Mexico Race Thread

[JHS18 0]

From Bahrain:

Anyway, back to this weekend....

[JMurray 0]

It might not be the best circuit but it's been 3 weeks without any F1 - so I'm looking forward to Sunday.

Alonso only 14th fastest surprisingly today but Kimi 5th.

I'm not sure if this has been posted, and it might be a massive non-story for techies - but Gary Anderson (BBC) has said this:

"There don't seem to be big developments on the Red Bulls, but on Sebastian Vettel's car there is a modified duct in the coke-bottle area between the rear wheels. The duct on Vettel's car is open, but on Mark Webber's car it's closed. They tried it open in China, but then closed it off again for Bahrain. It's obviously something that's important to them because they're trying it again. In that area, you can create more consistent aerodynamics as it raises and lowers over bumps and during braking."

[Massa 0]

That's pretty interesting, at least to me. Thanks.

[LabradoRacer 2]

Jenson Button flying on the softs, struggling on the hards. Even if he gets the pole, as Lewis said, he may fall back in the race.

[Kopite Girl 0]

Go on JB. Give it some welly.

[Quiet One 15]

Weird qualy! More questions than answers.

[JHS18 0]

Maldonado on the front row! Wow. I'd laugh so much if he took Hamilton going into the first corner.

[Massa 0]

I love seeing Sebastian Vettel lose.

[LabradoRacer 2]

Missed the quali. No, not because of a power cut, thankfully. Had to go out to make the most of a gift voucher.

So, Schumi starts behind Nico again, but the consolation is he didn't waste any energy in doing so.

Interesting strategy by those who sat out Q3. Hopefully, we'll soon have a Q3 where everybody stays put in the pit. That's what F1 should be about.

[LabradoRacer 2]

Schumi's Q2 timing was slower than Koba's. So how come he's starting ahead of Koba?

Edit: Oh, got it, I think. Schumi cruised around for a half or so lap, whereas Koba didn't.

[JHS18 0]

I love seeing Sebastian Vettel lose.

I'll laugh now if he ends up winning because he has a fresh set of tyres.

I'll equally find it amusing if Maldonado takes the lead into the first corner.

Schumi's Q2 timing was slower than Koba's. So how come he's starting ahead of Koba?

Edit: Oh, got it, I think. Schumi cruised around for a half or so lap, whereas Koba didn't.

Kobayashi never set a time in Q3, some mechanical problem.

[Massa 0]

Did Vettel not run in Q3? Do drivers not run in Q3? I haven't seen a qualifying session since 2007.

[JHS18 0]

Neither Vettel or Schumacher set a time in Q3. Since Pirelli entered the sport, quite a few people do that, seeing as overtaking is easier now, grid position isn't the be all end all that it used to be. Fresh tyres are more important. Saw that in Bahrain with Kimi dropping out in Q2, started 11th, finished 2nd.

I say watch Webber and Button on that basis.

[Quiet One 15]

Most impressed with Grosjean. The guy seems as close to Kimi's performances they seem like twins,

[Massa 0]

Neither Vettel or Schumacher set a time in Q3. Since Pirelli entered the sport, quite a few people do that, seeing as overtaking is easier now, grid position isn't the be all end all that it used to be. Fresh tyres are more important. Saw that in Bahrain with Kimi dropping out in Q2, started 11th, finished 2nd.

I say watch Webber and Button on that basis.

Boy, I'd love to pay for tickets to attend a qualifying session knowing they don't even try.

Most impressed with Grosjean. The guy seems as close to Kimi's performances they seem like twins,

Yeah, I was wrong about Grosjean. I still don't like him, but he's alright.

[JHS18 0]

Boy, I'd love to pay for tickets to attend a qualifying session knowing they don't even try.

That's why there has been talk of Pirelli bringing qualifying tyres to give those in the top ten extra initiative to go out and set a time.

It is a bit strange, but I'll take an exciting race over an exciting qualifying if that is how it is.

[Massa 0]

Oh, I agree, I don't even watch qualifying so I'm glad Vettel will be driving up through the field and all, it was fun to watch him do that earlier this season. It's just a bit odd.

[JHS18 0]

Hearing Vettel possibly has a penalty for blocking.

Hamilton still under investigation too, for stopping on circuit after setting his fastest lap.

[Massa 0]

I didn't see either incident, but I say send both of them to the last row. That would be a blast.

[JHS18 0]

Did see what Vettel is possibly in trouble for.

But the rules state that you're not allowed to stop on circuit after qualifying to prevent people from running with not enough fuel. Or something vaguely like that.

[Caesar 0]

hamilton will start from the back of the grid in 'mexico'

[JHS18 0]

Harsh penalty in my eyes. 5 place grid penalty would have sufficed. Back of the grid? FIAsco again.

Maldonado on pole though!

[Caesar 0]

Gary Anderson/BBC F1--

McLaren refueller turned the tap to 'drain' instead of 'fill' briefly, realised his error but engineers sent car out

team mistake, too harsh

[Quiet One 15]

Harsh penalty? Yes. FIAsco, FIArrari and similars? No way. They brought it on themselves, and they keep doing it again and again. (And it's the same FIArrari/FIAsco that allowed Lewis to keep his place last race!) It is interesting for a team that keeps doing these sort of things and (what's even worse) being so sloppy at cheating is still considered to have some sort of moral grounds over other teams. If you are a bad liar that does not make you better than good liars (like Ferrari, for example ) Denial is a powerful force indeed.

It was obvious since the start that they were lying, best case scenario being that they were not trying to cheat but it merely was an actual case of some error that they were THEN trying to cover with lies.

I guess that is what made the penalty heavier than the (fairer) 5 or 10 grid penalty, or qualy time deletion which would have yielded the same result as a 5 slot penalty.

They have the best car, and two of the best drivers on the grid. Shameful.

At least Renault's crashgate seemed like a desperate measure from a team falling apart with their best asset being taken away (Alonso)

Oh, I am having so much fun and so much anger at the same time!

The irony is that the anger is about the position they put Lewis in. Whatever the case he was obviously deserving of his Pole or whatever position he would have achieved, had he not ran on fumes (could not have been so bad after all)

Again, one of the best drivers race will not be on par with the remaining ones due to causes beyond his control. His fans will find comfort on counting how many cars he will overtake but that has stopped being too much of a thrill since last year when almost everybody else had already pulled the same trick.

[JHS18 0]

I'm not a Hamilton fan, but I think this is way too harsh.

Surely it is a team mistake for not having enough fuel? It's not as if Hamilton did something deliberately stupid on track - it was out of his control. Therefore, a 5 place or 10 place grid penalty would have been fine, or just disallowed his fastest time in Q3. Surely it is the team they should be punishing and not the driver? It's the case with the stupid "unsafe release" drive through penalties in the pits - that is not the driver's fault, the team tells him to go.

I'd looked forward to seeing a first corner fight between Alonso and Hamilton. Now I'm convinced Alonso will take the lead at the first corner. At least of some interest tomorrow will be how far Hamilton can recover.