203 replies to this topic

[Massa]

No matter what happens, bookies always come out ahead.

[The Shadow]

I predict Mercedes could spring a surprise here. Mainly long straights punctuated by low speed sequence of corners. And based on the last 2 races Lewis says the McLaren is weaker at those types of corners.

Qualifying:
Maybe if not Schumi, then Nico. He's got something to prove.

Race:
Anybody's guess if it rains as predicted

[dribbler]

The Shadow, on 05 April 2012 - 07:26 AM, said:

I predict Mercedes could spring a surprise here. Mainly long straights punctuated by low speed sequence of corners. And based on the last 2 races Lewis says the McLaren is weaker at those types of corners.

Qualifying:
Maybe if not Schumi, then Nico. He's got something to prove.

Race:
Anybody's guess if it rains as predicted

Word on the street is that the Mercedes aero is fundamentally flawed, creating to much front end bite and not helping the tyre wear. Great over one lap when dialling heat in and have grip is so important. Not so good when you have to manage tyre wear over a race.

No coincidence that Michael seems to have found a car he can throw in on its nose whilst Nico is struggling in comparison.

They might do well in qualifying again, but I still don't expect ant great results during the race. Top six, at best.

[yurp]

Well, I'm 900 km away and it's p**sing it down. Proper good.

EDIT could it last 9 days? Around here you never really know. Big country, big clouds.

Edited by yurp, 06 April 2012 - 11:46 AM.

[The Shadow]

dribbler, on 06 April 2012 - 08:07 AM, said:

Word on the street is that the Mercedes aero is fundamentally flawed, creating to much front end bite and not helping the tyre wear. Great over one lap when dialling heat in and have grip is so important. Not so good when you have to manage tyre wear over a race.

No coincidence that Michael seems to have found a car he can throw in on its nose whilst Nico is struggling in comparison.

They might do well in qualifying again, but I still don't expect ant great results during the race. Top six, at best.

Agree with your assessment. Lotus also look hungry. They seem to be the new Red Bull circa 2009, or at least they seem like that to me.

It does get frustrating trying to speculate form when all the races have been inconclusive. Wouldn't it be funny if the ferarri really is the pick of the bunch. Never thought I'd say this but I'm hoping for a bog standard dry race.

[The Shadow]

yurp, on 06 April 2012 - 11:44 AM, said:

Well, I'm 900 km away and it's p**sing it down. Proper good.

EDIT could it last 9 days? Around here you never really know. Big country, big clouds.

I do sympathize. The rain you saw in Malaysia? That was a light shower. If the race were between November - February, never mind exhaust blown diffuser, you'd need a rudder.

[BradSpeedMan]

The Shadow, on 07 April 2012 - 02:34 AM, said:

Agree with your assessment. Lotus also look hungry. They seem to be the new Red Bull circa 2009, or at least they seem like that to me.

It does get frustrating trying to speculate form when all the races have been inconclusive. Wouldn't it be funny if the ferarri really is the pick of the bunch. Never thought I'd say this but I'm hoping for a bog standard dry race.

They are using both compounds of soft rubber for China if I'm correct, should suit Ferrari...

[Barthdesigns]

I would be so happy, if Schumi could win something this year! Maybe a pole in China?

[HandyNZL]

Oh god no...it would be seen as the second coming.  The worlds media would have a heart attack of epic proportions, and come in their pants, all at the same time.

[Massa]

Yeah, I refuse to have Michael Schumacher stand on the podium this year.  I'm bitter about a lot of things and I may as well blame him for all of them.

Rain was mentioned.  I'm not seeing any yet.  I realize Shanghai's a big place and everything like that but it looks dry this weekend.  Of course it's too far from the weekend to really tell.

Dry race, normal race, normal qualifying...hmm...I hate that I missed Malaysia (they aired it twice, missed it twice, eventually saw some highlights and things like that) and now F1's going to go all boring on me now that I've set the DVR to record.

Nah, should be really exciting to see where everyone really is at this point in time, actually.  The great thing about opening the season with crazy races is that the first normal result of the year is still full of surprises.

[Drag Reduction System]

BradSpeedMan, on 07 April 2012 - 06:46 AM, said:

They are using both compounds of soft rubber for China if I'm correct, should suit Ferrari...

I think they are using the medium and soft, but not 100% sure.


Ontopic: I think it will be an interesting race, expecting mercedes gp to qualify well, but have poor race pace again, mclaren to be the leaders again, but i think Redbull we be a lot closer. Lotus will be hungry to get some results, they have a fast car and nothing to show with it. I think Williams could be suprising, they have looked quite fast in melbourne and malaysia. Alonso should also be a chance, especially if it rains. All in all, i think it will be a very interesting race.  

[BradSpeedMan]

Drag Reduction System, on 10 April 2012 - 08:49 AM, said:

I think they are using the medium and soft, but not 100% sure.


Ontopic: I think it will be an interesting race, expecting mercedes gp to qualify well, but have poor race pace again, mclaren to be the leaders again, but i think Redbull we be a lot closer. Lotus will be hungry to get some results, they have a fast car and nothing to show with it. I think Williams could be suprising, they have looked quite fast in melbourne and malaysia. Alonso should also be a chance, especially if it rains. All in all, i think it will be a very interesting race.  

welcome DRS

[HandyNZL]

Massa, on 09 April 2012 - 11:46 PM, said:

Yeah, I refuse to have Michael Schumacher stand on the podium this year.  I'm bitter about a lot of things and I may as well blame him for all of them.

Rain was mentioned.  I'm not seeing any yet.  I realize Shanghai's a big place and everything like that but it looks dry this weekend.  Of course it's too far from the weekend to really tell.

Dry race, normal race, normal qualifying...hmm...I hate that I missed Malaysia (they aired it twice, missed it twice, eventually saw some highlights and things like that) and now F1's going to go all boring on me now that I've set the DVR to record.

Nah, should be really exciting to see where everyone really is at this point in time, actually.  The great thing about opening the season with crazy races is that the first normal result of the year is still full of surprises.

Do you realise, though, that China is not just down the road from you...let alone Shanghai...might explain you not seeing any rain yet.  Just wondering.....

[yurp]

Still p**sing it down here

[Massa]

Shanghai, Virgina.

Shanghai, West Virginia.

Shanghai, North Carolina.

Shanghai, Alabama.

But they go and build Shanghai International Circuit in China.  Those jobs could have been ours.

Also:

They've upgraded the weather report to "occasional rain and drizzle" on Sunday.  I can appreciate that.  I get my weather on AccuWeather and not that crazy site Jimmy likes to plagiarize () but can't because I've gotten word he's somewhere without Internet for the week (Canada, I assume).

[LabradoRacer]

Barthdesigns, on 07 April 2012 - 10:27 AM, said:

I would be so happy, if Schumi could win something this year! Maybe a pole in China?

Marry me.

Well, I hope Mercedes has sorted out the tire warming/degradation issues to some extent at least.

[Barthdesigns]

I wish for the same, a nice result for Mercedes, to be exact, for Schumi

I would like a dry race now, although I'm a fan of wet races. But for now, it would be better to see where we are, who is the best. (McLaren I guess, but Red Bull is still there, and who knows? Ferrari? Mercedes? Lotus? or Sauber?) Let's see a good race without big crashes

[Quiet One]

Barthdesigns, on 10 April 2012 - 05:36 PM, said:

I wish for the same, a nice result for Mercedes, to be exact, for Schumi

I would like a dry race now, although I'm a fan of wet races. But for now, it would be better to see where we are, who is the best. (McLaren I guess, but Red Bull is still there, and who knows? Ferrari? Mercedes? Lotus? or Sauber?) Let's see a good race without big crashes

Welcome aboard and please marry Jay (Labradoracer)Don't worry, he is creepier than he looks. Seriously.

As for the current order, I'd say McLaren, RBR, Lotus/Sauber, Ferrari, Mercedes (not driver-adjusted)

Driver-adjusted, unless LH really focuses himself, I'd say that RBR still has a pretty decent shot at the WDC from Seb, that Jenson is the natural candidate, that Kimi can make the difference even if Sauber is eventually a better car than the Lotus, that Ferrari will still have at least one title contender in Alonso if the cars goes nowhere and Merc...sorry, not this year, not with this car. The car is crap and no known version of Schumi can turn that around. Let's see if they can bring a car that lasts not a race, but at least a mere stint and then we can talk afterwards.

[Drag Reduction System]

Thanks BradSpeedMan

I agree 100% with the post above. I'm hoping Sauber and Torro Rosso have a great weekend, and Williams to. Williams cars have been quite fast, just not really reliable. Be good to see them bounce back from last years horror.

[dribbler]

I like it wet too.

[yurp]

Still raining.

[Barthdesigns]

Oh, nice we have a local member! Thank you for the weather report

[dribbler]

Barthdesigns, on 11 April 2012 - 05:49 PM, said:

Oh, nice we have a local member! Thank you for the weather report

We just call him a member.

[Quiet One]

dribbler, on 11 April 2012 - 07:32 PM, said:

We just call him a member.

Cucumember, to be more precise.

[yurp]

I wish my member was that big

[yurp]

As to local - in country, but still a long way away. Too far to go to Shanghai and double the crowd size.

[Barthdesigns]

dribbler, on 11 April 2012 - 07:32 PM, said:

We just call him a member.

I mean local member from China.

[LabradoRacer]

Cry babies Lotus have lodged an official protest against Mercedes's rear wing. Hope the wing is declared legit with finality.

[BradSpeedMan]

LabradoRacer, on 12 April 2012 - 12:26 PM, said:

Cry babies Lotus have lodged an official protest against Mercedes's rear wing. Hope the wing is declared legit with finality.

Have you considered who might have been the culprits with the FIA having to ban Lotus's ride height system earlier this year after getting approval a year before? Is it a coincidence that they protesting Mercs wings, or an vengeance agenda behind this protest?

[Quiet One]

BradSpeedMan, on 12 April 2012 - 02:00 PM, said:

Have you considered who might have been the culprits with the FIA having to ban Lotus's ride height system earlier this year after getting approval a year before? Is it a coincidence that they protesting Mercs wings, or an vengeance agenda behind this protest?

My thoughts, exactly.

Merc and Force India iirc were behind the Lotus ride height banning.

The usual inter teams wars. They are as much part of F1 as drivers battles since its inception.