Motorsport on Monday: 12/05/14
F1 in Barcelona wasn't (quite) the bore fest we might have expected
It was clear from FP1 on Friday the Mercedes were in a class of their own. Again. But could Hamilton make it four on the bounce and take the title lead from teammate Rosberg after scoring a DNF in Australia? Short answer: yes.
Ferrari could have closed the gap. Didn't
The start of F1's European leg is traditionally where we see updates, so this was an opportunity for Red Bull, Ferrari et al. to close the gap to the Mercs. It didn't happen.
A new front wing for the pair of W05 Silver Arrows was the biggest change, with everyone else playing it relatively safe when it came to car tweaks. Far from the margin of victory narrowing, Hamilton extended it even further - the Mercedes lapped up to and including Raikkonen's Ferrari in seventh (embarrassing much?) with Red Bull 49 seconds back in third, Mr Perma-grin himself Daniel Ricciardo taking and actually keeping a podium result this time round.
After starting from 15th on the grid, Vettel took the tiller and hauled his weekend round in a big U-turn to finish fourth - a result that saw a wry smirk return to his chops. No sign of the finger yet, though.
Danny still happy even when Seb pranks him
Mostly played out through strategy with fans performing the fag packet will-he-won't-he computation until around 10 laps to go, Rosberg started to reel Hamilton in. With both of them ahead of target in terms of fuel usage (Lewis proving incredibly economical and still blisteringly quick) the two drivers were left to battle their graining tyres and rattle both cars to the finish.
Hamilton held on by six tenths, landing what must be a crushing blow to Rosberg's confidence. To see your teammate win four on the bounce after you stole the opener must be demoralising - it was partly for this reason Hamilton had to hang on and close the race out. It completed the story of his total domination last weekend.
Third and fourth for Red Bull a good result
The Circuit de Catalunya has always traditionally been a downforce-dominated track. So with a big chunk cut from the cars for this year, we got to see some closer racing. We've said it before, but plenty of torque allied to less aero means lots of rear-end moments. No pun intended. Pastor Maldonado will tell you that after he put his Lotus in the wall on his out lap in Q1.
This meant cars could actually follow each other, pushing drivers to, well, push. If you saw Raikkonen on the ragged edge, laying two big blacks 11s in front of Alonso, you'll no doubt have been grinning away like we were. F1 is becoming a spectacle once again.
The lack of downforce also showed Hamilton's supreme car and throttle control. Diamond earrings and funny caps melt away when you watch him battle to balance his car on the way into and out of 120mph-plus corners. Having maxed out his diff lock for corner entry and mid-corner phases in an attempt to cure oversteer (all that with mirrors full of his teammate and a million other things to calculate), and having to struggle through some serious graining on the front left built up by the tortuous turn three, he still managed to extract speed from the car the Ferraris could only dream of.
Can they take it to the Mercedes pair?
Five-round recap
When the racing is this close, the issue of sound has suddenly taken a back seat. That is what it is, anyway, if megaphone pipes appear or not.
Taking stock after the first five rounds, what is incredible is how far the cars have come in terms of reliability and outright speed. And the wicks still aren't turned up to 11, either. On his pole lap, Hamilton didn't rev his blown 1.6 past 13,000rpm, so there's another 2,000rpm headroom and probably a good slug more torque in the mid-range - and a hole in the head, if he wants it, too.
As a marriage of technical and engineering expertise to a driver's style, the W05-Hamilton pairing is close to perfect, it seems. The McLaren MP4/4's record could be under threat from Mercedes this season.
Turns out he's quite good on track too
Aside from Hamilton's stunning display, there were a few other interesting results to note around the world.
VW won WRC Argentina, with Latvala claiming his second win of the season to keep in touch withOgier, while Sebastien Loeb took yet another win in the WTCC - only the one though, as the second race was cancelled due to torrential rain.
It proved that his maiden tin top victory wasn't just a flash in the pan. We'll be asking whether the Frenchman could well be the world's best driver soon.
[Lead pic: LAT]
But the race was dull. You are polishing pooh trying to big up tyre choice and minor technical upgrades into something of sporting interest.
The fastest cars came first and second. At this rate they will win the majority of the remaining races.
Those of us seeking competition in our Motorsport will look elsewhere.
There will be a point (probably around 13,000rpm guessing from what Merc et al have done) where additional revs will only bring friction/heat/wear etc without any additional power because of the limit on peak energy flow.
Got it now?
F1 this year, just like quite a few before, is predictable and quite boring really. Too much help from the pit wall and apart from the first corner it's really quite processional.
F1 this year, just like quite a few before, is predictable and quite boring really. Too much help from the pit wall and apart from the first corner it's really quite processional.
Just out of interest would you mind explaining why?
I also hate Ed Milliband, Jimmy Saville, Alex Salmond , Ken Livingstone, Martin McGuiness and Robert Mugabee - would you like me to explain in less than 100 words ? quote=thechosenfamily]
F1 this year, just like quite a few before, is predictable and quite boring really. Too much help from the pit wall and apart from the first corner it's really quite processional.
Just out of interest would you mind explaining why?
"The last two laps of the 1986 German Grand Prix where several drivers run out of fuel, most specifically Prost who runs out just before the line and tries to push his car to reach the finish line. Rosberg, Berger, Mansell also run out of fuel before the line and Senna just makes it across while swishing the car back and forth"
Plus Drone'y Turbos..........1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXuEvuyyy4k
"Just a few laps to go but drivers are running out of fuel left, right, and center. Murray's reaction at the end is priceless. To add to it, the winner gets disqualified for being underweight."
Plus Drone'y Turbos..........1985
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Cykz8Pg0Ds
"Stefan Johansson, Rene Arnoux, and Phillippe Alliot ride Nelson Piquet's Williams after switching over from Alliot's Ligier once it runs out of fuel, just after the finish of the 1986 Mexican Grand Prix."
Plus Drone'y Turbos..........1986
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiG7vNlmp5c
"Senna runs out of fuel on the last lap as Mansell wins in Britain. Mansell pulls over to give Senna a lift back to the pits."
these cars sound better granted, but still................. 1991
i can go on and on, so you must have a short memory no?
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