By DC
David, em Nurburgring, dando uma voltinha com um Mercedes...
Deixo a nova coluna de David Coulthard:
German Grand Prix 2011: McLaren must deliver or wave goodbye to F1 title chances
Why? Because while all teams had to compromise their set-ups to allow for the one-off diffuser regulations at Silverstone two weekends ago, some were harder hit than others. McLaren, in particular, claimed to have lost 0.7-0.8 seconds per lap to Red Bull and Ferrari at Silverstone.
Off the back of that talk, everyone has come here to the Nurburgring expecting to see a return to the order we saw in the early part of the season. In other words Red Bull at the front with Ferrari and McLaren vying to push them hardest.
However, McLaren’s performance in practice on Friday — never the most reliable form guide but a guide nonetheless — was not hugely encouraging, with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button seventh and 11th fastest respectively.
McLaren need to get their form back, and quickly, or they can kiss this season goodbye. They made some big claims coming into this race and they need to deliver.
Who’s Hot?
Mark Webber was stung by the imposition of team orders at Silverstone but he fought his corner and seems confident and relaxed now. He is in a good vein of form and is quick here, as we saw in 2009 when he won his first ever grand prix.
I think he revels in the kind of public support he received following the British Grand Prix and it will be very telling to see if he can use that momentum this weekend.
Who’s not?
Jarno Trulli at Team Lotus has been replaced by reserve driver Karun Chandhok for this race. If Jarno, who is now 37, is not enjoying it any more it would be better if he made way for someone who did. I don’t see his results, and by extension his motivation, improving significantly from this season to next.
The Circuit
Although the Nurburgring is a classic modern-day circuit, with plenty of run-off, its proximity to the old Nordschleife — a 23km epic, composed of more than 170 corners and dubbed ‘The Green Hell’ by Sir Jackie Stewart — lends the whole area an aura.
Nestled in the Eifel mountains, visually and geographically the Nordschleife is close to Spa-Francorchamps.
I was on it filming for the BBC on Thursday (any member of the public can pay to race their cars on it) and it is still a hair-raising experience. First Mercedes motorsport chief Norbert Haug and then Nico Rosberg drove me around in a massive AMG Mercedes and it was like sheet ice out there; very slippery.
It certainly gave me renewed appreciation of what risks the drivers used to run back in the day. It is an unbelievable track; so many undulations, so many blind brows, so many big kerbs. I’m thankful I raced in the era I did to be honest.
The ‘Ring does not carry much of that danger factor over but I like the circuit. I was on pole here in 1995 and had many great battles; there are opportunities to overtake, notably into Turn One and the chicane; and with the regulations this season it should be extra-exciting.
Weather
Changeable conditions. This track is really tricky in the wet and again, just like Spa, the weather here can change in an instant which makes it exciting. You can get standing water in places because of the undulation and you need to get off the racing line to find the grip.
(fonte: Thetelegrap.co.uk)
Bjinhus, Tati
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