Chinese GP 2009 - Race 3/17

jaykay · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:38

So with the double diffusers being legal we will have to wait and see how many teams jump on the bandwagon and get theirs out along side Brawn, Toyota and Williams. Good to see Brawn have kept all their points as well.

Also unlucky on Ferrari and Renault looks like they are going to have to redesign their cars instead of bringing competitors cars to them

hehe

TV Times and Practice times

Code:

[FONT="Arial Black"][SIZE="2"]Friday 17
First practice: 1000-1130 ( 0300-0430 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0255-0435
Second practice:  1400-1530 ( 0700-0830 BST)  
BBC coverage (UK): 0655-0835

Saturday 18
Third practice: 1100-1200 ( 0400-0500 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0355-0500
Qualifying: 1400 ( 0700 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0600-0815
Re-run: 1300-1415, BBC One

Sunday 19
Race: 1500 ( 0800 BST)
BBC coverage (UK): 0700-1000, 
Re-run: 1305-1505
Highlights: 1900-2000 and 0110-0210[/SIZE][/FONT]

Calender

Code:

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"][SIZE="2"]01  	2009 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne)  	27 - 29 Mar
02 	2009 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur) 	03 - 05 Apr
03 	2009 FORMULA 1 CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) 	17 - 19 Apr
04 	2009 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Sakhir) 	24 - 26 Apr
05 	FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPANA TELEFONICA 2009 (Catalunya) 	08 - 10 May
06 	FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2009 (Monte Carlo) 	21 - 24 May
07 	2009 FORMULA 1 ING TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul) 	05 - 07 Jun
08 	2009 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone) 	19 - 21 Jun
09 	FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2009 (Nürburgring) 	10 - 12 Jul
10 	FORMULA 1 ING MAGYAR NAGYDIJ 2009 (Budapest) 	24 - 26 Jul
11 	2009 FORMULA 1 TELEFONICA GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia) 	21 - 23 Aug
12 	2009 FORMULA 1 ING BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps) 	28 - 30 Aug
13 	FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2009 (Monza) 	11 - 13 Sep
14 	2009 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore) 	25 - 27 Sep
15 	2009 FORMULA 1 FUJI TELEVISION JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Suzuka) 	02 - 04 Oct
16 	FORMULA 1 GRANDE PREMIO DO BRASIL 2009 (Sao Paulo) 	16 - 18 Oct
17 	2009 FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX (Yas Marina Circuit) 	30 Oct - 01 Nov[/SIZE][/FONT]

rypt · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:42

Those tables epicly fail at being a tables with correct spacing

jaykay · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:52

rypt said:
Those tables epicly fail at being a tables with correct spacing

Heyyy its hard to make them correctly spaced out

Unless u know and easy way.

Glaucus · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:55

Hope you don't mind me posting this
Track

Circuit information

Circuit data

Circuit length: 5.451km
Race distance: 56 laps / 305.066km

Full-throttle: 55%
Top speed: 310kph
Longest flat-out section: 19s / 1.37km

Right/left-hand turns: 9/7
Tyre wear: medium
Brake wear: low
Downforce level: medium/high
Gearshifts per lap: 52

Source: BMW, 2007

2009 tyres: medium (no stripes), super-soft (green stripes)
2008 tyres: hard (prime, no stripe), medium (option, with stripe)

Circuit construction

* Longest straight: 1.175km
* Maximum uphill slope: 3%.
* Maximum downhill slope: 8%.
* Total asphalt used (base, binder and wearing courses): 173,000 m2.
* Total length of tyre barriers: 6,500m, using a total of 174,000 units.
* Total guard rail: 11,700m.
* Total FIA safety fencing: 9,350m.
* Total number of concrete piles: 40,000, totalling 800,000m.
* Total spectator capacity: 200,000
* Main grandstand spectator capacity: 29,000

Your favourite Grand Prix

The 2007 Chinese Grand Prix is the event chosen to be highlighted in our classic races series this week.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/andrewbenson/2009/04/the_2007_chinese_grand_prix.html

The diffuser Appeal
Court of Appeal declares disputed diffusers legal

The FIA International Court of Appeal (ICA) has rejected protests against the diffusers used by the Brawn, Toyota and Williams teams, after concluding that their ‘double decker’ designs comply with the 2009 regulations.

BMW Sauber, Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault had all questioned the legality of the diffusers, but following Tuesday’s hearing in Paris, the ICA decided that race stewards in Australia and Malaysia had made the right call in declaring them legal.

Full statement from the FIA:
The FIA International Court of Appeal has decided to deny the appeals submitted against decisions numbered 16 to 24 taken by the Panel of the Stewards on 26 March at the 2009 Grand Prix of Australia and counting towards the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Based on the arguments heard and evidence before it, the Court has concluded that the Stewards were correct to find that the cars in question comply with the applicable regulations.

Full reasons for this decision will be provided in due course.

Toyota and Brawn welcome FIA diffuser decision

Toyota and Brawn GP have responded with pleasure to news that the FIA’s International Court of Appeal has declared their rear diffusers legal. Along with Williams, the two teams had been racing under appeal after rivals questioned the legality of their ‘double decker’ designs, despite stewards at March’s Australian Grand Prix authorising their use.

In a statement released after the FIA’s announcement on Wednesday, Brawn GP team principal Ross Brawn said: "We are pleased with the decision reached by the International Court of Appeal today. We respect the right of our competitors to query any design or concept used on our cars through the channels available to them.

"The FIA Technical Department, the Stewards at the Australian and Malaysian Grands Prix and now five judges at the International Court of Appeal have confirmed our belief that our cars have always strictly complied with the 2009 Technical Regulations. The decision of the International Court of Appeal brings this matter to its conclusion and we look forward to continuing on the track the challenge of what has been a very exciting start to the 2009 FIA Formula One World Championship."

Toyota commented: “Toyota Motorsport is pleased to hear the FIA International Court of Appeal has upheld the decision of the Australian Grand Prix stewards concerning the rear diffuser on our car. As we have maintained throughout, our team studied the wording of the new 2009 regulations in precise detail to ensure we interpreted them correctly.

“We also made full use of the consultation procedure with the FIA which was a helpful process to ensure our interpretation of the technical regulations was correct. Therefore we had every confidence that the design of our car would be confirmed as legal, firstly by race stewards in Australia and Malaysia and subsequently by the Court of Appeal.”

Toyota’s chairman and team principal Tadashi Yamashina was equally satisfied with the Court’s decision: "I was confident the Court of Appeal would reach this verdict and I am satisfied with it. It is important to stress we studied the technical regulations in precise detail, consulting the FIA in our process, and never doubted our car complied with them. This has been a challenging period for Formula One and I am pleased this issue is now in the past and we can focus on an exciting season on the track."

Brawn GP, who are currently leading the constructors’ standings on 25 points, and second placed Toyota (16.5), will be back in action on Friday when first practice for this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix gets underway in Shanghai.

The Diffuser
Brawn BGP001 - rear diffuser design

Brawn have a quite different central channel to their diffuser, with the shape of the deformable structure being used to create a sort of double-decker (black arrows) design. However, the most important and controversial aspect is that to work properly this section of the diffuser needs to be fed by air. Highlighted in yellow, you can easily see the hole in the reference plane (red arrow), which actually starts far further forward than is apparent from the drawing, thanks to the small dimensions of the gearbox. The hole increases the speed of airflow as it heads towards the higher rear venturi section, where it expands and creates more downforce. Other teams are arguing that the presence of the hole is against the regulations.

Glaucus · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:56

Anyway roll on Friday. Can't wait it will be great to see which teams have been busy designing..

Skeeter · 15 Apr 2009 at 13:57

Yeah, someone needs to sort them out!

So... we have had a good race overshadowed by controversy, and a good race overshadowed by big scary black clouds... chances of 3rd time lucky and just having a striaght up good race?

Duke · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:10

Going to be an interesting race weekend. One or two teams may have a new diffuser. McLaren have a few new parts as well.

jaykay said:
Heyyy its hard to make them correctly spaced out
Unless u know and easy way.

You have to copy and paste in the tab space in front of the ones that don't line (if that makes sense) - it is a little fiddly.

Malt_Vinegar · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:11

Praying for a good race with no major controversy! Just some good racing, and strategy

Sone · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:18

will it be shown in HD?

Malt_Vinegar · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:19

Sone said:
will be be shown in HD?

*BANG*

vcl_X1 · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:26

Finally some (un)common sense from Fia.

I just hope this race ends with the chequered flag under proper racing conditions, don't really care who wins so long as we have a good race.

arknor · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:36

jaykay said:
Heyyy its hard to make them correctly spaced out
Unless u know and easy way.

do them in notepad or whatever take a screenshot and post that

Glaucus · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:50

arknor said:
do them in notepad or whatever take a screenshot and post that

Stick this in if you want jaykay

rpstewart · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:50

jaykay said:
Heyyy its hard to make them correctly spaced out
Unless u know and easy way.

Do them in a text editor that uses a non proportional font then copy and paste into the post. Then for the next race edit the first post of this thread, copy the whole thing into the editor, make the necessary changes then paste into the new thread.

Worked for me

Ceryndrion · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:50

Certainly hoping that we get a good race this weekend, though I am certain that the pre-race discussions will be all about the ruling, and of course, the forthcoming pantsonfiregate hearing.

Pretty sure that we'll not see much difference this weekend though, unlikely that the trailing 7 teams have shipped out two sets of rear ends, expect it more likely in time for barcelona.

Get the funny feeling though, that come the end of the season, if things carry on as I hope, that we will all be grumbling about that 'damned half points race' when JB would be world champ if he had gotten full points..

*fingers crossed though*

[TW]Taggart · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:56

Skeeter said:
Yeah, someone needs to sort them out!

So... we have had a good race overshadowed by controversy, and a good race overshadowed by big scary black clouds... chances of 3rd time lucky and just having a striaght up good race?

yes but the big question is: will kovie make it round the first lap this time?!

vcl_X1 · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:56

Ceryndrion said:
Get the funny feeling though, that come the end of the season, if things carry on as I hope, that we will all be grumbling about that 'damned half points race' when JB would be world champ if he had gotten full points..

*fingers crossed though*

TBH if that happens we're likely to have had a great season of racing.

[TW]Taggart · 15 Apr 2009 at 14:57

Ceryndrion said:
Get the funny feeling though, that come the end of the season, if things carry on as I hope, that we will all be grumbling about that 'damned half points race' when JB would be world champ if he had gotten full points..

*fingers crossed though*

just had to say it didnt you

Ceryndrion · 15 Apr 2009 at 15:00

Of course I had to say it.. but yes, if it comes down to it, we will have had a great season of racing, and I am sure that some people will point out that nobody will have gotten full points from that race.. But that's not the point, there are blah blah blah long winded explanation that we dont need now..

Either way.. let's get the racing going and forget about the silly ferrari chaps and their little chums, who just cant handle being the underdog for once.

Mr Jack · 15 Apr 2009 at 15:10

Ceryndrion said:
Pretty sure that we'll not see much difference this weekend though, unlikely that the trailing 7 teams have shipped out two sets of rear ends, expect it more likely in time for barcelona.

Unlikely? I'd have thought it was pretty certain. They'll have been developing their own versions since the Brawns first started looking quick. The big question is whether it is worth risking untested parts in a race.

I predict McLaren, Toro Rosso and Renault will be running new diffusers; while Ferrari, RBR and BMW will be holding off until they've more time to study the difference they make and Force India will be the only team not to have the option (couldn't risk the budget on a part they didn't know if they'd be allowed to use or not).

The Ferrari's looked to have pace when they weren't being hamstrung by other nonsense; so I doubt they'll risk it. Might see one on one car but not the other. BMW may well stick one on Heidfeld and get some data ready to give it to Kubica in the next race. Red Bull have had genuine pace without one so I can see them holding off for now; especially with the rumoured difficulties of fitting it with their suspension set up.

McLaren, Toro Rosso and Renault though have much more to gain than lose. I predict they'll slap 'em on as soon as possible and develop through race data.