06-06-2011, 15:45
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08-06-2011, 15:03
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/06/al...formula-1/
Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel and the upstart brand in Formula 1
Posted on | June 8, 2011 | by | 22 Comments
Although he has started less than half as many races, Sebastian Vettel has now equalled Fernando Alonso’s 20 pole positions, has passed Lewis Hamilton’s pole tally easily and with his win on Sunday he equalled Hamilton’s total of 14 wins.
The events of Monaco weekend showed that this is all rather hard to take for Hamilton, as it was for Alonso before him. The three men stand head and shoulders above the other F1 drivers in terms of their quality and their dominance of the sport.
The man and the message (Red Bull)
This year Vettel has the faster car and has made good use of it so far, but Hamilton and Alonso have challenged when the car has allowed them to. Hamilton won in China and Alonso was lining up to attack in Monaco when the race was stopped. The second half of the season should see both the older men coming back at Vettel. Hamilton had targeted Monaco and even more so this weekend’s race in Montreal as events he could win, given the relative performance of their cars.
It’s all about succession- or rather premature succession. When Ayrton Senna died and Alain Prost retired, there was an obvious candidate to step up and become F1’s reference point: Michael Schumacher.
And he held that role comfortably for over a decade, fending off the likes of Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and even Mika Hakkinen. When Fernando Alonso came along and took two world titles in the mid 2000s, Schumacher knew his time had come.
Alonso was confronted almost immediately by Lewis Hamilton, who in turn now finds himself contemplating a younger man in a team which is on top of its game. Vettel is cutting up F1 and grabbing the headlines, with a world title last year and surely another one this year – with five wins in six races already.
As I stood on the quayside on Saturday night in Monaco, surveying the huge Red Bull floating motorhome with over 1,000sq metres of floor space on three levels plus a swimming pool, it struck me how powerful has become the upstart brand in F1, represented by Vettel, and symbolic of what Red Bull has done generally in Formula 1. They came in as the challenger brand and now they are the benchmark. They are now entitled to put their mouth where their money is.
A few years ago, when they bought the shambolic Jaguar team, based in Milton Keynes, they struggled to get a hand hold on the greasy pole to victory. When they rolled up in Monaco with the floating gin palace it seemed so brash.
But since hiring design genius Adrian Newey and with the arrival of Vettel in 2009, they’ve been a constant factor at the front and now it is established teams like Ferrari which are buckling under the pressure and whose motorhomes seem modest.
Ferrari’s sacking of technical director Aldo Costa was a hugely symbolic moment – it spoke volumes that an energy drink company is doing it better than the doyenne of Formula 1.
The sport embodies the theory of evolution on fast forward; the survival of the fittest and the most fitting. Ferrari have survived over 60 years and their energy and ability to adapt is admirable, but in sport no-one is immune to changes.
Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has often said that he has no plans to sell his company or float it on the stockmarket. “It’s not a question of money,” he argues. “It’s a question of fun.”
Despite his success and his youth, Vettel looks to me like he’s become far more serious this year. He now has the target on his back, but more than that he’s keen to prove that he’s not just winning because of his car, he’s winning because he’s maturing into Hamilton and Alonso’s equal. Not everyone in F1 buys that yet, but wins like Spain and Monaco, both achieved under intense pressure, are showing a real depth to Vettel’s talent.
The 2011 season is a journey for the young German; a journey away from being the upstart brand towards being the establishment.
Alonso, Hamilton, Vettel and the upstart brand in Formula 1
Posted on | June 8, 2011 | by | 22 Comments
Although he has started less than half as many races, Sebastian Vettel has now equalled Fernando Alonso’s 20 pole positions, has passed Lewis Hamilton’s pole tally easily and with his win on Sunday he equalled Hamilton’s total of 14 wins.
The events of Monaco weekend showed that this is all rather hard to take for Hamilton, as it was for Alonso before him. The three men stand head and shoulders above the other F1 drivers in terms of their quality and their dominance of the sport.
The man and the message (Red Bull)
This year Vettel has the faster car and has made good use of it so far, but Hamilton and Alonso have challenged when the car has allowed them to. Hamilton won in China and Alonso was lining up to attack in Monaco when the race was stopped. The second half of the season should see both the older men coming back at Vettel. Hamilton had targeted Monaco and even more so this weekend’s race in Montreal as events he could win, given the relative performance of their cars.
It’s all about succession- or rather premature succession. When Ayrton Senna died and Alain Prost retired, there was an obvious candidate to step up and become F1’s reference point: Michael Schumacher.
And he held that role comfortably for over a decade, fending off the likes of Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and even Mika Hakkinen. When Fernando Alonso came along and took two world titles in the mid 2000s, Schumacher knew his time had come.
Alonso was confronted almost immediately by Lewis Hamilton, who in turn now finds himself contemplating a younger man in a team which is on top of its game. Vettel is cutting up F1 and grabbing the headlines, with a world title last year and surely another one this year – with five wins in six races already.
As I stood on the quayside on Saturday night in Monaco, surveying the huge Red Bull floating motorhome with over 1,000sq metres of floor space on three levels plus a swimming pool, it struck me how powerful has become the upstart brand in F1, represented by Vettel, and symbolic of what Red Bull has done generally in Formula 1. They came in as the challenger brand and now they are the benchmark. They are now entitled to put their mouth where their money is.
A few years ago, when they bought the shambolic Jaguar team, based in Milton Keynes, they struggled to get a hand hold on the greasy pole to victory. When they rolled up in Monaco with the floating gin palace it seemed so brash.
But since hiring design genius Adrian Newey and with the arrival of Vettel in 2009, they’ve been a constant factor at the front and now it is established teams like Ferrari which are buckling under the pressure and whose motorhomes seem modest.
Ferrari’s sacking of technical director Aldo Costa was a hugely symbolic moment – it spoke volumes that an energy drink company is doing it better than the doyenne of Formula 1.
The sport embodies the theory of evolution on fast forward; the survival of the fittest and the most fitting. Ferrari have survived over 60 years and their energy and ability to adapt is admirable, but in sport no-one is immune to changes.
Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has often said that he has no plans to sell his company or float it on the stockmarket. “It’s not a question of money,” he argues. “It’s a question of fun.”
Despite his success and his youth, Vettel looks to me like he’s become far more serious this year. He now has the target on his back, but more than that he’s keen to prove that he’s not just winning because of his car, he’s winning because he’s maturing into Hamilton and Alonso’s equal. Not everyone in F1 buys that yet, but wins like Spain and Monaco, both achieved under intense pressure, are showing a real depth to Vettel’s talent.
The 2011 season is a journey for the young German; a journey away from being the upstart brand towards being the establishment.
08-06-2011, 15:14
No concuerdo en eso que dice que Vettel a ganado las dos ultims carreras bajo mucha presion por sus rivales, ja, que presion le pueden meter autos que son 0.5 seg. mas lentos que el ?
Tendrá verdadera presion cuando su auto sea IGUAL de veloz que los Ferraris o McLaren.
Saludos...
Tendrá verdadera presion cuando su auto sea IGUAL de veloz que los Ferraris o McLaren.
Saludos...
15-06-2011, 07:55
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/06/ho...om-canada/
Como Button ganó a pesar de cinco paradas: una profundización en la estrategia de Canadá
Publicado en | El 14 de junio de 2011 | por | 172 Comentarios
De común acuerdo, el gran premio de Canadá de este año fue un clásico absoluto. Tenía todo; grandes carreras, autos de seguridad, lluvia, colisiones y algunas llamadas de estrategia muy ajustado, a menudo con pocos datos con el que trabajar.
Los estrategas realmente se pusieron a prueba el domingo y hizo una carrera apasionante. Jenson Button ganó a pesar de una penalizacion , cinco paradas, dos colisiones y una vuelta entera con un pinchazo.
Es incluso más increíble mirar como ésta; en la carrera de 70 vueltas había sólo 38 carreras de vueltas en total. Los otros 32 fueron vueltas del coche de seguridad. En la vuelta 40 botón fue en el último lugar. Entonces, ¿cómo lo hace?
La respuesta es una mezcla de estrategia, gran vuelta veces y supera. Él y sus estrategas básicamente hizo pasar por sí mismos.
Carrera de Button bajo el microscopio
Para entender la carrera de Jenson Button necesitamos volver a decisión de McLaren para ejecutar su coche con mucha fuerza, particularmente el alerón trasero grande. Aunque no fue claramente más rápido que los demás en condiciones muy húmedas, la fuerza y el equilibrio del coche entraron en sus propia en el período de la carrera cuando se encontraba de neumáticos intermedios. Hizo la mayor parte de su progreso en esa condición. Así, por ejemplo, haber sido últimos en la vuelta 40 fue noveno en la vuelta 51. Un conmutador de principio para el tiro seco también pagó dividendos.
Podríamos examinar el período de pre-red de bandera, pero sería académico los resultados, como la carrera fue neutralizada. Todos los problemas, como sus colisiones con Hamilton y Alonso, sus múltiples paradas, perforación y unidad a través de la penalizacion fueron en el pasado cuando que salió el coche de seguridad vuelta 40.
Este fue el momento de restablecer de su carrera. Desde aquí, con un coche bien equilibrado en productos intermedios, alcanza una parada más que a manchas, DRS habilitado para, hizo la carrera su coche pasando un coche tras otro.
Fue uno de los primeros en cambiar en neumáticos intermedios , en la vuelta 51 y obtuvo el beneficio de. Webber había ido para ellos una vuelta antes y sus tiempos de sector en la vuelta 50 mostraban fue el tiro a ser, por lo que de 10mo McLaren enfrentó a botón de manchas y encontró un enorme ritmo en ellos inmediatamente. En ese momento fue 27 segundos detrás de Vettel.
Red Bull había estado jugando lo prudente en cada paso con Vettel, esperando unas vueltas adicionales en cada caso para asegurarse de hacer la llamada correcta. Webber apostado en manchas en primer lugar, en parte para dar una oportunidad a sí mismo y en parte por lo que Red Bull podría ver los datos y elegir el momento adecuado para enfrentar a Vettel. Nuevamente fueron cautelosos, dejando dos vueltas más que Button . Por el momento que Vettel emergió de su parada final en neumáticos intermedios button tón fue sólo 15 segundos detrás y oleaje dos segundos más rápido que el campeón.
Muchos aficionados han preguntado si Button podría han ganado sin el coche de seguridad final en vueltas 59/60. Vettel fue mala suerte con los coches de seguridad diferentes a perder un total de 20 segundos. Pero con respecto a la última de ellas en particular, habría sido cerrar; fue en el cuarto lugar y cierre rápido de Vettel de todas formas. Con 12 vueltas para ir él podría bien han cogido le sin el coche de seguridad. Y tener en cuenta que capturados y había pasado Vettel utilizando neumáticos que fueron dos vueltas más antiguos que el alemán.
Algunos equipos le apostó a la bandera roja (Darren Heath/McLaren)
En segundo lugar adivinar el conservadurismo del Director de carrera de la FIA
Una tendencia interesante que estamos viendo es el Director de la carrera de FIA, Charlie Whiting, siendo muy conservador de la implementación del coche de seguridad y de la longitud de tiempo que se queda fuera, así como las instrucciones a los competidores, como que deben ser en húmedo neumáticos para el reinicio después de la bandera roja. Parece más riesgo reacio que en años pasados y ahora se trata de un factor crucial que afecta fundamentalmente a la estrategia de carrera.
Lo que vimos ayer fue algunos equipos inmensos conservadurismo, como Renault, Sauber, que jugaba cuando el coche de seguridad 20 vuelta salió de fuertes lluvias, que Whiting dejaría de la carrera.
Muchos equipos aprovecharon la oportunidad de hacer una parada para nuevos neumáticos húmedas, el coche de seguridad sin embargo Renault dejó Heidfeld y Petrov fuera, Sauber hizo lo mismo con Kobayashi y De La Rosa, Force India hicieron con di Resta mientras Sutil incluso se quedó fuera en neumáticos intermedios. Todos estaban apostando por una bandera roja y consiguieron uno.
Aunque una parada en boxes en coche de seguridad sólo tuvieron 14 segundos a sus rivales, esto promovido todos los jugadores el orden y cuando llegó la bandera roja consiguieron la victoria doble porque Whiting dijo que todos los coches deben han mojado neumáticos montados para el reinicio, por lo que consiguieron un cambio de tiro libre.
Heidfeld pasó de 6 a 4, Di Resta pasó de 9 a 6, Sutil de 17 a 13. Kobayashi sólo podía reír como Alonso, Rosberg y Schumacher todos enfrentaron delante de él para intermediarios y, a continuación, realiza su error cuando cayó más lluvia, promover al conductor japonés hasta el segundo lugar. Y, a continuación, obtuvo un cambio de tiro libre bajo la bandera roja.
Uno tiene que observar que la combinación de Kobayashi y el equipo de estrategia de Sauber han hecho algunas llamadas negritas en el último par de años y hacía trabajar.
No es sólo un emocionante overtaker, hace algunas apuestas ganadoras sobre estrategia demasiado.
El informe de estrategia de UBS se prepara con entrada y datos de estrategas de los equipos de F1
Gráfico de historia de la carrera
Los aspectos interesantes son el número de períodos de coche de seguridad y vueltas, y es cómo inconexo de la primera mitad de la carrera.
La última mitad de la historia de la carrera es más interesante, pero debe considerarse junto con una carrera posiciones parcela conocer los avances de Button . Hizo progresos durante la fase de neumáticos intermedios y cuando todo el mundo pasó de intermedio a seco
Como Button ganó a pesar de cinco paradas: una profundización en la estrategia de Canadá
Publicado en | El 14 de junio de 2011 | por | 172 Comentarios
De común acuerdo, el gran premio de Canadá de este año fue un clásico absoluto. Tenía todo; grandes carreras, autos de seguridad, lluvia, colisiones y algunas llamadas de estrategia muy ajustado, a menudo con pocos datos con el que trabajar.
Los estrategas realmente se pusieron a prueba el domingo y hizo una carrera apasionante. Jenson Button ganó a pesar de una penalizacion , cinco paradas, dos colisiones y una vuelta entera con un pinchazo.
Es incluso más increíble mirar como ésta; en la carrera de 70 vueltas había sólo 38 carreras de vueltas en total. Los otros 32 fueron vueltas del coche de seguridad. En la vuelta 40 botón fue en el último lugar. Entonces, ¿cómo lo hace?
La respuesta es una mezcla de estrategia, gran vuelta veces y supera. Él y sus estrategas básicamente hizo pasar por sí mismos.
Carrera de Button bajo el microscopio
Para entender la carrera de Jenson Button necesitamos volver a decisión de McLaren para ejecutar su coche con mucha fuerza, particularmente el alerón trasero grande. Aunque no fue claramente más rápido que los demás en condiciones muy húmedas, la fuerza y el equilibrio del coche entraron en sus propia en el período de la carrera cuando se encontraba de neumáticos intermedios. Hizo la mayor parte de su progreso en esa condición. Así, por ejemplo, haber sido últimos en la vuelta 40 fue noveno en la vuelta 51. Un conmutador de principio para el tiro seco también pagó dividendos.
Podríamos examinar el período de pre-red de bandera, pero sería académico los resultados, como la carrera fue neutralizada. Todos los problemas, como sus colisiones con Hamilton y Alonso, sus múltiples paradas, perforación y unidad a través de la penalizacion fueron en el pasado cuando que salió el coche de seguridad vuelta 40.
Este fue el momento de restablecer de su carrera. Desde aquí, con un coche bien equilibrado en productos intermedios, alcanza una parada más que a manchas, DRS habilitado para, hizo la carrera su coche pasando un coche tras otro.
Fue uno de los primeros en cambiar en neumáticos intermedios , en la vuelta 51 y obtuvo el beneficio de. Webber había ido para ellos una vuelta antes y sus tiempos de sector en la vuelta 50 mostraban fue el tiro a ser, por lo que de 10mo McLaren enfrentó a botón de manchas y encontró un enorme ritmo en ellos inmediatamente. En ese momento fue 27 segundos detrás de Vettel.
Red Bull había estado jugando lo prudente en cada paso con Vettel, esperando unas vueltas adicionales en cada caso para asegurarse de hacer la llamada correcta. Webber apostado en manchas en primer lugar, en parte para dar una oportunidad a sí mismo y en parte por lo que Red Bull podría ver los datos y elegir el momento adecuado para enfrentar a Vettel. Nuevamente fueron cautelosos, dejando dos vueltas más que Button . Por el momento que Vettel emergió de su parada final en neumáticos intermedios button tón fue sólo 15 segundos detrás y oleaje dos segundos más rápido que el campeón.
Muchos aficionados han preguntado si Button podría han ganado sin el coche de seguridad final en vueltas 59/60. Vettel fue mala suerte con los coches de seguridad diferentes a perder un total de 20 segundos. Pero con respecto a la última de ellas en particular, habría sido cerrar; fue en el cuarto lugar y cierre rápido de Vettel de todas formas. Con 12 vueltas para ir él podría bien han cogido le sin el coche de seguridad. Y tener en cuenta que capturados y había pasado Vettel utilizando neumáticos que fueron dos vueltas más antiguos que el alemán.
Algunos equipos le apostó a la bandera roja (Darren Heath/McLaren)
En segundo lugar adivinar el conservadurismo del Director de carrera de la FIA
Una tendencia interesante que estamos viendo es el Director de la carrera de FIA, Charlie Whiting, siendo muy conservador de la implementación del coche de seguridad y de la longitud de tiempo que se queda fuera, así como las instrucciones a los competidores, como que deben ser en húmedo neumáticos para el reinicio después de la bandera roja. Parece más riesgo reacio que en años pasados y ahora se trata de un factor crucial que afecta fundamentalmente a la estrategia de carrera.
Lo que vimos ayer fue algunos equipos inmensos conservadurismo, como Renault, Sauber, que jugaba cuando el coche de seguridad 20 vuelta salió de fuertes lluvias, que Whiting dejaría de la carrera.
Muchos equipos aprovecharon la oportunidad de hacer una parada para nuevos neumáticos húmedas, el coche de seguridad sin embargo Renault dejó Heidfeld y Petrov fuera, Sauber hizo lo mismo con Kobayashi y De La Rosa, Force India hicieron con di Resta mientras Sutil incluso se quedó fuera en neumáticos intermedios. Todos estaban apostando por una bandera roja y consiguieron uno.
Aunque una parada en boxes en coche de seguridad sólo tuvieron 14 segundos a sus rivales, esto promovido todos los jugadores el orden y cuando llegó la bandera roja consiguieron la victoria doble porque Whiting dijo que todos los coches deben han mojado neumáticos montados para el reinicio, por lo que consiguieron un cambio de tiro libre.
Heidfeld pasó de 6 a 4, Di Resta pasó de 9 a 6, Sutil de 17 a 13. Kobayashi sólo podía reír como Alonso, Rosberg y Schumacher todos enfrentaron delante de él para intermediarios y, a continuación, realiza su error cuando cayó más lluvia, promover al conductor japonés hasta el segundo lugar. Y, a continuación, obtuvo un cambio de tiro libre bajo la bandera roja.
Uno tiene que observar que la combinación de Kobayashi y el equipo de estrategia de Sauber han hecho algunas llamadas negritas en el último par de años y hacía trabajar.
No es sólo un emocionante overtaker, hace algunas apuestas ganadoras sobre estrategia demasiado.
El informe de estrategia de UBS se prepara con entrada y datos de estrategas de los equipos de F1
Gráfico de historia de la carrera
Los aspectos interesantes son el número de períodos de coche de seguridad y vueltas, y es cómo inconexo de la primera mitad de la carrera.
La última mitad de la historia de la carrera es más interesante, pero debe considerarse junto con una carrera posiciones parcela conocer los avances de Button . Hizo progresos durante la fase de neumáticos intermedios y cuando todo el mundo pasó de intermedio a seco
15-06-2011, 16:20
Button no gana si no saca a Alonso de la pista. ¿Por qué no lo dice?
16-06-2011, 19:20
(15-06-2011, 16:20)Melif1 escribió: [ -> ]Button no gana si no saca a Alonso de la pista. ¿Por qué no lo dice?
Pero como va a criticar a su compatriota melife !!! jua jua
estos inglis tienen "licencia para chocar" de la fia y expira en.... ¿expirará?
Saludos...
18-06-2011, 08:22
Para los q, como yo, dificilmente puedan acercarse al restaurante Montana en Maranello, J.Allen ha colgado un video q grabó durante su visita:
Video: Behind the scenes in Ferrari’s “canteen”
Posted on | June 16, 2011 | by | 58 Comments
I posted recently about the visual symbolism at work at the Montana Restaurant, next to Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, with Fernando Alonso’s presence increasingly clear.
Here is the video I shot there on the night, which gives a better idea.
In that post I forgot to mention that on that two day visit, organised by Shell to highlight their technical partnership with Ferrari, which traces its origins back to the very beginning of the Scuderia, we also visited the race bays in the F1 factory, where the cars are prepared. On the walls there are a number of large photos of past Ferrari glories. Interestingly there are plenty of images of Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari’s last world champion, celebrating victories as well as several Felipe Massa successes. In quite a few of the photos Alonso is there too, in McLaren overalls!!
Anyway, take a look at this video which gives an insight into the amazing atmosphere of Ferrari’s ‘canteen’. If you are ever in the area, I can highly recommend a meal at Montana; the food is exceptional and, as you can see from the video, it’s a unique venue.
James Allen
Video: Behind the scenes in Ferrari’s “canteen”
Posted on | June 16, 2011 | by | 58 Comments
I posted recently about the visual symbolism at work at the Montana Restaurant, next to Ferrari’s Fiorano test track, with Fernando Alonso’s presence increasingly clear.
Here is the video I shot there on the night, which gives a better idea.
In that post I forgot to mention that on that two day visit, organised by Shell to highlight their technical partnership with Ferrari, which traces its origins back to the very beginning of the Scuderia, we also visited the race bays in the F1 factory, where the cars are prepared. On the walls there are a number of large photos of past Ferrari glories. Interestingly there are plenty of images of Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari’s last world champion, celebrating victories as well as several Felipe Massa successes. In quite a few of the photos Alonso is there too, in McLaren overalls!!
Anyway, take a look at this video which gives an insight into the amazing atmosphere of Ferrari’s ‘canteen’. If you are ever in the area, I can highly recommend a meal at Montana; the food is exceptional and, as you can see from the video, it’s a unique venue.
James Allen
20-06-2011, 22:54
McLaren keen to Button down Jenson
Posted on | June 20, 2011 | by | 91 Comments
Not surprisingly the stories beginning to swirl around Ferrari being interested in Jenson Button have led to McLaren suggesting that they plan to offer an improved deal starting at the end of his current contract in January 2013.
They have let it be known, via Autosport.com today, that they will be looking to tie up a renewal quickly with the 2009 champion.
Button: On form (McLaren)
Button is having a very good year, driving very well and lying second in the championship with a win under his belt from Canada. He’s even talking about being able to challenge Sebastian Vettel for the title this year. To do that will take a massive reversal from the ban on off throttle diffusers, starting at Silverstone. We will see.
There’s no doubt that the McLaren is now as fast if not faster than the Red Bull in race conditions, especially with the KERS issues that Red Bull keeps encountering. But there is a lot of ground to make up.
Button’s doing well this year for the same reason as Vettel; they get on really well with the Pirelli tyres. These two are what engineers call “finger tip drivers” who use the steering lightly and protect the tyres as a result.
According to engineers I’ve discussed this with, when they encounter understeer, instead of racking on the steering lock, which hurts the tyres, they feel it early and keep the steering open.
The PIrellis fall off progressively, lap by lap and by driving as they do, the finger tip drivers get an extra couple of laps of life from the tyre. It’s very clear if you look at the Race History charts.
Although Ferrari have not given any public indication of interest in him, on a recent visit to Maranello, I got the impression that Button was the kind of driver they need at Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso. I could also imagine Button feeling that a stint at Ferrari would be a great way to complete his career. His father John would be ecstatic.
But leaving aside the romance of it, this is a pragmatic decision for Button who will be 32 when his current McLaren deal ends. Three more years will probably take him to the finish line.
if he had a choice to make what should he do? McLaren or Ferrari?
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/06/mc...wn-jenson/
Posted on | June 20, 2011 | by | 91 Comments
Not surprisingly the stories beginning to swirl around Ferrari being interested in Jenson Button have led to McLaren suggesting that they plan to offer an improved deal starting at the end of his current contract in January 2013.
They have let it be known, via Autosport.com today, that they will be looking to tie up a renewal quickly with the 2009 champion.
Button: On form (McLaren)
Button is having a very good year, driving very well and lying second in the championship with a win under his belt from Canada. He’s even talking about being able to challenge Sebastian Vettel for the title this year. To do that will take a massive reversal from the ban on off throttle diffusers, starting at Silverstone. We will see.
There’s no doubt that the McLaren is now as fast if not faster than the Red Bull in race conditions, especially with the KERS issues that Red Bull keeps encountering. But there is a lot of ground to make up.
Button’s doing well this year for the same reason as Vettel; they get on really well with the Pirelli tyres. These two are what engineers call “finger tip drivers” who use the steering lightly and protect the tyres as a result.
According to engineers I’ve discussed this with, when they encounter understeer, instead of racking on the steering lock, which hurts the tyres, they feel it early and keep the steering open.
The PIrellis fall off progressively, lap by lap and by driving as they do, the finger tip drivers get an extra couple of laps of life from the tyre. It’s very clear if you look at the Race History charts.
Although Ferrari have not given any public indication of interest in him, on a recent visit to Maranello, I got the impression that Button was the kind of driver they need at Ferrari alongside Fernando Alonso. I could also imagine Button feeling that a stint at Ferrari would be a great way to complete his career. His father John would be ecstatic.
But leaving aside the romance of it, this is a pragmatic decision for Button who will be 32 when his current McLaren deal ends. Three more years will probably take him to the finish line.
if he had a choice to make what should he do? McLaren or Ferrari?
http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/06/mc...wn-jenson/
26-06-2011, 20:30
in dominant form as he wins European Grand Prix
Posted on June 26, 2011
Screen shot 2011-06-26 at 14.53.20
Sebastian Vettel dominated the European Grand Prix in Valencia, his sixth win from pole of the 2011 season and extended his championship lead to 77 points.
A week short of his 24th birthday, he gave himself a present of pole position, win and fastest lap and he has the championship in his hands. It was also a great response to critics after he made a rare mistake on the last lap in Montreal two weeks ago.
He also became the first man to finish either first or second in the first eight races of the season. He has only dropped 14 points this season.
What’s helped him build his massive championship lead is that is no single main challenger this season; in the six races he has won four different drivers have finished second.
It was the German’s 16th victory in 70 Grand Prix starts.
He beat off a determined challenge from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who managed to get the better of Vettel’s Red Bull team mate Mark Webber, through a mixture of overtaking and strategy. Webber’s third place gave Red Bull its 50th podium in F1.
Alonso managed to match the pace of the Red Bulls for much of the race, but Vettel was always able to keep him at arms’ length, opening a gap when he needed to without taking too much out of his tyres.
It wasn’t as dramatic a race as the first seven this season, but was a decent race by the standards of the recent Valencia races as the DRS and Pirelli tyres made a difference.
Track temperatures were 47 degrees at the start of the race, the hottest they had been all weekend. Only Petrov and Perez decided to start the race on the medium tyres. The rest of the field went for the soft and the leading drivers ended up making three pit stops.
It wasn’t a good day for McLaren or Mercedes; they simply didn’t have the race pace and Lewis Hamilton sounded despondent at times on the radio, unable to go slower when his tyres were overheating, nor to speed up, when another set had lost grip. He finished over 45 seconds behind the winner. Meanwhile Rosberg’s Mercedes was 100 seconds behind Vettel.
At the start, Vettel got away well as did Webber, while Massa shot past Alonso and Hamilton, but then got boxed in on the inside of Webber, allowing Alonso to go around the outside of him, into third place.
Rosberg had an excellent start up to sixth place, but Jenson Button was faster in the early stages and was able to pass him on lap six.
Alonso looked faster than Webber in the battle for second place but couldn’t make the DRS wing count to overtake him.
The first stops came on laps 13-15 with Hamilton and Webber coming in first and Vettel, Alonso and Button reacting. Hamilton’s early stop got him into fourth place ahead of Massa who pitted four laps later.
Schumacher’s race was compromised when he broke his front wing on his outlap from the pits, smashing it into one of the Renault cars on his exit from the pits.
On lap 21 Alonso was able to use the DRS wing to pass Mark Webber and move up to second place. Vettel responded immediately, setting his personal best lap of the race to that point.
He held the gap to Alonso to three seconds.
Webber pitted on lap 29 for the second time and took another set of soft tyres. Ferrari reacted to the move bringing Alonso in, but he had lost time on that extra lap and Webber went past him, back into second place.
Meanwhile McLaren did its best to slow Hamilton down, his rear tyre temperatures were high. “I can’t go any slower,” said a frustrated Hamilton. McLaren seemed to be using its rear tyres up more than the opposition.
Massa stayed out the extra lap again and Webber passed him, as did Alonso. Massa lost five seconds in his pit stop with a left rear problem. This gave Jenson Button a chance, but he couldn’t take it as his KERS wasn’t working.
Vettel pushed to open a gap to Webber in the third stint as only Alonso’s Ferrari could match them for pace. The McLarens were a second a lap slower, as was Massa. Vettel eased away from Webber as he took less out of the rear tyres lap after lap.
Hamilton’s pace in the third stint was poor and he started to fall into Massa’s clutches.
Webber pitted on lap 43 for medium tyres, as did Hamilton. Alonso on the used softs was faster than Webber. He was 19.9 seconds clear, not enough to make a stop and rejoin ahead. He delayed a lap and pulled it off, pitting on lap 47 and holding second place.
Alguersuari put on an excellent performance, running much of the race in the top ten, making a set of soft tyres last longer than most. He started 18th but his two stop strategy got him up to eighth place, ahead of Adrian Sutil. After three consecutive poor qualifying sessions this was his best race result of the season and a good response to the pressure on his drive from reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
It was a day of astonishing reliability, with all 24 cars finishing the race. Webber had to nurse a gearbox problem in the closing stages.
Vettel could afford to take a holiday during the British, German and Hungarian Grands Prix and still be leading the championship after the summer break.
Posted on June 26, 2011
Screen shot 2011-06-26 at 14.53.20
Sebastian Vettel dominated the European Grand Prix in Valencia, his sixth win from pole of the 2011 season and extended his championship lead to 77 points.
A week short of his 24th birthday, he gave himself a present of pole position, win and fastest lap and he has the championship in his hands. It was also a great response to critics after he made a rare mistake on the last lap in Montreal two weeks ago.
He also became the first man to finish either first or second in the first eight races of the season. He has only dropped 14 points this season.
What’s helped him build his massive championship lead is that is no single main challenger this season; in the six races he has won four different drivers have finished second.
It was the German’s 16th victory in 70 Grand Prix starts.
He beat off a determined challenge from Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who managed to get the better of Vettel’s Red Bull team mate Mark Webber, through a mixture of overtaking and strategy. Webber’s third place gave Red Bull its 50th podium in F1.
Alonso managed to match the pace of the Red Bulls for much of the race, but Vettel was always able to keep him at arms’ length, opening a gap when he needed to without taking too much out of his tyres.
It wasn’t as dramatic a race as the first seven this season, but was a decent race by the standards of the recent Valencia races as the DRS and Pirelli tyres made a difference.
Track temperatures were 47 degrees at the start of the race, the hottest they had been all weekend. Only Petrov and Perez decided to start the race on the medium tyres. The rest of the field went for the soft and the leading drivers ended up making three pit stops.
It wasn’t a good day for McLaren or Mercedes; they simply didn’t have the race pace and Lewis Hamilton sounded despondent at times on the radio, unable to go slower when his tyres were overheating, nor to speed up, when another set had lost grip. He finished over 45 seconds behind the winner. Meanwhile Rosberg’s Mercedes was 100 seconds behind Vettel.
At the start, Vettel got away well as did Webber, while Massa shot past Alonso and Hamilton, but then got boxed in on the inside of Webber, allowing Alonso to go around the outside of him, into third place.
Rosberg had an excellent start up to sixth place, but Jenson Button was faster in the early stages and was able to pass him on lap six.
Alonso looked faster than Webber in the battle for second place but couldn’t make the DRS wing count to overtake him.
The first stops came on laps 13-15 with Hamilton and Webber coming in first and Vettel, Alonso and Button reacting. Hamilton’s early stop got him into fourth place ahead of Massa who pitted four laps later.
Schumacher’s race was compromised when he broke his front wing on his outlap from the pits, smashing it into one of the Renault cars on his exit from the pits.
On lap 21 Alonso was able to use the DRS wing to pass Mark Webber and move up to second place. Vettel responded immediately, setting his personal best lap of the race to that point.
He held the gap to Alonso to three seconds.
Webber pitted on lap 29 for the second time and took another set of soft tyres. Ferrari reacted to the move bringing Alonso in, but he had lost time on that extra lap and Webber went past him, back into second place.
Meanwhile McLaren did its best to slow Hamilton down, his rear tyre temperatures were high. “I can’t go any slower,” said a frustrated Hamilton. McLaren seemed to be using its rear tyres up more than the opposition.
Massa stayed out the extra lap again and Webber passed him, as did Alonso. Massa lost five seconds in his pit stop with a left rear problem. This gave Jenson Button a chance, but he couldn’t take it as his KERS wasn’t working.
Vettel pushed to open a gap to Webber in the third stint as only Alonso’s Ferrari could match them for pace. The McLarens were a second a lap slower, as was Massa. Vettel eased away from Webber as he took less out of the rear tyres lap after lap.
Hamilton’s pace in the third stint was poor and he started to fall into Massa’s clutches.
Webber pitted on lap 43 for medium tyres, as did Hamilton. Alonso on the used softs was faster than Webber. He was 19.9 seconds clear, not enough to make a stop and rejoin ahead. He delayed a lap and pulled it off, pitting on lap 47 and holding second place.
Alguersuari put on an excellent performance, running much of the race in the top ten, making a set of soft tyres last longer than most. He started 18th but his two stop strategy got him up to eighth place, ahead of Adrian Sutil. After three consecutive poor qualifying sessions this was his best race result of the season and a good response to the pressure on his drive from reserve driver Daniel Ricciardo.
It was a day of astonishing reliability, with all 24 cars finishing the race. Webber had to nurse a gearbox problem in the closing stages.
Vettel could afford to take a holiday during the British, German and Hungarian Grands Prix and still be leading the championship after the summer break.
27-06-2011, 15:25