Formula 1 2016: Round 3 - Chinese Grand Prix

Charlie-Bravo

Driver's Conference to start the thread off...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeWNtNNi0nY

Zcott

Alonso has been cleared to take part, but will be undergoing further tests after FP1.

Frank Bullitt

Hamilton already with a 5 place penalty. Those rules really are ****in stupid!

ScumLord

Gintonious wrote: »

Hamilton already with a 5 place penalty. Those rules really are ****in stupid!

Hamilton and Rosberg should be made start at the back of every race. I have no problem with rules like this for the top teams, anything to make their lives more difficult. It only really becomes ridiculous when a team at the back gets a load of penalties they can't serve or are serving for multiple races.

Harika

Ferrari seems strong here. 1+2 in second free practice. Expecting a good race so and rain predicted for qualifying tomorrow. :cool: No rain on Sunday though.

El_Duderino 09

Harika wrote:

Ferrari seems strong here. 1+2 in second free practice. Expecting a good race so and rain predicted for qualifying tomorrow. No rain on Sunday though.

I wouldn't worry too much about practice times.

Ferrari are generally catching up last year and into this year and there is always deminising returns of gains after a few seasons of a new formula. So the field is bound to bunch up a bit. It's still a long way back to red bull and Williams though.

Harika

Looks good for Ferrari, especially as Hamilton is starting from behind. http://www.rachf1.com/news/long-run-pace-analysis-mercedes-vs-ferrari

Ghost Train

Wet FP3, looking dry at the moment, but a little of rain in qualifying might be fun

Mike Litoris

Ghost Train

Nasty bump... should they take different line across that spot

Hope they don't try dry the track, will take ages

Charlie-Bravo

They shouldn't need to dry the track. Either the drivers run the risk on slicks or go onto the inters. Simple as.

Harika

Nothing Wehrlein could do, anyway they dried it and now it starts to spit again. Both patches seem still very dangerous.

Ghost Train

opening drs before damp bit seems to have been big factor

Hamilton could be in trouble here if they can't fix his engine/pu, could be back of grid

edit: Well might be interesting to see what he can do from the back tomorrow

Charlie-Bravo

Hamilton should have 'erred' on the side of caution and put a banker lap in

Looking forward to some racing tomorrow now!!

Ghost Train

Their mistake was not doing much running in wet FP3 where they could have found the issue

Ghost Train

Took a bit of time to get yellow flag sector on the screen from when they showed the car with 3 wheels... marshals in China don't seem so speedy a few times today

skipper_G

Ghost Train wrote: »

Took a bit of time to get yellow flag sector on the screen from when they showed the car with 3 wheels... marshals in China don't seem so speedy a few times today

They sure don't, the car parked at pit lane entrance earlier was also pretty stupid

Charlie-Bravo

Savage grid for tomorrow. Hope the Ferraris can jump past Rosberg on the start while he's on softs, in fact, I hope Rosberg gets mobbed on the start by those on the super soft tyres.

Mike Litoris

astrofluff wrote: »

Savage grid for tomorrow. Hope the Ferraris can jump past Rosberg on the start while he's on softs, in fact, I hope Rosberg gets mobbed on the start by those on the super soft tyres.

Yeah, lookin good for tomorrow. Be interesting to see how the Ferraris manage those super softs.


Be interesting to see how Ham goes through the field. It's a while since he's done that.


Anyone got sector time comparisons for Rics lap? That car must be immense through the corners.

Zcott

It'll be good to watch Lewis tomorrow, and I wouldn't rule out a decent result for him. The car undoubtedly has the pace. Mighty lap by Ricciardo!

LEIN

It's a pity Q2 ended like it did, I'd say one of the McLaren cars had a chance of getting through to Q3.

Charlie-Bravo

Tomorrow's provisional grid:

1. Rosberg | 2. Ricciardo
3. Raikkonen | 4. Vettel
5. Bottas | 6. Kvyat
7. Perez | 8. Sainz
9. Verstappen | 10. Massa
11. Alonso | 12. Button
13. Hulkenberg | 14. Grosjean
15. Ericsson | 16. Nasr
17. Magnussen | 18. Gutierrez
19. Palmer | 20. Haryanto
21. Wehrlein | 22. Hamilton

Hulkenberg was penalised 3 places for being released from the pit with an unsafe car.

flazio

So let me get this straight, Hamilton has a gearbox change and is penalised 5 places. Hulkenberg has a car released in an unsafe condition which could have caused a marshall a serious injury and is only penalised 3?
Sorry but that seems a bit too lenient. That for me warranted a back of the grid, if not a pitlane start penalty.

vectra

That was a stunning lap by Rosberg on Q2.

Hope the two Ferraris get a Mario Kart sytle start and Rosberg gets bogged down.. Would even up the field a bit.

Ghost Train

Ferrari Tyres should be pretty good for first few laps

Hope Hamilton doesn't get knocked out of race too soon, would be nice to see how quick he can move forward

skipper_G

Massive own goal from ferrari there. Anybody see who Hamilton hit?

Frank Bullitt

skipper_G wrote: »

Massive own goal from ferrari there. Anybody see who Hamilton hit?

He hit Massa.

Manic start, Hamilton can't catch a break!

*Edit it was Nasr!

Mike Litoris

Go Jense!

Mike Litoris

Fuuuuucckkk. WTF?

skipper_G

I'm a force india guy so right now I'm kinda losing my sh1t P4 & 5!

Frank Bullitt

Ricciardo! Jesus

HighLine

Nico gonna walk this.

Ghost Train

Safety car, this might take while

Wonder will anyone get penalty for those starts, a lot of hard to avoid contact

Frank Bullitt

Safety car, there is crap all over the track.

Good for Rai and Ham and Ric.

Mike Litoris

Yep, that's shocking luck for Ric.


Jaysus everyone is pitting!

Harika

Interesting race already

Mike Litoris

Not much Vettel could do there.

Frank Bullitt

The replay shows Vettel really making a balls of that start.

Mike Litoris

Jesus, could be a penalty for Vettel for that overtake coming into the pits. Mad bastid.

Frank Bullitt

Alonso in 3rd!!!! Herbert will love that.

skipper_G

Vettel I hate you but massive respect for that pit entry double overtake

Frank Bullitt

How many stops is that for Hamilton already?

With all that carnage, all the cars are still running.

Ghost Train

Looked more Vettels fault than Kvyats

Mike Litoris

McLaren and Manor 3rd and 4th. This is going to be interesting!

Ghost Train

Nice top 5 now

Frank Bullitt

Rosberg is gone!

Mike Litoris

Kvyat 2nd! Nice.

Mike Litoris

Jesus, some racing from Hamilton!

Ghost Train

Progress slow for Hamilton

Charlie-Bravo

I know quali should always be about the fastest car gets pole, but just seeing how mixed up the grid is, this produces great racing from the middle of the pack/back of the grid!!

Mike Litoris

Another safety car for Vettels debris?