F1 - 2015 Chinese Grand Prix

[gofast182]

Formula 1 - 2015 Chinese Grand Prix

US TV SCHEDULE:
Practice: Friday 4/10, 2:00AM EST , NBCSN
Qualifying: Saturday 4/11, 3:00AM EST , NBCSN
Race: Sunday 4/12, 1:30AM EST , NBCSN

2014 (V6 TURBO ERA ) RESULTS:
Race laps: 54
Pole sitter: Lewis Hamilton, 1:53.860
Fast race lap: 1:40.402
Podium:
1. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
3. Fernando Alonso, Ferrari

For more, please check out my post on Temple of VTEC Motorsports

 

[billt460]

I'm rooting for Vettel and Ferrari.

 

[Klutch9]

Originally Posted By: billt460
I'm rooting for Vettel and Ferrari.


Me too. Not because I dislike Hamilton or Rosberg, but because I want to see things mixed up, and Vettel currently represents the best chance of that happening.

 

[billt460]

I would like to see Kimi on the podium as well. Especially after the superb job he did in Malaysia. Finishing 4th after that cut tire just as he passed the pits, in the worst possible place on the track. Had it not been for that, he could have possibly won.

 

[whip]

I'm rooting for Manor to out qualify Alonso.

I hope it's a good race. It would be great to see Ferrari and Williams up front with the Mercs.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: billt460
I would like to see Kimi on the podium as well. Especially after the superb job he did in Malaysia. Finishing 4th after that cut tire just as he passed the pits, in the worst possible place on the track. Had it not been for that, he could have possibly won.

Seeing Vettel and Kimi race would be great too, its been a while since Vettel has had a teammate push him.

 

[BikeWhisperer]

I would love to see Williams win a race (Bottas preferably) or Kimi in the Ferrari...but I doubt either will happen.

Meanwhile the dumpster fire that is my McLaren team will try to just finish.

 

[Patman]

I had a strong feeling that Mercedes would be back on top again and Ferrari's pace at the last race was not going to continue. They really weren't a challenge for Mercedes at all today. Yay for Lewis!

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: Patman
They really weren't a challenge for Mercedes at all today. Yay for Lewis!

A fast lap or two does not make a race. Let alone a Formula 1 race. There is far too much that can happen.

 

[billt460]

Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
Meanwhile the dumpster fire that is my McLaren team will try to just finish.


It's hard to believe a team with that much money and developmental talent, could get it that wrong.

 

[weasley]

As I said after the last race, one blip from Ferrari where tyres were the limiting factor does not constitute a title challenge. The status quo was restored - Mercedes dominated again in all areas. Lewis was just stroking it along at whatever pace he needed to. Rosberg has shown his true colours as a spoilt, whinging, self-important..... [bleep]. He is bleating that Lewis should be playing the team game, when last year Nico would sell his grandmother to upset Lewis's race (eg parking his car on the last flying qualy lap, punting Lewis out with a puncture etc).

No doubt Ferrari are getting better - they are pulling away from Williams and Lotus etc, but they are a long way from competing with Mercedes.

 

[billt460]

What I took away from that race was how much Red Bull has deteriorated. The Renault engine is a complete POS. First Kvyat's car turning into something of an incendiary device, then Verstappen's car banging and popping down the front straight, finally locking up the rear.

Renault and McLaren are a toss up for the most failed team this year. As I said, it's unbelievable how can race teams with this much money and engineering talent, produce such inconsistent junk to put on a race track is beyond me.

 

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted By: BikeWhisperer
I would love to see Williams win a race (Bottas preferably) or Kimi in the Ferrari...but I doubt either will happen.

Meanwhile the dumpster fire that is my McLaren team will try to just finish.

I do like to watch Button do some actual wheel to wheel racing though, I don't really care if it is for 16th. I was hoping him and Alonso would do some wheel to wheel stuff as well, but I guess with their need for more mileage for testing/racing, its not going to happen...

 

[A_Harman]

Originally Posted By: billt460
What I took away from that race was how much Red Bull has deteriorated. The Renault engine is a complete POS. First Kvyat's car turning into something of an incendiary device, then Verstappen's car banging and popping down the front straight, finally locking up the rear.

Renault and McLaren are a toss up for the most failed team this year. As I said, it's unbelievable how can race teams with this much money and engineering talent, produce such inconsistent junk to put on a race track is beyond me.


I don't think that Verstappen's stoppage was an engine failure, I think it was the gearbox. But Kvyat's was definitely an engine. Renault has not been at the top of F1 engine building since the V10 era. Even when they were in the dominant Red Bull cars, they were not the most powerful. It was the blown diffuser that made those cars so fast. And I do remember having a good chuckle watching engine pieces bouncing down the course when Vettel had his big blowup at Singapore(?) a few years ago.

Of course, any engine can fail, but the current F1 engines aren't nearly as extreme as previous F1 formulas. They are limited to about 12,000 rpm and modest boost pressures by the fuel flow limit of 100 kg/hr. It's optimistic to expect them to make more than 600 HP, which is much less than the previous F1 turbo era, where 1.5L engines made 1000+ HP before the FIA instituted fuel and boost restrictions. The energy recovery systems are where the cutting-edge technology comes from in the current formula. As it is, the cars are heavier and slower than the previous 2.4L V8 formula. But they do make the 300 km race distances on 30% less fuel.

 

[billt460]

The cars are total dogs compared to the 2004 era V-10's. This is the thing I'm not getting with a lot of motor racing today. They use almost as much thought and technology into slowing the cars down, as they do trying to make them go fast.

Schumacher lapped Sepang and Shanghai almost 8 seconds a lap faster in 2004. That is insane for a racing motorsport. Not only that, but he, (they), did it with just as much, if not more reliability, than today. Another thing is how counter productive all this is. They go from grooved tires in 2004, to slicks today. Why?, for increased grip obviously. What's the point of increasing grip so they can run 8 seconds slower? This has become like a dog chasing it's tail. What does he have if he catches it? I find all of it extremely disappointing.

I get and understand all of the safety concerns. But for God's sake it's RACING. The whole object is speed. Between NASCAR and F-1 today it seems as though it's become a contest of who can go the slowest, and still have fans show up and spend their money.

 

[wemay]

Originally Posted By: weasley
As I said after the last race, one blip from Ferrari where tyres were the limiting factor does not constitute a title challenge. The status quo was restored - Mercedes dominated again in all areas. Lewis was just stroking it along at whatever pace he needed to. Rosberg has shown his true colours as a spoilt, whinging, self-important..... [bleep]. He is bleating that Lewis should be playing the team game, when last year Nico would sell his grandmother to upset Lewis's race (eg parking his car on the last flying qualy lap, punting Lewis out with a puncture etc).

No doubt Ferrari are getting better - they are pulling away from Williams and Lotus etc, but they are a long way from competing with Mercedes.


I agree with everything except that Ferrari are a long way off.

 

[A_Harman]

Based on the barbs going back and forth between Rosberg and Hamilton in the post-race interview, I wonder if they'll start taking each other out. Vettel should have just sat there and smiled. If they take each other out, he inherits the wins.

 

[BikeWhisperer]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
Based on the barbs going back and forth between Rosberg and Hamilton in the post-race interview, I wonder if they'll start taking each other out. Vettel should have just sat there and smiled. If they take each other out, he inherits the wins.


Rosburg needs to just realize that he is not a top tier driver. He is a good driver in a dominant car. Hamilton is among the very elite drivers, and is clearly the #1 at Mercedes now. Rosburg should just be happy he is not a #2 in a Barrichello/Massa at Ferrari way.

 

[whip]

McLaren debuted a new diffuser. They only had one, so they gave it to their #1 driver. Button.

http://www.f1reader.com/news/tech-bite-mclaren-debut-new-diffuser-on-button-039-s-car-119358

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: billt460
Renault and McLaren are a toss up for the most failed team this year. As I said, it's unbelievable how can race teams with this much money and engineering talent, produce such inconsistent junk to put on a race track is beyond me.

I think we have to have some patience. At least McLaren is putting on a good face about it and have no illusions. Things will improve, but they're going to have teething issues with the new power unit. The Red Bull/STR teams, however, have been whining like mad. Nonetheless, a team can only do so much when engine development is done by someone else. At least McLaren has dibs on the Honda power unit so far. If Lotus isn't careful, though, they'll be the only power unit without a chassis.