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Pirelli’s problems continue (03:00)
A Marble solution (03:00)
Odds analysis (03:00)
Pirelli’s problems continue
As TJ13 had reported earlier in the week, the prospect of wet weather was a problem for those at Pirelli, as they looked to give the 2014 prototype tyre their first taste of a race weekend. It was only Sebastian Vettel who ventured out on track to canter around on the tyre which was clearly unsuitable for the conditions. After that solitary lap, he returned to the pits under the instruction of ‘Rocky’.
Paul Hemberry said that that lap would have been ‘no use, as he struggled to hide the frustration in his voice during an interview with BBCF1’s coverage of FP2. Hemberry later said in interviews, ‘I can’t imagine they [Red Bull] gained a huge amount in the conditions we were in over one lap.’
Back in October, the Italian tyre manufacturer hinted they would withdraw from the sport if there was no tyre test conducted before Jerez when the new cars are rolled out. Therefore, it was no surprise to hear the news that Pirelli have requested a tyre test in Bahrain in December.
Hemberry said, ‘We have been running a Lotus [2010 car] this year, and we have done 1000km tests with a number of teams – so we are trying to find a 2011 car for Bahrain.” He continued, “We want to make a tender to see who can do it.”
Whether the test can be agreed in time and who will foot the bill still waits to be seen.
A Marble Solution
When going through my washing this week I noticed something strange in the machine. Two black, hard rubber pieces were sitting there. Momentarily, I was confused by what this could be until I remembered I had collected some of the marbles from the Austin GP.
Marbles collected from off the racing line.
Then it occurred to me these waste products of the Pirelli tyres could be the solution to a problem we debated earlier this week. We have seen on many occasions drivers not wanting to stray away from the racing line for fear of these ‘marbles’ sticking to the tyres, in turn causing them to lose grip.
Not wanting to stir up a previous debate, but; if these were spread in the run off areas it would satisfy the need for a penalty for doing so, as well as being cost-effective and not taking up too much of the stewards’ time for exceeding the track limits.
Any thoughts on this?
Odds analysis
When there are periods of sustained dominance, betting odds become very short due to the likelihood of a repeat of the previous event. However, this Grand Prix is the first time Vettel has looked as if he could be beaten due to the Brazilian rain.
On WilliamHill.com in the Favourite vs The Field market, The Field is 2/1 for the win. Surely this is worth a punt given the unpredictability of the rain at Interlagos and the stress Vettel’s gearbox must have been under after the repeated doughnut displays. Furthermore, Nico Rosberg is 10/1 to be the fastest qualifier – a possibility following his Friday display.
Other interesting markets are a Points Finish for Jean-Eric Vergne, following his performance in the wet in FP2, at 2/1. Nico Hulkenberg, who seems to favour the Interlagos track, is 5/4 for a top 6 finish.
Re the marbles: I think it wouldnt be enough of a penalty. and after one car goes over it most of the marbles would sucked up by the aero and thrown somewhere else. I had an idea of a thin pressure strip like the ones use in public buses to signal a stop request. It would be installed 1800 mm from the track limit line on the outside of corners (exact placement more involved language). This would send an electric signal to race control, stewards, and TV broadcast (so no funny business) automatically simultaneously and a +15 second time penalty noted to the total race time automatically for each occurrence.
each occurrence seems a little extreme no? especially when it could be done by mistake…
yeah and mistakes should be penalized like they used to be by gravel traps but with the modern safety of asphalt runoff.
So… you aren’t Bernie after all (said after carefully analyzing all the available pictures of Bernie’s hands on the internet).
Did anyone see that incredibly stable vortex leading from the front wing of Mark Webber’s car yesterday? About 30 minutes into FP2 (Was watching BBC, was just after interview with Romain)
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-pus3Ns51OtQ/UpCSdHoPmJI/AAAAAAAAAXg/632XHBmRVOE/w639-h360-no/MW-BGP-FP2.jpg
Is just a google+ page.
Was stunned to not hear anyone pick up on it in coverage, will check the Sky version shortly.
For all that people bang on the NBC coverage, Steve Matchett at least noticed it and pointed it out to the viewers. He didn’t specifically say what he thought was going on but talked in general terms about moving air around the car.
usually im one of the critics of NBC coverage, especially Matchett, but that was a great observation by him and I enjoyed it thoroughly.
Yes, I saw that and thought BBC’s Gary Anderson is bound to mention it. However, no one seemed to pick it up.
re. using marbles on run-off areas: I agree it is a marbellous idea. Judge should patent it and sell it to CVC/FIA.
A vortex looks always bigger in wet/damp conditions… (because you see the water particles) but actually there the same size as ever.
Judge asleep today?
Busy in court I heard…