GP of China!

[Digital-Nitrate]

Looking over the year's results after 15 races, and there is some interesting things to consider.

For instance, the Elite 4 won every pole position, fastest lap, and race win throughout the season so far.

Masa has the most pole positions, most fastest laps, and just one fewer race wins then the other three. If it were not for his disqualification in Canada, and his problems at Hungary and Italy, I suspect Masa would likely be the top contender for the championship this year.

Here is how the three rank among poles, laps, wins, trifectas:

POLE POSITIONS

• 5 Hamilton, Masa
• 3 Kimi
• 2 Alonso

FASTEST LAP

• 5 Kimi, Masa
• 3 Alonso
• 2 Hamilton

WINS

• 4 Alonso, Hamilton, Kimi
• 3 Masa

TRIFECTAS

• 3*Masa (3 as Kimi spoiled his trifecta in Turkey on the last lap)
• 2 Alonso
• 2*Kimi (2 as Masa paid him back by ruining his trifecta in Belgium)
• 1 Hamilton

One thing is for certain, when all four of these drivers and cars are at their best, they dominate the rest of the field.

 

[tigermoth737]

I officially hate Channel 10. When I watched the Chinese GP in previous years it was always live and on at 2pm. Now that the Rugby World cup is on they've moved it to 1am.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Q1 Results:

Congrats to Torro Rossa... so far.

It's going to be interesting to see who gambles on whether or not to use wet tires in qualifying in trying to predict tomorrow's weather.

 

[G.T]

Damn... the one time I want ITV 3 to work it doesn't!

Edit: Theeere we go.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

Q2 Results:

No Q3 for the Torro Rosa boys.


EDIT: Half way through Q3, Hamilton is still in P1, two seconds faster than Alonso who is also on hard tires, and no one has switched to wets so far.

EDIT: 4-min to go and Masa just took P1 with a 1:36.221 lap followed by Kimi in P2, while Hamilton doesn't improve his time and is P3, and Alonso right behind in P4. They'll have one more hot lap after their final stops.

EDIT: They have switched to softs... Hamilton is first out, and posted the quickest times in S1, and S2 to jump to P1 with a 1:35.908 lap!

EDIT: Hamilton takes Pole followed very closely behind is Kimi, then Masa, and Alonso is in P4 nearly .7 seconds slower than Hamilton.

Big surprise to see Coulthard, Ralf, and Webber ahead of the BMWs!


Q3 Results:

Nope, I'm just referring to comments stating that he's struggling with his setup.

And Alonso, obviously, doesn't appear to be. As Blake noticed, the two McLarens use different rear wings, as well.

Still think Hamilton is struggling with his set-up?

 

[Sting]

Well Hamilton did say his car felt fantastic.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I officially hate Channel 10. When I watched the Chinese GP in previous years it was always live and on at 2pm. Now that the Rugby World cup is on they've moved it to 1am.

You can't blame them: Rugby has a far bigger following than Formula One, even if there is an Australian in it.

 

[Mr P]

A great Pole winning lap from Lewis and it's looking really good for him to bag the Championship tomorrow Top marks to Coulthard also with a stunning 5th place and his best of the year 👍

 

[Muzaffar]

Damn, Hamilton is going to win this and become the youngest world champion and the only rookie to win a championship.

 

[Roo]

I didn't see qualifying, so I've only got the times to base this on, but it looks like Hamilton is really light on fuel. I'll be suprised if the Ferraris and Alonso don't go 4 or 5 laps further than him before stopping. He could just be racing for 4th.

 

[<_Spike_>]

Missed it too but I'm catching the re-run later before getting set up for the rugby

 

[nitro_2005]

check out the weather for shanghai tomorrow

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day.shtml?world=2577

 

[Pupik]

Early predictions:

1. Kimster
...
9. Hamster

So is Takuma a Sa-toaster?

1:30am for the live stuff. No fair.

 

[Metar]

Still think Hamilton is struggling with his set-up?

To be honest, yes

Not now - nobody who struggles gets a pole - but before, yes.

Watch this:

Notice how here, during Friday Practice, Hamilton has a (newer) wing different to Fernando's. He was also slower than Fernando.

Now, watch qualifying - Hamilton opted for that wing, too:

I assume the wing is worth a tenth (or more), otherwise he wouldn't switch to it. Plus, it's a higher-downforce wing than the more radical wing from Practice - it could be superior in wet conditions.

 

[slackbladder]

I didn't see qualifying, so I've only got the times to base this on, but it looks like Hamilton is really light on fuel. I'll be suprised if the Ferraris and Alonso don't go 4 or 5 laps further than him before stopping. He could just be racing for 4th.

Dunno about 4 or 5 laps but if it rains extra fuel maybe helpful. Still fourth is good enough.

 

[Metar]

Dunno about 4 or 5 laps but if it rains extra fuel maybe helpful. Still fourth is good enough.

In fact, they have measured that each extra lap on fuel equals a tenth lost.

However, fuelling a lap is also around two-three tenths.

 

[Digital-Nitrate]

To be honest, yes

Not now - nobody who struggles gets a pole - but before, yes.

But before he was posting nearly the same lap times, so again, your definition of "struggle" is quite unique.

The facts are simple, even after Alonso claimed many weeks ago that Hamilton was only doing well because he was using his "set-ups", which in itself is rather preposterous considering everyone who has a say in "set-ups", and how they differ for specific driver physiques, driving styles, and race strategies; Hamilton still managed to beat Alonso's times. It's seriously way past this excuses' bedtime, and like Alonso, I suggest people stop suggesting Hamilton gets "help" from Alonso or frankly even needs his help, as that's been proven to obviously not be the case.

At the very least, when a driver is only a couple tenths of a second off in practice, maybe that's a bit of a stretch to call that "struggling".



If as expected the heavy rains hit tomorrow, we should see another wild race... who knows, maybe we will see someone other than Ferrari and McLaren win the race.

As I have no horse in this race season, I'm still hoping for Kimi and Alonso to do well and Hamilton to not score any points so that it will open the remote possibility of a 3-way tie for championship points after Brazil.

 

[Metar]

But before he was posting nearly the same lap times, so again, your definition of "struggle" is quite unique.

The facts are simple, even after Alonso claimed Hamilton was only doing well because he was using his "set-ups", which in itself is rather preposterous considering everyone who has a say in "set-ups", and how they differ for specific driver physiques, driving styles, and race strategies; Hamilton still managed to beat Alonso's times. It's seriously way past this excuses' bedtime, and like Alonso, I suggest people stop suggesting Hamilton gets "help" from Alonso or frankly even needs his help, as that's been proven to obviously not be the case.

At the very least, when a driver is only a couple tenths of a second off in practice, maybe that's a bit of a stretch to call that "struggling".

Not struggling in the usual sense, but seeing the closeness of the top-4... Even two tenths are a problem

Personally - yes, I believe he had help in setups, but at the start of the season. By now, I'm very sure he's developing his own setups, and is quite capable at that. Notice this. Monza and Spa, he was slightly slower than Alonso. Before Fuji, he says at an interview that he studied the data and understood his problems - and bang, he gets pole at Fuji.

If as expected the heavy rains hit tomorrow, we should see another wild race... who knows, maybe we will see someone other than Ferrari and McLaren win the race.

As I have no horse in this race season, I'm still hoping for Kimi and Alonso to do well and Hamilton to not score any points so that it will open the remote possibility of a 3-way tie for championship points after Brazil.

That would be just pure awesomeness, a full-on winner-takes-it battle at Interlagos, that'd be just awesome. But from pole, Raikkonen and Alonso can only hope a rainy accident, like so many had at Fuji, backfires at Hamilton for once.

BTW, what was the last time something like that happened? 3 guys with a serious chance, in the last race?


And Ecclestone is now offering conspiracy-theorists another window of opportunity:
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/10/06/ecclestone-hamilton-is-f1-s-new-big-hero/

 

[livemusic]

3AM race, I'm screwed.

 

[Muzaffar]

3AM race, I'm screwed.

Well look at the bright sight, at least the next race is in your time zone and then I would have to stay up at 3 in the morning and watch it... (well actually 1 in the morning but you get it....)

 

[Metar]

I guess I'm getting it comfy then - this race at 8AM, next race in the afternoon

 

[Fonce Diablo]

Is it reeeeeally going to rain?

All Lewis has to do is keep it on the track...

Sidenote: Why was the GP2 race in Valencia? O_o

 

[daan]

Sidenote: Why was the GP2 race in Valencia? O_o

That was last week.

The GP2 series doesn't follow the F1 calendar all the time as its mainly a European championship. It saves money to keep them in Europe and to not force them to travel to Asia and the US.

 

[Sureboss]

Great lap from Lewis, he was 4th out of 4 all weekend but then put in the lap when he needed too. I can't see him losing several places tomorrow, I think we're goning to have another James Allen orgasm (after Button's win).

Looking forward to tomorrow.

 

[Metar]

He could also be slightly lower fueled, though I haven't noticed anything come out of a few laps more worth of fuel. So far, whenever someone pitted later, it resulted in the same position...

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

Watch this:

Notice how here, during Friday Practice, Hamilton has a (newer) wing different to Fernando's. He was also slower than Fernando.

Couldn't that have been McLaren just testing the different wings?

 

[Cod_Father]

Not struggling in the usual sense, but seeing the closeness of the top-4... Even two tenths are a problem

Personally - yes, I believe he had help in setups, but at the start of the season. By now, I'm very sure he's developing his own setups, and is quite capable at that. Notice this. Monza and Spa, he was slightly slower than Alonso. Before Fuji, he says at an interview that he studied the data and understood his problems - and bang, he gets pole at Fuji.



That would be just pure awesomeness, a full-on winner-takes-it battle at Interlagos, that'd be just awesome. But from pole, Raikkonen and Alonso can only hope a rainy accident, like so many had at Fuji, backfires at Hamilton for once.

BTW, what was the last time something like that happened? 3 guys with a serious chance, in the last race?


And Ecclestone is now offering conspiracy-theorists another window of opportunity:
http://f1.gpupdate.net/en/news/2007/10/06/ecclestone-hamilton-is-f1-s-new-big-hero/

"It is painfully obvious to me that the right guy to be world champion is Lewis. In fact my main fear would be if he didn't win it. Kimi Raikkonen barely talks to anyone and as such has done little for the sport, and as for Fernando Alonso, in his two years as world champion he has done nothing. He hasn't really been an F1 campaigner at all, but if Lewis wins the drivers' championship he will act like a real world champion. He will know exactly what is expected of him and what he has to do."

So Kim and Alonso are crap because they aren't media darlings? F1 is quickly going the way of "professional" boxing for me.

 

[Metar]

While I'm certain there's nothing to it, it's fodder for the cannons.

 

[<_Spike_>]

Great lap from Lewis, he was 4th out of 4 all weekend but then put in the lap when he needed too. I can't see him losing several places tomorrow, I think we're goning to have another James Allen orgasm (after Button's win).

Looking forward to tomorrow.

Christ it'll be full on g-spot material in the metaphorical sense for James Allen...oh Murray where for art thou -.-

 

[icelt]

So what's the over/under on Ferrari checking their email this morning

I don't get to watch enough F1 to know better, but is it common for the race officials to mandate a certain set of starting tires if wet conditions are anticipated like Fuji last week? Given the weather forecast for Shanghi tomorrow/today I suppose all the teams qualifying on dry rubber means they expect to be bailed out by the FIA should the race begin in the wet.