

That was Button you saw.

You mean both of them cut the chicane? I guess in that case then it's lucky for Jenson he already had a fast enough lap.

[what]

A pretty elementary mistake from Lewis, when I saw it live I convinced myself that he did it on his inlap because it just seemed like something a driver wouldn't do on a hotlap. Lewis and his team have combined to spoil his chances of victory this weekend, a crucial mistake given the ongoing strength of RBR

It was yellow flagged and there was debris all over the place. I expect he was more concerned with keeping everything in tact than finishing the lap at that point. He would have known there was time for another go.

EDIT: apparently I got the wrong bit. Here's where he went off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnK3hsBN-GQ

[Subject Delta]

It was yellow flagged and there was debris all over the place. I expect he was more concerned with keeping everything in tact than finishing the lap at that point. He would have known there was time for another go.

EDIT: apparently I got the wrong bit. Here's where he went off: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnK3hsBN-GQ

Yes, during his hotlap. Not smart driving sadly.

[acnpt]

There's seven in there son, find one of them :D I think that's my new "if you can't find it, grind it" quote.

[san.W10]

massive crash at lap 71

Renault boss Eric Boullier tells the BBC that Petrov is complaining of some pain in his legs but that may just be bruising.

http://live.autosport.com/commentary.php/id/354

[JoeC]

I really wish they'd not been allowed to change tyres and setup after the red flag, it's ruined the race for the last few laps. Basically just a walk-on now :/