Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2011

Minidave · Oct 17, 2011

Alonso said "I give up" !?!?!?!?

What was that all about?

ScottinBend · Oct 17, 2011

I think his tires were giving up.....they sure looked like it.

Steve · Oct 17, 2011

Minidave said: ↑

Alonso said "I give up" !?!?!?!?

What was that all about?
Click to expand...

Fernando Alonso explains 'I give up' comment (news.bbc.co.uk)

Fernando Alonso moved to clarify a comment he made during the Korean Grand Prix, in which he told his Ferrari team: "I give up, I give up."

The remark came as the Spaniard chased McLaren's Jenson Button for fourth place in the closing laps.

After the race, Alonso said he was stating a fact, not giving up.

"I had a little moment close to the wall," said Alonso. "I asked the team how many laps left and they said 'two' and I said: "With two, I cannot do it."

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel sealed his 10th victory of the season in Korea, comfortably ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber, McLaren's Jenson Button and Alonso, who finished in line astern.

The Spaniard, 30, had spent half of the race behind his team-mate Felipe Massa, who had out-qualified him for the third time in five races, and also lost time behind the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg.

However, Alonso, who eventually passed his team-mate during the second round of stops, insisted Massa did not hold him up.

"I was not much quicker at that time," added Alonso. "I struggled a lot in the first part of the race with the super soft tyres so I tried to manage the degradation.

"After the stops, I found myself between [Vitaly] Petrov and Michael [Schumacher] and really close to their accident in Turn Three.

"Then behind Nico we also lost a bit of time, but I was not much quicker at that time of the race."

Once clear of Massa, Alonso closed in rapidly on Hamilton, Webber and Button, at more than half a second a lap, but he ran out of time to challenge for a podium position.

"When we switched to the softs, the situation improved significantly and, with a clear track, I was able to push as hard as I could," Alonso said.

"I did 20 qualifying laps to catch the group [of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, Red Bull's Mark Webber and Button] in front, but we arrived a little bit too late to the battle.

"I was only quick in the last stint so we will try to see why."

When asked whether he thought Ferrari could catch Red Bull in the remaining three races in India, Abu Dhabi and Brazil, Alonso said: "No I don't think so. Everything will remain more or less the same unfortunately.

"Especially on Saturday, they seem very strong and we are eight or nine tenths behind them.

"We deliver a better performance on Sunday and we need to keep that up."

Though the Spaniard failed to repeat his victory at the Korean venue last year, Alonso insisted the team are still motivated for the rest of the season while also looking ahead to next year.

"If we have some podium finishes in the remaining races, they will be welcome," said Alonso. "If by surprise we can win one race, it'll be even better.

"Furthermore, we will continue to work towards next year, trying new things and maybe, taking a few risks with our strategy."
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minimark · Oct 17, 2011

"If by surprise we can win one race........"

Is that not the sound of a towel being thrown in?

goaljnky · Oct 17, 2011

minimark said: ↑

"If by surprise we can win one race........"

Is that not the sound of a towel being thrown in?
Click to expand...

Do you think he meant that they would surprise the other teams if they win, or that it will be a surprise to them?

Steve · Oct 17, 2011

I'd say that's the sound of someone who resigned himself to the fight for 2nd.

Gave up on anything higher than 2nd in the drivers championship a few races before Vettel clinched the title and I think he pretty much lost hope for race finishes atop the podium (barring Vettel DNFs) about midway through the season.

minimark · Oct 17, 2011

goaljnky said: ↑

Do you think he meant that they would surprise the other teams if they win, or that it will be a surprise to them?
Click to expand...

....a surprise to him.

Think he's merely being a realist and knows that Red Bull has the better mount....

Minidave · Oct 17, 2011

No question it's been a Red Bull year....

Notice also the improvement in Torro Rosso fortunes the last few races - you think the fact that both of those guys are driving for their jobs has had an impact or is it just down to improvments in the car?

Renault certainly has lost form the second half of the season....while MBZ seems better, the finishes really aren't showing it - they seem to finish pretty much where they qualify.

I would like to see some real "Banzai" driving the rest of the year, not to the point of wrecking themselves or others, but to see some diverse race strategy or risk taking on setup. It would be fun to see another new guy win a race much like Vettel did when he was with TR.

One comment about Alonso's remark - Senna would never "give up" - ever! No would a number of other drivers from the last 20 years. That's the mark of a champion - to me.

minimark · Oct 17, 2011

Alonso is very good but not yet proven himself up to a Senna comparison...

ScottinBend · Oct 17, 2011

Steve said: ↑

Great side by side comparison of Vettel and Button quali laps at Suzuka; 9 thousandths of a second difference at the line.

Pole Lap Comparison: BBC F1 2011 - Round 15: Japanese GP - YouTube
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That was cool......gives a real great comparison on style and line to.

Steve · Oct 18, 2011

I'm surprised I haven't seen much lately on whether the track in India is anywhere near ready to host the upcoming race. They're all heading there though so I guess we'll see soon enough.

Flintoff wants curry-powered India race (Reuters via eurosport.yahoo.com)

Former England cricketer Andrew Flintoff has advised Formula One teams at the India Grand Prix to fuel themselves on beer and curry.

Virgin Racing team boss John Booth bumped into the colourful ex-England, Lancashire and Chennai Super Kings cricketer at Silverstone in July and picked his brains about health and safety.

"I knew he'd been to the Subcontinent on a number of occasions and he said he'd never ever had a problem, just eat lots of curry and drink lots of beer," Yorkshireman Booth told Reuters at last weekend's Korean Grand Prix.

"Bottled beer and street curry. Sounds like a perfect recipe for me. That's like an Englishman's dream that, isn't it?".

Behind the light-hearted banter, and unsurprising advice from a man whose passion for beer and curry was well-documented as a player, there are some serious issues to be addressed as teams venture into what is, for most in the globetrotting glamour sport, unknown territory.

What the drivers and mechanics eat, how they get safely to and from the circuit and general security measures in a country always on alert for terror attacks must all be considered.

"On a personal level you wouldn't even think about it but when you're responsible for 70 people then suddenly it's a whole new level," said Booth.

Rumours that some teams were bringing all their food with them from Europe, or flying in reserve staff as backup in case of an outbreak of 'Delhi Belly', appear wide of the mark.

"I think the only reason people would take their own food is to guard against the hyped cost of food when you get there," said Booth, citing some of the charges listed by official providers.

Security is another matter, and there the cricket connection again comes into play.

"I believe the people who give security to the England cricket team have given some advice to Mercedes and ourselves and maybe some other teams as well," McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh told Reuters.

He and the others were reluctant to give details.

"What we don't want to do is make the story, frankly, that we are all worried about going to India. We've got to be respectful," said Whitmarsh.

"India is our host and for us to denigrate or suggest that we've got extra concerns (would be wrong). We have them wherever. Nowadays any modern company has a big duty of care to all of its staff and we've got to look after them."

The teams are no strangers to special measures, hiring security guards in Brazil where even drivers have been held up by armed robbers at traffic lights and where luxury hotels are never far from teeming slums and sewers.

There is also Bahrain, whose grand prix remains on the calendar for next season despite this year's violent unrest.

"Terrorism can happen anywhere, it can happen on a tube in London or anywhere. so we have got to be aware of that," said Whitmarsh, whose team have their own doctor. "We've tried to take some precautions, we've sought some advice.

"The staff will be chaperoned ... and the drivers, myself and every member of the team and catering are all staying in the same hotel. That's because we don't know the scene so well.

"That's an unusual thing to do but we're doing that to try and make sure we can then get people to travel together and manage the situation," said the McLaren boss.

Sauber's Dehradun-born Chief Executive Monisha Kaltenborn suggested most of the worries were down to unfamiliarity.

"You look at what happens in Brazil which can be dangerous to your life, when people come and point a gun at you. And that's not made such a big issue of," she told Reuters.

"Half the people haven't been to India and they just hear something and then they panic over it."

Reuters
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Steve · Oct 18, 2011

:skep: Track Will Be Ready For Next Weekâ€™s Indian GP (formula-one.speedtv.com)

SPEED Staff / GMM | October 18, 2011 | GMM Newswire

Chief organizer Sameer Gaur on Tuesday insisted the new Buddh circuit is right on track to host next weekend's inaugural Indian Grand Prix.

With last year's shambolic Korean Grand Prix still in memory, coupled with Delhi's problematic hosting of the Commonwealth Games, there has been concerns the Indian capital is struggling to get its new venue ready for F1.

The track was launched to the media on Tuesday, nine days before the Formula One circus will convene ahead of free practice.

Construction workers were still scurrying about, the track surface was dusty and the main grandstand is not yet complete.

But promoter Jaypee's Gaur is not worried.

"We are cleaning the track twice a day but since the work on the stands is still taking place, the dust gets on to the track. Once the work on the stands is over, the circuit can be taken care of," he is quoted by the Indo-Asian news agency.

"Today was an important day. There is no concern as of now, whatever little needs to be done to spruce up the place will be completed in seven days," he added.
Click to expand...

Steve · Oct 18, 2011

:skep: Angry Farmers Still Threaten To Disrupt Indian GP (formula-one.speedtv.com)

SPEED Staff / GMM | October 18, 2011 | GMM Newswire

Less than two weeks before the inaugural Indian Grand Prix is scheduled to take place, disgruntled farmers are still threatening to disrupt it.

They are angry that their land was acquired compulsorily without adequate compensation to make way for the new Buddh circuit.

According to the Hindustan Times, they have written to a regional official this week reminding him that if their demands are not met, they will push ahead with protests aimed at disrupting Formula One.

"There's nothing alarming. There's no threat to the race," a senior official of race organizers Jaypee insisted.

"A lot rides on the event and the farmers are only trying to browbeat the organizers and the administration," he added.

A regional official warned: "If any group tries to disrupt the proceedings of the race, we will deal with them in an appropriate manner."

According to the Indian Express, some farmers are threatening to play cricket on the asphalt on the day of qualifying, and then step up the protest to "stop the race altogether" on Sunday.

"We want to hold a sports tournament, to show the world our grievance. We don't want to cause trouble, but our voices must be heard," a spokesman for the farmers' group said.

Another farmer added: "We will try and stop the race at all costs as it represents the injustice that we have suffered.

"We have heard that the foreign (F1) cars will be arriving between Oct. 18 and 20. We intend to stop them from entering the circuit."
Click to expand...

goaljnky · Oct 18, 2011

OK, seriously, they are Indian farmers. Does Bernie, or who ever not have the 2-3 grand that it will take to placate this bunch?

minimark · Oct 19, 2011

goaljnky said: ↑

OK, seriously, they are Indian farmers. Does Bernie, or who ever not have the 2-3 grand that it will take to placate this bunch?
Click to expand...

Exactly. But one can be sure that it would not come from the dusty confines of Bernie's wallet...:frown2:

Gil-galad · Oct 19, 2011

Report: Just spotted beyond the Turn 2 gravel trap at Buddh...

Zapski · Oct 19, 2011

HAR!™ :lol:

minimark · Oct 20, 2011

Bernie's Barber? Lol

Steve · Oct 20, 2011

Article from Motor Authority, video via YouTube.

F1 From a Driverâ€™s Eye Perspective

By James Wolfcale | October 20, 2011

If you're like us and you enjoy getting up way too early on Sunday mornings to watch F1 races, then you'll be familiar with the airbox mounted on-board cameras used during TV broadcasts. While they provide a great view of the action, they don't always provide the most visceral viewing experience.

Luckily, former Virgin Racing driver and current official Pirelli F tire tester Luca di Grassi saw this as a problem too. His solution was to mount a camera inside his helmet visor to give those of us who lack the talent or opportunity to drive an F1 car a glimpse at what it's like to pilot Pirelli's Toyota test car around Spain's Circuit de Catalunya.

What really comes through in this video is the sheer violence that comes with driving a modern F1 car. Each gear shift is accompanied by a severe head jolt and you can see di Grassi straining his neck against the g load of each direction change. It's no wonder F1 drivers have neck strength that could rival an NFL linebacker's.

As much fun as it is to watch, don't expect to see helmet mounted cameras in F1 anytime soon. In order to get this unique point of view, di Grassi had to drive with only one eye open because the camera was obscuring the other. As you may have already rightly assumed, depth perception and a full field of vision are important things to have when you're an F1 driver.
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[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3DY7HIjXMc]First Time Ever Eye-Level Camera Formula 1 - Lucas di Grassi | Real Driver Point Of View - YouTube[/ame]

Zapski · Oct 20, 2011

I want them to have that implemented for India. They've got a week before practice, so it should be plenty of time to fix that "covers one eye" problem.

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