2009 Bahrain Grand Prix

[zujo 19]

Discuss here about 2009 Bahrain Grand Prix 👍
Last race (2008):
Pole position Robert Kubica
BMW Sauber
1:33.096
Podium 1. Felipe Massa
Ferrari
1h 31m 06.970s
(202.974 km/h)
2. Kimi Räikkönen
Ferrari
+3.339s
3. Robert Kubica
BMW Sauber
+4.998s
Fastest lap Heikki Kovalainen
McLaren-Mercedes
1:33.193

Winners:
2008 Felipe Massa Ferrari
2007 Felipe Massa Ferrari
2006 Fernando Alonso Renault
2005 Fernando Alonso Renault
2004 Michael Schumacher Ferrari

Characteristics
A characteristic of the course is the giant run-off areas, which has been criticised for not punishing drivers who stray off the track, although this has made Bahrain one of the safest tracks in the world, and tends to prevent sand getting onto the track.

Polers:
2004. Michael Schumacher 1:30.159
2005.Fernando Alonso 3:01:902
2006.Michael Schumacher 1:31:431
2007.Felipe Massa 1:32:652
2008.Felipe Massa 1:33:096

Predictions:
1.Jenson Button
2.Sebastian Vettel
3.Rubens Barrichello
4.Nico Rosberg
5.Fernando Alonso
6. Mark Webber
7.Felipe Massa
8.Lewis Hamilton
9.Heikki Kovalainen
10.Sebastien Buemi
For Kimmi i predict engine problems

 

[Alex.]

Did you want to be the first to make the thread?

Dude, check out Blake's thread with the stats and maps and everything, perhaps you can edit your post to give some info about the circuit, perhaps lap records, and race preditions. 👍

 

[zujo 19]

Sorry man I will update it now:tup:
I taught update 1st post tommorrow

Yea, you need alot more than telling people to discuss. I was about to start one but you beat me to it

Big sorry man I didn´t taught that you want to.
Sorry again, I updated 1st post.

 

[Peter]

Yea, you need alot more than telling people to discuss. I was about to start one but you beat me to it

 

[Alex.]

That's much better, good stuff

 

[Peter]

A little more massa and raikkonen in your prediction. I see ferrari suprising us this race, mostly massa who might make it into the top 3

 

[Peter]

Here's a video of how the track is layed out

 

[SagarisGTB]

A little more massa and raikkonen in your prediction. I see ferrari suprising us this race, mostly massa who might make it into the top 3

Rainmaster Massa will only make the podium if it rains. Not happening in Bahrain.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Rainmaster Massa will only make the podium if it rains.

Just as he did in China and Malaysia?

 

[Hyst]

I can't decide if I like the circuit or not. I like the track itself, but something about the sand just turns me off. If I were betting with my heart, which is always a stupid thing to do, I'd say Glock, Kubica and Sutil to make the podium. As it stands now, I'll take Button, Webber, and Heidfeld.

 

[mPWRD]

Hmm... I'm predicting Trulli, Vettel, and Button.

 

[zed300]

Ferrari will not make any impression until Spain.
It will not rain.
Brawn, Toyota, Red Bull, McLaren, Roseberg and Alonso will fill the top 10.

 

[niky]

One half-good race in the rain and suddenly Massa is a rainmaster? I'll admit that China was a good showing, but not just yet.

I expect that Ferrari's engine trouble will have been attributable to the specific conditions, and shouldn 't affect this race. If there's any chance for them to really start this season, this will be it.

Predictions? I'd knock Nico down a few places and put Hamilton ahead of Massa. Kimi might just surprise us all. Hekki, I'm hoping will continue his good form. EDIT: Oh, okay, I'd flip a coin for Massa versus Hamilton, but the McLaren is currently the superior package. And in this configuration of the car, Kimi seems faster.

And if McLaren, Ferrari or Red Bull Racing finally finish their aero-changes, we might see that order completely upset.

 

[Peter]

Rainmaster Massa will only make the podium if it rains. Not happening in Bahrain.

Remember that Massa won here last year and the year before, so whether it rains or not, and if the ferrari doesn't have any problems, Massa will score a point here.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Remember that Massa won here last year and the year before, so whether it rains or not, and if the ferrari doesn't have any problems, Massa will score a point here.

You're assuming an awful lot there. Kimi Raikkonen didn't have a bad race in China, but that didn't mean he scored points.

 

[Dazzla]

I'd say that Hamilton will win this one, Button in second, and Vettel in third.

 

[NapoleonMikey]

my perdiction would be vettle, button, massa

something tells me ferrari are going to finally have a race with no reliability problems.

 

[mPWRD]

I guess the weather could be a problem, not rain, but heat. How would the heat affect the road temp, the tires, the engine, etc.? And that's not even mentioning driver fatigue...

 

[Bram Turismo]

BrawnGP for the win, with Red Bull and Toyota their main rivals for the podium. If things don't turn into Williams' way like in the last GP's, we should see Rosberg up in the mix as well. Red Bull won't be as fast as they were in Shangai, that's for sure, but Toyota have always come out with decent results in Bahrain so I'm anxious to see where their triple-deck diffuser will get them on the grid 👍

 

['11R' Skippy]

I am a Ferrari Fan, but as much as I love them, I doubt they will have a chance to win, nor finish on the podium.

Someone already stated that their revised car will be arrived in Spain, which is where they stated that the performance that they show there will determine what they do (Continue with the F60, or Brawn the season and start on 2010)

But... Back to Bahrain, I say... Brawn GP Should be the strongest... and everyone else is a mix-up... because we haven't really had a Grand Prix where we are able to see a level playing field.

Australia? Nobody knows how their cars will do in a full on race trim.

Malaysia? 33 laps into the race and then Tsunami greets the guys... who knows what could have happened in 23 dry laps.

China? Rain, Rain, GO AWAY! The rain basicully shakes up the field... I mean, Adrian Sutil for Force India Mercedes-Benz was in 6th and I don't really believe that he would have been there in dry...

My Podium Finishers?

1st, Button (Brawn)
2nd, Vettel (Red Bull)
3rd, Rosberg (Williams, and got a gut feeling he is quick and so is his car)

 

[[FPV]Rusty]

Bahrain reminds me of a retarded looking Catalunya, still I rather like it. I think people may be underrating the pace of the Red Bull cars. I judge that Red Bull are close to matching Brawn for pure pace, in any conditions, wet or dry. I can see some parts of this track suiting the RBR cars better and other parts suiting the BrawnGP cars better. Can't wait for this race weekend to get underway, could be a really competitive race if Toyota, Williams, Ferrari bounce back from last weekend. Hope there is a lot of cars in the mix but realisticly I can only see a Brawn or Red Bull victory, maybe Glock if he finally figures out the objective of qualifying is to set the fastest lap time.

 

[Bram Turismo]

Bahrain reminds me of a retarded looking Catalunya, still I rather like it. I think people may be underrating the pace of the Red Bull cars. I judge that Red Bull are close to matching Brawn for pure pace, in any conditions, wet or dry.

They're close, yes, but still a few tenths off from Brawn. In pure dry weather, Brawn remains the team to beat. However, I could see Red Bull taking this position over once they've got their hands on a new diffuser though. Newey has put together a car that without a complex diffuser is only a few tenths off from Brawn's pace, and in the wet, no other car on the grid comes even close to the RB5...

Also, I'm still awaiting Toyota's true pace. They had a huge set-back in the first race, some troubles in the second, and an awful wet performace. I'm still curious as to how they'd perform if both Trulli and Glock manage to quali in the Brawn sandwich. Glock has got incredible speed at times, but his qualifying pace is never where it should be. If he manages to place his car on row 2 or 3 this weekend, I think he's in for a great result.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

Just as he did in China and Malaysia?

Don't forget his awesome run in the British GP last year!

 

[Tired Tyres]

My take?

If it's dry then a Brawn 1-2. The hotter the weather the better. The Brawn car is very easy on its tyres. This is a drawback in the wet as it can't get the tyres hot enough.

If it's wet, either Red Bull or Toyota. I would like to see Toyota break their duck.

In either case, both Ferrari drivers to fly off the track in a desperate attempt to score points. Any points at all. They are as likely to score as Force India at this point.

 

[Alex.]

I'd say that Hamilton will win this one,

👍

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Kimi Raikkonen didn't have a bad race in China, but that didn't mean he scored points.

I would say that he did. He got passed like nothing and basically didn't overtake anyone.

 

[Ardius]

Well, with two teams taking their first wins as well as being 1-2s in this season, I think Toyota are going to have 1-2 somewhere down the line, just lik RBR and Brawn they have the drivers and cars capable of such a feat as well as the strategies. Perhaps not in Bahrain, but eventually we will see Toyota get their long-due win and it seems chances are high for a 1-2 the way things are going.

So, I predict Trulli for a run at a win.

I also hope Williams get their act together sharpish, they have a great car but are making bad or unlucky decisions too much, they need to stop doing light-fuel runs in practice and start sorting out their race strategies and their Q3 loads as they can get into Q3 quite easily.
Also, someone needs to give Nakajima some help, as the guy clearly has some speed but always at the wrong moments.

 

[thirteendog]

Well, with two teams taking their first wins as well as being 1-2s in this season, I think Toyota are going to have 1-2 somewhere down the line, just lik RBR and Brawn they have the drivers and cars capable of such a feat as well as the strategies. Perhaps not in Bahrain, but eventually we will see Toyota get their long-due win and it seems chances are high for a 1-2 the way things are going.

So, I predict Trulli for a run at a win.

I also hope Williams get their act together sharpish, they have a great car but are making bad or unlucky decisions too much, they need to stop doing light-fuel runs in practice and start sorting out their race strategies and their Q3 loads as they can get into Q3 quite easily.
Also, someone needs to give Nakajima some help, as the guy clearly has some speed but always at the wrong moments.

The only way that happens is if Button takes out Vettel and Rubens runs into the back of Webber trying to get around him. Then maybe Williams or Toyota will get a win. I don't expect Glock to come in 2nd all year though.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Don't forget his awesome run in the British GP last year!

Yeah, there is that ... if anyone is deserving of the title "Rainmaster", it's Sebastian Vettel. It was spitting slightly at Monaco last year, and when Hamilton won it was, according to James Allen, A SENNA-LIKE VICTORY! But twice now Vettel has not simply won in appaling condititons, in China he was going two seconds a lap quicker than everyone else, and in Italy he was in a car no-one expected to win. He's the one who's Senna-like, not some guy who wins at Monaco in a little bit of drizzle. But then, I don't need to repeat that James Allen is a first-degree moron.

I would say that he did. He got passed like nothing and basically didn't overtake anyone.

Compared to Melbourne and Sepang, it was a vast improvement.

 

[[FPV]Rusty]

its funny isn't it. When it's Hamilton winning in the wet, he's the new British Senna, now for the second time in appalling conditions Vettel wins comfortably, probably the only one that didn't have even a minor off all race and its 'that British based Red Bull car is amazing in the wet'.

And on that note, everybody is over estimating the Red Bulls cars pace in the wet, and underestimating its pace in the dry, yes some cars can handle those conditions better than others but its never going to be a massive difference. Vettel is simply amazing in the wet, and Webber, while he doesn't show the same pace in those conditions, he's very good at not making a mistake, keeping the car going at a good pace.