2011 Chinese Grand Prix
- Thread starter prisonermonkeys
- 653 comments
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- 23,800
- Philippines
Wouldn't read much into it... Alonso was running a two-stopper, which handicaps him versus the top four up there... and his second stop was looong before Trulli's. And Alonso was battling all the way, using up tires.
Vettel was the first of that group of four to get onto the third set of tires... and that hurt him! Webber easily had the best tires at the end of the race.
Fully expected Webber to get back up into the top six or seven... never imagined he'd be able to get up onto the podium.
What this means for the next few races is that the tire lottery is definitely on... careful management of the tires and use of the stockpile he had remaining got Webber back up into the fight... after a disastrous first stint on Hards (he was actually passed back by one of the backmarkers he overtook near the end of that stint). Vettel had the better of the McLarens on the first stint on softs, pulled on them mid-race, then lost out on the last round of pitstops... which I'd actually thought McLaren had done too early. Glad to see I was proven wrong (at least in Lewis' case)... though Button now probably wishes he'd done that differently.
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Lewis' comments regarding McLaren are refreshing. It's nice to hear something from him that isn't spoonfed PR-speak... but honest talk about an employer from an employee.
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Strange regarding DRS. Personally, this just reinforces my opinion that it should be on all race long.
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- 2,376
- Stockholm, Swe
- GTP_Anghammarad
Now that is impressive by Alonso. He was stuck behind a slower car more or less every single lap when he had fresh rubber and still managed to run a lap that was only 7 tenth slower than Vettel who was on the same tyre strategy but was able to lap free of any obstacles for many laps.
You see, interpret the lap times as you will.
BTW, what was Masssa's best time?
- 3,669
- PNW
- cowabungacorey
Knowing the outcome of the race, I had such a hard time believing the end result was true. The field was seriously so mixed up and always changing. It did seem like Vettel was struggling though most of the race, not just toward the end. He wasn't pulling out a crazy lead, and with people making an extra stop I wonder why he wasn't even further ahead?
Amazing race though. It was all the way down to the wire with that one and I had never seen so many fluent track position changes before. It seemed with the 2010 season if you were in first, unless you retired you were going to win. It doesn't seem entirely the case anymore, but I don't think anyone is going to make the same 2 stop mistake again.
Amazing race though. It was all the way down to the wire with that one and I had never seen so many fluent track position changes before. It seemed with the 2010 season if you were in first, unless you retired you were going to win. It doesn't seem entirely the case anymore, but I don't think anyone is going to make the same 2 stop mistake again.
- 446
- MattiDaDude
- V12 Matti Dude
I think it depends entirely on the circuit. If a team can correctly the guess the optimum amount of pitstops for the track then they will be the ones who will be at the greatest advantage. Because once they know how many stops to do they will save as many fresh tires as neccessary for the race. It might mean compromising qualifying, but as long as the track has overtaking oppurtunities the race strategy has to come first right? Even at tracks like Monaco we could see changes in the lead because a car that pits early can gain such an advantage by using the new tires.
- 377
- FullSpe3d98
The BBC commentators said that you were allowed to go over the white line there for some reason.
- 10,373
- Manchester
- Ardius_
Thats the point though, the teams haven't managed to guess the right strategy yet, McLaren admitted they hadn't planned for 3 stops, it was just the decision they made during the race. Just like Sauber didn't plan for 1 for Perez at Melbourne. Red Bull also said they didn't decide on strategy until during the race.
I suspect its going to be the same throughout the year as the teams don't know how the tyres will react to the different tracks yet. Its 2012 which is probably going to be a little more predictable for them as they would then have the data. Even Catalunya isn't going to completely predictable for them as it will be in much hotter conditions.
I think we will see opposing pit strategies for much of the year, if not the top teams, then teams like Sauber will almost certainly try to gain an advantage using an alternative strategy.
- 10,373
- Manchester
- Ardius_
Well, that certainly would be the ultimate test! The last Spanish GP I remember finding remotely interesting was 1997 and the last properly exciting one was 1996. 1994 was pretty good too because of it being the first victory for Williams after Senna's death and because of Schumacher's amazing drive to 2nd stuck in 5th gear!
We've already had a massively-improved Malaysian GP (easily the best ever since its debut in 1999).
I wonder more what we are going to get in Canada! If the Bridgestones were high-degradation there..what are we going to get with Pirelli?!?!
We've already had a massively-improved Malaysian GP (easily the best ever since its debut in 1999).
I wonder more what we are going to get in Canada! If the Bridgestones were high-degradation there..what are we going to get with Pirelli?!?!
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Tired Tyres
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- 12,602
- West Yorkshire
- Tired_Tyres
- Tired Tyres
If I recall correctly the 1997 Catalunya was very much a tyre race as well. I agree, it will be the acid test.
As for Canada, They will run out of tyres for sure!
As for Canada, They will run out of tyres for sure!
- 33,155
- Hammerhead Garage
Even if Catalunya is disappointing, we've still had great races in Malaysia and Shanghai, and hopefully more to come. One off race won't spoil the season.
- 5,603
- England, Warwickshire
- GTP_Sigma
Indeed, just look at Bahrain last season.
I think it will be case of success breeds expectation, so I'm certainly going to be diluting my expectations for next race, particularly given the track.
- 446
- MattiDaDude
- V12 Matti Dude
I always thought the races at Istanbul were quite good. As for Canada hadn't it had a year off racing or something like that? The track was far greener than it usually was and it wasn't in the calender in 2009 so maybe that had something to do with the degredation? Last year the tires did start lasting longer as the track rubbered in, it was just the first and second stops where I remember the tires wearing out very quickly. I can still imagine it being a 4 stop race though.
- 392
- BEST KOREA
- SaberFire89
- SaberFire89
Probably the first time we'll see someone go out for their last stint on Extreme Wets.
In a dry race.
Tired Tyres
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- 12,602
- West Yorkshire
- Tired_Tyres
- Tired Tyres
- 2,183
- Houston, TX
- Rosstickles
Watching the race replay, Webber got 3 places in 5 laps. That's incredible. Newey must be fuming they can't figure out KERS.
- 12,513
- Ireland
- The__Luke
If they had KERS, they wouldn't of been in that situation and woudn't have made the overtakes on the new tyres.
- 2,183
- Houston, TX
- Rosstickles
It's pretty hard to say what would have happened.
- 2,183
- Houston, TX
- Rosstickles
I hate that too. I don't know where people learned that of is a verb. Whatever grammar school most of the internet went to sucks for that matter.
- 6,658
- Hanover/Germany
- alexpkas
We will find out in 17 days time 👍
I'm waiting for Spa myself.
Spa is also always my favourite.
Little off-topic: Oh how much I cry every time I play F1:championship edition on the ps3, as it has no Spa. Such a wonderful game, it even has Jerez, but no Spa.
Just today I played it again, drove on Istandbul, lost dozens off times because of mistakes, but I come back again and again, this game is so realistic and fun!
- 2,183
- Houston, TX
- Rosstickles
Spa was taken off the calendar in the year that game was supposed to be emulating. It was 2006 if memory serves me correctly.
- 28,352
- Brooklyn, NY
- KR_Viper
- I Renown I
I shudder to think what Sao Paulo and Yas Marina are going to do to the tires. 
- 2,183
- Houston, TX
- Rosstickles
It's better to be unsure about the future of Pirelli tires on certain circuits than you be certain about how the Bridgestone tires are going to act.
- 5,379
- Yokohama
- F1fan1
No, I corrected you on this the other day, and you misunderstood me. I then pointed it out to you again, but it seems the lesson never got through. Not so much in a bitch of a mood, but it makes absolutely no sense and I see a lot of people use it. It annoys me.
I see you're from Ireland, but local dialect doesn't explain it. I just emigrated to Toronto from Glasgow, Scotland. I'm 23 so I talk with a heavy Scottish accent. But you wouldnae catch me usin' language like this on the forums.
Spa is also always my favourite.
Little off-topic: Oh how much I cry every time I play F1:championship edition on the ps3, as it has no Spa. Such a wonderful game, it even has Jerez, but no Spa.
Just today I played it again, drove on Istandbul, lost dozens off times because of mistakes, but I come back again and again, this game is so realistic and fun!
You should buy F12010. Much better game imo. And it has Spa. Spa was originally supposed to be in the 2006 season, but wasn't as they hadn't finished modifying "the bus stop chicane".
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