Bahrain Grand Prix 2010, Sakhir - Race 1/19

[schumi84]

They need to do away with 2 things straight away to get rid of some of the silliness -

1. Using the tyres at the beginning of the race that you set your fastest time on in qualifying.

As has been said in this thread, there is no point to this as all of the guys will be using the soft tyre anyways, and if you use the harder compound the advantage in longevity you gain from them is lost by the fact the lap time is shocking.

2. Stop the guys having to use both compounds of tyre, i dont know why they brought this in in the first place as imo it is pointless. Let them have access to, say, 3 or 4 compounds of tyre and they can pick and choose what to do, like it used to be.

I think the real proof in the pudding with the current changes will be when they are at a decent track where overtaking is possible.

I still think this season is going to be one to remember, but i hope it is for the right reasons .

Roll on Melbourne, early start here we come

 

[sunama]

Schumi matched Rosberg through the race though, and set a faster fastest lap.

The same cannot be said about Button.

I think Danny is just a big Button fan and will defend him till the cows come home.

 

[dannyjo22]

I think Danny is just a big Button fan and will defend him till the cows come home.

By the same token some people just hated being wrong about his ability and will cling to any little stats to run him down.

If they decide to make the tyres more marginal in life I think it could get a lot better for Button. Unless he sorts his saturdays out it could be a long season for him.

 

[sunama]

By the same token some people just hated being wrong about his ability and will cling to any little stats to run him down.

If they decide to make the tyres more marginal in life I think it could get a lot better for Button. Unless he sorts his saturdays out it could be a long season for him.

If memory serves me well, you were saying that the heavy fuel tanks are going to aid Button, as he is able to look after his tyres. Based on what we saw on the weekend, you were wrong.

In fact, you are still maintaining that if they make tyres less durable, it will help Button.

Well, now that we have started the 2010, I think you will agree that Hamilton did a far better job with the new car/tyres/fuel/rules.

In general, if a driver is fast, he will be fast regardless of the rules and regulations.

 

[dannyjo22]

If memory serves me well, you were saying that the heavy fuel tanks are going to aid Button, as he is able to look after his tyres. Based on what we saw on the weekend, you were wrong.

In fact, you are still maintaining that if they make tyres less durable, it will help Button.

Well, now that we have started the 2010, I think you will agree that Hamilton did a far better job with the new car/tyres/fuel/rules.

In general, if a driver is fast, he will be fast regardless of the rules and regulations.

He didn't look after he tyres better than button, they all looked after the tyres. Thats the point, no one expected the compounds to be this hard, which is why many people expected the smoother button to be better on the tyres. He wasn't because no one struggled really with tyres.

That the tyres are so durable has played into hamiltons hands in comparison to button. I'm pretty sure Brundle made a comment as well about Hamiltons rears struggling during the race.

 

[utajoker]

I think Danny is just a big Button fan and will defend him till the cows come home.

im a big hamilton fan but your so far up his rear end its unbelievable

 

[sunama]

im a big hamilton fan but your so far up his rear end its unbelievable

I just say it how it is. If a driver is great, then I say so. If he is not so great, then I say so.

Right now, IMO, the top tier of drivers consists of 3: Alonso, Hamilton and Vettel. Its not about being up anyone's rear end.

 

[sunama]

I'm pretty sure Brundle made a comment as well about Hamiltons rears struggling during the race.

He may have made a comment, but I think he also said the same thing about Alonso's tyres, before Alonso went and put up the fastest lap of the race. And if Hamilton rear tyres were struggling, then he should aim for this more often, as he was consistently posting very fast lap times.

 

[PinkFloyd]

Saw this article on f1 fanatic earlier

Didn't really notice that there was potential for other versions of the track. The outer track and the paddock track look pretty good.
The back section of the track leading up to the last corner would be pretty good to watch imo

 

[ins0mn1ac]

Those huge straights on the paddock track with KERS. Awesomeness.

 

[dannyjo22]

2009 no idea how accurate

1. McLaren 270 mln euro
2. Ferrari 255 mln euro
3. Toyota 250 mln euro
4. BMW Sauber 210 mln euro
5. Renault 190 mln euro
6. Red Bull 120 mln euro
7. Brawn GP 95 mln euro
8. Williams 90 mln euro
9. Toro Rosso 70 mln euro
10. Force India 65 mln euro

Following on from the discussion were I said Red Bull couldn't be considered a small team heres some latest figures for red bull and the number of staff it operates.

Red Bull are not a small team especially when you consider 3 teams above them in the list have dissapeared or had huge parts of funding removed.

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=40208

 

[NathanE]

I think McLaren will be much stronger in the next race. Their performance at Bahrain was skewed because it was clear for all to see they made a major error in setting the car up (too stiff and too little downforce).

They will get it spot on in Oz I think. Then we will see what their car, with its uber-wing, will really do

It's no surprise to me that LH beat JB with the car they were both provided that weekend. The bumps made it difficult for both of them but LH's more reactive driving style meant he could outpace JB.

 

[Dutch Guy]

I think McLaren will be much stronger in the next race. Their performance at Bahrain was skewed because it was clear for all to see they made a major error in setting the car up (too stiff and too little downforce).

Or their car design cannot create more downforce and their are screwed.

As for the stiffness, how difficult is it to change a spring/damper, must be a 2 minute job

 

[Shimmy]

Or their car design cannot create more downforce and their are screwed.

As for the stiffness, how difficult is it to change a spring/damper, must be a 2 minute job

Apparently they didn't raise the ride height of the car like the rest of the field did, as they thought the bump on turn 6 would have been smoothed out for the race, it wasn't and they suffered. That's what Martin Whitmarsh said on the forum iirc anyway.

 

[Dutch Guy]

Apparently they didn't raise the ride height of the car like the rest of the field did, as they thought the bump on turn 6 would have been smoothed out for the race, it wasn't and they suffered. That's what Martin Whitmarsh said on the forum iirc anyway.

Again, how difficult is it to raise the ride height

Does it really upset the balance of the car that much that they could not do it anymore without testing the effects?

 

[sunama]

In other words, they took a risk and the gamble didnt pay off.

In any case, I don't believe that having a slightly stiff car was solely reponsible for the fact that they were off Ferrari/RedBull pace. Yes it cost them a little time, but not the 1s they seemed to be slower than the leading cars (based on qualifying times).

Still, Australia is a different track and it may suit McLaren better than Bahrain did.

 

[dalin80]

Again, how difficult is it to raise the ride height

Does it really upset the balance of the car that much that they could not do it anymore without testing the effects?

By the time they found out the track hadnt been smoothed like they expected it was too late and the car was subject to parc-ferme.

 

[deuse]

I think McLaren will be much stronger in the next race. Their performance at Bahrain was skewed because it was clear for all to see they made a major error in setting the car up (too stiff and too little downforce).

They will get it spot on in Oz I think. Then we will see what their car, with its uber-wing, will really do

It's no surprise to me that LH beat JB with the car they were both provided that weekend. The bumps made it difficult for both of them but LH's more reactive driving style meant he could outpace JB.

I agree with this.

I think you won't see what team is up there till the Malaysian Grand prix as that's the first real race track of the season.

 

[dannyjo22]

I can't see anyone touching Red Bull tbh. The speed through the mid and low speed corners is unmatched by ferrari or anyone else. Australia should suit them. Look at vettel, even in the broken car his lap times stood up in the first two sectors and they only passed him on the straights.

All I hear now is about Ferrari, I really don't see them beating Red Bull just yet if the red bull has track position as it seems faster on low fuel as well.

 

[Dutch Guy]

Look at vettel, even in the broken car his lap times stood up in the first two sectors and they only passed him on the straights.

In a corner you do not need full power from the engine so it's not really a surprise he was still competitive there, he suffered coming out of a corner though.