2012 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix

[James Maskell]

My happiness is through the roof. Vettel out in q2 on making p11. Now i hope Webber destroys him in the race to make it 2-1

 

[James Maskell]

HAHAHAHA, by half a second.... :O

 

[ufunacaoenn]

WoW he even left the car when it was like 3 minutes to go. He took pole in style.
Not to mention that Kobayashi starts from 3rd position.

If there won't be any team orders I belive that Nico might be able to win the race if the car got a good race pace.

 

[James Maskell]

HALF A SECOND ! Let me say that again, HALF A SECOND!

 

[Markus Neumann]

The Mercedes wing system probably isn't worth that much. Rosberg is just a monster in qualifying.

I think the Mercedes might actually have a shot at winning if Kobayashi and Raikkonen hold up Button/Webber/Hamilton long enough. However, if there's a SC, one of those three should win it. Button wasted a big opportunity by only qualifying in P5. If he had started at least in P3, it would have been his race. But now, really any one of the top 7 might win

 

[Manalys]

Never underestimate Fernando. The guy was just 0,282 off in Qualifying, when headwind and temperature weren't a problem. If it rains he wins for sure, or at least he gets a poduim, but as I'm saying it looks like he (not counting Massa of course) is really close, if he shows another incredible Senna-esque performance as in Malaysia, he can pull a podium off even in the dry!
Remember Alonso's best sector is the 2nd one, just before the DRS zone, so he may have a little more ease in overtaking!

My prediction if dry:
1st - Rosberg
2nd - Kobayashi
3rd - Raikkonen

My prediction if wet:
1st - Alonso
2nd - Button
3rd - Perez

 

[Manalys]

I meant Q2, in Q3 sudden +30km/h headwind started blowing and threw off all these guys' laps (Fernando's, Button's, Perez's, Grosjean's, etc.).

 

[Ho3n3r]

I meant Q2, in Q3 sudden +30km/h headwind started blowing and threw off all these guys' laps (Fernando's, Button's, Perez's, Grosjean's, etc.).

But it was the same for everyone.

 

[totorthegreat]

What's this ?? (in China Side)

 

[Alberto Casado]

My prediction if dry:
1st - Rosberg
2nd - Kobayashi
3rd - Raikkonen

I would be extremely surprised if that is the case, a podium full of not-so-reliable-yet cars. I expect minimum the mclarens to slowly surface there.

 

[ufunacaoenn]

I would be extremely surprised if that is the case, a podium full of not-so-reliable-yet cars. I expect minimum the mclarens to slowly surface there.

TBH Sauber have shown some great strength both in Malaysia and now China so podium might be possable for them. Lotus have not been able to show their pace yet so they shouldn't be in any category yet. And lastly, Mercedes have shown improvement race after race. But Mclaren have been in the podium in 2/2 so yes, one of the Mclaren drivers will be in most peoples predictions for top 3 but with such tight grid and that is constantly improving, the top 3 can't be predicted. (we were all surprised in the last race so we might get suprised once again. (I don't say that Alonso might do it agian because he just doesn't got the car to do so))

This is just epic which makes this season all the more exciting.

 

[GAIAjohan]

Vettel couldn't even show anymore which position he gained.. He doesn't have 11 fingers.

 

[Ho3n3r]

What's this ?? (in China Side)

KERS charger or something would be my guess...

 

[James Maskell]

What about the blowers sitting on the wings? Maybe it's just a bridge over the nose to hold them both in place?

 

[Aidan Keranen]

in that picture, it looks like they may have like a channel to the air-box or something

 

[James Maskell]

its just a bit of material holding the blowers to cool the brakes thats all...

look at the images of the car here when its on the track looks the same as Malaysia. Its just there so that guys dont have to stand their with the blowers or put on the wing and have the chance of them falling over or off the wing.

http://www.formula1.com/gallery/race/2012/866/general/saturday.html

 

[cruyff]

All the Finger-haters must be in heaven right now..

But what I think is very intresting is that the Mercedes usually had the straight-line speed (ie overtaking, race start, DRS, etc) and not the downforce (ie lap time). Now they have both! :eek:

 

[Markus Neumann]

They can run with more wing since they get the straight-line speed from their special DRS system anyway.

Everybody expects them to drop back a lot in the race, however, I believe their tyre wear might not actually be as bad as expected this time: Mercedes usually has problems with the rear tyres, on this track however, it's mostly the front tyres that get destroyed. So it's possible that their weakness won't come to bear as much as it would in other places.

 

[Ho3n3r]

All the Finger-haters must be in heaven right now..

But what I think is very intresting is that the Mercedes usually had the straight-line speed (ie overtaking, race start, DRS, etc) and not the downforce (ie lap time). Now they have both! :eek:

Geez, watching that lap again, and Michael's, it was planted in the fast turns aswell... Maybe they do have something that helps them other than DRS?

Also, Nico was only at 313km/h at the end of the straight - and Coulthard actually said that the Saubers touched 320 there. So maybe the DRS advantage has been overstated up to now.

 

[Hampus Andersson]

What's this ?? (in China Side)

That is just a strap for the brake coolers i guess. Not an aerodynamic feature.

-

Qualifying... bloody hell Awesome to see Nico on pole!!

Awesome to see the goldenboy out of Q3 as well He seemed like he did not even want to be in China always asking if it was enough..
I think the time gap between Hamilton and Rosberg doesn´t tell the "true" story.
Hamilton was fastest in first sector then equal in second sector but i still think that Nico would have taken pole anyways.

Now according to someone, Rosberg should give away his Pole Position and instead start 6th
I hope we get to see him win the race, this is something he needs on his resume to have it in black and white that he truly is one of the best F1 drivers. We know it but it´s better if you can back it up with numbers.