2009 Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix

but, obviously, Nakajima will still spin, crash and burn, no matter how good the car is.

Well, Piquet will end up doing the same :) Question is... which one of them will spin out first?

In fact, we should add this question to all our future F1 threads. :mrgreen:
 
I think kRudd's "national broadband scheme" wont work and i wont be voting for him in the next election.
Fast my ass. 10mbps for me is sloooow. I want my pron faster ;) I went to Singapore couple years ago and I got a flyer for 100mbps for $80 something dollars and unlimited downloads and my jaw dropped and my friend told me thats quite normal. Yes I know everyone is really distant in australia, but I couldn't care less in metropolitan Sydney. I was thinking of switching to TPG with 200GB for $80.

Get back to the topic ;)
Tokyo uses fibre optics.
And Rudd's national scheme isn't very realistic. I'm just hoping he doesn't use that internet filter thing.. Urgh.


We should set up a gambling round in every thread. The reps will be the wager. Who will spin out first, which lap will they spin out, will they take out other people, will they spin out together, etc
 
Well let's look at Rosberg's reults for the past Bahrain GPs.

2008 - 8th
2007 - 10th
2006 - 7th


I don't think he is particularly fast on this circuit.

If you look at Nico's full career stats, two points finish and a 10th place is not that bad, Williams hasn't been in the points consistently in the past 3 years. :(
And his race in 2006 was great.
 
Australian Telecomms sound like shit. Sorry everyone down there :comfort:

Don't think I'll be catching Bahrain live, 4am and all. Starting to hit the stretch of the schedule where Bernie holds a big middle finger up to those of us in the Americas.

That's 7am eastern time, just move east. This is good for me because usually you get it at 12 and I get it at 2. I'll finally be able to get a live race! This is why I love when they start to go to Europe, the times are more reasonable.
 
I love 7am races. No waiting around, you just wake up and watch. And then you still got the whole day.

Sadly, as I'm in Europe, all the ME and European races take place in the middle of the day...
 
I actually like non-european races, staying all night for the race makes the race more special )
 
I actually like non-european races, staying all night for the race makes the race more special )

Yeah, I actually didn't like the later starting times, meant there was a lot more chance for me to fall asleep during the race. :(
(I actually did doze off during FP2 friday)
 
I predict, for no particular reason, that Force India will have a stunning performance, but miss first place to Toyota with Trulli behind the wheel.

Just a guess :p
 
We'll have to take these reports with a slight grain of salt. Weather past 3 days is usually very unreliable. Even within 3 days, it can change suddenly. But a dry race is good. Visibility will finally improve for all
 
Slick planning - Toyota on the challenge of tyre management

Slick planning - Toyota on the challenge of tyre management

To get the most out of tyres during a Formula One race, teams and drivers must seek to develop grip, whilst preventing the rubber from overheating. It?s always been a challenge, however this season, with new slick tyres and an in-season test ban to contend with, it?s an even steeper learning curve. But after three races? worth of experience, Toyota?s senior general manager (chassis) Pascal Vasselon is enjoying pushing Bridgestone?s new rubber to its limits...

Q: Can you explain why tyres have such an impact on car performance?
Pascal Vasselon: Tyres have a huge impact on car performance simply because they are the car's only contact with the ground. To make a car quick you have to be able to generate acceleration and these forces go through the tyres. You can have anything you want on the car but if the tyres are not able to generate the proper friction coefficient you get nowhere. In fact, this has developed to be one of the two major performance factors in Formula One.

Q: How different is the challenge when we have a one manufacturer, compared to when there is a tyre war?
PV: In the recent past, when we had competition between different companies, tyres become the most important performance factor, followed by aerodynamics. At the moment Bridgestone are the sole supplier so we are not developing tyres any more; you just have to use them properly. I would not say it is easy but it is one step less difficult than developing them. In this situation the performance ranking changes and aerodynamics become the most important, with tyre handling second. Everything is easier because the tyres are consistent and you have time to learn how to handle them; you are not in a process where you have to significantly update your knowledge constantly as you are when you develop tyres. With spec tyres as we have now, learning the behaviour of the compounds is still very important but it is easier to get on top of the situation.

Q: What characteristics does a car need to use its tyres in the best way?
PV: You have to maintain the tyres in a suitable temperature window so they can develop their grip without overheating. A tyre which is too cold doesn't develop grip and a tyre which is too hot will degrade too quickly and lose performance. Then you have to maintain them in their window of physical resistance so you should not overstress them to the point where the compound falls apart. So you are constantly adjusting the car set-up in order to maintain the tyres in these performance windows, getting the maximum possible performance out of them.

Q: Is tyre management more challenging this season?
PV: Tyre management is more challenging this year than the previous season simply because the tyres are new and we are again in a learning curve. At every race we discover more about how these compounds behave. For example, at Sepang we had the new hard specification tyre, which we had no prior experience of in testing; we just had the practice sessions to learn about it. We tested with the other three compounds over the winter so we know more about them but still we have no data from races in previous seasons, as we had last year. This makes it a little bit more demanding. Also, we moved from grooved to slick tyres and these don't react in the same way to graining and temperatures. Overall it is challenging but it is also very interesting.

Q: Does the bigger difference between compounds at each race make strategy more difficult?
PV: This year Bridgestone is bringing very different compounds in terms of stiffness and temperature range to each race. Last year, in Malaysia for example, we had the medium and hard compounds but this season we used soft and hard. This is designed to make tyre management more challenging and it certainly has the potential to do that. We saw that particularly in Melbourne where we had to be very alert to tyre behaviour. This was particularly noticeable in Melbourne.

Q: Why was this so noticeable in Melbourne but not in Malaysia?
PV: The situation we had in Melbourne was that neither of the compounds was completely suitable for the track and conditions. In Melbourne we were in a situation where the super soft tyre was too soft but the medium tyre was too hard, so it was difficult to get the tyres working in the ideal window. It was completely different at Sepang because both compounds worked in the correct window so tyre management was much more straightforward.



Bahrain Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes

After the cooling rains of Malaysia and China, the drivers and teams are looking forward to testing their mettle in the heat and dust of Sakhir this weekend, at the Bahrain Grand Prix?

Hirohide Hamashima, Bridgestone director of motorsport tyre development
"Bahrain is a technically interesting circuit. The layout means a lot of braking and a lot of accelerating out of low speed corners. Maximising traction out of the corners is the key to a good lap time, but if a car has less than ideal traction, additional unwanted heat can be created, and this will make matters more difficult for competitors. There is a lot of heavy braking here too, and it will be interesting to see how the different braking characteristics between the KERS and non-KERS cars affects lap times, and also the racing. Tyre management and minimising unnecessary tyre heat in what could be very hot conditions are very important considerations here. We have the medium and super soft tyres and we expect the medium tyre to be very durable. The super soft should present more of a challenge in terms of durability than the medium, however the data from the Bahrain pre-season tests show that this tyre can be managed well on this track if the correct set-up is found."

Lewis Hamilton, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 3rd, 2008 Race - 13th
?I?m looking forward to Bahrain. It?s a circuit I enjoy and I think it should be good for us - the nature of the circuit, the long straights and the heavy braking zones mean it is a theoretically strong place for KERS. In fact, it?s got the highest brake-wear of the season so far, so it will be interesting to see how well KERS can be exploited around the lap. Most importantly, we seem to have a solid direction within the team - all our upgrades invariably bring a lap time improvement and our direction on set-up and strategy shows what a strong group we still are. I still think we are several races away from being truly competitive but a straightforward race at Bahrain would give us a very good opportunity to accurately assess where we sit among our rivals.?

Heikki Kovalainen, McLaren
2008 Qualifying - 5th, 2008 Race - 5th
?There?s a real mix of corners at the Bahrain circuit and the long straights followed by tighter corners mean it?s a good place for overtaking. It?s quite tricky to find the right set-up, it?s a medium downforce circuit so that always brings a compromise. And the changing wind conditions, the winds here can be quite strong, also make it harder to get the car working over the whole weekend. Still, it?s a circuit you have to attack to get a good time - I really enjoy the high-speed esses and uphill sweeps around the back of the circuit. I?m looking forward to another strong weekend and the opportunity to put some more points on the board.?

Martin Whitmarsh, McLaren team principal
?The points we scored in China were encouraging because they showed that, even without a fully competitive car, we have lost none of our ability to attack over a race weekend and to maximize every opportunity that comes our way. Until our package reaches full competitiveness, that must remain our aim for the Bahrain weekend. Once again, we will introduce a series of upgrades to MP4-24 and remain optimistic that they will once again deliver a further performance improvement. Also, as the home of one of our primary shareholders, it is a particularly special race for everyone within the team and we are made to feel very welcome by our Bahraini hosts.?

Norbert Haug, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport vice-president
?We are looking forward to the second back to back race this season after the first two grands prix within eight days in Melbourne and Sepang. This schedule with four races within five weeks, is a very tough challenge for everybody involved in Formula One. Our performance in dry conditions looked a step better in Shanghai than at the two races before and our aim is to continue in this direction. Anyway - we cannot expect miracles in Bahrain and everybody in the team is absolutely aware of the fact that we have to work day and night in order to come back to the top of the field. We lost already six points in Australia by our own faults and also in Malaysia we should have scored more than one point. In China we achieved for the first time what was achievable, but fifth and sixth places cannot be the target for the team starting with numbers 1 and 2 on their cars. After the first four flyaway races we have to deliver presentable progress in the next four races in Europe. However, it will be very challenging to move into the top three of the team ranking in such a short time.?

Kazuki Nakajima, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 16th, 2008 Race - 14th
?I didn?t have a great weekend in Bahrain last year and found it difficult to get used to the track. I?m more positive going there this year so hopefully it will be a different story. It?s a stop and go track where you need straight line speed, good breaks and traction to do well. Corners 9 and 10 are a bit tricky, you have to really use your breaks and there?s a lot of lateral loading.?

Nico Rosberg, Williams
2008 Qualifying - 8th, 2008 Race - 8th
?I first raced at Bahrain in 2004 in F3, then won the GP2 Championship there in 2005. In my first race for Williams, I started in 12th but took the nose off on the first corner. After I pitted for a new nose, I had a good race and in the end I made my way up to seventh which meant two points. I also got the fastest lap of the race. As I?ve always had good races there, I really enjoy going to Bahrain.

?It?s one of my favourite tracks. Last year the car went well there and we won?t have any issues with warming up the tyres. Downforce level is always really important there for the corners, but then there?s a compromise required so you can fight the other cars on the fast straights. We?re confident going to Bahrain that we can finally get a good result.?

Jarno Trulli, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 7th, 2008 Race - 6th
"I am looking forward to racing in Bahrain after the tests we had there over the winter. Bahrain was the first chance I had to really test the TF109 in dry conditions and I knew immediately we had a competitive package, which has proved to be the case now the season has started. In testing the car was strong in Bahrain so I have a good feeling for this weekend and I think we can be competitive. Weather and track conditions change from winter testing to the race weekend but it should still help us a bit to have set-up information from the new car at this track, and we have quite a bit of experience now with these two compounds of tyre. I will push as hard as I can, as always, and I know everyone in the team is really motivated so I hope for a smooth and successful weekend."

Timo Glock, Toyota
2008 Qualifying - 13th, 2008 Race - 9th
"The Bahrain Grand Prix is good fun and the track is unique. For car set-up you have to compromise between straightline speed and grip in the slower corners, which is quite a tricky balance to achieve. One issue we face particularly in Bahrain is the wind, which comes in across the desert and can change direction from lap to lap. This can make the car a bit unstable if it blows in the wrong direction but we know what to expect so we can be prepared. Last year I was pretty unlucky in Bahrain because I had to back off with a small technical issue when I was sure I would score my first points for the team. But this season has started in a much better way compared to 2008 and I am confident I can continue to show that good performance."

Pascal Vasselon, Toyota senior general manager, chassis
"We achieved a huge amount of laps in Bahrain during testing and this was very useful in terms of developing the TF109. It should also be useful for this weekend because we have some experience of set-up and slick tyres at this track with the new cars, so we should hit the ground running on Friday. We tested both tyre compounds when we were in Bahrain in February and they performed well in representative temperature conditions so we're not expecting any major problems in that area. Otherwise, Bahrain is quite tough on the brakes; we expect it to be harder on them than any other race this season."

Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 1st, 2008 Race - 3rd
"I am looking forward to going to Bahrain. Overall I really like the track, although it is not really challenging. The Bahrain International Circuit has a couple of long straights and three characteristically low-speed corners that require heavy braking. Wind can play an important role in Sakhir as it influences the balance of the car. Also, the wind blows sand onto parts of the track, which leads to changing grip conditions. Luckily we had the chance to test the F1.09 car in Bahrain in February, although weather conditions were unstable and windy then. Last year we performed quite well in Bahrain - after securing pole position in qualifying I managed to finish the race on the podium."

Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber
2008 Qualifying - 6th, 2008 Race - 4th
"I enjoy driving in Bahrain. I like the modern complex and the circuit. The section from the fifth to the penultimate corner is particularly well designed. This time I'll be again arriving quite early to allow time for my fitness training. It will be interesting to see what the weather brings. Usually the climate in Bahrain has been very pleasant, but we've also had incredible heat, and during winter testing there was a huge sandstorm. In 2008 there was a concert by Akon after the race, which I also remember well."

Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director
"In Bahrain we aim to bring the first major overseas stint to a positive end. It also marks the end of the second set of back-to-back races within five weeks. We look back on the previous Bahrain Grand Prix with satisfaction: in 2008 Robert gained his first ever pole position with the BMW Sauber F1 Team, achieving another milestone. After our appearance in Shanghai we are now heading for another region that is important to BMW. For us as a manufacturer in the premium sector the Middle East is also a very significant market."

Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber head of engineering
"The Bahrain circuit demands a compromise when it comes to aerodynamic set-up. On the one hand the many slow corners require a high level of downforce, while on the other the exceptional breadth of the track encourages the drivers to overtake, which means we can't leave maximum speed out of the equation. With the low-speed corners, traction and brake balance play a major role. Brake wear on this circuit is particularly high, especially in the turn after the start-finish straight and in turn 4. At night the wind regularly sweeps sand onto the track. Generally conditions improve as the day goes on, but tyre wear can nevertheless be fairly high on account of the sand. That is an important factor for the race strategy."
 
no chance of rain, I think it'll go back to Australia style Brawn dominance with Toyota making up the rest, Red Bull may just about be able to match them but just barely.
 
We most probably won't see any rain... but what if there's a huge sandstorm like the one that happened during testing? :|
 
We most probably won't see any rain... but what if there's a huge sandstorm like the one that happened during testing? :|

Maybe it catches all the drivers apart from Sutil so he can finally get his win? :lol:
 
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