F1 - 2016 Russian Grand Prix

[gofast182]

US TV SCHEDULE
Practice 2: Friday April 29th, 7:00AM EST , NBCSN
Qualifying: Saturday April 30th, 8:00AM EST , CNBC
Race: Sunday May 1st, 7:00AM EST , CNBC

CURRENT STANDINGS
Drivers
1. Nico Rosberg, 75
2. Lewis Hamilton, 39
3. Daniel Ricciardo, 36
Constructors
1. Mercedes, 110
2. Ferrari, 61
3. Red Bull, 57

Please click over to TOV Motorsports for the full post (including TV times, standings, track data, and video) and discuss there, here, or both!
http://motorsports.vtec.net/blog/120/f1-2016-russian-grand-prix/

 

[TheRover1969]

Anybody else really excited to see Putin? I'm sure he'll have something new up his sleeve this year!

/s

On a serious note, while I am excited to see this year's Russian GP for some reason, the real one I'm hyped for is at Suzuka. And Spa. And Silverstone. And Monaco. You get my point

 

[ebr1190rx]

I just hope hammy takes it to the sourkraut...

 

[whip]

I'm trying to remember the last few Russian GPs, and I can't. That makes me think the track is boring, and not very memorable. Have there been good race here?

GoFast, thanks for posting this info!

 

[Garak]

Well, not impressed with Kvyat sitting on his brains during the opening lap. Even his team mate was at a loss to justify his actions after the race. I guess with Pastor Maldonado gone, someone has to drive like Mr. Magoo.

 

[Tosh]

Kvyat followed through on what he had threatened to do last week, although it took him two hits to get the job done properly. Time for a rest?

 

[Garak]

He'll be lucky if his team doesn't come down on him, too. He ruined Vettel's race, but he also ruined his own and Riccardio's. If it were up to me, he would have been black flagged.

Lewis is crying about his reprimand from qualification, and the last thing he needs to do is get whiney in front of the stewards this year, unless he wants a repeat of a few years ago.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Well, not impressed with Kvyat sitting on his brains during the opening lap. Even his team mate was at a loss to justify his actions after the race. I guess with Pastor Maldonado gone, someone has to drive like Mr. Magoo.


For sure. If he wants to drive like that he should be in NASCAR. Especially today at the worlds fastest junkyard! At least it was fun to hear Vettel screaming and cussing on the radio, and then act like he had 6 Valium's when he was interviewed.

 

[Garak]

Well, I knew Vettel wouldn't be happy, but he usually settles down pretty quickly. He settled faster than I thought he would, though. And if Kvyat keeps this up, he may have to get a position in NASCAR. Red Bull's goal, as stated before the race, was to at least try to split the Williams cars, if not pull ahead of them. Their goal wasn't to be out of the points completely thanks solely to the mistakes of one of their own. I suspect he will be closely watched over the next while.

As for Lewis, I agree with him completely that he really shouldn't have been reprimanded for the business in qualifying. To me, it looked like it would have been rather difficult to have gone to the left of the bollard, and he certainly aborted the lap, and was as careful as one could be. That being said, a reprimand was issued, and he would have served himself well by keeping his yap shut. The last thing he needs right now, at his position in the standings, is to be on Charlie Whiting's naughty list along with Kvyat. He's been there before, and it didn't end well for him.

Complaining in public about decisions of stewards or race control never goes well for a driver.

 

[A_Harman]

Kvyat wasn't at fault in China, that was just good, hard racing.
He was at fault in turn 2 at Russia, where he locked up under braking and hit Vettel from behind. I'm not sure about why he hit Vettel again in turn 3. In-car video looks like Vettel slowed down mid-turn, so I don't think Kvyat blatantly hit him in that instance.

Romain Grosjean drove more stupidly than that a few times in his first couple of years in F1, and became the steward's whipping boy. Remember Spa when he took out 5 cars in the first turn? He's come back from that and is one of the top-half drivers in the field.

 

[Garak]

I'm not so sure about that second collision. Looking at Kvyat's onboard, it seemed to me he had plenty of time to react. He wasn't pushing hard and Vettel didn't stand on the brakes. If I can see time to react, someone like Kvyat should be able to do so handily.

It's not the Kvyat is inept or out of his depth or anything like that. Where he put himself in jeopardy is that he destroyed the race for himself and his team mate basically for nothing. It wasn't the last lap and he wasn't trying to grab the last point. He went in there and needlessly caused an absolute disaster for one quarter of the field, including himself, while inconveniencing everyone else.

It's too bad they can't have him start the next couple races from the pit lane. They could use that as the kiddie table for people that don't know how to play well with others at the start of the race.

 

[weasley]

The turn 3 hit came as a consequence of Vettel lifting off because he could see that (Perez?) in front of him was unstable and in danger of having an accident - Vettel saw this and lifted off (you can see and hear this in his in-car footage). Kvyat was clearly focussed on Vettel and not in front of him, didn't expect a lift-off there and ran in the back of him. Remember, with an F1 car a lift-off can be like you hitting the brakes in a road car (high aero, low inertia engine).

I'm not blaming Vettel - Kvyat drove like he was in some junior formula again, but that was my take on how it came about.

 

[billt460]

Regardless of the Vettel / Kvyat incident, the Talladega race was far more exciting. Based on the number of lead changes alone. It certainly was more fun than watching everyone play follow Nico for an hour and a half.

 

[Garak]

When Kvyat tapped Vettel the first time, he should have been careful immediately. After all, the Ferrari could have had a puncture or damage that would be giving him grief in short order. Yes, F1 cars slow down very rapidly, but Vettel certainly didn't do a panic stop. Look at Kvyat's onboard. There was more than enough time.

Bill: Things might have been more interesting with less follow the leader had Kvyat not decided to play pinball in the first lap.

Bernie is still not done with his idea of reverse grids, at least his own version of them. He brought it up in interviews again this weekend.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Garak
Bill: Things might have been more interesting with less follow the leader had Kvyat not decided to play pinball in the first lap.


Considering Nico has won every race this season, and the last three of last season, I rather doubt it. This is all getting quite boring. It seems the first 2 laps are the most exciting of any Formula 1 race. After the cars all string out it becomes a big game of follow the leader. All you can hope for is either rain, or else a Safety Car every 10 laps to bunch them back up. We went through much the same through all of the Vettel years at Red Bull, and throughout Schumacher's career at Ferrari. At least then they had to refuel which added something. It's getting old. And I doubt still more shenanigans from Bernie will fix it. We all saw how good he "fixed" qualifying. The whole sport needs a better direction, and or a complete face lift. For being considered: "The Pinnacle Of Motor Racing", you would never know it by watching it.

 

[Garak]

Lewis's bad luck this season is spicing things up somewhat; otherwise it would have probably been him winning each race.

We still can't blame Bernie for qualifying. He's only got one vote (well, probably more than that, given the strange governance rules) and he isn't the one who pushed the weird qualifying we saw. And if he could simply impose reverse grids, he'd do so. Of course, he isn't being upfront, and he really should be, since it would actually help his position. He cannot simply impose a solution, since he hasn't got the authority. And, even if he could, he has an obligation to provide a Saturday television feed of on track action, and I doubt that P3 would be satisfactory to carriers and sponsors.

 

[bdcardinal]

Did anyone else notice that there is something wrong with Lewis? Seems like something is wrong in her personal life or medical something that he isn't talking about.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: bdcardinal
Did anyone else notice that there is something wrong with Lewis? Seems like something is wrong in her personal life or medical something that he isn't talking about.

In the skysports post race questions he basically said that the team switched mechanics on each car this year, from last, and that his mechanical problems are because of that...
So it seems like he feels the team is favouring Nico over him this year.
Nico probably is a more marketable figure for MB in Germany atleast, and the purpose of the team is really advertising, and they know one of their cars is going to win the championship, so its not beyond the realm of possibility... I am really surprised that no media has made more of his comments though?
I can't imagine any other team not putting their best guys on a current world champions car, so he may have a point.

 

[Garak]

I think he's had a pile of bad luck this year. The team may favour Nico's marketability for the team back in Germany. Bernie makes no bones, however, about his preference of Lewis Hamilton above all other drivers in recent memory, thanks to his willingness to be in the public eye in cross promotion.

 

[Tosh]

Originally Posted By: Tosh
Kvyat followed through on what he had threatened to do last week, although it took him two hits to get the job done properly. Time for a rest?

Or even better: a swap with Max!