FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[acosmichippo]

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/49697.html

Christian Horner has ordered an internal investigation as a result of suspicions Ferrari was basing its pit stops on Red Bull's strategy at the Spanish Grand Prix.

With pit-stop strategy more crucial than ever this season, the handling of the stops has become key in deciding the outcome of races. And while Horner is not claiming anything happened which was underhand, he is aware his team needs to be more careful about the signals it gives off as they appear to have been seized on by its rival.

Horner became suspicious when it was pointed out to him that every time Mark Webber was called into the pits, Fernando Alonso, who was ahead of him, stopped at the same time. In the end, Red Bull issued a dummy call to Webber. As Alonso darted into the pits, Webber then stayed out on track, gaining fourth place from the Ferrari, a position he never relinquished.

"It wasn't coincidence," Horner said. "Every time we called Mark in, Fernando would come down the pitlane. It was obviously quite frustrating for Mark that every time he came into the box, he's got a Ferrari right ahead of him.

"I don't know whether our mechanics were putting their hands in their pockets at the wrong time or somebody was picking up a tyre in Spain. So we have just changed our procedure this weekend to be less transparent."

Teams watch each other very closely, and equally are aware they are being watched. Radio messages to drivers are encrypted, and even then some teams devise code words to further disguise their conversations.

I am honestly surprised at how much Ferrari cares about how RBR pits. Sure, it's always good to know another team's strategy, but I'd think they'd be more concentrated on getting the most out of their tire strategy than trying to match someone else's pit-for-pit.

I'm also curious as to the extent of their "dummy call". Was the whole team in on it? or only the engineer and Webber? If the former, it wouldn't be a situation where one of the pit crew was picking up a tire, thus tipping Ferrari off.

[Flux]

well by covering webber it was the only way alonso could beat him, pretty simple.

but it is funny that ferrari fell for the dummy call, i dont know if its spying or people are ferrari just paying attention to the pit crew's.

wouldn't be surprised if ferrari were being sneaky

[What's Burning?]

http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/49697.html

Christian Horner has ordered an internal investigation as a result of suspicions Ferrari was basing its pit stops on Red Bull's strategy at the Spanish Grand Prix.

With pit-stop strategy more crucial than ever this season, the handling of the stops has become key in deciding the outcome of races. And while Horner is not claiming anything happened which was underhand, he is aware his team needs to be more careful about the signals it gives off as they appear to have been seized on by its rival.

Horner became suspicious when it was pointed out to him that every time Mark Webber was called into the pits, Fernando Alonso, who was ahead of him, stopped at the same time. In the end, Red Bull issued a dummy call to Webber. As Alonso darted into the pits, Webber then stayed out on track, gaining fourth place from the Ferrari, a position he never relinquished.

"It wasn't coincidence," Horner said. "Every time we called Mark in, Fernando would come down the pitlane. It was obviously quite frustrating for Mark that every time he came into the box, he's got a Ferrari right ahead of him.

"I don't know whether our mechanics were putting their hands in their pockets at the wrong time or somebody was picking up a tyre in Spain. So we have just changed our procedure this weekend to be less transparent."

Teams watch each other very closely, and equally are aware they are being watched. Radio messages to drivers are encrypted, and even then some teams devise code words to further disguise their conversations.

I am honestly surprised at how much Ferrari cares about how RBR pits. Sure, it's always good to know another team's strategy, but I'd think they'd be more concentrated on getting the most out of their tire strategy than trying to match someone else's pit-for-pit.

I'm also curious as to the extent of their "dummy call". Was the whole team in on it? or only the engineer and Webber? If the former, it wouldn't be a situation where one of the pit crew was picking up a tire, thus tipping Ferrari off.

Or how they'd relay a radio message to Webber saying to pit... NOT it's not like a team would practice or agree on fictitious pit calls radio messages. If there is any truth to this then the suspicions had to start before Barcelona.

[NocturnalTendencies]

It's a given teams watch over one another very closely but Horner just proved he has nothing to worry about... the dummy call did the trick pardon the pun.

[myownalias]

Spy games are and have been part of F1 since it's inception, this is nothing new; each team probably has someone that is specifically employed to watch what other teams are doing and/or monitoring radio communications on the broadcast, anything to get an upper hand in the race!

[kerc]

Horner, I fail to see what's the problem. This is a team sport, and teams sometimes base their strategy on their opponent's.

Cry me a river.

[vaptin]

For someone who does a lot of winning Horner does a hell of a lot of moaning too, heck he does a lot of moaning for someone who doesn't do a lot of winning.

Although it said an internal investigation, I guess hes trying to counter act it.

But Ferrari can react to their opponents, its called tactics.

[Robert12010]

For someone who does a lot of winning Horner does a hell of a lot of moaning too, heck he does a lot of moaning for someone who doesn't do a lot of winning.

Although it said an internal investigation, I guess hes trying to counter act it.

But Ferrari can react to their opponents, its called tactics.

[geetface9]

Don't all the teams know that a driver is coming in just by the fact that the guys are out there with the tires and in position for the stop? I'd have LMFAO so hard if RBR had all their pit guys in position, Ferrari follows suit, FA comes down the pit lane, webber passes the pit entrance, and then all the RBR guys just go back and have a seat BLAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'd be on the ground laughing and pointing fingers at Ferrari, I wouldn't be able to control it!! Talk about getting TROLLED LOL

[Robert12010]

Don't all the teams know that a driver is coming in just by the fact that the guys are out there with the tires and in position for the stop? I'd have LMFAO so hard if RBR had all their pit guys in position, Ferrari follows suit, FA comes down the pit lane, webber passes the pit entrance, and then all the RBR guys just go back and have a seat BLAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'd be on the ground laughing and pointing fingers at Ferrari, I wouldn't be able to control it!! Talk about getting TROLLED LOL

ownage

[vaptin]

Don't all the teams know that a driver is coming in just by the fact that the guys are out there with the tires and in position for the stop? I'd have LMFAO so hard if RBR had all their pit guys in position, Ferrari follows suit, FA comes down the pit lane, webber passes the pit entrance, and then all the RBR guys just go back and have a seat BLAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'd be on the ground laughing and pointing fingers at Ferrari, I wouldn't be able to control it!! Talk about getting TROLLED LOL

They're not allowed to do that,

Anyway, normally pitting earlier is an advantage. That might have been Alonso's scheduled stop.

What is it with a lot of the redbull fans on here? They seem to be unable to restrain from gloating about how well their team is doing.

[killem2]

Don't all the teams know that a driver is coming in just by the fact that the guys are out there with the tires and in position for the stop? I'd have LMFAO so hard if RBR had all their pit guys in position, Ferrari follows suit, FA comes down the pit lane, webber passes the pit entrance, and then all the RBR guys just go back and have a seat BLAHAHAHAHAHA!! I'd be on the ground laughing and pointing fingers at Ferrari, I wouldn't be able to control it!! Talk about getting TROLLED LOL

They're not allowed to do that,

Anyway, normally pitting earlier is an advantage. That might have been Alonso's scheduled stop.

What is it with a lot of the redbull fans on here? They seem to be unable to restrain from gloating about how well their team is doing.

I am more worried about what it'll be like when they are not winning.

[Hammer278]

Then they'd go back to regular asylum weekend activities.

On a serious note, teams were doing what Geetface proposed a few years back. Especially during the McLaren VS Ferrari times in the late 90s. However, soon after, the teams arrived at this unwritten agreement to not do that. I can't understand why. It's harmless and part of the fun, I enjoyed those mental games of the late 90's..where there were no *coughcough!* drinks ppl involved.

[killem2]

Aside from illegal ways of gaining the info (what ever those are) is there anything actually wrong with ferrari, playing off your pit stops? I mean what case does he have if they are playing fair?

[The_Stig_Money]

Ferrari should have learned there lesson back in Abu dabi last year

I think Ferrari just has employees sitting by the back door watching for sets of tires to enter the other teams garages