Formula 1 Thread

The Game Room
#401

Yes, just show up in your daily driver. Like I said, I was there for the history more than any kind of real driving challenge. I tried to hit the apexes, but you didn’t have to. It was thrity dollars for three laps. The Porsche Club had the track for most of the day, and while I was waiting I could hear some of them; those guys were having a good time. And there were cones marking the turn-in, apex, and exit of each corner, which were probably leftover from the club event.

If you’re ever in that area, go to the Corning Museum of Glass; it’s amazing. And Watkins Glen State Park is great, too.

#402

If anyone is wondering, we used the long course including the Boot. That is correct for a Formula One thread.

#403

I’ve driven Watkins Glen, too.

(That’s me behind the wheel, instructor in the passenger’s seat, coming out of the esses onto the back straight.)

Two days in July 2003 (pictured) and three days in July 2005, a total of about 185 laps, 620 miles, in my stock 2003 Nissan 350Z. My best lap was 2:25.5, averaging 83.4 mph, with a top speed on the back straight of about 125.

It’s called High Performance Driver’s Education (HPDE) and although I haven’t been involved for ten years, it was my primary hobby for more than 12 years: 135 track days at 20 tracks in eight cars.

My 2006 AMA thread about HPDE.

#404

I had to make a run up there in late 2000. Went past Watkins and Gettysburg both at about 3 in the morning. Would have loved to see both, but, not to be. Missed out on the WTC too. Was about … eh, nevermind.

#405

Bizarre Turkey race. The Merc strategy machine totally effed up Hamilton’s race. It looked pretty clear that he would lose time over the final 10 laps but he had a 10 second lead on Perez and a solid chance to stay ahead. Pitting merely guaranteed he would finish behind Perez (and probably Leclerc). I can only guess that the team was worried about a complete failure of one of the tyres.

#406

That’s what I reasoned. I was astonished when they chose to pit but I guess a blown tyre would have been too catastrophic to contemplate,. Mind you, if that was case they could have arrived at that conclusion earlier and pitted earlier.

#407

I’m guessing they didn’t pit earlier because they were hoping for a safety car, or maybe for the track to dry. Considering how much people were sliding around it was a bit of a surprise that there wasn’t a single safety car.

#408

Two entertaining spots of the race were Yuki holding off Hamilton for several laps early in the race (though Yuki admitted he used up his tires doing so), and Perez holding off Hamilton (barely) on lap 35.

#409

Team called for him to come in several laps earlier, and he refused. Lewis blew it, not the team.

#410

Only in hindsight.

All the anlysis I’ve seen suggests that any decision was marginal and it would’ve only taken a slight increase/decrease in rain or a safety car to scupper any decision that any team made.

#411

Yeah, you hate Hamilton, we get it. Wouldn’t have made any difference; Perez and Leclerc were already well within his pit window when he was called in.