The 2009 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

[Ed]

Grand Prix Preview (courtesy - The FIA)

The third event of the 2009 Formula One World Championship takes place in China. The Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, designed by Hermann Tilke, is one of the world’s most impressive Formula One circuit facilities. Tilke took his inspiration for the layout of the track from the Chinese Shang character, which means above. Constructed on the site of ancient paddy fields the Shanghai International circuit has an overall length of 5,451km and features 7 left and 9 right hand turns.

The circuit was designed to maximise spectator viewing and to push the drivers to their limits. Its combination of narrowing turns and straight lines with rising and falling gradients will offer drivers opportunities to overtake which is certain to add to the excitement of the event. The circuit’s challenging corners and long straights are sure to be both technically and physically demanding for drivers.



CHANGES TO THE CIRCUIT SINCE 2008
• The artificial grass on the exit of turn 10 has been renewed.
• The white lines around the edge of the track have been doubled in width.
• The pit entry has been widened immediately before the pit lane itself.


OTHER CHANGES AT THE SEPANG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUIT
• Two sections of the track have been nicknamed “snails” (Turns 1, 2, 3 with closing radius and turns 10, 11 and 12 with opening radius).
• The total FIA safety fencing used around the circuit comes to 9,350 metres.
• The total number of concrete piles used in construction is 40,000 totalling 800,000 metres.

Circuit data

Length of lap:5.451km
Offset:0.190km
Total number of race laps:56
Total race distance:305.066km
Speed limits in the pit lane: 60km/h during practice sessions; 100km/h during race

Formula One time table

Friday

Practice Session 1: 10.00 – 11.30 hrs
Practice Session 2: 14.00 – 15.30 hrs

Saturday

Practice Session 3: 11.00 – 12.00 hrs
Qualifying: 14.00 – 15.00 hrs

Sunday

Race: 15.00 hrs

[Julian Mayo]

Any rain, and those double width white lines are going to be significant.
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The Mountain is a savage Mistress.

[Julian Mayo]

This track will cause major problems for any car that understeers, it is a drivers track with high lateral loads and is traditionally hard on the left hand tyres, altho the move to cooler April may help. The long straight is going to be interesting with KERS, and the movable front wing will assist the high/ low downforce requirements. It could be a ripper of a race.............look for an improvement in Ferrari strategy with Chris Dyer taking over race management
Traditionally there are few safety car deployments, this year..............????
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The Mountain is a savage Mistress.

[Julian Mayo]

Renault and McLaren will run new diffusers this weekend, while Ferrari will NOT run their "KERS" systems..............
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The Mountain is a savage Mistress.

[Ed]

Apologies for the very late start for the coverage.

There is 10 mintes left in the session and the top 10 are: Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Webber, Trulli, Rosberg, Glock, Alonso and Bourdais.

Hamilton's best time is a 1:37.334

[mlittle]

Weekend Schedule..................
---Practice Session 1, 10-11:30am, 17 April 2009
---Practice Session 2, 2-3:30pm, 17 April 2009
---Practice Session 3, 11am-12pm, 18 April 2009
---Knockout Qualifying, 2pm, 18 April 2009
---2009 Chinese Grand Prix, 3pm, 19 April 2009
note.....all times local; +12 hrs. US EDT

....in other words, while its' mid-afternoon on raceday, it'll be the middle of the night here on the U.S. East Coast........
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[Ed]

With just a few minutes remaining, many cars are on the track

[Ed]

Session over and the order is:

Hamilton, Button, Barrichello, Kovalainen, Webber, Trulli, Rosberg, Glock, Alonso and Bourdais.

Raikkonen was 11th, Massa was 15th, Heidfeld was 16th, Kubica was 18th and Piquet was 20th!

Weather conditions were dry and sunny with air temperature around the 18 degree mark.

[Ed]

Reiterating what Julian has mentioned, both Renault and McLaren are running early versions of double diffusers. It is reported that Alonso and Hamilton and not their team-mates are running them.

Ferrari have decided against using KERS in China after it gave them so much trouble in the first two races.

Kubica will try the KERS on the BMW Sauber for the first time this season

Many drivers are complaining about the choice of tyres for this race with the Medium and Super Soft selected for this event. It is expected that drivers will only do a few laps on the super softs.

Related:
Many talking points as F1 gears up in China
Drivers hit out at China tyre selection

[Ed]

First practice report here

Second practice session starting shortly (2 PM local time)

[Ed]

Second Friday practice starting in a couple of minutes. Weather conditions remain dry and sunny. Air temperture is 19 degrees while track temperature is at 34 degrees

[Ed]

Session underway and a number of drivers go out immediately headed by Glock

[Ed]

Glock sets a 1:39.871

Alonso goes faster with a 1:38.923

[Ed]

Alonso fastest in the first 2 sectors goes wide in the 3rd and doesn't improve.

Trulli in second!

Sutil flying!

[Ed]

Sutil fastest with a 1:38.272

Vettel in second and Alonso third