McLaren and Red Bull closely-matched in first practice

27 comments on “McLaren and Red Bull closely-matched in first practice”

1. 

   Ean (@ean)
   23rd November 2012, 13:38

   Vettel and Webber set their times on this years tyres
   1. 

      crr917 (@crr917)
      23rd November 2012, 13:41

      even more important is that the race tires will be wet/inters so no time set on a dry set is particularly relevant
      1. 

         Atticus (@atticus-2)
         23rd November 2012, 13:56

         I wanted to note two things only – and both of them were addressed in the only 2 comments above mine.
   2. 

      sorin (@)
      23rd November 2012, 13:56

      Anyway, if it will be again Vettel and Hamilton battle, then Hamilton will for sure. This is already known.
      1. 

         sorin (@)
         23rd November 2012, 13:57

         * will win
      2. 

         raymondu999 (@raymondu999)
         24th November 2012, 8:55

         @sorin and you know this because? (Considering, of course – that Vettel has won in Hamilton vs Vettel battles before)
2. 

   BasCB (@bascb)
   23rd November 2012, 14:00

   Those times are just so close! And not too far away from what we saw last year really.
3. 

   James (@goodyear92)
   23rd November 2012, 14:14

   Hamilton being the fastest doesn’t mean a whole lot, given that he was ahead of both the Red Bulls by just a fraction, and while he was on the test tyres, the pair of them did it on the hard set — which aren’t as fast. Also, his times on the hards seemed to be, on average, just a little behind the Bulls’. Although, he seemed a fair distance of them in the USA and we saw what happened there. I’m predicting the most common front row this season again — Vettel and Hamilton, but I’m not sure who will be on pole out of those two.
4. 

   Adam Blocker (@blockwall2)
   23rd November 2012, 14:15

   Bottas was only .4 seconds off of the pace of Maldonado. He looks promising.
   1. 

      Antonio Nartea (@tony031r)
      23rd November 2012, 14:34

      Van Der Garde was not so bad either…
5. 

   sumedhvidwans (@sumedhvidwans)
   23rd November 2012, 14:30

   The gap between Fernando and Felipe is quite large. Not good for the championship if Massa can’t come into the picture.
   1. 

      Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      23rd November 2012, 15:23

      @sumedhvidwans I care more about getting a deserving champion than whichever one of them actually wins it. I want an exciting and, above all, fair conclusion to the championship. I don’t want to see Massa (or Webber) being used for blocking tactics or anything like that, so I think it’s good for the championship if he’s not involved. Let Vettel and Alonso fight it out for themselves and we’ll have a worthy champion, that’s what matters.
      1. 

         sumedhvidwans (@sumedhvidwans)
         23rd November 2012, 16:36

         @keithcollantine Please don’t get me wrong. I was not saying that Massa has to do a Piquet Jr. or crash into Vettel or anything. All I mean is that Alonso needs people to fill in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th places so that he can win the championship and it would be great if Massa fills up one of the three.
6. 

   Hari (@hari)
   23rd November 2012, 14:54

   Unfortunately the data from dry sessions is not of much use if it is going to be wet GP.
   1. 

      baldgye (@baldgye)
      23rd November 2012, 14:57

      which is why I reeally hope its a wet race, as with little setup practice in wet conditions will make for a pretty exciting wet race
      1. 

         Hari (@hari)
         23rd November 2012, 15:06

         True that! But the teams can utilize the practice sessions to gain as much feedback as then can from the 2013 Pirelli tyres. Nice move by Pirelli to give the drivers a feel of next year’s tyres.
         1. 

            Jeanrien (@jeanrien)
            23rd November 2012, 15:41

            @hari yet that could be seen as an unfair advantage as Ferrari and RedBull have to concentrate on this race while the others can have a nice taste of new tyres. Even if I don’t think it can makes a huge difference between teams and I’m sure Ferrari and RedBull don’t care to much about next year right now …
            1. 

               Hari (@hari)
               23rd November 2012, 15:51

               Well, I don’t think they will be at a disadvantage. In FP1 for instance Massa was doing the job of testing the 2013 tyres and giving his feedback on them while Alonso did most of his laps on this year’s tyres (although he set his fastest lap on test tyres).
7. 

   marcoduf (@marcoduf)
   23rd November 2012, 15:05

   I think we all might be underestimating Vettel’s relative youth when predicting an easy Vettel Hamilton front row. This is probably the first time he’ll start with so many contenders behind him with nothing to lose. Granted, he can make pole easily, but during the race? He’s been rather bad under pressure in the past, this might be Alonso’s hope.
8. 

   Tomsk (@tomsk)
   23rd November 2012, 15:12

   Great programme design for this race!

   Only one more chance to win a poster of one with my predictions (my prediction is I won’t win) otherwise I’ll have to go and buy one.
9. 

   Traverse Mark Senior (@)
   23rd November 2012, 15:18

   BBC are currently showing a re-run of the 1993 Brazilian on the red button (freeview channel 301)
   1. 

      Traverse Mark Senior (@)
      23rd November 2012, 15:19

      *Brazilian GP
10. 

    Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
    23rd November 2012, 15:25

    DAT PICTURE… superb !
    1. 

       Fer no.65 (@fer-no65)
       23rd November 2012, 15:25

       I can’t open it, tho @keithcollantine
11. 

    BigAlex
    23rd November 2012, 15:47

    That race has already so many things that can decide winner even before: the rain, tyres strategy, the fact that is the last race (people that plays pool know how oddly hard is to sink the black ball most of yhe times), even some macumba can decide it.
12. 

    electrolite (@electrolite)
    23rd November 2012, 16:01

    I’m sincerely hoping the likes of Rosberg and Raikkonen were using the 2013 development tyres…
13. 

    AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
    23rd November 2012, 19:59

    I know this is a short lap, but the differences between the drivers are quite small, especially the top 11. What did Hamilton set his timeson?

Comments are closed.