Chinese GP Thread will contain Practice, Qualifying and Race Spoilers

[Fernando]

First topic message reminder :

Spoiler:

Shanghai will host the third round of the 2012 Formula One World Championship as the 12 teams head back to the Far East for the Chinese Grand Prix. This will be the ninth running of the Chinese Grand Prix, all of which have been held at the Shanghai International Circuit. Built on marshland in the district of Jiading, SIC introduced F1 to the plus-size grand prix venue. Featuring an enormous paddock, team buildings perched above an ornamental lake and spectator facilities capable of seating over 200,000 people, including a main grandstand by itself capable of holding 29,000, the Hermann Tilke-designed circuit is very much a statement. But take away the infrastructure and what's left is an intriguing track that has all the right ingredients to produce a race that mixes tactical challenges with real blood-and-thunder driver appeal.

The standout features of SIC are the two enormously long straights, both of which are prefaced by slow corners and terminate in heavy braking zones. It makes for excellent overtaking opportunities into the Turn 14 hairpin and the turn one 'snail'. SIC features two of these 'snails' – sections of track that curl back on themselves in very tight corners. The snail at Turns 1-2-3 has a closing radius – meaning it gets tighter – while the Turn 11-12-13 snail has an opening radius. While Formula One delights in fast, flowing sections of track, the reality is that getting the slower combinations right is what makes for a good lap time and differentiates drivers.

Ferrari and McLaren are tied on three wins apiece, with Renault and Red Bull Racing being the other victorious constructors in Shanghai. Red Bull's win in 2009 was its first in F1, though in the 54 races since then they have added another 26 victories for a strike rate just under 50 per cent. Going into this race, however, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso leads the Drivers' Championship while McLaren are top in the Constructors'.

CIRCUIT DATA

Shanghai International Circuit

Length of lap:
5.451km
Lap record
1:32.238 (Michael Schumacher Ferrari, 2004)
Start line/finish line offset
0.000km
Total number of race laps
56
Total race distance
305.066km
Pitlane speed limits
60km/h during practice;
100km/h during race

CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2011

The grass bordering the track around turns 1, 2 and 6 has been replaced with asphalt which has been painted green using an approved non-slip paint.

The tyre barrier to the drivers' right in the pit entry has been fitted with a conveyor belt retaining system.

Chinese GP Facts
► The only driver to win the Chinese Grand Prix twice is McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, victorious last year and in 2008 – however Hamilton is perhaps better remembered in connection with this venue for sliding out of the 2007 race while attempting to enter the pitlane on very worn tyres. His failure to score in what was the penultimate event handed Kimi Räikkönen a lifeline in the World Championship which Räikkönen grasped by winning in China and again two weeks later in Brazil to take the title by a solitary point.
► The 'snail' at the end of the start/finish straight and the hairpin turn 14 are good overtaking points, though the winner of the Chinese Grand Prix has never come from beyond the front three rows of the grid. Mark Webber's charge last season from 18th to 3rd was the only time anyone starting outside the top ten has appeared on the podium. ► The Chinese Grand Prix is the first in a triple-header of FIA World Championship events for the Shanghai International Circuit this year. The six hours of Shanghai will be the final event of the inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship at the end of October and one week later the World Touring Car Championship will visit for its penultimate round, before heading off to Macau.
► Since hosting the first Chinese Grand Prix in 2004, the Shanghai International Circuit has also played host to Australian V8s (2005) and MotoGP (2005-2008). Of the four MotoGP rounds held at the circuit, Valentino Rossi won the first and last, sandwiching wins for Dani Pedrosa and Casey Stoner.
► The circuit is built on reclaimed marshland. It is supported by a buoyant polystyrene sandwich sitting on top of 40,000+ concrete piles, some of which go 80m deep into the soft earth. Built at a fast pace the circuit has been vulnerable to subsidence, requiring extensive resurfacing work over the year to even out bumps in the track. ► Four of the eight grands prix held at the Shanghai International Circuit have required intermediate or full wet tyres and rain has threatened on several other occasions. Changing race dates from September/October to April has not proved to make rain during the grand prix more or less likely.
► The Hermann Tilke-designed circuit was laid out to resemble the Chinese character 'Shang', meaning 'upward' or 'to ascend'.
► Michael Schumacher's lap record stil stands from the original 2004 Chinese Grand Prix. Three of the first four races of 2012 take place at tracks with a lap record set by Schumacher in 2004.
► Only Jenson Button has won the Chinese Grand Prix with the no.1 of a reigning World Champion on his car. And only three times in eight runnings has the winner in China gone on to lift the World Championship that season.

Source: FIA Official Site

[dyrewolfe]

LMAO!

DC getting mobbed by autograph hunters. Brilliant!

[Guest]

Watching the high-lights - the race seemed to be ultra-entertaining, and everyone driving well to prevent the crashes.

[mystiroakey]

nore i think that is what this season is gonna be about- the winner will be the one that has the least mistakes- ham is top of the WDC and has only had 3 3rds!

[SteveG]

Hamiltons teams strategy was way too messy. He was fed into that much traffic he ws losing chunks to Button after every stop. So bad that even after his nightmare stop Button still had 5 seconds in the bag over his teamate. But in attempt to keep a balanced view he lost some of that time stuck behind Perez where he was maybe a little too cautious.

But leading the WDC without yet winning a race is consistency and is a nice platforms for when the wins do come so I'm not complaining. After all its better to have a gearbox failure in China than in Monaco.

[Critical_mass]

have to say, the BEST race so far, really enjoyed it, it wasnt decided until the end, which is nice. Lewis did very well to go from 7th to 3rd. button, just missed out on the 1st place finish, due to pitstop. But that happens, still did well to keep 2nd.

BIG BIG congrats to Nico, i did actually want to see him take his first win so glad it happened for him

Vettel also did well to get 5th - though again webber beats him for 4th - well done Webber.

Lewis leading the WDC so far Keep it up Lewis.

[Bull]

well done to Nico getting his first win!!! was a great drive

shame for Schumi.

was a great battle near the end between Webber/Vettel.

good race: 8/10 IMO.

good way to start the week off to Bahrain.

[Critical_mass]

Bahrain will be the opposite :-/

[mystiroakey]

i wonder if all the drivers had some meeting and were told to race well and sensibly!

all drivers seemed very well behaved today- good clean moves- nothing stupid, everyone seemed to respcet who was ahead and who had the racing lines!!

offcourse everone bar webber who decided to take his own route half the time lol!!- but at the sime time it was him v him not anyone else

how long will that last i wonder

[dyrewolfe]

i wonder if all the drivers had some meeting and were told to race well and sensibly!

all drivers seemed very well behaved today- good clean moves- nothing stupid, everyone seemed to respcet who was ahead and who had the racing lines!!

offcourse everone bar webber who decided to take his own route half the time lol!!- but at the sime time it was him v him not anyone else

how long will that last i wonder

I'm sure they're told to do that at every drivers' briefing mysti. Probably been drilled into all of them after the incidents with Hamilton, Massa and Maldonado last season.

Was quite amazed that there were no incidents though, while Massa, then Raikkonen were holding up that queue of cars. A big well done to all the drivers for keeping contact and incidents to a minimum, with no controversy.

[Alessandro Ciambella]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

[Good Golly I'm Olly]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

What on earth are you on about?

[Critical_mass]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

Nonsense. If that was the case, why in Malaysia, did Jenson stop before Lewis?

There was prob radio comms in both Malaysia and China asking the lead driver if they wanted to come in and if not, this would allow the trailing driver to come in.

Jenson will never play second fiddle to Alonso.

[Belgarion of Riva]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

It's funny, you didn't criticise Mclaren when they sabotaged Lewis Hamilton in the first 2 races of the season when the exact same things happened.

You really are a piece of work. Jenson Button MBE will not join Ferrari because he is not a lap dog like Alonso's current team mate. I'm not sure Alonso will want Jenson Button MBE as a team mate because we all know he despises competitive team mates.

[mystiroakey]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

who is this guy

[Guest]

You call yourselves legitimate, knowledegable f1 fans.........embarrasing!

Was a fantastic race and congratulations to nico for his win, in total command and even when button was in clear air before his last stop, rosberg was still eating into his time. The pitstop is typical mclaren, we've seen it on hamilton for god knows how long and when button finally gets a dodgy stop, people start complaining how hamilton gets the preferential treatment, ridiculous. Button would never have won yesterday and it's agreed from basically 99% of the paddock who understand f1, unlike biased fans. As for the rest there were excellent drives throughout the field and some incredible wheel to wheel action. Felt for Kimi towards the end, he just hasnt had the rub of the green so far and as for Vettel, he deserves much praise for a solid drive.

Mclaren are a joke, always reactive to other teams or a situation instead of being proactive. Whoever compiles the strategy for lewis needs shooting. How many occassions does he come out in traffic on a new set of fresh tyres and there ruined in the first few laps having to battle thru the field, shocking.

So three races in an lewis leads the championship with three 3rds. Deserves alot of credit for the way he has turned his performances around from last year and is now performing in a controlled but skillful manor. Would of been interesting to see lewis start from second, he would of pushed the mercedes hard and therefore nico's tyre management may of proved more difficult under more pressure.

Bahrain, oh dear....it wont be this exciting thats for sure. Alonso has already stated he will be in damage limitation mode as pace and traction are key at Bahrain, something ferrari lack severly.

[monty junior]

Sorry but when a driver has to pit he has to pit, the tyres aren't very durable and i'm afraid that with the field so close (even Hulkenburg in 15th was 50 seconds behind at the end) that feeding in to traffic was inevitable. It could have been far worse, Shumacher lost a podium because of a bad stop, Alonso somehow finished 9th despite shadowing Hamilton for much of the race.

[dyrewolfe]

I am absolutely outraged by Mclaren strategy today. Did you witness the incompetence of Mclarens team towards Jenson Button MBE. They need to sack Whitmarsh and Dennis because this is out of control.

They gave his team mate, Hamilton preferential treatment on all the pit stops by letting him come in first all the time. Then they deliberately sabotaged his race with an alleged sticky rear nut.

Jenson Button MBE should leave Mclarens clear bias toward Hamilton and come join Alonso at Ferrari.

This is better than your posts about Vettel and Button anyway.

If I didn't know better I'd say you were actually a Button fanboy. This obsession is bordering on the unhealthy. If you're not careful Senor Diaz will be getting jealous.

Sticky nuts, eh? I imagine they're a problem for you after your regular Alonso worshipping sessions.


Forza Button...Forza Hamilton...Forza McLaren

Indietro Alonso...Indietro Ferrari (if anyone should be considering leaving their team its Nando)

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