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F1 - Chinese Gran Prix - Official Thread

2K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  Reedo302 
#1 ·
After a great race for BMW in Japan here is what BMW Sauber has to say about China.

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BMW SAUBER F1 TEAM - CHINESE GP - PREVIEW

17th – 19th October 2008 - 17th of 18 World Championship races

Munich/Hinwil- The Asian leg of the Formula One season continues with the penultimate round of the 18-race World Championship in Shanghai this coming Sunday, 19th October.

Nick Heidfeld:
“On the whole, I quite like this circuit. The first three corners are among the best on the calendar. You come in with a lot of speed, and the first corner remains pretty fast initially. But then it tightens up more and more and you have to change down into second gear. Getting out the other end in good shape will be just a bit more difficult this year with the absence of traction control. Every time you come here you’re impressed by the huge scale of the paddock and grandstands; there’s nothing else like it. Last year I got unlucky with the timing of a tyre change onto a fresh set of wets. Second place was possible, but that turned into seventh when I had to come in for an extra stop.

Shanghai will be the fifth Asian city in a row I’ve visited – after Singapore, Seoul, Gwang-ju and Tokyo – and each one is different. Shanghai is certainly the fastest-growing and without doubt the one with the worst traffic conditions. Each time we come to Shanghai there are new skyscrapers, but every year a few of the old districts also disappear from the city centre.”

Robert Kubica:
“Shanghai is an interesting circuit with a very long straight, and here there’s a good chance to overtake. The track offers a mixture of very different corners; there are some slow areas but also several fast sections. The first corner is particularly challenging. You stay on the brakes for a long time, and then it quickly switches into a left-hander. I haven’t had much luck at this circuit so far. I hope that changes this time and I can pick up some important points for the World Championship.”

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
“Just a week after the race in Japan we travel to China for the second part of this Asian double-header. This means we will have had five races on this continent this year. If you add the Turkish Grand Prix, that means there are six GPs in Asia – a third of the season. Plus, next year will also see the first visit of Formula One to Abu Dhabi. All of which shows that the top category of motor racing has established a major foothold in Asia.

Shanghai has developed dramatically as a business centre and China is a future market with significant growth potential. From the point of view of BMW and our partners, the race in Shanghai is therefore of particular importance. BMW has operated its own production facility in China since 2004, where the BMW 3 Series and BMW 5 Series models are made.

This will be the fifth time that Formula One comes to China. The scale of the facility in Shanghai is beyond any other venue on the calendar and the track layout is a tough challenge. We are very much looking forward to the penultimate race of the season.”

Willy Rampf, Technical Director:
“The track in Shanghai stands out with its very special layout. A particularly interesting section is the double right-hander, double left-hander combination at the end of the start-finish straight. The drivers approach it with a lot of speed and then stay on the brakes for a long time on the entry. This is a very unusual section, which places heavy demands on the tyres.

The long straight offers a good overtaking opportunity, as it feeds into a hairpin and the track is very wide at this point, allowing the drivers to take two different lines. The combination of widely contrasting corners demands a high level of aerodynamic efficiency. With the tyres put under such heavy loads we use the hardest Bridgestone compounds here.”

History and background:
Formula One has been coming to China since 2004. The Shanghai circuit, built on reclaimed marshland, is located outside the booming metropolis. The driving time through the chaotic traffic from the city centre to the track is difficult to calculate.

The circuit designers were keen to bring a local flavour to both the track layout and the design of the overall circuit. The layout is based on the Chinese character “Shang”, which translates as “high” or “above”, and the massive pit buildings and grandstands emulate traditional Chinese design features.

Shanghai lies on the vast Yangtze Delta where the river drains into the East China Sea. Land reclamation is allowing the municipal area to grow steadily. As with most of these huge cities, population estimates fluctuate widely. Ten million people in the municipal area and another five million in the suburbs offers a reasonable indication.
 
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#2 ·
I think the main factor this weekend will be if it rains or not. If it's dry, it'll be a tough call. If it rains, I forsee Hamilton taking the win. Hamilton knows that his championship is on the line with this race since Interlagos is all but a guarantee for Massa.

This is THE RACE that will determine the World Champion, IMO.

But, I'm still rooting for Kubica. :read: :D
 
#5 ·
Hamilton's gonna have Alonso in the back of his mind, which is bad ju-ju for him. Meanwhile, Massa is gonna be trying his damnedest to make sure that he's ahead of Hamilton. With that, the Rake knows that he may have to take one for the team like Massa did last year. It's Kimi's turn now. So Massa has a lot of hope here this weekend I think.
 
#8 ·
I agree.

That said, I suspect that the Stewards are going to be watching Hamilton closely. If anyone so much as touches him or Massa, there will be penalties abound. Frankly, I suspect that the Chinese GP will either be very uneventful or complete chaos. And right now, rain is predicted, so I'm erring on the side of complete and utter chaos. :D

Kubica FTW!
 
#10 ·
I predict rain will be imminent, McLaren will not know what to do. Hamilton will decide to stay out an extra two laps and end up in the gravel because the cords are showing thus giving the WDC to Kimi, oh wait that was last year.

Hamilton will put his ego aside and finish ahead of crybabby Massa, Alonso the whiner and a drunk ass Kimi.

BMW for the win!
 
#11 ·
:ben: quali.

kubica is effed. put him HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY and go for a serious 1 stopper. they are effed for setup :(

The only good thing about starting 11th is he may avoid the chaos that will no doubt go down in turn 1. someones day could very well end in that gravel trap.
 
#14 ·
Highlight of the race - David Hobbe's narration of the Massa/Kimi "pass".

Kubica got robbed, so to speak... But seriously, who'd have thought a BMW driver would be in numerical championship contention this late in the season? Good for him, and the team.

Brazil should be interesting. And, regardless of how you feel about Hamilton, he did a great job of sticking this weekend in the face of all those who came out against him.
 
#16 ·
Highlight of the race - David Hobbe's narration of the Massa/Kimi "pass".
I DVR'd the race and after David Hobbe's "narration" of the race, I had to pause it because I was laughing so hard. It was CLASSIC! Read perfectly like a Ferrari report to FIA officials.

And yeah, that team rule is complete :bs:


Hamilton did a good job not choking. He's definitely got the talent, but he's as dirty as they come. I said it-he's cheap. He should have won the championship last weekend but because he's always too preoccupied with other people and doing blocks and such, he loses his focus. Then, he chokes. The choking and preoccupation with being overly aggressive is his downfall. Will he win the championship? Probably. Does he deserve it at this point? I'm not so sure. I don't think he'll win Interlagos, that's Massa's race. If Hamilton wins, good for him. If he doesn't, who knows where he'll be. If he can keep from choking, he's got the Driver's Championship.

As for BMW Sauber... :clap:
Kubica hung in there and did a fantastic job. It was pretty much going to take a miracle from The Almighty to get Kubica a world championship. The BMW Chassis and engine are definitely top tier, but they can't compete with the Ferraris and McLarens. BMW can build engines that last and that will tear it up on closed-wheel cars. I would really like to see BMW do some amazing stuff for F1 2009. And maybe ditching KERS. :read:
Quick Nick did a fantastic job in the race. He was strong and steady and really showed that reliability that I love about him. He's my favorite driver for a reason.
The bad pass on Coulthard was kinda bad, but let's be honest-Coulthard wasn't going to get a good time anyways. I don't want to say that he sucks, since he's had a very distinguished career. But, he's not good anymore. He shouldn't be complaining. He's driving a Red Bull Renault chassis and he's way past his prime and done like a charred steak. It's like complaining that your friend c0ck-blocked you at the bar, when you're 350lbs and look like Jabba the Hut. It's a moot argument. But that's just me... :dunno:
 
#17 ·
^ He is one of the most outspoken drivers when it comes to qualifying, and cars getting in the way of each other. I am unsure if Nick was on a flyer or if he was setting up for a flyer though, and if it was the later, David should have slowed further to allow him through before launching off of the last turn onto the front straight for his flyer.

But its water under the bridge, and the 3 spots wouldn't have done much for NH as it stands. He wasn't in a position to challenge the Ferraris.
 
#18 ·
^ No, but he was for Alonso and could have taken another Constructor's point. BMW's still mathematically in the Constructor's Championship right now. Every little bit counts.
Both Coulthard and Heidfeld were on a hot lap. Heidfeld was allegedly already advancing to Q2 with his time. The question remains, if they were both on their hot laps, how the hell did Coulthard get passed so easily? Coulthard was going slow, so he never stood a chance anyways. He's a crybaby.
 
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