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[myownalias]

I think the reality is that all cars have trouble following in traffic because of the design of F1 cars in general, this is why DRS and KERS was invented in the first place to overcome the inability to follow and slipstream the car in front like in the 80s and 90s. Damage to the car will always effect outright performance as pretty much every piece of the car has an aero effect and as we all know, F1 is based upon aero and downforce more than anything else, which is why Red Bull are faster than Renault with the same engine, RB has better aero engineers.

[darwin dali]

On the other hand, SV drove half the race with a damaged front wing w/o even noticing

[myownalias]

On the other hand, SV drove half the race with a damaged front wing w/o even noticing

But he's driving a Ferrari which means that the FIA has ruled that aero damage has less effect than on other cars.

[sagi58]

On the other hand, SV drove half the race with a damaged front wing w/o even noticing

A great driver and isn't fazed by such things!

[overboost]

Here's how Massa saw his battle with Hamilton. In Massa's view it all came down to superior tire management on his part. And as we know Hamilton took alot out of his tires early in the stint running 1.3 - 1.4s a lap quicker than Massa including a lockup while passing Bottas.

From Massa's blog:

In the final stages of the race I had to defend hard my sixth place from an attack from Lewis Hamilton, and it was tough.

We had the same tyres (he had changed one lap earlier than me) so on that front we were evenly matched. And while he had a problem with car damage, we must remember that it is still a Mercedes.

In the end, I managed to control the situation, and I think that was mostly down to the way I was able to manage the tyres.

My driving lines were very different in the race, because if I had used the same ones I did in qualifying then after a few laps my tyres would have been finished, especially the front ones.

I also made sure that I only went hard on the accelerator out of corners when the car was perfectly straight, and this technique worked really well.

I think for this race, that is what the difference was between myself and Valtteri Bottas, whose pace over the longer runs was not as good.

http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/felip ... na-688737/

[Jeffo]

gutted for Danny at the Chinese GP. On a day when the Ferrari's messed up and the Mercs too, one slow off the line, the other at the back and damaged, and he goes and gets a puncture! Do any of you people know what caused that puncture?

[myownalias]

gutted for Danny at the Chinese GP. On a day when the Ferrari's messed up and the Mercs too, one slow off the line, the other at the back and damaged, and he goes and gets a puncture! Do any of you people know what caused that puncture?

Given the first lap carnage between the Ferrari's and Hamilton, I would make an educated guess that Ricciardo picked up the puncture from the debris left on track, before the SC was deployed.

[overboost]

I just watched the opening laps of the race again and moa is right that the debris from the Ferrari's and Hamilton's wing was to blame. Ricciardo being in front meant that he was the first to pick up the debris. Ironically if Ricciardo hadn't done such a good job getting ahead of Rosberg at the start it would have been Rosberg picking up the puncture and Ricciardo then could have raced to the win.

[Jeffo]

Yes, good call. I should have thought of that given all the carnage at the start.
I was thinking along the lines of tyre issues as there were so many flats over the weekend.

[sagi58]

Jeffo!!

To be honest, I thought along the same lines as you!
But, it does make sense that picked up debris!