Grand Prix of Japan (Indianapolis) 10/09/2011

Hey everyone, does anyone happen to know what time the race starts tomorrow?

stormybadger8 said:Seriously, what kind of shady business is going on with these qualifying times?😕

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...ying-times.pdf

7. Schumacher - 1.53.671
8. Senna - 1.46.125
9. Petrov - 1.49.199
10. Kobayashi - 1.41.950

And what kind of messed up joke is this order even supposed to be?😕

Senna and Petrov didn't even make it out onto the track for Q3, yet somehow Schumacher and Kobayashi managed to pull a lap😉

hollowgull5 said:Senna and Petrov didn't even make it out onto the track for Q3, yet somehow Schumacher and Kobayashi managed to pull a lap😉

So what's the deal with Petrov and Sen being ahead of Kobayashi? Or even crazier, how is Sen 8th and Petrov 9th?😂
Petrov actually had a better time than Sen in both Q1 and Q2. 🤣

Honestly, they totally botched the qualifying results, but there’s no way on earth Sen ends up 8th. There's just no logic to it.🤷

On top of that, Kamui had a faster time than Schumacher in Q3. By any stretch of the imagination, Deda can't be 7th, and there's no way Kamui is 10th.😕

Kobayashi didn't even manage to pull a qualifying lap through to Q3, not even Schumacher could do that... 😉
And honestly, how on earth did Kobayashi end up sitting in 10th, I have zero clue...

It'll all be cleared up tomorrow once they sort out the nonsense... 😁

Honestly, I’d just toss them right behind Rosberg and let him worry about managing his tires however he wants.

hollowgull5 said:Kobayashi didn't even manage to pull a qualifying lap through to Q3, not even Schumacher could do that... 😉
And honestly, how on earth did Kobayashi end up sitting in 10th, I have zero clue...

It'll all be cleared up tomorrow once they sort out the nonsense... 😁

On German RTL, they're saying Kobayashi is ahead of Deda 🤷 🤷 http://www.rtl.de/formel1/liveticker?ticker=883

I guess nothing makes sense anymore 🙂 😁

stormybadger8 said:So what's the deal with Petrov and Sen being ahead of Kobayashi? Or even crazier, how is Sen 8th and Petrov 9th?😂
Petrov actually had a better time than Sen in both Q1 and Q2. 🤣

Honestly, they totally botched the qualifying results, but there’s no way on earth Sen ends up 8th. There's just no logic to it.🤷

On top of that, Kamui had a faster time than Schumacher in Q3. By any stretch of the imagination, Deda can't be 7th, and there's no way Kamui is 10th.😕

I guess I'm not exactly following how Sen ended up ahead of Petrov either 😕

Mark Ruiz8 said:I guess I'm not exactly following how Sen ended up ahead of Petrov either 😕

If you're wondering why, maybe it's because the Brazilians pay more than the Americans 🤣
I guess they'll clear up the mystery for us tomorrow 🤷

And those Germans seem a little mixed up with the standings; I bet that flying lap really threw them off 🤣

Kamui 👋

has a massive shot at this race😍😍 😍

and he's looking at the win 👋

He’s the only one starting on hard tires, plus he still has one fresh soft left over😁

stormybadger8 said:Kamui 👋

has a massive shot at this race😍😍 😍

and he's looking at the win 👋

He’s the only one starting on hard tires, plus he still has one fresh soft left over😁

Massa and Hamilton lined up right next to each other on the grid. 🙂.
Felipe usually plays it gentle and polite at the start, but I get the feeling he’s got a real grudge against Lewis right now. I really hope he doesn't show him an inch of mercy.

If Hamilton pulls off one of those brilliant starts he’s been showing lately, he might just have Kamui in his sights. Not that Kamui actually stands a chance here, obviously, but those first two laps can get messy fast. You need a cool head if you want to survive them.

Amanda Kelly said:Massa and Hamilton lined up right next to each other on the grid. 🙂.
Felipe usually plays it gentle and polite at the start, but I get the feeling he’s got a real grudge against Lewis right now. I really hope he doesn't show him an inch of mercy.

If Hamilton pulls off one of those brilliant starts he’s been showing lately, he might just have Kamui in his sights. Not that Kamui actually stands a chance here, obviously, but those first two laps can get messy fast. You need a cool head if you want to survive them.

I honestly don't think Red Bull is going to let Massa stay ahead of them for even a second.☕

Nancy Scott5 said:I honestly don't think Red Bull is going to let Massa stay ahead of them for even a second.☕

I wouldn't mind having a bit of that stubbornness myself. 😁

Honestly, I think Hamilton is the last person on earth who should be playing hardball in those opening laps. Even if he’s sitting back in fifth, sixth, or even eighth, he's got more than enough pace to hunt everyone down and take the win by the end.

stormybadger8 said:Button and Alonso are the real threats here. ☕

Vettel was probably just managing the gap, thinking he’d settle for points.

Hamilton would've probably blown a tire before the first pit stop.☕

Regarding Alonso, if this were a ten-lap sprint, maybe... but we'll likely see a repeat of what happened two weeks ago.
It'll be tough for him to make the podium unless someone crashes out or retires.
Plus, Massa isn't exactly a weak starter.

And I don't think Vettel will just sit back and control things; if he comes out in the lead after the first turn, he's going straight for the win.

Setting aside all those wild starting speculations for a second, what am I actually looking forward to seeing unfold?

First and most importantly, celebrating Vettel's title!

Second, can McLaren finally pull off a win?

Third, how is that internal battle at McLaren going to play out?

As for Ferrari? Honestly, just holding onto their starting positions by the finish line would be a win. A podium would be the real dream.

The rest? It'll be Michael and Kamui.

Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) is starting in seventh, while Schumacher takes eighth—apparently, according to the official statement from the Elizabeth Hughes, it was all a matter of tire management;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60881.html

Button really squeezed every ounce of performance out of his car today, though one has to admit that sometimes a little bit of luck is just part of the game;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60888.html

The reason I find Vettel so grating is becoming even clearer now; he’s actually bragging about taking first place despite having a crash yesterday;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60881.html

Edward Miller9 said:On German RTL, they're saying Kobayashi is ahead of Deda 🤷 🤷 http://www.rtl.de/formel1/liveticker?ticker=883

I guess nothing makes sense anymore 🙂 😁

7. Kamui Kobayashi (JPN)
8. Michael Schumacher (GER)
9. B Senna (BRA)
10. Vitaly Petrov (RUS)

I assume these standings are now considered official ahead of tomorrow's start. My sincere hope is that Ferrari can manage to place both cars within the top five if at all possible; is there any realistic hope for such an outcome?
(Even though Red Bull and McLaren seem to hold the edge over Ferrari, one can always harbor a glimmer of hope for some absolute chaos caused by the British driver (Hamilton😁).

Brian Campbell36 said:Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) is starting in seventh, while Schumacher takes eighth—apparently, according to the official statement from the Elizabeth Hughes, it was all a matter of tire management;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60881.html

Button really squeezed every ounce of performance out of his car today, though one has to admit that sometimes a little bit of luck is just part of the game;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60888.html

The reason I find Vettel so grating is becoming even clearer now; he’s actually bragging about taking first place despite having a crash yesterday;

http://en.espnf1.com/japan/motorsport/story/60881.html

There’s no bragging involved here. The guy is absolutely right.
Sure, he’s been dominant all season, but every single race is a whole different beast.
Down at Indianapolis, Button was the one running the show through all the practice sessions, so I don't see why Vettel's new pole position shouldn't be considered a win.
It would be an achievement even if his car were predictably dominant, but grabbing pole under these less-than-ideal conditions? That just makes the success look even bigger.

And honestly, none of that really matters. We're celebrating the championship here!!! Hey, a CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

Amanda Kelly said:There’s no bragging involved here. The guy is absolutely right.
Sure, he’s been dominant all season, but every single race is a whole different beast.
Down at Indianapolis, Button was the one running the show through all the practice sessions, so I don't see why Vettel's new pole position shouldn't be considered a win.
It would be an achievement even if his car were predictably dominant, but grabbing pole under these less-than-ideal conditions? That just makes the success look even bigger.

And honestly, none of that really matters. We're celebrating the championship here!!! Hey, a CHAMPIONSHIP!!!

We can start popping the champagne once he actually crosses that finish line tomorrow and secures that final point.
Lest we forget last year, when Vettel sat third in the standings and snatched everything right from under the noses of both Webber and Alonso.

Anything could happen to Vettel—he could have another "Black Friday" disaster, or perhaps some driver might accidentally clip him and puncture his rear right tire; at that point, anything is possible.
Let us just wait until tomorrow morning; by around 10:00 AM, we will finally have our answer!

Amanda Kelly said:Massa and Hamilton lined up right next to each other on the grid. 🙂.
Felipe usually plays it gentle and polite at the start, but I get the feeling he’s got a real grudge against Lewis right now. I really hope he doesn't show him an inch of mercy.

If Hamilton pulls off one of those brilliant starts he’s been showing lately, he might just have Kamui in his sights. Not that Kamui actually stands a chance here, obviously, but those first two laps can get messy fast. You need a cool head if you want to survive them.

Everyone's going to be hunting Kobayashi down. Honestly, my bad for not picking him for the podium in our forum championship.🙂

If you want to kill him off, he's actually looking at a podium spot. Why do I think that? Here's the deal:

He's starting on hard tires from the clean side of the grid. If his launch is solid, he might even jump Webber—maybe even Massa or Hamilton if they end up clashing, which they probably will.🤣

He'll pull the longest stint on those hards, and Sauber is quick enough on the straights to stay ahead of the pack despite everyone having DRS.😁
If he manages to hold out and only has to pit twice, a podium is basically in the bag.👋 Then, he'll come out at the end on totally fresh rubber, and I'm expecting a total Kobayashi show in the final 5-10 laps.😍
I'd bet the fastest lap is almost certainly his, or maybe Rosberg's.😳

He'll just line them all up like ducks in a row during those closing laps.👋

Brian Campbell36 said:We can start popping the champagne once he actually crosses that finish line tomorrow and secures that final point.
Lest we forget last year, when Vettel sat third in the standings and snatched everything right from under the noses of both Webber and Alonso.

Anything could happen to Vettel—he could have another "Black Friday" disaster, or perhaps some driver might accidentally clip him and puncture his rear right tire; at that point, anything is possible.
Let us just wait until tomorrow morning; by around 10:00 AM, we will finally have our answer!

Vettel might skip winning in Japan and every other race from here on out, and he'd still walk away as the champion celebrating that title.☕

There’s basically no way Button pulls off five wins in a row.☕

The real question is how Vettel clinches it tomorrow: by winning the race, standing on the podium, grabbing points, or simply because Button doesn't take first.