This chat belongs in the Australia thread doesn't it?

Back to Malaysia...

Any takers for a Mercedes on the front row? Super Duper DRS has a lot of straights to work on at Sepang.

Quote from dekojester :

Surely you've got something you can hold hostage for her for an appropriate time in sort-of revenge since she has cost you 5 points (because the rule about raegquitting (which this wasn't but the rule doesn't allow exceptions :|) is -5 points for first infraction) and thus you'll probably be on -5 points ? :P

You're one of the last people I'd expect to raegquit, so I thought something was up when you vanished

Trust me, if you'd seen her then you would have ruled it a ragequit anyway! Can you put her on -5?

It's usually not a problem with a bit of negotiation and pre-approval, but I don't race a lot these days and forgot to mention it.

Quote from rudagar :

super maldonado kart :d

http://www.youtube.com/watch?f ... mbedded&v=umrymjuq_qs

:d

I got Alt-F4'd by the missus! We started arguing about my dinner (which was on the table going cold) just after the restart and that made me spin. I got back on and we carried on shouting at each other until the main straight when she closed down LFS. Argument over!

It depends on the type of upset though. If it's of the "I'll show them" variety then that can galvanise - remember "Not bad for a number two driver"? If it's the "But Lenny Kravitz told me I was really cool and bound to win, boo-hoo", then that's a different matter.

There's lots more interesting stuff apart from Maldonado.

What about Hamilton's state of mind? Happily chatting to the wrong Kravitz during FP, and it seems that old bird he hangs around with is back. Then he gets his doors blown off by JB and he's sulking around muttering about the need to refocus.

Refocus on what? Perhaps what suit he's going to wear to the MOBOs? I don't see a great deal of change from last year's Hamilton. I wonder who else's contract is up at the end of the year apart from his? Massa and Webber for sure. What about Rosberg?

Indeed, a wider entry would have helped Romain.

But, instead of arguing, what did we learn?

McLaren super quick and turned their tyres on much quicker. More downforce from their new rear setup?

Red Bull not as bad as Saturday seemed to indicate. Webber and Vettel seem much more even; in fact, during respective clean air periods Webber had better pace, and didn't lose it anywhere. Poor start though. Vettel impressed in his racecraft. I have a feeling that they have more to learn from their new exhaust setup as they were changing bits from Friday to Saturday.

Mercedes were encouraging; lots of pace and decent downforce. FW duct is very clever - probably! Looks like the DRS exposed holes that are fluidic switches rather than intakes and they use that pressure change to stall the front wing. Schumi in the mood!

Alonso - brilliant.

Ferrari - in a bit of a mess. No traction which killed their tyre life.

Quote from BlueFlame :

If you're holding the outside and someone runs you off the track violently enough to break your steering arm then the chances are it was an unfair move.

You're missing the point. You are looking at this as an internet expert where there is only right and wrong; black and white.

You have the luxury to pontificate. Grosjean is out of the race. Even if it had been a penalty for Maldonaldo he'd get a drive through but Grosjean would still have been out of the race.

Quote from BlueFlame :

He has the right to hold the outside, and he left enough room. Losing the inside line doesn't mean you have to concede the outside line.

But what did it gain him? There's no point being righteous in the gravel trap.

Quote from BlueFlame :

Maldonado purposefully ran Grosjean off the track. Though from a guy who will ram you in Qualifying I expect nothing else. FIA really need to evaluate his safety. It's a shame tho, cos he proved today that he's actually quick enough to BE in F1. He's just not professional enough.

Or perhaps Grosjean left his nose where it didn't need to be - he had conclusively lost the corner and the next one was another right so no point trying to hang around the outside?

Quote from Mustafur :

Mandonado just had to remind everyone he sucks.

He was having a go, fair play. I doubt that the team will see it that way though. He drove very well for 57.5 laps.

Some glimpses of the red button and online coverage look encouraging. Looks like TV and laptop at the same time!

Vettel wasn't really sandbagging - he broke his front wing in a trip over the gravel and then had a gearbox problem so only did 20 laps.

Quote from J@tko :

For all British people:

Links to every F1 highlights package the BBC have

Thanks

Max could run away with this - Checa is going to have to try so hard to keep up he will inevitably not be as consistent.

Shame there no Yamaha team. BMW needs to step up and there are small signs of that happening.

There's no real overtaking in the replay. I'm not sure what point is being made there.

Quote from FPVaaron :

You think I'm an expert? How sweet <3

Certainly not at reading

Quote from FPVaaron :

The techniques I have listed are not for everyone.
My driving style has evolved into what it is today over many years of racing, if you don't like it well then quite frankly I don't care.

Good for you, but don't peddle your "technique" as any kind of expert advice, because it is nothing of the sort.

Bumping people out of the way because you're not patient is no way to drive a race. If someone is blocking then take it up with the league's admin - you can't mete out your own natural justice. If you're quicker then you'll find a way past. If you're just pickup racing then it doesn't matter where you finish, so still no need to cheat your way past.

What you'll also probably find if you review your replays is that the person who had the cheek to be ahead of you in the race and not want to be overtaken was just driving defensively - how dare they!

It's all grey areas really. Different leagues have different rules. I ran in a GPL league a while ago which had quite a good system. If you got to a point of overlap before the turn in point then the track was effectively split in two. Each driver "owned" a half of the track. The outside driver could still drive on the inside half of the track, but if he did then any contact would automatically be his fault, and vice versa.

Any contact caused by overlap after the turn in point (ie a dive bomb, regardless of how far alongside they got) would be the responsibility of the car overtaking.

Is his wife letting him drive ovals?

I would imagine the shaping of the bodywork around the wheels helps a lot in that instance.

Once they start building their own aero kits then no doubt they will follow F1 and if they can design in a bit of extra wake turbulence then all the better.

I hope they get this engine situation sorted out before St Pete. The last thing that New Indy Car needs is a fiasco to start the season.

Yeah, you can get Irn Bru here.

The good thing about watching is that there is every possible vantage point. If it's a really nice day then take yourself, some sandwiches and several joints up the mountain. You'll be stuck there all day, but you can watch them for 3-4 miles at a time, from the right spot.

There are also places like Ballaspur where you are sitting on the hedge as they go flat chat a few feet away. Don't forget the famous places like Ballaugh Bridge, or Kirk Michael (particularly mental).

The short answer is, go everywhere!

Shame I won't be able to meet up for a pint as I am most likely away that week.

A little unfair to say Heikki was trashed by Hamilton. He was on the end of some fairly punitive tactical decisions, if memory serves.