F1 - General discussion and 2016 Season

[Willie Trombone]

Ricciardo did what ever self respecting Aussie would do. I love the way he celebrates!

 

[sand_man]

Sorry but you cant compare the two in situations.
Daniel Ricciardo knows that he will have a lot less opportunities than the boys from Merc.

Yeah you right, the situations aren't comparable. Hamilton's DNF potentially cost him the championship.

 

[Zyraz]

Yeah you right, the situations aren't comparable. Hamilton's DNF potentially cost him the championship.

Spoken like true hammy fan. Lol

 

[Agent_Smith]

10 classic Suzuka moments including a 21 year wait ends for Ferrari, carnage in 2010 & a hometown hero gets a podium.

 

[Genisys]

Yeah you right, the situations aren't comparable. Hamilton's DNF potentially cost him the championship.

You are right with that. Pretty sure Red Bull stands a chance to win each and every race. Guess we can blame the Merc mechanics for that as well.

 

[Willie Trombone]

You are right with that. Pretty sure Red Bull stands a chance to win each and every race. Guess we can blame the Merc mechanics for that as well.

Follow you, I do not...

 

[Zyraz]

Alonso to race upgraded engine at Suzuka

Honda has given the all-clear for Fernando Alonso to race its latest upgrade at its home race in Suzuka this weekend.
The upgraded unit, which saw the Japanese manufacturer use two of its remaining three tokens, and features a revised exhaust and lighter engine block, was used during the Friday practice sessions last week. Indeed, in order to get two of the new units into his engine 'pool' for the remaining races the Spaniard took a 45-place grid penalty consigning him to the back of the grid.
Keen to have the new unit available for its home race this weekend, having run the new unit on Friday, Honda removed the engine after Friday’s running and conducted a thorough analysis before giving the all-clear for this weekend.
However, mindful that this is its home race, and not wanting to see one of its units incur a grid penalty, Honda has opted to delay giving Jenson Button the new unit until Austin, though the Briton will have the revised exhaust.

Source

 

[caroper]

[video=vimeo;185699777]https://vimeo.com/185699777[/video]

 

[caroper]

[video=youtube_share;JevAL5O9lRY]https://youtu.be/JevAL5O9lRY[/video]

 

[Wall]

Ah, the case of Johnny Herbert. I could write a book on him.

Once upon a time the talk of the town. The next Great British Hope after Warwick's career was stifled by Senna and Mansell couldn't break his duck. Sadly, he literally smashed his legs to pieces in a F3000 accident in 1988, an accident he would spend the rest of his career trying to recover from and not just physically. After that accident team managers and owners started doubting Johnny as drivers rarely recover from something like that.

His career was beset with poor reliability, him having to fight for support in the shadows of his more established and favoured teammates and the constant need to prove that he belonged following his injuries. Hakkinen and Zanardi were favourites at Lotus even though Herbert was a match for Hakkinen and superior to the charismatic Italian. At Benetton it was all about Michael and then when Michael left Benetton they chose to build around Alesi and Berger. At Sauber he finally found himself in a team where he got the support he craved but it lasted a scant two seasons when Alesi arrived and stole the limelight and all the reliable car parts. At Stewart the trend continued, Barrichello was the blue-eyed boy and the team could only really focus on one car and Johnny wasn't driving it. He had his moment when he won Stewart's maiden GP, but in a sick twist it only served to sour the mood at Stewart as Rubens felt threatened by Johnny's new found position in the team following the win. Indeed Johnny had a stronger end to 1999 than Rubens did, such was the shift.

For me, two races sum Johnny's career up; Monza 1994 and Malaysia 2000.

Johnny and Lotus arrived at Monza with the taxman breathing down their necks. Mugen-Honda, their engine suppliers, too arrived with something of their own; an all-new and more powerful engine. Johnny put this to good use as he qualified 4th, half-a-second behind the enormously powerful Ferrari V12s and only two-tenths behind Hill's Williams. Lotus and Johnny were on for a good race. Unfortunately for Johnny, Eddie Irvine had other ideas as the Ulsterman triggered a mass pile-up at the first corner, taking Johnny and others out. Johnny re-started in the spare car but it failed early in the race. To this day Johnny and many pundits believe he could have won that race, a result that not only would've done a world of good for his career but would've also saved Lotus. As it was, Lotus went in to administration on the Monday after the race, a large number of their sponsors withdrew and Lotus were subsequently unable to pay Mugen-Honda for further delivery of their latest spec engines. By 1995 Lotus were gone and Johnny would begin his journeyman career.

Malaysia 2000, Johnny's final race. A race which brought his F1 career full circle. In 1988 the potential future world champion nearly lost the use of his legs while on the cusp of F1. 12-years later he wasn't able to complete his final race after a heavy accident saw him leave the track on a stretcher.

Johnny has a permanent limp following his crash in 1988. That limp embodies his F1 career.

You're like an encyclopedia

 

[Willie Trombone]

[video=youtube_share;JevAL5O9lRY]https://youtu.be/JevAL5O9lRY[/video]

That was awesome
Lol @ Hamilton returning the media's favour and recording them.
And Alonso... starting last helps your stats for making up places

 

[Polish]

FP1 times

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1 Rosberg Mercedes 1:32.431 140.540 mph
2 Hamilton Mercedes 1:32.646 0.215
3 Vettel Ferrari 1:33.525 1.094
4 Raikkonen Ferrari 1:33.817 1.386
5 Ricciardo Red Bull 1:34.112 1.681
6 Verstappen Red Bull 1:34.379 1.948
7 Hulkenberg Force India 1:34.530 2.099
8 Perez Force India 1:34.767 2.336
9 Alonso McLaren 1:35.003 2.572
10 Bottas Williams 1:35.381 2.950
11 Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:35.446 3.015
12 Sainz Toro Rosso 1:35.672 3.241
13 Button McLaren 1:35.677 3.246
14 Grosjean Haas 1:35.688 3.257
15 Nasr Sauber 1:35.967 3.536
16 Massa Williams 1:36.169 3.738
17 Gutierrez Haas 1:36.219 3.788
18 Ericsson Sauber 1:36.294 3.863
19 Magnussen Renault 1:36.822 4.391
20 Ocon Manor 1:37.797 5.366
21 Wehrlein Manor 1:37.966 5.535
22 Palmer Renault 1:37.992 5.561

pitpass.com

 

[Agent_Smith]

Can't believe the s**tstorm that is erupting over Hamilton's press conference antics! I mean really?! "Oh, the Japanese people have been disrespected." Really?! FFS, people piss me off!

Drivers are such corporate robots these days, told to to tow the party line for fear of upsetting someone. They've all become boring and predictable. So when one of them does something like this, we should be grateful that at least they've tried to break the mould, if only briefly.

Good for him, I say.

 

[Polish]

FP2 times

Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1 Rosberg Mercedes 1:32.250 140.816 mph
2 Hamilton Mercedes 1:32.322 0.072
3 Raikkonen Ferrari 1:32.573 0.323
4 Verstappen Red Bull 1:33.061 0.811
5 Vettel Ferrari 1:33.103 0.853
6 Perez Force India 1:33.570 1.320
7 Hulkenberg Force India 1:33.873 1.623
8 Alonso McLaren 1:33.985 1.735
9 Bottas Williams 1:34.028 1.778
10 Sainz Toro Rosso 1:34.086 1.836
11 Massa Williams 1:34.127 1.877
12 Ricciardo Red Bull 1:34.150 1.900
13 Grosjean Haas 1:34.241 1.991
14 Kvyat Toro Rosso 1:34.305 2.055
15 Magnussen Renault 1:34.339 2.089
16 Button McLaren 1:34.398 2.148
17 Gutierrez Haas 1:34.643 2.393
18 Palmer Renault 1:34.760 2.510
19 Nasr Sauber 1:34.824 2.574
20 Wehrlein Manor 1:35.292 3.042
21 Ocon Manor 1:35.400 3.150
22 Ericsson Sauber 1:36.318 4.068

pitpass.com

 

[Willie Trombone]

Can't believe the s**tstorm that is erupting over Hamilton's press conference antics! I mean really?! "Oh, the Japanese people have been disrespected." Really?! FFS, people piss me off!

Drivers are such corporate robots these days, told to to tow the party line for fear of upsetting someone. They've all become boring and predictable. So when one of them does something like this, we should be grateful that at least they've tried to break the mould, if only briefly.

Good for him, I say.

Lol... his comeback should be as predictable as the haters... get with it, it's the 21st century. Who are these people? And this is Japan... you know, the place that brought you Tanukis and Anabuki Chan! Flip lol.

 

[caroper]

[video=youtube_share;ULlhUUyOBUE]https://youtu.be/ULlhUUyOBUE[/video]

 

[caroper]

[video=youtube_share;kIEwBL-WzhQ]https://youtu.be/kIEwBL-WzhQ[/video]

 

[Willie Trombone]

Sepang failure to impact all Merc teams

It might be scant consolation as he turns his back on events in Malaysia to focus solely on moving forward in Suzuka this weekend, but at least Lewis Hamilton knows what caused his Mercedes engine to break while he was heading for victory at Sepang and about to regain the lead in the driver standings.

Mercedes have revealed that his third power unit failure of the year, 15 laps before the end of the race in which he held a 22.7s lead over the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, was due to crankshaft bearing failure.

Detailed forensic investigations conducted by Mercedes engine chief Andy Cowell and his team determined that a big-end bearing failure occurred without warning after a sudden drop in oil pressure as Hamilton negotiated Turn 15 to complete his 40th and final tour in the 56-lap race.

The engine was one of the units he ‘stockpiled’ by taking so many grid place penalties at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, where he fought through to finish third as team mate Nico Rosberg won from Ricciardo. Mercedes have confirmed that it had only 618 kilometres on it.

The failure will have repercussions for all of Mercedes’ runners this weekend.

Hamilton will have to fall back on the engine he raced in the Singapore Grand Prix, while Rosberg will retain the one which took him to third place in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, as a precaution their customer teams - Williams, Force India and Manor - will also continue to run their Malaysian power units, instead of implementing their scheduled switch to fresh ones, while Mercedes carry out further analysis of Hamilton’s broken engine.

Mercedes have also told them to run to revised running parameters as a precaution, one of which is a different oil specification.

Someone is writing or dictating twaddle. The big end failed after oil pressure drop - what was the cause of the oil pressure drop? Or were they trying to say that the cause of the bearing failure also resulted in the oil leak... before the bearing gave way?

 

[Binary_Bark]

off topic here.
A must see for all F1 Fans:

[video=youtube;9moTfQS2U78]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9moTfQS2U78[/video]

 

[vinodh]

Sepang failure to impact all Merc teams

Someone is writing or dictating twaddle. The big end failed after oil pressure drop - what was the cause of the oil pressure drop? Or were they trying to say that the cause of the bearing failure also resulted in the oil leak... before the bearing gave way?

A leak caused by a failed gasket could cause a drop in oil pressure especially if the leak gets bad quickly. Loss of oil can then cause the bearing to fail. The flames from the back of Hamilton's car could indicate that it was oil burning.

Bottom line: Hamilton needs to beat Rosberg at every race and hope that Rosberg has a bad race somewhere to win the championship. Worrying about the last race won't help much.