The Official 2018 Singapore Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**
Discussion
Str6mik said:
Do we think this is a ruse? Or are they genuinely doing something that they need to hide in the cockpit / something that needs cooling around the intake.
With my tinfoil hat securely in place - it does seem rather strange that they seemed to be nowhere in the race after having to remove their ice packs / camera block....
I doubt there's anything in it - when the car's on track the teams get the FOM feed from the car and can see what's being done in the cockpit. There's unlikely to be anything shifty going on - the dry ice bag was just a nice floppy solution to cover the camera.With my tinfoil hat securely in place - it does seem rather strange that they seemed to be nowhere in the race after having to remove their ice packs / camera block....
It's not the first time teams have done daft things to avoid prying eyes. Back in the early 90's, I remember seeing one team (in a different type of racing) put a tarpaulin over the car and the team hid beneath it to tinker with the clutch, to avoid onlookers seeing what was going on. The hilarity was only increased when IIRC, ESPN poked a microphone under said tarp to ask what was going on... (and they got a polite answer!)
LaurasOtherHalf said:
Christian Horner is on record as saying when they line up the mechanics at the back of the car to stop people looking it's a ruse to take away attention from something else.
Or is that a ruse in itself
It is part of the game, when F1 teams are not putting boards across the pits they just put people in the way instead.Or is that a ruse in itself
This was a funny example from years ago, back when other teams wanted to actually look at a McLaren
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfUx1Dyqm3I
Derek Smith said:
Who agrees with Karun? He reckoned that the reason Ferrari dumped Kimi was because they wanted a young challenger to test Vettel.
There's a chance it had something to do with it. Vettel's attempting to do a Schumacher and rebuild the team and mould it around him. He's making a lot of unforced errors in doing so though (which annoys management), and while he's by no means old, Ferrari management are smart enough to see that Leclerc has the makings of something quite special if they bring him into the fold early enough, and making him the (assumed) #2 in the works car is a great way of seeing how good he is. The problem is, if he's a match for Vettel, it does the team no favours if they start tripping over each other. I don't for a minute believe Vettel would accept #2 status if he was soundly and fairly beaten on pace, assuming the team allow them to sort it out on track. He'd likely up sticks and move on, but it's unclear where at the moment.
It'll be great to watch, but butt clenching for the pit wall if Charles is as good many reckon he is. Vettel needs to bring his A-game next year, because he definitely hasn't this year.
NFC 85 Vette said:
Derek Smith said:
Who agrees with Karun? He reckoned that the reason Ferrari dumped Kimi was because they wanted a young challenger to test Vettel.
There's a chance it had something to do with it. Vettel's attempting to do a Schumacher and rebuild the team and mould it around him. He's making a lot of unforced errors in doing so though (which annoys management), and while he's by no means old, Ferrari management are smart enough to see that Leclerc has the makings of something quite special if they bring him into the fold early enough, and making him the (assumed) #2 in the works car is a great way of seeing how good he is. The problem is, if he's a match for Vettel, it does the team no favours if they start tripping over each other. I don't for a minute believe Vettel would accept #2 status if he was soundly and fairly beaten on pace, assuming the team allow them to sort it out on track. He'd likely up sticks and move on, but it's unclear where at the moment.
It'll be great to watch, but butt clenching for the pit wall if Charles is as good many reckon he is. Vettel needs to bring his A-game next year, because he definitely hasn't this year.
One thing I'm not certain of however is just how good CLc is? We've had plenty of supposed prodigies come through before and not be able to make it. Who's he beat? No one of note, yet...
Gaz. said:
LaurasOtherHalf said:
I do think Vettel's pushed the management into doing this with his mistakes. I think the Ferrari top brass have had enough.
One thing I'm not certain of however is just how good CLc is? We've had plenty of supposed prodigies come through before and not be able to make it. Who's he beat? No one of note, yet...
He was in a class of one in GP2, slaughtered everyone.One thing I'm not certain of however is just how good CLc is? We've had plenty of supposed prodigies come through before and not be able to make it. Who's he beat? No one of note, yet...
LaurasOtherHalf said:
I do think Vettel's pushed the management into doing this with his mistakes. I think the Ferrari top brass have had enough.
One thing I'm not certain of however is just how good CLc is? We've had plenty of supposed prodigies come through before and not be able to make it. Who's he beat? No one of note, yet...
We wont know until next year - if he's a match for Vettel, there'll be fireworks (possibly not of the good kind). I just hope he gets a fair hearing in the car. It's unlikely to be the mentor / protege approach we saw with Massa / Stroll.One thing I'm not certain of however is just how good CLc is? We've had plenty of supposed prodigies come through before and not be able to make it. Who's he beat? No one of note, yet...
My gut feeling with CLc is he's above average, and has shown excellent maturity thus far. He's not performing miracles in the Sauber - the fact is the Sauber's just a decent bit of kit this year, and he's making good use of it.
NFC 85 Vette said:
My gut feeling with CLc is he's above average, and has shown excellent maturity thus far. He's not performing miracles in the Sauber - the fact is the Sauber's just a decent bit of kit this year, and he's making good use of it.
I agree. Unfortunately it's virtually impossible for a current driver to work miracles and outdrive the car. Max sometimes gets close, and so does Alonso.Simpler cars in 2021 should help reveal driver talent again.
Edited by sparta6 on Friday 14th September 16:39
sparta6 said:
I agree. Unfortunately it's virtually impossible for a current driver to work miracles and outdrive the car. Max sometimes gets close, and so does Alonso.
Simpler cars in 2021 should help reveal driver talent again.
I am always puzzled when people talk about Alonso outdriving the car. What do you mean by it?Simpler cars in 2021 should help reveal driver talent again.
Edited by sparta6 on Friday 14th September 16:39
I have never seen Alonso on a podium with the McLaren or doing something exceptional. When he is in the points , it;s just because some cars have retired up front, same for Max, His race wins have never really been done under pressure of a championship but more because the leading drivers didn't want to take a risk for the championship.
E34-3.2 said:
I am always puzzled when people talk about Alonso outdriving the car. What do you mean by it?
I have never seen Alonso on a podium with the McLaren or doing something exceptional. When he is in the points , it;s just because some cars have retired up front, same for Max, His race wins have never really been done under pressure of a championship but more because the leading drivers didn't want to take a risk for the championship.
Really? On a number of occasions I've heard Brundle remark that Alonso has managed to drive at a pace far beyond what the car should manage / bring it home in a higher than expected place on merit / whatever, and he's not the only person who has said so. I have never seen Alonso on a podium with the McLaren or doing something exceptional. When he is in the points , it;s just because some cars have retired up front, same for Max, His race wins have never really been done under pressure of a championship but more because the leading drivers didn't want to take a risk for the championship.
Alonso is widely acknowledged* as being able to drive the wheels off a car, and as opposed to drivers which can only shine when the car is just right.
(* - outside of armchair experts)
There's a lot of what ifs, but in each era / decade, there have been drivers who have dragged a car that was an embarrassment to the team, to a finishing position it wasn't going to achieve in 'regular' hands. Senna in his late McLaren years when the car was lacking the technology of the Williams, had to make the difference up in his driving. Schumacher in his early years at Ferrari, and Alonso the last few years at McLaren - both took poor cars and got results out of them. A good result didn't necessarily mean a win; it just meant dragging a donkey of a car further up the grid than it ought to be.
thegreenhell said:
The car can only do what it can do. Maybe it's more that most drivers underperform slightly...
I think you're being rather simplistic. There are lots of variables, such as line, grip, traction, racecraft, etc.The ability to find the optimum for all of them is the difference between a good driver and a great one.
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