2008 German GP - Race 10/18

[rpstewart]

A proper German GP this year after last year's European GP debacle. Hockenheim may be a shadow of its former self but the new hairpin can produce some decent overtaking moves.

Friday practice : 0900 - 1030 & 1300 - 1430
Saturday practice : 1000 - 1100
Saturday Qualifying : 1300 - 1400, ITV 1210 - 1440
Sunday Race : 1300 - 1500, ITV from 1200. Highlights, 2245 (ITV) & Monday 1800 (ITV4)



Drivers

Pos Driver           Nationality   Team              Points 
1  Lewis Hamilton       British    McLaren-Mercedes   48
2  Felipe Massa		Brazilian  Ferrari	      48
3  Kimi Raikkonen       Finnish    Ferrari            48
4  Robert Kubica	Polish     BMW                46      
5  Nick Heidfeld        German     BMW                36
6  Heikki Kovelainen    Finnish    McLaren-Mercedes   24
7  Jarno Trulli         Italian    Toyota             20
8  Mark Webber          Australian RBR-Renault        18
9  Fernando Alonso      Spanish    Renault            13
10 Rubens Barrichello   Brazilian  Honda              11
11 Nico Rosberg         German     Williams-Toyota    8
12 Kazuki Nakajima   	Japanese   Williams-Toyota    8
13 David Coulthard	British	   RBR-Renault        6
14 Timo Glock           German     Toyota             5	
15 Sebastian Vettel	German	   STR-Ferrari	      5
16 Jenson Button	British	   Honda              3
17 Nelsinho Piquet	Brazilian  Renault	      2
18 Sebastien Bourdais   Italian    STR-Ferrari        2

Constructors

Pos Team              Points    
1  Ferrari            96        
2  BMW                82        
3  McLaren-Mercedes   72       
4  Toyota             25
4  RBR-Renault        24        
6  Williams-Toyota    16        
7  Renault            15
8  Honda	      14
9  STR-Ferrari        7

Calendar

01 2008 FORMULA 1 ING AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX (Melbourne) 		14 - 16 Mar 
02 2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX (Kuala Lumpur) 		21 - 23 Mar 
03 2008 FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX (Bahrain) 		04 - 06 Apr 
04 FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO DE ESPANA TELEFONICA 2008 (Catalunya) 		25 - 27 Apr 
05 2008 FORMULA 1 PETROL OFISI TURKISH GRAND PRIX (Istanbul) 		09 - 11 May 
06 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE MONACO 2008 (Monte Carlo) 			22 - 25 May 
07 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DU CANADA 2008 (Montreal) 			06 - 08 Jun 
08 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX DE FRANCE 2008 (Magny-Cours) 			20 - 22 Jun 
09 2008 FORMULA 1 SANTANDER BRITISH GRAND PRIX (Silverstone) 		04 - 06 Jul 
10 FORMULA 1 GROSSER PREIS SANTANDER VON DEUTSCHLAND 2008 (Hockenheim) 	18 - 20 Jul 
11 FORMULA 1 ING MAGYAR NAGYDIJ 2008 (Budapest) 			01 - 03 Aug 
12 2008 FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF EUROPE (Valencia) 			22 - 24 Aug 
13 2008 FORMULA 1 ING BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (Spa-Francorchamps) 		05 - 07 Sep 
14 FORMULA 1 GRAN PREMIO SANTANDER D'ITALIA 2008 (Monza) 		12 - 14 Sep 
15 2008 FORMULA 1 SINGTEL SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX (Singapore) 		26 - 28 Sep 
16 2008 FORMULA 1 FUJI TELEVISION JAPANESE GRAND PRIX (Fuji Speedway) 	10 - 12 Oct 
17 2008 FORMULA 1 SINOPEC CHINESE GRAND PRIX (Shanghai) 		17 - 19 Oct 
18 FORMULA 1 GRANDE PREMIO DO BRASIL 2008 (Sao Paulo) 			31 Oct - 02 Nov

If you're interested in seeing what the tracks look like I've updated my Google Earth links and flyovers. Unfortunately it's still not perfect, although Fuji is now high res thanks to the April update but the imagery for Valencia is a fair age so the purpose built bridge isn't visible. To play the flyovers select the flyover folder and press the play button at the bottom of the Places pane.

Some links for Hockenheim

Official GP Site
Wikipedia
Circuit details on the official F1 page

 

[rpstewart]

Is there a half decent driver in F1 who hasn't been linked with Ferrari at some stage in his career?

 

[rpstewart]

Massa's problem seems to be a lack of consistency. He can produce sector times very close to Hamilton's but he seems unable to string three together in a row.

 

[rpstewart]

Live timing broken on Kovy's car? He's not updating for me...

I think so, he flashed up as having stopped in sector 1 at one point then it hasn't moved.

 

[rpstewart]

As if he can make a 22sec gap in just a few laps !

I think he was fuelled to 20 to go before the safety car so I fgure he'll only have to do 17 laps tops on the softs but even so I think Lewis is going to have to win it on the track.

 

[rpstewart]

Kovi's acting needs a bit of work

 

[rpstewart]

Yes but whats the difference between then and now then?
Nothing. The Number 2 driver moving over for the number 1 driver at the last stages of the race.

In Austria Barichello was significantly faster than MS, he was told to sacrifice his maiden GP win for someone who didn't deserve to win the race.

 

[rpstewart]

I know that Rosberg was one of the contenders, who was the other?

Sutil's name was mentioned at one pont, whether that was serious or just the press looking for the German connection I don't know.

 

[rpstewart]

I'm not sure about the KERS thing. It seems a bit dodgy having racing cars with loads of acid batteries in them. It's not like they can make a FIA foam storage bag like they have for the petrol...

Will certainly be some interesting accidents and safety car periods next season I reckon!

The batteries won't be lead acid due to the weight/size issues, probably Li-Ion or some other wacky tech. The likely placement will be directly under the fuel cell though, keeps the CoG down and puts the batteries in the safest part of the car.

 

[rpstewart]

Ferrari tested the anvil engine cover today.

There are some shots of it in the autosport gallery.

My god is it funk ugly...

 

[rpstewart]

Jacques Villeneuve is the only person that I know of who used a single paddle shift - towards for up and away for down on the right side of the wheel. I don't know whether it was a long term thing but it was certainly talked about at length during his first season with Williams.

EDIT: Beaten like an ugly kid.....

 

[rpstewart]

Mmm, hungry....

Sometime after dinner