Quote from JCTK :

umm... putting Hamilton and White in the same sentence... I can't help but think of something else~

I'm not calling anyone a racist, but I wanted to be the first person to say it in a sentence.

You're not allowed to state the obvious in the current liberal world. That would be wrong and racist.

Liuzzi btw continuing good form

Quote from Intrepid :

Liuzzi btw continuing good form

Indeed, solid performance. Just hope FI can get their reliability gremlins nailed.

Quote from Intrepid :

He wasn't struggling. He was lapping at a perfectly decent pace. He went wide lost a bit of time and was instantly on the back of Kubica. Also he doesn't use his tyres up a lot quicker. It's a myth not backed up by recent races.

He said he was struggling, if he didn't feel that he should of come in, why did he, because he obviously felt the tyres were going off, but in hindsight he is thinking that he could of pushed the first set of a tyres alot more than he did. Just look at the tyres on the highlights, they are grained pretty bad at the first stop, AND at the end of the race (before he gets nerfed by Webber that is)

Quote from BlueFlame :

He said he was struggling, if he didn't feel that he should of come in, why did he, because he obviously felt the tyres were going off, but in hindsight he is thinking that he could of pushed the first set of a tyres alot more than he did. Just look at the tyres on the highlights, they are grained pretty bad at the first stop, AND at the end of the race (before he gets nerfed by Webber that is)

Everyone else had some issues regarding graining. He obviously thought that McLaren felt the other drivers were going to pit.. well actually if they thought that why did they pit him?

Here's the scenario

1. Hamilton pits no one else does - 25 second deficit and he has to catch and pass three cars in 20 laps and gets pressure from webber

2. Hamilton pits and then 3 other cars do as well - he wins

3. Hamilton doesn't pit and no one else does. He's comfortably thirds and will probably overtake Kubica

4. Hamilton doesn't pit and everyone else does - He's second has decent pace... a little worried about Webber but he has good straight line speed.

By not pitting he has two possibly good outcomes. by pitting he has 1 good outcome and one very bad outcome. By pitting they handed the advantage to Kubica and the Ferraris. It just doesn't make sense and because of that Hamilton was right to go on one. I would have gone ****ing mental.

I don't think Ron Dennis would have been so celebratory either after they blew a 1-2 with stupidity. I just can't get my head around it lol

Button really did an amazing performance this week, destroyed hamilton in qauily and had the perfect tactic in the race.

Hamilton needs to get hold of himself, blaming the team for a poor tactic, its a team sport.

Quote from Mustafur :

Button really did an amazing performance this week, destroyed hamilton in qauily and had the perfect tactic in the race.

Hamilton needs to get hold of himself, blaming the team for a poor tactic, its a team sport.

See I used to take this viewpoint until I witnessed Ruben absolutely lose it at the BrawnGP team last year. And he was throwing some serious accusations at his team. He then went on and pretty much beat Button for the rest of the year.

When someone cocks up so massively something has to be said. If you don't vent it will build and build and build until something happens you do regret.

You seem to forget the fact Hamilton IS harder on his tyres than Jenson Button and the "if he hadn't of pitted would of stuggled for pace and not even got as far as overtaking Kubica" Scenario.

Just because Jenson Button can make the tyres last, doesn't mean anyone else can, oh btw Kubica drives a Renault and Massa and Alonso drive a Ferrari, they don't drive a McLaren and they don't drive like Hamilton does either. Hamilton has a style that suits harder tyres.

Quote from BlueFlame :

You seem to forget the fact Hamilton IS harder on his tyres than Jenson Button and the "if he hadn't of pitted would of stuggled for pace and not even got as far as overtaking Kubica" Scenario.

Just because Jenson Button can make the tyres last, doesn't mean anyone else can, oh btw Kubica drives a Renault and Massa and Alonso drive a Ferrari, they don't drive a McLaren and they don't drive like Hamilton does either. Hamilton has a style that suits harder tyres.

Hungary last year Hamilton was very good with his tyres, and at the next GP. It's a myth about this tyre thing. In testing Bridgestone even said Hamilton was very good at maintaining the tyre whereas Button was struggling. despite being in dirty air for much of the GP Hamilton was lapping very quickly... His tyres were better than Kubicas when he pitted. Had he got past him he could've maintained a good pace in clean air - easy 1-2

Hamilton didn't need to pit... it was a major cock-up.

Quote from Intrepid :

Hungary last year Hamilton was very good with his tyres, and at the next GP. It's a myth about this tyre thing. In testing Bridgestone even said Hamilton was very good at maintaining the tyre.

Hamilton didn't need to pit... it was a major cock-up.

You only have to LOOK at Hamilton's tyres to know he was hard on them at this race. It's a PHYSICAL fact, not opinion...


Do you pit to ensure your driver has the best equipment to be as fast as possible?
Or do you let him do laps and laps on tyres shredding to bits at the back of the grid, when the car is capable of much more?

Quote from BlueFlame :

You only have to LOOK at Hamilton's tyres to know he was hard on them at this race. It's a PHYSICAL fact, not opinion...


Do you pit to ensure your driver has the best equipment to be as fast as possible?
Or do you let him do laps and laps on tyres shredding to bits at the back of the grid, when the car is capable of much more?

I will take Bridgestone's - the tyre manufacturer - opinion.

He wasn't hard on them if you take into account most of the race was spent in dirty air. He didn't pit because he needed tyres... it was a strategic decision that failed massively. He had enough speed to be a good chunk quicker than Kubica. The tyres were better than Kubica's.

Pitting made him quicker yes... it also put him 25 seconds behind Kubica and two more cars. He had to drive crazy to catch them taking life ou of the tyres so when he caught them he couldn't do much. It was a silly decision.

One track doesn't mean hes good on the tyres.

Button is bad on the tyres? man this must be alan talking now.

Quote from Mustafur :

One track doesn't mean hes good on the tyres.

Button is bad on the tyres? man this must be alan talking now.

Bridgestone said themselves in pre-season testing that Button was struggling more than Hamilton with tyres.

Hamilton has been pretty good with tyres in recent years... it's a myth that he's a tyre wrecker when the evidence doesn't support it.

Also to add - isn't the point system ****ing stupid?

Basically they've inflated the actual points but the actual difference in value between each position is similar (a lesson in fiat currency there ). So basically the positions are still worth similar to what they were last year but make it much harder to calculate how the championship is affected during the GP

I suspect Bridgestone to accidently mixed up their delivery and therefor F1 is currently using endurance tires. Anyway, I think Hamilton showed that you can push the tires quite a bit and that they won't break down (could be weather / track related though) instantly after you push for more than 2 laps as everyone suspected in Manama. That the soft compound lasts the whole race and is still faster than a tirechange is the other issue that should be looked at.

Btw, I think more people would have pitted if there wasn't the 60 km/h (thank you Charly Whiting) pit limit. If people would loose less time in the pits another strategy would actually make sense...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/82372

Quote from Intrepid :

Also to add - isn't the point system ****ing stupid?

Basically they've inflated the actual points but the actual difference in value between each position is similar (a lesson in fiat currency there ). So basically the positions are still worth similar to what they were last year but make it much harder to calculate how the championship is affected during the GP

Ask Vettel that question and I think he'd gone blonkers...

Basically his front left brakes costed him 25 points~! That's a very big hit for anyone who'd to retire.

Quote from JCTK :

Ask Vettel that question and I think he'd gone blonkers...

Basically his front left brakes costed him 25 points~! That's a very big hit for anyone who'd to retire.

It didn't cost any more than it would've have cost him last year. With seen points inflation while the actual positions remains very similar in value. The new inflated points juts confuse the matters

I guess both Ferraris, Kubica and Button where cruising in another dimenson, where daemonic air and notty tarmac do not ruin two sets of tires.
But it may be a myth aswell!

OOOoohh holly molly, that was good race. And only week to wait for another!

Quote from pasibrzuch :

OOOoohh holly molly, that was good race. And only week to wait for another!

Malaysia will be maybe even better with monsun rain

That was an awesome race however the greasy conditions where to thank for it, we still have to see how it will be when its dry.

To divert the topic a bit

eerrm... RBR! Dudes??? Vettel should have 50points in the bag!

Quote from Mustafur :

That was an awesome race however the greasy conditions where to thank for it, we still have to see how it will be when its dry.

Yes. If you look at the stats from lap 33 on or so (Hamilton pit), you'll notice that any passing (sucessfull) manouvers are practicly not existent. Button and Kubica were set on their positions after lap 10 when everyone changed to dry tires. Having a close pack is ok, even Kubica getting a deserved 2nd, but the fact that nearly noone was even able to make a move after it was dry doesn't qualify for me as a good race. Sorry.

EDIT:
First half was great though

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/ergeb/2010/02/lc.gif

Woot - awesome drive from Button! That's told the naysayers hasn't it!

three_jump is right, the first half today was great racing with the rain and tire change but then it started to get a bit boring..

Red Bull still seems to be the fastest car under normal conditions, then comes Ferrari and then McLaren. Mercedes will have a lot of work to do to minimize the gap to those 3 teams.

Quote from three_jump :

Yes. If you look at the stats from lap 33 on or so (Hamilton pit), you'll notice that any passing (sucessfull) manouvers are practicly not existent. Button and Kubica were set on their positions after lap 10 when everyone changed to dry tires. Having a close pack is ok, even Kubica getting a deserved 2nd, but the fact that nearly noone was even able to make a move after it was dry doesn't qualify for me as a good race. Sorry.

EDIT:
First half was great though

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/ergeb/2010/02/lc.gif

Agreed. You get some nice racing of some cars catching up fast, doing 1,5 - 2 secs faster lap times, then they get behind the corner, right under the rear wing and.... that's it. Unbelieveable and in my eyes proving that there is something wrong.

Decent race, better than previous one.Though I keep having my same complaints so...