F1 2014

[Bifton]

Hey KMC. Looks like you might be right after all.

1Lewis Hamilton1:55.5161:54.0291:53.860
2Daniel Ricciardo1:56.6411:55.3021:54.455
3Sebastian Vettel1:55.9261:54.4991:54.960
4Nico Rosberg1:56.0581:55.2941:55.143
5Fernando Alonso1:56.9611:55.7651:55.6

[KeyMonCha]

I really hate these three week breaks.

[Padge247]

Ditto !

[Bifton]

Well it might be worth the wait... I have just been reliably informed that Red Bull will have an upgraded package which they hope will make them more competitive. Still don't think they can beat the Mercs though

[KeyMonCha]

Well it might be worth the wait... I have just been reliably informed that Red Bull will have an upgraded package which they hope will make them more competitive. Still don't think they can beat the Mercs though

To be honest, you could probably say that about every team on the grid, including Mercedes... It does look interesting though... Adrien Newey is on the case, and he's definitely had a bloody good look at that Merc by now, so... You know....

[Lemming]

Hey Bifton, thinking of you in your McLaren hat, looks like your team might at least be faster than Force India this weekend so I guess that's a bit of progress.

[Padge247]

Hamilton still looking ominously quick, Riccardo in a good position to beat Vettle (ie, 2 more practice sessions). Really interesting how Riccardo has got into Vettle's head, with Vettle reverting back to a chassis used in pre season, described by Horner as a 'sanity check'.

[Lemming]

Hamilton on the form of his life. If he keeps it up until the double-point finale I wonder whether he might achieve a record points haul this year?

Ricciardo still making Vettel look ordinary, notwithstanding Vettel's technical issues.

Remarkable recovery from Lotus but Maldonado a bit of a liability.

Raikkonen ahead of Alonso. Could this be the weekend when we finally get the scrap between those two that we've been promised for so long?

McLaren look to have got ahead of Force India in the development race but now being challenged by Lotus and Williams. How long before they give up on this season and start building up to next year with Honda? There must be a suspicion that the engines Mercedes supply to their customers are not quite as good as for the works team. Could McLaren be suffering particularly badly on that front as Mercedes are loathe to pass on too many secrets to Honda?

Out of sight at the back, Max Chilton beat his team mate by over half a second! Unbelievable!

Do you think this sounds like a grid to make for a good race tomorrow?

[KeyMonCha]

Well done to Bottas for his second row grid position... Also Grosjean making it anywhere near the front was a pleasant surprise... Should make for an interesting roadblock for the two Ferrari's... I bet Alonso is in 3rd by turn three.

Vettel really seems to be having a "Webber" of a season so far... I guess he's never really had to deal with real competition before, and it's looking like his cool is about to evaporate completely... Will he admit he's outclassed if this trend continues?

As for Mclaren, i'm increasingly disappointed with their decreasing pace this season, and i was hoping for more from Magnussen... If there is something different between the engines Mercedes use, and the engines they supply, then the Mclaren really needs to figure out what's wrong with the rest of the package, and quickly.

All in all, it's looking like another good race in the offing... Even with the Mercs outshining the rest of the field, the competitive nature of their two drivers, combined with their similar pace makes these races so exciting and entertaining that i really don't care how much faster they are...

...Long may it continue!

[KeyMonCha]

Should make for an interesting roadblock for the two Ferrari's... I bet Alonso is in 3rd by turn three.

This is why i won't let myself bet on these things.


Excellent race, especially the last 10 laps... If only there was one more.

Vettel looked worryingly fast today... Not fast enough to catch a Mercedes, but fast enough to threaten Ricciardo's dominance(even though Vettel is still leading on points, which is slightly confusing.)

Ferrari duel was fun, if a little short... The Mecs stole the show completely... Typical of a Spanish director to focus on Alonso whilst Rosberg got in the DRS zone... I was literally screaming at the screen!

Monaco next... ...My favourite!

[KeyMonCha]

F1 2014 – Newey, Brawn and Bell to Ferrari?

http://www.f1.co.uk/read-news/2014/1030 ... to-ferrari

If true, this could be quite a coup... I suspect Vettel would also be jumping to Ferrari at some point if speculation in the past is anything to go by... Probably taking Raikonnen's role in the next two years.

[Lemming]

Chin up Bifton, wherever you are. There's always next year with Honda. Sad to see McLaren at such a low but maybe there are glimmers of hope there somewhere.

KMC - yeah that would be a coup if it happened. Newey has conspicuously not denied it either so there must be something going on, even if it's just a negotiating position.

I enjoyed Spanish GP too. Good to see a Ferrari duel at last. Not sure about the Spanish director bit though. Isn't all TV done by FOM these days rather than local channels?

Fair play to Vettel for fighting his way up to 4th but not really what I wanted to see.

Roll on Monaco. My favourite too.

[KeyMonCha]

Not sure about the Spanish director bit though. Isn't all TV done by FOM these days rather than local channels?

Hmmm... Maybe you're right... It was something Martin Brundle said about three or four years ago about local directors being used at GP's... Maybe things have changed, but i clearly remember him complaining that the local director was missing the best action by constantly going back to the Ferrari... So, i assumed it was still the same given how the battle for 6th & 7th seemed to take precedence over the far more gripping(imho)and important race for 1st.

[Bifton]

Hey Bifton, thinking of you in your McLaren hat, looks like your team might at least be faster than Force india this weekend so I guess that's a bit of progress.

Yeah yeah yeah. 9th and 10th for force india and 11th and 12th for the McLaren boys. I think the label on the package says it all... SAP's
fell asleep halfway through the race, that is how interesting I found the race.

[Bifton]

Not sure about the Spanish director bit though. Isn't all TV done by FOM these days rather than local channels?

Hmmm... Maybe you're right... It was something Martin Brundle said about three or four years ago about local directors being used at GP's... Maybe things have changed, but i clearly remember him complaining that the local director was missing the best action by constantly going back to the Ferrari... So, i assumed it was still the same given how the battle for 6th & 7th seemed to take precedence over the far more gripping(imho)and important race for 1st.

They still use locals if the arty coverage at Spain is anything to go by, but read something pre season about the production facility being based in F1s technical HQ in biggin hill.