The Official Indian GP Thread 2012***SPOILERS***

[Life Saab Itch]

Will another team be able to beat RB?

Was McLaren's Korea form a one off?

Can Alonso regain the lead of the championship?

Is Lewis now out of the running?

How the blazes is Kimi still in the hunt?


BBC times here:

Indian Grand Prix

Saturday 27 October
Qualifying highlights: 1300-1415, BBC One
Sunday 28 October
Race highlights: 1730-1900, BBC One

[Papa Hotel]

Life Saab Itch said:

Will another team be able to beat RB?

Was McLaren's Korea form a one off?

Can Alonso regain the lead of the championship?

Is Lewis now out of the running?

How the blazes is Kimi still in the hunt?

Probably not.

I hope so.

I hope so.

Yeah.

He isn't. He has done well though.

[vonuber]

Possibly not.
No.
Unlikely.
Yes.
Consistency.

[Jungles]

Life Saab Itch said:

Will another team be able to beat RB?

Plausible. McLaren had the potential last race, but screwed it up (Hamilton) and had bad luck (Button). Ferrari was almost as fast - I think Massa would have challenged Webber if he had been allowed to pass Alonso.

Life Saab Itch said:

Was McLaren's Korea form a one off?

I hope at least one of the McLaren drivers will have a good race. But yes, I think Korea was particular bad for them.

Life Saab Itch said:

Can Alonso regain the lead of the championship?

Obviously, yes. All it takes is one bad race for Vettel.

Life Saab Itch said:

Is Lewis now out of the running?

Likely, yes. But if both Alonso and Vettel have very bad races, Hamilton could easily be in the hunt again.

Life Saab Itch said:

How the blazes is Kimi still in the hunt?

By doing what he always has done: keeping his head down and speed up. He has been very plucky this year, and the Lotus is a pretty good car. They have only been held back by Grosjean's dismal starts.

[heebeegeetee]

I've really admired how Kimi has allowed himself to be overtaken several times this season and has done so without constantly losing bits of aero. I'm not an enormous fan of Kimi but I think he has really driven well this season.

As Jackie Stewart has recently said, it's in situ's such as Kimi and Alonso are currently in is when you find out just how good a driver is.

[davepoth]

heebeegeetee said:

I've really admired how Kimi has allowed himself to be overtaken several times this season and has done so without constantly losing bits of aero. I'm not an enormous fan of Kimi but I think he has really driven well this season.

As Jackie Stewart has recently said, it's in situ's such as Kimi and Alonso are currently in is when you find out just how good a driver is.

Kimi is really showing his class this year - the car hasn't really been good enough to win but he's still in the hunt for the championship. If his team mate accidentally takes out Alonso and Vettel in India it's game on all over again.

[PiB]

Kimi for the win this time!

1st - Kimi Raikkonen
2nd- Well I don't really know
3rd- Well I don't really know

[P-Jay]

Any word on updates for Ferrari, Lotus or McL for this one? I would imagine Ferrari aside they're going to be working on getting a double DRS ready for next year?

Failing that it's going to be a Redbull 1-2 I fear.

[Mermaid]

PiB said:

Kimi for the win this time!

1st - Kimi Raikkonen
2nd- Well I don't really know, but not Alonso
3rd- Well I don't really know, but not Vettel

EFA

[KaraK]

P-Jay said:

Any word on updates for Ferrari, Lotus or McL for this one? I would imagine Ferrari aside they're going to be working on getting a double DRS ready for next year?

Failing that it's going to be a Redbull 1-2 I fear.

Double DRS is banned for next year IIRC

[P-Jay]

KaraK said:

P-Jay said:

Any word on updates for Ferrari, Lotus or McL for this one? I would imagine Ferrari aside they're going to be working on getting a double DRS ready for next year?

Failing that it's going to be a Redbull 1-2 I fear.

Double DRS is banned for next year IIRC

Which only goes to further prove I know nothing ha ha.

[the other me]

Ferrari claiming on autosport.com they have "made up lost ground" on aero, I REALLY hope so. I would relish a tight fight to the finish between Alonso & Vettel, & Fred needs a better car for that to happen.

I would be happy for either of them to get it, Lewis & Kimi must both be out of it unless the other two both have very bad luck.

[Serendipity72]

Well this has to be Vettel's. By far the best car in the best run team with a competent driver who can do the job. His biggest problem is alternators.
McLaren have acquired a knack of converting triumph into disaster through team ineptitude, so I wouldn't put money on them, even with 2 excellent drivers.
Ferrari obviously have the best driver and an extremely good second driver, but the car lacks the speed of the Red Bull and the team is not quite so polished.
One of the designers at Renault told me that they are concentrating on next year's car now.

So with my predictive powers it will probably be Kimi!

[RockDoctor]

Sergio is a bit ill so might be missing practice I see. It'd be nice to see how good Gutierrez is though, considering he might get a race seat next year.

Also, I loved Webber saying he won't move over for Vettel as long as he has a mathematical chance of winning the championship. Good man.

[groomi]

Serendipity72 said:

One of the designers at Renault told me that they are concentrating on next year's car now.

I hope they don't do a Sauber and throw away a Championship challenge for the doldrums the following year...

[Mermaid]

RockDoctor said:

Also, I loved Webber saying he won't move over for Vettel as long as he has a mathematical chance of winning the championship. Good man.

Foolish man, for he will suffer a mechanical fault to favour Horner's 1st born.

[vonuber]

Serendipity72 said:

Well this has to be Vettel's. By far the best car in the best run team with a competent driver who can do the job.

Vettel is only competent? Blimey. Does he become merely 'good' when he has 5 WDC?

[woof]

The drivers press conferences are so amusing.
The all trudge in - dragging their feet, checking their phones. No one wants to talk. They cannot get out of there quick enough.

You'd think none of them had any PR training.

Kimi's always funny though

[woof]

Mermaid said:

RockDoctor said:

Also, I loved Webber saying he won't move over for Vettel as long as he has a mathematical chance of winning the championship. Good man.

Foolish man, for he will suffer a mechanical fault to favour Horner's 1st born.

Not any more - Vettel has signed for the devil right ?

[stephen300o]

woof said:

Mermaid said:

RockDoctor said:

Also, I loved Webber saying he won't move over for Vettel as long as he has a mathematical chance of winning the championship. Good man.

Foolish man, for he will suffer a mechanical fault to favour Horner's 1st born.

Not any more - Vettel has signed for the devil right ?

Then where's Button going?