.:: 2010 Brazilian GP - 5-6-7 November ::.

.:: 2010 GRANDE PREMIO PETROBAS DO BRASIL ::.

Welcome to the 2010 Korean GP Thread. cjek and mjk1 will keep the thread updated with the latest times as they happen.

RANDOM FACT

CIRCUIT STATS

2010 Race Number: 18
Circuit Event Number: 28
Circuit Length: 2.677 miles
Number of Laps: 71
Lap Record: 1:11.473 (J.P.Montoya, 2004)

POINTS OF DISCUSSION

1. Brazil was the scene of both of Alonso's championships - will he make it a third time this weekend, or will it go to Abu Dhabi?
2. How strong do you expect Massa to be on his return to his home circuit?
3. Brazil has seen many fantastic races - what has been your favourite moment throughout the years?
4. How would you rate Lucas di Grassi's performance over 2010 - given he is ahead of his teammate in the Driver's Championship?
5. Do you feel the circuit needs improving, as Ecclestone has stated?

SCHEDULE FOR WEEKEND

Fri 5 Nov: Practice 1 1200-1330; Practice 2 1600-1730

Sat 6 Nov: Practice 3 1300-1400; Qualifying 1600

Sun 7 Nov: Race 1600

WEEKEND WEATHER

FRIDAY: Heavy Rain, Max. 29 deg. cent.
SATURDAY: Heavy Rain, Max. 20 deg. cent.
SUNDAY: Sunny, Max. 24 deg. cent.

PRESS CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY:Rubens Barrichello (Williams), Lucas di Grassi (Virgin), Felipe Massa (Ferrari) & Bruno Senna (HRT). 1PM GMT.

FRIDAY:John Booth (Virgin), Ross Brawn (Mercedes), Mike Gascoyne (Lotus), Timo Glock (Virgin), Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) & Jarno Trulli (Lotus). 6PM GMT.

QUALIFYING:Nico Hulkenberg (Williams), Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) & Mark Webber (Red Bull).

RACE:Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull), Mark Webber (Red Bull) & Fernando Alonso (Ferrari).

The Red Light: Brazilian GP Preview

BBC Presents the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix

PREVIOUS SESSIONS
Friday Practice 1
Friday Practice 2
Qualifying
Race
Forum

I think track surface and such may need improving as it has seen a battering from weather and these cars over the years, I'm not sure how often its used between F1 events either.

But I think the pit crews need to deal with the pit space etc. I mean, Each place has its own issues and they'll never be dealt, Where else are they gonna put the pits? cus where they are now, what can they expand exactly?

I see this fight between Webber and Alonso and the weather, Whatever the weather decides to do this year will play heavily on the title fight, Webber and Alonso will duke this out, While the McLaren's and Vettel being pawns and playmakers in this fight.

Qualifying will be the most important of the season as well. Watch Webber and Alonso.....and the skies

THE CHAMPIONSHIP RUNDOWN

In regards to the Constructors Championship, Red Bull can wrap up that title if they finish 1-2, irregardless of where anyone else finishes. It would put them a minimum of 43 points ahead of McLaren with three more wins than the Woking team. It would also guarantee that a minimum of three drivers would still be in contention for the title come Abu Dhabi, and even four if Hamilton can finish ahead of Alonso. Red Bull winning the constructors title with a 1-2 in Brazil would mean Button would be mathematically out of contention for the drivers title.

1. It'd be a somewhat tall order to wrap it up but should the Red Bulls flounder then Alonso should very much trump.
2. He'll go well, but if he's in front of Fernando I don't see him staying in front for long.
3. 2003's mad rainy riverfest.
4. Not too bad, Glock has mostly beaten him as expected but I don't think he has made many silly mistakes.
5. The surface and pit complex has always needed attention but really the circuit needs to be expanded, the track is just too short I think.

My prediction of the title race is that webber and Alonso will go dueling into the final round with lewis on the outside chance, with Vettel and Button being eliminated from the title charge in this race.

Button needs to finish on the podium to have any hope of staying in, and I'll be honest, I cannot see that happening, The other guys have got the pace on him to cover him off.

Vettel will go hell for leather and will end up in a repeat of spa with someone or taking himself off leaving him out of the title running.

Friday is supposed to be wet atm...So Keep the eye on the skies, For emphasis, WEATHER will be a huge title playmaker this race.

HERBERT JOINS STEWARD PANEL IN BRAZIL

The other stewards in the panel will be Gerd Ennser, Felipe Giaffone and Paul Gutjahr.

AUTOSPORT 

KLIEN TO REPLACE YAMAMOTO FOR BRAZIL

Christian Klien will be racing at the Brazilian Grand Prix this weekend, replacing Sakon Yamamoto at the Hispania Racing team.

Austrian Klien had already replaced the Japanese driver at the Singapore Grand Prix, where the team said Yamamoto was feeling unwell.

Now Klien will be back in action this weekend at Interlagos, partnering Bruno Senna at the Spanish squad.

"I am excited to come to Brazil where I already raced two times, the last time in 2005, and where I could achieve good results," said Klien. "The circuit is quite challenging and we are racing anti-clockwise which is going to be tough for the neck.

"There are many slow corners and the long straight at the start-finish-line where high speeds are possible.

"I am very happy to get a second opportunity to do another Grand Prix here after Singapore and I hope that we are doing a good weekend with positive results."

SOURCE: Autosport

ENGINE ALLOCATION

McLaren Mercedes
1 Jenson Button 8
2 Lewis Hamilton 8

Mercedes GP
3 Michael Schumacher 8
4 Nico Rosberg 8

RBR Renault
5 Sebastian Vettel 8
6 Mark Webber 8

Ferrari
7 Felipe Massa 9
8 Fernando Alonso 8

Williams Cosworth
9 Rubens Barrichello 7
10 Nico Hulkenberg 8

Renault
11 Robert Kubica 7
12 Vitaly Petrov 7

Force India Mercedes
14 Adrian Sutil 8
15 Vitantonio Liuzzi 8

STR Ferrari
16 Sebastien Buemi 8
17 Jaime Alguersuari 8

Lotus Cosworth
18 Jarno Trulli 8
19 Heikki Kovalainen 8

HRT Cosworth
20 Sakon Yamamoto 7
21 Bruno Senna 7

BMW Sauber Ferrari
22 Nick Heidfeld (formerly Pedro de la Rosa's car) 9
23 Kamui Kobayashi 8

Virgin Cosworth
24 Timo Glock 8
25 Lucas Di Grassi 8

SOURCE: Official F1 Website

PRACTICE 1 

PRACTICE 2 

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - Qualifying 

This is just... fantastic :lol:

Go Hulk!

Hulkenberg, how the ****...

Unfortunately, Webber and Vettel jumped Hamilton and Schumacher in the last lap :(

But that was pretty epic stuff!
And that was only qualifying :D:D:D:D

HULK SMASH!XSamFisherX

Couldn't have said it better myself :lol:

Congrats to Hulkenberg for smashing the rest of the field in his first career Pole Position.

2010 Brazilian Grand Prix - Race 

So the WDC race goes to Abu Dhabi then, but Red Bull are Constructors Champions at last.

Ah no!

A bad race, a unexciting bad race for Hamilton.

Driver Of The Day: Vettel

Star Of The Day: Hulkenberg

I thought it was quite an interesting race and I also think that Red Bull, by not playing Webber as favourite, have handed the drivers championship to Alonso. If my maths is correct then a 1-2-3 next week that is the same as this week hands it to Alonso and assuming no accidents and technical problems there is no reason to suppose it will be anything else!! So in a similar scenario Red Bull would have to order Vettel over.

DotD: Alonso ( Vettel IMO did nothing to deserve it since he was under no pressure the entire race - the only sort of race he can win!! )

SotD: Button

DotD: Vettel- kept it clean and took Hulkenberg straight off the bat unlike other drivers in the field.

SotD: Rosberg for finishing 7 places higher than he qualified (I think) even with two pit stops in a row with a mistaken tyre change.

DotD: Webber, ran well - no complaints and kept pressuring Vettel as best he could given then traffic.

SotD: Hulkenburg - sure he did well to get poll YESTERday but he kept it clean, kept cool under pressure and held Alonso and Hamilton off for 15 laps or more? bloody good effort in my books, just kept the car in all the right places and didn't cave in. Very well done.

To be honest I think Red Bull may have made a massive error this weekend in allowing Vettel to finish ahead of Webber. It leaves them far more exposed to Alonso in Abu Dhabi than was necessary.

If Webber had won, and he had won in Abu Dhabi, he wouldn't need to worry about where Alonso finishes.

Because Vettel won, if Webber wins in Abu Dhabi, he CANNOT allow Alonso to finish second, because Alonso will become champion.

And if Webber comes second, and Alonso third, Alonso will be champion.

Again, if Webber comes third, and Alonso fourth, Alonso will be champion, even if Vettel wins the race. 

If that isn't Red Bull admitting they are not only stupid, but do not want Webber to finish ahead of Vettel in the WDC, possibly at the expense of losing the title completely, then I don't know what is. Seriously, I didn't quite realise how mad this was until I did the maths. What are they thinking?

To be honest I think Red Bull may have made a massive error this weekend in allowing Vettel to finish ahead of Webber. It leaves them far more exposed to Alonso in Abu Dhabi than was necessary.

If Webber had won, and he had won in Abu Dhabi, he wouldn't need to worry about where Alonso finishes.

Because Vettel won, if Webber wins in Abu Dhabi, he CANNOT allow Alonso to finish second, because Alonso will become champion.

And if Webber comes second, and Alonso third, Alonso will be champion.

Again, if Webber comes third, and Alonso fourth, Alonso will be champion, even if Vettel wins the race.

If that isn't Red Bull admitting they are not only stupid, but do not want Webber to finish ahead of Vettel in the WDC, possibly at the expense of losing the title completely, then I don't know what is. Seriously, I didn't quite realise how mad this was until I did the maths. What are they thinking?

cjek

Whilst I agree, I can see their point of view. What happens if Webber retires in the next race, Vettel would have a mountain to climb then, however both drivers have a better chance now with Alonso further down on points. I want a Red Bull driver to get the title purely as I am not a Ferrari man nor an Alonso fan (I don't hate the guy, I just don't agree with everything he does).

Man there is going to be a ton of number crunching during the finale. I was hoping for Hamilton to get past Alonso early on, and keep him there but Alonso got by and Hamilton couldn't get past the Hulk. If Red Bull are 1-2 in Abu Dhabi it's going to be interesting in the order they are in depending on where Alonso is.

It is kind of funny how most of the time team orders are lambasted but in this case the vast majority of the media and fans are pulling their hair out for not telling Vettel to let Webber win.

DoTD: Vettel

SoTD: Button

My stance is if only one driver in the team can win the title, then it's acceptable. Say for example, if what happened in Germany happened yesterday, I wouldn't mind because Massa himself cannot win the title, whereas he had a chance to back in Germany. It's like Massa/Raikkonen at China 2008, I didn't care because Kimi couldn't win the title himself by that point.

DotD: Webber

SotD: Button

No more votes, folks.