Most liked posts in thread: F1 - 2012

Pirelli defends conservative selection of tyres for Austin (AutoSport.com)

 

True. They imagined a lot of skepticism of F1 in America as a result of that one problem more than any other, expected intense scrutiny, and didn't want their tires to be the center of critical attention. They're already criticized regularly this season for using aggressive compounds in an attempt to influence race outcomes. I probably would have gone conservative as well.

Unless the rules prohibit it, I would have been tempted to bring three compounds along, just in case, justified I think by the unknowns of a new track surface. Let the teams decide by majority vote after the Friday test which two compounds to run the rest of the weekend.

The track is rubbering in though and getting less slippery. I imagine those teams and drivers digging deepest for excuses for their lack of pace are griping loudest about the tires. By this point on any given race weekend they'll have all gone through the same issues. The track is always either slicker or grippier than they expected at first. Tires, car setup, or both would have been blamed and they would have dealt with it and moved on. Same at every track, this one was just more of an unknown than the rest because they had no data from running in prior years.

On the other hand, something about that Turn 19 still has many drivers flummoxed. They're calling it slippery and blaming the track and the tires but I'm sure the track is the same there as it is elsewhere and they don't change tires for that one turn, so they're laying the blame in the wrong place. They're taking it too aggressively because the combination of profile and layout are deceptive. It's a challenging corner and it's taking them a while to figure it out...which could make 19 the most important turn on the track.....

 

I'm happy to watch the race tomorrow on TV and online but I'd like to be there in person for the classics race this afternoon (3:20p ET). Wish they were broadcasting it.

Couple pics from earlier:

 

Indeed!

In other news:

Webber under investigation in Texas (GPUpdate.net)

 

Felipe Massa fears for even-number starters at Austin (AutoSport.com)

 

I just hope there won't be much carnage in the first turn.

 

Webber reprimanded, no action on Schumacher/Alonso (GPUpdate.net)

 

Another view of the Turn 1 hill:

 

And another:

 

One more...for now:

 

Wishful thinking? Probably. On the other hand Ferrari said recently that one of the important realizations resulting from their investigation of their wind tunnel, etc, is that their car just isn't able to achieve the sort of one-lap speed needed to get near pole in quali. I suppose he's intimating that they've optimized Alonso's setup this weekend a bit more for race trim at the expense of qualifying position...maybe. Sort of the way Red Bull "adjusted" Vettel's car before he started the last race from pit lane...

Alonso: I’ll still reduce the gap to Vettel (GPUpdate.net)

 

This just in: Evaluation complete, Ferrari decided to open the gearbox. Massa moves back five, Alonso moves up one...and to the clean side. Is this actually the team "helping" Massa to help his teammate before the race even starts?

US GP: Ferrari evaluating pre-race gearbox change for Felipe Massa (AutoSport.com)

 

The USGP driver parade is in all American muscle: