Blatant errors need to be eradicated. 2nd season driving for Red Bull. I've just raced Istanbul (more of that in a mo,) now about to start Spanish GP weekend and an email from my engineer laying out the teams expectations says 1st place in qualifying and no lower than 1st place in the race.
"Lets see if you can match or, even better, exceed these objectives."
OK yeah, lets see if I can do better than pole and winning the race, shouldnt be too much of a challenge!!!!
Back to Istanbul. Before the race, that started on Inters (really?? rain @ Istanbul??) I checked the forecast, rain 45% so out of a 55 lap race I reckon, come in for slicks around lap 25. On lap 18 my engineer is on the radio saying pits are clear, come in for tyres, at which point its still raining, not a chance, I've only got another 7 laps before I go to options.
Lap 19 and 20, every other car has been in for fresh inters and although Im lapping around 1.5 seconds off my fastest lap, Im staying out till 25.
On lap 24 several cars are now on options and by the time I get back to the pits for my options, new lap records are being posted so in I come for my first pit stop.
Options on, it takes me a couple of laps before I'm up to speed and everything is fine. I think to myself, first stop on 25 out of a 55 lap race, only need to make options last 15 laps and go for more options till the end so lap 40 I come in for more options at which point I have a 40 second lead over Vettel, who has already had 2 stops as he went for fresh inters.
On my in lap, I selected prime tyres, then re-selected option tyres, just to make sure there was no confusion that I wanted options. When I came into the pits they had a lovely set of brand new INTERMEDIATE tyres that they fitted.
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT??
I had to do 1 lap on inters before stopping again for options, by which point my 40 second lead was all but gone, then, when I rejoined the track, just as I was getting myself onto the racing line, D'Ambrosio, who I had lapped rammed into me as he was on the racing line, and I got a drive through penalty, at which point, the race was lost as Vettel was through and lapping quicker than me, even though I'm on options and he's now on the prime tyre.
Thanks of the inters guys.