F1 2010
Posted by: Tony Lockhart on 02 January 2010
Well, the off-season has been pretty good so far. New teams, a Senna, new rules and the return of a legend. Will the championship live upto expectations? Will Legard still be doing his best to ruin Brundle's commentary efforts?
Will Big Howard have a good word to say about F1? Will people still act surprised when a driver makes a dumb move? Will people still look back at F1 in the 50s/60s/70s/80s through rose tinted glasses?
I'm looking forward to it, and I'm still trying to work out a way to seeing the Spa GP from beside the circuit, not the sofa.
Tony
Will Big Howard have a good word to say about F1? Will people still act surprised when a driver makes a dumb move? Will people still look back at F1 in the 50s/60s/70s/80s through rose tinted glasses?
I'm looking forward to it, and I'm still trying to work out a way to seeing the Spa GP from beside the circuit, not the sofa.
Tony
Posted on: 27 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
More action per lap so far than the whole of the Bahrain GP. Webber? So funny.
Tony
Tony
Posted on: 27 March 2010 by winkyincanada
Yes, this is more like it.
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
Well, post race and I'm smiling. Great stuff.
Lewis out-psyching Belly Button? Not yet.
Tony
Lewis out-psyching Belly Button? Not yet.
Tony
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by Mike Dudley
I liked Lewis Hamilton's fine impersonation of Violet Elizabeth Bott, afterwards...
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by BigH47
Boring boring boring, NOT after Borhrian.
Please FIA lets have random track wetting equipment installed at all F1 race tracks.
Jenson out thinks Lewis' team, by making his own decision to change tyres. Lewis really needs to keep his head straight for whole race, well done to Mark W, tosser move.
Please FIA lets have random track wetting equipment installed at all F1 race tracks.
Jenson out thinks Lewis' team, by making his own decision to change tyres. Lewis really needs to keep his head straight for whole race, well done to Mark W, tosser move.
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by MilesSmiles
Congrats to Button, the second race technical issues forced Vettel from the lead, if they could only get on top of this he could have a great season.
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by fixedwheel
I said to Julian H *before* the start of the season that Button's smooth style could work in his favour in reducing tyres required. With a pit stop costing 25 to 30 seconds it is a big factor.
Lewis moaning, one minute that his 2nd set of slicks were shot, then he should have kept the first set for the duration was comical. And then having a go at the team isn't going to help his cause.
Button's years with under performing cars seems to be paying dividends.
Has a Brit ever successfully defended the title?
John
Lewis moaning, one minute that his 2nd set of slicks were shot, then he should have kept the first set for the duration was comical. And then having a go at the team isn't going to help his cause.
Button's years with under performing cars seems to be paying dividends.
Has a Brit ever successfully defended the title?
John
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by Timbo
Well done Button, Hamilton came across as a bit of a plonker, I'm surprised he didn't make more effort to overtake Alonzo. A better more enjoyable Grand Prix.
The coverage in Canada is quite good especially in HD. I can watch the US Speed channel for the build up and then switch to TSN for the race as it has the BBC commentary.
Tim
The coverage in Canada is quite good especially in HD. I can watch the US Speed channel for the build up and then switch to TSN for the race as it has the BBC commentary.
Tim
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by living in lancs yearning for yorks
I think there's still an aero problem making overtaking in the dry almost impossible - I reckon there are going to be more boring processions yet...
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by winkyincanada
quote:Originally posted by Timbo:
Well done Button, Hamilton came across as a bit of a plonker, I'm surprised he didn't make more effort to overtake Alonzo. A better more enjoyable Grand Prix.
The coverage in Canada is quite good especially in HD. I can watch the US Speed channel for the build up and then switch to TSN for the race as it has the BBC commentary.
Tim
It's not in proper HD, though. Not on my set, anyway.
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by BigH47
quote:It's not in proper HD, though. Not on my set, anyway.
HD cameras on the cars but no full HD transmissions until 2011.
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
I'm not so sure about the aero thing. Just giving them last year's wider front tyres would allow cars to follow more closely through a fast bend that leads onto a long straight. At the moment the front end just washes out.
Tony
Tony
Posted on: 28 March 2010 by BigH47
There is still too much aero, they need more mechanical grip, maybe last years fronts would help, but getting rid of all those 'fiddly' bits and bobs would to I reckon.
When you do get good grip you can overtake on the outside of a fast bend, just like LH did.
When you do get good grip you can overtake on the outside of a fast bend, just like LH did.
Posted on: 29 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
Quote from Martin Whitmarsh:
"Lewis was losing time behind [Robert] Kubica, you could see he had graining of his rear left tyre and you could see that Michael [Schumacher] had stopped and was going purple, Webber had stopped and was going purple and more than one second per lap quicker," said Whitmarsh.
"With the information we had at the time, given where Lewis was, we felt that it was the right call. I think in retrospect and hindsight, if we look at how the race played out - if Lewis could have made those tyres last then he could have finished at least second today and we would have a 1-2."
Lewis was destroying his own tyres, and therefore race.
Tony
"Lewis was losing time behind [Robert] Kubica, you could see he had graining of his rear left tyre and you could see that Michael [Schumacher] had stopped and was going purple, Webber had stopped and was going purple and more than one second per lap quicker," said Whitmarsh.
"With the information we had at the time, given where Lewis was, we felt that it was the right call. I think in retrospect and hindsight, if we look at how the race played out - if Lewis could have made those tyres last then he could have finished at least second today and we would have a 1-2."
Lewis was destroying his own tyres, and therefore race.
Tony
Posted on: 29 March 2010 by Clay Bingham
Lewis Hamilton is a tremendous talent,intelligently aggressive, and a real racer. His race was indeed superb but he has got to learn to keep his mouth closed when he is frustrated. His radio chatter cannot have made for warm feelings within the team. One of Schumacher's strengths in his prime(which may or may not be over) was the way he built the team effort around him. He had his faults but he never, in my memory, lashed out in the manner that Lewis did.
Posted on: 29 March 2010 by winkyincanada
quote:Originally posted by Tony Lockhart:
Quote from Martin Whitmarsh:
"Lewis was losing time behind [Robert] Kubica, you could see he had graining of his rear left tyre and you could see that Michael [Schumacher] had stopped and was going purple, Webber had stopped and was going purple and more than one second per lap quicker," said Whitmarsh.
"With the information we had at the time, given where Lewis was, we felt that it was the right call. I think in retrospect and hindsight, if we look at how the race played out - if Lewis could have made those tyres last then he could have finished at least second today and we would have a 1-2."
Lewis was destroying his own tyres, and therefore race.
Tony
Worth pointing out that "going purple" in this context means setting fastest sectors and laps. The live-timing screen that is available on the internet and that the commentators clearly use, colour-codes the fastest sector and lap times in purple text. A driver "going purple" has nothing to do with him holding his breath!
Posted on: 29 March 2010 by Bananahead
quote:Originally posted by Clay Bingham:
Lewis Hamilton is a tremendous talent,intelligently aggressive, and a real racer. His race was indeed superb but he has got to learn to keep his mouth closed when he is frustrated. His radio chatter cannot have made for warm feelings within the team. One of Schumacher's strengths in his prime(which may or may not be over) was the way he built the team effort around him. He had his faults but he never, in my memory, lashed out in the manner that Lewis did.
There was never any in-car radio from Ferrari in the Schumacher years. He was far too controlling for that.
For me, the Hamilton fun clearly demonstrated that there needs to be a minimum of two pit stops per race.
Posted on: 29 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
Also worth adding is that there's a free iPhone app with live timing. From formula1.com. It's pretty good and includes the purples.
Tony
Tony
Posted on: 30 March 2010 by BigH47
"The Purples" used to have another connotation!
Posted on: 30 March 2010 by Tony Lockhart
quote:For me, the Hamilton fun clearly demonstrated that there needs to be a minimum of two pit stops per race.
Which could be made possible by the tyres being supplied not lasting more than 1/4 race distance with a full fuel load maybe?
Tony
Posted on: 03 April 2010 by JamieWednesday
Another bad day for McLaren
Although Ferrari got it wrong as well today, I wonder if McLaren are starting to wonder if Martin Whitmarsh is really the right man for the job? Over the last year and a bit, he has supervised a lot of poor judgements from 'split second' calls, through 'advice' to key team members and in race strategy...No one can be perfect but the team seems to make life harder that it needs to be more frequently than other teams.
Although Ferrari got it wrong as well today, I wonder if McLaren are starting to wonder if Martin Whitmarsh is really the right man for the job? Over the last year and a bit, he has supervised a lot of poor judgements from 'split second' calls, through 'advice' to key team members and in race strategy...No one can be perfect but the team seems to make life harder that it needs to be more frequently than other teams.
Posted on: 03 April 2010 by MilesSmiles
Both McLaren and Ferrari were caught red faced but this should make for a very interesting race.
Posted on: 03 April 2010 by fixedwheel
Jamie, I think you are right. Ron Dennis always seemed to steer a calm course, rarely making glaring errors.
There again, Ferrari seem to have lost the plot without the combo of Todt and Brawn.
Seems a strange time of year to hold the Malaysian race when one half of the track is bone dry, and the other half could be holding a regatta. At least at Spa it just takes a while to get rid of the damp line in the forest area.
John
There again, Ferrari seem to have lost the plot without the combo of Todt and Brawn.
Seems a strange time of year to hold the Malaysian race when one half of the track is bone dry, and the other half could be holding a regatta. At least at Spa it just takes a while to get rid of the damp line in the forest area.
John
Posted on: 03 April 2010 by BigH47
quote:Ron Dennis always seemed to steer a calm course, rarely making glaring errors.
China GP failing to call Lewis in for a tyre change. Mika Hak German GP etc, certainly not imune eh?
Posted on: 03 April 2010 by Naijeru
It was surprisingly immature for Ferrari and McLaren to behave the way they did today, but if you're going to take risks like that, early in the season is the time to do it. I don't think the issue is as devastating as the punditry has made it out to be.