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[Steppenwolf]

Wouldn't Ferraris system be considered illegal if it doesn't require control by the driver?

Possible that this is just a test tho to see how the stalling itself works before they introduce the actual system some races later.

 

[Acidote]

Buemi needs new underpants. I would, if I lost both front wheels. Here's the full video:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcyt3r_buemi-wheels-fall-off_sport

:lol

 

[navanman]

Bridgestone:

What was significant about today's running?

"Today we faced a dirty and dusty track and we experienced relatively cool conditions, although not as cold as it was yesterday. As expected, there was not a lot of grip given by the track, although this improved through the day. We saw graining, particularly on the front tyres, although this was only mild and no cause for concern."

How do you expect this allocation to work over the weekend?

"The soft compound provided the fastest lap time today and a quicker warm-up, although the overall lap time difference was not as big as we have seen at some tracks. This could mean that some of the top teams opt for the hard compound in Q1 tomorrow to save their softer tyres for the later sessions. Of course, the last three out of four races here have been wet so the weather, as always, will be the most important consideration for tyre performance."

Renault:

Robert Kubica - 9th: The first session was not especially productive for us, but in the afternoon we made some changes and found a better direction and a more normal balance with the car. We managed to get through most of our programme with some set-up work and a couple of runs for tyre evaluation. We still need to improve the overall balance of the car because we are still lacking overall grip, especially on low fuel runs, but the car felt much better on heavy fuel.

Vitaly Petrov - 12th: It was a good day of practice for me with no significant issues with the car. We spent most of the day trying some different set-up options and analysing the new parts, and it feels like the car has improved. I'm quite happy with the overall balance but we are still missing some grip, so we need to look over the data tonight to see where we can improve.

Force India:

Adrian Sutil - 7th: It was quite a good day, with no real problems. The track conditions were not very good out there to start with. It was very green and hard on the tyres, particularly the harder set we used in the morning. The grip improved over the day but even at the end it was still very low. The balance of the car was good though and I think we looked pretty strong on both types of compound so, with this in mind, I'm expecting a similar qualifying and race performance to Malaysia.

Tonio Liuzzi – 16th: It was difficult out there today. The prime tyre, which was my first run of the day, was good. The car was behaving well but then after we changed to the soft tyre we were sliding all over the place and struggling to get the temperatures in the tyres. It was a big frustration as the car was not there any more. It was strange as it was such a clear change from hard to soft. We need to look into this problem but I think we can be positive about the rest of the day as on the hard tyres we seem to be quite strong.

McLaren:

Lewis Hamilton - 1st: "We may have topped the timesheets in each session, but I don't necessarily think today's times make us the favourites for this race. The car does feel good, but our pace looks pretty similar to some of the other cars on long runs.

"Everyone talks about us having a straight-line advantage, but that's not true - other cars have the same speed as us at the end of the straight. We're a little bit quicker than some teams, but, equally, they're able to run more downforce. It's about getting a good balance – and we feel we've got that.

"We're continuing with the good feeling we felt in Malaysia, but we've made some further subtle changes and they were encouraging. I come out of today with a positive feeling – we'll now keep our heads down and concentrate on gaining a strong qualifying position tomorrow."

Jenson Button - 3rd: "Today's been good. This afternoon was a little frustrating: on my new-tyre run I ran into traffic – which you seem to get in every session – but the actual work we've done, and the direction we've taken, has been positive. There are a few more things we need to do, but we're almost getting the maximum out of the car – especially on the long runs.

"We're moving in the right direction. There are a few things we can still tweak over the course of this evening, but I think we've come here with a pretty good car from lap one.

"Of course, some of the teams haven't shown their hand yet, but you can tell from the long-run times that they're competitive. Maybe we're not on their pace yet, but we've got tonight to make further improvements to the car."

Sauber:

Pedro de la Rosa - 13th: "We treated the day very much as a test day. We tried different set-up options and in the end the car was a bit better. At the end of the second session we compared the option and the prime tyres. The lap time with the softer compound, the option, actually wasn't good enough compared to the harder prime compound. We have to look into that now. All in all it was a trouble free and productive first day."

Kamui Kobayashi - 14th: "The track improved a lot during the day. It was very dusty in the morning and then the usual conditions came back. We had no problems or any issues, and the programme was fine. The balance of the car is okay, but still we have to find a better pace. It is a nice and challenging track and I expect us to see some good overtaking on Sunday in the race."

Mercedes:

Nico Rosberg - 2nd: "We made good progress on the set-up over the course of the day and tried some new directions which all seemed to work ok. I did lose a little bit of balance with too much oversteer at the end of the afternoon so we need to look into the reasons for that. The long runs were pretty good on my side and with the work that Michael completed, we should be in a good position on our tyre evaluations. The pattern looks pretty similar to Malaysia in terms of our pace compared to other teams but we'll have to wait and see how it works out tomorrow."

Michael Schumacher - 4th: "Today's practice sessions went better than I had expected. The handling was pretty much ok and it seems that we have made a small step forward. We brought some improvements here including the new rear wing which have helped. So I am quite confident for the rest of the weekend even if the overall ranking will not change much from the first three races. I was a bit unlucky this morning as I had a puncture on my rear left prime tyre so we had to use one from the afternoon's allocation. That meant I only had three new tyres in the second session but it worked out fine in the end."

Williams:

Rubens Barrichello - 15th: Today went as planned working through set-ups and some aero modifications. We run the engine quite safe on Fridays so our times are expected. Our target tomorrow is to get into qualifying three.

Nico Hulkenberg - 17th: It was pretty hard work today. We have a few problems to solve before qualifying tomorrow, but I am confident we will get there. We were running a new front wing on the car which gave us some positive results.

Virgin:

Timo Glock - 21st: "We made some good progress over the course of the two sessions and generally we have managed to improve the car quite a lot through the day. The characteristics of this track are proving a little difficult for us. There are more low speed corners and we seemed to struggle with these a little bit, but it might just be the grip level. We now need to look at everything we have learned today and make sure we choose the right direction. There's a lot of data to go through tonight but I'm optimistic that we can have a good weekend from here. I'm looking forward to the rest of it."

Lucas di Grassi - 23rd: "We had a very good day today, completing 55 laps - almost a race distance. That was our main objective today - to get through our programme and identify any potential issues. Everything is looking good so far and there is still a lot of performance we can bring to the car. I hope we can just get better and better tomorrow and in the race and ensure we finish the weekend as the best of the new teams once again."

Lotus:

Jarno Trulli - 18th: "A trouble free day today which is good, and hopefully the whole weekend will go without any issues. I'm still struggling a bit with the set up, finding a balance that really lets me get the best out of the car, but we tested different tyres today and focused mainly on our set up for the race, so I'm reasonably happy. Grip levels improved throughout the day and our lap times showed that by the end of the day the circuit was really bedding in."

Heikki Kovalainen - 19th: "It was good today, apart from the small problem we had at the end of the day which was nothing major. The engine switched itself off because we had an oil pressure warning but we got through the whole program today and I think we're in good shape for tomorrow and for the race."

Red Bull:

Sebastian Vettel - 5th: "That was good, we had no big issues and the car was working fine. We did quite a lot of laps so it was a solid day. It looks very close; the Mercedes look competitive, as well as the McLarens and Ferraris. It will be tight tomorrow, but we will see. I had a good race here in 2007 when I finished fourth for Toro Rosso and then last year with the victory, so there are a lot of good emotions and memories attached to this place."

Mark Webber – 6th: "That was pretty good; it was our first really clean Friday, which was encouraging. We have a lot of stuff go through tonight about how the tyres are round here – it's the first track where they are behaving a little differently to other venues. I think qualifying is going to be tight again and there’s supposed to be a bit of moisture floating around on Sunday afternoon, so it looks like the fans will yet again be given an action packed race. I’ll look forward to the challenge and to getting something out of it."

Toro Rosso:

Jaime Alguersuari - 8th: "Another new circuit for me: it's impressive, tough and technical but enjoyable to drive. Today went well for me, as we completed a lot of work, trying different fuel loads and working on set-up, as well as a tyre comparison. The hard tyre definitely takes a lot longer to come up to temperature, while the soft tyre seemed to work very well for us and should be good in the race. We still have work to do to improve tomorrow, but I am happy with what we have achieved so far."

Sebastien Buemi - 24th: "There's not much to say about what happened in FP1. I braked, the wheels came off and that was it. Physically, I was fine though. But I have to say, I am extremely disappointed that, once again, through no fault of my own, I have been unable to run for almost all of the three hours available. I will have to try and catch up on Saturday morning and we will be relying on Jaime's data from today to see which way to go."

Giorgio Ascanelli: "Sebastien's accident this morning was down to a technical problem on the right hand upright, which proved simple to identify once we got the car back. We have resolved the problem, which the many laps completed by Jaime this afternoon confirms. Sebastien's FP1 session was interrupted shortly after the start because of a fluid leak around the pedal area, which we discovered after his installation lap. Apart from the upright, the afternoon accident caused some damage to the gearbox and a combination of fixing this problem and changing the front end meant that, despite the best efforts of the mechanics, we could not get Seb out before the end of the day. Fortunately, Jaime did a lot of laps in a trouble free session, after we had stopped him as a precaution towards the end of FP1, until we had identified the problem on his team-mate's car. For his debut on this circuit, Jaime did quite a good job today."

Ferrari:

Felipe Massa - 11th: "I am satisfied with the way this free practice day went. We did a lot of kilometres, concentrating mainly on preparing the car for Sunday's race. We also evaluated new aerodynamic components, not just for this race, but also for mid-term development, gathering significant data which will now be analysed by the engineers. On top of that, we managed to do a comparison between the two types of tyre that Bridgestone has brought here. I think several teams are going to be very competitive: not just McLaren and Red Bull, but also Mercedes who have made a step forward. Let's hope we will be in the fight with them."

Fernando Alonso - 10th: "Clearly I'm not happy to have had an engine failure, but I'm not the slightest bit worried by it. The engine I had this morning was the one we had changed after qualifying in Bahrain and we knew that, sooner or later, it could break. It happened today, but it won't have much effect on our original engine management plan. We also did various tests of new aerodynamic components, such as the rear wing. It is pointless looking at today's time sheet, because each team follows its own work programme and that makes it impossible to compare the times. We stuck to our plan and we are pretty happy with what we achieved. I think we will be competitive at this track."

Stefano Domenicali: "Today, we had various new components on the car, including a new type of rear wing and other aerodynamic parts, which required a specific work schedule. Clearly we could have done without the problem we had with Fernando's engine but, overall, this did not lead to any specific consequences, apart from time lost in this morning's first session, as our management programme relating to available engine use remains substantially unchanged. We are reasonably happy with the work we did and now we will concentrate on analysing the date and on preparing the cars for qualifying and the race. While it is always difficult to evaluate the pecking order based on what happens in free practice, we are not expecting a very different picture to the one we have seen in the first three races of the season: in other words, everyone is very closely matched, meaning the grid positions could be decided by the smallest detail."

HRT:

Karun Chandhok - 21st: "It was a good practice. We could learn things about the circuit and we got the base line. Unfortunately, we noticed a lot of graining on the front tyres. The second practice was useful for us as I could cover 52 laps today and some long runs.

Bruno Senna - 23rd: "The first practice session was okay. We had no problems. Although we are a bit struggling with the air temperature here as it was not very warm. We experienced therefore a low grip level and we have to work on this despite a dusty track. The second session was a good practice again. We fulfilled our program without any problems. We are looking forward to the qualifying tomorrow."

 

[navanman]

Formula 1's calendar will expand to 20 races next year with the addition of the Indian Grand Prix, after the sport's commercial boss Bernie Ecclestone revealed on Friday he has no plans to drop any of the current events.

Although there have been doubts about the future of the Chinese and Turkish Grands Prix, with neither venue attracting huge spectator numbers, Ecclestone said on Friday that all the current races would remain for 2011 when India is added.

When asked by AUTOSPORT if India would be an addition or replace an event, Ecclestone said: "We are not dropping anything. [It's] 20 races - getting ready for 25."

Ecclestone also made it clear that he expected a fresh contract to be sorted out with Chinese Grand Prix officials, despite a lack of local interest in the race having prompted questions about a new deal being done.

"We're happy with everything," he said about the Chinese GP. "No dramas... the contract is ongoing here and it will go on. It is a rolling contract."

Ecclestone also blamed the race's promoters for having failed to generate much publicity for the weekend – with the grandstands almost totally empty for Friday's free practice sessions.

"It is a shame because the whole venue is super, everything is good," he said. "It is shame. They are not promoting it properly; it is as simple as that. The people that run the place ought to do a bit more. If you were in Shanghai you wouldn't even know there is a race here."

And having arrived from a visit to the new South Korean track, Ecclestone said he had no doubts that race would go ahead.

"We will definitely be there," he said. "We will be there."

Source

20 races is insane as it is but aiming for 25 is lunacy. Its nothing but a money grabbing exercise by Bernie.
So much for cost cutting in F1, the teams will be stretched to breaking point. At an average of 1 race every 2 weeks (including mandatory 3-week rest time), thats virtually a complete year of racing and preparation, never mind the time needed to design the car for next year.

 

[Ghost]

Wouldn't Ferraris system be considered illegal if it doesn't require control by the driver?

Possible that this is just a test tho to see how the stalling itself works before they introduce the actual system some races later.

I thought they weren't allowed to have moving parts, so Mclarens system works because its just the driver putting his leg over a hole, I guess Ferraris system could be activated by aero and still have no moving parts...*shrug*

 

[mrklaw]

Buemi needs new underpants. I would, if I lost both front wheels. Here's the full video:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcyt3r_buemi-wheels-fall-off_sport

:lol

christ on a bike!

I thought the wheels were supposed to remain tethered to the car BTW?

 

[DrM]

20 races is insane as it is but aiming for 25 is lunacy. Its nothing but a money grabbing exercise by Bernie.
.

Eh Bernie Bernie....dementia kicked in

He will soon suggest winter races in Finland...with nail-tyres and on ice.

 

[Goldrusher]

I think it's about time for a serious investigation into all these Red Bull / Toro Rosso problems.

20 races is insane as it is but aiming for 25 is lunacy. Its nothing but a money grabbing exercise by Bernie.

As long as there are 2 or even 3 week gaps, there can be more races. In fact, more events in a certain area justify expensive travel. Why cross the Atlantic ocean twice for just 1 race ?

1. Australia, Melbourne
   ------
2. Malaysia, Sepang
3. China, Shanghai
4. Singapore
5. Japan, Suzuka
6. Korea
7. India
   ------
8. Russia, Sochi
9. Spain, Valencia
10. Monaco
11. Germany, Nürburgring
12. Italy, Rome
13. Turkey
    ------
14. Canada, Montreal
15. USA, New York
    ------
16. Great Britain, Silverstone
17. Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps
18. Hungary, Hungaroring
19. Italy, Monza
20. France, Sarcelles
21. Portugal, Portimão
    ------
22. Argentina, Potrero de los Funes
23. Brazil, Interlagos
    -----
24. UAE, Abu Dhabi

Bring it on.

 

[moojito]

I think it's about time for a serious investigation into all these Red Bull / Toro Rosso problems.

<investigation>
There is no mid season testing
</investigation>

Done! That'll be $2 million, please.

 

[Steppenwolf]

I guess Ferraris system could be activated by aero and still have no moving parts...*shrug*

Yes you are right. Mercedes F-duct is gonna work that way. Just read it in the news papers. Must be a very clever construction.

 

[Steppenwolf]

I thought the wheels were supposed to remain tethered to the car BTW?

That system failed too and what's even worse both wheels bounced over the spectator fences. Could have been a big desaster if they had spectator stands there.

Guess the chances that we will see those 18" Michelin wheels in the future just got bigger.

 

[Goldrusher]

<investigation>
There is no mid season testing
</investigation>

Done! That'll be $2 million, please.

The Red Bull teams have had these weird component failures for years now, even when testing was allowed.

 

[Steppenwolf]

Source

20 races is insane as it is but aiming for 25 is lunacy.

The guy has completely lost it. F1 is not NASCAR. 16 races per season as it used to was fine. A F1 Grand Prix is supposed to be something special. You don't see the footballers having their world cup twice a year. Quantity adds absolutely nothing to the spectacle and it destroys a lot of the hype.

If at least the new Grand Prix were somehow awesome but no we get one shitty Tilke track after another.

 

[Nicktendo86]

Bernie just has to go, this is just getting silly. Look at all the new races introduced PURELY for commercial reasons which are producing boring, tedious races with zero motor sporting history. Coupled with his brain haired medals ideas etc he is just looking more and more like the fool he is.

 

[brotkasten]

Buemi needs new underpants. I would, if I lost both front wheels. Here's the full video:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcyt3r_buemi-wheels-fall-off_sport

:lol

smh

This is just ridiculous.

 

[moojito]

I'm comforted by the idea that there'd be a breakaway championship before things got too bad, so I don't mind seeing how the 20 race thing goes. One of the things I don't like about f1 is the different sized gaps between races. Something to even that out would be nice.

 

[Pimpwerx]

I fell asleep and forgot to tivo. When did Sutil put in his fast laps? Was it the same time as the Renaults? I'm trying to gauge how Force-India is compared to Renault, as that's gonna make a difference this weekend in the fantasy league.

Rosberg is driving brilliant this season.

I figured it was a make or break season for him. It looks like Michael isn't good anymore, but Nico also came into this season super-prepared, it seems, so he's looking quite good right now. PEACE.

 

[Pimpwerx]

I'm in favor of 20+ races a season. Since they nixxed testing, I say bring it on. More racing action, the better. It does stand to kill the suspense of the championship, and it will definitely inflate stats. Oh well. PEACE.

 

[duckroll]

Buemi's accident is hilarious. I think the Toro Rosso pit crew has a lot of explaining to do. :lol

 

[CurlySaysX]

I love how Buemi still tries to steer the car away from hitting the wall when he has no front wheels.

 

[Leunam]

I was going to say something about that but I figure it was just his instincts kicking in.

 

[AndyD]

What a wreck. Why did the cables holding the tires to the car fail?

Also, SPEED has finally got their full time pit reporter on the scene. I guess that Westbury was a fill in until Will Buxton's wife/gf/whatever had a baby or something (IDK that is just a guess on my part).

Looks like I'll have to pick between one of the Britons with the speed this week as my choice for poll (unless it rains :lol )

That's what they said before the first race. Westbury said he is happy to give Buxton a break for a bit so he can deal with family matters.

And that accident is incredible. At least they said they are going back to old design for the race and remaining practices.


As to 25, why not:

1. Australia, Melbourne
2. Malaysia, Sepang
3. China, Shanghai
4. Singapore
5. Japan, Suzuka
6. Korea
7. India
24. UAE, Abu Dhabi
------
8. Russia, Sochi
11. Germany, Nürburgring
12. Italy, Rome
13. Turkey
18. Hungary, Hungaroring
19. Italy, Monza
------
9. Spain, Valencia
10. Monaco
20. France, Sarcelles
21. Portugal, Portimão
16. Great Britain, Silverstone
17. Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps
------
14. Canada, Montreal
15. USA, New York
22. Argentina, Potrero de los Funes
23. Brazil, Interlagos

Start in East and make your way to Middle East. Break, East Europe. Break West Europe. Break, NA then SA to end. Plus some of them can be 1 week differential in Europe as they are very close to each other.

 

[Deadman]

Your allocations are far too logical to ever be used by bernie.

Plus you havn't accounted for him being essentially bribed to make the first race Bahrain and the last race Abu Dhabi.

 

[Wes]

Did you see where his front wheels went during the crash? They went into the tyre barrier and hopped over the fence behind it. that's a big no-no too.

 

[DrM]

Did you see where his front wheels went during the crash? They went into the tyre barrier and hopped over the fence behind it. that's a big no-no too.

Buemi should praise that gravel pit, otherwise it would end much much worse

Mercedes F-Duct system looks quite bizzare or they tested just one part for some additional data. We will see on FP3 if they have full blown system ready or we will have to wait till Barcelona.

Their upgrade plan, according to Auto, Motor und Sport:
- Barcelona
- Istanbul
- Silverstone

Scarabsf1 on Mercedes F-Duct:

Just as Ferrari have joined Sauber in trying to catch up with McLarens F-duct blown rear wing, Mercedes also appear to be in the early stages of testing their own solution. While not as conclusive in proving there is an f-duct as with Ferraris bodywork, Mercedes do have a duct that links the main plane of the wing to the Flap. However this may not be the complete solution, as there does not appear to be a duct linking this rear wing fin to the chassis.

Mercedes are one of the few teams (and Brawn before them) not to have raced a shark fin engine cover. It could that either Mercedes are awaiting the shark fin cover to run the fully ducted flap and that this test was just a structural test for the now largely hollow slotted rear wing flap. Or that their solution will duct the airflow up through a central wing support strut (currently absent on this car) or less likely through the wings endplates. As this would mean the beam wing would also need to be hollow and some how connected to the F-duct. As Mercedes run a fully exposed beam wing there is little connection between it and the chassis.

It also been noted that the Mercedes ran pipework from the front of the sidepods backwards towards the rear of the car and then up inside the rear wing endplate. These are more likely to be wiring or pressure for sensors, than the duct itself as they are very narrow in gauge and unlikely to pass enough airflow to alter the rear wings aerodynamics.

Mercedes do have one advantage, their monocoque has usefully placed apertures by the side of the pedals, these holes have already sported scoops for driver cooling, these could be modified to be the driver interface with the duct to the rear wing.

It is not likely we will see the full Mercedes F-Duct solution until the other major updates arrive at the next race in Spain.

 

[duckroll]

Your allocations are far too logical to ever be used by bernie.

Plus you havn't accounted for him being essentially bribed to make the first race Bahrain and the last race Abu Dhabi.

Well let's be fair to the commercial aspects of F1. New tracks, especially the ones being built from scratch in Asia, stand to lose out being placed too early in the season. Considering all the investment into making it an event for F1, there should definitely be commercial rewards. Placing them later in the season when interest in the championship peaks is a good way to provide that.

In the end business is still a big part of F1. This is a very expensive sport and it makes sense to please all parties involved.

 

[AndyD]

Well let's be fair to the commercial aspects of F1. New tracks, especially the ones being built from scratch in Asia, stand to lose out being placed too early in the season. Considering all the investment into making it an event for F1, there should definitely be commercial rewards. Placing them later in the season when interest in the championship peaks is a good way to provide that.

In the end business is still a big part of F1. This is a very expensive sport and it makes sense to please all parties involved.

I agree. But I think the point stands that grouping could be a whole lot better. They could end in Asia on all the new tracks, which would make the middle East the middle end of the tour which is the peak of interest as that is when the battle is most heated with most top contenders being neck in neck.

 

[AcridMeat]

Just saw the Buemi video, no way am I keeping Buemi for this race.

Man, that is extremely scary.

 

[Leunam]

Hamilton
- 1m 35.217s
Rosberg
- 1m 35.465s
Button
- 1m 35.593s
Schumacher
- 1m 35.602s
Vettel
- 1m 35.791s
Webber
- 1m 35.995s
Sutil
- 1m 36.254s
Algersuari
- 1m 36.377s
Kubica
- 1m 36.389s
Alonso
- 1m 36.604s
Massa
- 1m 36.944s
Petrov
- 1m 36.986s
De La Rosa
- 1m 37.421s
Kobayashi
- 1m 37.431s
Barrichello
- 1m 37.657s
Liuzzi
- 1m 37.804s
Hulkenberg
- 1m 37.867s
Trulli
- 1m 39.624s
Kovalainen
- 1m 39.947s
Glock
- 1m 40.233s
Chandhok
- 1m 41.008s
di Grassi
- 1m 41.107s
Senna
- 1m 41.345s
Buemi
- N/A

Buemis car was still being repaired.

 

[S. L.]

Buemis car was still being repaired.

hm hmm this is tricky, i think it will be a close fight between Mcl and Redbull for the pole. Merc seems improved and not i'm sure what to make out of the Ferrari times.

 

[Goldrusher]

As to 25, why not

Looking at maps and climates, here's a good calendar:


season opener
• Australia, Melbourne

travel stop
• Malaysia, Sepang

India & Middle East
• India (near Delhi)
• Bahrain

Southern Europe
&#9675; Russia, Sochi (near Turkey)
• Turkey
• Italy, Rome
• Monaco
• Spain, Valencia
&#9675; Portugal, Portimão

North America
• Canada, Montreal
&#9675; USA, New York

Northern Europe
• Great Britain, Silverstone
&#9675; France, Sarcelles (near Paris)
• Italy, Monza
• Hungary, Hungaroring
• Germany, Nürburgring
• Belgium, Spa-Francorchamps

travel stop
• Singapore

North Asia
• China, Shanghai
• Korea
• Japan, Suzuka

South America
• Brazil, Interlagos
&#9675; Argentina

season finale
• UAE, Abu Dhabi

 

[Leunam]

The previous three races saw a victory from Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari, all top contenders for this years drivers championship, though it is still far too early to bet your homes on it. Considering the long straights of the Shanghai International Circuit, it would seem that McLaren, boasting their clever "F-duct," has a chance to claim a second victory. Not to be outdone, other teams have also taken to this new technology in hopes of enjoying the substantial flat out boost in speed, including Sauber, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

Forecasts indicated dry weather for the practices and qualifying, but wet conditions for the race. This could be another chance to see if Button takes a gutsy risk that ultimately pays off in the end.

Things to Ponder:

1. Newey Cars: We saw it last year, and it cost Vettel this years race in Bahrain. Will the fragility of the Adrian Neweys design show its face again?
2. F-duct: So effective is McLarens F-duct on the straight, Vettel was taken by surprise when Button flew away from him "as if I was standing still." We'll see it's full potential on the circuits monster straight, between turns 13 and 14.

The Shanghai International Circuit was designed as the race circuit for the new millennium. And the modern track, with its stunning architecture, has achieved its goal of becoming China's gateway to the world of Formula One racing.

Circuit architects Hermann Tilke and Peter Wahl on their creation: “The 5.4 kilometre racing track is shaped like the Chinese character 'shang', which stands for 'high' or 'above'. Other symbols represented in the architecture originate from Chinese history, such as the team buildings arranged like pavilions in a lake to resemble the ancient Yuyan-Garden in Shanghai. Here, nature and technology are carefully used to create harmony between the elements.”

Not only is the course remarkable for its change of acceleration and deceleration within different winding turns, making high demands on the driver as well as the car, but also for its high-speed straights. These offer crucial overtaking opportunities and give an intense and exciting motorsport experience to the spectators. The Main Grandstand with 29,000 seats provides a spectacular view of almost 80 percent of the circuit.

Onboard lap

Shanghai Onboard Lap courtesy of Sebastian Vettel (2009)

Take a closer look at the circuit here.

Previous Winners

Championship standings

News

Formula 1 Analysis: Who will challenge in China?

Q & A with Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel

FIA Press Conference - China

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Spoiler

OK, I felt it was kind of, uh, odd to go through a race without a post to lead us into it. However as I'm putting this together, with help from subzero9285, of course, I find it difficult since this is the first full season where I'm following Formula 1. With that said, please forgive any cheesiness, false info, general naivety, or unpolished look. If anyone has any input, I would be more than grateful to hear it.

subzero9285, you will be sorely missed. Thanks for introducing me and any other newbies to this and other motorsports. Best of luck out there in the professional world.

Oh, and I hope I didn't mess this up too much.

 

[Tenacious-V]

Anyone have an english stream? FP3 is on.

 

[DarkJC]

Anyone have an english stream? FP3 is on.

My typical one (P2PStation.net) is down =/

 

[Tenacious-V]

My typical one (P2PStation.net) is down =/

Yeah I tried too...

I don't have much luck with that site anyway though. It always says they've maxed out the connections from my area and the stream stops.

Using p2p4u.net but it's not in english.

 

[Chris R]

PMs sent. No commentary audio, but you do get to hear the cars (which for practice is all that matters).

edit: lol sorry for sending out links with almost no time left. I just got home from dinner.

 

[Burai]

christ on a bike!

I thought the wheels were supposed to remain tethered to the car BTW?

They are, but the wheels are tethered to the uprights which are the parts that failed.

 

[Tenacious-V]

PMs sent. No commentary audio, but you do get to hear the cars (which for practice is all that matters).

edit: lol sorry for sending out links with almost no time left. I just got home from dinner.

Thanks, I'll use it for qualifying if there isn't an English stream.

 

[TylerD]

For shame Luizzi!

 

[Chris R]

WTF Speed is like 10 minuets behind the live qualifying for some reason :lol

edit: Q1 just finished on Speed, and Q2 is already half over in real life :lol

 

[S. L.]

gee vettel with hard tires in q2

 

[TylerD]

gee vettel with hard tires in q2

Lurking, ready to pounce in Q3 and then do some pointing?

Spoiler

And screw up my Hammy pole pick.

Sutil to Q3. This pleases me.

 

[Aegus]

Hah at Rubens and Schumacher.

 

[S. L.]

Lurking, ready to pounce in Q3 and then do some pointing?

Spoiler

And screw up my Hammy pole pick.

i have hammy on pole too... will be really close i think. but i bet on hammys mystical powers!

heh, Sutil really shames Liuzzi with his Q1 failure :lol

 

[Chris R]

Ferrari and RBR sandbagging in practice :< Damn, there goes my sure lock of Hammy on Pole for some bonus points

 

[Aegus]

Vettel beasting it.

 

[Chris R]

Well then. From now on I guess, Vettel gets my bet for pole :lol DAMN

 

[Tenacious-V]

Hellz yeah, that's my boy!

 

[DrM]

"Who needs ride height control, eh" :lol

And all we need now is RAIN

 

[S. L.]

Ferrari and RBR sandbagging in practice :< Damn, there goes my sure lock of Hammy on Pole for some bonus points

RBR always does that, but i think Alonso just did a damn good lap