All I know is that Fernando isn't getting any closer to Vet...seems the gearbox issue is situational (i.e. depending on who is behind him)
Rather cyclical than situational. He's told to short-shift the gears, i.e. to reduce the load. If the reason is of thermal nature, it's quite plausible what happens. He goes fast until the load/temperature is too high, slows down again (like now - 4 tenths slower than Webber), until the temperature is low enough to go faster again.
That's more my take. Read "situational" as 'let Mark past so that he can miraculously pull out 2nd in the WDC"...
I thought he would pass him in the pits. Fred's tires have yet to get heat, so probably too soon to know if he can battle.
As I said before, the team would be busted quickly by the FIA if they had a look at the recorded data and it didn't contain anything showing gearbox problems.
We're just playing the cynic's role. I can't imagine a team would continue a ruse this long, but I also never thought Flavio would orchestrate an accident in a race to let his other driver win.
On Speed, they showed a retro of Ayrton's race in 1991 when he won without gears 3-4-5 AND in changing weather conditions.