The Official Formula One Thread

[Trace17]

Great race, very entertaining. Perfect iffy conditions to make for a great race (and perfect for Jenson). Some quick stats:

-New record for most pit stops in one race (I believe 87)
-JB's first win was Hungary.
-He takes his 2nd win of this year on his 200th GP
-26 years, only two wet races in Hungary
-JB won both

Great start of the race, it was obvious the McLarens were going to make it quite interesting, and Hamilton was all over Seb. It completely caught me by surprise when I suddenly saw the top 3 bunched up together, and it was then revealed that Hamilton spun out, and that was an extremely dangerous correction by him to get back in the right direction. I'm not quite sure if it was deserving of a penalty though, he probably did not see Di Resta coming.

Quick pause for HEIDFELD FIRE!

Anyway, kudos to Hamilton for a 4th place finish. Horrible call to go on inters, but that's easy to say in hindsight. Between those 2 extra pit stops and the drive-through, it's still a great finish to him, even though he was clearly a contender for 1st place.

Props to Di Resta, great drive today, and I'm liking him more and more. Great guy and a great driver, looks like he has a lot of potential to have a great future in F1.

Oh and how about that Dambrosio pit stop entry? Best ever.

I'll leave with this: "If that was the Hungarian Grand Prix then Spa is sure to blow our minds."

Hopefully.

[Mavrick]

88 pit stops too! A new record for a Grand Prix.

I think they really could have handeld that Heidfeld situation a bit better. Could have ruined Vettels race dragging the car back up the pit exit like that. Surely the pit should have been closed until they removed it.

Was a great back and forth battle between Hamilton and Button. It makes a change seeing two team mates dueling it out.

So much action in the last couple races, bolds well for the second half of the season, should be a really intresting race at Spa

[Hatter]

Schumacher: "I had to spin to avoid a crash" - Just plow into him next time. You would stil have been racing.

The race proves my point that all out aggressiveness is not the only thing you need to be successful. Vettel drove a smart race to finish second and Button drove a brilliantly smart race with excellent pace to boot at the end for a calm win. They even talked about how the king of agression Ayrton Senna was also very smart and had a knack for choosing the correct tire at the correct time. Same with Schumi back in the day.

Heidfeld's car literally exploding was crazy.

‪Nick heidfeld cars on fire hungary 2011‬‏ - YouTube

[partridge]

Vettel was quite lucky really, did he actually overtake anyone during the race or just sit there letting his team do the thinking?

Big shame for Lewis, I was hoping for a McLaren 1-2, he never has the luck with tyre choice!

Spa; fantastic circuit, can't wait

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Was a great back and forth battle between Hamilton and Button. It makes a change seeing two team mates dueling it out.

Yes, it was nice to see Whitmarsh letting them duel it out. Risky, but it was fine in the end. He had faith in his drivers, simple as that. Horner does not, and could learn a thing or two from that.

Originally Posted by partridge

Vettel was quite lucky really, did he actually overtake anyone during the race or just sit there letting his team do the thinking?

Big shame for Lewis, I was hoping for a McLaren 1-2, he never has the luck with tyre choice!

Spa; fantastic circuit, can't wait

Well, I think Seb passed Alonso once. However I don't remember any others, and I don't remember if that was the result of an off (I think Alonso had at least one, as pretty much everyone did).

[Mavrick]

‪Nick Heidfeld's Renault F1 car on fire and explodes in Hungaroring, Hungary 2011.‬‏ - YouTube

Better look at Heidfelds car going up from the grand stand.

From that view I say that should definately have been a saftey car release. On broadcast that track looked a lot wider but from that angle those marshals are much closer to not only the cars exiting the pit but the cars at full race pace are much closer too.

[Mavrick]

Seb trying to work out just what it is thats given Maclaren the edge the last two races

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

‪Nick Heidfeld's Renault F1 car on fire and explodes in Hungaroring, Hungary 2011.‬‏ - YouTube

Better look at Heidfelds car going up from the grand stand.

From that view I say that should definately have been a saftey car release. On broadcast that track looked a lot wider but from that angle those marshals are much closer to not only the cars exiting the pit but the cars at full race pace are much closer too.

That marshall who was right in the middle of the explosion shakes it off and continues spraying the car like it was no big deal.

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Seb trying to work out just what it is thats given Maclaren the edge the last two races

Pic doesn't work for me, maybe try uploading it somewhere else?

Originally Posted by Hatter

That marshall who was right in the middle of the explosion shakes it off and continues spraying the car like it was no big deal.

Some of those marshalls are more ballsy than the drivers.

Here's Jerome's kick-ass pit entry. Love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz405767VXc

[Mavrick]

Originally Posted by Trace17

Pic doesn't work for me, maybe try uploading it somewhere else?


Some of those marshalls are more ballsy than the drivers.

Here's Jerome's kick-ass pit entry. Love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz405767VXc

Fixed

That was the craziest pit entry. I bet they needed a change of pants after that one!

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by Trace17

Pic doesn't work for me, maybe try uploading it somewhere else?



Some of those marshalls are more ballsy than the drivers.

Here's Jerome's kick-ass pit entry. Love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz405767VXc

Another great call from Brundle. Brundle's enthusiasm for commentating hasn't been this good in years. Legard nearly killed his career last year as commentator.

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by Mavrick

Fixed

That was the craziest pit entry. I bet they needed a change of pants after that one!

Thanks. Interesting picture, it's always funny to see the drivers checking out the other cars. I think in Canada Newey was down there poking around too.

It would have been so cool if they had moved out of the way and he spun right into the pit box and they just put them on anyway and pulled out backwards. I'm sure it would have broken 4 different regulations, but would totally be worth it ha.

Originally Posted by Hatter

Another great call from Brundle. Brundle's enthusiasm for commentating hasn't been this good in years. Legard nearly killed his career last year as commentator.

Yeah, from what I hear MB was on his toes today. He's usually really good, but especially so this weekend.

[steve1971]

Get race in Hungary today. Another podium finish for Vettel seems to have put the drivers champiopnship out of reach, we will see durning the second half of the season. Nice to see my man Alonso finish 3rd. Too bad he cant get some support from Massa it would help. Congrats to Button, Vettel and Alonso on a great race. F1 is the greatest.

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by steve1971

Get race in Hungary today. Another podium finish for Vettel seems to have put the drivers champiopnship out of reach, we will see durning the second half of the season. Nice to see my man Alonso finish 3rd. Too bad he cant get some support from Massa it would help. Congrats to Button, Vettel and Alonso on a great race. F1 is the greatest.

Well, you have to be used to Massa not giving much support though, right?

Vettel may not be happy right now finishing second, but he will look back on this in the long run and be quite please. See, the problem is instead of somebody chasing him down and cutting that gap, it is actually increasing because Lewis, Fernando and Jenson keep swapping wins. They're fighting for second. If one of them had won 5 races, that's 35 points that could have been shaved off. Instead, Seb is up 85 right now with 8 races left, and I just don't see him losing on average over 10 points per race. It's going to take several 2nd/3rd place finishes and probably a couple DNFs for someone else to realistically take the title. And while DNFs are certainly possibly, the cars are just much more reliable this year and aren't as likely to have mechanical problems unless a barrier helps them out. As far as I'm concerned, the title is all but over, but the racing is good enough for me to forget that. For now, anyways.

[steve1971]

Originally Posted by Trace17

Well, you have to be used to Massa not giving much support though, right?

Vettel may not be happy right now finishing second, but he will look back on this in the long run and be quite please. See, the problem is instead of somebody chasing him down and cutting that gap, it is actually increasing because Lewis, Fernando and Jenson keep swapping wins. They're fighting for second. If one of them had won 5 races, that's 35 points that could have been shaved off. Instead, Seb is up 85 right now with 8 races left, and I just don't see him losing on average over 10 points per race. It's going to take several 2nd/3rd place finishes and probably a couple DNFs for someone else to realistically take the title. And while DNFs are certainly possibly, the cars are just much more reliable this year and aren't as likely to have mechanical problems unless a barrier helps them out. As far as I'm concerned, the title is all but over, but the racing is good enough for me to forget that. For now, anyways.

Agreed. I am just bothered by the fact that Schumi didnt have a better seasn, maybe its time for him to hang it up for good.

[arcadeforest]

One week to Belgium .

[Mavrick]

Can't wait

My weekends have been so dull without the on track action

[Hatter]

Originally Posted by steve1971

Agreed. I am just bothered by the fact that Schumi didnt have a better seasn, maybe its time for him to hang it up for good.

Schumacher's already confirmed that he's coming back next year.

[Trace17]

Originally Posted by arcadeforest

One week to Belgium .

Is it that time already?!?

Some news from today.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/form...e/14624084.stm

Senna replacing Heidfeld for rest of season?

German Nick Heidfeld has been dropped by the Renault team in favour of Brazilian Bruno Senna for this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Renault made a promising start to the 2011 season but their form has slipped amid rumours of funding shortages, which the team have denied.

While Heidfeld is on a salary, Senna, Renault's reserve driver, comes with several million pounds of sponsorship.

It will be Senna's first race since last season, when he drove for HRT.

The 27-year-old nephew of the late Brazilian legend Ayrton Senna is expected to race for Renault in the eight remaining races this season alongside Russian Vitaly Petrov.

Senna made his debut for HRT last season but left the team after a trying year with the struggling outfit.

Renault haven't confirmed this, but a few news outlets are reporting it. Makes a bit of sense, I think they've voiced displeasure from Heidfeld's recent performances. I don't think Senna will be any better, but if he saves money, I guess that's the way to go.

DRS banned through Eau Rouge (so far )

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/form...e/14615926.stm

Formula 1 bosses are to ban the use of the DRS overtaking device at the famous Eau Rouge corner at this weekend's Belgian Grand Prix.

Governing body the FIA is concerned that using the device in the flat-out 180mph section could be a safety risk.

The DRS device, which increases top speed by reducing cars' downforce by about 10%, is mainly used on straights.

Race director Charlie Whiting is worried its use on bends could increase the chances of a major crash.

DRS use is limited in races, when drivers can only deploy it on a designated straight if they are less than one second behind the car in front.

The FIA is concerned that in pushing the limits, some teams and drivers may take too big a risk. And although safety has improved at Eau Rouge in recent years, the high-speed nature of the track there means any loss of control risks a major accident.

It has emerged that some drivers have been finding DRS complicated to use, and have occasionally become confused as to whether it is being deployed on their car.

The FIA has learned of times when drivers have headed into corners thinking the DRS was not deployed when it fact it was, causing them to battle to keep the car on the track.

The consequences of this happening at Eau Rouge are of significant concern, and are the main reason why the ban has been imposed.

It has only been the last few years when drivers have been able to take Eau Rouge without lifting off the throttle in most circumstances - although it is still not possible to do so at the start of the race on a full tank of fuel.

Before that, they had to judge at what speed the car was capable of taking the corner.

Alonso uses DRS to split the rear wing on his Ferrari
The reason the FIA is reluctant to allow them to go back to this situation, but with the DRS deployed, is the unpredictability and driver uncertainty that has become apparent in its operation.

A technicality has also informed the ban.

As a fail-safe, the DRS is programmed to slot back into high-downforce specification as soon as the driver hits the brakes. But there is no braking into Eau Rouge, so this would not happen.

For these reasons, the FIA has decided to disable DRS throughout the Belgian Grand Prix weekend from the entry to the La Source hairpin, the corner before Eau Rouge, to the top of the hill at the exit of the sequence of corners.

The DRS overtaking zone in the race will start at the exit of Eau Rouge, known as Raidillon, and continue until the braking zone for the Les Combes hairpin at the end of the following straight.

Didn't the Monaco tunnel go through a few phases of ban, no-ban, ban? Could easily change by the end of the week. We'll see.

One last thing. Red Bull spent some time last week in Austin with a show car. Pics taken from one of the RBR twitter pages.











EDIT: Found some hilarious pictures, and video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVxQzseaUb8

[Trace17]

Rain, rain, rain all weekend so far. Apparently in FP3 Button said over radio it was worse than Canada. Q1 is over now, Schumi crashed out on his first lap and didn't set a time DiResta knocked out of Q1 too

But D'ambrosio, Liuzzi and Ricciardo didn't make the 107% cutoff. You would think the stewards would let Schumacher in, but what about those three...