+1 1. Build a quicker car and get it on the track! 2. 4 hours of free practice before every qualifying session - Same for everyone - If you can't stand the heat etc...... +1 But they're trying to "cut costs" remember! "Rule stability" is also a great leveller ("give us time!"), and hopefully now Mad Max is gone JT will do a better job here...... Again, we'll see. Cheers, Ian
Rules are different for Mclaren as we all know Actually I think that plank is further back towards the midsection not the front. You know, the part of the car where Ferrari was doing "improvements".
Its best to have THE design out of the box. You invented and developed it so have the most experiance as to what works and what doesnt. Remember RBR wil continue to hone their car as others catch up. Last year they should have walked away with the championship if not for management screw ups. The car was tops even with their early hickups. (IMO exhuast related again). Mclaren and Ferrari will now copy what RBR has done, as evidenced with Mclarens resurgance, but will always be a tick off unless they have a track that suits their particular chassis. Once RBR gets their KERS togeather they will walk away again. If their system is designed just for the start they are wasting 90% of its ability. Even so Webbers start was not too hot.
Fast laps when low on fuel and with fresh tires is not a geat indicator. The Ferrari is not a brick but improvements will have to come. (PS clearly now Massa is #2 and thats OK.) RBR was in cruise mode by then. Remember what their qually times were in similar condition. I'm most dissapointed with Webber's drive. He should have been catching up quickly with that car.
Of course that has to be taken into account as does the fact that drivers secure in their positions aren't going flat out at that point. But. The fact that he did set a FL is impressive. If you don't give credit when its due you don't get to b**ch later
Err, quali?...... +1 They're certainly in catch-up mode, but not (yet!) in panic mode was my point - If Mclaren can do it, I still hold out hope...... Yep!.... I'm not ready to anoint Seb "the next Michael", but I'm starting to suspect he really might be in the same class. Hopefully, introducing KERS onto the thing will screw it all up! Cheers, Ian
What was his Fast lap ? I dont know. Then lets do compare that to quali times. Dont think I'll be eating any crow.
He usually walks away from Webber like in this qually/race. Comparisons to his teammate are the standard I use. Pity the Jim Clarks paired on the same team in dog cars. (Not saying Scott Speed was a Jim Clark but he did well vs Luizzi.) Every now and then Webbo pulls one out to spoil the formula. One would think Aussie would be one of those. The tea leaves do not read well for him.
Well this is the point, I think they did test with KERS and the result was it screwed up there tyres big time the rear ones I think. The Redbull car is awesome, so awesome in fact it has managed to disguise it's rather large flaw KERS IMHO. They will be worried mainly about Mclaren who I believe have the foundations of a winning car, that will be more of match for them, thats if RB don't get there KERS working right. It will be all about tyre wear. I also think Ferrari are a lot closer than what it seems.
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you'd be eating any crow, just that the "ultimate" low fuel/fresh tire runs are in quali. The times are in fact pretty depressing: SV, Pole: 1:23.529 [That was a truly staggering lap! - 2nd, 24.3!] FM, race: 1.28.947 They all like to say (when it suits 'em ) "our race pace is gonna be better than our quali pace". Even so, over 5 seconds between quali & the race is a lot - I dunno why (they generally get a lot closer late in the race). Cheers, Ian
You really want to revisit that can of worms? A great driver in a poor car has no chance. A second rater in a dominant car does.
"That's why we go racin'!"..... Hopefully, the 80kg in/under the fuel tank will screw Adrians weight distribution and tire wear and rein them back in a little. If not, I reckon everyone's screwed........ Cheers, Ian
LOL< No seriously I don't think it will be a one horse race for RB as yet (or hope) to many variables as yet to make any conclusions. At the min it looks as though we have started off as it was left last year, although Mclaren have upped it a bit, luck and hard work.....a bit of both.
IMO Seb is a more consistant driver than Webber is. Seems like the Aussie needs to be poked with a stick to show his best. McLaren is never down for long.
This is the problem with team orders, IF they have been implemented already, I'm sure Webber will be feeling crap, but never say never the man sure has a fighting spirit.
I'll say it again; I'd rather be the #2 driver on the #1 team than the #1 driver on the #2 team. Seb needs a little bad luck now and then and Webbo needs to step up on "his" tracks and who knows ? Like Kimi and Massa back in the day. But yes Webber was totally unimpressive. This will be his last year to get it right.
Webber proved many of his doubters wrong last year in terms of pace. However, much of Vettel's early pace trouble was directly due to his driving style not being suited to the blown diffuser design. Once he figured that out, his outright talent could again shine. Webbo is one of my faves, but my guess is that without a similar technicality or unforeseen problem for Vettel, it will be difficult for him to match this year. That said, I don't think he will be relegated to number 2, without making a big fuss about it. And for the good of the sport, I don't think he should be (demoted, that is). I'll be pulling for him all the way.
