[WTCC] Race 7 & 8 - Pau (FRA), 17th May 2009

[werner]

Engstler is also surprising me. I really expected the champioship to be a fight between Porteiro and Coronel. It offcourse can still go that way, but Engstler is strong nontheless.
Coronell has had some bad luck this season already, and has not been errorfree himself aswell (like here)

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by Hendrik

So the FIA removed the "tolerance" of 0.4 bar.

I wonder why the FIA granted the tolerance in the first place.

It would indeed have been smarter to just set the fixed 2.7 from the start of the year, instead of 2,5-2,9, and let the equalization formula "take care of the track differences". This way it got messy because of 2 equalization formulas in use at once.

Originally Posted by Hazard

I wonder if the SC will get a penalty for the next race?

Probably a 10 place grid drop (ie, it will be released into the middle of the field and cause a multi car pileup there instead )

Originally Posted by BootsOntheSide

Isn't it time we did away with street circuits? They are magnets for accidents, make for dull races with very little overtaking, are rarely nice to look at (Monaco being the most obvious exception) and seem to be a turn-off to fans outside the city. It's frustrating to see such repeat crashfests for so little good reason.

Hear hear. If we must have street circuits, at least lets have good ones like eg Göteborg Cityrace where overtaking is actually possible.

Originally Posted by werner

But Marrakech was different in that objective. I'd say only street-circuits if they bring something special that could not be brought on another track.

Do remember Marrakech is supposed to have a completely new infield as well as likely a grade A track classification by next year (ie no barriers lining the edge of the road, but 12m wide with run off areas etc).

Although I see the problems with diesel vs petrol, I like to see the different types of cars competing against eachother.

I all I can repeat is, get those TP cars out there ASAP. They are long over due in any case, and equalization will be a whole lot easier as well.

[stedevil]

Originally Posted by FIRE

5 private SEATs vs 5 private BMWs! Why is the SEAT so popular this year?

What really confuses me is why E46s, Lacetties, Alfas and Hondas are NOT present at all. Current rules really helps out the full season independent with a "strange" car, yet all indy Beemers are E90 and even less variation in the indy class than last year.

[Matt]

Originally Posted by stedevil

Hear hear. If we must have street circuits, at least lets have good ones like eg Göteborg Cityrace where overtaking is actually possible.

That's not a street course. That's a Go-Kart track with close walls. NONE of it was made from any actual streets.

[helterskelter]

Originally Posted by stedevil

What really confuses me is why E46s, Lacetties, Alfas and Hondas are NOT present at all. Current rules really helps out the full season independent with a "strange" car, yet all indy Beemers are E90 and even less variation in the indy class than last year.

One one hand, using the E46 or the Lacetti would be great, penalty-weight-wise. On the other hand, the E90s and the Tfsis have a direct support from the manufacturers, who continue to develop them.
I think it's just a matter of choosing. TBH, if I had the money I'd buy a Honda Accord Euro R and go out. But you need half a million for the European season, so it's a long way to go until I can...

[DRG]

Only saw this race here in Australia a couple of weeks ago and must confess I found it quite entertaining. The circuit was a bit of a joke but that's what made it exciting - close racing with slow drivers merely being "pushed" out of the way. As for the safety car incident - one of the funniest things I've seen on a race cicuit. Having said that, the chances of someone being injured were quite high and it could have been anything but funny. The only time I can recall seeing a more amatuerish action at a circuit was a fire marshall at Oran Park in Sydney, Australia holding his fire extinguisher the wrong way when trying to put out a small fire. Instead of extinguishing the fire he blasted himself in the face with foam, directly in front of a TV camera beaming live pictures right around Australia !