Qualifying Vs Race Pace

[Retro Formula 1]

It used to be Qualifying was king but now we are seeing a bit of a shift aren't we?

Pirelli have done exactly the job they were contracted to and delivered a platform for exciting racing.

So, how important is Pole these days compared to a car that might not be as rapid over a single lap but can manage the race better.

This also throws up questions about team strategy and decidion making as well as driver skill in managing a race.

Interesting.

[Mark]

I guess it's heading back to how it should be, qualifying sorts out the fast-ish cars from the slow-ish cars, but no more than that, and the real action is in the race!

[555-04Q2]

^^^ What Mark said

Nice to see that overtaking is possible again in slow corners, breaking zones, acceleration zones etc

[ioan]

I guess it's heading back to how it should be, qualifying sorts out the fast-ish cars from the slow-ish cars, but no more than that, and the real action is in the race!

Exactly.
It's not like if HRT or Lotus or even Williams have a chance to win from a bad grid position.

[Sonic]

Exactly.
It's not like if HRT or Lotus or even Williams have a chance to win from a bad grid position.

Challenge accepted!

[SGWilko]

It used to be Qualifying was king but now we are seeing a bit of a shift aren't we?

Pirelli have done exactly the job they were contracted to and delivered a platform for exciting racing.

So, how important is Pole these days compared to a car that might not be as rapid over a single lap but can manage the race better.

This also throws up questions about team strategy and decidion making as well as driver skill in managing a race.

Interesting.

If Newey didn't leave the KERS packaging as an afterthought, and they had a proper working system as a result - I think Seb would have led from pole and could have called the shots in China.

I think Newey has dropped a bollock on that front.

[Mia 01]

Quali on premium in Q1 and Q2 and then put one set of softs on in Q3, I would like RB to try that.

Sorry henner

[Sonic]

Webs did Mia, look where it got him.

[wedge]

If Newey didn't leave the KERS packaging as an afterthought, and they had a proper working system as a result - I think Seb would have led from pole and could have called the shots in China.

I think Newey has dropped a bollock on that front.

Designing a car to its limits is in Newey's nature.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90869

Red Bull Racing's KERS problems are believed to be related to cooling issues of its in-house battery system – which has been packaged extremely tightly so as not to compromise the car's aerodynamics.

Anyway, it was plainly evident that it was tyre strategy that cost Seb's race in China.

http://www.jamesallenonf1.com/2011/0...se-grand-prix/

But what none of the simulations predicted prior to the start was how little the tyre life would improve during the race. Previous experience with Pirelli in the first two races had shown that the tyre wear is 25% better in the final stages of the race, compared to Friday Free Practice, when most teams do their long runs of 18-20 laps. But crucially, this time the circuit did not rubber-in, which meant the surface didn’t come to the hard tyre for the final stint, as is normally the case. This is why Vettel and all the other two stoppers, like Ferrari, couldn’t keep the pace up and Vettel got caught in the final laps by Hamilton, whose tyres were seven laps fresher. It is also the reason why Webber’s strategy worked out so spectacularly, as we will see.

Lewis Hamilton won the race, by getting the strategy exactly right. Saving a set of new tyres played its part in making the three stop plan work, as did making crucial overtakes such as the ones on Button, Massa and Rosberg.

[Mark]

And we can expect the entire field to only do a single run in Q3 come Turkey, they won't be caught out the same way twice!