Woot! Sports! Woot!

Oh wait, it's just auto racing.

I looked, and for the oval-track people, 'Tilkedrome' is F1's equivalent to the 1.5-mile track. Bland corners, bland location, no or next to no elevation change, drivers not punished for mistakes (e.g. tarmac run-off areas; you can leave the track for some distance and easily recover).

Okay, SOMEONE is bound to die this weekend.

On a conference call watching the race. Good end to my work week.

Actual race coverage starts in 45 minutes.

First time I've gotten to watch a Formula 1 race live all season. It's just not the same on replay - don't care if it's a boring little Tilkedrome, I'm genuinely excited to get to watch one live.

*A SECOND F1 race in the US...Fark yeah!
*On a street circuit...Fark yeah!
*In New Jersey. Fark.

penguin31: *A SECOND F1 race in the US...Fark yeah!
*On a street circuit...Fark yeah!
*In New Jersey. Fark.

*With the NYC skyline as a backdrop...Fark Yeah!

One of the Ferraris is starting on the hard tyres!?

Vettel 4 tenths faster than anyone else, anyone ever mentioned he's scary good?

King Something: One of the Ferraris is starting on the hard tyres!?

Or not. Nobody ahead of Paul DiResta is starting on hards.

Gosling: I looked, and for the oval-track people, 'Tilkedrome' is F1's equivalent to the 1.5-mile track. Bland corners, bland location, no or next to no elevation change, drivers not punished for mistakes (e.g. tarmac run-off areas; you can leave the track for some distance and easily recover).

I think we have seen in the last few weeks that not slamming into a wall and bouncing back into the pack is a good idea. /snark

Drivers are still punished for leaving the track, but its position and not shredding the car.

And the joys of having F1 run the coverage, something happens and it's a car in the back and you're hoping for a replay? Screw you, we're not showing replays.

Anyone got a good online feed?

Norfolking Chance: Gosling: I looked, and for the oval-track people, 'Tilkedrome' is F1's equivalent to the 1.5-mile track. Bland corners, bland location, no or next to no elevation change, drivers not punished for mistakes (e.g. tarmac run-off areas; you can leave the track for some distance and easily recover).

I think we have seen in the last few weeks that not slamming into a wall and bouncing back into the pack is a good idea. /snark

Drivers are still punished for leaving the track, but its position and not shredding the car.

or, you know, dying.

Oh so we got a replay, that's a nice change.

A Tilke-designed circuit *with a hill*? Really? Color me amazed. This really changes my entire worldview.

Norfolking Chance: but its position and not shredding the car.

You could put gravel traps instead of paved run off areas the size of a football field next to the turns. You hit a gravel trap, unless you are real good with the throttle, your tires slip and you get stuck and you're done for the day.

So this Vettel guy is like the Jimmie Johnson of F1?

/First F1 race.
//Not snark, genuinely curious.

AnRogueViking: So this Vettel guy is like the Jimmie Johnson of F1?

Better. You remember back when Jeff Gordon was winning races one after the other? It's like that, but more so.

desertgeek: And Vettel isn't benefiting from a contrived "playoff" for his titles, either.

And that.

RogueViking: So this Vettel guy is like the Jimmie Johnson of F1?

/First F1 race.
//Not snark, genuinely curious.

Vettel is a very good driver and he is in the best car so he has just walked away with the title. Their are questions about his ability to race but when he is upfront he is very fast.

Next season with the banning of blowing the exhaust over the rear aerodynamic areas how good the car is might change, but Red Bull have Adrian Newey as chief designer who is one of the best enginers F1 has every had. F1 is very much a team sport with the back room staff as important as the driver

Appreciate all the answers. I'll try to avoid filling the thread with inane newb questions from here on out.

RogueViking: Appreciate all the answers. I'll try to avoid filling the thread with inane newb questions from here on out.

The only stupid question is the one you want answered, but don't ask.

RogueViking: Appreciate all the answers. I'll try to avoid filling the thread with inane newb questions from here on out.

No, it's fine. keep the newb questions coming. Maybe we'll even be able to convince you of the many thousands of ways that F1 kicks NASCAR's ass.

And thanks to pit stops Vettel is up to a 24 second lead. So he can pit and come out in first.

Has Red Bull done a sub 3 second stop yet this year?

papa_chulo: Has Red Bull done a sub 3 second stop yet this year?

Not that I know if, but if anyone can do it, they can.

Okay then two more to start.

1) What's with the drivers starting the race on different tires (hard vs. soft); apparently there's some choice some drivers can make?

2) The "race stewards" ruled no penalties on the first lap crash. What does it take to get a penalty and what sort of penalties do you get for what?

And bonus question: To what extent do races come down to pit strategy. Is it incredibly important to try and only make one stop versus two?

Anyone else miss when they would pit for gas as well as tires?

Lewis x Felipe @ turn.... 5, I think?

RogueViking: 1) What's with the drivers starting the race on different tires (hard vs. soft); apparently there's some choice some drivers can make?

Different amounts of grip and in theory tire life. Tires made from a softer rubber compound will have more grip than hard compound tires, but won't last as long. At least in theory they won't last as long.

2) The "race stewards" ruled no penalties on the first lap crash. What does it take to get a penalty and what sort of penalties do you get for what?

At the start of a race, to get a penalty generally speaking you have to do something particularly stupid. Given how bunched up cars can be going into the first corner, as long as you're not being a complete idiot there's no penalty. The most common penalty is a drive through penalty where the driver has to drive down pit lane. Which given the speed limit on pit lane means you lose a lot of space on the track. Other penalties exist but are very rare. And a driver can be penalized after a race by losing whatever points he's scored, if he has scored points.

WhyteRaven74: Anyone else miss when they would pit for gas as well as tires?

I do, but I think it sets a good precedent for when the sport eventually goes electric. A fixed fuel supply can be analogous to a finite supply of battery power. I'm sure it's years away, but electric would be an interesting advancement for motorsports and would fuel some serious tricke down innovation to the real world.

papa_chulo: but I think it sets a good precedent for when the sport eventually goes electric

I miss the years of having to guess who took on how much gas to start the race and the strategy of partially topping off versus topping off all the way and all the other fun stuff.

RogueViking: Okay then two more to start.

1) What's with the drivers starting the race on different tires (hard vs. soft); apparently there's some choice some drivers can make?

The teams get 12 sets of dry tyres to be used over the weekend split between the prime (hard) and option (soft). These have to be used for the 3 practice sessions and qualifing.
The hard tyres last much longer (around 15 to 20 laps longer) but are much slower (can be a secound a lap slower). The soft are quicker but don't last longer so you will need to pit and change them more often. You must via the rules use at least one of each during the race. This is where the tactics come in as when do you use to fast tyres and when do you use the slower ones.

2) The "race stewards" ruled no penalties on the first lap crash. What does it take to get a penalty and what sort of penalties do you get for what?

To get a penalty you have to do some thing to cause a crash or breach one of the regulations. Most of the time crashes are called racing incidents and no one was realy at fault. What you are allowed to do can be complicated (for example if some one is trying to pass you you can make one move to stop them).

And bonus question: To what extent do races come down to pit strategy. Is it incredibly important to try and only make one stop versus two?

To do a one, two or three stopper is the great question. You must do at least one stop to change tyres in a dry race and what you do is a realy complicated set of variables made even worse by when the cars around you pit.

papa_chulo: Maybe we'll even be able to convince you of the many thousands of ways that F1 kicks NASCAR's ass.

This I'm actually already pretty much sold on. Some more passing would be nice, but you have to love turning left and right. Also, not having the race stopped every time somebody wrecks is pretty awesome. As is the lack of commercials in race coverage. And the commentary being generally intelligent.

NASCAR wins on soap opera BS, but this is, in fact, superior racing.

My god Massa got the drive through. Is this a strange bizzaro world were Lewis is given the benifit of the doubt and not assumed to be at fault with everything?


PS Petrov just cought a real tank slapper. Well done that man.

WhyteRaven74: papa_chulo: but I think it sets a good precedent for when the sport eventually goes electric

I miss the years of having to guess who took on how much gas to start the race and the strategy of partially topping off versus topping off all the way and all the other fun stuff.

I think I've heard stories of teams using people dressed as photographers watching the cars being lifted off the transporters to try to get a jump on how the competition's fuel was loaded.

Massa's out - suspension