Di Resta hoping for change of luck

F1 Fanatic round-up

27th July 2011, 0:0120th October 2023, 13:15 | Written by Keith Collantine

In the round-up: Di Resta says he’s hoping “things will turn” in the next races.

Links

Comment of the day

Hairs has some choice words for the ‘bias’ brigade:

I’m British, and a McLaren fan, and I rated the race six out of ten.
Wait, that means I’m biased against the Germans, doesn’t it? Or no, I’m rating it low because Alonso did well, I’m biased against him. Or, maybe it’s because I’m biased for Toro Rosso, and they didn’t have a great race.
Just because people disagree with you, doesn’t mean they’re doing it because of blinkered bias, while your opinions are pure and true. It’s more likely that they have a different opinion, nothing more.
Hairs

From the forum

TommyB89 remembers some of F1’s great crowd noise moments.

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Pit stop times

I’ve added a new set of data to the post-race statistics pages: times for all the drivers’ pit stops. These are ranked so you can see who was quickest.

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2011 German Grand Prix pit stops and tyres used

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Happy birthday!

Happy birthday to Spud!

On this day in F1

Nelson Piquet won the German Grand Prix on 25 years ago today.

Ayrton Senna was fourth and Alain Prost should have been third – but his McLaren ran out of fuel shortly before the finishing line.

Prost tried to push his car across but Nigel Mansell, Rene Arnoux and Keke Rosberg all passed him while he did. He was eventually classified sixth, the final points-paying position.

Prost wasn’t the only driver to run out of fuel – Rosberg and Senna also crossed the line on fumes.

Author information

Keith Collantine

Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...
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66 comments on “Di Resta hoping for change of luck”

Hairs (@hairs)
27th July 2011, 0:14
I have more COTD’s than I do sexual partners.
Still, it’s quality, not quantity that counts.
Wait, I’ve just denigrated the quality of my COTD’s. Damn. I’ll just have to live with it while I have exquisite relations with supermodels on my yacht in the Maldives.
1. Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
  27th July 2011, 0:31
  Likewise!
  COTD’s are more valuable than cans of beer!
  1. unocv12
    27th July 2011, 2:54
    Thought that I might comment on your COTD.
    Since I wrote the original post about how the top 10 were all won by British drivers or where the British drivers won a WDC…
    I think while true, as you said that different races can be exciting for different reasons and pointing out that someone is doing well in that race you call exciting doesn’t mean your a ____ fan. BUT When it’s 100% of the races it appears to be that way.
    If it looks alarming then it just might be. I can’t say for sure that every single one of those races were chosen with anything to do with who the winner was, but in perspective and over a greater sample size it does appear that way
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      27th July 2011, 6:52
      Does it really bother you that much? And if you really want to prove your point, I will repeat what I have been asking you (and your fellow accusers of this being wrong) to do several times now:
      Give us the races you think are better than many of those in the top 10 and show us why they are more deserving of being in there
      That way you might be able to prove a point instead of feeling worried about a percepted wrong.
    2. McLarenFanJamm (@mclarenfanjamm)
      27th July 2011, 9:06
      The problem is that you claim the site as a whole (and therefore Keith) is biased, when what you are actually complaining about is the factors that are affected by commenters. These are based on peoples OPINIONS, just because they differ from your own does not mean that they, or the site, is/are biased.
      I am yet to see anyone provide any proof that Keith is biased in any of his articles, or indeed give any proof as to why they believe other races are more worthy of being in the top 10 highest rated on the site.
      I follow a lot of McLaren/Hamilton/Button fans on twitter (as you would naturally expect), but out of the F1F members I follow, I’d say over 90% of them support other teams. Fact is, they’re open-minded enough to recognise a good race/performance as just that, rather than being blinded by personal tastes and therefore marking races/drivers down purely because they don’t like them.
      1. bananarama
        27th July 2011, 11:45
        I have to somewhat disagree. I love this site and I like discussing issues with you people and I think Keith is doing a good job.
        Still I feel there is somewhat of a bias, not particularly on Keiths side though. I’m from Germany so I should know what bias is (german media is insane in that respect, they even wish other drivers to crash). If you accumulate all the opinions and that result clearly favours one side that is still a bias, even if you repeat the word opinion over and over again. And I feel that is the case here, which is perfectly normal. Only if there was an equal number of supporters of all teams was on here it wouldn’t be biased at all. That is impossible to achieve.
        So I suggest those who can’t live with the situation just leave and search for a different forum for their discussions, me personally I just accept how the world is and make the best of it.
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  27th July 2011, 6:48
  Good one Hairs.
  And its still better to denigrate the quality of your COTD’s rather than your sexual partners :-P
  1. Hairs (@hairs)
    27th July 2011, 12:26
    Your Mum would kill me if I said anything nasty about her. :)
3. Fixy (@)
  27th July 2011, 17:28
  I should concentrate on the quality now, after the quantity.
RIISE (@riise)
27th July 2011, 0:15
Well Paul, for a start Buemi was not at fault for the Silverstone collision, it would seem though the BBC are looking at that in a bit of a different view. “and then being hit by Sebastien Buemi wrecked his hopes of a points finish”, what a load of rubbish. Anyway he wouldn’t be hoping for a change of luck if he stopped making silly mistakes in the races. Sure, occasionally he gets hit but so do many drivers. Stop complaining.
Oh and there is an error on the “On this day in F1” section on the first line. You’ll be able to see it.
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  27th July 2011, 0:30
  Got it, thanks.
  1. cbriddon (@cbriddon)
    27th July 2011, 6:35
    Hi Keith,
    There is also an error in the birthdays. My birthday is 12th November. :-)
    The years are going by fast enough! :-)
    Christian
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      27th July 2011, 7:08
      LOL, well have a nice one in a couple of months then!
    2. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
      27th July 2011, 8:24
      Sorry about that, my mistake. Birthday greetings retracted!
2. BasCB (@bascb)
  27th July 2011, 6:55
  yup, same as for Schumi. If you get hit once it might be bad luck, but if you get into contact constantly, have a look at your approach.
  Schumi learned to keep it together (but not without spins, yet), so can you Paul.
3. George (@george)
  27th July 2011, 14:34
  As far as I remember at Silverstone Di Resta was level and on the inside of Buemi, who turned into him (similarly to what he did to Heidfeld I might add, he needs better spacial awareness).
  1. RIISE (@riise)
    27th July 2011, 18:03
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyG8LFjbz_U
    It may look like they are level but Buemi was about 3/4 of a car length ahead going into the corner.
  2. David-A (@david-a)
    27th July 2011, 18:37
    That video really shows how “level” they were! :P
Matty
27th July 2011, 0:22
Ive got very little interest in Cataluna since they added the chicane at the end of the lap, just race at Valencia every year.
Craig Woollard (@craig-o)
27th July 2011, 0:35
I think it would be crazy for Ecclestone to alternate between Catalunya and Valencia.
Has Valencia actually done any good for the sport? I think not. Catalunya (although toned down by the ’08 chicane) is a great all around track, used for testing, and even provides a decent race every now and then!
We’ve given Valencia enough chances for a good race, and it just has not delivered… 2010 was a fluke due to Webber’s untimely flight plans.
1. Snow Donkey
  27th July 2011, 4:53
  I’m going to have to respectfully disagree. While I’m no massive fan of Valencia, I downright dislike Catalunya. It has produced quite a list of tedious events, and has been given many, many more chances than Valencia.
  1. MaroonJack (@maroonjack)
    27th July 2011, 6:20
    I propose a compromise: many people, myself included, see both of them as pretty tedious and boring tracks. Let’s sack both of them and try to find another venue in Spain. Jerez? Jarama? Montjuic?
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      27th July 2011, 7:04
      Sounds like the best idea of em all MaroonJack!
      But not at Jerez, that would be even more tedious racing.
RIISE (@riise)
27th July 2011, 0:41
Now I’m thinking Hairs has rated the race low just to make a point towards supposed biased ratings. Which in my opinion is just as bad as all the Lewis fans rating the race a 10. =P
jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
27th July 2011, 0:45
Woot, finally got a date for Senna!!!, come on September 1st!!!
ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
27th July 2011, 1:25
To Mr. Ecclestone, what of the European Grand Prix? Will that be moved to another circuit?
1. MaroonJack (@maroonjack)
  27th July 2011, 9:59
  Honestly, I don’t think we need a race called “European Grand Prix” at all. We don’t have “Asian GP” or “American GP”.
  Also, I’d have nothing against F1 coming back to France (not to the Magny-Cours though). I don’t like the idea of French GP splitting years with the Belgian GP, as it was proposed.
  1. ScuderiaVincero (@scuderiavincero)
    28th July 2011, 3:30
    I don’t mind those as non-championship events to be honest. 20 races already seems like a lot.
    Which French circuit would you like to see back on the calendar? I’m not too fond of Magny-Cours myself, so I’d rather go for Paul Ricard. And in no way should Spa-Francorchamps be excluded from the calendar, even for a year! My favorite circuit that.
wasiF1 (@wasif1)
27th July 2011, 2:40
Birthday to Christian Briddon and Spud.
Hope the people of those places enjoy “Senna” I saw it last week & it was just awesome.
1. BasCB (@bascb)
  27th July 2011, 7:00
  Ha, fully agree on all accounts.
  Happy birthday to both of you Christian and Spud!
  1. McLarenFanJamm (@mclarenfanjamm)
    27th July 2011, 8:38
    Yep, happy birthday Spud, have good one matey
    1. daykind
      27th July 2011, 10:52
      Happy birthday Spud!
      1. Steph (@)
        27th July 2011, 12:35
        Happy birthday to you both :)
      2. damonsmedley (@damonsmedley)
        28th July 2011, 15:22
        Happy birthday Spud! Sorry I couldn’t send my greetings earlier, but I’ve been offline for a few days. Hope you had a nice day!
Joey-Poey (@joey-poey)
27th July 2011, 3:11
Interestingly, I saw an ad for the Brickyard 400 yesterday…
MaroonJack (@maroonjack)
27th July 2011, 6:35
It’s a shame about PJ’s posters. They were really good. I think FOM should hire the guy, instead of punishing him.
1. SparkyJ23 (@sparkyj23)
  27th July 2011, 7:19
  I’d bet it would cost them little to pay him but its much better to remove his art from the world I suppose.
  I hope he takes the text/logos off and keeps selling, nothing they can do about that.
  1. PJ Tierney
    27th July 2011, 11:00
    I think I’m just going to draw a line under this project and concentrate on new work. That being said though if I plan a 2012 series there’s be no logos/names whatsoever :p
    As for the posters I’ve already got on me, I plan on giving them away in various forms. One idea is to give one away free with every non-F1 poster I sell in my store. May also trade them with fellow designers so that I can pick up their artwork :)
2. Tom
  27th July 2011, 21:50
  I thought they were pretty nice about it, they didn’t really punish him in any way – other than ask him to stop.
  It’s a shame for PJ, but at least they recognised how good they were.
Malibu_GP
27th July 2011, 6:51
Keith, the level of precision in which You function as it relates to this site is awe inspiring. The detail and organisation is first order. That being said, I say a review copy of Senna ( I work in the Biz) and it was amazing as expected. Though I love My HDTV, I will be going to the theatre on the 12th for the full experience. I am anxious to see if audience members will be overcome with emotion as I was. I am and have been an admirer of His since early on in My Love affair with F1. Also, in other entertainment news it seems one of Our most accomplished filmmakers is considering a feature with GP racing as the central theme…
1. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  27th July 2011, 10:10
  Thanks very much!
BasCB (@bascb)
27th July 2011, 7:02
For all of us who wondered what happened between Heidfeld and Di Resta, there was someone who did capture it on video in the grandstands.
Here it is, hope it does not get pulled.
1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
  27th July 2011, 7:09
  Looks like Nick sended di Resta into a spin.
  It wasn’t the Scotman’s fault either so I would go with him saying ‘thing have been a joke’.
  Just look at the FP, Q and race pace performances and then the standings to pinpoint exactly why the statement is sound.
  1. Atticus (@atticus-2)
    27th July 2011, 7:11
    Whoops, major blunder: it was meant to be ‘sent’. I’m sorry, English is not my native language.
    1. BasCB (@bascb)
      27th July 2011, 7:16
      Ah, don’t worry. Most here don’t mind making the odd mistake in your English :-)
      This crash certainly was not his mistake, and I think something went wrong at his pitstop again. And he is doing pretty fine this year, certainly a good pick for a driver.
      But calling it a “joke” sounds pretty much like a lack of self judgement for last few races there was plenty he can blame on himself.
2. Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
  27th July 2011, 8:34
  Nice spot – have added it to the round-up.
  You can also see Chandhok running wide at turn four and falling to last place.
  1. Raunaq Kumaran (@raunaq-kumaran)
    28th July 2011, 17:27
    hmmm…. was to busy rewinding the video and looking at DiR to notice anything other then the tyre smoke and a spinning force India!
BasCB (@bascb)
27th July 2011, 7:44
Here is a nice article about F2 at Brands Hatch recently and thoughts about it working as a series or not.
1. mantolwen (@mantolwen)
  27th July 2011, 8:50
  I’ve been watching the F2 races on their website (well, when the F2 TV has been working) and they’re usually good. The problem is that the series isn’t marketed very well. Also, because there isn’t as much consistency over the season due to drivers entering on their own rather than as a team, it can get confusing between races. It can get confusing even in the middle of a round, such as when Jolyon Palmer did the practice sessions for the Nurburgring and then didn’t qualify.
BasCB (@bascb)
27th July 2011, 7:48
In other news, it seems the organising committee in Austin has finaly come around to filing the request for the $25 Million funds from Texas.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
27th July 2011, 8:19
Happy birthday Spur! Enjoy your day.
It was indeed an impressive result for Sutil.
HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage)
27th July 2011, 8:35
Interesting shot of the Circuit of the Americas. I can follow the line of the track round until I get to the end of the long back straight and then there seems to be a gap between there and the pit straight. The ‘stadium’ section and the ‘Turn 8’ replica do not appear tyo have been graded out yet. Does anyone know if that’s the normal way of road laying, or would you expect it all to be graded out at once?
1. Cacarella
  27th July 2011, 14:11
  It can be done in sections as long as the final top coats are done in one shot.
  They may not want to disturb the ground there as there is more construction work to be done on the stadium before the track is built.
Paulipedia
27th July 2011, 9:56
At a rough guess I would say that F1 as a whole (not inlcluding fincancing) is about 80% British so to vote for any of the races could be construed as being biased or unbiased depending on the average score given.
The German Grand Prix was a brilliant race and anyone voting under a 8 could be claimed as not being a true connoisseur of the sport.
BasCB (@bascb)
27th July 2011, 10:21
As a bit of background, here is a pretty critical analyses of how Group Lotus is doing with their Ferrari beating off the race thrack.
daykind
27th July 2011, 10:56
Guys, yesterday, i was tweeted by Jonathan Legard three times!
The link for it is
1. daykind
  27th July 2011, 10:56
  http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd402/daykind/tweet.png here! Must have forgot to put it in the first time!
  1. PJ Tierney
    27th July 2011, 11:01
    Looks like he’s on a (tweeting) charge!
    1. daykind
      27th July 2011, 11:06
      Hahah that made me laugh!
  2. BasCB (@bascb)
    27th July 2011, 13:48
    Seems to be a nice guy and a solid journalist.
    I even think a lot of people will miss him in a few years (I was re watching Monaco the other day and my wife was laughing about having DC’s accent, is that top class) :-P
    1. daykind
      27th July 2011, 14:07
      yeah, he’s a brilliant journalist.
    2. PJ Tierney
      27th July 2011, 15:19
      The one thing I miss about Legard’s F1 commentating is the voice. The words he said were all over the place but that voice can get you excited about F1 :)
      1. daykind
        27th July 2011, 22:03
        That’s true. Listening to him on classic f1 today was quite good.
Steph (@)
27th July 2011, 12:36
Best COTD ever.
1. daykind
  27th July 2011, 14:08
  +1 :)
unocv12
28th July 2011, 9:27
McLarenFan,
I know it is opinions, but the poll is to rate the race and I still believe people are getting confused between the fuzzy warm feeling you get when your favourite driver wins that the feeling you get when it’s an exciting race.
I know during the German GP I was more excited when Webber was out infront, and I think that is determining the polls, shown by the large scale (10 out of the 10).
Agree with what bannanarama is saying mostly