Spanish GP 2012 - Barcelona

[hardingfv32]

Alonso seemed to be the only front runner using scrubbed tires. Based on the results, I would say that it did not make much difference in overall performance.

Brian

[Mui]

If Alonso did an OPPP and all the tires were scrub, does that mean he used all his prime tires during quali? That can't be right because I thought he used only one set of primes during the whole of the quali session, Q1 if I'm not mistaken. Am I'm missing something here or did he used another set of options during the race?

[Speedster]

Why do drivers continue to use a set of prime tires in qualifying, that's always surprising me. Or do they do a last bit of set-up work for the conditions in the first stint of Q1?

Because otherwise it would just be a waste of tires, as the options will (almost) always be faster over a single lap and they have three sets of them, one for each quali session. They are pretty much useless in the race anyway.

[myurr]

Why do drivers continue to use a set of prime tires in qualifying, that's always surprising me. Or do they do a last bit of set-up work for the conditions in the first stint of Q1?

Because otherwise it would just be a waste of tires, as the options will (almost) always be faster over a single lap and they have three sets of them, one for each quali session. They are pretty much useless in the race anyway.

This was the first race where no one made it through Q1 on the primes, so it's the first race you should be really surprised at. In the other races they simply didn't need that extra set of prime tyres so it was worth the shot.

I think the teams are slowly edging towards using the options only for the opening stint and the primes for the other stints to get more durability at the expense of some pace for the opening few laps. We'll probably see more and more teams just going straight to the options in Q1 as a result.

[irang]

Last year the top four teams hardly use options in Q1. This year the field is packed as hell, so it's way tougher for top teams to get through Q1 on primes. Then again I think last week was an exception to some degree, as there was double gap between tyre compounds.

fernando's used tyres are not 'used', they are run in constant speed during free practice so that surface of the tyre changes( i don't know details) and to have better characteristics when they are used in race.

Yup, it was reported that Marc Gene had talked about it on Spanish TV during the race.

[Chuckjr]

Why do drivers continue to use a set of prime tires in qualifying, that's always surprising me. Or do they do a last bit of set-up work for the conditions in the first stint of Q1?

Because otherwise it would just be a waste of tires, as the options will (almost) always be faster over a single lap and they have three sets of them, one for each quali session. They are pretty much useless in the race anyway.

I think it may be because they want to have a set of unused options for the race. That was not nessasary in Spain, but all other races (I may be wrong) they ended up using a set of options during the race (not the quali options, another pair in addition). But I agree with the notion that may change as teams figure better the sweet spot for the primes and want all new sets of primes for the race and just use the options for the three quali sessions.

[mx_tifoso]

Not sure if this should go in the Barcelona thread...

Would Alonso have won if Pic hadnt held him up for half a lap?

[kebab]

Not sure if this should go in the Barcelona thread...

Would Alonso have won if Pic hadnt held him up for half a lap?

James Allen wrote the following in his strategy analysis:

The call to try the undercut (pitting earlier than opponent and using pace of new tyres to get ahead when he stops) was made by Williams’ head of strategy Mark Barnett. He brought Maldonado in on lap 24 when he was 1.5 seconds behind Alonso. Having saved the sets of new hard tyres, Barnett calculated that he would then have the tyre life to do 42 laps with one more stop to make without losing pace at the end.

It was brilliantly executed; his in-lap was 0.4s faster than Alonso’s, the stop was only 0.2secs slower than Ferrari’s, but crucially on new hard tyres his out-lap was 2.6 seconds faster and the first flying lap was also a second faster. With Alonso losing time behind Pic, Maldonado had done enough to take the lead from the Ferrari when it stopped to laps later than the Williams

I think Pic did contribute the the process but not much and without that Maldonado would have undercut Alonso anyway.

[Pierce89]

Not sure if this should go in the Barcelona thread...

Would Alonso have won if Pic hadnt held him up for half a lap?

Yes, Maldonado put in a brilliant drive, but he couldn't have passed Alonso on track.

[raymondu999]

Pierce - he couldn't, but even without Pic, Maldonado (being on fresher rubber) was quicker than Alonso anyways. Even if Alonso had clear track ahead - he couldn't have made up the few seconds of deficit.

[beelsebob]

Pierce - he couldn't, but even without Pic, Maldonado (being on fresher rubber) was quicker than Alonso anyways. Even if Alonso had clear track ahead - he couldn't have made up the few seconds of deficit.

I didn't observe that – at the start of the final stint, Alonso seemed over a second a lap faster than Maldonado – though he could well have been taking too much out of the tyres.

[raymondu999]

Yes but we're talking of the 3rd stint, after 2nd stop, not the final stint.

[nipo]

Honestly all this talk about victories getting de-valued because it's all down to a lottery is really - ridiculous...

Some years when one or two teams dominate you think other drivers don't have a chance to show what they are made of.

Now I think their "chance" has come and all of a sudden we are unhappy because we somehow want to see a "good driver-car package" standing out?

I struggle to understand.

I only know that, yes, seems drivers and teams have reported back saying "it looks like it's down to who manages the tires better over a weekend". Fine. Ain't it nice to be able to have teams challenged consistently every weekend?

In particular, drivers are now getting more chances to fight at the front, to show what they are made of, and see if they can take a win when circumstances come to them to give them a little bit of pace advantage.

I just could not have hoped for more...

So to me, it's a great win by Pastor and by Nico too. It's a great season and I cannot wait to see what Kimi/Lotus can do!

[Mestrades]

Honestly all this talk about victories getting de-valued because it's all down to a lottery is really - ridiculous...

Some years when one or two teams dominate you think other drivers don't have a chance to show what they are made of.

Now I think their "chance" has come and all of a sudden we are unhappy because we somehow want to see a "good driver-car package" standing out?

I struggle to understand.

I only know that, yes, seems drivers and teams have reported back saying "it looks like it's down to who manages the tires better over a weekend". Fine. Ain't it nice to be able to have teams challenged consistently every weekend?

In particular, drivers are now getting more chances to fight at the front, to show what they are made of, and see if they can take a win when circumstances come to them to give them a little bit of pace advantage.

I just could not have hoped for more...

So to me, it's a great win by Pastor and by Nico too. It's a great season and I cannot wait to see what Kimi/Lotus can do!

+1

[sAx]

Honestly all this talk about victories getting de-valued because it's all down to a lottery is really - ridiculous...

Some years when one or two teams dominate you think other drivers don't have a chance to show what they are made of.

Now I think their "chance" has come and all of a sudden we are unhappy because we somehow want to see a "good driver-car package" standing out?

I struggle to understand.

I only know that, yes, seems drivers and teams have reported back saying "it looks like it's down to who manages the tires better over a weekend". Fine. Ain't it nice to be able to have teams challenged consistently every weekend?

In particular, drivers are now getting more chances to fight at the front, to show what they are made of, and see if they can take a win when circumstances come to them to give them a little bit of pace advantage.

I just could not have hoped for more...

So to me, it's a great win by Pastor and by Nico too. It's a great season and I cannot wait to see what Kimi/Lotus can do!

+1

+2! If only the 5/6 should win the lets reduce size of the grid to three teams, TV and grandstand demand will rocket!!