2014 Austrian Grand Prix

[321Go]

Anyone notice this?




Who would do such a thing after all Mateschitz's efforts to get the Austrian GP back on the calendar?

[Teretonga]

Originally Posted by TrapezeArtist

Don't be fooled by the "Law of Averages". It doesn't exist. Hamilton's two retirements are in the past, and have no influence whatsoever on the future. If a Mercedes is going to be hit by a reliability issue, it is 50-50 whether it will be Rosberg or Hamilton.

I'm not looking for a law of averages.... You're right.... it doesn't exist. All the unreliability may hit Hamilton and cost him the championship. Ask Vettel what he thinks of the 'law of averages' and when 'his turn will come'.

But I do think it is unlikely that Rosberg will not miss a podium, or get some unreliability somewhere. He is conscious of it and I think he knows he will need reliability to succeed in winning the title. McLaren had unreliability in 1988 but it took an errant Williams by a stand in driver to remove Senna at Monza and break the run of wins. We have already had the string broken this year but it doesn't mean it will not happen again. So far Nico has been on the top two steps, one or the other at every race.

The most cruel blow would be to go to Abu Dhabi with a 40 point lead in the championship and have his only retirement of the season, and Lewis win the race....

If Lewis wins the next 10 races and Nico is second in each one, Hamilton would go to Abu Dhabi with a 41 point advantage. If Hamilton then retired and Nico won, he would win the title by 9 points.....

[321Go]

Originally Posted by 321Go

Who would do such a thing after all Mateschitz's efforts to get the Austrian GP back on the calendar?

The culprits have been found out....




It was a few members from the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One team!

And earlier today MercedesAMGF1.com released THIS poster.

[pauln]

Given Christian Horner's comments about Renault's engines after the race, perhaps they're merely suggesting an alternative supplier?

[TrapezeArtist]

Originally Posted by Teretonga

I'm not looking for a law of averages.... You're right.... it doesn't exist. All the unreliability may hit Hamilton and cost him the championship. Ask Vettel what he thinks of the 'law of averages' and when 'his turn will come'.

But I do think it is unlikely that Rosberg will not miss a podium, or get some unreliability somewhere. He is conscious of it and I think he knows he will need reliability to succeed in winning the title. McLaren had unreliability in 1988 but it took an errant Williams by a stand in driver to remove Senna at Monza and break the run of wins. We have already had the string broken this year but it doesn't mean it will not happen again. So far Nico has been on the top two steps, one or the other at every race.

The most cruel blow would be to go to Abu Dhabi with a 40 point lead in the championship and have his only retirement of the season, and Lewis win the race....

If Lewis wins the next 10 races and Nico is second in each one, Hamilton would go to Abu Dhabi with a 41 point advantage. If Hamilton then retired and Nico won, he would win the title by 9 points.....

In 16 race starts so far, Mercedes have suffered 2 retirements. That's a 12.5% retirement rate. If that continues for the rest of the year they will have 2.75 more retirements before the end of the season. So likely retirement scenarios are:
Rosberg 2 Hamilton 0 (redressing the balance)
Rosberg 0 Hamilton 2 (disaster for LH)
Rosberg 1 Hamilton 1 (still leaving Hamilton about 50 points adrift)
Rosberg 2 Hamilton 1 (partial redress for LH)
Rosberg 1 Hamilton 2 (further pain for LH)
and rather more unlikely is the possibility that one or other suffers 3 retirements between now and the end of the year.
Most of those scenarios leave Rosberg in a stronger position than Hamilton.

None of the above takes any account of the possibility of non-finishes that might be "blamed" on the driver. That's a whole new kettle of fish.

Teretonga's last two paragraphs demonstrate the potential inequities of the double points race. Another Bernie knee-jerk reaction to try to avoid a championship which is decided before the final race. (As if that really matters.)

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by 321Go

Anyone notice this?




Who would do such a thing after all Mateschitz's efforts to get the Austrian GP back on the calendar?

A Beastie Boys fan.

[S griffin]

When Hamilton spun off at turn 2 in quali, I saw it as similar to Nick Heidfeld's off in 2002. You know where one rear brake locked and spun on the inside grass and smacked into Sato. Hamilton's did look similar at first sight, his rear brakes seemed to lock too.

[Born Racer]

I know it should seem insignificant (it's only scenery and not the racetrack itself, after all), but I couldn't help but be somehow strangely moved during the race at the Austrian backdrop. It felt like a race from the 80s when the European stretch of the calendar was a more major part (not a Tilke-looking track).

The varied camber of the circuit also makes it look fun to drive in its own way.

[bella]

honestly, it's one of the coolest places to watch a race. there isn't a hope in hell of ever building a circuit in a location like it now in europe, a bit like spa, so we should make the most of it.

ok, accomodation is a pain in the arse. but you either stay in the middle of nowhere and it's incredibly peaceful and good for the soul or you stay in graz which is a pretty chilled city and the drive over the mountains (pft, motorways are for wimps) is one of the most uplifting commutes you can have. you just have to pick which one you want.

granted, i've only been there when it's been sunny and hovering around the 30c mark, but still. it's one heck of a place and a great change of lifestyle for the f1 lot. it's kind of unusual in that its total lack of character, personality and little quirks is exactly what gives it life.

[321Go]

Gian Carlo Minardi's views on the Austrian GP.

"I believe, however, that the error in qualifying is not to be attributed to the pilot, as they strive to affirm at Mercedes, but mainly to a brake problem, as can be seen in some slow-motions."

I know that Lewis and Mercedes said it was driver error, but it still does not sit right with me for some reason. It looked very odd for a driver of Lewis' calibre to make that sort of mistake.

On the other hand, it's the sort of reply you'd expect from driver and team if there's something NQR at work.