2014 Chinese GP

[cosworth151]

Interesting start that quickly deteriorated into a parade.

[Jericoke]

Interesting start that quickly deteriorated into a parade.

I hope that isn't how the rest of the season unfolds.  I'd  hate to think all the rule changes bring more of the same.

[lkjohnson1950]

Ricciardo thinks he may have something for the Mercs on the European tracks like Monaco, Hungary and even Silverstone where down force is more important.

[cosworth151]

I'm still trying to figure out the "We can't tell right from left" pit stop that Massa got from Williams.

[JayFerGaming]

My review of the F1 2014 Chinese Grand Prix!

[J.Clark]

Interesting start that quickly deteriorated into a parade.

I am with you on this one.

There was potential for more racing - Hamilton aside, but alas . . .

Massa's start was impressive.  It looked at first that he had moved over into Alonso, but in the replays showed from Rosberg's onboard, Massa had the spot and was going straight, matching Alonso and were wheel-to-wheel quite literally and Alonso actually moved to the right and into Massa.  I think too that that collision had an impact on Massa's stop with regard to the wheel nut being stuck in the wheel; although, not the wrong side wheel.

I was torn - still a Ferrari supporter of 50 years, and yet a Massa supporter too.  Massa and not Fernando should have been P3 at the end of lap 1.

I am truly impressed by Ricciardo.  Everything about him spells CHAMPION.  Out performing Vettel and smiling even when things haven't gone as he would have liked, and never a negative word about the team, or situations.
I hope that isn't how the rest of the season unfolds.  I'd  hate to think all the rule changes bring more of the same.

[F1fanaticBD]

Rule changes will bring something like this always as because there will always a team, who will do a better job than others, and thus will look like they are out of reach, but eventually other team would catch up. What I am astonished about is the level of reliability seen all across the grid, I mean its just a 4th race, and look how reliable the car have already become. Its a very complex power unit to say the least, and there are many components that should have gone wrong, but somehow the engine people manage to make them ultra-reliable.

And it was Lewis's weekend, there is no other way of putting it, he just did everything right, and the way he drove, was simply astonishing. Rosberg's charge through the field does show how superior Mercedes are, but Ferrari & Red Bull have cut back significant amount of advantage from the Mercedes, so we will be up for great battle unless teams have given up on development.

Fernando Alonso made a statement on his team-mate, and showed just how much integrated he is with team, to squeeze out the best out of that Ferrari.

Kobayashi's move on Vettel was a one of the memories I will have from this grand prix, because I cannot remember a car, who will finish in the 5th place is being overtaken by a car who will finish in the lower rank. And icing on the cake was Kobayashi being told to pull away, which he did, embarrassing RBR, and then prompting them to pit. For me that was the racing spirit of the Caterham, when they sniff a little opportunity they seize it, even it was for a moment.

There is a trend I have noticed in the last two years, when Force India thrive, Sauber struggles and vice versa. Last year it was acutely shown, this there is almost the same story with Sauber, but I have a feeling they will not be able to turn around things last year, which really worries me about the survival of the team.

[Irisado]

How on earth can some one be so precise about a race? No wonder you are doing great in GG..Sometimes you just make me feel you got a crystal ball telling you all 

Because some of the new tracks in particular produce very predictable results, so there's not too much that can go wrong with a dry race.  As you might have guessed, I do have a good memory for a lot of races, as long as they pre-date 2009, so I do my homework .

Got to hand it to you Irisado, you nailed what, the first 5 cars?  Betcha wish you had doubled up today. 

Yes and no.  There are easier races to predict than the Chinese Grand Prix .

That race was really dull.  On a par with 2013 levels of boredom.  I almost stopped watching it, but I was kept entertained by Vettel being beaten by his team mate again, and being overtaken by Kobayashi's lapped Caterham.

The only other highlights were the start, all a bit close, and the chequered flag being shown a lap too early!  Maybe the organisers were so bored that they thought, let's end this parade with a lap to go, nobody will notice .

Ferrari's improvement in the dry was sustained in the race, Massa was really unlucky, and Sauber are really in the doldrums with no pace at all.  Not much else to write home about really, other than the fact that 20 cars finished.  So much for early season unreliability spicing things up eh?

[Monty]

I am still trying to stay positive about the rule changes. We have seen some good racing in earlier races and there was some good mid-pack action in China. My problem is still with the tyres. Did you see the amount of marbles after just a few laps? This restricts overtaking because the marbles define a single racing line. I also still feel it is a nonsense that the 'pinnacle of motor sport' uses tyres that lose grip after 6 laps (or just two laps if you drive a McLaren).

[Irisado]

The rule changes have worked well on the whole, it was just a very dull race this time around.  China nearly always produces processions and predictable results in the dry.  I'm not suggesting that other races will follow the pattern that we saw on Sunday.

[F1fanaticBD]

How on earth can some one be so precise about a race? No wonder you are doing great in GG..Sometimes you just make me feel you got a crystal ball telling you all 

Because some of the new tracks in particular produce very predictable results, so there's not too much that can go wrong with a dry race.  As you might have guessed, I do have a good memory for a lot of races, as long as they pre-date 2009, so I do my homework .

Yes I know how precisely you can recall previous races, and aren't we glad to have you on-board. 

[J.Clark]

The rule changes have worked well on the whole, it was just a very dull race this time around.  China nearly always produces processions and predictable results in the dry.  I'm not suggesting that other races will follow the pattern that we saw on Sunday.

China has never produced an exciting race that I can recall.  One of the problems with the circuit when it comes to exciting racing is the fact that there are 3 long straights and if you are losing out in the speed trap by more than a couple of miles per hour, all of the handling you can get in the corners, which are not too tricky in China, will not help you keep up with the faster cars, not even with the DRS open.