Jun 23 2012

Formula One: Valencia Qualifying

So, do you want to talk about tires?

Me either, but the engineers want to talk about tires because they’re very unhappy, calling them ‘unpredictable’.

Pirelli, for their part, deny this, saying that not only are they utterly reliable in their performance, but that durability and speed are consistent (though variable) throughout the range of racing temperatures which are beyond their control (being weather based and all).

All of this precipitated of course by Alonso’s spectacular late race, 7 place fold in Canada as he attempted to execute a skip pit advantage strategy that went disastrously wrong.

Please forgive my complete lack of sympathy for the Maranello crybabies of Scuderia Marlboro UPC.  The sad fact of the matter is that the Rules Committee is getting exactly the kind of competition they designed with 7 different winners in 7 races so far.  It’s a personal disappointment to me also since I’d prefer to see the possibility of a two stop vs. three stop, but I’d like a fuel weight strategy too and longer stops mean less ability to run away and hide in the lead.

So I entirely disagree with the concept that when you pit and for what is the dominant factor- they are like the weather, sucking equally and for everyone at the same time.  It’s still about qualifying to the extent of balancing saving tires and getting good position, a good start, and staying within a stop of the lead and out of trouble.

And if pit idiocy were eliminated McLaren would have a good team, so count your blessings.

Tomorrow’s broadcast is going to be challenging.  Tape delayed @ noon on Faux it makes my life miserable because the Speed Racecast at 8 am and that’s where I get my in-race positions.  I expect I’ll suffer through it like silent radio, taking periodic measurements.  Speed.com is supposed to live stream it too.

rustymancuso581

19 comments

Skip to comment form

  4. Last grid if allowed to race at all.

  9. Vergne

    Webber

    Petrov

    de la Rosa

    Karthikeyan

    Pic

    Glock

  14. Alonso

    Schumacher

    Massa

    Senna

    Perez

    Kovalainen

    Ricciardo

  16. Riakkonenen and Rosberg have 2 new sets of softs.

  18. Vettel

    Hamilton

    Maldonado

    Grosjean

    Raikkonen

    Rosberg

    Kobayashi

    Hulkenberg

    Button

    di Resta

Comments have been disabled.