2011 Chinese Grand Prix

[TopGearFTW]

Feeling good about Hamilton for this one, he's always there or there abouts in China, and with this newfound McLaren pace, he should be on Vettel's (assuming Vettel, unless Webber has a striking return to form) gearbox, if not ahead, for most of the race. Any wet conditions would help Button I feel, I would say he's one of the strongest wet weather drivers on the grid.
Would be nice to see Di Resta score some points again, and another Renault on the podium too, either one, although I am fond of Petrov as he got a bad rep last season for things which were mostly out of his control.
Would love to see some triple overtaking down the straight like Hamilton and Michael last year too.
Anyway, assuming a dry race I would say Hamilton to win.

 

[Rossticles]

<1hr to FP1

I love back-to-back race weekends. Even though there is always some race to watch on Sunday, F1 back-to-back is so much better.

I'm quite the fan of Vettel, but to make it 3 in a row is going to be difficult. They definitely seemed to have a little trouble in Sepang.

 

[Danny]

Ok, maybe I'm being a bit foolish. Literally ANYTHING can happen. So to predict it now is just stupid.

Not literally anything.

What about all the teams decide to ditch the cars and ride camels around the track instead?

 

[Mike Rotch]

I've never really understood the love for the old Hockenheim. Sure, it was an epic circuit, but as Martin Brundle pointed out during last year's German Grand Prix, it was actually pretty boring. The drivers just sat there doing nothing between corners, and the race was always won by whoever had the best engine. It was symbolic of the 1980s engine wars, but there's no place for it in today's sport.

No issue with redesigning Hockenheim for the need of modern racing, but to let the old section and all its history die away like that is sad to see.

Ye olde brokene recorde, but I hope SV hits the skids this weekend. 3/3 just wont do the title race any favours.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

True, but if it's never going to be used again, then it would be expensive to maintain it.

 

[Grayfox]

True, but if it's never going to be used again, then it would be expensive to maintain it.

They can let people drive on it for a small fee like the do for the Nordschleife.

 

[Grayfox]

Looks like it may rain during P1/P2 being that foggy, or is it just the chinese smog.

 

[F1 fan]

True, but if it's never going to be used again, then it would be expensive to maintain it.

While I agree with you on a financial sense, the reason for the old hockenheim being scrapped was due to the problems policing the perimeter. I'd wager that installing new fences would have been an easier and possibly cheaper a job than digging up the old track and planting grass/trees.

As a matter of fact, if every ticket price went up 1 euro in order to hire outside help in policing the perimeter, I don't think many fans would complain.

 

[The Outlaw]

<1hr to FP1

I love back-to-back race weekends. Even though there is always some race to watch on Sunday, F1 back-to-back is so much better.

I'm quite the fan of Vettel, but to make it 3 in a row is going to be difficult. They definitely seemed to have a little trouble in Sepang.

Vettel has been extremely dominating of late Not only has we won the first 2 races of this year, he also won the last 2 from the previous year...which would have been 4 had it not been for the engine failure in Korea. He has been showing quite some form of late 👍

 

[Rossticles]

Looks like it may rain during P1/P2 being that foggy, or is it just the chinese smog.

Well it's 10am there and Shanghai is on the East China Sea. I would bet it's fog.

 

[Northstar]

What's up with the yellow front wing on the Ferrari's?

 

[Grayfox]

From what i heard it is a new kind of wing they are testing.

 

[Mike Rotch]

Heidfeld just trashed his car with a big off (he is ok) and Button's KERS has conked in too.

 

[The Outlaw]

Heidfeld just trashed his car with a big off (he is ok).

It wasn't that big of an off...just a damaged front wing from what I can tell. Not as bad as bad Air Petrov's motocross jump last week

 

[The Outlaw]

Dp

 

[Grayfox]

Top 10 results at the end of P1
1: S Vettel 1:35.719
2: M Webber +0.615
3: L Hamilton +2.106
4: J Button +2.201
5: N Heudfekd +2.248
6: F Massa +2.307
7: S Perez +2.450
8: P Maldonardo +2.483
9: V Petrov +2.492
10: S Buemi +2.589

 

[fissionproject]

That was a fairly clean P1 actually, not too many mishaps

Once again, RBR @ the top with McLaren trailing by +2

They're so fast!!!

 

[Rossticles]

What's up with the yellow front wing on the Ferrari's?

I didn't notice it, but it could have been aero paint.

 

[Northstar]

I didn't notice it, but it could have been aero paint.

It was only on Massa's car for a few laps and I think Grayfox was right. It couldn't have been aeropaint as the entire nose was yellow and the sponsor logos were on top like the normal white/red ones.

 

[Rossticles]

I wish I knew how I missed the post directly under yours.

 

[niky]

Wouldn't read anything into P1 times, yet... only Q1 will tell.

But if they're that much faster, can we just give Newey the Constructor's Trophy now, put everyone in identical Lotus Racing cars (Lotus... not Lotus Renault) and let them fight it out for the Driver's Trophy that way?

 

[Rossticles]

Petrov and Massa

There's a ton of smog in the air. That can't be good for the engines. I thought it was fog earlier, but it clearly isn't.

Nico with KERS and DRS active just topped out at 313kmh with about half the straight to go between 13 and 14.

 

[DwightSchrute12]

Petrov and Massa

There's a ton of smog in the air. That can't be good for the engines. I thought it was fog earlier, but it clearly isn't.

Nico with KERS and DRS active just topped out at 313kmh with about half the straight to go between 13 and 14.

And then set the fastest time...for now. But still looks promising.

And yeah, Petrov was hilarious.

 

[Prince.M5]

Does anyone knows what happened to Heidfeld? Seems like he broke his front wing and he's now involved in another incident?

 

[sausages]

What's this all about? http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b010v41y/?t=1h28m44s (UK Only - sorry!)

Alonso vs Karthikeyan(?) in FP2.
Dangerous and completely unnecessary from Alonso...

 

[TheCracker]

There's a ton of smog in the air. That can't be good for the engines. I thought it was fog earlier, but it clearly isn't.

It was saying on the radio this morning that it's from the concrete factory next door - i'd imagine that it's even worse for the engines!

 

[Submerged]

What's this all about? http://www.bbc.co.uk/i/b010v41y/?t=1h28m44s (UK Only - sorry!)

Alonso vs Karthikeyan(?) in FP2.
Dangerous and completely unnecessary from Alonso...

You mean the way Alonso seemed to cut him up on the first corner?

Yeah, that was a bit stupid of him to show lack of respect

 

[Tired Tyres]

It will be hilarious if Alonso, under pressure from another driver for position, comes across Karthikeyan to lap him and gets the favour returned with interest.

 

[Alex p.]

It will be hilarious if Alonso, under pressure from another driver for position, comes across Karthikeyan to lap him and gets the favour returned with interest.

 

[Grayfox]

It was saying on the radio this morning that it's from the concrete factory next door - i'd imagine that it's even worse for the engines!

I would have guessed that the chinese government would have wanted no smog causing things to stop so the air is clean for the event, like they did for the olympics.