Q: I don’t understand why the polesitter was on the outside for the Brazil sprint race. Why weren’t they on the inside?
Keith Conroy
CHRIS MEDLAND: The simple answer is the polesitter is regularly on the outside. It’s because that’s the usual racing line ahead of opening up the next corner, so it is the grippier side of the circuit that is cleaned by drivers running over it multiple times during a weekend. The only way the car starting P2 gets a good chance down the inside into Turn 1 at any track is if they get a better getaway, which is less likely from the dirty side of the grid.
Q: I was intrigued by George Russell’s statement about the FIA proposal to raise the maximum driver fine to $1,000,000. To quote Russell from RACER.com, “In my first year of Formula 1, I was on a five-figure salary, and actually lost over six figures in that first year for paying for my trainer, paying for flights, paying for an assistant, and that’s probably the case for 25% of the grid.” Is this really the case, or is George embellishing to make his point? I was under the impression that making the grid meant instant wealth for a driver.
Ed, Virginia Beach, VA
CM: I know it’s surprising, but that’s really the case! I was told a few years ago of the salary that all Red Bull drivers start on at the junior team — then Toro Rosso — and it was just over $250,000. To that end, five figures does surprise me for George, but then Williams would be far less likely to directly pay him given it’s Mercedes wanting to place him there for him to get experience.
But plenty of other drivers get a seat with financial backing too, so very rarely get a big salary as the team needs that income, and they receive the majority of their wage — even if indirectly — from the sponsor or backer. If that deal involves costs being covered for them then it might actually mean a relatively small salary, and therefore the fines would definitely be an issue.
Q: I think Alonso should take a page out of the late and very great Ayrton Senna’s playbook and offer to drive the Red Bull for free in 2024. (Senna approached Sir Frank Williams with this offer for 1993 F1 season.) After watching Fernando wring the Aston Martin’s neck during the final laps in Brazil, it would be something to see what the old fox could do in the same car as Verstappen!
Yanie Porlier
CM: This would be incredible, I’ll admit, but Red Bull also thinks in marketing terms and that’s why Sergio Perez remains important beyond his talents behind the wheel. It’s the same thing that makes Daniel Ricciardo even more interesting than just being a good driver, because of the marketing value Red Bull would get out of him, too.
While Alonso would have some marketing draw, the majority of the interest he’d bring would be in a sporting sense going up against Verstappen, potentially rocking the boat in a way Red Bull wouldn’t want.
But you’re right that Fernando should be the one trying to make it happen, because he’s shown he’s still got it if given a winning car. On that front, fingers crossed Aston makes another step over the winter and he’s in the mix even more often next year.
Q: It’s kind of fun watching F1 get flummoxed by this whole traffic problem. Has the topic of using IndyCar’s qualifying start/finish method ever come up in all this? It seems to that if the cars were not forced to do an in lap after their hot lap, most of the problem would fade away.
Just swallow your pride and try this at one event:
Move qualifying start/finish to a point ahead of pit-in, where the cars could dive in to pit in after crossing the qualifying start/finish.
That way, every qualifying stint is shortened by one full slow lap: Car leaves the pits. Hot lap starts just before the cars get to pit in. Hat lap ends at qualifying start/finish, and cars duck into the pits.
One of the things I like best under the current F1 regime is the willingness to try things. Seems to me you could easily trial this at Bahrain, especially if preseason testing is there. You could use the DRS detection zone before Turn 14. Same with Melbourne and Suzuka. Since most tracks have a DRS detection zone before the main straight, this would be a likely choice.
This would end about 75% of the “slow lap” issues in qualifying. And this is one of the things that IndyCar gets right that F1 could easily adopt.
Ed Joras
CM: You’re not the first to suggest this, Ed, and I’ve actually previously said I can’t see a reason why it wouldn’t be possible. I think it’s an area F1 has always done it a certain way and not thought to change.
But I don’t think it solves the problem, because the issue is getting a clear lap and finding clear air for that lap by slowing down significantly on the out-lap rather than the in-lap. The big complaint with traffic is always about cars trying to find a gap to start their lap, so that would still exist.
That doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be an improvement, though. Better to have more flying laps and less slow laps in my book, as well as preserving tires a little better for use in the race.
THE FINAL WORD
From Robin Miller’s Mailbag, November 12, 2014
Q: I have a question regarding Porsche’s effort back in CART during the 1987 season. What were your initial thoughts on the effort and why was it so short-lived? What do you remember Al Holbert’s and Al Unser’s thoughts were at the time in trying to get the Porsche effort up to speed?
Don Gregory, La Palma, CA
ROBIN MILLER: In 1987, Porsche started with Big Al, a Porsche chassis and engine. It was almost a flat-bottom car, very uncompetitive and by 1988 it was a March-Porsche. They contracted March for a special Porsche-fit chassis for 1989 and Teo Fabi won a race at Mid-Ohio.
Derrick Walker joined the team late in 1988 and said by ’89 the engine was well ahead of the competition. Porsche planned a carbon fiber car for 1990 but it got vetoed by the CART owners because they didn’t have one and got caught with their pants down. So Porsche became disenchanted, packed up and moved on to Formula 1. Walker bought the assets and started Walker Racing. Holbert lost his life in a plane crash in 1988, but never drove the Indy car to my knowledge.