Recommended Posts

Posted

Lotus eye the chequered flag

HeikkiKovalainen_2438629.jpg

Lotus Racing are hoping to see two cars over the finishing line for the first time this season in China on Sunday.

The famous marque has made a credible return to Formula One after a 16-year absence in the three grands prix to date.

However, although arguably the best of the three new teams on the grid for 2010, in each of the races in Bahrain, Australia and Malaysia, only one car has seen the chequered flag.

Jarno Trulli was denied that privilege at the Sakhir circuit when just two laps from home he suffered a hydraulics issue, a problem that also plagued him in Melbourne when he failed to even start.

At Sepang, it was Heikki Kovalainen's turn to endure hydraulics heartache as the Finn was forced to retire 10 laps from the end.

Ahead of the last of the fly-away races in Shanghai before the F1 circus returns to its European heartland, there is only one aim for chief technical officer Mike Gascoyne.

"We're focusing on getting both cars across the finish line before we turn our attention to the upgrade package we have planned for Barcelona (Spanish Grand Prix)," said Gascoyne.

"The guys back at the factory have worked very hard on the parts we sent back, and have done a great job to turn around everything in time and get it sent back here.

"Our car's race pace has been good so far, and I think we'll see that again in Shanghai.

"It's a technical circuit that will bring out the best in both our drivers. I think their experience will see us build on the solid start we've had so far."

Although the Shanghai International Circuit is a favourite for 35- year-old Italian Trulli, he has been forced to retire in three of his five outings, with his highest finish 13th.

As for Kovalainen, he managed fifth last year with McLaren.

  • Replies 2.3k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted

Merc target trouble-free race for Schu

Michael-Schumacher_2438154.jpg

Ross Brawn hopes Michael Schumacher will have a problem-free race in China so that he can prove he has made great strides since the start of the season.

Schumacher hasn't had things all his own way since returning to F1 following a three-year absence, picking up just nine points and being outshone by team-mate Nico Rosberg in the first three races of the season.

Team boss Brawn, though, believes the seven-times World Champion is improving each race.

"It is quite clear that he will be stronger in each race... Michael is getting more and more into it each weekend," Brawn is quoted by German agency DPA.

"We hope to continue the positive trend in China. It would be good especially for Michael to have a problem-free race and to show the improvements he has made since the start of the season."

As for the battle between Schumacher and Rosberg, Brawn believes it will be fascinating once they have the right machinery.

"I believe it will be a fascinating fight between them. Both will have good results as soon as we give them a car that matches their talent. Then they will be able to drive right at the top.

"The title fight is far from decided. Due to the new points system there can be dramatic changes in the standings on just one race weekend."

Posted

Hamilton's "burnout Mercedes" for sale

lewis_hamilton_921.jpg

Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes C63 AMG is being auctioned in Australia after it was impounded by police following a "silly" incident which saw the 25-year old wheel-spin away from a junction.

Bidding is currently at £90'000 and not only will the lucky winning bidder recieve the car, but the police report of the incident and a signed photograph of the former world champion will also be included in the sale.

The sports car has only done 343 miles and is expected to top the £150'000 mark when frantic, last minute bidding commences just before the Thursday deadline.

The C63 has been described as a “beautiful car” by the man behind the auction, Colin Uden, who is the Mercedes dealer principal for the Melbourne area.

"The car comes with the police report, which records the ‘hooning’ incident," Mr Uden said on Wednesday.

"There is also the valet parking ticket from the Hilton hotel with Lewis Hamilton's room number and the car's registration number on it.

"And there is an F1 personnel sticker on the windscreen."

The car is said to be in "immaculate" condition with no damage to the tyres despite Lewis having done "just a couple of burnouts."

The car is the second piece of F1 automobillia being sold this week after two siezed BrawnGP transport trucks were spotted being sold on eBay. The transport trucks belong to the defunct USF1 team.

Posted

F1 set for another wet weekend in China

Williams_F1_2009_China_01.jpg

Whilst the weather at the Shanghai circuit is currently torrential rain, conditions are expected to improve up until Friday, through first and second practice, before they deteriorate over the weekend.

Saturday will see cloud coverage with a few sunny spells and a pretty low 16 degrees temperature, with some strong winds.

Once again, rain is expected to fall at some point in Sunday's race. Although the worst of the rain should fall in the early morning, forecasters have predicted some heavy showers later in the day.

Posted

Virgin preview the Chinese GP

Malaysia_Sepang_Virgin_Lucas_di_Grassi_01a.jpg

After a more positive showing in Malaysia two weeks ago, the team’s objective is to end the long-haul rounds on another positive note, this time with both cars seeing the chequered flag. The 56-lap Chinese Grand Prix takes place at the 5.451km Shanghai International Circuit (SIC), which is situated around 40kms from the city. Much has been said and written about the feat of engineering that is the SIC, but, basically, it’s just awesome. The drivers consider it a real technical challenge and from a sheer test of racing skill it often ranks amongst their favourites.

Timo Glock:

"It goes without saying that the last race in Sepang was disappointing for me, ending almost before it began. Until that point, things were looking very good and we seemed to get most things right during the Free Practice and Qualifying days. I hope this weekend in China follows a similar pattern, but with a different result to end the weekend on race day.

"Shanghai International Circuit is a great track for so many reasons, but from a driver’s perspective it is mainly the technical challenge that this race provides. It’s a fairly typical Tilke design in that it has a huge range of corners and features a long back straight leading into a hairpin. It’s the most exciting part of the track because cars reach around 300km/h on that section and you’re at full throttle for a long time, which can take your breath away. With hard braking down into the hairpin, this is probably the best overtaking spot on the circuit. I hope we can make use of it! I’m looking forward to making up for lost time in Malaysia, so we’ll be working very hard towards what I hope will be a good race to end the first part of the season."

Lucas di Grassi:

"Malaysia was a great race weekend as we finished ahead of the newcomers. Now we need more of that kind of result. I went back to England to use the Simulator so I could practice on the Shanghai circuit, as I have never been there before. For us right now, it’s all about hard work and we’re all doing a lot of that to try to keep moving us forward. I’m looking forward to China. From the work I’ve done in the Sim, I know it’s a really technical track that tests all your skills as a driver. The weather is much cooler than the previous race. It’s always a difficult race to prepare for but with the knowledge that getting things right through the weekend could lead to another strong race performance."

John Booth, Team Principal:

"This week we head back where we just came from, with just a week back in the UK between the Malaysian and Chinese Grands Prix. This might seem a little odd, but we’re in a constant development cycle - not just technically, but also in terms of moulding the team, so it’s important that we get back to home base, regroup and keep ourselves focused on the job in hand. At the same time as maximising our chances for China, we’re headlong into preparations for the European races, a big part of which will rely on having a solid infrastructure on the road with us for the European rounds. I’m delighted to say that our new race preparation building in Dinnington is nearing completion and this will help us enormously for the five months of European races that lie ahead, where we can look forward to a more fluid turnaround operation in between races."

Nick Wirth, Technical Director:

"Since our first race finish in Sepang, we've been working to improve the VR-01 further, and we plan to bring improvements to the aerodynamics, mechanical package, transmission as well as modifications to the fuel system to help with low-fuel pickup. These should allow us to improve our low-fuel qualifying performance and also help our race-pace. Shanghai itself looks like it will be significantly cooler than the last two races. As we will again be using the harder compounds in these lower temperatures, we’ll be watching for tyre warm-up issues. The long, low-speed corners dominate this track, so the focus will be on maximising our performance in these. Our aim for the weekend is to build upon the clear improvements we demonstrated at Sepang."

Posted

Lotus preview the Chinese GP

Heikki_Kovalainen_Lotus_T127_Australia_2010_01.jpg

Heikki Kovalainen:

"I feel really good coming into the Chinese Grand Prix – I've had a few days of solid training and a bit of golf since leaving Malaysia and I love coming to China. We have some great fans out here - they wait at the hotel all night just to get an autograph and always give us really good presents to take home. Last year some girls took a taxi and followed us to the hotel with a Finnish flag hanging out the window all the way! The country has great food and a deep culture; every time I come here I see something new.

"The Shanghai track itself is a good challenge for the drivers. The two straights both provide overtaking opportunities and there are some nice high speed sections. The hospitality area has a fantastic atmosphere and it looks like nowhere else on the calendar, so all in all I'm very excited about being out here."

Jarno Trulli:

"China's one of my favourite races on the calendar – I've not had the best luck at the track over the years, but I like it as it rewards a well balanced car and encourages you to push hard, particularly in the high speed corners. We've proved we have good reliability in the car so I'm looking forward to bringing it home and giving the Chinese fans something new to cheer for. The fans here are great – they're very passionate and I've always had great support here, and now with Lotus Racing they have a British team with an Asian core to cheer for so I'm expecting even more support over the whole race weekend."

Tony Fernandes, team principal:

"I'm delighted we've arrived in China and can't wait to see the fans' reaction to us here. It's an honour to be in Shanghai as China is the home of the new world and has been a very important market for AirAsia, so it's somewhere I'm always excited about coming to. We are thrilled that we are bringing Lotus Racing, a uniquely Asian - British team, to the Shanghai Grand Prix, particularly as we have a number of people within the team with Chinese heritage who are very proud to see our team here for the first time. I know the whole team will work hard to put on a good show on and off track, and I hope that this demonstrates that we can provide a very good platform for universities, commercial partners and future drivers across China to work with a team whose heart beats close to our Asian home."

Mike Gascoyne, chief technical officer:

"It's just a couple of weeks since Malaysia and the last of the early season fly-away races so we're focusing on getting both cars across the finish line here before we turn our attention to the upgrade package we have planned for Barcelona. The guys back at the factory have worked very hard on the parts we sent back, and have done a great job to turn around everything in time and get it sent back out here. Our car's race pace has been good so far, and I think we'll see that again in Shanghai - it's a technical circuit that will bring out the best in both our drivers, and I think their experience will see us build on the solid start we've had so far."

Posted

Force India preview the Chinese GP

Adrian_Sutil_Force_India_VJM03_2010_001.jpg

Dr Vijay Mallya, chairman and team principal: The team is currently sixth in the constructors' championship and has 18 points from three races. You must be pleased with this progress so far?

At the start of the season I said we wanted to be regular points finishers and here we are, three races in, with three points' finishes. It's very pleasing when you see just how far we've come in one year: after three races in 2009 we had nul points and were tenth. The difference, I believe, has been keeping the focus on what we want to do. We've kept our heads down, got on with the job and to a certain extent kept out of what the other teams are doing - we've focussed on our own game. It's a real credit to Mark Smith and his team that we've got the points we have. The team at Brackley and Silverstone are tight-knit, efficient and the results are now coming through.

You've made a lot about wanting fifth in the championship. Three races in, do you still think this is possible?

The grid is very tight as we saw in Malaysia and Australia and there's no clear delineation between the front and the midfield. The most important at this stage is that we are still up there fighting. Renault look very strong right now but there's still a lot more races to go this year and we have a clear direction about where we are going that will keep us with them, or hopefully leapfrog them. The drivers are confident and the team is working well so I think fifth is still realistic.

Adrian Sutil: You scored your first points of the season in Malaysia. What were your feelings after this race?

It felt really good to finally get them. It was an exciting race as well in the end, racing against Lewis. Fighting against each other is always a pleasure, as we did it a lot in F3 and sometimes in F1. We have a lot of respect for each other; I am happy for him when he wins and he is happy for me when I do well. I was happy, relieved, proud - all of the above really - when we got to the finish. I knew we had the car to do it so it was only a matter of time before we scored some points. I'm now full of motivation for the rest of the season.

What do you think about the next race in China?

The next race in China will be a bit different but there are some similarities to Malaysia as well. The circuit layout is different, of course, but you need a good top speed, which we have, and you need a little bit of downforce for the mid sector, for the slow corners so I think it should suit our car really well. I don't think we should be concerned about our performance at the moment, we are strong and we can fight in the top 10, and that's very encouraging at this point of the year.

What is possible in Shanghai?

I'm confident, definitely. It was encouraging in Malaysia, and also the last races in Bahrain and Australia. I think we can show a very similar performance in China. Temperatures will be a bit cooler, but there is a long straight and you need to be very fast on that, and that's what our car can do. It has also the downforce required for the slow speed corners. My feeling is that we can perform well again in Shanghai.

Tonio Liuzzi: What are your thoughts on the next race in China?

We are pushing to try to bring some more steps forward for the car. I have been in the simulator and we are pushing to bring updates to China as we want to be ready to score points again and not let our momentum slip. For sure it's one of the circuits that I like, and I've always had good results there. In fact my best result in F1 was at that circuit - in 2007 Sebastian Vettel and myself finished fourth and sixth for Toro Rosso. We go to China pretty positive about our potential. It was good to finally get into Q3 in Malaysia and from there we have to hope for a good race. In Malaysia we were quite comfortable in the car and I have to hope that the luck stays with me this time and we can get some more points.

Do you enjoy driving at the track?

It's pretty similar to Malaysia. There are a lot of high speed corners, and it's quite technical, especially Turns One and Six and Seven. It's got a flow as a circuit and there are some technical corners, and it's always a crazy race because there can be some different weather conditions. So overall I'm looking forward to it! More points are the aim and we can do it, for sure.

Paul di Resta, test and reserve driver: You've driven two practice sessions now. What are your key learnings from this?

It went relatively well in Malaysia. It was always going to be a difficult task as I hadn't had any running in the simulator beforehand so it completely new to me and very different conditions. With the high temperatures and the different behaviour of the tyres it was an uphill curve but I felt I moved forward, I improved and I got some good experience. I didn't find it physically tough but the heat and humidity was something else. In DTM you get very hot inside the car but this wasn't something I'd ever experienced. It's all part of that learning curve and I felt I acclimatised to it well.

You've also had the chance to sit in different cars, with you driving Adrian's in Australia and Tonio's in Malaysia. Is this a particular challenge for you?

Each crew has their ways of doing things as there are different engineers and mechanics but the cars are very similar. I am now getting a feel for how Tonio or Adrian want their base set-ups, but in terms of the programme it is entirely the same as the race drivers. At the moment I'm still conscious it isn't my car so I have to be careful to build up gradually, be controlled and constructive and get the data for weekend

Have you driven on the Shanghai International Circuit before?

No it will be new again to me and I won't have any simulator running beforehand so it will be starting from the bottom, learning the new track. At least I have now got some experience on this type of wide, Tilke track so it should just be a case of making steady progress again.

Posted

VIDEO: MARK WEBBER LAP OF SHANGHAI

57384_0.jpg

Jump into the Red Bull simulator for a hot lap of the Chinese GP venue with Mark Webber.

SHANGHAI LAP

Posted

Rivals criticise Hamilton's weaving

Rubens-Barrichello_2442571.jpg

Rubens Barrichello and Robert Kubica have had a go at Lewis Hamilton for his unsporting weaving during the previous race in Malaysia.

Having overtaken Vitaly Petrov, Hamilton then proceeded to weave across the track in an attempt to break the Renault rookie's tow and prevent him from overtaking.

However, it wasn't long before Hamilton was informed by his team that the race stewards had warned him for a weaving.

Renault voiced their displeasure at Hamilton's driving in the immediate aftermath of the grand prix but said they would not pursue the matter with the stewards.

But that doesn't mean everyone is ready to lay it to rest.

"I don't think this is the right thing to do," Williams driver Rubens Barrichello told Autosport.

"When I saw it I was by myself watching the TV and I was quite critical of it. If he was beside me I would have given him some bollocking because it wasn't right.

"There are arguments to cover that, to say that he was under acceleration, not in the braking area.

"There are so many things that they could come up with, but the drivers have an agreement, sort of an agreement, obviously a verbal agreement, nothing that has been signed, that you should move only once during the protection of your line.

"So that for me was a Formula Ford thing. It shouldn't have been done, to be honest."

Petrov's team-mate Robert Kubica was another who disapproved of Hamilton's driving. "Reading the regulations, I'm clear. Watching Malaysia, I'm not so clear."

However, he added, Hamilton was not the only driver who broke the rule of not making more than one move to prevent a rival from overtaking.

"I think there were too many moves during that race - not only from one driver. I don't think it was only one driver who did more than one move. It's important that you don't move when you are side by side.

"For example, in F3 or something like this there was no rule saying you are not able weave in a straight line. In F1 it looks like there is a rule. But I don't want to go into the details too much."

MIKA: To be honest, I am surprised Hamilton weaved in that manner against a rookie. With all of Hamiltons talent and previous maturity, he showed an immature side during that race weekend and previous weekend at Australia. If it were any other driver, they would have been penalised by the stewards.

Posted

Massa: No rush for new Ferrari deal

Felipe-Massa_2442625.jpg

Felipe Massa says he's in no hurry to renew his Ferrari deal despite reports linking Robert Kubica to his race-seat.

According to Auto Hebo, the Renault racer has in fact signed a preliminary deal with Ferrari to race for them in 2011.

And with Fernando Alonso signed until the end of 2012, that would Kubica would take Massa's race-seat.

However, other reports claim that the Brazilian is on the verge of putting pen to paper on a new deal that would extend his stay at Ferrari for a further three years.

Massa, though, had denied that, saying he's in no hurry to sign a new contract.

"I think there's no rush at the moment, even from my point of view," he told Autosport.

"I'm very happy with my condition and the way we are working together inside the team. Even before my accident last year some talks started to renew the contract.

"I can say that the talks will start again. I'm in no rush to do that. I want to improve, and to better race by race and to fight for the Championship.

"That's what clearer in my mind, and there is no rush for the contract at the moment."

MIKA: Interesting outcome and manner from Massa.

Wonder if he is tired of the Ferrari family and doesn't want to sign and move onto another team (Like Red Bull if Webber retires).

Posted

Schumi: I can still win the title

Michael-Schumacher_2442633.jpg

Michael Schumacher insists he's still in the title race despite some rivals writing off Mercedes GP's challenge.

Mercedes GP have yet to win a grand prix this season while their main rivals; Ferrari, McLaren and Red Bull each have one victory to their name.

The team also has only one podium finish, which belongs to Nico Rosberg, who has proven to be the quicker of the Merc GP drivers.

While Rosberg has impressed, Schumacher has struggled to get up to speed after his three years out of Formula One and has just nine points to his name.

The German's lack of success has divided opinion in the paddock as to whether he still has what it takes to win the title.

One driver who believes he does is Fernando Alonso.

"He is still the Michael Schumacher that we know," he recently told Bild. "I really believe Michael will be a serious competitor for the title this year."

Asked in Shanghai on Thursday whether he agreed with the Spaniard's assessment, Schumacher said: "Indeed, yes I do.

"If you take the points system and you see that like Fernando, he had a retirement in Malaysia (and) for whatever reason it can happen to all of us.

"I had mine in Malaysia and at one point of the season it will hit the guys fighting for the Championship. So if we have a quick enough development speed, there is no reason why we cannot fight for Championship.

"It is such a long season ahead of us, it is so early, and we know how quick the rate of development is. There is good potential to develop this car so no reason to think this season is over for Nico or myself."

The seven-time World Champ also downplayed criticism he has received in the press, insisting that he personally is not unhappy with his results.

"In terms of results, they were not as great as some people expected and even myself I would have loved to have better results, but the competition is high.

"It is natural to not have the same positive feedback in the media, but I know what I have been doing, I know what has been going on and I have no reason to be disappointed. I still feel very happy and if other people don't like it or not, that is their choice."

Posted

Kubica downplays Ferrari link

Robert-Kubica_2442620.jpg

Robert Kubica has downplayed claims that he's off to Ferrari, insisting it's far too early to talk contracts.

Kubica joined Renault at the start of this season, however, the team refused to reveal the duration of his contract.

Three races into it - and with 30 points to his name - reports have emerged claiming that the Polish driver could be on his way to Ferrari next season.

According to French publication Auto Hebdo, Kubica has in fact already signed a preliminary deal with the Italian marque for the 2011 season.

Kubica, though, has downplayed the reports.

"There were already rumours last year about Ferrari, and there are rumours again this year," he said. "We will see. Up to now, the rumours have only been rumours.

"I'll keep working, and for now I'm concentrating on every single race and trying to do the best job possible for the team which I'm racing for.

"It's very, very clear for me that what will happen in the future doesn't affect me now. I didn't think for any second or any minute about next year or my future."

Posted

Lola also not looking to enter F1 in 2011

Lola_wind-tunnel_01.jpg

Lola have followed Prodrive in announcing they will not apply for an entry into Formula One for the 2011 season.

The team, based in Huntingdon, applied for the 2010 season, but like Prodrive their bids weren't successful. They confirmed on their website today that a 2011 bid isn't viable in such a short timeframe.

"A 2010 entry under the cost capped and performance balanced criteria was perfect for Lola. We already have F1 standard facilities at our headquarters in Huntingdon. Sadly our well-developed 2010 F1 project, which included a significant wind tunnel programme, had to be frozen in June 2009," Executive Chairman and owner, Martin Birrane said.

"The recently announced applications for 2011 has left us with insufficient time to prepare for what would be a quite different programme."

Lola Managing Director, Robin Brundle, added: "Lola looks forward to strengthening its working partnerships with existing F1 Teams and the rich variety of customers throughout the Lola portfolio."

The manufacturer will focus on it's Le Mans entry where nine Lola designed cars will be competing in the 24 hour race.

Posted

Coulthard is Red Bull reserve in China

coulthard.jpg

David Coulthard may have a chance to get behind the wheel of a Formula One car this season if things don't go to plan at Red Bull in China.

The 39-year old, who retired from the sport at the end of 2008 and is now a pundit for the BBC, has been confirmed as the team's reserve driver for the Chinese grand-prix weekend after Daniel Ricciardo and Brendon Hartley were confirmed as "not being in Shanghai."

Instead of being in China, the pair will be in Spain for the start of their 2010 Renault World Series season both driving for the French Tech 1 team.

Ricciardo, 20, still insists however that he is able to split his time between the RWS and F1 and confirmed he will be in attendance to the majority of F1 Grands Prix this season.

"It's important to be able to cope with the pressure and the number of events to prepare you for a possible future in F1," he said.

The news was issued by a Red Bull spokeswoman on Thursday, just a week after the Scotsman was confirmed as a driver for Mercedes in the 2010 DTM championship.

MIKA: It will be great to see DC back in F1 even if it is for just a short stint.

Posted

F1 to fight Chinese Twitter ban

twitter.jpg

The Chinese state government's ban on social networking sites such as Twitter has come under fire by F1 drivers and teams this week, who have paired up with the Chinese opposition government to try and find away around what is being dubbed as the "great firewall of China."

Twitter has become hugely popular with the drivers and teams both "tweeting" updates of their race weekend. The likes of Ferrari and McLaren have, with the help of some locals, managed to find a way around the ban.

HRT driver, Karun Chandhok, was the first driver to send a Tweet from China after three fans helped him out shortly after he landed there. The Indian driver Tweeted, "Three very sweet fans were waiting at the airport for me with instructions on how to use Twitter in China !!! Unbelievable..."

For those travelling to China, it seems the advice is to route your internet connection via a proxy server in a country outside China.

Posted

Webber downplays Red Bull advantage

1271332620.jpg

Mark Webber does not believe his Red Bull Racing team has a big advantage over its rivals despite a dominant one-two in the previous race in Malaysia.

Sebastian Vettel led Webber home at Sepang to give the Milton Keynes-based squad its first win of the season after the troubles of the first two races, from where Vettel had retired while leading.

But despite Red Bull having secured all pole positions and led all races, Webber does not think his team is in a position to dominate.

And the Australian reckons it will take a normal race to see the actual pecking order.

"We finished one-two in the last race but it wasn't a normal qualifying," said Webber in China on Thursday. "McLaren was pretty quick as well, and Ferrari was in the race. We need a normal grand prix to see where everyone is.

"I think Melbourne, I think we were the quickest there - and Malaysia we weren't too bad. But I wouldn't say we have a huge advantage.

"You have to get everything right, nip and tucked. This is a new venue, and look at the temperatures We don't arrive here thinking we won the last race and are going to be quickest again.

"We are going to be quick but whether we are going to have an advantage? It would be silly to think that."

Webber is adamant, however, that Red Bull will be able to stay in front when the European season kicks off, despite rivals expected to introduce big upgrades then.

"We are coming to all races knowing we have the chance to get some really good results," he said. "Whether it is a top result you will find out as the weekend unravels itself. I see absolutely no reason why we will not be competitive when we get back to Europe. Why do you think we won't be competitive when we get back to Europe?

"Last year we developed very well during the year. We won races at the start of the year and won races at the end of the year, so I don't see any reason why we shouldn't do well through the whole year this year."

When asked if Red Bull can stay on top all season, he said: "Yes. At the front. Winning is very, very difficult week in, week out – but we are not intending to slide back through the field as the season goes on. We want to stay at the front."

Posted

Cold conditions to complicate qualifying

57392_2.jpg

Formula 1 drivers expect major issues with tyre warm-up in Chinese Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday if the cold weather conditions in Shanghai do not warm up.

Temperatures have been under 10 degrees centigrade since the F1 circus arrived in Shanghai earlier this week, and though they are forecast to steadily rise, drivers and team personnel were forced to wrap up warm during pre-race media commitments today.

"In these conditions, similar to what we saw last year at the Nurburgring, you might struggle to warm up the tyres," said Sepang winner Sebastian Vettel.

"Traditionally we don't struggle with that as much as the others, but if it's as cold as that, you might never get into the working window and you could just grain your tyres.

"On the other hand, this track is quite smooth, and usually that helps the warm-up."

Sauber's Pedro de la Rosa agreed that the low temperatures looked ominous and that it might take several laps to get tyres up to a competitive working temperature in qualifying - although he reckoned his team could fare better than its rivals.

"Especially with the front, it's very likely that we'll have some issues on the warm-up side and you'll need a few laps to get the time," said the Spanish veteran.

"The weather forecast says that the temperatures will slowly rise during the weekend, hopefully that's correct because otherwise it will be more difficult.

"Having said that, in the winter we were very good and we didn't have tyre warm-up issues, so maybe it just suits us and it's better [for Sauber] if the weather stays cold and miserable like this."

But Force India's Tonio Liuzzi reckoned that even though his car had also coped well with the cold in the winter, it could be a very different story two months later.

"I think we'll face quite of lot of issues with [tyre] heating," he said.

"Especially the front tyres, as we saw in winter testing and the first races, are struggling to get to temperature, so it could be an issue, especially for qualifying.

"Maybe not in the race, but in qualifying it will be really crucial to choose the right tyres because the temperature will make a big difference, although we think the soft will heat up quicker.

"I have to say that in winter testing we were quite good in these kind of really cold conditions, especially because the car had really good balance and we were able to force a lot on the front end.

"But our car's changed quite a bit from the tests in February, so now we'll have to see with the new aero balance we have.

"It could change the way we use the tyres."

The practice and qualifying days are currently expected to be dry but cold, with a possibility of rain for the race - by which time it should at least have warmed up slightly.

Posted

Button wins rain-hit Shanghai thriller

post-5203-1271591856.jpg

Jenson Button claimed his second brilliant victory of the season in the Chinese Grand Prix thanks to another tyre strategy masterstroke, as McLaren emerged from a totally unpredictable rain-hit race with a perfect 1-2 finish.

The world champion was one of only a handful of drivers to hold his nerve and stay on slicks during light rain at the start and then, after passing Mercedes’s Nico Rosberg for the lead, proved untouchable at the front despite a safety car period and increasing wet conditions to move into the lead of the title race.

Team-mate Lewis Hamilton experienced a far more topsy-turvy afternoon in comparison – pitting four times and being involved in several wheel-to-wheel dices with fellow big names – but his swashbuckling race craft and never-say-die spirit helped him battle his way up to second.

Rosberg, like Button, had thrust himself into contention at the front after staying on slicks early on, and while an off-track moment cost him the lead on lap 19, he drove gamely to secure his second successive third place finish.

Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso finished fourth despite making an amazing five visits to the pit lane – one of which was for a drive-through penalty for jumping the start.

Red Bull, meanwhile, was left to curse the changeable weather conditions as its front-row lockout only gave way to sixth and eighth for Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber respectively.

Alonso’s blatant jump start – which saw him almost immediately charge into the lead from third as the red lights went out – set the tone for a hectic start to proceedings as light rain began to fall around the Shanghai circuit.

A multiple car pile-up in the midfield, triggered by Tonio Liuzzi dropping his Force India under braking on the opening lap, resulted in the safety car being called and gave drivers a chance to take stock of grip levels amid the falling rain.

Most of the leading runners – including Alonso, both Red Bulls, Hamilton and Michael Schumacher – duly headed for the pits to take on intermediates but all were left ruing their decisions in the space of two laps as it became clear the track was not yet ready for wet rubber.

Rosberg, Button and Renault drivers Robert Kubica and Vitaly Petrov had gambled on staying on dries and, as they swept through to the head of the field, the race’s initial front runners all scrambled back to the pits to switch back to dries.

Indeed such was the fraught nature of the dash back to the pits that Hamilton and Vettel continued their battle into the pit lane and then out again – the pair almost banging wheels as they were released from their next-door pit boxes virtually simultaneously by their respective teams.

The stewards investigated the pit incident after the race and issued reprimands to both drivers.

By this stage the race was only on lap nine, the early leaders’ unnecessarily visits to he pit lane had left them some 40s adrift of Rosberg, Button and Kubica.

Rosberg had been enjoying a three-second cushion over his McLaren pursuer but saw his lead wiped out when, with the rain falling once again, he ran wide at turn 11 which allowed Button to pick him off on the backstraight.

The sight of further rain prompted everyone this time to head into the pits for inters, Button managing to hold his lead from where he then began to build up a comfortable cushion of his own.

But his progress was then checked by the day’s second safety car which came out on lap 22 after an incident which had broken Jaime Alguersuari's front wing had left debris on the racing line.

This provided a get out of jail free card for the likes of Hamilton, Alonso and Vettel who all had their large deficits to Button significantly reduced as the pack lined up behind the pace car.

After the lap 26 re-start Hamilton, who had already got ahead of Vettel and Schumacher before the stoppage, sensed the opportunity to get on the podium and swifly re-passed the ailing Schumacher – who was struggling badly for grip as the rain intensified – before soon dispensing with both Renaults to move up to third.

He continued to catch Rosberg at a fast rate of knots and, after several attempts to pass on track proved fruitless, McLaren pitted him one lap earlier than the German as all the runners began to seek refuge for fresh inters. When Rosberg stopped for fresh tyres a lap later, the position was Hamilton's

Button, who soon followed suit for fresh rubber, also experienced Hamilton breathing down his neck in the closing laps, but with both car’s inters burning out they simply focussed on bringing their respective cars home - particularly after both survived minor wobbles on the increasing tricky track surface.

With the recovering Alonso finishing just 2.4s adrift of Rosberg at the flag, Kubica took fifth place after another impressively metronomic afternoon in which he and Renault managed to execute their strategy calls to perfection.

Indeed the Anglo-French squad compounded Red Bull’s frustrating afternoon late on as Vitaly Petrov, who had slipped backwards prior to the final stops after a spin, took seventh away from Webber for his first Formula 1 points finish.

Felipe Massa won a late duel with close friend and former Ferrari team-mate Schumacher to beat the German to ninth, Schumacher in particular having spent most of the afternoon going backwards in the kind of conditions he so often used to display his mastery over.

Chinese Grand Prix result (56 laps)

1 BUTTON McLaren

2 HAMILTON McLaren +1.5s

3 ROSBERG Mercedes +9.4s

4 ALONSO Ferrari +11.8s

5 KUBICA Renault +22.2s

6 VETTEL Red Bull +33.3s

7 PETROV Renault +47.6s

8 WEBBER Red Bull +52.1s

9 MASSA Ferrari +57.7s

10 SCHUMACHER Mercedes +61.7s

11 SUTIL Force India +62.8s

12 BARRICHELLO Williams +63.6s

13 ALGUERSUARI Toro Rosso +71.4s

14 KOVALAINEN Lotus +1 lap

15 HULKENBERG Williams +1 lap

16 SENNA HRT +2 laps

17 CHANDHOK HRT +4 laps

R TRULLI Lotus +30 laps

R DI GRASSI Virgin +48 laps

R DE LA ROSA Sauber +49 laps

R BUEMI Toro Rosso +56 laps

R KOBAYASHI Sauber +56 laps

R LIUZZI Force India +56 laps

R GLOCK Virgin +56 laps

Fastest lap: HAMILTON 1m42.061s

OZ:another great race ,i love it when it rains ,it really throws the Cat amongst the pigeons it affects everything tyre choice at the right time, and strategy

It also gives drivers in cars that may not be up to the job in the dry a chance to shine ,all in all a very exciting race

cheers OZ :P

Posted

Reprimands issued for pit near-miss

post-5203-1271593473.jpg

The Chinese Grand Prix stewards have decided not to penalise Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel for their pit lane near-miss at Shanghai, but have reprimanded both drivers.

The Red Bull and McLaren went wheel to wheel through the pits as they came in for dry tyres early in the race - racing each other side by side into the pit entry, and then charging back out two abreast after being released simultaneously.

Hamilton's McLaren slewed sideways in the pits as he came out alongside the Red Bull, but both escape the incident without damage or penalty.

A statement from the stewards said that Hamilton and Vettel drove "in a dangerous manner and therefore impose a penalty of a reprimand."

Hamilton had earlier said he saw no problem with the incident other than Vettel squeezing him a little.

"As far as I'm concerned I think it's okay," said the Briton.

"I think the team waited quite a long time and released me when they thought it was safe.

"But I got quite a lot of wheelspin so had difficulty getting out of the box.

"As I came out, I noticed Sebastian was there and he was pushing me a little bit to the right.

"We touched wheels but otherwise I think it was fair."

Vettel blamed Hamilton for initiating the slight contact.

"I don't know why he was keen to touch me," said the German.

"I don't really understand it, as I was a bit ahead."

Oz I think these guys were very lucky as i seen other incidents where the drivers have been punished ,maybe there's a consistency

issue here :P

any how i reckon all is fare in love and war :2thumbs:

Cheers Oz

Posted

Button: This is my best win yet

post-5203-1271593833.jpg

Jenson Button rated his Chinese Grand Prix victory as the greatest of the nine he has achieved to date.

The reigning world champion moved back to the top of this year’s points table with the same blend of silky-smooth driving and tactical acumen that yielded his first McLaren win in Melbourne last month.

As in Australia, a brave tyre call played a crucial role – this time holding his nerve during an early light shower while most of his rivals pitted for intermediate rubber, which moved him into second place behind Nico Rosberg.

When Rosberg had a brief off-track excursion on lap 19, Button capitalised to take the lead and never looked back.

“For me it’s my best victory,” said the Briton.

“Every one that you win becomes your best, but this one was pretty special because it was very tough conditions.

“It wasn’t just the luck of calling the weather, we had good pace.

“Towards the end of the race, the team said ‘you’re two seconds quicker than most people, except for [team-mate] Lewis [Hamilton] who’s doing the same times as you’.

“So the pace was vey good in those conditions and it’s great to see that.

“We still don’t know but we’re going to forget about that for the moment and enjoy this victory in the wet.”

Button had no doubts his decision to stay out on slicks in the early laps laid the foundations for his victory – although he admitted that the second safety car period mid-race, which allowed the early stoppers to make up lost ground, gave him a few anxious moments.

“[The tyre call] was really important – that made the race,” he reckoned.

“If we didn’t have that safety car later on in the race for debris, I think we would have been [further ahead].

“The safety car definitely helped the people who had stopped for inters.

“We’d built up such a good gap and then everyone caught up, so it made it very tricky.

“Staying on the dries was the right thing; you wouldn’t think it driving around because it was raining quite a bit, but we got a lot of grip from those tyres.

“We just had to be a little bit careful because every time you arrived at a corner it was different conditions than the previous lap – either better or worse.

“So it was definitely the right call, and when the team called me in for inters that was the right call as well because the front-left and rear-left had started graining and it was too wet for the slicks.”

Button’s pulse was sent skyward again when he made his only mistake of the race with four laps remaining and lost four seconds of his lead.

That almost allowed the charging Hamilton to get close enough to challenge, but Button managed to keep him at bay and took the chequered flag 1.5s in front.

“The last four laps were a bit scary as it was raining a lot and I was really struggling with the tyres,” he recalled.

“I pulled a good gap on Lewis, but maybe I just pushed the tyres a bit hard and when it rained I was skating all over the place and I went straight on at the hairpin.

“So I made it difficult for myself but it’s great to come away with the victory.”

Oz Great win for jenson always had a soft spot for him and it keeps the nay sayers off his back :P

Posted

Rosberg lauds Mercedes tyre call

post-5203-1271594340.jpg

Nico Rosberg praised his Mercedes team for keeping him on slick tyres during the light shower early in the Chinese Grand Prix - a decision that paved the way for his second consecutive podium finish.

Having started fourth, the young German took the lead when those ahead of him switched to intermediate tyres during the early safety car period.

He later fell into the clutches of the flying McLarens, but still equalled his best result of the season of third, maintained his 100% points-scoring record and moved into second in the championship standings behind Jenson Button.

“I took the advice from the team and from my engineer and eventually decided to give it a go and stay out and it turned out to be a really good call,” he said.

“Out there I was saying to myself ‘please stop raining, please stop raining’. It’s just so on the edge – if it rains a little bit more it’s the wrong call, if it rains a little bit less it’s fine.

“That went really well and it was nice to be leading the race for a long time from there.”

Rosberg eventually surrendered the lead on lap 19, when he ran off the road at turn 11, allowing Button to pick up his slipstream and pass him on the back straight.

He later put up a stout defence against the charging Hamilton but eventually had to cede second place.

“I think I got a little more tyre degradation than Jenson so as soon as it started raining harder again I struggled a little bit more, and I made a mistake so he came by,” Rosberg related.

“We didn’t quite have the pace on the intermediates – Lewis was pretty fast when he came up from behind – but I had good fun racing with him anyway.

“It was really tough at the end to hold off [Fernando] Alonso because my tyres were shot, but I think he must have been struggling quite a lot too.

“So it worked out great and I am really, really happy with this result – it’s a good step again in the right direction.”

Posted
  Quote
Oz I think these guys were very lucky as i seen other incidents where the drivers have been punished ,maybe there's a consistency

issue here :whistle:

any how i reckon all is fare in love and war :lol:

Cheers Oz

Great posting OZ! :2thumbs:

I agree in that they are lucky but also for other reasons such as the safety of surrounding pit crew safety etc. Imagine what were to happen if they had a bump or two. :D

Also, Alonso and Massa comming into the pit lane, what are strange rush, unseen in F1 for some time, especially with team mates. Wonder if the boys at Ferrari had a chat to Alonso afterwards?

Posted
  OzCuban said:
Oz Great win for jenson always had a soft spot for him and it keeps the nay sayers off his back :D

........ :2thumbs:

It was a great drive by JB, I must admit. Congratulations to all his fans out there. :whistle:

Posted

Schumi compliments 'the English team'

Michael-Schumacher-and-Lewis-Hamilton_2443660.jpg

Although downbeat with his own performance during the Chinese Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher has been quick to praise "the English team" following their 1-2 on Sunday.

After starting ninth on the grid at Shanghai, the Mercedes GP driver briefly flirted with a top-five finish following a spate of pit stops due to the weather. However, that was as good as it got for the seven-time World Champion and he quickly slipped back to the middle of the pack.

Schumacher admits it wasn't a good weekend for him all-round, but says he enjoyed his battle with Lewis Hamilton.

"As you imagine, there were some good emotions but there were unfortunately too many bad emotions," he told the BBC.

"Actually at the beginning I thought we were quite clever when some others changed for intermediates but it turned out to be the wrong decision [for them].

"But, quite honestly, I think all weekend didn't work out for myself. I think you have to compliment the English team [McLaren] and say congratulations to them - done a great job.

"I had a nice battle with Lewis at some point, some nice kissing to each other. But, nevertheless, they've done it. Even congratulations to Nico, who made it up to the podium so at least one of us scored good points."

MIKA: It was a shame about Schumi, I thought he would have taken away some good points but again, not meant to be.

At times, it seemed the rear end of his car got the better of him, especially comming out of corners etc where he hit the throttle too early whereas at other moments he failed to hit the throttle all together to exit corners fast enough. Teething problems?

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Community Software by Invision Power Services, Inc.