GPWizard F1 Forum
F1 News & Discussions => General F1 Discussion => Topic started by: Scott on April 08, 2015, 11:41:57 AM
-
Hard to believe The Chinese GP has been on the calendar for more than a decade. 5.5km, with one of the trickiest series of corners on the calendar. Another Tilke track, it was designed based on the Chinese character Shang, as in Shanghai. Personally I think it looks like a floppy eared bunny on a sled...no, I haven't been drinking.
The city has a whopping 24m inhabitants, the busiest container port in the world, and has been a primary shipping port for more than a thousand years. It is mainland China's Commercial and Financial centre. Getting to the airport from the metro subway takes a scant 7.5 minutes for the 19mile journey thanks to a Magnetically Levitated train which has been recorded at over 500kph. An important market for Mercedes Benz, they will be banking on overturning their fortunes after a disappointing Malaysian race, maybe by some media events in the newly named Mercedes Benz Arena, an 18,000 seat arena in the city.
Schumacher still holds the track record of 1:32:238 way back in its inaugural race. Last year Lewis took pole with 1:53, but it was raining. At this point last year the scores were reversed with Rosberg leading by 11 points over Hamilton. Rosberg took FL of the race with a 1:40ish, but Lewis won the race and closed the gap to just 4 points.
Controversy from last year was that Lewis was shown the checker at the end of lap 55 instead of 56 (oops!), which due to a quirky regulation meant that the race officially ended at the end of lap 54, meaning that a pass by Kobi on Bianchi didn't stand...not that points were involved.
Two interesting corners are turn 1-2 & 11-12 which are 270 degrees. DRS zones are on both long straights. Pirelli has announced Mediums and Softs, as the previous three years. Weather looks to be dry and not a factor.
I'm not biting with all the media play about Ferrari really being a threat to Mercedes after the Malaysia win. Bernie was no doubt thrilled with the Ferrari finish and has asked the media outlets of Mercdes and Ferrari to play it up into some kind of battle, but I doubt it will happen again except under unusual circumstances, like rain or a massive field depleting crash.
-
Nicely done Scott, and thanks for doing it.
It will be interesting to see if anyone gets near to Michael's lap record this weekend. With the two very long straights, it could happen; although, I'll be very surprised to see it fall.
Tire ware seems to be one of the biggest issues facing the teams this weekend. Graining of the front tires is usually a problem that crops up. This is due to the fast corners mainly. The two turns that truly mess with the engineers I think are the 1-2 and 11-12, which have an increasing, or decreasing radius, each of which presents a unique problem.
I do believe, and hope, that the two long straights will help Williams close up a little (Ferrari too) on the Mercs. Williams still seems the fastest in straight-line speed. In Malaysia the speed trap results in qualifying (must have been Q1 before the rain) : http://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/qualifying_speed_trap_0.pdf
I will be watching to see if they can fill the stands. For a few years now, attendance at this venue has been falling off based upon observations from TV coverage - a lot of empty seats. This is true at a few other places as well. Time, me thinks, for Bernie and circuit managers to take a look at the price of a seat.
I liked your "floppy eared bunny on a sled" by-the-way. :D
-
I'm waiting to see if Merc can get its race strategy together. If they don't do considerably better than they did at Malaysia, Ferrari and maybe Williams might stand a chance at the top step.
As for the empty seats, just think of what it would look like if they hadn't turned entire grandstands into gigantic billboards.
-
1st Practice...Lewis half a second on Rosberg, and Vettel half a second on Kimi...Button half a second on Alonso. Nasr on a fumes run to show off something? Williams mid field...hope they are testing heavy or something.
Anyhow...
Pos Driver Team Time Gap
1 Hamilton Mercedes 1:39.033 123.126 mph
2 Rosberg Mercedes 1:39.574 0.541
3 Vettel Ferrari 1:40.157 1.124
4 Raikkonen Ferrari 1:40.661 1.628
5 Nasr Sauber 1:41.012 1.979
6 Ricciardo Red Bull 1:41.029 1.996
7 Kvyat Red Bull 1:41.097 2.064
8 Sainz STR 1:41.112 2.079
9 Bottas Williams 1:41.303 2.270
10 Massa Williams 1:41.304 2.271
11 Maldonado Lotus 1:41.335 2.302
12 Verstappen STR 1:41.575 2.542
13 Button McLaren 1:41.845 2.812
14 Ericsson Sauber 1:41.918 2.885
15 Palmer Lotus 1:41.967 2.934
16 Perez F India 1:42.141 3.108
17 Alonso McLaren 1:42.161 3.128
18 Hulkenberg F India 1:42.184 3.151
19 Stevens Marussia 1:45.379 6.346
20 Merhi Marussia 1:46.443 7.410
-
Well I'm here (I did say I would be bragging).
Weather is fantastic. I have to work on Saturday but I will be at the track from early hours on Sunday.
Unless there is a problem with tyres it looks like Hamilton will be hard to beat. I am just hoping for some good racing!
-
Good for you Monty - enjoy it.
FFP2 is in the books with times a little tighter than FFP1.
1. Hamilton Mercedes 1m 37.219s
2. Raikkonen Ferrari 1m 37.662s
3. Ricciardo Red Bull 1m 38.311s
4. Vettel Ferrari 1m 38.339s
5. Rosberg Mercedes 1m 38.399s
6. Kvyat Red Bull 1m 38.737s
7. Bottas Williams 1m 38.850s
8. Nasr Sauber 1m 39.032s
9. Grosjean Lotus 1m 39.142s
10. Button McLaren 1m 39.275s
11. Maldonado Lotus 1m 39.444s
12. Alonso McLaren 1m 39.743s
13. Ericsson Sauber 1m 39.751s
14. Verstappen Toro Rosso 1m 39.894s
15. Sainz Jr Toro Rosso 1m 39.971s
16. Hulkenberg Force India 1m 40.151s
17. Massa Williams 1m 40.423s
18. Perez Force India 1m 40.868s
19. Merhi Manor 1m 42.973s
20. Stevens Manor 1m 44.564s
Williams do not seem to have shown much progress relative the the others. Red Bull have on the other hand, jumping in between Williams and Ferrari.
-
Red Bull look to be more on the pace, and Williams look to have slipped back, along with Toro Rosso. Otherwise, it looks like more of the same at the front. Hamilton clearly has the edge on Rosberg, but will Raikkonen have a bit more luck this weekend, so that he can challenge Vettel? That's the question I'm interested in. I want to see who comes out on top in a straight fight between those two.
-
Monty, was that you running across the track? :tease: :tease:
You need more than a grandstand ticket if you want to test an F1 car.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/118436
-
Monty, was that you running across the track? :tease: :tease:
You need more than a grandstand ticket if you want to test an F1 car.
:DD :DD :DD
-
Probably was Monty, they said it was a fan who wanted to drive one of the cars. Sounds like Monty, No?
;)
Steve Matchett said Kimi's times during long runs were very quick (faster than Nico) and consistent. Merc may have quali sewn up, but the race could be interesting.
-
I did Q on Twitter, but sounds like it was without incident. Too bad for the Mclaren's, it seemed for a moment that they might actually make it into Q2. I can't believe Maldo missed Q3 by .007sec. Gotta just grin and shake your head. I think Kimi would have been with or past Vettel if he hadn't made that mistake on his last run.
-
Speed trap ...
-
No it wasn't me crossing the track. After the practice I have had crossing roads in China I would have been more successful than that!
Just got in from work in time to see Q3. Rosberg really got close.
I have everything organised and should be at the track by about 9:00 (not that there will be anything to see but I am going to make a full day of it!).
I will report all after the race.
-
Yet another awkward moment for Rosberg on the Q podium...
-
No it wasn't me crossing the track. After the practice I have had crossing roads in China I would have been more successful than that!
Just got in from work in time to see Q3. Rosberg really got close.
I have everything organised and should be at the track by about 9:00 (not that there will be anything to see but I am going to make a full day of it!).
I will report all after the race.
Fantastic Monty! Looking forward to your report. If you find some wifi at the track, drop in on the mobile chat for a minute or two during the race...
-
It would have been great to see McLaren in Q2, but progress is evident. Their performance for most of the weekend has been better it seems.
Vettel must have had an near perfect lap to be up on Kimi by so much and both Williams sandwiched between them. The start should be quite interesting.
I simply hope Williams pit stops are improved. It was a factor for both drivers in Malaysia, but cost Massa enough that Bottas could catch and pass him.
During practice, the talking heads were discussing the rather unsettled rear of the Ferrari compared to Williams. I don't think I ever heard anything on the long runs regarding race pace/tire wear. That would be helpful information if anyone saw that somewhere.
All in all, it looks like it should be a good race from P-3 on back through the points positions. :good:
-
I have everything organized and should be at the track by about 9:00 (not that there will be anything to see but I am going to make a full day of it!).
There's always something to see at an F1 race! See if you can find the paddock gate that the teams use. It's always a good spot to see drivers/crew/team officials...... :good:
-
Well I made it. Not a great race but a fantastic day. Arrived just after 9:00. There were literately a few dozen people there. The food stalls were excited to see anyone keen to buy a drink!
Went to the grandstand for the first race and there were only about 10 people in seats.
The track is good and the facilities were fine but there is nothing to entertain the spectators (when they finally arrive).
The Porsche race was really good with lots of overtaking.
Finally the time for the race arrived and suddenly the grandstands filled.
The view was good. Hamilton controlled the race from the start. To be honest the only excitement was Button racing Maldonado. To end under a pointless safety car was a real shame but all in all a day to remember.
-
I'm so happy for you Monty. Even a not so good race is always a good place to be when you are there.
It was a snoozer though :lazy: :lazy:
The full results:
1. Hamilton Mercedes
2. Rosberg Mercedes
3. Vettel Ferrari
4. Raikkonen Ferrari
5. Massa Williams
6. Bottas Williams
7. Grosjean Lotus
8. Nasr Sauber
9. Ricciardo Red Bull
10. Ericsson Sauber +1 lap
11. Perez Force India +1 lap
12. Alonso McLaren +1 lap
13. Sainz Jr Toro Rosso +1 lap
14. Button McLaren +1 lap
15. Stevens Manor +2 laps
16. Merhi Manor +2 laps
Rtd Verstappen Toro Rosso 53 laps completed engine
Rtd Maldonado Lotus 50 laps completed accident damage
Rtd Kvyat Red Bull 16 laps completed engine
Rtd Hulkenberg Force India 9 laps completed gearbox
Hamilton appeared to have it in complete control from the time the lights went out, right to the checkered flag and neither Nico, nor Seb could anything about that.
Kimi was catching up to Vettel at the end, but catching and passing are two very different things, and I doubt he could have passed and made it stick.
Massa seemed to have his teammate under control as well. There was a good part of the first stint where it looked as though Bottas had a shot at an overtake, even if in the pit stops, but that was not to be. It was a good confidence builder for Felipe I think, and he was even widening the gap a little each lap following the first round of stops.
Grojean did well and has to feel good with his result, getting a points finish.
Ricciardo may have had engine worries, but did well to collect a points finish.
Sauber has to be pleased to once again have both cars finish in the points, even if one was a lap down.
McLaren, while still looking for the points finish, should be fairly happy to have both cars coming home without any real problems.
Manor are the stars however, with both cars finishing the race. One must keep in mind that they hadn't so much as fired up an engine before Australia a few weeks ago.
-
Holy cow...I had 7/8 in the top 8 and 5 in the right order. Stupid Safety Car and whoever was driving that STR that the marshals kept banging into the wall while they were trying to get it off track. >:(
Would have been a good week to double...smart that guy KM ;) ;)
-
Heroes:
Hamilton. Pole to flag, perfect race. Surprised still that the Ferraris are so close to the Mercs, and I hope it just tightens up through the season.
Both Ferraris. If Kimi had managed to get into DRS range early on, it might have been a different Ferrari driver on the podium. But he let Vettel get away early, and his chances were blown. He might have managed it at the end, but Vettels tires weren't as bad as they could have been (maybe Vettel wasn't pushing hard enough to get Rosberg ;) ;) ).
Nasr - After the disastrous season opener, they are showing that perhaps it WAS a good decision they made on drivers. Too bad for Ericsson, but he has also shown speed this season.
Williams for a strong showing, but I'm still perplexed that they haven't managed to match the Ferraris. They have a stronger engine and at times last year seemed to have superior aero to the rest of the field.
Both Mclarens for finishing. Rumours are that the engine is tuned way down so they can complete races and get valuable laps in, so perhaps there is potential for more speed once they work out the reliability issues.
Zeroes
Rosberg. Look, you make your own luck. If you qualify in front of Lewis, then chances are good you will win the race, but when you qualify behind him, you just don't seem to have it in you to get close to him. So either improve your game or just accept that Lewis is better and stop with all the self righteous whining. Lewis is in front and can drive however he wants. Your job is to drive at least as fast.
RBR - It's really not JUST the engine. Kvyatt had gearbox problems. Give the boys a car they can push in, and then discuss the hp problem.
The jokers who tried to push Verstappen's car out of the way and banged it into the wall 5-6 times. It was so hopeless that Charlie had to call out the SC and cost me a point!
-
I'm so happy for you Monty. Even a not so good race is always a good place to be when you are there.
It was a snoozer though :lazy: :lazy:
It's too bad that motorracing is one of the few sports where a dominant performance is ultimately dull. Watching Hamilton open up a gap over 3 laps is exciting. Watching him manage it for 50 is not.
-
That completely unnecessary safety car cost me a point too. Verstappen's car was not in a dangerous place, and they could have even left it there for two laps. Failing that, they could have moved it with double waved yellows, had the marshals been more competent.
The race itself was woefully dull, enlivened only by engine blow ups (Kvyat and Verstappen), Verstappen's passes (he's doing much better than I expected him to), Maldonado's battle with Button, Maldonado's spin in the pit entry, and both Manor's finishing, with much better pace than they had shown in practice and qualifying.
Everything else was a tedious procession, and I was not on the edge of my seat.
-
I fell asleep. Nuff said.
-
Ah C'mon guys! :stop: It was a bit dull I grant you but there was some great action and wheel banging down in the minor places and beyond. How will we ever forget Jens and Pastor at it for several laps, plus a rare mistake from old 'cool hand Luke' Jens ending the duel. Also a fine example from Jens after the race in accepting the blame absolutely, just what we would expect from a proper driver.
Reports suggest racegoers in particular like Monty and all us others were starved of a fight at the front not by the safety car but by Merc team orders carried out a little too ruthlessly by one Lewis Hamilton. :o See my post in the F1 teams thread 'Rosberg starting to crack'.
Can't help feeling the TV director was in on the secret, TV coverage seemed almost entirely focussed on the battles for 7th place and below 90% of the time - or maybe that was just the bits I stayed awake for. :D
-
I thought the Safety Car was necessary simply because of the mishandling of Max V's car. With personnel on the course, there was no other choice. It got me a point, too. The only reason I picked S/C was I fully expected a power plant to grenade on track.
One thing I missed until today was that Merhi was hit with a 5 second penalty for failing to stay above the minimum time mandated by the FIA while running behind the safety car.
-
I thought the Safety Car was necessary simply because of the mishandling of Max V's car. With personnel on the course, there was no other choice. It got me a point, too. The only reason I picked S/C was I fully expected a power plant to grenade on track.
One thing I missed until today was that Merhi was hit with a 5 second penalty for failing to stay above the minimum time mandated by the FIA while running behind the safety car.
After Bianchi's accident, I'm sure that for the entire season if there is any question at all, the safety car will be deployed. And rightly so. The show is important, but safety is job 1.
I would love for F1 track workers to be professionals instead of volunteers, but shudder to think who would pay for their training, lodging and transportation.
-
I get the impression I had the better idea. During the F1 race, I was eating breakfast and then planning my Silverstone WEC autograph session strategy with some friends...