Official 2014 Italian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS with minimal downforce***

Alonso = Ferrari
Vettel = pride?

While Red Bull will still be ~0.5 seconds in a neutral (dry) session, Mercedes (engines) will dominate.

That a Red Bull can get within a second of Mercedes at Monza and it would be a monumental step from Melbourne, I feel Mercedes will still clean up the first two steps of the podium. The only questions are whether Williams can mix it (see earlier post doubting it) and just how much damage limitation to their championship standings can McLaren do.

Ferrari will get Alonso into the top 6 (read: Alonso will get Ferrari into the top 6), but that'll be it.

Alonso might manage P4 in a dry race, Vettel might manage that final podium slot I guess.

Macca have shown better form on balance(Compared to expectations) than Williams have so far. A bit surprising that Williams haven't shown more raw speed, I hope they've been sandbagging.

These run-offs are getting silly now. As well as the one which spoils Parabolica(In the dry at least, in the wet it might cause a few headaches), Roggia now has what must be the most elaborate tarmac run-off ever made. They'll be diverting the whole race through there next. @#$%& sake.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2014 01:06AM by EC83.

Quote
EC83
These run-offs are getting silly now. As well as the one which spoils Parabolica(In the dry at least, in the wet it might cause a few headaches), Roggia now has what must be the most elaborate tarmac run-off ever made. They'll be diverting the whole race through there next. @#$%& sake.

It's got almost as many tyre chicanes in it as the demo/rally track around the banking and modern track (I lost count after about 10 identical chicanes).

EC83 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> These run-offs are getting silly now. As well as
> the one which spoils Parabolica(In the dry at
> least, in the wet it might cause a few headaches),
> Roggia now has what must be the most elaborate
> tarmac run-off ever made. They'll be diverting the
> whole race through there next. @#$%& sake.


I am getting increasingly annoyed at this. I think a vital part of being a good racing driver is being able to judge where the limit is. When there is gravel around a corner and you go over the limit, you might wreck your car. When there is tarmac, you can just trial-and-error until you go over the white line. I feel some of the skill necessary to be a racing driver is no longer being tested when there are tarmac run offs.

That is one thing. But what has even more annoyed me, is that the FIA claims it was done because the drivers requested it, but when the drivers are asked about why they requested it, the majority says they didn't request it at all and feel Parabolica is no longer as demanding etc etc. So either one of these parties is lying (which would mean that we, the fans, are being treated like idiots) or only some drivers requested the FIA to do this, which would then apparently be a minority. Who were these drivers? Why does the FIA apparently feel the opinion of this minority is more valid than that of the majority? Did this minority consist of top drivers and are they therefore listened to? If so, then I'm not surprised they request a tarmac run off. They are benefited from a status quo. Taking out as many uncertain factors, only helps them to stay in front. The same happened with the strict sanctioning of the FIA regarding racing incidents. That was done on request of drivers too, it was said. Of course they requested it (and IIRC, it was mostly top drivers being concerned about 'reckless' rookies). If you run the risk of a penalty when trying to overtake a bit too hard, you'll think twice about an attempt. Outcome: less overtaking attempts, which means the guy in front (the likely top driver), runs less risk of being overtaken.

If there is one thing we've learned from the last couple of years, it's that the drivers are the ones who have contributed to a decrease of the show. It's the variables that make sure there is show (not artificial gimmicks) and the drivers are continually trying (understandably from their point of view, of course) to take as many variables away as possible. Look, for example, at their complaints about the tyres, the fuel limits, the lack of testing or Singapore being bumpy. The list probably goes on.

[/cynic]

I understand that in the view of safety, tarmac runoffs are safer than gravel traps in most cases. However, what's with the binairy choice pattern? It's not either gravel or tarmac. We have bloody Oculus Rifts these days. You can't tell me technology can't find any substance on Earth we can chuck at the end of corners and make everyone happy.

Quali eventually turned out to be pretty uneventful in the end. Everyone more or less where I expected them to be. Good Pole from Lewis, and finally puts an end to his amazingly long run of quali difficulties.

Unrelated again, but Vandoorne just did his chances of a Macca drive no harm at all. Nice win!

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Nickv: The Parabolica was given a new run-off because World Superbikes are returning there. That's it. As far as bikes are concerned, tarmac > gravel.

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GPGSL: S6 - TafuroGP Tester (14th) /// S7 - ART Tester (6th) /// S8 - Demon Driver (13th) /// S9 - Demon/Snake Driver (13th) /// S10 - Snake Driver (???) ///]
"My ambition is handicapped by laziness" - Charles Bukowski

it was obvious that Nico had gone for the lower down-force setup than Lewis. Nico was over 3 km/h faster than Lewis at the speed trap down the main straight.

Unfortunately for Nico though, this setup seems to be the less beneficial. Lewis snatched pole because his higher down-force setup benefited him in the two Lesmos and the Ascari. In addition, i would assume that Nico's setup will hurt his tyres more than lewis' because he will have less grip in corners.

However, nico will have more speed into t1/2 and t 3/4. If he cannot pass lewis there I would assume that will be it.Especially since it will be a one stopper. I just do not see two stopper working, unless you get lucky with the safety car. Lewis tried a 2 stopper back in 2009 and we all remember how it all ended.

With regard to the car setups, I remember that in 2010 Lewis and j.b.had opted for two different setups with different levels of down-force. Can someone remember which one did Lewis choose? I think that back then, in 2010, j.b. opted for the less down-force setup and it turned out to be the better one.

Nico has probably put himself on the back foot there. With the greater power and straightline speed Merc have, it would've been best to run high downforce and start on the hards.

Looks like it'll be Lewis's race to lose, which would close the Championship up nicely.

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i agree. the decision definately put nico on the back foot there (my opinion).

Furthermore, Monza is not one of the strongest tracks for lewis. beaten there by alonso and button. Nico should have probably had the edge, but...

I wonder, though, how much of that is due to rosber missing the FP3? After all they simulate qualy runs there



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2014 10:14PM by mitadumapaga.

Eddie Jordan (that fountain of knowledge) says that the track is Lewis Hamiltons best, and if he doesn't win here he'll be in trouble.

For Nico, he can afford to finish second so I guess the priority will be different...



RedSam
Winner: Not the Nickv Comment of the Year 2009
Due to the voting system in Germany, Governments are always made up of coalitions of different parties. At the last election, an almost unprecidented result saw the CDU/CSU (rough equivilant of the Conservatives) go into Government with the SPD (rough equivilant of Labour)

That's exactly it. Nico can afford to shadow Lewis this weekend and pace himself to whoever is behind him, thus taking less risks. Whether the low downforce setting is meant to be part of that I'm not sure, but in theory it would allow him to drive with more mechanical sympathy and still be quick enough on the straights to hold his position.

Eddie Jordan(LOL) is half right I guess, because it's one of Lewis's best tracks, but not the best though - that's Canada IMO.
He definitely needs the win more than Nico does.

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I just realized that this will be the first fp since Spa 2007 that i will miss. :/

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used to be GPGSL's Nick Heidfeld

Quote
EC83
That's exactly it. Nico can afford to shadow Lewis this weekend and pace himself to whoever is behind him, thus taking less risks.

I posted in the Spa thread that Hamilton can afford to finish behind Rosberg twice and still win the championship, so Rosberg must beat Hamilton into 2nd in three races - he can't afford to get into a mentality of shadowing Hamilton and hoping for a chance.

Lots of assumptions there of cause and it's unlikely to be that straight forward. If it's still close heading into the last race I expect more fireworks.




Crash on the run from Variante Ascari to Parabolica in the GP2 race... I think the only time I've seen that was Button avoiding cars in front before the safety car restart in 2000, and the terrible crash for Von Trips.

Canamasas needs to get a ban for simply straight-lining the Ascari chicane and into the path of Cecotto and causing the accident on the back straight. Canamasas wasn't even fighting with anyone - he just jumped the chicane.

Edit: Then tips another guy around at the Roggia chicane (not entirely his fault) then hits Marciello in Lesmo 1 too.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2014 11:00AM by gav.

> Crash on the run from Variante Ascari to
> Parabolica in the GP2 race... I think the only
> time I've seen that was Button avoiding cars in
> front before the safety car restart in 2000, and
> the terrible crash for Von Trips.
>
> Canamasas needs to get a ban for simply
> straight-lining the Ascari chicane and into the
> path of Cecotto and causing the accident on the
> back straight. Canamasas wasn't even fighting
> with anyone - he just jumped the chicane.

Just another day in GP2 then!

gav schrieb:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I posted in the Spa thread that Hamilton can
> afford to finish behind Rosberg twice and still
> win the championship, so Rosberg must beat
> Hamilton into 2nd in three races - he can't afford
> to get into a mentality of shadowing Hamilton and
> hoping for a chance.
>
> Lots of assumptions there of cause and it's
> unlikely to be that straight forward. If it's
> still close heading into the last race I expect
> more fireworks.
>
>
>
>
> Crash on the run from Variante Ascari to
> Parabolica in the GP2 race... I think the only
> time I've seen that was Button avoiding cars in
> front before the safety car restart in 2000, and
> the terrible crash for Von Trips.
>
> Canamasas needs to get a ban for simply
> straight-lining the Ascari chicane and into the
> path of Cecotto and causing the accident on the
> back straight. Canamasas wasn't even fighting
> with anyone - he just jumped the chicane.
>
> Edit: Then tips another guy around at the Roggia
> chicane (not entirely his fault) then hits
> Marciello in Lesmo 1 too.


Watching it too. Canamasas shouldn't be allowed to drive a racecar.

Edit: black-flagged just as I posted, and he even accepts it this time

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/07/2014 11:08AM by kedy89.

LOL, Canamasas disqualified for about 17 infractions in one race.

Canamasas is just a pillock. The incident with Berthon in Hungary was ridiculous too, at least he put himself in the wall that time and gave everyone else a break.

This lead battle is shaping up nicely now. Lewis has just enough pace to be able to close on Nico without having enough to be able to get past easily. Juicy.

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What's with the TV overlay adverts on the tarmac of the main straight?

How do they even do that?

Laton Wrote:
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> What's with the TV overlay adverts on the tarmac
> of the main straight?
>
> How do they even do that?


Real time digital modification of the image. They have been doing this for a couple of years now.

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It's only after we've lost everything, that we are free to do anything.

It's tacky