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Author Topic: Gran Premio de España  (Read 3926 times)

Offline J.Clark

Gran Premio de España
« on: May 12, 2016, 02:59:40 PM »
Finalmente, Fórmula Uno vuelve a Europa para unas razas. El Circuito de Cataluña es un que todos los pilotes y los equipos son muy familiar con debido a la mayoría de pruebas de pretemporada que ocurren en este local. Conozco los equipos y los pilotos son felices estar de vuelta, más cerca a la casa. Este circuito ha proporcionado un poco de carrera de automóviles bastante buena durante los años entonces estoy excitado sobre ello.

Since it is in Spain, I thought I would attempt to practice my Spanish.  In English: Finally, Formula One returns to Europe for a few races.  The circuit of Catalunya is one with which all drivers and teams are extremely familiar because of the majority of pre-season testing taking place at this venue.  I know the teams and drivers are happy to be back, closer to home.  This circuit has provided some fairly good racing over the years so I am excited about it. 

I'm sure some of the true Spanish speakers will find some issues with my Spanish, but I haven't spoken it with any regularity for a number of years now.

The circuit is a good over-all representation of the cars' performance due to the combination of both high and low speed corners, with essentially two straights, but only the main (start/finish) straight being long enough for any sustained straight-line, flat-out run.  Both have a DRS zone though. 

I have to think that the tires could very well come into play in a significant way at this circuit.  There is a link to the team/driver selections below.  Most teams are loading up on the softs, with medium next and few chosen more than one set of the hard compound.  http://twitter.com/F1/status/727449479566221312/photo/1

This venue has only been used for 25 years, with the first race in 1991.  There was a modification a few years ago, with a turn added at the exit of the 'stadium' section.  It may have been 2008, since that is when the lap record was set by Kimi, at 1:21.670.

It doesn't show well on camera, but there is a 30 meter elevation change from turn one, basically uphill, albeit gradual, to turn 12 or so with a slight down and up in the middle of that.

There are a number of winners of this event still on the grid.
Michael, not on the grid, but he won it six times: '95,96, 01, 02, 03, 04.
Kimi has won it twice.
Alonso has won it twice.
The there is a list of several, including Massa, Vettel, Hamilton, Rosberg and Button.  Of them, Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, and Raikkonen are the most likely to notch up to a second win at this circuit.

Some teams have not done much in the way of upgrades during the "road" trip through the Far East/Pacific Rim, or whatever one would call it.  Now that they are back closer to home and on a circuit with which they are more familiar, I would expect that several teams will be showing up with upgrades, some perhaps significant.  The question will now become, who makes the most of those upgrades.

Can Ferrari finally get Mercedes?
Can Williams (as Rob Smedley hopes) perhaps challenge for a podium?
Can Haas continue to show well and score more championship points?

Things will begin to be more apparent 24 hours from now.
« Last Edit: May 12, 2016, 05:27:16 PM by J.Clark »


Life is short - live each day to the fullest.

Offline Irisado

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2016, 11:22:11 AM »
I'm sure some of the true Spanish speakers will find some issues with my Spanish, but I haven't spoken it with any regularity for a number of years now.

That may be so, but you're making the effort :).

I'm looking forward to this race, it's one of the best tracks these days, with some very dramatic fast and flowing corners.  Also, they aren't acres of run off everywhere and it still has that feel of how circuits used to be, even though some of the run off has been replaced by tarmac.

It should be another Mercedes benefit.  Red Bull will probably go well, so it will be interesting to see whether Riccardo and Verstappen can challenge for the second row behind Mercedes.

¡Viva España!
Soñando con una playa donde brilla el sol, un arco iris ilumina el cielo, y el mar espejea iridescentemente

Offline Steve A.

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2016, 06:31:29 PM »
Looking forward to this one, should be a good one. Interesting to see if Hamilton's luck has changed and to see how Verstappen performs in the A team.

Offline J.Clark

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2016, 07:24:17 PM »
FP2 results:
1.  Rosberg      Mercedes   1m 23.922
2.  Raikkonen      Ferrari   1m 24.176
3.  Hamilton      Mercedes   1m 24.641
4.  Vettel      Ferrari   1m 25.017
5.  Sainz Jr      Toro Rosso   1m 25.131
6.  Ricciardo      Red Bull   1m 25.194
7.  Alonso      McLaren   1m 25.342
8.  Verstappen    Red Bull   1m 25.375
9.  Perez      Force India   1m 25.437
10. Hulkenberg      Force India   1m 25.453
11. Bottas      Williams   1m 25.708
12. Button      McLaren   1m 25.893
13. Grosjean      Haas   1m 25.899
14. Magnussen      Renault   1m 26.244
15. Kvyat      Toro Rosso   1m 26.375
16. Massa      Williams   1m 26.491
17. Palmer      Renault   1m 26.770
18. Wehrlein      Manor   1m 26.960
19. Haryanto      Manor   1m 27.252
20. Nasr      Sauber   1m 27.812
21. Gutierrez      Haas     1m 28.205
22. Ericsson      Sauber   1m 28.501

Kimi looks like he could challenge for a win based upon these times.
Alonso looks impressive given what he is battling.
Williams seems lost.
Haas, while not exactly falling back, doesn't look as strong here as one would have hoped.
Kvyat not too productive in his lesser team.
Life is short - live each day to the fullest.

Offline Dare

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #4 on: May 14, 2016, 04:59:34 PM »
Lewis wins pole.Kimi out qualify s Vettel but the bosses
won't notice.Sainz out qualify's Kyvat and I bet the bosses
do notice.

Should be a good race.I wonder if Lewis wins how it will
effect Nico?
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Irisado

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2016, 03:57:22 PM »
What a race that was.

The Spanish Grand Prix is rarely associated with high drama, but that's what happened this time around.

The first lap collision between Hamilton and Rosberg is still under investigation, but I think that it was a racing accident.  Hamilton was being aggressive and Rosberg pulled over too far, resulting in Hamilton being unable to control the car on the grass.  It's not like Spa 2014, which was clearly Nico's fault, but I suspect that Hamilton could be reminded for throwing his steering wheel out of the car as he did, which would be his third reprimand, resulting in a penalty.

That whole incident blew the race wide open, and it's the first race for ages where I had no idea who was going to win out of the top four cars for quite some time.  I honestly thought that Verstappen's tyres would go off or he would make a mistake, but he was faultless and his victory was very well deserved.  Ricciardo will be cursing the strategy decision to make three stops though, for if he and the team had decided to stick with two stops, he would have won.

It was a missed opportunity for Ferrari, whose cars much more race pace than qualifying pace, but they lacked the track position to use it.  Not that I'm complaining mind you.  I'm always happy to see Vettel lose.

A shame for Alonso that his car failed, but Sainz picked up the baton for Spain with his best finish after a good drive, but Williams were disappointing again.  They just don't see to have enough pace at any of the tracks this year in the race.  Force India look to be rediscovering their form though, despite Hulkenburg's retirement.

I think that Monaco could be very tense indeed, based on what happened today.
Soñando con una playa donde brilla el sol, un arco iris ilumina el cielo, y el mar espejea iridescentemente

Offline Dare

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #6 on: May 16, 2016, 01:19:45 AM »
Ithink were about to se some tension in another
team....Daniel didn't seem to happy with his
three stopper.Maybe RB was looking for another
golden boy to replace Vettel.

Another scond for Kimi and I wonder how Ferrari
feel about the Iceman beating Vettel another race
and leading him in season points.
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Monty

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #7 on: May 16, 2016, 09:42:58 AM »
Quote
Daniel didn't seem to happy with his
three stopper

First time I have ever seen him not smiling and saying anything negative about the team. I think he fears slipping into the 'Webber' spot, while the 'golden boy' gets all the best equipment and strategy calls. From where Dani Ric was placed the strategy choices were obvious; 2 stops at optimum times or (if they really felt there was a risk from a 2-stop - although there was no evidence to suggest any risk existed) a 3-stop with a very early first stop. Instead they got his 3-stop completely wrong and gave Verstappen the perfect strategy.

Offline J.Clark

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2016, 11:24:42 AM »
The incident with Lewis and Nico is one of those things that people joking speak of, but NEVER expect to actually happen.  It did blow the race wide open though, and made it totally unpredictable.

I fault Lewis, is any blame at all is to be placed.  I say this for a few reasons.  Nico made only one move to block and it was obvious when he did it.  Lewis was not along side when the move was initiated and so when Nico went right, Lewis should have gone left, but he was clearly committed mentally to get on the inside at turn 4.  I don't think he believed Nico would run him off - Nico didn't believe Lewis would try to pass on the right.  Had Nico not been about to break for the corner, Lewis could have spun and taken out only his car, but as Nico had to brake, Lewis, being sideways and in the grass, had no way to slow his car down.  The replay of Lewis coming to a halt in the kitty litter showed him with his head down, hands covering his face, which tells me the whole picture, he knew it was his fault.  Lauda said as much too.

Still, it makes for good opportunities in some garages.

Haas had some troubles, but showed good pace in general.

Williams, and in particular Massa did well.

Kimi had a fantastic race.

I am left one question.  Is it just possible that in all of that racing between Ricciardo and Kvyat near the end, that Kvyat clipped Ricciardo's rear with his front wing, causing the flat? 
Life is short - live each day to the fullest.

Offline Irisado

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2016, 02:04:59 PM »
It's possible, although I didn't see any contact myself.  I think that Ricciardo was just unlucky.
Soñando con una playa donde brilla el sol, un arco iris ilumina el cielo, y el mar espejea iridescentemente

Offline Jericoke

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #10 on: May 16, 2016, 02:59:22 PM »
FOM should pay Mercedes $100million to take each other out every other race.  That should provide enough points for them to win the championships, and still ensure every other race is very exciting.

Mercedes got more screen time and discussion than in any of Nico's run away wins, so the crash was good for Mercedes sponsors too.

Offline Monty

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #11 on: May 16, 2016, 03:16:53 PM »
Quote
FOM should pay Mercedes $100million to take each other out every other race.  That should provide enough points for them to win the championships, and still ensure every other race is very exciting.

Mercedes got more screen time and discussion than in any of Nico's run away wins, so the crash was good for Mercedes sponsors too.
:DD :yahoo: :DD

Offline lkjohnson1950

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #12 on: May 16, 2016, 04:31:17 PM »
FOM should pay Mercedes $100million to take each other out every other race.  That should provide enough points for them to win the championships, and still ensure every other race is very exciting.

Mercedes got more screen time and discussion than in any of Nico's run away wins, so the crash was good for Mercedes sponsors too.

 :good: :DD :DD :DD
Lonny

Offline Dare

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #13 on: May 16, 2016, 08:41:56 PM »
Max wins his first race since being promoted makes me
think of his destiny for being a future champ.Seems like
the great ones always get the breaks and take advantage of them

« Last Edit: May 17, 2016, 05:10:27 PM by Dare »
Mark Twain once opined, "it's easier to con someone than to convince them they've been conned."

Offline Scott

Re: Gran Premio de España
« Reply #14 on: May 16, 2016, 09:16:01 PM »
Mercedes got more screen time and discussion than in any of Nico's run away wins, so the crash was good for Mercedes sponsors too.

I was thinking exactly the same thing - Merc hasn't had this much ink and tv coverage in ages.  Maybe that's why Toto wasn't all that peeved.

Totally agree about the botched pit strategy for Ricciardo.  Verstappen would never have won if they just kept Ricciardo out and let him respond to the pit stops of those behind him instead of pulling him in first.  It smells fishy.  Max will be hard to put up with from now on and be asking the team to move Ricciardo over every time he's within 5seconds of Daniel.  Dropping his Dad as manager the same day he started at RBR was odd as well.  Anyone know who is taking over management?  Would it be a certain Dr. Marko?
The Honey Badger doesn't give a...

 


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