Singapore GP - Free Practice Sessions (Friday & Saturday)

Interesting that Vettel's advantage is almost entirely in S3, the same as last year.

Not sure about the race, but he looks the strongest for pole qualifying. There are gonna be lots of pit stops, so race pace and tire wear will be key. The Macs, Lotus and ferrari may have the advantage there, but NO ONE really knows until the race. Mystery tires still playing an Outsize role in this championship.

Hardly a mystery these days.

No, I think it's still a mystery. You're going to have teams like Sauber starting way outside the top 10 but they'll probably nab another top six position, and vice versa for teams like Force India. All of this still means very little with the tyre lottery.

No, I think it's still a mystery. You're going to have teams like Sauber starting way outside the top 10 but they'll probably nab another top six position, and vice versa for teams like Force India. All of this still means very little with the tyre lottery.

If you think there's patterns to be seen, then I dont see how thats a lottery at all.

Exactly. That whole comment was an oxymoron.

I think he meant we cannot know which teams can do a "Perez" at each race, which makes it a lottery through a pattern.

Well, If Alonso wins this Year´s WDC it´s going to be one of the biggest achievments in F1 history.
I´m not saying the F2012 is currently a bad car (as it was in the first races), but I´m afraid his main rivals for the title (Vettel and Hamilton) are going to have better cars from here to Sao Paulo. Red Bull won´t suffer the way they did in Monza the next races and McLaren are now the best (not by a big margin), but they are.

Hardly a mystery these days.

We'll have to disagree.

In the British GP, Alonso started on the harder tire and should have been quicker on the option with low fuel, but wasn't and got pipped by Webber. In Monza, Perez used that same strategy and things worked out how one would have reasonably expected.

Wasn't that many races ago. Still a lottery.

We'll have to disagree.

In the British GP, Alonso started on the harder tire and should have been quicker on the option with low fuel, but wasn't and got pipped by Webber.

In the British GP, EVERYONE knew that the option tire was slower before the race even started.

In Monza, Perez used that same strategy and things worked out how one would have reasonably expected.

Perez being good over long stints and pulling off alternate strategies is something we've seen several times this year.

Edited by Seanspeed, 22 September 2012 - 11:43.

Different cars, different tracks, different characteristics.

FI looks to be one of the most improved over the season, doesn't it?

Edited by Wander, 22 September 2012 - 11:45.

Practice 3: :: Sector times :: Lap Chart

In the British GP, EVERYONE knew that the option tire was slower before the race even started.

If you really believe what you wrote above, then you must think that Ferrari went into that race TO LOSE! Pretty radical point of view.

If you really believe what you wrote above, then you must think that Ferrari went into that race TO LOSE! Pretty radical point of view.

Everybody still had to use the tires at some point. They simply couldn't open up a big enough gap in the first stint. It also covered the possibility of rain.

And believe me, tons of people complained about the strategy afterwards.

Different cars, different tracks, different characteristics.

FI looks to be one of the most improved over the season, doesn't it?

I guess it depends what you like. Everyone enjoys a close championship, if they're a true F1 fan, but when you're past the halfway mark and drivers, engineers and team principals are still saying the tires didn't perform the way they did in the practice sessions, that seems more like a lottery to me. One weekend they'll get it right, but by the next weekend they're off the boil. Yes, track conditions are different for every circuit, but if you still can't trust the data at this stage, what CAN you trust? Prayer should not and is not a strategy! That's not how the pinnacle of motorsport should be...but that's just my view.

Everybody still had to use the tires at some point. They simply couldn't open up a big enough gap in the first stint. It also covered the possibility of rain.

And believe me, tons of people complained about the strategy afterwards.

I must have missed those complaints. Not saying it didn't happen, but probably more complaints about the final result would be my guess. I think they chose the strategy because they thought it was quicker. They could have simply matched what the other top 10 starters were doing, but instead chose to go prime/option. I think Ferrari are a pretty conservative team, so I don't think they chose a radical option for the race.

Edited by PoleMan, 22 September 2012 - 12:10.

I must have missed those complaints. Not saying it didn't happen, but probably more complaints about the final result would be my guess. I think they chose the strategy because they thought it was quicker. They could have simply matched what the other top 10 starters were doing, but instead chose to go prime/option. I think Ferrari are a pretty conservative team, so I don't think they chose a radical option for the race.

Thats exactly what happened, though. They even explained the strategy choice afterwards.

A lot of people complained of the strategy itself, as well. I'm not saying they were right to complain cuz I think it was a good strategy(car just wasn't quick enough and it did cover the chance of rain), just that it did get a lot of criticism.

Thats exactly what happened, though. They even explained the strategy choice afterwards.

A lot of people complained of the strategy itself, as well. I'm not saying they were right to complain cuz I think it was a good strategy(car just wasn't quick enough and it did cover the chance of rain), just that it did get a lot of criticism.

OK on the complaints, then. I agree with you that their choice should have been the better strategy. I recall the Speed TV hosts say they expected Alonso to run away on the options. When he didn't they said maybe he was having the same problems as Hamilton. Seems that was correct.

Well, onto the race. Good luck to Alonso to make up at least 2 places.