The Official 2010 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

at that rate, it'll be scary to think what'll happen in 3 races........ :p


i think Michael, as usual needs to deal with the fact that everybody expects him to crush competition
the car is not fast, and the guy's done an excellent job by being close to Rosberg, one of the most wanted drivers by many last year.. iirc a lot of people claimed that with Rosberg he's finally having a high level teammate to be compared with...
and now a lot of media and people are saying that he should be worried that he got beated by Rosberg this that... a lot of Shumacher - high expectations stuff

i don't know how logical is for someone to think that Michael was going to come and easily beat Rosberg in a car and rules so different to what he used to race after being 3 years away from the tracks with a teammate that's been pushing hard during his absence, and needing to adjust to a new team after being 10 years with Ferrari

being honest, i was hoping michael would come and be his old self so he could shut up the critics immediattely, but in reality i wasn't expecting that to happen, the only driver, having switched teams to beat his teammate out of the "top" drivers on the grid was Alonso, but the guy's sitting in probably the best car and hasn't stopped racing

anyway, time will tell what'll happen to both, Nico and Michael, but at the moment, Shumi's fitness shouldn't be a problem


that doesn't look like a 41 year old stepping out of an F1 car after pushing it for 1 hour and 45 mins

davidm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "Isaint and davidm...
> The content of your discussion is fine, but please
> conduct it like adults and not kids in a
> playground. Thanks muchly."
>
> Point taken - fair enough.
>
> Just simply making two points. Michael was not
> where most people thought he would be prior to the
> start of the weekend and Jenson like Hamilton took
> one place at the pitstops. The drivers can't
> overtake. Button finishing around a second behind
> Schumacher does'nt look like being nowhere to me.


Mate, I can't even reply to this as some on here think it to be squabbling and they are complaining .... the point you are makeing how ever, would be more comparative if button finished behind his team mate, never the less you have your opinion and I have mine and that's where it's going to stay. The season is young and there is a long way to go. We are just going to have to wait and see ...................

On another note I see alot of people are saying that we should give 2010 a chance and I guess they may be right but it seems that we are not the only ones concerned ..................... read below:

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Formula 1 news

Teams considering mandatory pit-stops
15 March 2010


With an outcry from Formula 1 fans over the internet on Monday following a less-than-spectacular season-opening race in Bahrain on Sunday, certain team members are now considering a mandatory pit-stop rule, which would force drivers to pit at least twice as opposed to the general pattern of one stop per car at Sakhir.

With 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher having explained after the race that 'overtaking is basically impossible', Red Bull's Mark Webber also critisised the regulations after the weekend via his personal Twitter account. 'Wow! New rules, not sure huh?' the Australian wrote. 'Why do they keep dicking with it? Followed Mercedes power for the whole race, no chance to overtake - again.'





With the ban on refueling meaning that the quickest strategy was to pit once for the necessary change of tyre compound, Mercedes GP CEO Nick Fry believes that the sport must not turn a blind eye to the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite its general reputation of not delivering fantastic on-track battles.

"I think it would be bad if we didn't react," he explained to reporters. "I think we've all seen a race which is far from the most exciting we have ever seen and what we now need to do is, between us (the teams), have a look at this and establish what we do need to do next."

Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner has given his support for a compulsory 2-stop plan, as has former team owner and BBC television pundit Eddie Jordan. "No, there wasn't enough overtaking and I would have liked to see two stops as a mandatory situation," the Irishman told Reuters.


" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."

Member of R.S.C.T Group

Hey - I hope they don't think its squabbling and I'm sorry if anyone has complained to you. I'm more than happy to exchange opinions and I'm surprised it has offended anyone else. As you say its a long season and also as you've pointed out there are some perhaps more important concerns about the format. I have to say I don't think Alonso would have got past Vettel without his spark plug problem. Surely a compulsory 2 stopper should be sort after but also Bridgestone to produce more marginal compounds as well?

davidm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Hey - I hope they don't think its squabbling and
> I'm sorry if anyone has complained to you. I'm
> more than happy to exchange opinions and I'm
> surprised it has offended anyone else. As you say
> its a long season and also as you've pointed out
> there are some perhaps more important concerns
> about the format. I have to say I don't think
> Alonso would have got past Vettel without his
> spark plug problem. Surely a compulsory 2 stopper
> should be sort after but also Bridgestone to
> produce more marginal compounds as well?


You know for once Bridgestones efficiency is not helping Lol. And I agree once Vettel has the "bit" between his teeth it's very hard to remove .... Alonso would have not passed him. I'm all for these compulsory pit stops, they are just so integral to the sport .... ' Hey - Ho', role on Melbourne.


" Perfection is not a gift ....... it comes with practice."

Member of R.S.C.T Group

IWE Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> FP1
> Nico 1:57.199
> Schumi 1:57.662 +0.423
>
> FP2
> Nico 1:55.409
> Schumi 1:55.903 +0.494
>
> FP3
> Nico 1:54.368
> Schumi 1:54.533 +0.165
>
> Qualifying
> Nico 1:55.241
> Schumi 1:55.524 +0.283
>
> Race (Fastest lap)
> Schumi 2.00.204
> Nico 2.00.236 +0.032

I think this says a lot about MS's actual performance, especially considering Nico is one of the quicker drivers out there and he had a very strong weekend. Schumi was always behind, but never behind by much, and he had a very consistent race pace with no obvious mistakes and no fitness problems either, despite the endurance nature of the race.
He can only improve from here IMO.

---

yep, and bear in mind that Niko was always running in clean air also Schumy didn't seem to be affected by competing at high level, i mean Jenson and Webber are two great racers and he kept them behind without hessitation

the guy holds a good record in Australia, hopefully that'll give him confidence and we'll see even better

I'd put a few bucks on that Frank Williams and his team will be the only one opposing this 2-stop rule. BTW am I the only one who is reminded of the Queen when I think/hear that man's name?

Anyway, there's something that puzzles me a little bit.
With Vettel's problems in the engine, how could he set a 2:01s and 2:00s in his last six laps?

Maybe he was preserving it and when he saw that he can stay ahead of Rosberg, maybe combined with the fact that the team had diagnosed what it was and that it wasn't as serious as first thought, he was given the all-clear to push again to retain 4th. Dunno though, didn't see the last 27 laps.

Ho3n3r Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'd put a few bucks on that Frank Williams and his
> team will be the only one opposing this 2-stop
> rule. BTW am I the only one who is reminded of the
> Queen when I think/hear that man's name?

His name doesn't remind me of anyone, but I know it's a good name to spoonerise.


Ali Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Anyway, there's something that puzzles me a little
> bit.
> With Vettel's problems in the engine, how could he
> set a 2:01s and 2:00s in his last six laps?

As said already, he probably found a way to minimise/drive around the problem. He was still lapping about 2 seconds off of the ultimate pace, so he definitely still had a problem with the car.

---

Someone worked out that actually it would have been quicker anyway to make the extra stop. The cars would lap 5 seconds faster on new tyres, so they would actually make up the time lost in about 6 or 7 laps and it would be easy to pass cars that had not made the 2nd stop.

marcl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone worked out that actually it would have
> been quicker anyway to make the extra stop. The
> cars would lap 5 seconds faster on new tyres, so
> they would actually make up the time lost in about
> 6 or 7 laps and it would be easy to pass cars that
> had not made the 2nd stop.

Interesting - but I suppose it will be different on every track.

---

X (@ed24f1)

marcl Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Someone worked out that actually it would have
> been quicker anyway to make the extra stop. The
> cars would lap 5 seconds faster on new tyres, so
> they would actually make up the time lost in about
> 6 or 7 laps and it would be easy to pass cars that
> had not made the 2nd stop.

I'm surprised that no one actually tried that. Hamilton for instance was close enough to Massa to make a pitstop on lap 38 and try and pass him on track with fresh rubber and low fuel. With Hamilton lapping 5 seconds faster or so, he could catch Massa in 4-5 laps and then pass him easily before the finish. I would've tried that for sure. Teams are perhaps playing it a bit too safe nowadays.

Joe_Satriani Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> marcl Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Someone worked out that actually it would have
> > been quicker anyway to make the extra stop.
> The
> > cars would lap 5 seconds faster on new tyres,
> so
> > they would actually make up the time lost in
> about
> > 6 or 7 laps and it would be easy to pass cars
> that
> > had not made the 2nd stop.
>
> I'm surprised that no one actually tried that.
> Hamilton for instance was close enough to Massa to
> make a pitstop on lap 38 and try and pass him on
> track with fresh rubber and low fuel. With
> Hamilton lapping 5 seconds faster or so, he could
> catch Massa in 4-5 laps and then pass him easily
> before the finish. I would've tried that for sure.
> Teams are perhaps playing it a bit too safe
> nowadays.

I don't think they would be 4 or 5 seconds faster. Alonso was capable of lapping in 1.59 and 1.58. Pole time was 1.54...fresh tires and more fuel than qualifying would have meant that Hamilton would be lapping in 1.56 and 1.55... I don't thank that it would pay off. Let's say he had to overtake Rosberg and some of the one stop guys also. I don't take into account the Massa's problems that prevented him to push as Alonso did anyway.

Also, this was a very long track. In other tracks maybe the difference wouldn't be that big.

I think Alguersuari did 2 stops.

BTW did anyone make any money on Sutil being the first person of the 2010 season to be involved in an accident?

---

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Locke Cole Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BTW did anyone make any money on Sutil being the
> first person of the 2010 season to be involved in
> an accident?

you wouldn't get much return if you did put any money on it

---

X (@ed24f1)

eerie or what!




Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/2010 04:26PM by danm.

Wow, really eerie. Snapshot into the past if you don't know it's Bruno.

Extremely eerie. Brundle touched on this in the race. Wow, if you just skimmed past you'd think it was Ayrton.

Yes it would only have worked if they could be dropped into clear air. Webber and button probably should have taken the risk but Lewis no as he would have been to far behind massa.

The mercs were quite slow in the race and webber and button did not have much to lose really.