Official 2010 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

[diamondedge]

Let's start with Buemi...

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47654000/jpg/_47654377_buemi-466.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8624182.stm

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Hahaha, WTF happened there? :rofl:

5cL7ppUwKVE


Edit: sounds like the upright let go, but MAN did that thing ever come apart quick.

[ryanallan]

^^ wow that dosnt look very nice. The way the wheels came off, I wonder if it was an assembly error rather than a parts failure.

oh the Chinese...

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/f1/2010/chi/f1-2010-chi-xp-0004.jpg

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Oh man, the best part is when he's like "Fuck it, I have no front wheels but I'm going to steer away from the wall anyway!" and then his own tire passes him.

rBRnOchb2CA

[diamondedge]

Holy titty f-ing crap @ the video Trev.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by diamondedge
Holy titty f-ing crap @ the video Trev.

Yeah, that is worse than having the brake rotors explode. ;)

[rage2]

I was watching that live, and everyone just said WTF at the exact same time. Never seem anything like it. Crazy!

[DJ Lazy]

That was crazy... :nut: Not the best way to start the weekend.. :rofl:

[cloud7]

Seemed like it happened without warning. That is very frightening to have that happen out of the blue.

[DJ Lazy]

So hard to find an English FP stream... :(

[schocker]

Here is a better video of the tires coming off :rofl:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcyz04_f1-china-2010-buemi-crash_sport

[ryanallan]

Ferrari's F-duct system. Alonso says its not finished yet, looks interesting.

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/f1/2010/chi/f1-2010-chi-xp-0213.jpg

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/f1/2010/chi/f1-2010-chi-xp-0130.jpg

http://www.motorsport.com/photos/f1/2010/chi/f1-2010-chi-xp-0131.jpg

[ottamania]

pretty cool design. too bad its not finished for this race.

[ryanallan]

What a disaster this is so far . . .

[ottamania]

yea... its a shit show.

[That.Guy.S30]

alonso.. you idiot

[ottamania]

Originally posted by Thi_Thi Subs
alonso.. you idiot

he got a penalty but, what is it?


sick battle MC vs Hamilton

[That.Guy.S30]

jumping the start.

[chongkee_]

i wonder if Hamilton will get a penalty when he drove side by side with Vettel thru the pit lane.

Hamilton vs MSC... sick battle indeed

[ottamania]

Originally posted by chongkee_
i wonder if Hamilton will get a penalty when he drove side by side with Vettel thru the pit lane.

Hamilton vs MSC... sick battle indeed

yea they just said , they will investigate it after the race :guns:

safety car is out again wtf

[That.Guy.S30]

this race is so fucked up. hahahah

[chongkee_]

Originally posted by ottamania


yea they just said , they will invest it after the race :guns:

ya, they started talking about it right after i hit submit. 25 second penalty or a grid drop.

damnit Hamilton

[ottamania]

Originally posted by Thi_Thi Subs
this race is so fucked up. hahahah

yea big time. safety car is out

wtf. everybody passed MS.

[DJ Lazy]

Mclaren 1-2!!!! :clap:

[rage2]

Fucking rights! McLaren 1-2. Yea bitches!

Got my orange jersey on. :clap:

[Zephyr]

woohoo 1-2!!

[Revhard]

Wow, Button proving the critics wrong so far.
The series could be wide open for quite some time. I'd still like to see MSC get a win. It looks as if he should have remained retired. His younger teammate is killing him.
I hate Alonso with everything in me, but still wish he could perform for the red dream.
Vettel is going to be a thorn for the championship all year.

[Mibz]

WOOP WOOP!

No penalties for Hamilton or Vettel.

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/6100992/No-penalties-for-Hamilton-Vettel

[Chris Elyea]

So it rained - sometimes. I do not agree that this race proved McLaren is able to compete with Red Bull or even Ferrari.

I'm not even sure it proved that Button is a top rain driver, even though this is not the first time he's won in the wet. Once again, it was tire strategy that made the difference.

It did prove that F1 still has tire issues. Slicks won't work if there's a hint of water and intermediates need steady rain to hold together. In between, you're on your own. It's almost certain there'll be a new tire supplier in 2011, perhaps even entirely new to F1, so expect more of the same issues next year.

And Lewis Hamilton drove like classic Michael Schumacher - great skill yes, but dirty, and like MSC at his best, just managed to avoid being penalized for any of it. That surprised me most, because in the past couple of years, the stewards would have hammered McLaren at the first opportunity.

Perhaps Button and Hamilton are still getting along, but I have a hard time believing Alonso and Massa or Vettel and Webber are still friends. With all the jockeying at the pit entry and even the duelling on track, I expect tempers to flare soon. I can't remember a time when so many teams have had equal drivers.

[Mibz]

I think he's getting away with it because the FIA knows that shit like this is the only entertainment we'll see in the next dry race and they don't want to seriously discourage it.

[DJ Lazy]

Originally posted by Chris Elyea
So it rained - sometimes. I do not agree that this race proved McLaren is able to compete with Red Bull or even Ferrari.

Red Bull have claimed 4/4 Pole Positions and locked out the front row 2/4(?)... and yet they sit in third place 36pts behind Mclaren, and Ferrari at 19 points behind. Mclaren certainly have the race pace & strategy, considering how crap their qualifying positions have been. (ie: NEVER on Pole position, hell have they even been on the front row this year??)



And Lewis Hamilton drove like classic Michael Schumacher - great skill yes, but dirty, and like MSC at his best, just managed to avoid being penalized for any of it. That surprised me most, because in the past couple of years, the stewards would have hammered McLaren at the first opportunity.

It's fun as hell to watch... Hamilton has brought back overtaking to F1, even if it is only him.. :rofl:



Perhaps Button and Hamilton are still getting along, but I have a hard time believing Alonso and Massa or Vettel and Webber are still friends. With all the jockeying at the pit entry and even the duelling on track, I expect tempers to flare soon. I can't remember a time when so many teams have had equal drivers.

Alonso/Massa is gonna become a boiling pot soon, I agree.

[Chris Elyea]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy
Red Bull have claimed 4/4 Pole Positions and locked out the front row 2/4(?)... and yet they sit in third place 36pts behind Mclaren, and Ferrari at 19 points behind. Mclaren certainly have the race pace & strategy, considering how crap their qualifying positions have been. (ie: NEVER on Pole position, hell have they even been on the front row this year??)

Agreed, "compete" was the wrong word. I should have said that I'm concerned they're a little off the pace of Red Bull and Ferrari, even with the F-duct advantage. Like you said, look how Red Bull has qualified. Two reasons for McLaren's success, both showing they've been a better team, if not a faster one.

First, they've been more reliable. Vettel was leading two races when his car had problems, dropping him out once and putting him in 4th the other time. That explains the difference in points! Alonso was only in 9th when he blew up in Malaysia while trying to pass Button, who had earlier been passed by Massa, but he’d had a gearbox issue all race. (Button also punted Alonso to the back of the field off the start in Australia.)

The second reason is that McLaren's had great wet race strategies for Button. True, their qualifiying strategy was awful in Malaysia, but Ferrari was equally bad. Maybe Button is that good in the rain, especially if he made the tire call himself. The tires definitely made the difference, making it hard to tell how much effect his driving had.

I've just got the impression that the Red Bulls and Ferraris are faster. So far they haven't always had the right tires at the right time or the reliability. McLaren has had the better package and there they are in those wonderfully bright shirts (I need a new one, my Lewis championship one is a couple years old).

Can't wait to see what happens after they all get back to Europe to install the first major (untested) upgrades!

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Finally got to watch the race (exams, etc.) and man, what an amazing drive by Hamilton, that passing was unreal! Definitely one of the better races I've seen. Button's ability to choose the right tires is just uncanny.

[rage2]

Originally posted by Chris Elyea
And Lewis Hamilton drove like classic Michael Schumacher - great skill yes, but dirty, and like MSC at his best, just managed to avoid being penalized for any of it.
Dirty? He got pushed off the road twice by Vettel! :rofl:

[Chris Elyea]

Originally posted by rage2

Dirty? He got pushed off the road twice by Vettel! :rofl:
I think your Rocket Red glasses may be clouding your vision, but as they say in NASCAR, "Checkers or wreckers!" It's entertaining as hell to watch Lewis scrap.

Anyway, McLaren agrees with me, a little bit, even if Rage doesn't: McLaren not satisified with MP4-25 speed (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83148)

[Roaring G60]

In regards to Buemi's upright failure, when properly seated in any modern formula car you can't see the front wheels. The POV camera is located about a foot above the drivers eyes and is a wide angle lens.

[DJ Lazy]

Originally posted by Chris Elyea

Anyway, McLaren agrees with me, a little bit, even if Rage doesn't: McLaren not satisified with MP4-25 speed (http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/83148)

Thing is, Ask any F1 team if they are satisfied with their speed, and they will ALL tell you it "It needs improvement." That's just part of F1.

[Chris Elyea]

Originally posted by DJ Lazy


Thing is, Ask any F1 team if they are satisfied with their speed, and they will ALL tell you it "It needs improvement." That's just part of F1.
True enough. I was trying to make the point that even though they are #1 and #4 in the Driver Standings and #1 in the Constructor Standings, it's not because they've had the fastest car - and I expect in this type of racing that the fastest car would normally be the winner (after qualifying on pole and leading a 2-hour parade). To expand on that, they've had to be both smart and lucky to lead after 4 races, but there are 15 to go and I assume speed will eventually prevail, so they need development to catch up to the faster cars.