The F1 2011 Thread

[MadduckUK]

Nothing here for this yet so i will get 'er rolling

CONTAINS SPOILERS, if you are avoiding bbc.co.uk/f1 avoid this thread in the same way.

who will be staying up/waking up early for the qualifying tomorrow? is practice 3 out of the question for you?

Is the McLaren late surge really down to their improvements, or are other teams doing a little bit of late sandbagging?

Are Renault really pretty bland midfield when they don't have a Kubika / Alonso to overachieve for them?

Will Team Lotus transition into something respectable

Will Hispania even get within the 107% and be able to race?

go go go!

[Andy3536]

I'll be getting up early to watch the quali, but not the practice.

HRT didn't do anything other than a shakedown in last practice so who knows how good they're gonna be... Even if they have some speed they may not know the setup tweaks to get there with no running.

Virgin look to be really off the pace aswell.

As for Mclaren, i wouldn't mind betting that the other top teams were looking at long runs to get as much info for the race from the tires. Mclaren could have been pushing it trying to see if their improvments had worked.
Really interested to see how it all pans out for tomorrow though.

Weather looks dry at the moment...

Lets hope it's a cracker.

[MadduckUK]

HRT are quite funny, but the Virgin thing is quite depressing, they could leap up the grid easily if they weren't some weird "low cost, CFD only" experiment.

of course it will be a cracker, Melbourne is always great, and Melbourne+first race+return of KERS+flappy rear wing thing+tyres is going to make it fascinating.

[this_is_gav]

I woke up early to watch FP2, and will do the same for qually and the race (damn the clocks going forward this weekend!), and I'll leave my HTPC on again to record FP3 just in case someone decides to copy Karun.

As for pace, McLaren do appear to have made a decent step forward, but Hamilton was really on it, leaving nothing on the track (it's harder to see with Button) while Red Bull were just toying with the others, not really pushing the car and playing with the rear wing rather than appearing to use it to the full potential. There wasn't much coverage of Alonso, so it was hard to gauge where he was at.

Barrichello looked good in the Williams, his quickest time on the softer tyres coming quite early in FP2 and still good enough for 9th - should be in for some solid points if Williams don't do a Williams and cock up the strategy.

I've still not made my mind up about Renault. People keep saying they're a dark horse, but since the second test, I've not seen anything to back that up, either in Barcelona or Melbourne. They look solid midfield, but nothing more. If they're sandbagging, then they've got me fooled. As things stand, they look to be behind Barrichello, Kobayashi and maybe even one of the two Toro Rossos. While Heidfeld is a solid enough driver, they're really going to miss Kubica doing what top drivers can do - outperforming the car and dragging it up to positions it has no right to be in (such as in Monaco last year). If ever there was a year for Kubica to shine, this was it. Wishing him all the best and hoping he continues making excellent progress and returns to F1 for next season.

Lotus haven't made the step they were suggesting. They're further away now than they were at one point last year (when they got to around half a second of the back of the grid).

As Andy says, if Red Bull are indeed sandbagging to the extent I'm thinking (and I'm thinking they're going to out-qualify the entire grid by at least half a second), then Virgin are in danger of missing the 107% mark. If a drive at a better team becomes available mid-season, then I fully expect Glock to jump ship, and while I admire him for joining Virgin and admire Virgin for going racing in a completely different way to all the other teams, I couldn't blame him for doing so.

HRT have no chance of qualifying. It's been a complete farce, especially as 90% of the car is last year's - apart from a few aero tweaks (and even the front wing is the 2010 one) the only major difference is the gearbox and suspension, both from last year's Williams. Getting a car out for 2010 was a challenge for all the new teams, and HRT cut it finer than the others, but they've had since the middle of 2010 to get what is essentially the same car out for 2011, couldn't get it ready for the first test, were unable to make the final test a month and a half later ("because some dampers got stuck in customs" - yeah, right), have sailed past the date of the opening race in Bahrain two weeks ago and still have only manage one lap in Melbourne. Chandhok's heroic effort isn't going to happen again. There is no way on earth that team can continue in F1 the way things are, as it's a complete shambles from top to bottom. The only guys I feel sorry for are the drivers, as no-one else, including Geoff Willis, the supposed saviour (a 'saviour' no one else would employ in 2010, including HRT), appear to have a grasp of the situation. It's beyond comprehension that they can't even get a 2010 car out for the 2011 season. If they don't die tomorrow, they'll die this season, and if they somehow don't die this season, they'll die before 2012. They are the current equivalent of Forti Corse, only as unprepared as they are slow (at least Forti improved for their second year... before they went under mid-way through).



As for the season as a whole... even if the championship isn't nearly as close as last year, the racing itself will be far better - Pirelli have ensured that. We didn't need idiotic rear wings or the return of KERS in 2011 to make for a spectacle, and we won't need Bernie's fantasy rain in the future. Tyres like these are more than enough to provide epic dry races on any decent track (read: non-Tilke) - just look at Montreal last year.

We've not even had a race yet, and already I'm loving Pirelli's return.

[MadduckUK]

Woow gav, i will read all that

oops i missed one - Schumacher, yeah we all hated him when he was winning everything at a canter, didn't feel bad for him when circumstances ruined 2005 season, but am i the only one who wants to see him.. not be champion or anything.. but do really well this season? it would make me feel less old and cynical i think.

[circuitmonkey]

Think P3 will be to early for me after the week I've had but am stoked for Qauli!

Just like to take this opportunity to invite anyone who hasn't already done so to join the Hexus Fantasy F1 League, details in my signature bellow

[MadduckUK]

yeah thanks CM, i need to do that at some stage - ended up never changing my drivers from the original selection last year but it was still a fun little distraction so ill be back onboard for it.

[Andy3536]

Think P3 will be to early for me after the week I've had but am stoked for Qauli!

Just like to take this opportunity to invite anyone who hasn't already done so to join the Hexus Fantasy F1 League, details in my signature bellow

I'm in

Regarding Timo Glock, there's an article at autosport i read earlier - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90171 - has him talking about relying on top teams going easy in Q1. 107% rule it turns out is from Q1 and not the eventualy pole time from Q3. I had assumed it would be the pole time untill i read this.
Kinda worrying to start having to use language like that....

Here's hopeing they can turn it around, they've an update for the 4th race at Turkey coming. Might keep them just behind Lotus.......

Schumacher.. I'm still not fond of him. Just as i start to warm to him he opens his mouth

It would be great to see him on the podium though, not winning anything. Mabee a second or third on the podium one place behind Rubens If you feel yourself starting to like the fellow, just think back to those strained moments watching the races supporting Hill and Villeneuve only for 'that' to happen.....

[MadduckUK]

wowowow so much to talk about, at 01:00 i thought i would take a couple of hours before P3 to get some sleep - my phone had other ideas and i work up on my own at 08:00, sacked the whole thing off and slept till 11:00. Just finished watching.

Vettel is a monster
Lewis is unlucky, but would still be 2nd even if everything had been 100%
Webber underachieved
Jensen was unlucky, but would have only been in the ballpark of Lewis at best
Alonso overachieved like he usually does
Petrov has been possessed by Kubika, and really stepped it up in a way i wouldn't have expected unless he was actually possessed by Kubika

conclusion - Vettel is on fire, the McLarens have a little bit more to give, the Ferraris are not so good. The Tyres are somewhere between the bridgestones and what we expected them to be after testing. all about the "Race Pace" now though

[Andy3536]

It's only the end of quali for race 1 and there's already rumour and speculation as to just why Red Bull never used their Kers system.
At Autosport they're hinting at the possibility that they have a one time use system. No need to recharge so doesn't effect Braking or brake balance, no cooling fins inside to keep it all small, and a much smaller battery. Could it be?
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90255

Either way, there's some genius behind Red Bulls car. Webber always seems to struggle in Australia, but i think the size of the gap is worrying for him.

Glad to see Mclaren take a step forward too. There must have been a few frayed nerves before quali in that garage.
Glad i picked Hiedfeld and Rubens for my fantasy F1 team, they sure look good for tomorrow Petrov got himself a very good grid spot though. Be nice if he can keep it up.

Slightly disapointed to see Virgin and Lotus are exactly where they left off last year. Would have liked to see at least one of them look like they could mix it with the big boys.

As for HRT.....where to begin, gotta feel for the drivers there.

[MadduckUK]

It's only the end of quali for race 1 and there's already rumour and speculation as to just why Red Bull never used their Kers system.
At Autosport they're hinting at the possibility that they have a one time use system. No need to recharge so doesn't effect Braking or brake balance, no cooling fins inside to keep it all small, and a much smaller battery. Could it be?
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90255

Either way, there's some genius behind Red Bulls car.

There is ALWAYS genius behind the red bull car, it has become quite ridiculous, Newey is the Einstein of F1 - still haven't figured out quite have the flexy front wing last year worked but it was magnificent.

yes Virgin and Lotus look crap, but Hispania were so bad they may as well just walk away now and cut their losses.

[theoldgaffer]

vettel did soo well, bigger gap than the next five drivers together between first and second. niccee

[kalniel]

It's only the end of quali for race 1 and there's already rumour and speculation as to just why Red Bull never used their Kers system.
At Autosport they're hinting at the possibility that they have a one time use system. No need to recharge so doesn't effect Braking or brake balance, no cooling fins inside to keep it all small, and a much smaller battery. Could it be?
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90255

I didn't think they were allowed to charge the battery from an external source, only regenerative braking on the same car. Guess not.

[MadduckUK]

I didn't think they were allowed to charge the battery from an external source, only regenerative braking on the same car. Guess not.

i guess it's a "starts charged up at the beginning of the race" type thing, because everyone has KERS available on the first lap - right? right? i honestly can't remember

Brundle and Coulthard

Coulthard would make a better job of lead commentator than Legard did, but with Brundle as lead it is like both of the commentators from last season have gone up a level - fantastic stuff no embarrassing pauses, no "seeing something completely different from those of us watching the TV" no "pushing on" they talk to each other like they know each other

[kalniel]

i guess it's a "starts charged up at the beginning of the race" type thing, because everyone has KERS available on the first lap - right? right? i honestly can't remember

They do start charged, but I thought they charged on the outlap to the grid.

Coulthard would make a better job of lead commentator than Legard did, but with Brundle as lead it is like both of the commentators from last season have gone up a level - fantastic stuff no embarrassing pauses, no "seeing something completely different from those of us watching the TV" no "pushing on" they talk to each other like they know each other

I'm giving him a bit longer obviously, but I'm not a fan of DCs commentary so far. I think he'll improve - he often seems very detached and he's not giving much insight, while what he does say tends to be rather Red Bull marketing or overly defensive of the drivers. Yes, he's probably right, but I don't want to listen to a commentator making excuses for even the slowest drivers - Brundle is more entertaining and isn't afraid to insult other drivers or Bernie/random celebrity. Button would make a great commentator however - his piece with DC before qually was great fun, due to Jens' winding up of DC.

[MadduckUK]

They do start charged, but I thought they charged on the outlap to the grid.

that sounds logical, i dunno then

I'm giving him a bit longer obviously, but I'm not a fan of DCs commentary so far. I think he'll improve - he often seems very detached and he's not giving much insight, while what he does say tends to be rather Red Bull marketing or overly defensive of the drivers. Yes, he's probably right, but I don't want to listen to a commentator making excuses for even the slowest drivers

yes he had some of that during pitwalks etc in the past, but didn't get that vibe during quali honestly.

Button would make a great commentator however - his piece with DC before qually was great fun, due to Jens' winding up of DC.

sooo much this, nailed on for it if he wants it methinks, i grinned from start to finish