fast bloke

Apologies to Chris Purvis - I said Masa was **** in the rain and Hamilton was unbeatable.........



Then Hamilton goes and makes me look like an ****...... wrong tyres doesn't cut it. He was two seconds slower than Massa lapping at the same time. WTF was that all about.

p.s. - OK its Kimi, but firefox prefers Kimmi. Bet you can't spell his second name without looking it up though

RA Dunk

if he had left the pits for the start of the second quailying session he would have been ok, a really really bad choice trying intermediates with the conditions the way they were TBH, dunno stay with the full wets then came in to change into the intermediates if conditions allowed though?

going to be intresting seeing him pick his way through the pack tomorrow though as long as he can pass kimi and i bet kimi has orders to slow him as much as possible too

overall this hasnt done his championship push any favours

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

I was wondering if Lewis couldn't get the wets up to temp, we saw him being held in the pits without covers on.

To rub salt into the wounds Massa put his P10 time in whilst Lewis was out there, seconds off the pace!

Leslie

I can only say that being in streaming wet conditions on the wrong tyres is a pretty awful situation and Hamilton could not risk wrapping his car up anyway. He was trying hard enough at first. His slow time was nothing to do with his ability in the wet. If the tyres you are on won't clear the standing water you have not got a chance rgardless.

Cant believe that they did not have a tyre change when it was obvious that he was getting nowhere and there was still time for him to get a qualifying lap in.

can't answer for Raikkonen, I did not look it up, hope the spelling is right

Les

Sonic'

In conjunction with engineer Phil Prew, Hamilton opted for a set of intermediates rather than the extremes that offer greater grip in treacherous conditions.

Realising his error halfway round the circuit, he returned to the pits for the extreme tyres, but lost further time as race control called him in to weigh his car.

Was that a hand of the FIA calling him in to weigh the car to stall him ?

TomR555

iTrader: (1)

Lets see wot crap they serve up today

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Les,

They did change his tyres as soon as he realised that the inters weren't the way to go as it wasn't going to stay dry like thay had hoped. By then it was raining hard and with initial traffic there was no way he could get a good lap in.

As you say nothing to do with his ability in the wet.

I also think both him and Kimi had a 'drier' setup on their cars and that can make a heck of a difference too. I remember MS struggling in the rain in Brazill 2001 I think it was as he had a dry set up where DC had a wet setup and was able to beat him - now most people realise MS was just about the best there was in the wet and hence that shows how much difference set up can make.

The race will be interesting I think.

scooby L

Lewis pulled off a fair recovery yesterday, damage limitation, apawling Q2, but redeamed himself in the actual GP.

Fantastic race for Vettel... and as for Kovo....

TopBanana

He looked a bit sheepish in the conference!

scooby L

He did didn't he.... probably thinking about his de-briefing later..

I made out some mumblings about brake temps?... was like watching Kimi...

Fair play, the Toro Rosso and Vettel are a great wet weather combo... pity Bourdais stalled on the grid.... would have been nice to see how competative his set up was.

They are going ot have to up-date their web page, it lists Vettel as the youngest driver to score championship points... errr..OLD NEWS lol

Leslie

I did not realise that he had changed tyres until they mentioned it in the GP programme. Apparently his brakes glazed during the stop and he could not get any temperature into the tyres after that. Same sort of problem effectively.

Vettel drove an oustanding race without an error and he was lucky that the forecast rain did not appear otherwise Hamilton who was 2 sec a lap faster until his extreme wets went off would probably have won.

It was a great race for interest and excitement and Hamilton did well to get 7th from 15th on the grid too.

Les

scooby L

I found that period (about 6 laps from the end) when Lewis dropped off the back of Massa (after catching him so comprehensively) letting Webber nearly take him... then suddenly he sped up again... ?

Backing off to much to protect the engine and bank the points?

or tyre wear causing irratic grip?.. working great... then less... then working again?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

The problem with wet conditions is that it is the goal posts are constantly moving. In the dry, a driver's lap time will vary by a tenth or two. In the wet, one slip and that's a second gone. Vettel was not the fastest man over a single lap yesterday, but he just kept his average speed up without making silly mistakes.

That was a very mature drive by the lad. I thought the guy was quick when he was testing for BMW last year, but not that 'quick'.

And as for people slagging off poor old Kovi, think about it. The Toro Rosso is known for being quick in the wet, as is Vettel. They run a Ferrari engine, which is rumoured to be the most powerful on the grid at the most power demanding track of the season and then Kovi gets a grilling for only bringing home 8 points! He was even on the same stategy!

scooby L

Fair enough, but the latter part of the race was run on a vertually dry line, with everyone running on inters and diving for the odd damp patch! ... The McLaren and works Ferrari are quicker car in those conditions, but Vettel was still stretching his lead... either worrying times for the top 3 teams, or Kovo having an off day...

Dream Weaver

Phew, glad Lewis did well yesterday and moved up so many places, thought we would all have to eat humble pie today but he showed his talent well.

Superb drive by Vettel, well done to him!!

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

Bu the fastest lap by Kimi was still some 6 seconds off a true 'dry' laptime. It may have 'looked' dry, but it certianly wasn't.

scooby L

OK..it was damp it certainly wasn't wet

The TR's main advantage was being a great "wet race" car. certainly more ballanced in the wet (plus vettel certainly loves the wet)... an advantage the McLaren should have overturned by the time a distintive dry line was established (cira 13 laps to go) but actually Vettel continued to pull out more time, this must be a concern for the big fish? Ferrari certainly!

If TR (if they do have the same engine as Ferrari) have a package that can quite convincinly embaress the works team in conditions as quick as damp, well...what will the FIA do!!?

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

Well done Vettel for the win

Do you think if Hamilton was 2nd on the grid with the same strategy as Vettel, that Vettel would still have won? I don't.

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

But we know that Hamilton is quicker than kovi in both wet and dry conditions, so I don't see your point. Especially when you consider that Kovi qualified 2nd on saturday compared to Hamiltons appalling 15th, regardless of his so-called braking issues.

scooby L

ha ha

Lewis cocked up his Q2, please don't start implying he didn't have the pace to catch and pass Vettel if he'd started 3rd or 4th on the grid... at one point he was going to get a podium, if it had started to rain (as forcasted) in the latter parts of the gp, then he'd have been very close to Vettel, maybe not caught him...but close, and that was from 15th on the grid...

and Kovo's braking issues were in the GP not in qualifying...? I'm not sure you watch the same GP's as us Chris...

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

So if Kovi had braking issues in the gp like you say, why is everyone implying that he is rubbish?

Fine, Hamilton is amazing and the sun shines from his bottom.

scooby L

If you read back... I said "all I heard was mumblings about brake issues" did I once say it was a valid excuse?

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

His pace in the race wasn't exactly spectacular was it?

If you log onto the The Official Formula 1 Website you can view the live timing throughout the race. His times were quick but no quicker than Vettel really. I know he was on a one stopper and if he had carried just 3 more laps fuel, he would have pitted when inters were the tyre to go for. Vettel was as quick as Lewis yesterday, so to say that Lewis would have won if he would have been nearer the front is pure fantasy.

scooby L

1 Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari 1:26:47.5
2 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes +12.5 secs
3 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber +20.4 secs
4 Fernando Alonso Renault +23.9 secs
5 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber +27.7 secs
6 Felipe Massa Ferrari +28.8 secs
7 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes +29.9 secs
8 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault +32.0 secs
9 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari +39.4 secs
10 Nelsinho Piquet Renault +54.4 secs

Seconds taken to swap extream wets for Inters? 20-30 seconds

That would have leap-frogged Lewis into at least 2nd, he could have pulled of a major result, never mind, there's always Singapore

(You can spout all you like Chris... the only factual loss of time Lewis had, was his additional pitstop (over the people in front of him).. time taken to put in a 2nd un-scheduled stop...)

Gear Head

iTrader: (2)

This is getting boring now. You support Hamilton, I support Ferrari, deal with it! Hamilton drove a good race, not spectacular and nothing like what we are used to seeing from him. Yes, a one stop stagagy should have put him 2nd, if the weather played into his hands. It didn't. Even if it had, don't you think that the result would have been more to do with the teams stratagy, rather than the 'god like' driving abilities of Lewis? Please understand that there are other driver's in F1 and that is doesn't revolve around Lewis.

Sonic'

Didnt Michael Schumacher win many of his races due to the team strategies and not driving ability alone ?

scooby L

Chris,

Why have you come over all "holy'r than thou?"

A slightly condesending post, even from you.

"this is getting boring" ie: You've run out of ways to argue black is white.

scooby L

I am dealing with it... and it feels great ta

It was actually the best result from such an awful grid position this season

If a one stop stratagy was the quickest, then everyone would have been on it...The fact Lewis was able to make up time & overtake with more fuel on-board just underlines how good a drive he had.


Could not agree more... just as long as they're not in a Ferrari...

Leslie

It is worth remembering that a one stop strategy means that he had to cope with an unusually heavy car for a fair proportion of the race too.

Its is also fair to say that if you support British drivers as those of us who are British are wont to do, then a great deal does revolve around Hamilton!

Les

scooby L

I feel for Button... Like a media leppor now....

Maybe he should apply for a Torro Rosso seat...