Korean GP - Fighting talk
Yeongam, 5 October
Speaking after the end of this afternoon’s qualifying session, the Ferrari drivers and their technical director all spoke of the need to find something extra for tomorrow, to look at strategy, to give it their best shot. Even if Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will start tomorrow’s Korean Grand Prix from fifth and sixth places on the grid, with concerns about a drop in the F138’s usually strong race pace, there was no suggestion that anyone from the Maranello squad is getting downhearted or giving up. Their fighting talk shows everyone at Ferrari is still bent on chasing the flying Sebastian Vettel over the final six races.
And indeed it was the German who took pole position for Red Bull, lapping just over two tenths quicker than Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. In the other Red Bull, Mark Webber set the third quickest time, but of course he gets a ten place grid penalty here, which he picked up in Singapore after hitching a lift on Fernando’s F138 “taxi version.” That means everyone from fourth down to thirteenth place on this afternoon’s time sheet, shuffles up one place. Romain Grosjean in the Lotus and Nico Rosberg in the other Mercedes therefore now share row 2, with Fernando and Felipe promoted to fifth and sixth respectively, making an all-red third row.
Usually at this point, we look at the possibility of a great start and a strong long run pace allowing the Ferrari duo to gain an immediate advantage over the opening lap and beyond. Tomorrow, it seems that only the first of those two assets could come into play. Since Friday, the F138 has not been quite as potent as usual over long runs. But unlike Singapore for example, overtaking, with the help of the two DRS zones, does seem possible. Tyre degradation looks high, mainly on the Supersoft Option tyre, the Spanish Ferrari man lamenting his inability to push on it for an entire lap. When you lack pace, you often hope for rain and tomorrow, that might just turn out to be the ingredient that could level the playing field, as heavy downpours are forecast. However, if one assumes that the main advantage possessed of the championship leaders is excellent levels of downforce, then that still remains an asset in the wet. Therefore, a rain affected race is not guaranteed to improve Fernando’s and Felipe’s chances.
Speaking after the end of this afternoon’s qualifying session, the Ferrari drivers and their technical director all spoke of the need to find something extra for tomorrow, to look at strategy, to give it their best shot. Even if Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa will start tomorrow’s Korean Grand Prix from fifth and sixth places on the grid, with concerns about a drop in the F138’s usually strong race pace, there was no suggestion that anyone from the Maranello squad is getting downhearted or giving up. Their fighting talk shows everyone at Ferrari is still bent on chasing the flying Sebastian Vettel over the final six races.
And indeed it was the German who took pole position for Red Bull, lapping just over two tenths quicker than Lewis Hamilton in the Mercedes. In the other Red Bull, Mark Webber set the third quickest time, but of course he gets a ten place grid penalty here, which he picked up in Singapore after hitching a lift on Fernando’s F138 “taxi version.” That means everyone from fourth down to thirteenth place on this afternoon’s time sheet, shuffles up one place. Romain Grosjean in the Lotus and Nico Rosberg in the other Mercedes therefore now share row 2, with Fernando and Felipe promoted to fifth and sixth respectively, making an all-red third row.
Usually at this point, we look at the possibility of a great start and a strong long run pace allowing the Ferrari duo to gain an immediate advantage over the opening lap and beyond. Tomorrow, it seems that only the first of those two assets could come into play. Since Friday, the F138 has not been quite as potent as usual over long runs. But unlike Singapore for example, overtaking, with the help of the two DRS zones, does seem possible. Tyre degradation looks high, mainly on the Supersoft Option tyre, the Spanish Ferrari man lamenting his inability to push on it for an entire lap. When you lack pace, you often hope for rain and tomorrow, that might just turn out to be the ingredient that could level the playing field, as heavy downpours are forecast. However, if one assumes that the main advantage possessed of the championship leaders is excellent levels of downforce, then that still remains an asset in the wet. Therefore, a rain affected race is not guaranteed to improve Fernando’s and Felipe’s chances.
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