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[Wax Free Vanilla]

McLaren’s impressive pace on the first day of testing in Jerez in February was generated by a mistake when the car was being put together in the factory, Martin Whitmarsh has confirmed.

A suspension component was fitted incorrectly to the new car – apparently it was simply the wrong way round – and the unexpectedly low ride height that resulted happened to work well at the Spanish track. Button set the pace that day, suggesting that the MP4-28 could be the car to beat.

However once the mistake was discovered that night, it was rectified, as the car could not be run in that state long term at other venue, especially with heavy fuel loads.

Since then the team has struggled to get close to that initial performance, leading rivals and other observers to wonder just why the McLaren had been so impressive out of the box.

 

[criesofthepast]

Now they're saying 12:30AM EST for Q, and the previously scheduled 2AM for the race.

http://motorsportstalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/16/qualifying-postponed-until-sunday-morning/related/

Ah ok. That's not live. Wonder if TSN here in Canada will air live or I have to find other means to watch live.

 

[Addnan]

Haha, is that real. Source?

edit: ah, read about the ride height difference on Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106081

 

[DrM]

Haha, is that real. Source?

edit: ah, read about the ride height difference on Autosport. http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/106081

Also on Adam Cooper blog

Simply no words...

Also, still wet in Melborune, 60% chance of rain for Q2 and Q3, race should be dry

 

[Psychotext]

That's epic, I love it.

 

[DBT85]

Can someone explain to me how a F1 team doesn't notice its car is running with a much lower ride height than expected?

 

[DrM]

Can someone explain to me how a F1 team doesn't notice its car is running with a much lower ride height than expected?

I think that main reason is in quite smooth tarmac in Jerez, track is almost bump-less. No wonder they already struggled in Barcelona and Melbourne is several magnitudes more bumpy than Jerez

 

[torontoml]

Ah ok. That's not live. Wonder if TSN here in Canada will air live or I have to find other means to watch live.

Tsn2 had a ticker during the rerun at 11 ET that the continuation would be live at 755 pm ET on TSN2.

 

[dubc35]

Wow, epic fail by McL

 

[criesofthepast]

Tsn2 had a ticker during the rerun at 11 ET that the continuation would be live at 755 pm ET on TSN2.

Shit I don't have tsn2. Bull!

Guess I'll find another way :/

 

[Addnan]

What happens if there continues to be heavy rain? Surely they can't delay the quali too much. it would get too close to the race.

 

[Berto]

Sometimes I just feel embarrassed to be a Mclaren supporter.

 

[Tempy]

Bloody hell, fell asleep 10 minutes before qualifying. Looks like I didn't miss much, qualifying and the race the same day means little to no sleep at all now.

Q1 was entertaining though, with all the bumps and spins. I know it's important to be relatively safe, but the conditions looked driveable near the end; I've certainly seen worse. But I guess it was getting darker in Australia...

 

[torontoml]

What happens if there continues to be heavy rain? Surely they can't delay the quali too much. it would get too close to the race.

I assume they would go with Q1 standings

 

[RukusProvider]

I assume they would go with Q1 standings

Should just go with the fastest laps of the weekend.

 

[DBT85]

Should just go with the fastest laps of the weekend.

Why use times from the weekend that were not part of qualifying when they can use the parts that were from at least one section of qualifying.

 

[Diablohead]

McLaren off to a good start as normal then :lol

Wonder if they will have the middle pack performance car this year.

Sometimes I just feel embarrassed to be a Mclaren supporter.

same here but I also find them hilarious at times with some of the shit that happens to them, I only stick with them because I used to follow them at a young age.

 

[kharma45]

Raining again

 

[jey_16]

Why use times from the weekend that were not part of qualifying when they can use the parts that were from at least one section of qualifying.

I read some where that they just revert to last years constructors championship standings for the grid positions....I.e red bull 1 & 2, Ferrari 3 & 4 etc

 

[Hackbert]

tipsy and tired.. bring on q2/3.... pls no more rain

 

[kharma45]

FIA source confirmed that there is no definitive way of setting the grid should qualifying not be completed

https://twitter.com/Formula1_com/status/313070678712659968

 

[DieH@rd]

FIA source confirmed that there is no definitive way of setting the grid should qualifying not be completed

https://twitter.com/Formula1_com/status/313070678712659968

HOW can this happen? They have one qualifying session completed. Just run the race with that.

 

[Addnan]

I'm guessing there is no precedent on what to do if qualification is not completed?

 

[kharma45]

HOW can this happen? They have one qualifying session completed. Just run the race with that.

That apparently is one suggestion, the other is just going with the car numbers... :\

FIA apparently wanted to introduce new rule this year whereby grid would be decided by previous session, so in this case, Q1 times. However the rule was vetoed by Red Bull who wanted it to be sorted by driver number.

 

[DieH@rd]

I'm guessing there is no precedent on what to do if qualification is not completed?

They could not predict heavy rain on Saturday and Sunday? Such weather pattern simply cannot happen?

 

[Adamm]

Still raining?

 

[paskowitz]

BBC is not live for this one, correct?

 

[Adamm]

BBC is not live for this one, correct?

Correct

 

[brotkasten]

Still raining?

Very windy and wet on track.

 

[Diablohead]

Found the BBC 2013 intro on youtube, so much better then sky's repeated intro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXBOxq1KqE

 

[DieH@rd]

SKY is saying its very wet, enough for full wet tires.

 

[moojito]

I think everyone should agree that a le mans start should happen if they can't finish qualifying.

 

[cmr-94]

Found the BBC 2013 intro on youtube, so much better then sky's repeated intro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXBOxq1KqE

I don't understand why they used some cgi?

 

[brotkasten]

Found the BBC 2013 intro on youtube, so much better then sky's repeated intro.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcXBOxq1KqE

Beautiful.

 

[Diablohead]

I don't understand why they used some cgi?

To make it awesome and dramatic, I think it works really well.

 

[RomanticHeroX]

If it's still too wet to run they should sort qualifying out with timed laps in the Medical Car.

 

[Goldrusher]

Vergne and Ricciardo ready to go.

 

[Bagerk]

I still find the Sky Sports one from last year my favourite. I watch it every now and again during the off season and it gets me pretty excited.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPO0ALcoLpM

 

[sammex]

Merc queued up now.

 

[Adamm]

Looks quite dry now

 

[navanman]

Toro Rosso out there 2 mins already.

 

[Stop It]

Going to go out and say Alonso for pole. The RBR is quick but for some reason I see him doing well this morning. McLaren to fail at Q2, alas

 

[Goldrusher]

Green light!

 

[Goldrusher]

Wait, why aren't the red T-cams red?

They're black?!

 

[moojito]

Wait, why aren't the red T-cams red?

They're black?!

fia say black is easier to see -_-

 

[CurlySaysX]

raining again.
Massa will struggle in these conditions.

 

[criesofthepast]

Come on let's get through this.

 

[moojito]

Rosberg looking really good so far.

 

[Goldrusher]

fia say black is easier to see -_-

Seems so...

To help distinguish between a team’s two cars, the onboard cameras which sit on top of the main rollover structure are coloured differently.
On the first car it must remain as it is supplied to the team (black) and on the second car it must be predominantly fluorescent yellow.

http://www.formula1.com/inside_f1/rules_and_regulations/sporting_regulations/8693/

 

[brotkasten]

Did no one tell Esteban that the unibrow looks bad?