How many cars did Ralf overtake today?

Yoong Montoya · 23 Mar 2003, 20:17 (Ref:545623)

17th to 4th sounds like quite a lot. But given the first lap mayhem and the different strategies, I'm not so sure. Do you know how many cars he overtook on the track?

Speed · 24 Mar 2003, 05:00 (Ref:545992)

I saw him overtaking a Jaguar.

**Peter Mallett** · 24 Mar 2003, 05:35 (Ref:546001)

Ah so we bag him because we don't like to admit that he did pretty well.

golem · 24 Mar 2003, 05:57 (Ref:546007)

He did a Coulthard. A fairly decent performance but not so stellar as the numbers would have you think. He drove good lap times and kept his nose out of trouble all the while. That takes some doing but I think Schuey Snr and Trulli worked harder and raced better for their points.

**Peter Mallett** · 24 Mar 2003, 06:07 (Ref:546010)

Quote:

Originally posted by golem
He did a Coulthard. A fairly decent performance but not so stellar as the numbers would have you think. He drove good lap times and kept his nose out of trouble all the while. That takes some doing but I think Schuey Snr and Trulli worked harder and raced better for their points.

Agreed but that is what its about when you start from so far back. As to Trulli? He overdrove the car IMO (I can't understand the Turkish commentary so have to make my own mind up).

I made a point elswhere that the Macaroons in the early eighties with Lauda and Watson would qualify badly and race well. Seems that Ralf might be fitting into that mould. His self-induced spin in Aus probably kept him out of the top six.

golem · 24 Mar 2003, 06:54 (Ref:546035)

Definately. Fast and steady is no bad thing.

Jukebox · 24 Mar 2003, 07:08 (Ref:546043)

What more would one expect from Ralf?

This year's car was developed and built around feedbacks made by Montoya, so it'll suit the Columbian more..supposed to

That's what you get from building the car from an inexperienced driver, better off with Ralf's feedback...at least Montoya managed to record some poles last year.

Don't blame Ralf for those awful grid positions, the car was not of his preference.

Mark Webber · 24 Mar 2003, 07:41 (Ref:546053)

agreed Jukebox
Ralf drove a steady race and got the points well done Ralf

Hugh Jarce · 24 Mar 2003, 12:57 (Ref:546307)

Just shows that a reliable car will normally get you in the points if you stick in there!

That's why I always a bit sceptical about all the speed trap data - so what if you can go fast for a few laps - the points scorers are those who have cars that can do 58 laps.

I think Ralf did OK - although appeared a bit embrassed in the post-interview when it was clear he made his way through the field (in the main) by means of mechanical failures and mistakes.

**Peter Mallett** · 24 Mar 2003, 13:05 (Ref:546314)

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh Jarce
Just shows that a reliable car will normally get you in the points if you stick in there!

That's why I always a bit sceptical about all the speed trap data - so what if you can go fast for a few laps - the points scorers are those who have cars that can do 58 laps.

IIRC wasn't Panis the quickest? Yet he was slower through the corners. Its all about balance.

Quote:

Originally posted by Hugh Jarce
I think Ralf did OK - although appeared a bit embrassed in the post-interview when it was clear he made his way through the field (in the main) by means of mechanical failures and mistakes.

But I think the point is that he did get there and he made it stick.

If you are heading into a corner with cars all over the place you can either drive through it or hit the brakes.

BootsOntheSide · 24 Mar 2003, 13:07 (Ref:546318)

Ralf did pretty well in the race, but he obviously didn't pass many people after his great qualifying showing. Qualifying fourth, miles ahead of his team-mate, ahead of the two Jaguars which have been superfast all year, was a sueprb achievement.... Oh hang on, I've got the grid upside down.

Splatz the Cow · 25 Mar 2003, 10:38 (Ref:547275)

There was a comment earlier about this years car being developed around Juan, and this being something to do with Ralf's performances being worse than last year. But wasn't the car that Juan qualified on pole so many times last year designed around Ralf predominantly?

Even so, (and although I'm not a Ralf fan), I'm surprised he isn't doing a little better.

**Peter Mallett** · 25 Mar 2003, 11:23 (Ref:547312)

I'm not really surprised at all. His style has changed since he first came to F1. He's possibly (as has been pointed out elswhere) overdone the change. But (and this is always my point) he isn't that bad. He is particularly reliable and so far, whilst his qualifying has to put it bluntly sucked, he has scored points.

I rail at the suggestion that he can't overtake when the people who make that suggestion don't apply the same rules to their particular favourite (whoever it may be).

On Sunday he did better than anybody, either by making sure he was in the right place at the right time or by overtaking loads of people. Either way he has so far been on the score sheet twice. That is more than a lot of others.

As to qualifying, I hope he gets his act together soon.

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