Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

[Kramerica]

Grid positions so far:
1 HAMILTON MCLAREN
2 WEBBER RED BULL
3 VETTEL RED BULL
4 MALDONADO WILLIAMS
5 RAIKKONEN LOTUS
6 BUTTON MCLAREN
7 ALONSO FERRARI
8 ROSBERG MERCEDES
9 MASSA FERRARI
10 GROSJEAN LOTUS
11 HULKENBERG FORCE INDIA
12 PEREZ SAUBER
13 DI RESTA FORCE INDIA
14 SCHUMACHER MERCEDES
15 SENNA WILLIAMS
16 KOBAYASHI SAUBER
17 RICCIARDO TORO ROSSO
18 VERGNE TORO ROSSO
19 KOVALAINEN CATERHAM
20 PIC MARUSSIA
21 PETROV CATERHAM
22 GLOCK MARUSSIA
23 DE LA ROSA HRT
24 KARTHIKEYAN HRT

Vettel had to stop on track after the end of Q3. Horner looked pissed and all the info I can confirm so far is that Renault told Red Bull to tell Vettel to shut off the car. Should be interesting for the championship if he incurs a gearbox penalty or ends up at the back of the grid because of low fuel. Hopefully Alonso can make some decent gains tomorrow, although its unlikely

[rage2]

Still no FIA decision yet...

[Cos]

.

[Kramerica]

One of the Sky F1 team reckons that the gearbox popped from 3rd to neutral mid corner. Red bull and Renault seemed to be in no rush to check the gearbox though.

[DJ Lazy]

Vettel has been disqualified from qualifying and will be starting at the back of the grid tomorrow.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104001

[rage2]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy
Vettel has been disqualified from qualifying and will be starting at the back of the grid tomorrow.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104001
Yes! Yes! Yes! That's what I'm talking about guys! :thumbsup:

(Need a smiley with the right finger lol)

[DJ Lazy]

Hamilton FTW
Alonso for 2nd
Webber 3rd


Wishful thinking with Alonso, but this is Hamiltons race!

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy

Vettel has been disqualified from qualifying and will be starting at the back of the grid tomorrow.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/104001


fuuuuuu...:banghead:

[DJ Lazy]

Originally posted by EK 2.0



fuuuuuu...:banghead:

No no.. you got it backwards... this is a gooooood thing.. ;)

[xerooption]

haha yes...we need some excitement in the championship!!

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy

No no.. you got it backwards... this is a gooooood thing.. ;)


No it is not!!...and as a career long Vettel fan...and a big Red Bull fan...

I am going to predict that Vettel finishes in the top 5 tomorrow...But it will make for some exciting racing in the middle and bottom of the pack though...

[e31]

Not happy about the points implications, but watching that Red Bull tear thru the back-markers will be exciting for sure. Hopefully Kobayashi and Grosjean don't take him out (probably jinxed it).

[phreezee]

^ Would be funny if Vettel got stuck behind Petrov ala Alonso 2010.:D

[rage2]

It only took 2 backmarker passes for Vettel to lose his front wing. Epic passer! :rofl:

[rage2]

lol @ vettel under safety car.

[rage2]

Well fuck, that really sums up McLaren's season right there.

[EK 2.0]

Hamilton out....makes me happy....

Come on Kimi!!....

And I will give you all that Vettel needs to be smarter and more calm about his drive....

[lil*tymer]

What the Fuck was that? It'll be nice when Hamilton moves on.

[lil*tymer]

Vettel, respect. Last to first is freaking insane.

Nvm, I'm coming off nightshift and I thought he was haha. Go Kimi!

[ragu]

Originally posted by rage2
lol @ vettel under safety car.

Is it just me or everytime he complains he sounds like the biggest whiner...

Webber just out...this is turning out to be a proper race.

[rage2]

Well fuck, this safety car is gonna fuck over Kimi. Vettel on the freshest tires, and on softs too. Basically a free pitstop for Vettel there now. Fuck Red Bull.

Come on alternator failure!


Originally posted by lil*tymer
Vettel, respect. Last to first is freaking insane.
Pfft, it's the car. He's been smacking everyone in his path today.

[rage2]

Kimi is fucking hilarious on the radio all day hahaha.

"stop bothering me I know!"
"yes yes yes, you already told me"

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by rage2
Well fuck, this safety car is gonna fuck over Kimi. Vettel on the freshest tires, and on softs too. Basically a free pitstop for Vettel there now. Fuck Red Bull.

Come on alternator failure!


Pfft, it's the car. He's been smacking everyone in his path today.

http://alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/large/happy-haters-gonna-hate-l.png

Decent race though. Man Webber was being a little rammy there.

Kimi's comments on the radio there were awesome.

[rage2]

In celebration of Kimi's win today, I'm going to have a coke and ice cream for breakfast.

edit - Kimi's interview is awesome hahaha.

What's your emotions? Not much. They're giving me shit for not smiling enough hahaha.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by rage2
In celebration of Kimi's win today, I'm going to have a coke and ice cream for breakfast.

edit - Kimi's interview is awesome hahaha.

What's your emotions? Not much. They're giving me shit for not smiling enough hahaha.

:rofl: I enjoyed that. Then classic Vettel commentary.

[Chris Elyea]

Best post-race interviews ever!

In fairness to Rage, I'm sure CBC edited his premium gasoline interview or it would have been just as good.

What's next? 5-second delay? NASCAR-style seven dirty words rule? No more interviews?

[Cos]

.

[EK 2.0]

I say this as a Vettel fan...

In the early laps...Vettel was driving like a douche...and YES he does sound like a whining baby when on the radio if things are not going his way haha...But his post race podium interniew was funny...he dropped an F-Bomb in a country that offered sparking mineral water over champagne due to the Islamic restrictions hahaha...Go Super Seb!!...

I am very happy that Kimi won...for three reasons...the obvious Alonso points thing...and because genuinely I like Kimi and his methodical style of driving....and lastly, because if he won then we get a classic Kimi podium interview haha...

Webber...man what a dick...he was driving like an utter pillock...I can kind of understand why but there was no reason for it and it cost Red Bull some constructor points...

Hamilton's car woes...yes made me happy as a Red Bull fan...but I did feel for Lewis...it will be nice when he moves on from the team...

All in all..great race...yaz marina isn't one of my favourite tracks...great facility but I am not a fan of the track...But...this was a very exciting race to watch...great race...

[Cos]

.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by Cos
See THIS is why I dont like Vettel.... are you kidding me?



Seems like a solid response to me. I'd imagine if he wasn't DQ'd in qualifying he would have done at least 2 positions better in the race. His car was on fire! :clap:

[Cos]

.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by Cos
I agree he would have been pushing for the top step IF he hadnt be DQ'd from qualy. But it seems pretty arrogant to say you are going to come from dead last (not even dead last, a Pitlane start) to win and not even address the multiple safety cars, crashes, retirements, and lucky events that ultimately helped him get to the result he did.

I'm pretty sure he planned all those things.

That's how good he is.

[Cos]

.

[phreezee]

7 DNFs also helped and was all planned.:rofl:

[Kramerica]

The iceman cometh :clap: :clap: :clap:

Vettel drove like a maniac in the beginning, but I do respect a drive like that. Gotta love how he passed through all the back field just in time for the pit stops so he doesn't have to pass anyone up front

[DJ Lazy]

Originally posted by Unknown303


Seems like a solid response to me. I'd imagine if he wasn't DQ'd in qualifying he would have done at least 2 positions better in the race. His car was on fire! :clap:

His car was "on fire" because Red Bull were allowed to change the gear box and lengthen 7th gear to make sure they would be able to pass on the straights (something Red Bulls are not known for). Had the car been locked into Parc Ferme Qualifying setup, I doubt he would have accomplished much more than he did.

Add to that the 2 safety cars which helped him MASSIVELY, and 7 DNFs, 2 of which were Rosberg and Hamilton, both of which he would have had to get past as well.

Vettel has the largest horse shoe ever shoved so far up his ass it's laughable. You couldn't possibly script this race today. Well maybe Bernie could.. he does love Vettel like a son! :barf: And now we're going to have to listen to Vettel fans around the world proclaim that he can race through the field. Sure, when you break Parc Ferme, get multiple safety cars & multiple DNFs.:banghead:

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy

His car was "on fire" because Red Bull were allowed to change the gear box and lengthen 7th gear to make sure they would be able to pass on the straights (something Red Bulls are not known for). Had the car been locked into Parc Ferme Qualifying setup, I doubt he would have accomplished much more than he did.

I will fully co-sign this statement...He still drove well..but yes, there were a ton of other factors that definitely helped Vettel along...

So Josh, does that make me one of the better Vettel fans??...haha...

[DJ Lazy]

Originally posted by EK 2.0


I will fully co-sign this statement...He still drove well..but yes, there were a ton of other factors that definitely helped Vettel along...

So Josh, does that make me one of the better Vettel fans??...haha...


Arif, Smarter perhaps? More open-minded about other drivers?.. haha You're better than the vettel fans that post on PlanetF1, that's for sure!

For me, it's just a personal dislike (hatred) for Red Bull and Vettel in general. I will never like Vettel whether he wins 3-5-7 Championships. He really does seem to need a dominate package to win like he does, but this isn't the thread for that discussion. ;)

Not to mention I can't wait for the last lap at Brazil when Hamilton finally walks away from this joke of team Mclaren. I've gone from being a fan of Mclaren to absolutely hating them this season. If you can't tell, I'm a bit bitter today. :rofl:

[EK 2.0]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy

Arif, Smarter perhaps? More open-minded about other drivers?.. haha You're better than the vettel fans that post on PlanetF1, that's for sure!


I appreciate that...

And as a fan of Formula 1...I do feel bad for Hamilton...he has a lot of talent that has just been squandered this season at McLaren unfortunately...And I am really hoping that they do sort things out for Button next season...as big a RBR and Vettel fan as I am...I would like to see Jensen win another title as he is genuinely a nice guy I feel...

[Unknown303]

I just enjoy F1. I really could care less who wins, I've mainly cheered for Vettel because everyone hates him, I'm pretty sure Cos knows this part.

[cycosis]

Fantastic race. Webber was a nut! Just beauty how it all "came together" for Vettel despite his many gaffs. :burnout:

[Mibz]

For the guys slamming McLaren, a fuel pump problem is a Mercedes issue, not a McLaren issue. Not to take away from the shit string of other McLaren errors, just that this specific one wasn't their fault.

[Cos]

.

[Unknown303]

Originally posted by Cos


I am pretty sure you watched the first few races quietly but knew you had a hard on for Redbull so you were scoping your drivers based on being in the RBR teams. When I started lipping off about Vettel that is when you pounced and like him now.

:D


Like I said I have nothing AGAINST Vettel but even compare it to Alonso. He didnt come out and say it is all him he is saying that he is driving the car as fast as it can and it is fast enough. He is happy for the team. Vettel seems to think it is all him. There is a reason Alonso said they are Racing Newey, not Vettel.

I must say this season has really changed my mind about Alosno. I still dont like him but damned he is growing on me.

He has a way of saying virtually everything wrong that's for sure. But he's still a good driver in my books, was taking chances in the first part of the race and ended up having to pit early. But he was still driving his ass of and in the end from some random events he placed well.

[Kramerica]

I have mixed feelings about Vettel's performance, it was a fantastic performance but you have to factor in the fact that a large part of his performance was Red Bull's strategy. They changed the gearing so Vettel's car was in race trim rather than the typical qualifying trim they run. That second pit stop was genius and caught practically everyone off guard allowing Vettel to have fresher. He did put in a good result but made some really stupid mistakes that in a lesser car would've meant he would be out of the points.

I still think his ability to pass has a huge question mark beside it. He chewed through all the back benchers then hit trouble as soon as he saw the back of a Grosjean's Lotus and had to go offtrack to get his first pass done, didn't see the second pass but I'm going to assume he let Grosjean pass at a point where it was easy to take the position back. The only major front runner he had to pass was Button and he did that with better gearing, Double DRS and on soft tires :rolleyes:

I think he's done a bit to bridge the gap between his reputation and his actual driving ability but I won't be completely won over till he does something like Alonso where he drives through the car's problems. Talking the way he does in post race interviews doesn't help though.

[buh_buh]

Something has to be done about parc ferme rules when it comes to stuff like this. What advantage is there now to qualifying further up when you can still make all the setup changes you want to be competitive in the race? Everyone else is still running a compromised setup based on qualifying vs race, but if you're already relegated to the back, somehow you're not penalized for changing everything on your car?

The Vettel drive I also thought was more lucky than good. Well timed safety cars, lots of people crashing out, and good setup and strategy by RBR made the race for him.

[Kramerica]

Originally posted by buh_buh
Something has to be done about parc ferme rules when it comes to stuff like this. What advantage is there now to qualifying further up when you can still make all the setup changes you want to be competitive in the race? Everyone else is still running a compromised setup based on qualifying vs race, but if you're already relegated to the back, somehow you're not penalized for changing everything on your car?

I agree. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think when Hamilton got caught with not enough fuel he started at the back of the grid and not the pitlane. The advantage would then be having a lap to put heat into the tires? If I was knocked out in Q1 it would seem really tempting to start from the pitlane if only to avoid the fallout from the start. Red Bull's car seems to be so heavily based around qualifying pace that they seem to have a backup plan of just changing the gearing and starting from the pitlane if they don't do that well. I wouldn't be suprised if they pull this crap again because Vettel doesn't make pole. They got a better points haul than they would've with Vettel starting on old tires, not having the space to create a gap and vulnerable to overtaking.

[kdwebber]

Originally posted by Kramerica


I agree. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think when Hamilton got caught with not enough fuel he started at the back of the grid and not the pitlane. The advantage would then be having a lap to put heat into the tires? If I was knocked out in Q1 it would seem really tempting to start from the pitlane if only to avoid the fallout from the start. Red Bull's car seems to be so heavily based around qualifying pace that they seem to have a backup plan of just changing the gearing and starting from the pitlane if they don't do that well. I wouldn't be suprised if they pull this crap again because Vettel doesn't make pole. They got a better points haul than they would've with Vettel starting on old tires, not having the space to create a gap and vulnerable to overtaking.

I'll correct you, Hamilton started from the back of the grid because Mclaren made the decision to do so. The advantage from starting from the pitlane in Abu Dhabi is the fact that you exit the pitlane after corner 2. The RB8 is fast in both quail and race form. Fastest laps in Japan, Korea, and Abu Dhabi prove as much.

If you think Red Bull will start Seb from the back of the grid/pitlane after he out qualifies Alonso but maybe not gets pole then you are absolutely insane. Your hate for Red Bull/Seb is stronger than logic it would seem.

[Kramerica]

Originally posted by kdwebber
If you think Red Bull will start Seb from the back of the grid/pitlane after he out qualifies Alonso but maybe not gets pole then you are absolutely insane. Your hate for Red Bull/Seb is stronger than logic it would seem.

Its a bit counter-intuitive but look at the car setups. Red Bull's strategy for 2011 and the four race win streak in 2012 was to set up the car as aggressive as possible for qualifying to get pole and drive like hell in the opening laps to escape the effects of DRS. Their perceived race pace is a bit of a fallacy and comes from the fact that they basically build up a gap, conserve tires then push the hell out of them in a couple of quali style laps before pit stops/end of the race. They're never under pressure or having to overtake somebody so conserving tires is relatively easy compared to those behind them, without anyone infront of them other than backmarkers that have to get out of the way they are essentially running qualifying laps all the time.

The basic set up allows for quicker acceleration in the corners but makes it a sitting duck on the straights (DRS zones). I suspect their DRS is less aggressive as well so they can use it in qualifying without unsettling the car; in contrast Ferrari run a far more aggressive DRS which really unsettles the car in the braking phase which is why they do so poorly in qualifying where the benefits of using DRS all the time are offset by poor cornering and yet absolutely decimate cars in the race on the DRS straights where that benefit can be realised.

I'm not saying it would work every race but let's assume Vettel was allowed to stay third on the grid in this race. Unless he get's past Hamilton straight away and creates a gap (Unlikely from third) he has Kimi or somebody else nipping on his heels and a whole lot of drivers with a better race setup behind him. The reason Webber struggled as much as he did in this race was because he had that qualifying setup. My guess is that had Vettel run on his qualifying set up from third he would've finished at least behind Button and more likely behind Massa, especially with the safety cars bunching everyone up again reducing any gap he had.

I could be wrong but Red Bull's winning strategy is a game of chicken, throw everything into qualifying where everyone else is making compromises for the race. The end result is starting outfront and being able to put out quali laps in the opening stage without any pressure till DRS is enabled leaving everyone with a racing setup that is useless because they can't close the gap. If you don't get that pole position you can't build that gap and everything you've done is useless.

[kdwebber]

I'll agree that the RB8's DRS is more catered towards overall quail lap performance than overtaking during the race. The new upgrade DRS that they have been running since the start of the Asian leg does give the RB8 more grip in qualifying and race pace alike.

I don't agree with your assertion that RB doesn't make compromises in qualifying. Every team makes compromises based on downforce levels, gearing, DRS etc. It would seem that RB are best at balancing their car.

Their perceived race pace is just that, they have the fastest car on the grid. You question Vettels driving abilities, specifically his ability to overtake, but then you go on to say that the RB8 is not setup to overtake. Based on that theory it wouldn't be his skills holding him back it would be the RB8 :nut:

[Mibz]

Originally posted by kdwebber
You question Vettels driving abilities, specifically his ability to overtake, but then you go on to say that the RB8 is not setup to overtake. Based on that theory it wouldn't be his skills holding him back it would be the RB8 :nut: I think we've all seen good passes in worse cars. Most of which (that I've seen) have come from unarguably good drivers.

[rage2]

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/645/boomer.gif

That Red Bull nose is kinda flexible... can't be CF...

[rob the knob]

moveable aero device?

i wonder if something is broken in structure of nose cone?

protests from other teams? too late in season for anyone to copy.

[Kramerica]

Originally posted by kdwebber
I'll agree that the RB8's DRS is more catered towards overall quail lap performance than overtaking during the race. The new upgrade DRS that they have been running since the start of the Asian leg does give the RB8 more grip in qualifying and race pace alike.

I don't agree with your assertion that RB doesn't make compromises in qualifying. Every team makes compromises based on downforce levels, gearing, DRS etc. It would seem that RB are best at balancing their car.

Their perceived race pace is just that, they have the fastest car on the grid. You question Vettels driving abilities, specifically his ability to overtake, but then you go on to say that the RB8 is not setup to overtake. Based on that theory it wouldn't be his skills holding him back it would be the RB8 :nut:

I'm not saying RB doesn't make compromises, but when they tend to be dominant in free practice they typically set up the car towards qualifying alot more than any other teams on the grid because getting pole pays dividends once they build that gap. I don't think the RB8 is inherently lacking in race pace as a car, but again when they are more dominant they tend to rely on pole. As for Vettel's overtaking ability, as I said there is a huge question mark beside it; I think Red Bull's set up strategy is the main contributing factor but I want to see him perform consistently in a more compromised setup before I make that call. I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree on this:dunno:

As for the nose, I think I may have read something about it a day or two ago that said that other teams are aware of it. That styrofoam DRS sign basically decimated Vettel's front wing while under safety car, so I think the teams are making inquiries about it.

edit:
http://www.gaiaconscience.com/img/trucorb2.gif

looks like Red Bull's front wing likes to rock.

[Redlyne_mr2]

Hey guys... just checking in from the middle east, I was at the race with shox, super awesome time and a great race as well. Ive been to Montreal many many times, this was surreal in comparison.
couple of crap pics

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-57-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-58-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-59-1.jpg

LH behind pace car after the crash
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-60-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-62-1.jpg

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-64-1.jpg

and then a robot came out of nowhere
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e306/Redlyne/photo-65-1.jpg

[Redlyne_jr]

^ looks like you guys are having a good time.. :thumbsup:

[rob the knob]

how was it for lady and alcohol?

[bart]

Originally posted by rage2
http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/645/boomer.gif

That Red Bull nose is kinda flexible... can't be CF...

it's still drying ;)