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[Denthúl]

^ My money is firmly on Red Bull. Webber's engine was at the end of its life-cycle...

[scotty]

No offence Hyflex but that is pretty wishful thinking....

This is probably ridiculous, but...could Red Bull have designed their car to suit qualifying conditions better than the race, thinking that with refuelling being banned and one-stop strategies being the norm throughout the season added to the fact that overtaking and even following cars in F1 is difficult the key would be qualifying at the front every race?

I don't think it would really make sense, especially when you look at how they've also dominated the races where they've been out front, but the thought did occur to me as I sat down at the special school this morning.

Perhaps they did set out to do that... but how?! I doubt it's a completely exact science when designing an F1 car, they must surely just try and find pace wherever they can but then again... us mere mortals cannot really comprehend the possibilities that a man like Newey can!

[RyRy]

scotty, just watch tomorrow You will see.

(I might be eating my words, but thats what i firmly belive for tomorrow.)

[Denthúl]

No offence Hyflex but that is pretty wishful thinking....

This is probably ridiculous, but...could Red Bull have designed their car to suit qualifying conditions better than the race, thinking that with refuelling being banned and one-stop strategies being the norm throughout the season added to the fact that overtaking and even following cars in F1 is difficult the key would be qualifying at the front every race?

I don't think it would really make sense, especially when you look at how they've also dominated the races where they've been out front, but the thought did occur to me as I sat down at the special school this morning.

Perhaps they did set out to do that... but how?! I doubt it's a completely exact science when designing an F1 car, they must surely just try and find pace wherever they can but then again... us mere mortals cannot really comprehend the possibilities that a man like Newey can!

I wouldn't even know where to begin. I told you, probably ridiculous

[racechick]

I think it will be:
red bull, red bull (i hope webber then vettel but have a feeling it will be the other way) then hamilton.
Thats for quali. red bulls might not hold out i the race.

[bud]

Yes: Great low fuel pace... not so great full tank pace as seen in practice.

but Q3 where they seem to be .800 to 1 second quicker is on full tanks is it not?

[Hexagram]

Yes: Great low fuel pace... not so great full tank pace as seen in practice.

but Q3 where they seem to be .800 to 1 second quicker is on full tanks is it not?

No. Q3 is low fuel this year.

[bud]

Ah yes and their supposid special suspension was meant to keep their ride height low when on low fuel.

[The Oz]

Jeez I just want Schumi to get a decent finish! Should be a boring weekend tho

[scotty]

scotty, just watch tomorrow You will see.

(I might be eating my words, but thats what i firmly belive for tomorrow.)

I hope you are right, just for the sake of unpredictability. I really can't see the McLarens (you can't write Ferrari, especially Alonso off either!) beating Red Bull in a straight fight in qualifying though. The race is a different kettle of fish though, i agree on that. I'd even dare say the McLaren is the best all-round race trim car from what i've seen, even if it's not the outright quickest... So there's a chance, especially looking at the speed trap readings in P2, McLaren and Ferrari were way ahead of the others - problem is, can they hang with the RB's through the prior sectors and especially around turn 8? If i had to put my house in it i'd go for one of the Red Bulls no doubt, however.

Ah yes and their supposid special suspension was meant to keep their ride height low when on low fuel.

Ah, the old 'oh, we can't understand why they're so quick, it must be some sort of semi-illegal component!' Any money says their pace advantage is basically a combination of 1) aero, 2) tyre treatment and 3) car balance on high and low fuel... imo!

[f1ea]

Hopefully they teach tomorrow at special school

You may have misinterpreted. It's a school for students with disabilities and special needs, I was just wasting some time thinking

Oh no, i know what special school is. What i said is that hopefully they teach THAT (what makes Red Bull so damn fast) at your special school

Yes: Great low fuel pace... not so great full tank pace as seen in practice.

but Q3 where they seem to be .800 to 1 second quicker is on full tanks is it not?

No. Q3 is low fuel this year.

Ah yes and their supposid special suspension was meant to keep their ride height low when on low fuel.

Exactly, their puzzling suspension was/is a deal because it can have good low ride height for being fast on low fuel Q3, while still maintaining a decent ride once they fill the tanks (without the cars bottoming out) for the race, since they cant adjust the car settings.

[Frosty]

From P3 the McLaren looked roughly 3 tenths behind the Red Bull in terms of qualifying pace so hopefully the McLaren will be on par with Red Bull in the race.

[Denthúl]

Oh no, i know what special school is. What i said is that hopefully they teach THAT (what makes Red Bull so damn fast) at your special school

Oh, sorry.

And I'm not sure what they teach. I imagine that it's just national curriculum stuff tailored to students with those particular needs, but I couldn't tell you in any great detail what they do teach, just that it's not Newey's design secrets

[EwanM]

The wonders of Newey

[EwanM]

So it's Monaco all over again. A number of issues such as traffic, and this time driver error, means that Red Bull are destined to take pole (in any normal circumstances).

If both drivers hook a time up then they are simply going to be a decent distance ahead of the field.

I feel Hamilton could be the only one close to them, although Alonso and Ferrari may well have held some pace back. Even so I cannot see either even making the front row (unless Red Bull screw up or Turn 8 eats them all lol)