FORMULA 1 - 2012

[MIKA27]

Rivals must 'count on Mercedes' now - Rosberg

Mercedes' rivals must now count the German team as a serious contender, Nico Rosberg has said after winning his first grand prix in China last weekend.

Shanghai was also the scene of the 26-year-old's first pole and the first works Mercedes victory for over half a century, but Rosberg warned that the W03 is not likely to dominate from now on.

"It's a really interesting season so far," he told Bild newspaper.

"Until now nobody has really known who is in front, and suddenly we are on top!

"But we can't think that we will drive around everybody at the next race. We still have (tyre) problems in the race, that's for sure, but the others also need to count on us now," said Rosberg.

"We are going to be fast in qualifying at all the races; that's our trump card. And now we know that if we execute the race properly, then we can do it (win) again."

[MIKA27]

Grosjean 'not relieved' despite easing pressure

Romain Grosjean insists he is not feeling "relieved" after the Chinese grand prix.

The Frenchman, who returned to F1 this year after an abortive start to his career in 2009, showed good pace in Australia and Malaysia but failed to see the end of even the opening lap.

In China, therefore, the pressure was on the reigning GP2 champion to finally record a result, and he duly finished sixth -- his first ever points in F1.

"Relieved? No," the Swiss-born driver told RMC Sport.

"No, the work has just paid off. There is no need to put your head on upside down after two races (in 2012). We all know there are ups and downs in motor racing."

Nonetheless, 26-year-old Grosjean admitted it "felt good to fight with Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren (in China) -- it's great!"

[MIKA27]

Formula 1 testing set to return to Silverstone amid talks over splitting young driver test with Abu Dhabi

Formula 1 teams are edging closer an agreement that will allow testing to return to Silverstone this year.

Teams have been considering switching the annual young driver test from its late-season Abu Dhabi slot to just after the British Grand Prix, because of concerns about the workload at the end of the season.

Further discussions took place over the Chinese GP weekend to try and find agreement on which venue would be preferred, but no consensus was reached.

Teams have therefore agreed that they will have the option of running at either Silverstone in July or at the Yas Marina circuit after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in November.

The final details of the tests need to be sorted out to ensure that one group of teams is not given an advantage by getting exclusive access to development tyres at the end of the year.

In a bid to ensure that teams are also not disadvantaged by bad weather at Silverstone, they will be able to pull out of the running if it looks like the test will be a washout.

However, it is understood that if a team's car leaves the pits at the first test, then they will be deemed to have chosen that test so cannot therefore take part in the Abu Dhabi running.

[MIKA27]

Schumacher's return vindicated by strong Merecdes - Haug

Mercedes motorsport boss Norbert Haug believes his team's new found form vindicates Michael Schumacher's decision to return to the sport with the Silver Arrows.

Nico Rosberg won the Chinese Grand Prix at the weekend and Schumacher was running second until he retired with a loose wheel nut following a pit stop. Haug believes a Mercedes one-two was possible and is confident Schumacher will be back in the top three soon.

"It was a real shame for Michael - he had earned his place on the podium," Haug said. "But it will come, and now everybody who at some point criticised the decision can see how important, and how right, it is to have Michael Schumacher in our team.

"Michael has out-qualified Nico at two of three races this year, and Nico won on Sunday. What's more, there's a nice trend to his grid positions so far in 2012: fourth in Australia, third in Malaysia, second in China."

Haug also praised Mercedes and underlined that it is still a young team operating on relatively modest budget.

"We want to continue improving, keep our feet on the ground and avoid making any unnecessary waves - there are already more than enough of those in Formula One," he added. "What I particularly liked was that the whole world joined us in celebrating the first win for our young team. Daimler spends less than half the sum on Formula One than it did five years ago and we have nevertheless managed to build a winning team. The victory on Sunday will only push us to get even better."

[MIKA27]

Jean Todt finally breaks cover over Bahrain

Jean Todt, the under-fire FIA president, finally broke his long and conspicuous silence over the Bahrain controversy.

He has been roundly condemned for his failure to make any public pronouncement over the situation in Bahrain, and so unremarkable was his visit to Shanghai over thet weekend that most reporters believed he in fact left China on Saturday.

He then appeared on Sunday's grid, giving reluctantly short soundbites and congratulating his former Ferrari colleague Ross Brawn on Nico Rosberg's win. He finally had no choice but to comment on Bahrain.

Asked why the event is going ahead despite the ongoing controversy, he told German RTL television: "It has a date on the calendar and was always planned. There has been some controversy about it, but the FIA is a sports organisation. We are only interested in sport -- not politics.

"Our responsibility is that people can go there and have good and secure conditions. This will be the case. We have spoken in this regard with representatives of the government, with the embassies and with neighbouring countries, as well as with European foreign ministries.

"We have made an extension examination with a lot of checks. It is clear that the grand prix can go ahead. At the moment, a major golf tournament is going ahead in Bahrain. On one hand, there are unpleasant political aspects as well, but it's the same thing all over the world.

"On the other hand, we are a sport. We are confident that the next grand prix will go ahead just as successfully as this one here in China."

With that, Todt swept back to the airport and resumed his role as motorsport's lowest-of-profile leader.

[MIKA27]

Lotus preview the Bahrain GP

Kimi Raikkonen believes a podium finish will be possible in Bahrain while Romain Grosjean is looking to better his Chinese result...

Kimi Raikkonen:

Q: The Chinese Grand Prix was full of action; how was it from your position?

KR: It was good racing but we ran out of tyre performance during the final stint. I felt comfortable in the car and I could push well, but we lost out in the end. I was not able to get past Felipe (Massa) in the middle part of the race, and I wasn't able to keep Sebastian (Vettel) behind me, but there is still good speed in the car.

Q: What happened when Sebastian got past you?

KR: I had been keeping him behind me, but finally my tyres were too far gone for me to keep him there. I went wide and then I was on the marbles. I had very little traction on the loose stuff and because it was so close a lot of cars went past me. It was then too late to make another stop so it was frustrating. It was the strategy we chose, and I wouldn't have been fighting for second if we'd gone for a three stop. Maybe we should have run a longer second stint, as that worked for Romain. We learnt a lot about the tyres.

Q: Are you frustrated the strategy chosen didn't work?

KR: It looked the best one for us and it worked for Romain. If we had the same information again, we'd probably try the same approach. It didn't work, but you don't know these things unless you try them. We will now know better for next time. We were pretty close to finishing on the podium. We didn't. That's racing.

Q: You were racing wheel-to-wheel at times during the race. How was that?

KR: It is what I missed when I was rallying, and it's good to be racing against other cars like that. It was very close at times, but it's called racing so that's what you do. I thought it must have looked good on television for anyone watching. I look forward to racing more like that this season.

Q: The team wasn't able to maximise the latest upgrade package at Shanghai - how frustrating was that for you as a driver?

KR: We had a lot of parts but it was wet on Friday morning and very cold in the afternoon. We went back to most of the old spec for Saturday as we knew how it worked. Qualifying was okay, but there was a bigger gap to pole which wasn't what we wanted. We didn't make the car faster which some others did with theirs. The E20 still feels good to drive, but we just need to get a little bit more speed. Hopefully we will find it in Bahrain.

Q: What are your thoughts of the Bahrain International Circuit?

KR: I don't think it will present any particular problems for us. It's likely to be quite hot and our car didn't like the cold so much when we were in China so maybe the heat will suit us better. The track has a mixture of corners and it's quite fun to race on. There are some opportunities to overtake so let's see what happens.

Q: It's another circuit where you have finished on the podium...

KR: I have had a second and three third places in Bahrain which is okay. It is good to race there. We won't know how strong the car will be until we get there. Maybe we will get the upgrades on the car to work properly and we will be able to go faster than in China. Let's see.

Q: How have you enjoyed the first three races?

KR: It's not that different to what it was like before. I don't like the travel so much as the first races are so far away from home, but soon we will be racing in Europe. When you're at the track and in the car you know what you have to do, so it doesn't matter so much about the other stuff. When I'm in the car it feels good, and we're all working to get faster.

Q: Do you think the team is capable of a strong result in Bahrain?

KR: A podium should be possible and I think it has been at all the races we've been at so far. We don't know exactly how good the car will be until we get there, but we don't expect any problems.

Romain Grosjean

Q: How did it feel to score your first points in Formula 1 last weekend?

RG: I'm very pleased for myself, for the team, for all the hard work we've done. We deserved finally a good result. We did an amazing job to recover from our free practice pace, which was not that good, but at the end of the story we got back where we should be.

Q: As Kimi showed, it was a strategy which was very marginal on tyres, how was that from behind the wheel?

RG: I knew it was going to be tight for tyres and did my best to save them. It's always difficult when you are on a risky strategy to the cars coming from behind you. The McLarens and Red Bulls were attacking with new tyres so I wasn't sure what to expect.

Q: How nervous were you at the start of the race?

RG: My start was very good, but then Fernando (Alonso) went on the right side and I was blocked behind him. I couldn't do much. Then unfortunately Felipe (Massa) came from the outside, a good move from him, and got in front of me. He held me off for all the first stint, which was not very good for me or my race, but then the second stint was amazing.

Q: What about the rest of the race?

RG: The pace was really good. I started the third stint the same and then we caught back to Felipe (Massa) again. Kimi was behind Sebastian (Vettel) and myself and then Jenson (Button) joined. It was very tight between us and difficult to overtake. And then the guys with new tyres came in the middle. You can always say that without Felipe (Massa) holding us maybe it would have been a different story, but anyway we knew we had to take care of the tyres. The car felt very good today and it gives me a lot of confidence for Bahrain.

Q: You seemed to be in traffic a lot of the time in Shanghai?

RG: It's really frustrating not to be able to overtake! I think overtaking was quite tough on Sunday, even with the very long straight. It was really difficult for everybody. I was blocked behind Kamui (Kobayashi) and I think my pace was much better than what I was doing, but this is part of the race. You know sometimes you will have some traffic and sometimes be in free air. The strategy guys do their best to give you some free air and some laps to do by your own.

Q: Overall, how do you assess your first points finishing performance in Formula 1?

RG: I think we had more or less everything right with just some small mistakes. Next time is going to be even better.

Q: You've experienced Bahrain before in the 2008 GP2 Asia series; does it bring back good memories?

RG: Definitely. I raced there with the ART Grand Prix team and we took pole position, fastest lap and the win - it's always nice to get a full house! I've also got quite a lot of experience there from 2010 when I was a test driver for Pirelli, so hopefully this will help me get up to speed quickly in the E20.

Q: The layout of the circuit has been altered since you last drove there, so there will surely be some learning still to do...

RG: It's true that the configuration has changed, but the 2010 layout was only used for that season, and will return to its previous format for this year. I guess I'm quite lucky really, as I've driven the track in both forms so there will be no problem at all there.

Q: Do you think you will enjoy racing a Formula 1 car at the Bahrain International Circuit?

RG: Whether you enjoy driving at a track depends on the car. With a good car you enjoy the track, with a bad car you don't! Bahrain is a good track. It has some big braking which I quite like, some interesting changes of direction like the double-left in the middle of the racetrack... I think the E20 will be nice there. The balance we have is pretty good and I'm sure we can achieve something strong.

Q: What are you hoping for at the next race?

RG: I want to be able to put a proper qualifying and proper race all together. I think the car will be good there. The weather should stay the same throughout the weekend - hopefully! Let's see what we can do.

[MIKA27]

Sauber preview the Bahrain GP

A favourite for both Kamui Kobayashi and Sergio Perez, Sauber's drivers are relishing F1's return to Bahrain...

Kamui Kobayashi: "Bahrain is one of my favorite circuits, and its layout is really good. I also like the high ambient temperatures there. It feels like summer. There was no race last year, so we have to guess how the track conditions are. Maybe it will be very slippery in the beginning. We will be driving on the shorter version of the track, where I have never raced in a Formula One car. However, I drove many laps there in testing with Toyota, and I raced in GP2, so I know the track well. We obviously have to be prepared to make sure we keep everything very cool."

Sergio Perez: "I have never raced in a Formula One car in Bahrain so far but, I have good memories linked to that circuit because I won a GP2 race there back in 2008. That was the one and only time I have raced there up to now. It is quite a stop-and-go circuit and I think rear tyre degradation can be quite high. Overall I feel that our team has a good momentum and we have to make sure we also keep it for the next race weekend."

Giampaolo Dall'Ara; Head of Track Engineering: "The track is a sequence of long straights with low speed corners, so it's very demanding on the brakes. Good traction is also crucial on this circuit. We didn't use the maximum downforce level in the times when we raced without DRS. Having a good straight line speed can make a difference there. Another peculiarity is the tarmac. Although it's smooth, it's quite abrasive, especially on the rear tyres, because of this combination of high temperatures and the sand which is blown on the track. Pirelli will provide us with the soft and medium compounds. Normally the ambient temperatures are between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius, which means that we have to use maximum cooling. This also applies to the brakes, although in that case it's because the drivers have to brake very hard. At the end of the day the most important factors are braking performance and traction."

[MIKA27]

Caterham preview the Bahrain GP

Caterham are predicting that the hot, dry, sandy and windy conditions will play a major role in the outcome this weekend at the Sakhir circuit...

Heikki Kovalainen: "Bahrain is another one of the typical modern circuits. It doesn't have any really challenging corners and you can push hard for most of the lap, particularly over the kerbs which are pretty easy on the cars. As the track surface is rubbered in grip levels improve dramatically, so you'll see laptimes dropping fast over the weekend, and that means you have to be on it for qualifying, to make sure you can get the most of out the session. Apart from the track conditions, one of the main technical areas we will be focusing on in Bahrain is braking. The high ambient temperatures and the nature of the track mean we will be spending quite a lot of Friday's practice sessions managing brake cooling and wear rates, so we are as well prepared as possible for qualifying and the race."

Vitaly Petrov: "Bahrain is where I made my F1 debut back in 2010 so it's a track that means a lot to me. I had great support when we last raced there and I'm sure it'll be the same this year with Caterham F1 Team. From the driver's point of view it's a pretty technical circuit and one where you need to have a really good balance and make sure you nail every apex to get the best lap times in. That's particularly true in the last sector and if you can get that right you can make up, and lose, a lot of time there. The sand obviously affects everyone the same, and it'll be interesting on Saturday to see how late everyone leaves their Q1 runs. The track gets more and more quick with every lap, and that means you have to be pretty bold with your strategy to make sure you give yourself the best possible shot at a good quali lap."

Mark Smith, Technical Director: "The Bahrain circuit present us with several challenges, the most obvious being its desert location. The track surface is always pretty sandy at the beginning of each session and this means we see a reasonably high level of grip evolution throughout the course of the race weekend. On top of this, the sandy atmosphere means we have to pay special attention to both air filtration and the general mechanical assemblies, to prevent accelerated wear. The ambient temperatures will be hot and dry as expected, but the wind will also play quite a significant role throughout the weekend. The wind direction can change very suddenly and we have to take that into account when we are making final decisions on gear ratios, particularly top gear with KERS and DRS usage factored in. Significant demands are also placed on the brakes in Bahrain and it will be important to get the balance right between controlling brake temperatures and wear rate, without losing too much outright performance. This means that car setup work for each day on track will have a heavy focus towards providing a stable platform to meet the demands of both heavy braking and each traction event throughout the lap. Finally, the tyres allocated for Bahrain will be the medium and soft compounds which will also have been used in China. Hopefully this means we will have learnt a bit more about their optimum usage, albeit in a different ambient environment, and we will see how we can apply that knowledge over the race weekend."

[MIKA27]

HRT preview the Bahrain GP

With points still some way off, HRT are determined to "maintain" their reliability when they race at the Sakhir circuit...

Pedro de la Rosa: "The Bahrain International Circuit is a difficult track because it has strong braking corners and it's very easy to overrun coming into them. The three things we need to work on there are: for the car to brake well, have good grip and achieve a good top speed. It's a circuit I like because I made my debut for McLaren there, so I've got good memories of it, I also achieved my first fastest lap in a race there too. In Bahrain the objective is to continue the improvement which we clearly saw in China, where we took a big step. Now we must maintain our reliability but in a hotter climate, we have to try and take the same step that we took in China."

Narain Karthikeyan: "I don't know the circuit in Bahrain so I'm going to have to be extra focused and make the most of my time in the car. We have an idea of what we think the set-up should be, so we'll see if this works. We're going to try a few things in Bahrain and, hopefully, this will help us to improve and progress further. What I do know about this track is that the weather is going to be very hot and we've struggled a bit in hot conditions this season so far because of the cooling system in the car, so we're going to have to work very hard on this. After a good performance in Malaysia, we'll be looking to further reduce the gap to the group ahead of us."

Luis Pérez-Sala, Team Principal: "Without any time to enjoy or analyze the Chinese Grand Prix, we already find ourselves in another country and another Grand Prix, so we have to work against the clock to study all the data gathered in Shanghai and make the corresponding adjustments for Bahrain. This Grand Prix will take place in very different conditions and, although we could say that we've made up for the lack of preseason and are now at the starting point, our biggest weakness is still cooling. Here that is a key factor but I'm confident we can continue along the same line as in the last races and will be able to progress a little bit more this weekend. Narain and Pedro, just like the rest of the team, have arrived very motivated and I hope that that work and motivation translates into another good result for our young team."

[winelover]

Bahrain unable to guarantee safety for Formula One says former Met officer

John Yates says incidents at grand prix are possible and police will use live rounds if necessary

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John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said incidents at the Bahrain grand prix were possible. Photograph: David Davies/PA

Paul Weaver in Bahrain

guardian.co.uk, Wed 18 Apr 2012 19.10 BST

The government of Bahrain cannot guarantee the safety of Formula One teams and spectators at this Sunday's Bahrain Grand Prix as violence escalates in the Gulf kingdom, according to the British former police officer who is working on security at the track.

John Yates, the former assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan police who is employed by the Bahrain government to advise on police reform, told the Guardian: "People say can we guarantee security. Of course we can't guarantee security. I'd be a fool to sit here and say that.

"Is it possible there might be an incursion on the track? Of course there is. It's an open event. Can you stop some idiot running onto the track? There have been other incidents of track incursions."

Yates also said police would retaliate with live rounds if necessary: "The police will have all the options you would expect. If the opposition started firing live ammunition, the police would respond with live," he said, adding: "But I don't think that's likely."

The British policeman, known universally as "Yates of the Yard", went to Bahrain on a six-month contract four months ago. He led the cash-for-honours investigation, but resigned last year following criticism of the police investigation into the News of the World phone-hacking scandal.

"There will be protests over the weekend. But we want to make this a sporting event not a security event. The man who is heading the security said he wanted security to be felt but not seen. And I applaud that.

"I judge it more likely there will be protests on the route and protests around the villages. I just hope it's a good event and I hope it goes off without too much trouble."

Yates made his comments as protesters stepped up their activity with a demonstration in middle of he capital, Manama, which had to be broken up with stun grenades, and promises of 15 further demonstrations overnight, compared with seven on Tuesday night.

The controversial Bahrain Grand Prix has been foisted on the reluctant F1 teams only after they were give assurances that they would be safe following meetings in Shanghai last week with Bernie Ecclestone, the sport's commercial rights holder, and a statement from FIA, the governing body.

Formula One has refused to get involved in the political and moral row which has engulfed Bahrain and has concentrated purely on the security aspect. The sport will be dismayed by the comments from Yates, who also said the police needed their own human rights. "What some of the police are facing it's horrific. I saw four or five cops with life-changing injuries, faces taken off, ingested flames and lungs damaged. Where are their human rights? The cops have taken some heavy, heavy injuries."

Yates dismissed much of the reported violence as "malicious propaganda". He added: "There will be incidents when police have not acted appropriately. You saw that in a supermarket recently, and that's being investigated."

He also played down allegations that the police are making preemptive strikes in the villages surrounding the capital.

He said: "There's allegations that people are arrested and not taken to the police station but go to these holding sites where allegedly terrible things happen. But that would be on YouTube. That would be posted."

Following an independent inquiry into the bloodshed in Bahrain last year, Yates said that what happened in the country was "tragic" and "appalling".

He added on Wednesday: "But the will is there to move on and make the changes. I've seen a of changes in the four months I've been here. Some of the pace of the change is frustrating for some but it's the nature of the beast. But the will is there."

[winelover]

Afraid I couldn't sort out the presentation or font or do anything to compare with Mikka. I generally access FOH on my humble blackberry which limits editing scope.

[MIKA27]

Afraid I couldn't sort out the presentation or font or do anything to compare with Mikka. I generally access FOH on my humble blackberry which limits editing scope.

Mate, I couldn't care less how the presentation is my friend, I APPRECIATE YOU posting the news!!

"Live rounds!?" Wouldn't rubber bullets be as effective but without the 'Death" part if they are just protesters? Terrorists are different BUT this is where the argument is, HOW DOES ONE DIFFERENTIATE the protester from the terrorist?

Hence why the Bahrain GP should have been cancelled IMO.

Graham, thank you truly for posting, keep it coming whenever you can.

[MIKA27]

HOW THE F1 TEAMS WILL APPROACH THE BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX ON TRACK:

There are quite a few unknowns going into this race weekend. Sakhir circuit has been modified from the 2010 event, without the extra loop, which was added just for that event. This means the track is shorter by just under a kilometer and four braking zones have been removed. The last time this layout was used there was still refueling in F1, so the strategy for this year will be completely new.

With lots of corners following each other and a heavy car at the start of the race, Bahrain is one of the toughest circuits of the year on brakes, with four major stops per lap from over 300km/h.

The late April date means that the temperatures are likely to be very high, which will lead to increased tyre wear. Also making the picture pretty interesting is the fact that there was no race at Sakhir last season, so Pirelli has not raced there before. It did conduct some tyre testing on the track however, during the early stages of its 2011 development programme.

The track, being in a desert, is also at risk of being coated in fine sand and this can compromise grip levels.

When you've read all about the considerations the teams will go through when deciding their plans for the race, see if you can find the best strategy using our Race Strategy Calculator. Click here to use it. Race Strategy Calculator

Track characteristics:

Sakhir Circuit; 5.41 kilometres.

Race distance: 57 laps = 308.23 kilometres, 15 corners in total, mostly medium speed, with three long straights

Aerodynamic setup: Medium downforce. Top speed 322km/h (with Drag Reduction System on rear wing) 310km/h without.

Full throttle: 50% of the lap. Total fuel needed for race distance: 150.8 kilos.

Time spent braking: 16% of the lap. 7 braking zones. Brake wear: High.

Loss time for a Pit stop = 18.6 seconds

Total time needed for pit stop: 22.6 seconds.

Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.38 seconds (average/high). Fuel consumption: 2.6 kg/lap

Form Guide:

The Bahrain Grand Prix is the fourth round of the 2012 FIA F1 World Championship.

The first two races of the season saw McLaren dominate in Australia, with Malaysia hard to draw many conclusions from due to changeable weather conditions, although Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the race from Sauber's Sergio Perez. In China the Mercedes was fastest in qualifying and its race pace was strong enough to win the race in cool track conditions. McLaren has the fastest car in general, with Red Bull faster in the race than in qualifying.

As far as drivers' form is concerned at Bahrain, Fernando Alonso has won the race three times, Felipe Massa twice while Jenson Button and Michael Schumacher have both won it once. Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have never won in Bahrain. As far as teams are concerned, Ferrari has four wins from the seven races held at the venue since the 2004 inauguration.

Weather Forecast:

The end of April is quite late for a Bahrain Grand Prix, which has generally been held in March or early April previously. The temperatures rise throughout the month and it is forecast to be around 33 degrees over the race weekend. With very dark asphalt the track temperature tends to be significantly higher, well into the 40 degree range with such ambient temperatures.

Likely tyre performance and other considerations:

Pirelli tyre choice for Bahrain: Soft and Medium.

This race is likely to produce the highest track temperatures of the season so far and it will be a learning experience for the teams and for Pirelli as the Italian tyres have never raced at Bahrain before. They have tested there in up to 50 degrees temperature and feel they know it well enough.

The high temperature creates more movement in the tyre compound and this accelerates the tyre degradation.

The stable weather conditions in Bahrain are likely to mean that the practice sessions will give strong indications for race strategy, which hasn't been possible in the previous races this season due to interruptions and rainy conditions.

The pattern which has emerged so far from the first three races is that hotter track conditions tend to suit the McLaren, Red Bull and Lotus, while cooler conditions play to the strengths of the Mercedes, Ferrari and the Sauber.




Number and likely timing of pit stops:

Before any practice has been done on the circuit, Pirelli predicts three stops in the race. It will be the degradation in tyre performance, which will decide the pit stop strategy and this is likely to be dictated by the high track temperature and by the way the teams get their cars set up to cope with it. The rear tyres will go off first due to the number of traction events out of corners.

The teams may also be looking to manage their strategy differently, possibly looking to use the medium tyre more as a primary race tyre than the soft, possibly using it for two stints rather than one. This proved a winning ticket for Mercedes in China.

The front runners, who must start the race on their qualifying tyres, will be likely to start on used soft tyres as it is clearly the faster tyre for a qualifying lap.

The simulations show that the difference between the soft and medium tyres will be around 0.6 seconds per lap, although this will come right down in the race and that the life of the soft tyre will be 18 laps, with 22 laps the longest the medium tyre will last.

Our own analysis, using the Race Strategy Calculator shows that a two stop strategy with stops on laps 18 and 37 for new medium tyres looks like a good default strategy. Saving a set of new soft tyres looks like it has some advantages too. See if you can find a better strategy.

Chance of a safety car:

The chance of a safety car at the Sakhir circuit is low, due to the vast expanse of run off areas around the circuit. There was a safety car in the 2007 race to clear away on track debris, but otherwise the races have been fairly clear.

Recent start performance of drivers:

Starts are crucial in race strategy and can make or compromise a race. In China we saw Kobayashi, who had been the best starter in the first two races, lose 4 places off the grid. Webber lost 3 places, as did Vettel, while Button, Hamilton, Perez, Kovalainen and Massa gained 2 places. Webber is already back at the bottom of the table, where he finished last season.

Glock, Kovalainen, Massa and Alonso are consistently good starters who gain places off the line at most races.

As far as 2012 start performance is concerned drivers have gained (+) or lost (-) places off the start line this season, on aggregate, as follows

Gained:


+12 Kovalainen

+10 Massa, Perez


+9 Glock

+8 Alonso

+7 Kobayashi

+6 Raikkonen

+4 Pic, Di Resta

+3 Rosberg, Button, Maldonado


+2 Hulkenberg, Senna

+1 Hamilton, Schumacher*, Karthikeyan

Held position:

Petrov

Lost:

-1 Vettel, Vergne, De la Rosa

-2 
Grosjean**

-3 Ricciardo,

- 6 Webber

* Senna, Ricciardo and Hulkenberg were all involved in accidents on 1st lap in Australia

** Schumacher and Grosjean collided on Lap 1 in Malaysia, Senna and Perez pitted for wet tyres on opening lap

Pit Stop League Table




Of course good strategy planning also requires good pit stop execution by the mechanics and we have seen tyre stops carried out in less than two and a half seconds by F1 teams. It is clear that the field has significantly closed up in this area, as well as on track performance, with 8 teams within 1.1 seconds of each other much closer than last season.

The league table below shows the order of the pit crews based on their fastest time in the Chinese Grand Prix, from the car entering the pit lane to leaving it. The 2011 league table positions are in brackets.

Worth noting is that Ferrari again had not only the fastest time outright, but the most consistent. All four stops were under 20.2 seconds, far quicker than any other team. They have improved a lot in this area.

1. Ferrari 20.024s (5)


2. McLaren 20.177s (3)


3. Red Bull 20.377s (1=)


4. Force India 20.387 (4)


5. Mercedes 20.645 (1=)

6. Sauber 21.012 (8=)

7= Lotus 21.184 (6)

7= 
Williams 21.184 (7)


9. Marussia 21.327 (11)

10. Caterham 21.851 (8=)

11. Toro Rosso 21.884 (8=)

12 HRT 23.151 (12)

[MIKA27]

Ecclestone confirms Concorde row with Mercedes

Bernie Ecclestone has confirmed he is still at loggerheads with Mercedes over the new Concorde Agreement.

The German carmaker's team is the big missing name, after F1 chief executive Ecclestone announced recently he has agreed terms with "the majority" of the teams including Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull.

"Mercedes is very important to formula one. I have always supported them and I will always.

"I'm talking about the car company," Ecclestone told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

The distinction he is making is that the disagreement he is having is with Brackley based Mercedes GP, the Ross Brawn led works outfit.

The team believes it should have been offered a better deal, based on Mercedes' long history in the sport.

Ecclestone disagrees.

"If you trace the roots of that team, they started as Tyrrell," he said. "Since then, there have been four different owners and four different names.

"I can see little history with this (Mercedes) team," Ecclestone insisted.

The Briton confirmed that teams will receive bonuses under the new Concorde for "history and success", adding that Mercedes has won "one race" so far.

He confirmed that he has been in contact with Daimler chairman Dieter Zetsche.

"I talked to him last week about my position on Mercedes. I think he understood," said Ecclestone.

"I have spoken to the team manager about it and he seems to believe that the team has won a few world titles and about 80 races since the Tyrrell days."

[MIKA27]

'Long way' until Schumacher contract decision - Brawn

Mercedes will decide later this season if Michael Schumacher's contract will be extended beyond 2012.

The current three year deal, which began when the seven time world champion decided to return to F1 from retirement with Mercedes in 2010, runs out this season.

Schumacher struggled notably in 2010 and 2011 but appears to have returned to form with the W03, which in teammate Nico Rosberg's hands won the recent Chinese grand prix from pole.

So will the famous German, who will be 44 next year, race the W04 in 2013?

"Everything is completely open," team boss Ross Brawn is quoted by German publications, including Sport1.

"It will be clear what is best for him, what is best for us, and what is best for all of us together, at some point in the season," he added.

"But there is still a long way to go until then," said Brawn.

According to paddock insiders, a new deal for Schumacher is highly likely.

"He's a fantastic driver and a great team player," Briton Brawn, a close colleague and friend dating back to their successful days at Ferrari, concluded.

[MIKA27]

Ecclestone proposes 'Grand Slam' F1 races

Bernie Ecclestone's latest proposal is that F1's most important races become a tennis-like 'Grand Slam'.

Insisting that the calendar will probably not expand much beyond 20 races, the F1 chief executive also admitted that "circumstances change".

If that's the case, the most important races could be like international tennis' Slams.

"Absolutely," Ecclestone told Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. "I'm working on it.

"And if it gets that far, then there would be more points for the Grand Slam races."

[MIKA27]

Ferrari setting 2012 pace in the pits

Ferrari does not have a leading car so far in 2012, but when it comes to pitstops, the famous Italian team is setting the pace.

That is the finding of the Spanish sports daily Marca, reporting that Fernando Alonso's 2.4 second pitstop in Shanghai was the fastest of all.

And the report said Ferrari's pitstops were on average six tenths better than those performed by rival top teams Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull in China.

Marca also said Ferrari has managed to speed up its pitstops compared with the 2011 season, despite the FIA's ban on helium-powered air-guns that has cost every team at least two tenths of a second.

"On a grid as tight as this one (in 2012), it is very important to take care of these sorts of details," Fernando Alonso is quoted as saying.

"They can gain you positions and points, which could be decisive at the end of the season."

Ferrari test driver Marc Gene agreed that the only missing element at the Maranello based team at present is a good car.

"On the other hand," he told Diario Sport newspaper, "it is noteworthy that we have done the best pitstops, the strategies have generally been good, and the car is reliable.

"What we lack is the pure speed, both in qualifying and the race," added Gene.

[MIKA27]

2012 rules 'deliberately' attacked Red Bull - Marko

Dr Helmut Marko has aimed fire at F1's new rules for 2012, claiming they were devised "deliberately" to end the era of Red Bull dominance.

"We no longer have the superiority that we had last year," the energy drink owned team's Austrian consultant acknowledged on Servus TV this week.

"This is due to several technical changes that were introduced deliberately against Red Bull," said Marko.

He conceded that the new rules apply to every team, but is clearly suggesting that the exhaust blown diffuser clampdown, and the tougher rigidity tests for the front wings, were devised with Sebastian Vettel's utter dominance of the 2011 season in mind.

"But that is not an excuse for our car not being at the level it should be at," Marko insisted.

MIKA: Certainly sounds like an excuse to me and why even comment if Marko realises the rules 'apply to all teams'...

The same could be argued in ferrari's dominance back when Schumacher was utterly creaming everyone in his wake, rules were changed constantly as the FIA felt people were becomming bored with Formula 1 as the same driver kept winning races as a record 7 WDC's. Ferrari didn't complain, they went with the changes and still dominated for a period. In the end, someone new is bound to win.

The only argument I have... Who the hell stopped refuelling, I want his head on a pike!

[MIKA27]

No bitterness as Red Bull congratulates Mercedes

Dr Helmut Marko insists there are no hard feelings between Red Bull and Mercedes, after Nico Rosberg last weekend scored the German carmaker's first works grand prix win in half a century.

Earlier, the two teams had been at loggerheads over the controversial 'double-DRS' innovation, with Mercedes returning fire by questioning the legality of Red Bull's engine settings.

When asked if the spat meant Sunday's Shanghai result was sour in Red Bull advisor Marko's mouth, the Austrian insisted: "We're competitors, and of course we all try to get the best outcome for our own teams.

"But I congratulated Norbert Haug sincerely at the airport in Shanghai."

Marko said the double-DRS argument is effectively now over.

"The unsuccessful protest means that the F-duct system is legal," he said, "so for us that's it."

Red Bull boss Christian Horner admitted this week that it is "inevitable" other teams will now seek to develop their own double-DRS.

"First of all, like any component," he is quoted by the Daily Mail, "it has to earn a place on the car as a package.

"It's not a given that on everybody's car it's bolt-on lap time."

[MIKA27]

New York trouble could be good for Austin

Apparent troubles for New York's inaugural grand prix could be good news for Texas, according to reports in the United States.

Bernie Ecclestone said on Tuesday that the race scheduled for mid next year on the streets of New Jersey could be pushed back to 2014.

Austin broadcaster KXAN reported that the news could mean the organisers in Austin, scrambling to have the bespoke Circuit of the Americas ready for this November's US grand prix, can get immediate access to state funding.

But a spokesman for the Texas comptroller said: "Any situation with the New Jersey race would not change the decision to not pay funds in advance of Austin's formula one race."

[MIKA27]

McLaren duo to miss Mugello test

Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will not take part in next month's in-season testing at Mugello, McLaren have announced.

The test, which runs from May 1-3, is the first official in-season testing in three years. Since 2009, teams have been restricted to straight-line aerodynamic tests and the Young Drivers' Test in November.

While the two men in possession of the race-seats at McLaren take a break, the job of collecting data will fall to reserve drivers Gary Paffett and Oliver Turvey.

[MIKA27]

Boullier looks to end frustrations

Lotus team principal Eric Boullier is determined that his team will eventually deliver on their promise at this weekend's Bahrain GP.

The former Renault team have looked consistently strong throughout the start of the season, but have been unable to convert this into the podium positions that believe they are capable of achieving.

The Enstone outfit have had one points finisher in each race, with Kimi Raikkonen coming home in seventh in Australia and then fifth in Malaysia while Romain Grosjean finished sixth last time out in China.

While Grosjean's result in Shanghai was the best of his career, Raikkonen lost out on a potential second spot after his tyres gave way late in the race.

"I spoke about frustration before China and I think this is what I feel the most at the moment," explained Boullier.

"We've only been scoring with one car in the first three races, yet when you look at the classification in Shanghai, McLaren, Red Bull, Sauber and Williams all had both drivers in the top 10.

"This is really what we should be aiming for in Bahrain this weekend."

Perhaps the point of greatest frustration for Boullier is that Lotus currently find themselves in sixth spot on the Constructors' table with just 24 points, a position the Frenchman feels in no way reflects their strength.

"I believe the classification does not reflect our true level of performance," he said.

"Of course, there are some positives. Kimi's position on the grid (fourth) was his best so far, and there are more developments to be added to the car soon.

"Also, despite some tricky conditions and a track that was not supposed to suit our car, we managed to fight at the top once again.

"We were well beaten by Mercedes in China and McLaren have a little bit on us still, but we have a car that can compete for podiums.

"We just have to make sure we don't miss any opportunities."

[MIKA27]

Webber: A podium place will do

Last season was all about race wins for Red Bull, but heading to Bahrain this weekend, Mark Webber admits that a podium finish would go down quite nicely.

So dominant in 2011, winning 12 of the 19 races on offer and storming to the Drivers' and Constructors' titles, Red Bull have struggled thus far this term.

With a best placing of second - achieved by Sebastian Vettel in Australia - and three fourth places to their name, the Milton Keynes outfit are in an unfamiliar position.

Webber admits that heading to the Bahrain International Circuit, where neither the Drag Reduction System nor have Pirelli tyres have been used, a podium finish would be a good result.

"We haven't been to the circuit for two years and the last time we raced on the current track layout was in 2009. We also haven't been there with Pirelli tyres or the DRS, so it's going to be interesting to see how those new features go; the ingredients are all there for another exciting Grand Prix," explained the Australian.

"It's going to be important to understand the tyres quickly and you need good top speed and braking. It's a hot race, hotter than it was in Australia and Shanghai and more like the temperature in Malaysia. It would be nice to get a podium before we go back to Europe."

World Champion Sebastian Vettel expects the race to be a taxing one on all the cars, with the environmental variables making racing tough.

"The track requires a lot from the drivers, because the constantly changing character of the corners means you never really get time to settle in to a lap," said Vettel.

"Also, as the track's built in the middle of the desert, you have to manage the sand there. It moves with the wind, so it can suddenly appear in new places on the track on each lap - so you're never quite sure where it will be slippery.

"For the teams, it's always a challenge to anticipate the grip levels for the race. In Friday Practice, when the track is still "green", you often require a different set-up than you need for Sunday. Due to the nature of the circuit, the brakes are in high demand."

[MIKA27]

Hulk upbeat about Force India prospects

Nico Hulkneberg reveals that his team will be well positioned heading into the first European leg of the season.

The F1 roadshow heads to Bahrain this weekend before a two-week break that precedes races in Spain and Monaco, and Force India will have an extensive upgrade package for the Spanish Grand Prix.

The Silverstone-based outfit have notched up 10 points thus far this season, with Hulkenberg's ninth spot and team-mate Paul di Resta's seventh in Malaysia the highlights.

Hulkenberg expects that there will be many more points-scoring opportunities once the upgrades are put in place.

"We have a very good car on the baseline. Now we are trying to extract as much performance from the car," he told The Hindu.

"We will look in good shape from Barcelona onwards. We are developing our car right now and that should make it easier for us to make it to the top ten."

Conflict between drivers in the same team is not uncommon and Hulkenberg admits that one's team-mate is the best yardstick for performance, but despite this, the German has a good relationship with di Resta - even if he does crave getting one over the Scot.

"Your team-mate is the only one with the same car as you. So we can compare and both Paul Di Resta and I are in the second year of our F1 career. We are young and hungry. We have a great relationship. There is still that feeling of 'I want to beat him'," he said.

[MIKA27]

McLaren preview the Bahrain GP

Jenson Button: "I won this race in 2009 and feel we have a car that's quite well suited to the track's characteristics. The track is a good balance of tricky, technical, low-speed corners and faster, high-speed sweeps - particularly two sections behind the pits, which are very satisfying when you get them right. Our car should go well here."I think the original circuit layout, which doesn't include the extended 'endurance' loop that we used for a single race in 2010, is better for Formula 1 and it's a positive that we're returning to that configuration this year.

"It will make the approach into Turns Five, Six and Seven the high-speed sweepers more challenging as you'll be entering at much higher speeds. Hopefully, we can get another strong result to bolster our chances in the championship."

Lewis Hamilton: "Unlike Jenson, I've not won in Bahrain although I've had some strong drives there in the past. The circuit is a typically modern F1 track, with plenty of run-off and a good variety of corners. You can be really late on the brakes for Turns One, Four and 14, which is a particularly technical final corner.

"Still, there are definitely passing opportunities. Turn One is a classic late-braking opportunity, and it also gives you the chance to set up the other driver, by forcing him to defend up the inside and then compromising his exit speed, which gives you the opportunity to have a look inside at Turn Two, or even Turn Four at the end of the straight.

"I think we go to Bahrain with a car that's well-balanced in every area, and I'll be looking for another strong result."

Martin Whitmarsh, Team Principal: "Our result in China showed that neither Jenson nor Lewis has lost any of his fighting spirit; and to get both of them on the podium after each qualified in a less-than-representative position was further proof that MP4-27 appears to be consistently competitive wherever we go.

"The 2012 event will mark the first time Formula 1 has raced in Sakhir using both KERS Hybrid and DRS, and I think the combination, in tandem with a well-positioned DRS deployment zone along the main straight, will lead to another exciting race.

"This weekend, we'll be looking for more points-scoring opportunities for both drivers we're fully aware that this is a long championship and that it's often just as important to score regularly, and to keep scoring, as it is to win races. It's consistency that will define the path to both world championships, I believe.

"This race will represent the last of the four flyaways that constitute the opening phase of the 2012 world championship. Vodafone McLaren Mercedes goes into the race leading both the drivers' and the constructors' world championships, and we want to come away from Bahrain having consolidated our positions in both. We're determined to mount a consistent and sustained challenge for both titles, and we're currently in a good position to achieve that."