"Qualify Driving" at Suzuke with Ayrton Senna

Post by Axis of Oversteer.

Watching this video I thought of all the talk about making current F1 more of a challenge for drivers... Basic aero, three pedals, a stick and super sticky tires anyone?

Japan, Onboard

Fuji, Montegi, Sendai and Suzuka courtesy of Smartycam. The others are after the jump.

2010 Japanese Grand Prix Executive Summary

Not very much to say about the Japanese Grand Prix, aside from the first lap carnage and the various odd failures, it was a Red Bull domination and a set piece. I think it was clear Webber was not attacking Vettel, probably an understanding between the two drivers and a good strategic move by Red Bull for once.

Damage limitation for Alonso, Massa's future seriously in question. Mclaren not up to speed and still not sure who made the call on Button's tire strategy. Disaster for Hamilton whose brand new gearbox broke, meaning yet another five spot grid penalty for the next race. I stand corrected on that, see comments. For the life of me I cannot figure how that regulation makes any sense...
Schumacher showed some of the old form with a great, clean pass on Barrichello at the "Senna-Prost" chicane. Kubica and Rosberg's races ruined by wheels coming off their cars.

The highlight of the race, undoubtedly Kamui Kobayashi's hairpin haikus, which were brief moments of awesomeness in between boredom and silly crashes. Suzuka is still a great track though I think 130R might have to be renamed 130ZZZ if the guys can keep going through it flat and with only one hand on the wheel!

Championship now looks more like a three way fight, though Hamilton and Button are not out out of it by any means.

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

Pos  Driver        Team                       Time
 1.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault           1h30:27.323
 2.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault           +     0.905
 3.  Alonso        Ferrari                    +     2.721
 4.  Button        McLaren-Mercedes           +    13.522
 5.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes           +    39.595
 6.  Schumacher    Mercedes                   +    59.933
 7.  Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari             +  1:04:038
 8.  Heidfeld      Sauber-Ferrari             +  1:09.648
 9.  Barrichello   Williams-Cosworth          +  1:10.846
10.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +  1:12.806
11.  Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari         +     1 lap
12.  Kovalainen    Lotus-Cosworth             +     1 lap
13.  Trulli        Lotus-Cosworth             +    2 laps
14.  Glock         Virgin-Cosworth            +    2 laps
15.  Senna         HRT-Cosworth               +    2 laps
16.  Yamamoto      HRT-Cosworth               +    3 laps
17.  Rosberg       Mercedes                   +    5 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:33.474

World Championship standings, round 16:                

Drivers:                    Constructors:             
 1.  Webber       220        1.  Red Bull-Renault          426
 2.  Alonso       206        2.  McLaren-Mercedes          381
 3.  Vettel       206        3.  Ferrari                   334
 4.  Hamilton     192        4.  Mercedes                  176
 5.  Button       189        5.  Renault                   133
 6.  Massa        128        6.  Force India-Mercedes       60
 7.  Rosberg      122        7.  Williams-Cosworth          58
 8.  Kubica       114        8.  Sauber-Ferrari             37
 9.  Schumacher    54        9.  Toro Rosso-Ferrari         11
10.  Sutil         47       
11.  Barrichello   41       
12.  Kobayashi     27       
13.  Petrov        19       
14.  Hulkenberg    17       
15.  Liuzzi        13       
16.  Buemi          8       
17.  De la Rosa     6       
18.  Heidfeld       4       
19.  Alguersuari    3       
       

Japanese GP Practice: RedBulls Fly, Hamilton Turns in Early

Wow, that's three crashes in three racing week ends for Lewis Hamilton. This one, in the the first Friday practice session, was especially strange: he just turned in too early and went straight off on exit. Brain fade which cost him a lot of track time, only ran his Mclaren nine laps in the first practice and eight in the second.

Red Bulls dominated, seven tenths to the next fastest car, Renault. Almost nine tenths to Alonso' Ferrari! However, there is a good chance qualifying will to be in the wet.

Pos  Driver         Team                    Time              Laps
 1.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault        1:31.465            31
 2.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault        1:31.860  + 0.395   29
 3.  Kubica         Renault                 1:32.200  + 0.735   32
 4.  Alonso         Ferrari                 1:32.362  + 0.897   34
 5.  Massa          Ferrari                 1:32.519  + 1.054   35
 6.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes        1:32.533  + 1.068   28
 7.  Petrov         Renault                 1:32.703  + 1.238   32
 8.  Schumacher     Mercedes                1:32.831  + 1.366   27
 9.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes    1:32.842  + 1.377   26
10.  Hulkenberg     Williams-Cosworth       1:32.851  + 1.386   26
11.  Rosberg        Mercedes                1:32.880  + 1.415   26
12.  Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari          1:33.471  + 2.006   31
13.  Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes        1:33.481  + 2.016   8
14.  Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth       1:33.564  + 2.099   16
15.  Heidfeld       Sauber-Ferrari          1:33.697  + 2.232   33
16.  Buemi          Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:34.005  + 2.540   32
17.  Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:34.055  + 2.590   37
18.  Liuzzi         Force India-Mercedes    1:34.310  + 2.845   33
19.  Kovalainen     Lotus-Cosworth          1:36.095  + 4.630   37
20.  Trulli         Lotus-Cosworth          1:36.333  + 4.868   33
21.  di Grassi      Virgin-Cosworth         1:36.630  + 5.165   28
22.  Glock          Virgin-Cosworth         1:36.834  + 5.369   28
23.  Senna          HRT-Cosworth            1:37.352  + 5.887   33
24.  Yamamoto       HRT-Cosworth            1:37.831  + 6.366   34

All Timing Unofficial

end of post

Suzuka Snoozer

At least that's what it looked like from the outside. From the inside, it looked a lot more exciting.

There was only one real good passing move on the track, a great move by Button on Kubica, the rest of the race was an all too familiar procession. With cars regulated to be so similar that a 3/10th difference in lap time in qualifying makes the driver a hero or a Grojean, it's no wonder there is almost no passing on track during the race. Even though Suzuka is an awesome track and all the top drivers drove great stints, I found Trulli gloating about how he was able to pass Hamilton in the pits, sad.



The Kovalainen-Sutil scrap is in the clip after the jump. Anyone else surprised Sutil did the same "donut" maneuver as in Singapore?

Wacky Qualy

Crazy Qualifying, bad day for Red Bull/Toro Rosso mechanics.

My daughter Arabella made a suggestion for the highlight reel...

Pos  Driver       Team
 1.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault
 2.  Trulli       Toyota
 3.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes 
 4.  Heidfeld     BMW-Sauber
 5.  Raikkonen    Ferrari  
 6.  Rosberg      Williams-Toyota
 7.  Kubica       BMW-Sauber
 8.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  *
 9.  Barrichello  Brawn-Mercedes        *
10.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari
11.  Button       Brawn-Mercedes        *
12.  Fisichella   Ferrari
13.  Kovalainen   McLaren-Mercedes      **
14.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    *
15.  Nakajima     Williams-Toyota
16.  Grosjean     Renault
17.  Alonso       Renault               *
18.  Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  **
19.  Glock        Toyota                ***
20.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      ***

*   Five-place grid penalty
**  Five-place grid penalty for changing gearbox
*** Will use new chassis so will start from the pitlane
             

Ayrton Senna da Silva. March 21, 1960 - May 1, 1994

Fourteen years since that day at Imola. Also fourteen years since losing a driver in Formula 1, a testament to the FIA's leadership on safety. Kubica and Kovalainnen's recent crashes would not have had the same outcome without that work.

I guess everyone has seen these classic videos, we posted the red NSX one last year on May 1st. The other (white NSX, white sox and loafers) is where you get to see that characteristic Senna right foot doing it's own analog traction-yaw control. Great to see, those NSx must have had great throttle response.

Anyway, enjoy and remember Ayrton.

Ayrton Senna da Silva, March 21 1960-May 1 1994

This hauntingly beautiful clip of Ayrton driving a Honda NSX around Suzuka is a fitting tribute to the man's supernatural smoothness and unforgettable spirit. We miss him.