2008 Formula One Grand Prix of China

[f6fhellcat13]

Originally Posted by cmcpokey

and it's boring as hell

This.

[f6fhellcat13]

For the first time this weekend McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton did not top a practice session in Shanghai, but in the final run this morning he was only 0.074s slower than pacesetter Nick Heidfeld in the BMW Sauber.

The German pipped the Englishman close to the end of an hour-long session in which the track temperature rose steadily from 27 degrees Celsius to 34. Heidfeld’s 1m 36.061s just shaded Hamilton’s 1m 36.135s, while their respective team mates Robert Kubica and Heikki Kovalainen were next up on 1m 36.150s and 1m 36.324s. The Finn had a minor off-track moment in Turn 15 at the end, while Hamilton at one stage reprised his 2007 adventure on the entry to the pit lane, this time avoiding the gravel as he overshot the turn.

Jarno Trulli jumped up to fifth with 1m 36.396s for Toyota, and yet again the times were very close all the way down to 16th place. Nico Rosberg was sixth on 1m 36.427s for Williams, then came Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Bourdais (1m 36.642s), Red Bull’s David Coulthard (1m 36.712s), Williams’ Kazuki Nakajima (1m 36.713s), Renault’s Nelson Piquet (1m 36.789s), Honda’s Rubens Barrichello (1m 36.839s), Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (1m 36.842s) and Kimi Raikkonen (1m 36.901s), Toro Rosso’s Sebastian Vettel (1m 36.902s), Honda’s Jenson Button (1m 36.958s) and Renault’s Fernando Alonso (1m 36.996s). Timo Glock was 17th on 1m 37.053s in the Toyota.

Coulthard’s performance was the only good news for Red Bull, as Mark Webber’s Renault engine broke after he had recorded 1m 37.566s. The Australian now faces the prospect of a 10-place grid penalty this afternoon, having already played his engine-change ‘joker’ back in Italy.

Behind him, in the last two positions, were the Force Indias of Adrian Sutil (1m 37.648s) and Giancarlo Fisichella (1m 37.964s).

Clearly there are some unusual times here, particularly the Ferraris and Alonso, but they are expected to be on the pace when qualifying kicks off this afternoon.

Pos, No, Driver, Team, Time/Retired

1, 3, Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:36.061

2, 22, Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:36.135

3, 4, Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 1:36.150

4, 23, Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren-Mercedes, 1:36.324

5, 11, Jarno Trulli, Toyota, 1:36.396

6, 7, Nico Rosberg, Williams-Toyota, 1:36.427

7, 14, Sebastien Bourdais, STR-Ferrari, 1:36.642

8, 9, David Coulthard, Red Bull-Renault, 1:36.712

9, 8, Kazuki Nakajima , Williams-Toyota, 1:36.713

10, 6, Nelsinho Piquet, Renault, 1:36.789

11, 17, Rubens Barrichello, Honda, 1:36.839

12, 2, Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:36.842

13, 1, Kimi Räikkönen, Ferrari, 1:36.901

14, 15, Sebastian Vettel, STR-Ferrari, 1:36.902

15, 16, Jenson Button, Honda, 1:36.958

16, 5, Fernando Alonso, Renault, 1:36.996

17, 12, Timo Glock, Toyota, 1:37.053

18, 10, Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault , 1:37.566

19, 20, Adrian Sutil, Force India-Ferrari, 1:37.648

20, 21, Giancarlo Fisichella, Force India-Ferrari, 1:37.964

[Zytek_Fan]

I'm predicting a BMW-McLaren battle in qualy.
Which starts in 29 minutes

[f6fhellcat13]

^I love the Asian (and Oz) races' timing!
Except Singapore, of course.

[Jack_Bauer]

Fisichella, Sutil, Button, Nakajima and Coulthard drop out after Q1. Bad result for Red Bull, with Webber already having a 10 place penalty for an engine change.

[Jack_Bauer]

Rosberg, Barrichello, Glock, Kubica, Piquet all miss out on the final session.

Kubica choked big time I'm afraid. He will start 11th once Webber gets demoted. Barring miracles, he'll be out of the title race after tomorrow.

[Jack_Bauer]

Lewis Hamilton will start what may be the most important race of his young career from pole position after a completely dominant performance in today's qualifying session. Just as in Fuji last week he will have Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen for company alongside him on the front row, setting up a possible repeat of last Sunday's first corner drama. Felipe Massa will start from third place with Fernando Alonso pipping Kovalainen for fourth with another excellent showing. The other title contender Robert Kubica saw his chances all but vanish with a poor performance, meaning he will start the race tomorrow from eleventh place.

The conditions for qualifying were about as perfect as you could imagine; warm but not too hot, with no rain or even a breath of wind around the circuit. There would be no excuses for poor performances. The first session saw Lewis Hamilton continue his fine form from Friday's practice sessions by finishing in first place by a considerable margin. Of course, where it really mattered was at the other end of the field. After Webber's spectacular engine blow-out in morning practice Red Bull were hoping for a big performance from David Coulthard. It didn't come unfortunately, as he was held up a little by Nick Heidfeld on his final flying lap and failed to make it through to Q2. He will start his penultimate Grand Prix from 16th place. Nakajima, Button, Sutil and Fisichella make up the final four positions on the grid.

The second session saw Hamilton again dominate proceedings at the top of the time sheets. His first run on the option tyre saw him set the only lap of the weekend under 1:35s, and comfortably ahead of his rivals. However, the big story of Q2 was the nightmare that Robert Kubica was having. He needs a big result from this Grand Prix if he is to have any chance of upsetting the odds and winning the Championship, but he will find it hard now after he could only manage twelfth fastest in the session. He complained of understeer problems earlier in the session, and he looked completely out of sorts throughout the session. His poor performance was compounded by the fact that his team mate Heidfeld beat him comfortably for one of the first times this season. Rosberg, Barrichello, Glock and Piquet also dropped out at this stage.

Going into the final session it looked as though Hamilton was all but guaranteed a pole position place. It wasn't to be as simple as that though, as after the first set of hotlaps Hamilton was only sitting in fifth place. Although the cameras didn't pick it up Hamilton later confessed that he made a big mistake in turn eight which lost him over six tenths of a second. Kovalainen and Raikkonen were leading the way at the top; were they being run very light as part of a strategic game by their team? Raikkonen was the first of the main men to go out for his final lap, and he was setting green sectors throughout the lap. He was comfortably top by the end of his lap, and had set down a tough bench mark for the others to match. Hamilton was the only man up to the challenge, and he put together a sensational lap to take pole position by a full three tenths of a second. Massa couldn't match either his title rival or his team mate as he ended up in third place. Alonso put in a superb lap out of nowhere to take fourth place. Kovalainen was the last of the main contenders out there, but yet again he failed to live up to McLaren's expectations as a poor lap meant he could only manage fifth fastest.

So going into the race tomorrow Lewis Hamilton will feel confident with his brilliant performance, but will be surrounded by people out to spoil his party. Both Ferraris and Alonso have made no secret about their desire to see Hamilton suffer yet another disappointment, and Hamilton really needed his team mate up alongside him for support. It was another sad chapter in the huge let down that has been Heikki Kovalainen's first season at McLaren. He should have been at least on the second row if not the first, but he choked when it mattered most. With the possibility of thunderstorms for tomorrow's race, if Hamilton is to secure his first world championship it most certainly won't be easy. It could well be a classic...

Qualifying Result

1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Massa
4. Alonso
5. Kovalainen
6. Webber (+ 10 place grid penalty)
7. Heidfeld
8. Vettel
9. Trulli
10. Bourdais
11. Piquet
12. Kubica
13. Glock
14. Barrichello
15. Rosberg
16. Coulthard
17. Nakajima
18. Button
19. Sutil
20. Fisichella

[Zytek_Fan]

I think Kubica's drop in pace can be explained by Heidfeld's miraculous increase in pace.
I wouldn't be surprised if Kubica leaves BMW soon.

[jump15vc]

Hamilton has been dominating which sucks, but i know i can count on alonso to take him out in the race tomorrow so im not too worried

[Zytek_Fan]

Originally Posted by jump15vc

Hamilton has been dominating which sucks, but i know i can count on alonso to take him out in the race tomorrow so im not too worried

The stewards (or at least Charlie Whiting) are going to be on Alonso's ass after his comment to the press on Thursday

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

I think Kubica's drop in pace can be explained by Heidfeld's miraculous increase in pace.

Care to elaborate?

[Zytek_Fan]

Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen

Care to elaborate?

BMW focusing all their energy on Heidfeld.

[Jack_Bauer]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

BMW focusing all their energy on Heidfeld.

So with two races to go in the season they have a driver with the capability of winning the team's first ever World Championship, so they throw all their efforts behind the other driver in an effort to screw their own guy's title chances?

Sounds like a load of BS to me. Just looked like Kubica dropped the ball to me, simple as that.

[fpv_gtho]

BMW may have done something to the car that inadvertantly helped Heidfeld but hurt Kubica with their driving styles (much like how both drivers havent consistently performed between the F1.07 and F1.08) but as already stated, they wouldnt hav sabotaged Kubica or anything whilst he's still a mathematical chance of champion.

[Jack_Bauer]

Nick Heidfeld has been given a three place grid penalty for impeding Coulthard in Q1.

Revised Grid

1. Hamilton
2. Raikkonen
3. Massa
4. Alonso
5. Kovalainen
6. Vettel
7. Trulli
8. Bourdais
9. Heidfeld
10. Piquet
11. Kubica
12. Glock
13. Barrichello
14. Rosberg
15. Coulthard
16. Webber
17. Nakajima
18. Button
19. Sutil
20. Fisichella