2014 Austrian Grand Prix Discussion Thread

Post by **Londoner** » 18 Jun 2014, 23:17

And we begin with the latest titbit of news regarding the Mercedes drivers. Nico believes he has the psychological edge over Lewis

Scroll down that page for some Twitter pictures of Hamilton looking (typically) like a cockwomble.

I am gutted that I'm gonna be missing this race (working Sunday) , because if previous Austrian GPs are anything to go by, we'll see a lot of attrition and some moments of madness along the way. Add to the fact that this is the first race here for 11 years, and one that's highly anticipated.

Dj_bereta · Post by **Dj_bereta** » 19 Jun 2014, 01:07

Finally F1 is back to Osterr.. cof, Red Bull Arena.

Well, some chances of first corner crash.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 19 Jun 2014, 04:18

Some of the more memorable moments for me are when;

DC pushed Mika out at T2 and Mika rejoined 22nd only to finish 3rd after a superb drive.
Add to that DC's failure at overtaking Irvine for the win, and it was an embarrasing weekend overall for the Scot.

Schumacher was on fire in the pits and won the race anyway.

Rubens took Burti under his wings and let him follow behind his F1-2000 during the
free practice sessions so that Burti could learn the best lines.

That time when Heidfeld pulled a Liuzzi on Sato.

Zonta gave a track marshall the middle finger.

The time Alesi / Heidfeld decided that Prost should record a double-DNF.

When Trulli received a black flag.

Barrichello-gate x2

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 19 Jun 2014, 05:46

Trulli leading in the Prost-Mugen, then retiring with an engine failure from 2nd place in '97
When Irvine and Alesi crashed way outside the points in the same year
When Fisichella and Alesi had a shunt at the same corner a year after when both had chance at decent points
When Heidfeld, Hakkinen and the two Jordans all stuck on the grid in '01

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 19 Jun 2014, 06:11

Every one of the A1-Ring races had at least 1 interesting moment/aspect. I hope this year's race does the same or I'll be really disappointed. When I learnt of the Austrian Grand Prix's existence I wanted the race to take place again to see what it would be like and now that wish is coming true.

Heidfeld/Sato incident

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 19 Jun 2014, 12:00

FIA press conference schedule - Austria

Thursday, June 19, 1500 hours local time (1400 GMT)
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Max Chilton (Marussia), Marcus Ericsson (Caterham), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Sergio Perez (Force India), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).

Hell yes! 50% Rejects!

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 19 Jun 2014, 17:02

Jocke1 wrote:
FIA press conference schedule - Austria

Thursday, June 19, 1500 hours local time (1400 GMT)
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Max Chilton (Marussia), Marcus Ericsson (Caterham), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Sergio Perez (Force India), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).

Hell yes! 50% Rejects!

And not people like Bianchi either, rejectful rejects.

Post by **mario** » 19 Jun 2014, 18:37

UgncreativeUsergname wrote:
Jocke1 wrote:
FIA press conference schedule - Austria

Thursday, June 19, 1500 hours local time (1400 GMT)
Fernando Alonso (Ferrari), Max Chilton (Marussia), Marcus Ericsson (Caterham), Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber), Sergio Perez (Force India), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull).

Hell yes! 50% Rejects!

And not people like Bianchi either, rejectful rejects.

It's probably just as well that we do not have Perez and Massa together in the same press conference, because Massa is still criticising Perez over the clash in Canada.

“The rules says when somebody moves the car behind and put the front wing on the side of your rear tyres you cannot move any more,” said Massa. “So he didn’t follow that. I will not change my opinion. What I just said, this is the rule. And it’s coming from the FIA. And if you know the history, most of the time it’s always the young drivers, especially him, who cause these problems, cause these accidents, which is dangerous.

“If I made a mistake I will be the first one to say I made a mistake, I’m sorry, like I always did when I made a mistake. But people don’t think in the same way. So I’m sorry for him, and I hope he learns, otherwise he will pay more penalties in the future.”

Asked what he would do next time he tries to pass Perez Massa said: “I will think twice. I [have to] believe that he will not move his car. And you cannot believe, when somebody is paying so many penalties, and causing so many problems, you cannot believe. I will not trust him any more, definitely, in the car.”

http://adamcooperf1.com/2014/06/19/feli ... m-anymore/

Now, whilst I do have a certain amount of sympathy with Massa's position - I do think that slightly more of the blame for the clash should go to Perez rather than Massa (it is fair to say that Perez was deviating from the normal racing line just beforehand) - continuing to hammer the point home is not really going to make much difference in the end. With the upcoming review from the stewards, it might be better to simply stay quiet for now and await the results of the review before getting too critical.

James1978 · Post by **James1978** » 19 Jun 2014, 18:52

Oh god, zip it Felipe. :roll:

But on a positive side, I've wanted this circuit back since 2004. Is it exactly the same layout as it was for the 97 - 03 races?

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 19 Jun 2014, 19:18

James1978 wrote:Oh god, zip it Felipe.

But on a positive side, I've wanted this circuit back since 2004. Is it exactly the same layout as it was for the 97 - 03 races?

Yes, I don't believe anything has changed. I watched the 2011 & 2012 DTM races and the only changes that has been made are to the pits and paddock which has been renovated.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 19 Jun 2014, 19:25

Nick Chester
“The layout requires a medium-downforce package for the car. In terms of demands it’s similar to Bahrain with some decent straights and then an infield section with medium speed corners. So it’s lower downforce than some tracks on the calendar. Pirelli’s track surface analysis points to a relatively non-abrasive, smooth asphalt which is why we will see the soft and super soft allocation once more.

“We raced there from 1997 to 2003, so there’s a certain knowledge bank we can dip into. In particular we have information about driving lines which improves the accuracy of our simulations. In contrast, with a brand new circuit it’s more complicated because we have to generate a driving line to be able to run a simulation and without a real driving line the simulated corner speeds will not necessarily be 100 percent. We’ve already got real data for Austria, so we can do a basic simulation quite easily.

“We have a number of aero updates and we have some more work to do on braking. There is a good chunk of time still to be found in the braking zone and the key to unlocking this potential is enabling the latest brake-by-wire systems to deliver better feedback to the drivers.”

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 20 Jun 2014, 00:58

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114528

This sounds great to me!

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114525

This sounds pretty artificial and has no need to be in F1 in my eyes. At least it's a test.

Belegur · Post by **Belegur** » 20 Jun 2014, 03:36

go_Rubens wrote:http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/114525

This sounds pretty artificial and has no need to be in F1 in my eyes. At least it's a test.

A case of everything old being new again?

That said, it's not such a bad idea, as multitudes of sparks flying from cars was an iconic look for F1 in the 80s.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 20 Jun 2014, 04:15

the first time turbocharged formula one cars have pounded round the circuit in anger since 1987. a proud time this is.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 20 Jun 2014, 06:57

East Londoner wrote:Scroll down that page for some Twitter pictures of Hamilton looking (typically) like a cockwomble.

Today can only go downhill after that

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 20 Jun 2014, 11:17

Vettel had a bit of a hairy moment in FP1.

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 20 Jun 2014, 11:32

Salamander wrote:Vettel had a bit of a hairy moment in FP1.

11 years ago Ralph Firman actually crashed there.

EDIT: Hamilton's best time in FP2 would have put him 9th on the grid for the race in 2002.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 20 Jun 2014, 13:31

I remember one race at the A1-Ring where a car had a strange DNF at the start/finish straight,
the rear tyres locked up and the car spun around to a halt. Was it one of the BAR's?

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 20 Jun 2014, 14:19

Jocke1 wrote:I remember one race at the A1-Ring where a car had a strange DNF at the start/finish straight,
the rear tyres locked up and the car spun around to a halt. Was it one of the BAR's?

That was Olivier Panis in a BAR in 2002. He suffered an engine failure and it spun him out.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 20 Jun 2014, 14:44

good_Ralf wrote:
Jocke1 wrote:I remember one race at the A1-Ring where a car had a strange DNF at the start/finish straight,
the rear tyres locked up and the car spun around to a halt. Was it one of the BAR's?

That was Olivier Panis in a BAR in 2002. He suffered an engine failure and it spun him out.

Right, I was pretty sure it was a BAR but I would have guessed Zonta. Thanks

Post by **mario** » 20 Jun 2014, 17:17

good_Ralf wrote:
Salamander wrote:Vettel had a bit of a hairy moment in FP1.

11 years ago Ralph Firman actually crashed there.

EDIT: Hamilton's best time in FP2 would have put him 9th on the grid for the race in 2002.

Salamander wrote:Vettel had a bit of a hairy moment in FP1.

He's been very lucky not to catch the barriers on the outside as he spun round - in fact, it looks like a lot of drivers are struggling to maintain a clean line through that corner. I wouldn't be surprised if, in the early laps of the race, one of the drivers is caught out whilst running on high fuel and ends up spinning off into a barrier.

On another note, the stewards have finished their review of the Massa-Perez incident in the Canadian GP and have announced that they are upholding the original decision to penalise Perez. They have ruled that, although drivers are entitled to use the full width of the track up until the braking area, once they enter the braking area a driver cannot then cut across the track to defend his position. As both drivers were judged to have been in a braking area, the stewards have ruled that Perez should not have proceeded to move across the track and across Massa's path, which is why they have upheld the original ruling. http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2014/06/20/p ... ssa-crash/

Bleu · Post by **Bleu** » 20 Jun 2014, 17:37

Old Austrian drivers (actually all living Austrian drivers who have participated Grand Prix) having a parade this weekend.

Four rejects there driving their old F1 cars! But also a big disappointment as Christian Klien is not driving HRT there.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 20 Jun 2014, 19:34

I noticed the two most important drivers on the grid in 2014 chose to not wear sponsor caps
during the press conference yesterday. Was this simply them avoiding messing that beautiful hair up or did it mean
something more? Something important?

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 20 Jun 2014, 20:13

Been there;

Nico Rosberg

I've driven the circuit before, that was more than ten years ago in F3: back when it was still called the A1 Ring!

Pastor Maldonado

I know the track, but it was maybe ten years ago when I last raced there and it will be new for me in an F1 car.

Sebastian Vettel

I have great memories of the Red Bull Ring. I was 13 years old when I first drove around it.

Daniel Ricciardo

I’ve only driven the Red Bull Ring on filming days, essentially a handful of laps without the out-and-out aggression that you’ll see at the Austrian Grand Prix weekend.

Adrian Sutil

I have never been to Spielberg with Formula One. I know the track from previous racing series in my career, and I really like it.

Jean-Eric Vergne

I have never raced at this track before, but I did drive it last year in a Formula One Show Car run for Red Bull at a Renault World Series event.

Daniil Kvyat

This is one of my favourite circuits. I raced here in Formula Renault Alps and had two wins there in 2012.

Jenson Button

I think it’s great that we’re going back to Austria.

Kevin Magnussen

It’s strange to be able to say it, but, of all the drivers on the F1 grid, I’ve probably got the most recent experience of racing at the Red Bull Ring, because two rounds of the World Series by Renault were held there last summer.

Felipe Massa

There are very few guys who have driven the circuit which is a little advantage but the track and limit may have changed and the cars have changed so it won't be the same as 11 years ago.

Kimi Raikkonen

I have good memories of this circuit and I think the track makes for pretty good racing.

Fernando Alonso

There are only five or six corners where you can make up time, so I expect lap times to be very close, with one or two tenths making a big difference.

Haven't been there;

Lewis Hamilton

I've never driven the circuit but I've been working on it in the simulator.

Romain Grosjean

Competing in the Grand Prix will be my first experience there, which is a pretty cool way to get to know a track!

Nico Hulkenberg

When you go to a new track it's even more important to maximise the practice sessions because there is so much more to learn.

Sergio Perez

I don't really know what to expect because it's my first visit to the track, but I'm really looking forward to going there.

Esteban Gutierrez

The track in Spielberg is new for me and for many other drivers as well.

Jules Bianchi

I always enjoy the challenge of a new circuit.

Max Chilton

I’m really looking forward to my first Austrian Grand Prix and my first experience of Spielberg.

Kamui Kobayashi

The Red Bull Ring is a completely new circuit for me.

Marcus Ericsson

I’ve never raced in Austria before so it’ll be really interesting to go to a brand new track for me, even though I’m well aware of the history of the circuit.

Valtteri Bottas

I've spent a lot of time in the simulator to prepare of Austria as I haven't driven the circuit before.

Bleu · Post by **Bleu** » 20 Jun 2014, 21:37

Grosjean sounded like he was expecting so much problems that he can't familiarize himself with the track during the practice sessions.

Jocke1 · Post by **Jocke1** » 21 Jun 2014, 12:02

Alright. Q1.

Go go go, Marcus!

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 21 Jun 2014, 12:57

Bottas FTP?

tristan1117 · Post by **tristan1117** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:01

Williams front row?!

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:02

Didn't expect any of that

went · Post by **went** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:03

Williams. <3<3<3

Post by **Londoner** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:03

AW YEAH!

Thank you based Hamilton. :mrgreen:

Post by **Miguel98** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:03

This.Is.Amazing. For the 1st time since Germany 2003, we have a Williams 1-2 on the grid.

Bloody amazing. Hamilton :lol:

More_Blue_Flags · Post by **More_Blue_Flags** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:04

tristan1117 wrote:Williams front row?!

Not to mention Hamilton on 9th, Vettel not getting out of Q2 ... A few surprises in qualifying!

Post by **Londoner** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:05

This season is incredible.

Ed24 · Post by **Ed24** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:05

You beauty!! Why weren't we in Austria years ago :lol:

Post by **mario** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:09

tristan1117 wrote:Williams front row?!

And with Massa taking pole as well - well, I wasn't expecting that to happen, because Bottas has seemed to have had an edge over Massa in qualifying trim for a while now.

In fact, that was a kind of weird session there - what happened to Hamilton there? I wonder if perhaps there might have been some sort of malfunction on his car - he had had issues with the fly by wire brakes in practise, and the way that the rear end snapped out on him was rather odd. Rosberg, too, was surprisingly sluggish - I would have expected more from him as well, especially in the middle sector (he's been a bit disappointing in that sector).

The only question is whether or not Williams will be able to hold onto a halfway decent result tomorrow - Smedley did mention that, whilst their ability to warm the tyres up rapidly is paying dividends in qualifying trim, it may hurt them tomorrow in the race due to increased tyre wear.

go_Rubens · Post by **go_Rubens** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:10

Lewis Hamilton :lol:

Williams

Red Bull

That describes qualifying perfectly.

WeirdKerr · Post by **WeirdKerr** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:12

.....

good_Ralf · Post by **good_Ralf** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:15

Beautiful result. Either Williams are going to win in style or make a massive fail of the race, worse than even their Canada performance.

takagi_for_the_win · Post by **takagi_for_the_win** » 21 Jun 2014, 13:24

Go Team Willy!! :mrgreen:

Now watch as they proceed to do a carbon-copy of Toyota at Bahrain 2009...