What makes an F1 pole position?

[cragswinter]

Sorry for the slightly random thread title, but what I mean is: how come some drivers (vettel this year) seem to have this ability to switch into some other state & just bang in the fastest lap. He even does it again at the end of the race to get the fastest lap!

I know we've all heard of "the zone" & some of us have even experienced it, that feeling when everything becomes easy, each action is measured & precise, almost like you're one step ahead of reality so you can judge exactly what you want to do next.

But some of these f1 guys are doing it at supreme levels, I'm not a vettel fan but he has been superb at this sort of thing consistently.

Is it a part of his character? Can you be trained to do this at will? Jenson has been the second best driver of the season for me, but he just doesn't operate the same way, & as much as I dislike sebs whooping on getting yet another pole I'm full of admiration for the way in which ge can achieve it.

I'm on the phone at present so can't link up any videos, but if anyone has any to share of their favourite pole from recent or past history I think it would be fascinating. I love Martin Brundle's comparison laps between 1st & second, & especially this season where one car has a slight but distinct advantage over the rest of the field it's become a massively important part of a drivers game, even if it's just another psychological tool to pressure your opponents into believing you simply are the best.

[robmlufc]

cos he is mint?

[Nick3point2]

Why can some tennis players pull the perfect game out of the bag when they have to?
Why can some golf players put in the perfect round when they have to?

It's what being a world champion is all about - being able to be better than anyone else, on demand, repeatedly. Brundle once said that Senna was famous for this: he could just find extra time that others couldn't.

[Alfanatic]

Some white paint. That's what makes an F1 pole position.

Edited by Alfanatic on Monday 31st October 20:32

[Adrian W]

Huge kahunas

[timbob]

Even though he often doesn't, and shines more in races than in qually, I would contest that Jenson can't switch it on....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ck05AfWIf0

[Use Psychology]

montoya in 2004 was the best example of this.

[Use Psychology]

maybe i mean 2002

[Use Psychology]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Dy6UDr203M

[davepoth]

Tyres are absolutely critical this season - the Red Bull seems to be much better for "switching them on" - as we can see from the one lap pace and pulling away from the grid. Once they're under way there isn't so much of a difference, as we saw this weekend.

[FreiWild]

davepoth said:

Tyres are absolutely critical this season - the Red Bull seems to be much better for "switching them on" - as we can see from the one lap pace and pulling away from the grid. Once they're under way there isn't so much of a difference, as we saw this weekend.

Didn't Vettel put the fastest lap down in his last lap?

The lack of difference might just be because of Red Bull not pushing to the extremes?

[Jasandjules]

Alfanatic said:

Some white paint. That's what makes an F1 pole position.

Edited by Alfanatic on Monday 31st October 20:32

I was thinking - Driving the quickest lap in Q3.....

[Mr_Thyroid]

I seem to remember that when Button got pole at Melbourne in the BAR Martin Brundle described it as one of the best laps he'd ever seen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbnAQKCLtgM

[zac510]

Alfanatic said:

Some white paint. That's what makes an F1 pole position.

Edited by Alfanatic on Monday 31st October 20:32

Got a laugh from me!

Even a 30 min timed go-karting session is a good education about what makes a good lap and these drivers fast.

Edited by zac510 on Monday 31st October 22:41

[cragswinter]

ok liking the funny answers but I just couldn't think what to call the thread!

That Montoya lap was supreme though wasn't it, though as much as I like Jenson he just doesn't do it regularly enough does he?

I've never raced & it's a long tine since I was in a kart but from doing track days & the ring, I very much feel I'd be someone who needed to build up pace, my fastest lap at the ring came out of the blue one Sunday morning but apart from that I feel I'd be left behind in modern qualifying!

Even more impressive are the laps from years gone by when people set their laps amongst traffic, the self belief these guys must have had to nail a car whilst not even worrying about a slower car getting in the way (Gilles' terrible accident excepted of course).

I just always think I can relate to a lot of what these guys do in a car, the whole "given a chance I could do that"* sort of thing, but those qualifying laps-that's what sorts the men out from the boys!

• obviously I'm not going to get the chance so I'll never find out how incredibly inept I may actually be

[Pints]

If you want to watch regular, breathtaking pole laps which set the competition aside, you need only watch Senna's pole laps.

[heebeegeetee]

Pints said:

If you want to watch regular, breathtaking pole laps which set the competition aside, you need only watch Senna's pole laps.

Trouble was, his concentration on getting pole often left him with a car not best set up for the race. I understand he often ended up taking Prost's race settings, which irritated Prost quite a lot, I believe.