Formula 1: Round 16 - GRAND PRIX OF KOREA

[SpootyPuff]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6OZT8_j944[/ame]


Discuss.

 

[QinetiQ]

The characteristics are similar to that in Japan so Red Bull should have the upperhand although they said the same thing about Singapore. Undoubtedly a very attractive track with lots of overtaking places! Should be interesting to see who adapts to the track the fastest and of course, wins eventually!

FATW (Ferrari All The Way)

 

[SpootyPuff]

Did Tilke design this track?

No elevation changes
Looks like a point and shoot type track

I like the concept of it though what with that last bit of track a 'city circuit'

New for everyone so Schumi might get closer to top5 this time!
Hammy's always in for a good time.

I have seen the videos on You Tube and collected as much information as I can with the team...

-Kubica

:rofl:

Being on a team in F1 makes you one of the most technologically advanced companies in the world.....and yet Kubica gathers intel on YouTube lol

 

[QinetiQ]

Only a fraction of the teams actually have simulators they can practice in - McLaren, RedBull, Ferrari and I can't really think of anyone else. I thought Renault had a simulator though...hmmm

I'm confused about on thing Ian. According to the regulations if a driver changes gearbox they will be penalized accordingly right? Well Hamilton is with a new gearbox for Korea and yet he's not getting penalized. How come?

 

[deloreandmc]

That looks like an exciting track, I can't wait for this one!

FATW

 

[SpootyPuff]

Only a fraction of the teams actually have simulators they can practice in - McLaren, RedBull, Ferrari and I can't really think of anyone else. I thought Renault had a simulator though...hmmm

I'm confused about on thing Ian. According to the regulations if a driver changes gearbox they will be penalized accordingly right? Well Hamilton is with a new gearbox for Korea and yet he's not getting penalized. How come?

I haven't heard/read anything either. But I thought I understood somewhere that since he was penalized already just the previous weekend for the same issue, he won't get hit twice.... well, at least not yet.


I also thought Renault had a simulator...and being the big company they are....they should! Maybe YouTube paid him to say that? lol

 

[SpootyPuff]

Well.... I haven't read anything new but contemplating it more - I don't think he'll get a penalty. Rules of penalty only apply on race weekend!

So if something were to breakdown during a race weekend is when he'll be penalized. The team can/will be swapping out a new box for him for Korea.

However, like engines, he needs to make it last a certain amount of races - they have a certain amount of gearboxes and engines allotted per season. If they go past, let's say, 8 engines before the season is over - humongo penalty! Same goes for gearboxes... I don't quite know the numbers though.

 

[QinetiQ]

I just read it online, he has one gearbox left after Korea. Maaaaaan it'll suck big times if it fails in on of the last three races

 

[SpootyPuff]

Q. For Formula 1 fans who will turn on their television over the weekend to see the new Korean track – what sort of experience are they going to get?

HT: I think on Friday the track surface will be very, very slippery because it is brand new. That means you will probably see some spinning. And, it will not be easy to find the set-up for Saturday and Sunday because the track will change a lot. That means some drivers will make the wrong set-up choice, because you are going to have to second guess what is the right way to go.

Q. So it will be a little bit like Monaco where the track surface is changing all the time?

HT: It will be more extreme than that.

Q. There has been a lot of talk in the build-up to the weekend about the problems that could be caused by the asphalt being laid so late. Will that produce any problems in breaking up or rippling?

HT: No, it will not. The only problem it will cause – and to me that is not actually a problem – is in terms of grip. A lack of grip should not be a problem because we have the best drivers in the world here. Plus, it will be the same conditions for everybody. There will not a problem that the track will break up.

Q. Is it the oils in the asphalt that will make it slippery then?

HT: Not only the oils, but the bitumen chemicals in it. Normally with new asphalt over the first six months the chemicals on the top surface wear down to expose the stones – which is what produce the grip. Normally these stones are freely exposed on the surface, but here there is bitumen covering them. After some time that will be removed, the stones will be free and the track will have some grip. But that will not happen this weekend.

Q. So it could be a spectacular weekend then?

HT: Yes, especially at the beginning. After some practice the track will improve a lot, because they lay down their rubber, and that will produce some grip. But off the ideal line it will be very slippery – a big challenge for drivers.

Now it's gonna be helluvalot harder to pass offline because of the track. Great :unamused:

 

[SpootyPuff]

Hamilton sets the early pace in Korea

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton topped the first practice session of the inaugural Korean Grand Prix weekend, as drivers used the opening 90 minutes of running to familiarise themselves with the new layout.



The track surface held up well throughout the session and grip levels improved dramatically to allow Hamilton to beat the predicted lap time by over three seconds with a 1:40.887. Robert Kubica was within a tenth of that time in his Renault while Nico Rosberg was just 0.265 behind in third.


Sebastian Vettel was Hamilton's closest championship rival with a 1:41.371 in fourth, while team-mate Jenson Button and Mark Webber were over a second off the pace. Fernando Alonso was a full three seconds adrift of the McLaren, but with the track set to improve with every lap of running and fuel levels varying, his Ferrari team will not be panicking.

 

[madcatlancelot]

Go Ferrari!

Free practice 2 updates.
Pos Driver No. Team Time Laps
1 Mark Webber AUS 6 Red Bull 1'37.942 23 in pits
2 Fernando Alonso ESP 8 Ferrari 1'38.132 30 in pits
3 Lewis Hamilton GBR 2 McLaren 1'38.279 29 in pits
4 Robert Kubica POL 11 Renault 1'38.718 29 in pits
5 Jenson Button GBR 1 McLaren 1'38.726 19 in pits
6 Felipe Massa BRA 7 Ferrari 1'38.820 32 in pits
7 Sebastian Vettel GER 5 Red Bull 1'39.204 22 in pits
8 Vitaly Petrov RUS 12 Renault 1'39.267 28 in pits
9 Nico Rosberg GER 4 Mercedes 1'39.268 29 in pits
10 Kamui Kobayashi JPN 23 BMW Sauber 1'39.564 26 in pits

 

[QinetiQ]

oh boy, fernando is gaining speed. GO SCUDERIA!!!

 

[icecream]

wooott... its raining now but the race is on hold

 

[madcatlancelot]

Oh boy, Mark Webber's championship dreams are in deep trouble now, retirement for the Korea GP...

Safety car is out!

Pos Driver No. Team Laps Last five Pits Best (Laps) Worst (Laps)
1 Sebastian Vettel GER 5 Red Bull 20 1-1-1-1-1 0 1 (20) 1 (20)
2 Fernando Alonso ESP 8 Ferrari 20 2-3-3-3-3 0 2 (1) 3 (20)
3 Lewis Hamilton GBR 2 McLaren 20 3-5-5-4-4 0 3 (1) 5 (2)
4 Felipe Massa BRA 7 Ferrari 20 4-6-6-6-6 0 4 (1) 6 (20)
5 Jenson Button GBR 1 McLaren 20 5-7-7-7-7 0 5 (1) 7 (20)
6 Michael Schumacher GER 3 Mercedes 20 6-8-8-9-9 0 6 (1) 9 (18)
7 Robert Kubica POL 11 Renault 20 7-9-9-8-8 0 7 (1) 9 (2)
8 Nico Hülkenberg GER 10 Williams 20 8-10-10-11-11 0 8 (1) 11 (18)
9 Rubens Barrichello BRA 9 Williams 20 9-12-12-10-10 0 9 (1) 12 (2)
10 Adrian Sutil GER 14 Force India 20 10-11-11-14-14 0 10 (1) 14 (18)
11 Tonio Liuzzi ITA 15 Force India 20 11-16-16-17-17 0 11 (1) 18 (1)
12 Jaime Alguersuari ESP 17 Toro Rosso 20 12-15-15-15-15 0 12 (1) 16 (1)
13 Timo Glock GER 24 Virgin 20 13-18-18-19-19 0 14 (1) 20 (1)
14 Heikki Kovalainen FIN 19 Lotus 20 14-20-20-21-21 0 18 (1) 21 (18)
15 Vitaly Petrov RUS 12 Renault 20 15-19-19-20-20 1 14 (1) 20 (17)
16 Sakon Yamamoto JPN 20 HRT F1 20 16-21-21-22-22 0 19 (1) 23 (4)
17 Nick Heidfeld GER 22 BMW Sauber 20 17-14-14-13-13 1 12 (1) 14 (2)
18 Kamui Kobayashi JPN 23 BMW Sauber 20 18-13-13-12-12 1 11 (1) 15 (1)
19 Sébastien Buemi SUI 16 Toro Rosso 20 19-17-17-16-16 1 16 (18) 17 (4)
20 Bruno Senna BRA 21 HRT F1 20 20-22-22-23-23 2 20 (1) 24 (1)
21 Jarno Trulli ITA 18 Lotus 20 21-23-23-18-18 0 18 (18) 23 (2)
22 Lucas di Grassi BRA 25 Virgin 20 22-22-22-22-21 3 21 (1) 22 (5)
Retirement
Mark Webber AUS 6 Red Bull 18 2-2-2-2-2 0 2 (20) 2 (20)
Nico Rosberg GER 4 Mercedes 18 4-4-5-5-5 0 4 (2) 5 (18)