Formula 1

[Kim Jong Il]

Hamilton

Bottas

Vettel

It seems ages since we had a Mercedes one two but we have it here.

Must admit I was fast asleep in bed when qualifying took place so see the BBC link

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/41535689

Note to self......make more effort to get out of bed tomorrow. 

[Edge]

1 minute ago, Kim Jong Il said:

Hamilton

Bottas

Vettel

It seems ages since we had a Mercedes one two but we have it here.

Must admit I was fast asleep in bed when qualifying took place so see the BBC link

http://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/41535689

Note to self......make more effort to get out of bed tomorrow. 

Grid penalties?

[Edge]

On 10/4/2017 at 20:57, soi16 said:

Because it was Vettels steering wheel in  the Raikkonens car. No proof to show anybody.

Do you think Kimi took a gearbox 'for the team' at Suzuka?   

[mbamber]

19 minutes ago, Edge said:

Grid penalties?

I am sure Alonso  has a few 

[Kim Jong Il]

Ha, typical.

When I posted the BBC link there was no mention of penalties for Bottas. The headline just showed Hamilton, Bottas and Vettel. The only grid penalties mentioned were for Alonso.

[Edge]

Can't find the starting grid yet, so..............

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes staged a dramatic return to form in Suzuka, as the world championship points leader earned his 71st pole position – and is first at the charismatic Japanese track – after a stunning display that left rivals reeling. Team mate Valtteri Bottas was second, but a gearbox penalty for the Finn means it’s Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel who will start alongside Hamilton on the front row.
Fourth and fifth fastest were the Red Bulls of Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen, followed by Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen, who like compatriot Bottas has a five-place gearbox penalty. The Force Indias of Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon were seventh and eighth, with Williams’ Felipe Massa and McLaren’s Fernando Alonso completing the top ten.

Early in the hour, Q1 came to an explosive end as Romain Grosjean lost control of his Haas going up the hill behind the paddock, after putting a wheel over the kerb. It hit the outer tyre wall hard, removing its nose and the left front wheel, but the Frenchman walked away unharmed. With 1m 18s remaining, the session was not restarted.

Hamilton had set the pace with 1m 29.047s, from Raikkonen on 1m 29.163s and Verstappen on 1m 29.181s. Bottas, Vettel and Ricciardo followed, the Mercedes driver hugely lucky to get away with a massive slide into the dirt in Degner 2 on his first run. Interestingly, however, only Hamilton and Vettel were using the soft Pirelli tyres, the rest had supersofts.

The luckless Grosjean was the first to fail to get into Q2, his 1m 30.849s best beaten fractionally by team mate Kevin Magnussen. Then came Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly on 1m 31.317s, Williams’ Lance Stroll on 1m 31.409s, and the Saubers of Marcus Ericsson and Pascal Wehrlein on 1m 31.597s and 1m 31.885s respectively.

Having come close to Michael Schumacher’s absolute track record of 1m 28.954s in Q1, Hamilton didn’t just beat it in Q2, he unofficially pulped it, with a stunning lap of 1m 27.819s on supersofts. Vettel’s best was 1m 28.482s on the same rubber, as Raikkonen got close to Hamilton’s Q1 best on softs, with 1m 29.079s. That was soon bettered by Bottas, Verstappen and Ricciardo, however. Later, Vettel improved to 1m 28.225s, but Hamilton and Mercedes had made a massive statement ahead of Q3.

Further back, Alonso just aced McLaren team mate Stoffel Vandoorne, who on 1m 29.778s just failed to beat the Spaniard to the final Q3 slot. He was followed by Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault on 1m 29.879s, Kevin Magnussen’s surviving Haas on 1m 29.972s, Jolyon Palmer’s Renault on 1m 30.022s, and Carlos Sainz’s Toro Rosso on 1m 30.413s.

Bottas set the early pace in Q3 with 1m 27.986s, but Hamilton immediately beat that with 1m 27.345s before Vettel did likewise with 1m 27.797s. Ricciardo and Verstappen followed on 1m 28.444s and 1m 28.985s respectively.

Could Hamilton stay ahead and take pole for the first time at Suzuka?

Indeed he could, as he trimmed down to 1m 27.319s to head Bottas, who cut down to 1m 27.651s to beat Vettel, who improved to 1m27.791s. Verstappen momentarily went ahead of Ricciardo with 1m 28.332s, but the Aussie took fourth place back with 1m 28.306s as Raikkonen was left sixth on 1m 28.498s.

 

[Kim Jong Il]

2 hours ago, Edge said:

Do you think Kimi took a gearbox 'for the team' at Suzuka?   

Yes I do. 

Its more than a little strange that Vettels gearbox was 'probably' damaged in Malaysia and Kimi's fails in Suzuka.

I also find it more than a little strange that Vettel had a big engine problem in qualifying in Malaysia yet drove drove a cracking race from the back while Kimi's previously untroubled car had a failed turbo at the start. Suspicion into over drive when Vettel cleared off with his steering wheel after the crash.

Or maybe its just me......

[Edge]

7 minutes ago, Kim Jong Il said:

Yes I do. 

Its more than a little strange that Vettels gearbox was 'probably' damaged in Malaysia and Kimi's fails in Suzuka.

I also find it more than a little strange that Vettel had a big engine problem in qualifying in Malaysia yet drove drove a cracking race from the back while Kimi's previously untroubled car had a failed turbo at the start. Suspicion into over drive when Vettel cleared off with his steering wheel after the crash.

Or maybe its just me......

Well I was only being factitious really but...........yes way too much coincidence.

However, surely all these parts are properly identified with serial numbers which the scrutineers could and would check?
Or are the lads up all night filing them off and re-stamping them?
Actually the stamped ones used not to be too difficult, but on a Porsche Boxster I was taking care of they were raised, so easy to file off but impossible to replace.
Anyone know how it works with F1 race parts?
Surely the above wouldn't be possible?

Edit - I suppose the cases could be the right ones and the internals switched but aren't they sealed by scrutineering?

Edited October 7, 2017 by Edge

[mbamber]

1 hour ago, Kim Jong Il said:

Ha, typical.

When I posted the BBC link there was no mention of penalties for Bottas. The headline just showed Hamilton, Bottas and Vettel. The only grid penalties mentioned were for Alonso.

That's strange it was known last night that he was changing his gearbox only heard about the others today.

[Kim Jong Il]

41 minutes ago, Edge said:

Well I was only being factitious really but...........yes way too much coincidence.

However, surely all these parts are properly identified with serial numbers which the scrutineers could and would check?
Or are the lads up all night filing them off and re-stamping them?
Actually the stamped ones used not to be too difficult, but on a Porsche Boxster I was taking care of they were raised, so easy to file off but impossible to replace.
Anyone know how it works with F1 race parts?
Surely the above wouldn't be possible?

Edit - I suppose the cases could be the right ones and the internals switched but aren't they sealed by scrutineering?

I was being cynical more anything. I can't imagine that scutineering doesn't have all these things covered. Its just I'm not a great believer in coincidence. 

29 minutes ago, mbamber said:

That's strange it was known last night that he was changing his gearbox only heard about the others today.

I didn't realise that.......but when I posted the link that's how the Beeb had it. When I looked again after you guys pointed it out it was certainly different to how it had been half an hour or so earlier.

[mbamber]

There are a lot of conspiracy theories on this thread but I have to say that I believe some of them.

 

[mbamber]

Jolyon Palmer last race for Renault being replaced by Carlos Sainz must have been a bigger pay off.

[Edge]

Max on a bounty from Mercedes to fishtail Vessel going into the first turn anyone?

[PepeLePew]

Kimi smashed up his G/Box in FP3 by putting it into the wall, no conspiracy I'm afraid

[PepeLePew]

But even bigger news. Just heard that this will be Palmers last race. Sainz will take his Renault seat from Austin onwards and Gasly will give up his Super Formula hopes to take up a full time Torro Rosso drive.

Presumably Kyvat will be back in his TR seat, until the end of the season at least.

[soi16]

4 hours ago, Kim Jong Il said:

Or maybe its just me......

You are not alone.

[Kim Jong Il]

So, set the alarm and managed to get up at this unearthly hour to watch race.

Poor poor Sebastian. What has he done to upset the gods.

[Edge]

Som nam na.

[Kim Jong Il]

Hamilton

Verstappen

Ricciardo

Not an overly exciting race apart from the first couple and the last couple of laps but Mercedes won't be complaining about that.

Is Vettel suffering from something called Karma.

Will Hamilton wrap it all up in Texas.

They think its all over...I suspect it pretty much is now.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Kim Jong Il
missed word

[eXplosief]

What would have happened end the last few rounds if Bottas hadn't let Hamilton pass easily and hold up Max?  We will never know. Hamilton was controlling but he was also struggling in the end. 

[jerry]

4 minutes ago, eXplosief said:

What would have happened end the last few rounds if Bottas hadn't let Hamilton pass easily and hold up Max?  We will never know. Hamilton was controlling but he was also struggling in the end. 

It's more Alonso and Massa that got in the way at the end . 

 

[eXplosief]

In the very end, yes. 

[Kim Jong Il]

14 minutes ago, eXplosief said:

What would have happened end the last few rounds if Bottas hadn't let Hamilton pass easily and hold up Max?  We will never know. Hamilton was controlling but he was also struggling in the end. 

One team mate who can't win the title helping the one who can. 

Teamwork.

Well done Bottas for playing his part.

[roger buttmore]

1 hour ago, Kim Jong Il said:

So, set the alarm and managed to get up at this unearthly hour to watch race.

Poor poor Sebastian. What has he done to upset the gods.

Squealed like a little girl after qualifying for pole at Singapore.

It all nose-dived after that 

 

[mbamber]

Woke up watched the start but when Vettel retired had a snooze will watch the highlights on C4 this afternoon.