What are we expecting in China on Sunday??

[F1fanaticBD]

Our cucumber boy misses the Q3, Sauber out-qualifying Ferrari, and Mercedes 1-2 starting grid tomorrow, if people thought Malaysia was crazy, then China kept the surprise of the season.

And Nico must congratulated for putting that astonoshing lap, awesome drive and out qualifying your nearest rival over .5 sec, when all the Q3 was composed of all the cars within 0.3s

So tomorrow we will be having the grid like this
Rosberg
Schumacher
Kobayashi
Raikkonen
Button
Hamilton
Webber
Perez
Alonso
Grosjean
Vettel
Massa
Maldonado
Senna
Di Resta
Hulkenberg
Ricciardo
Vergne
Kovalainen
Petrov
Glock
Pic
De la Rosa
Karthikeyan

Oh boy we up for a smash..

[cosworth151]

It looks like Seb should have taken the new exhaust like Mark did. First Mercedes pole since Juan Manuel Fangio in the W196 streamliner at Monza in 1955. It should be quite a race! 

[Scott]

Dare and I were the only ones to pick Merc for pole...too bad we both picked the wrong car

[F1fanaticBD]

Yeah First Mercedes pole since Fangio, awesome job. And GG people, given the past two races record and the past, to pick Nico ahead of MS would have been mad.. but for last few days of formula one circus.. its sensible to be mad...

Awesome awesome awesome seasons people...

[Ian]

Gonna be a tough job to pick the first eight, especially in order. This will be the 6th GG, and nobody yet has picked the total outcome of the race weekend.

[John S]

Great lap from Nico, but is the Merc just flattering to deceive once again, difficult to say how much is real pace and how much difference the R hole in the back makes.

No one looks an outstanding candidate to drive off into the distance so should be a fair dinkum race.  Maybe that gives a clue as to my leanings for the race win. 

I reckon Mark will do it with the McLarens in close attention, not sure who will win that battle.
Also reckon the old boy in the red hat will finish ahead of the young pole sitter as well, but neither will make the podium.

   

[David]

Great Quli, I haven't a clue where to start to predict what's going to happen for the GG. Really looking forward to the race tomorrow, and since it's live on the BBC I will join in with chat tomorrow. 

[hayleylsl]

Great qualifying- Rosberg did an amazing job- i really didn't expect a Mercedes in the top 6 yet alone pole and second.  Both drivers did a great job.  Can't wait for the race tomorrow :-0

[F1fanaticBD]

But people I have feeling that these condition will give difficult times for people like Button and Vettel, who are struggling to get tire temperature upto their optimum level.

And if you consider Merc pace more due to their overwhelming use of DRS in qualifying, it really means Hamilton did an outstanding jobs, spliting these two.

Lewis looks consistant with his lap times in qualifying, but I have a feeling that these good times, Lewis should have converted to wins, because in coming races he will not have these dominant pace. And this will hurt severely in the championship for him.

And people are not giving Mr. Peter Sauber the credit, that they should be given, because in different conditions they seems to adapt very quickly, and they are really pushing the midfield a great deal, and also making Ferrari look silly in this early part of Non-European season. Though I wonder they could keep up the pace till the mid-season.

And I am very worried about the in experienced bunch of Perez and Kobayashi, for the first corner, because as experience tells me, great qualifying turns out to be curse, because in order to keep the expectations these guys push a bit little two far, ending in spectacular but hurtful incidences.

All the fireworks of Chinese Grand Prix are poised, it is just waiting the ignition...

[lkjohnson1950]

The start shouldn't be too bad, they have a long run to turn 1 to get sorted out. How about the possibility of Merc team orders? MS to the lead or would Nico stand for that? Sauber is trying to score as many points as possible now because they fear they can't match the development of the big teams. I expect Perez and Kobi to be pushing hard. I think most likely winner either Hammy (first choice) or Webber (RB not as good as McLaren yet) unless it rains, then Perez looks well placed eh?

[Cam]

One thing Schumi has been doing well in his comeback has been starting, although it has usually been from dismal starting positions.  Rosberg is taking a while to adjust to the concept of being a contender, this was the first Q3 hot lap he hasnt stuffed up this year, so I expect him to get the yips and schumi to beat him to turn one.  All grist tp the conspiracy theorists mill of course, but then we've had to put up with that %&^* before.

In the race, on form, you would expect it to be a Macca to take the flag, Red Bull dont have the pace, and Mercedes cant maintain their race pace.  Even if they are in front with DRS the options for using strategy to keep someone behind are much more limited now.

So which Macca will it be, I'm favouring Hamilton, when there's cars to be passed his form is better, Jenson is imperious when he has no-one in front of him, but can lose his way when there is.  When Lewis has slower cars in front of him, you wont die wondering. 

Off to place my bets now . . . . . .

[Ian]

What were we expecting ? Probably nothing like we got, I'm still bouncing over the spectacle we had.

[F1fanaticBD]

Mercedes running from pole to flag, with their history of tyre degradation, if I had said that, I am pretty sure people would have asked about my sanity... And the field getting so much shuffling, and as Lewis said, a train of 10 cars.. how often did we see that, and all prediction will go to haywire...

Love you China..

[John S]

Mercedes running from pole to flag, with their history of tyre degradation, if I had said that, I am pretty sure people would have asked about my sanity...

So you admit you were thinking that then F1fanatic, - best make an appointment with the doc just to be on the safe side.   

[Dare]

I thought the tires would get Mercedes too,not a
wheel changer