British GP Qualifying Thread

[m schumy]

Fingers crossed for a good Qualy, I`m optimistic Alonso could get pole :thumb

[Rob]

Yeah iam aswell, but still those ruddy RBR's look quick. Happy that Mcscums updates havent worked as they were hoping :rotfl they have had trouble with wind tunnel results before (last years car)

Even if Fernando gets P2 or P3 we are then in great position for the win. Felipe starts p3 or p4 then see him get second or third. Like see him win, but Fernando strong, and when he is like that, there no stopping him. We are very good this weekend, finally. FORZA FERRARI

[epiclyaddicted]

Our pace looks good, but I don't want to get ahead of myself. So I'm staying cautiously optimistic.

Forza Ferrari! :ferrarifl

[Rob]

we need this weekend to be good result. I try not to get hyped up much but it is hard, especially as Brit GP and be great to get win here.

[m schumy]

Force India on Twitter: "Update: Adrian's problem has now been diagnosed as a minor engine issue. No problems anticipated for qualifying."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt on Twitter: "Red Bull boss Horner says it was a broken catch that holds the nose box together and that Vettel's car is easily fixable - not a major issue."

[Rob]

mmmm yet another FRAGILE RBR issue. Fingers crossed it may happen again.

[m schumy]

Ferrari on Twitter :"The two Red Bulls are in front but Fernando and Felipe are just behind. Fernando could not set a time with soft tyres as we had a water leak and we called him in immediately in order to check the car and avoid any risk."

[Hermann]

I wish we could get something from Ferrari concerning Fernando's car.

[Suzie]

Feeling very positive - even if we don't get pole, we always make up places during the race.
Here's to a great quali - forza Ferrari!

[TheProdigalSon]

@hermann look at the post above you, it's just a water leak which isn't a big problem because they found it early. It's looking good boys and girls, hoping Alonso can stick it on the front row atleast with massa right there too.

[Nathan]

Vettel and Alonso on front row, followed by Webber and Massa on the second row - That's my guess

[Tommy_F]

Very encouraging FP3, we got the speed, let's see if we can finally challenge the RBs!

I hope the maccas stay where they are :P

Forza Ferrari!!

p.s.
No sign of rain, thankfully: http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/uk/silverstone.html#forecast

[replica]

I hope we will have both cars in top 4 after qualifying. If so, tomorrow we will fight with RBR for the win. Forza Ferrari !

[Kingdom Hearts]

Fernando is our man to beat the RedBulls, let's hope the fix the leak.

[m schumy]

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "There are plenty of former British drivers at Silverstone but 1992 world champion Nigel Mansell has a special reason to be here. Mansell is part of the stewards' panel this weekend and will run the rule over any controversial on-track incidents. He says: 'We had a busy time on Friday but I expect it to be straightforward. Having done the job as a driver you can give a different point of view. I think it's fabulous.' After he raced in last month's Le Mans, where he survived an early crash, and his stewarding role, he's already got another challenge lined up. Mansell and his two sons Greg and Leo are cycling 1100 miles in 13 days for charity UK Youth - to put that in perspective, the Tour de France is 2200 miles. Phew."

[vcs316]

We are looking good !!

Lets hope our bad luck streak ends this weekend :thumb

Here's to a podium finish this weekend... Forza Ferrari !!

[DBXdarkangel]

Is is just me or does Eddie Jordon need a good punch in the face!!!

[m schumy]

1212: Stat warning. It is worth pointing out that in recent years, it has not been that vital to set the pace in qualifying at Silverstone. The pole sitter has only won here four times in the last 15 races.

[m schumy]

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "A very interesting third practice session - topped by the Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber, who took a one-two here last year, with Lewis Hamilton seventh for McLaren with team-mate Jenson Button 12th. Vettel needs a quick fix on his front nose after a catch broke right and left his front wing scraping along the track. Team boss Christian Horner says it's not a major issue and can be easily fixed but the spectre of reliability problems won't be what Red Bull want as they aim to get the jump on championship leaders McLaren. On his rivals, Horner says: 'Ferrari look quick as do Renault and Mercedes. Maybe McLaren were sandbagging in that last session. It's important we close the gap to McLaren (in the championship) - we've given them too many points already.'"

[m schumy]

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "My seat in the media centre is right above the McLaren pit, with Ferrari just behind me. There is a huge crowd in the pit lane and the grandstands opposite are packed with fans, with banners supporting Hamilton, Button, Alonso, Webber, Virgin and, er, Alfa Romeo, who haven't competed as a team in F1 since 1985." :-D

[Mitra]

http://eplsite.com/stream1.html

[zeus2]

Alright guys Marc Gene says everything is alright with fernando's car, :thumb

[Stormsearcher]

@alonsos car- phew! big relief. I was wondering if his season of bad luck was continuing.
I dont expect us to take pole, but to have both cars in the top 5 is good enough. We can easily fight for the win. Our race craft is a lot better.
DO NOT count the lewser out.. he will do something and get that Mclaren up to top 5 position. I just hope he is behind both our cars.
Go Ferarri!!!!!!!!... lets make this weekend the one which changed the championships in our favour. :-)

[m schumy]

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "Fernando Alonso has been very clear about his ambitions for this weekend - knowing, but not yet admitting, that he has for various reasons let a significant number of points slip by this season, Ferrari's lead driver knows he needs to start scoring big in the next three races to strengthen his currently increasingly slippery foothold in the championship battle. Silverstone was not expected to be a strong race for Ferrari, but the car - particularly Alonso's - has looked to be Red Bull's biggest rival and he was just over 0.1secs off the pace in final practice. It might be a long shot, but can the Spaniard get in amongst the Red Bulls on the grid?"

[m schumy]

BBC F1 pundit David Coulthard: "Bringing Jenson and Lewis to the same team has really split the crowd because they want to see a British winner this weekend."

BBC Sport's Andrew Benson at Silverstone: "Fernando Alonso has been very clear about his ambitions for this weekend - knowing, but not yet admitting, that he has for various reasons let a significant number of points slip by this season, Ferrari's lead driver knows he needs to start scoring big in the next three races to strengthen his currently increasingly slippery foothold in the championship battle. Silverstone was not expected to be a strong race for Ferrari, but the car - particularly Alonso's - has looked to be Red Bull's biggest rival and he was just over 0.1secs off the pace in final practice. It might be a long shot, but can the Spaniard get in amongst the Red Bulls on the grid?"

BBC motorsport commentary star Murray Walker: "I was at the first Silverstone Grand Prix in 1950, and there were 120,000 people there as well, but I think this is a golden era for Formula 1. We haven't had a bad race this year - it was processional in Bahrain, but it wasn't boring, and every other race has been fantastic. My guess is Vettel will win, my hope is Webber will do very well, but watch the race, it's going to be terrific."

BBC Sport's Sarah Holt at Silverstone: "There are mixed views at BBC HQ about how McLaren will fare in qualifying after ditching their new diffuser. The team have gone back to their Valencia set-up - although both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button are still running with the modified front wing - and will have been frantically trying to get the most out of testing during this morning's third practice. Eddie Jordan reckons the U-turn on the updates won't affect McLaren adversely and says it could even given them the impetus to go quicker. Martin Brundle is less sure; he says the McLarens are struggling for pace and warns one of them may not even make it even into Q3. Hamilton and Button were both struggling to ease their stiffly-sprung car over the bumpy track in practice but no driver is more motivated than they are to put on a show this weekend."

Mercedes boss Ross Brawn on Michael Schumacher: "Michael is spending a lot of time working with the team discussing the areas we need to work on and improve on. He has been through tough periods in his career and knows that you can't panic but must look at things logically and put the fixes in place for the future."

[m schumy]

This one`s funny :lol


Former world champion Nigel Mansell is not happy with EJ's outfit. Mansell is part of the stewards' panel this weekend and he warns EJ that "I am actually going to fine you for coming out in shoes like that". Harsh.

[m schumy]

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh: "We had probably 20 upgrade parts, and we've kept six or seven on, but in truth we're probably on the back foot to Red Bull. We'll do our best to catch up this afternoon."

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner: "Practice has gone pretty well for us, both drivers are pretty happy so far. [On Vettel's nose-cone problem] We did what we call a 'hot swap' between nose boxes, and one of the connections may not have locked properly, and the bump at Turn 11 may have been enough to dislodge it. Luckily we got away with it."

[natural_051]

http://eplsite.com/stream1.html

doesn't work for me... other links?

[Mitra]

my BBC stream died :(

[Hermann]

What is Sutil doing up there? I knew it- in the end we will be fighting with the Force India!

[gvsnraju85]

Alonso P3 after Q1.....Vettel andWebber do it again but hw did that Hamburger get to P5?????

Buck up Massa:thumb

[ferrari4life]

Hope Alonso doesnt try to force the issue and bin the car. If we are fast during practice and q then we should plan on the race rather than getting q1

[gvsnraju85]

Jean with Ross Brawn.....rare...after a long time...looks like he came personally to make sure things dont take an ugly turn like the last weekend :Hmm

[m schumy]

Qualy 1 Results

http://i30.tinypic.com/2wn6b1k.jpg

[gvsnraju85]

What is Sutil doing up there? I knew it- in the end we will be fighting with the Force India!

U cant blame a relatively new team for doing well...

[gvsnraju85]

what is this??????????
Ham P1???????????????:furious

[Grinsomx]

Mchamster will be feeling it tomorrow, They are the only ones on softs

[gvsnraju85]

Ferrari 1-2 wohoooooooooooooooooooooooohohohohoho
.....


forzaaaaaaaaaaaaa Ferrarrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

[Destructo]

Seems we're able to catch first two rows, hope we'll beat Maccas, it would be more than enough to make my day. :)

Anyway, any links anyone?

[Grinsomx]

http://www.firstrow.net/sports/motosport.html

not in english but at least you can watch

[m schumy]

http://www.firstrow.net/sports/motosport.html

not in english but at least you can watch

Thanks! :thumb

[replica]

RBR are very strong, Ferrari next best......I hope 3-4 for Ferrari today in qualifying in the "worst" scenario :)

[Grinsomx]

mwuhahahaha, Button p14

[gvsnraju85]

Button our of Q3.......that just made my day so much more sweet.......

[replica]

Button 14th place........super......one out :)

[m schumy]

Button 14th :-E

[DIEK]

De la Rosa q3, awesome performance! :clap

[gvsnraju85]

Can the Prancing Horse catch the charging bulls with wings?????

[ElTigro]

Uncle Ron's face was PRICELESS!

[replica]

Half a second for RBR in front of Ferrari :(

[Grinsomx]

now for position, come on guys. give us a 3-4 at the very least today

[m schumy]

Qualy 2 Results

http://i27.tinypic.com/ixgq49.jpg

[gvsnraju85]

Can anyone explain how this stuff works....P5 in Q1 and out out of contention on Q2 for Force India???????? I am at loss of reasons.....plz sm1 xplain?????

[epiclyaddicted]

Uncle Ron's face was PRICELESS!

This. :clap

[NJB13]

Great effort so far 3 and 4 :-)
Podium, dare I say 1 2 is calling

Jammy Buffoon :rotfl
Pity McHamliar made it thru

[gvsnraju85]

it seems Petrov has a mechanical issue

[Grinsomx]

Can anyone explain how this stuff works....P5 in Q1 and out out of contention on Q2 for Force India???????? I am at loss of reasons.....plz sm1 xplain?????

in Q1 the top teams usually dont have to push too hard, they just let their drivers put in a safe lap, thats how the slower teams can be higher up the order and fall back once Q2 starts

[m schumy]

InsideFerrari

Felipe is going out on a set of used soft while Fernando has two sets of new available

[m schumy]

This. :clap

+1 :thumb

[Grinsomx]

come on sunshine, kick that hamster off P4

[replica]

wow....under 1:30 for RBR:-E

[m schumy]

1347: Webber was the fastest man in Q2 with Vettel, Alonso, Massa, Schumacher, Rosberg, Hamilton, Barrichello, De la Rosa and Kubica also making it through. A disappointed Button says his car is "undriveable".

BBC pundit David Coulthard: "Jenson delivered all the apexes, so maybe there's been some set-up changes which haven't delivered, but clearly the car is struggling on overall downforce."

[m schumy]

McLaren's Jenson Button on BBC One: "This morning the car felt really good. I personally think there's something wrong, the car was undriveable. That's it really. I don't know if I've lost rear downforce since this morning, but it's pretty undriveable. This weekend has been tricky, but that wasn't normal."

[m schumy]

BBC F1 commentator David Croft: "In the run-up to the Grand Prix it was all Button and Hamilton, Senna and Prost. But the analogy isn't in their relationship, it is in their driving style. Jenson likes everything set up precise and accurate so he can go out and do the best he can do. Lewis is more like Senna enjoying the raw speed and not minding the car sliding about underneath him a bit."

[DBXdarkangel]

WAS RUBENS DOING??? Nando will be kicking off about that and so he should.

[ferrari4life]

what is massa doing p7.. very dissapointing

[m schumy]

Red Bull 1-2 again, Alonso 3rd so still hope for a podium tomorrow

[replica]

bad luck for Alonso every time in his fast laps :-( Massa dissapointing

[Grinsomx]

a bit dissapointed by massa's position but a good change for Alonso tomorrow, hope he can challenge for the win

[NJB13]

Great job Ferrari and Fernando, P3 and the good side. Not too bad by Felipe, would have liked to see him a little further up, but, we know we are better in race trim. Looking good for tomorrow.
Forza Ferrari

[gvsnraju85]

That lap by Vetter was AWE-Some.....how do the bulls do it???????what do they have a rocket engine????or do they mix RedBull with the petrol????i think a raging bull on a high caffine diet is a deadly combo!!!!!
I am now truly frustrated????wat has happened to Massa????? he needs to drink some redbull before getting into the car i guess

[gvsnraju85]

I guess we can blame traffic for Alonso's position again.......I guess it cant get unluckier than this for our team

[Hermann]

Told ya all so. RB is the Brawn of 2010, there is no real competition here. F1= WWC (world wrestling championship)

[m schumy]

Qualy 3 Results

http://i31.tinypic.com/p5b81.jpg

[Aussie]

well done Alonso at leat he did better them lamo

[aroutis]

If we want to talk seriously bout WCC then we need to admit that we need 2 (that's two) drivers for that. Massa is a clear disappointment as things go. Not "bit", not "a little" but a CLEAR disappointment, GP after GP and this is something that needs fixing.

Other than that, great job from Alonso, hopefully a podium tomorrow, why not even P1 ;)

[Aussie]

man i want to shove vettels finger and shove it

[KurtC]

was a very good quali, let's hope for a good race and FAIR one this time... is good to see the Ferrari up there again, with some problems with traffic but i'm sure Alonso will do a good race if there's nothing funny again, i was hoping for a 3-4 with Massa but i don't know what happened to him, is time to make up and get some points now Forza Ferrari!! oh and nice lap by Vettel Red Bull still the team to beat good job!!

[DBXdarkangel]

And were was Button....Muhahaha

[gvsnraju85]

Any possibilty that the Mercedes are favouring Nico......MSC did not come out in Q3 till about 4 mins were leftand the result is Nicko is 5th and MSC is 10th.... or am o getting it wrong....what kind of strategy was that??

[Stormsearcher]

An expected result to qualifying. Thot massa would do better. After q1 and 2 didnt expect lewis to pull out such a good lap.
Unfortunate for nando thou, his time could have improved, though i doubt he would have made up 8 tenths to pip webber or vettel.
Its a good place to start the race with, we should keep our fingers crossed. Massa can easily jump a few spots at the start... so hoping for a good result tomorrow. Its been a long time since we've had reason to rejoice.

[m schumy]

Ferrari on Twitter: "Felipe had no grip in his second run - a pity because after the first sector he was very quick."

[Voy]

This Red Bull domination is boring. They are so much ahead in qualis, it's ridiculous. I don't think we had the same domination race after race in any given season (don't shoot me, I didn't bother to look up the stats, just guess work). I don't have to watch qualifications to know pretty much the results. :(

[vcs316]

Not bad, we need to concentrate on the race. Try to jump the red bulls at the start and put in some fast laps early. Hope Massa does well to jump the hamster and keep him behind all afternoon..

[dfunk257]

Alonso did what he had 2 do which was get the maximum position, 3rd cause there was no way he was gonna beat the Red Bulls 2day, but Felipe, ?

[Kingdom Hearts]

Good quali overall, I have a lot of hopes for tomorrow with Alonso. De La Rosa fantastic this weekend.

[vcs316]

This Red Bull domination is boring. They are so much ahead in qualis, it's ridiculous. I don't think we had the same domination race after race in any given season (don't shoot me, I didn't bother to look up the stats, just guess work). I don't have to watch qualifications to know pretty much the results. :(

Ferrari 2004 season (18 races)

12 pole positions

15 wins

Ah, the good old days :-)

[RED]

Never mind the qualifying. We should discuss what EJ was wearing. :-E

[Tifosi]

This Red Bull domination is boring. They are so much ahead in qualis, it's ridiculous. I don't think we had the same domination race after race in any given season (don't shoot me, I didn't bother to look up the stats, just guess work). I don't have to watch qualifications to know pretty much the results. :(


Sorry mate, we were boring in 2002 and 2004. Much worse than RB are this year.

It was jusr easier then cos we support Ferrari :lol

[Voy]

Ferrari 2004 season (18 races)

12 pole positions

15 wins

Ah, the good old days :-)

Aaaaaah, yes, thank you, mate, for reminding me...But still, Red Bulls are better so far, and the gap in lap times in Q3 is cosmic!

Actually, I have that Ferrari on my desk till now with the miniature steering wheel of F2004.

You shouldn't have reminded me, it made me even sadder... :-s

[Voy]

Sorry mate, we were boring in 2002 and 2004. Much worse than RB are this year.

It was jusr easier then cos we support Ferrari :lol

Haha, spot on, Tifosi :thumb

[epiclyaddicted]

Sorry mate, we were boring in 2002 and 2004. Much worse than RB are this year.

It was jusr easier then cos we support Ferrari :lol

Oh yeah, the good old days. We OWNED 2002/2004, Red Bull can only dream of that level of dominance!

But is Eddie's wardrobe going downhill every weekend?! :-E

[vcs316]

Aaaaaah, yes, thank you, mate, for reminding me...But still, Red Bulls are better so far, and the gap in lap times in Q3 is cosmic!

Actually, I have that Ferrari on my desk till now with the miniature steering wheel of F2004.

You shouldn't have reminded me, it made me even sadder... :-s

I agree, their Q3 performance is phenomenal. I have a 2006 (248F1) 1:10 scale model on my desk.

I just hope we jump them at the start or during the pit stop and take the win. This is where strategy counts mate :-)

[Mirage]

Damn, redbull were sandbagging all along. On the bright side, Alonso was held up on his final run so the difference is only 0.5, and that could vanish in race trim as we have seen before, Im just glad the traffic didnt cost him p3

What happened with massa? I know he only had 1 set of softs, for Q3 but I wonder if he had traffic on his final run or was that his true pace. Pretty poor. If Alonso had a clear second run the gap would have been 1 second between them.

[m schumy]

1428: Lewis Hamilton is pretty relaxed as he is interviewed by Jake and the boys. However he realises the size of the task that lies ahead this weekend. "In terms of pure pace, it's impossible to touch Red Bull at the moment," he says.

[Tifosi]

Oh yeah, the good old days. We OWNED 2002/2004, Red Bull can only dream of that level of dominance!

But is Eddie's wardrobe going downhill every weekend?! :-E

Eddie's wardrobe - now there's a scary thought. Personally, i'd be happy for him to wear anything so song as Christian Horner stopped passing comments on his shirts like it's at all funny in any way, shape or form - which it's not!

[Voy]

I agree, their Q3 performance is phenomenal. I have a 2006 (248F1) 1:10 scale model on my desk.

I just hope we jump them at the start or during the pit stop and take the win. This is where strategy counts mate :-)

Well, to be honest, I would prefer us nailing 1-2 in quali, then vanishing in the thin air right after the start of the race! :lou That's my preferred strategy!

At least, from time to time :-)

[vcs316]

Well, to be honest, I would prefer us nailing 1-2 in quali, then vanishing in the thin air right after the start of the race! :lou That's my preferred strategy!

At least, from time to time :-)

With the updates coming in for the next 2 races we might just nail a 1-2 in quali. So I am cautiously optimistic at this point :-)

[Becool70]

This Red Bull domination is boring. They are so much ahead in qualis, it's ridiculous. I don't think we had the same domination race after race in any given season (don't shoot me, I didn't bother to look up the stats, just guess work). I don't have to watch qualifications to know pretty much the results. :(

I agree these RBulls always tweak something on their last run, what is it? Is it legal? I do not know but one thing is clear by the way Alonso looks at the RBull after every quali something smells fishy.. I am starting to feel that the FIA are turning a blind eye on the ride height issue with RBR.. Where there is smoke..... I hope the RBull cat comes out of the bag soon, this is not normal at all....

[Becool70]

Congrats to ALonso for proving why he is worth all the $$$$ Ferrari payed for him.

OK what freakin "switch" do the RBull drivers flick to for under 1 min 30 secs??? I am not a mechanic but this is total BS!! I am starting to think the FIA if favoring the RBR team... no matter what other teams do they are always quicker in Q3 on the last run!!! Its becoming very obvious whats going on and it freakin STINKS!!!

[Effone]

LOL

They took the new front wing off Webber and gave it to Vettel.. I'd be soooo mad!!

[Hornet]

Unfortunately nothing new here.

If its McLaren, then we will have every chance to grab the win, but we're back to Red Bull dominance which will be tough for us or anyone to beat them really.
I hope at least Alonso will be able to hold off Lewis and win a podium spot. Maybe 2nd place isn't impossible too. Lets see

And I hope Massa will do well too. We should at least give the WCC title a shot

[Nova]

Well Alonso has Webber AND Ham to contend w/at the start...If he gets thru the start unscathed he should be ok
on race pace...
I did hope that Massa would be a bit higher at the start..he always seems to get into trouble back there....

[dbristol91]

:HmmWhy did Alonso look at RB car after qual? Can he smell something fishy with those two cars? Whatever it is, it's working good for RB team every time on the last run, last Q3 for qualification. And Alonso knows it! He is taking F10 to the extreme like no other driver could do...Vettel and Webber are not as good as Alonso is, but their team is cheating somewhere. It's crystal clear.

[Agron]

:HmmWhy did Alonso look at RB car after qual? Can he smell something fishy with those two cars? Whatever it is, it's working good for RB team every time on the last run, last Q3 for qualification. And Alonso knows it! He is taking F10 to the extreme like no other driver could do...Vettel and Webber are not as good as Alonso is, but their team is cheating somewhere. It's crystal clear.Every time those cars return to their garage there are several mechanics covering every new part, so I guess that drivers are instructed to take a look at those parts when the other team can't defend their secrets XD
Plus it's kind of a tradition.

Great qualifying from Fernando, too bad that Mercedes got in his way, it could have endangered his P3 considering he was doing a very good lap up to that point. Massa wasn't too brilliant today but I'm sure he can climb several positions during the race, lets hope both of them reach the podium and Vettel and Ham fall a few positions each.

[hogo]

If we want to talk seriously bout WCC then we need to admit that we need 2 (that's two) drivers for that. Massa is a clear disappointment as things go. Not "bit", not "a little" but a CLEAR disappointment, GP after GP and this is something that needs fixing.

Other than that, great job from Alonso, hopefully a podium tomorrow, why not even P1 ;)

Yeah, if he loses positions to RedBull/McCheaters it is ok in my eyes but he's losing positions to Renault/Mercedes or even other slower cars. He just can't do a perfect lap in Q3 and I wonder why...

[Rob]

Well, to be honest, I would prefer us nailing 1-2 in quali, then vanishing in the thin air right after the start of the race! :lou That's my preferred strategy!

At least, from time to time :-)

yeah they were the good old days. We do have some fantastic updates coming within next month so... you never know.

As for today, well. Fernando again showing what he can do when the car is where he wants it. Great all through qualie. May have pace to stay with RB's, but we are ALOT kinder to our tyres, so that may help us alot. Felipe was going well upto Q3. May of struggled with the lack of grip and wind conditions. But 7th, isnt bad at all. He will have good race and result, just what he needs.

Hope lewis doesnt get all over excited on opening lap and do CRAZY moves and overtakes to ruin other teams race.

[epiclyaddicted]

I agree these RBulls always tweak something on their last run, what is it? Is it legal? I do not know but one thing is clear by the way Alonso looks at the RBull after every quali something smells fishy.. I am starting to feel that the FIA are turning a blind eye on the ride height issue with RBR.. Where there is smoke..... I hope the RBull cat comes out of the bag soon, this is not normal at all....

Relax mate, nothing abnormal at all. Alonso was just looking at Red Bull's exhaust system after Quali, pretty normal I'd imagine, considering that Ferrari are trying to emulate that system. As for why they are so quick, it's clear that their car has better aerodynamic efficiency than any other car on the grid. Which is why, on tracks like Istanbul and Silverstone, they look so strong, particularly on low fuel.

And I don't think the FIA is turning a blind eye to anything. Back in the Schumacher/Brawn/Byrne/Todt days, Ferrari were the ones constantly accused by the other teams of favouritism from the FIA. The fact is, Red Bull just did a better job in building the fastest car on the grid, out of the box, and we are just having to play catch up now. I understand your frustration, but we just have to accept the fact that Red Bull started this season with the fastest car, and the engineers at Maranello just have to try as best as they can to catch them up and hopefully surpass them in the not too distant future.

P.S. You might remember, back in 2004 for instance, by this point of the season, we've had the Constructors' Championship well in the bag and Michael had almost sewn up the Driver's Championship as well. Red Bull can only dream of that level of dominance. So just be positive. We are getting there. :-)

[KurtC]

Relax mate, nothing abnormal at all. Alonso was just looking at Red Bull's exhaust system after Quali, pretty normal I'd imagine, considering that Ferrari are trying to emulate that system. As for why they are so quick, it's clear that their car has better aerodynamic efficiency than any other car on the grid. Which is why, on tracks like Istanbul and Silverstone, they look so strong, particularly on low fuel.

And I don't think the FIA is turning a blind eye to anything. Back in the Schumacher/Brawn/Byrne/Todt days, Ferrari were the ones constantly accused by the other teams of favouritism from the FIA. The fact is, Red Bull just did a better job in building the fastest car on the grid, out of the box, and we are just having to play catch up now. I understand your frustration, but we just have to accept the fact that Red Bull started this season with the fastest car, and the engineers at Maranello just have to try as best as they can to catch them up and hopefully surpass them in the not too distant future.

P.S. You might remember, back in 2004 for instance, by this point of the season, we've had the Constructors' Championship well in the bag and Michael had almost sewn up the Driver's Championship as well. Red Bull can only dream of that level of dominance. So just be positive. We are getting there. :-)

well said mate, Red Bull indeed have a great car in terms of aerodynamics, this kind of track suit them perfectly, we shouldn't be trying to find where's the cheat ( we all know who are the real cheaters), i'm glad with this quali, Ferrari has improved in the last races and Alonso is doing a great job, if not for the bad luck but i'm positive about the upcoming results Forza Ferrari!!!!

[Red Rocket]

:HmmWhy did Alonso look at RB car after qual? Can he smell something fishy with those two cars? Whatever it is, it's working good for RB team every time on the last run, last Q3 for qualification. And Alonso knows it! He is taking F10 to the extreme like no other driver could do...Vettel and Webber are not as good as Alonso is, but their team is cheating somewhere. It's crystal clear.


MS use to do the same thing after qualifying would stand and look at the others car. I don't know about cheat but I think they just have figured something out that others haven't.

But for ever reason Red Bull doesn't annoy me as a team as Mclaren does.

Tomorrows race will come down to tire management if Ferrari get a good start and can stay in touch and lap latter than the opposition than it can be quite positive. Also, we do need a change in luck.

[Agron]

If we want to talk seriously bout WCC then we need to admit that we need 2 (that's two) drivers for that. Massa is a clear disappointment as things go. Not "bit", not "a little" but a CLEAR disappointment, GP after GP and this is something that needs fixing.

Other than that, great job from Alonso, hopefully a podium tomorrow, why not even P1 ;)When the opposition has taken 9/10 possible poles with +0.5s margin, and our team none, you can't really blame the drivers for being unable to win the WDC or WCC. Only RB drivers mistakes give the false impression that the Ferrari drivers are to blame for not doing everything perfectly and just barely matching opponents that have been doing huge mistakes; the moment RB get their act together there's no longer any chance at all.

[Brakefade]

MS use to do the same thing after qualifying would stand and look at the others car. I don't know about cheat but I think they just have figured something out that others haven't.

But for ever reason Red Bull doesn't annoy me as a team as Mclaren does.

Tomorrows race will come down to tire management if Ferrari get a good start and can stay in touch and lap latter than the opposition than it can be quite positive. Also, we do need a change in luck.

This is when having a driver that understands a F1 car counts. Someone like Kimi wouldn't know what to look for, or even care for that matter.

[aroutis]

When the opposition has taken 9/10 possible poles with +0.5s margin, and our team none, you can't really blame the drivers for being unable to win the WDC or WCC. Only RB drivers mistakes give the false impression that the Ferrari drivers are to blame for not doing everything perfectly and just barely matching opponents that have been doing huge mistakes; the moment RB get their act together there's no longer any chance at all.If you refer to Felippe since I clearly feel that Alonso did the best he could, I feel that Felippe could do better, comparing his performance to Alonso's .

That alone has nothing to do to RBR, McLaren, or anyone else, it has to do with the same car and his performance compared to his team mate.

[mad_ani]

Congrats to ALonso for proving why he is worth all the $$$$ Ferrari payed for him.

OK what freakin "switch" do the RBull drivers flick to for under 1 min 30 secs??? I am not a mechanic but this is total BS!! I am starting to think the FIA if favoring the RBR team... no matter what other teams do they are always quicker in Q3 on the last run!!! Its becoming very obvious whats going on and it freakin STINKS!!!

Well, there is no switch but a preferential setting to keep the mass flow out of the exhaust constant by retartded ignition..it is perfectly within the rules of FIA..check out scrbsf1 for more pics..
Just becoz RER have a faster car doesnt mean that its fishy..its more due to Newey's aero knowledge...if you do observer, RB5 was faster without the DDD or KERS last year for the first part of the season...Ferrari have been lagging a bit in aerodyn side...but the updates are coming nonetheless...we brought out 2nd new fromt wing compared to Renault which was 9th FW design...
glad we have a car 3rd and 7th...

[MS7XWDC]

Red Bull look unstoppable this year !!

[996 GT1 Lover]

It's good to see Alonso being up there in third. He looked very relaxed (aside from when he was blocked by Barrichello), which is good to see and is promising for the weekend/rest of the season.

I'm fine with Red Bull always being on the front row as long as something goes wrong and we can pick up the wins, as in Bahrain. :-D They seem to be cursed where they often have something go wrong in the race, whether it's their drivers making dumb decisions or parts failing. Fingers crossed for a Bahrain repeat. :-P