The Official 2017 Azerbaijan Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[Z3MCJez]

ClockworkCupcake said:

Hopefully a better race than last year when Hamilton was driving round lost in the multi-level menus of his steering wheel with his engineer unable to tell him what menu options to select to put the engine into the correct mode. Which was a frankly ridiculous situation and an epic HMI fail.

I don't know what HMI stands for, but it was a major cock-up. However, it was nothing to do with Hamilton. The engine was in the wrong mode at the start. It did show the pointlessness of the regulations though.

As said above, that lap was unbelievable. Very under control (although the first lap in Q3 showed that he was clearly pushing it, as he grazed the Heineken signs). As a Hamilton fan, I hope that the Mercs hold station at the start and Max jumps to P3. Ferrari will arrange for Vettel to finish above Kimi.

Jez

[Hungrymc]

Enjoyed that. And a very different type of pole lap compared to Canada. Canada was a throwing the car around lap but this was extremely smooth and calm. Enjoyed the whole session but a little disappointed at the Ferrari and Red Bull challenge dropping away a little.

Could be an interesting race, I'm wondering if the cars will be able to stay in DRS range with two long (one incredibly long) straights.

[ClockworkCupcake]

Z3MCJez said:

I don't know what HMI stands for

HMI is "Human Machine Interface". It's used when GUI (Graphical User Interface) isn't appropriate because there are no graphics.

Point being that any interface so complex that needs someone to tell you how to navigate it is failing at its task.

[Doink]

After checks in Canada, apparently one team returned doubtful results. The FIA did not want to confirm this, but Mercedes suspects the Ferrari has an additional oil tank

Hmmmm I wonder if Ferrari have been rumbled?

[Derek Smith]

Crafty_ said:

jbudgie said:

Jonnny said:

PhillipM said:

3 words in from the interviewer....god, please, turn him off.

Just caught up on Qualifying.. WTF is this interviewer?!

Who are we talking about?

Davide Valsecchi, ex Gp2 champ, now commentator for Sky Italia.

If you fancy a laugh watch the F2 race tomorrow, he gets quite excited and is very Italian !

I thought you meant Jordan.

[Wh00sher]

Derek Smith said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK1_Y9JU1Ow

It is still awe inspiring for those of us who've seen the lap previously.

If you compare it to other laps from other drivers, LH doesn't threaten any wall to the extent that others do. He has one hell of an advantage.

I occasionally find myself watching the Sky F1 coverage and wishing Crofty would tone it down a fraction, then watch a lap like that with no commentary and realise how much the commentators add to the race. Imagine watching an entire F1 race with just the engine noise. I can`t see that many of us would sit through it, I know I wouldn`t.

Fantastic lap by Lewis, after all the comments about how he isn`t any good on street circuits he certainly put down a marker nobody else could get close to today.

[Derek Smith]

Doink said:

After checks in Canada, apparently one team returned doubtful results. The FIA did not want to confirm this, but Mercedes suspects the Ferrari has an additional oil tank

Hmmmm I wonder if Ferrari have been rumbled?

Have you got a link?

Or more details?

EDITED TO ADD: It's not that I don't believe you. I just want more.

[Z3MCJez]

ClockworkCupcake said:

Z3MCJez said:

I don't know what HMI stands for

HMI is "Human Machine Interface". It's used when GUI (Graphical User Interface) isn't appropriate because there are no graphics.

Point being that any interface so complex that needs someone to tell you how to navigate it is failing at its task.

Got it. Can't disagree really. But the only answer to that is to have a limited number of engine modes. To be honest, I think that's perfectly reasonable. 8 must be enough?

Jez

[ClockworkCupcake]

Z3MCJez said:

Got it. Can't disagree really. But the only answer to that is to have a limited number of engine modes. To be honest, I think that's perfectly reasonable. 8 must be enough?

Either that or several presents and then a custom mode. But all that customisability is useless if the user can't fathom it even with extensive training.

[Greeny]

Derek Smith said:

Doink said:

After checks in Canada, apparently one team returned doubtful results. The FIA did not want to confirm this, but Mercedes suspects the Ferrari has an additional oil tank

Hmmmm I wonder if Ferrari have been rumbled?

Have you got a link?

Or more details?

EDITED TO ADD: It's not that I don't believe you. I just want more.

Sort of discussed earlier in this thread, but does not seem to have been taken up
ETA, see my reply to you Doink

Edited by Greeny on Saturday 24th June 20:16

[PDP76]

That narrow section is a strange one, turn 8 ?
Gp2 had a red flag there today around lap 25.
Proper barrier kiss coming off the kerb, following car drove straight into the accident and that was that, circuit blocked.

[48k]

ClockworkCupcake said:

suffolk009 said:

After three years of jogging around the back of the grid, smiling and making nice with the interviewers every tie his engine lets him dowm, I suspect that Alonso would move to Merc with "I'm number two in this team. I'm Hamilton's bh" written on his overalls.

That was almost the interviewer's question to Toto - would he take Alonso if Alonso offered to drive for free. And even then his diplomatic answer boiled down to "not a chance", with I think the phrase "team harmony" coming out at one point.

My gut feel is that the Ferrari will be the car to be in next year if you want to win the title.

So expect to see Alonso choosing the Merc.

[Doink]

Derek Smith said:

Have you got a link?

Or more details?

EDITED TO ADD: It's not that I don't believe you. I just want more.

http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-314632.html

I've basically copied all the juicy bit, there's not a great deal left of any real news

I use newsnow for all f1 stories published world wide.....


http://www.newsnow.co.uk/h/Sport/F1

Edited by Doink on Saturday 24th June 20:38

[Dr Z]

Greeny said:

Derek Smith said:

Doink said:

After checks in Canada, apparently one team returned doubtful results. The FIA did not want to confirm this, but Mercedes suspects the Ferrari has an additional oil tank

Hmmmm I wonder if Ferrari have been rumbled?

Have you got a link?

Or more details?

EDITED TO ADD: It's not that I don't believe you. I just want more.

Sort of discussed earlier in this thread, but does not seem to have been taken up
ETA, see my reply to you Doink

Was just about to post this:

Speeds (km/h) from the best qualifying laps.

Vmax	HAM	BOT	VET	RAI	VER
T1	342	340	335	336	337
T3	328	325	319	320	320
T13-14	309	308	304	304	303
End of lap	342	340	335	336	338

The Ferraris are significantly down on top speeds compared to Merc. Or carrying a huge amount more downforce than the rest. Latter is less likely as they are not hugely fast in S2 than the rest. Even the Red Bull is matching them down the straights.

Race mode top speeds will not have this disparity I believe.

VB with more wing than LH?

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Did anyone notice LH's line through the tight turn at the castle? Completely different to everyone else and no where near the track edges.

There was mention of something in one of the last few GPs that a commentator made, in that in the Vettel/Red Bull domination years when he was walking each race, Hamilton was very vocal to those in the know just how many apex' and braking points SV missed and still got pole.

I wish we got to hear more from LH, I think (probably understandably) he's just a little too guarded about what he says as he knows the press like to jump on anything. I know he's come out with some real foot in mouth stuff over the years but when you hear him talk passionately about racing off the cuff-he gives great copy to us enthusiasts.

The guy is a total F1 fan after all.

[Hungrymc]

I think Lewis was generally turning in later than Valteri, maybe VB was just pushing a bit too hard and having to compromise his lines?

[Otispunkmeyer]

Another blinding lap by Lewis. Great to see.

I've been jarring today and after 30 minutes of giving it death I felt sick as a dog. Bloody motion sickness. I think I'd be dead after 30 seconds in the car with an F1 driver.

Very nice to see stroll, after his 10th in Canada, has been able to keep that momentum going; he's 8th and he's beaten Massa to boot.

Gonna be some wall action tomorrow I think! Could be a safety car or even a red flag if there is a big coming together and it blocks the track.

[ClockworkCupcake]

Otispunkmeyer said:

or even a red flag if there is a big coming together and it blocks the track.

Already happened, in GP2 I think it was. Someone clipped turn 8, span sideways, and blocked the entire track and the session was red flagged. Could so easily happen in the race.

[Hungrymc]

ash73 said:

There's a side-by-side comparison on the Sky F1 site, Bottas had a small lock up early on and a poor exit out of turn 16; it's feel and delicacy on the pedals not magic racing lines that nobody else can find.

You're right about T16.
But they were neck and neck through the rest of the lap despite VB using much more of the track (flirting with the walls). There isn't any magic. I think VB was generally running in a little hot which is why he looked more ragged through the first 2/3 of the lap.

[wevster]

Hungrymc said:

You're right about T16.
But they were neck and neck through the rest of the lap despite VB using much more of the track (flirting with the walls). There isn't any magic. I think VB was generally running in a little hot which is why he looked more ragged through the first 2/3 of the lap.

I didn't rate Johnny Herbert's analysis of the comparison runs very much. Anthony Davidson's analysis (when he is on) is much better.

You can't get that much from JH comparison.