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The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 7:41 pm
by cmlean
This is the place to discuss everything related to the 3rd round of the 2018 season taking place in Shanghai between the 13th and 15th of April.
To submit your 10 'n' Pole Picks for China
click here, to register in the competition
click here
Picks for China close at the start of Saturday practice.
The event timetable for the Chinese Grand Prix.
Friday
1st Practice 10:00 local time - 02:00 GMT
2nd Practice 14:00 local time - 06:00 GMT
Saturday
Practice 11:00 local time - 03:00 GMT
Qualifying 14:00 local time - 06:00 GMT
Sunday
Race 14:00 local time - 06:00 GMT
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2018 7:08 pm
by cmlean
Well. Round 3 in China and this circuit has been a happy hunting ground for Mercedes. The last victory for some team other that the German marque was back when Alonso was piloting the prancing horse around.
Will things be different this time around? We will see. My thoughts are that the Ferrari winning streak will come to an end at this race. But I could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.
The sensational effort by Gasly in Bahrain will be a tough act to follow. I don't imagine that we will see the attrition that occurred last weekend but the usual suspects will be near the front.
Reliability will be the main objective. With 3 power units to last the season and already a couple of teams having used their first, grid penalties will become evident later in the season. Just how long the teams can prolong this eventuality may determine just who will win the championship.
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:04 pm
by cmlean
FP1 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:33.999 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2 1:34.358 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
3 1:34.457 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
4 1:34.537 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing
5 1:34.668 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
6 1:34.861 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
7 1:35.178 Kevin Magnussen Haas
8 1:35.616 Carlos Sainz Renault
9 1:35.718 Romain Grosjean Haas
10 1:35.800 Nico Hulkenberg Renault
11 1:36.037 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
12 1:36.044 Fernando Alonso Renault
13 1:36.051 Sergio Perez Force India
14 1:36.351 Esteban Ocon Force India
15 1:36.691 Sergey Sirotkin Williams
16 1:36.715 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
17 1:36.723 Charles Leclerc Sauber
18 1:36.756 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
19 1:36.909 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
20 1:37.277 Lance Stroll Williams
Practice 1 is in the books and, other than Vandoorne nearly hitting the barrier coming out of turn 10, there were no real incidents.
There were a few spins and a few flat spots on tyres but all went basically as expected for most teams.
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2018 7:10 pm
by cmlean
FP2 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:33.482 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
2 1:33.489 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
3 1:33.515 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
4 1:33.590 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
5 1:33.823 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
6 1:34.313 Nico Hulkenberg Renault
7 1:34.458 Kevin Magnussen Haas
8 1:34.473 Carlos Sainz Renault
9 1:34.557 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing
10 1:34.632 Fernando Alonso McLaren
11 1:34.792 Sergio Perez Force India
12 1:34.849 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
13 1:34.874 Esteban Ocon Force India
14 1:35.163 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
15 1:35.333 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
16 1:35.340 Sergey Sirotkin Williams
17 1:35.624 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
18 1:35.916 Charles Leclerc Sauber
19 1:36.471 Romain Grosjean Haas
20 1:37.147 Lance Stroll Williams
Small showers brought the practice runs to an end. Half a dozen cars ventured out on intermediates but most did only one or two laps.
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:02 am
by cmlean
Another day, another unsafe release.
This time it was McLaren and Stoffel Vandoorne with a loose right rear wheel.
A fine to the team seems to be all that is required.
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 1:54 pm
by cmlean
FP3 and poof! Ricciardo's Renault goes up in smoke.
Looks like one battery and now one power unit have now been used on that side of the garage.
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 5:13 pm
by cmlean
FP3 Results
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:33.018 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
2 1:33.469 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
3 1:33.761 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
4 1:33.969 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
5 1:34.057 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
6 1:34.329 Kevin Magnussen Haas
7 1:34.445 Sergio Perez Force India
8 1:34.456 Esteban Ocon Force India
9 1:34.582 Carlos Sainz Renault
10 1:34.741 Sergey Sirotkin Williams
11 1:34.841 Nico Hulkenberg Renault
12 1:34.851 Fernando Alonso McLaren
13 1:34.977 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
14 1:34.991 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
15 1:35.061 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing
16 1:35.079 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
17 1:35.375 Lance Stroll Williams
18 1:35.497 Charles Leclerc Sauber
19 1:35.679 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
20 1:35.756 Romain Grosjean Haas
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2018 5:21 pm
by cmlean
Qualifying
Code: Select all
Pos Time Driver Team
1 1:31.095 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
2 1:31.182 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
3 1:31.625 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
4 1:31.675 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
5 1:31.796 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
6 1:31.948 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing
7 1:32.532 Nico Hulkenberg Renault
8 1:32.758 Sergio Perez Force India
9 1:32.819 Carlos Sainz Renault
10 1:32.855 Romain Grosjean Haas
______________________________________________________
11 1:32.986 Kevin Magnussen Haas
12 1:33.057 Esteban Ocon Force India
13 1:33.232 Fernando Alonso McLaren
14 1:33.505 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
15 1:33.795 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
______________________________________________________
16 1:34.062 Sergey Sirotkin Williams
17 1:34.101 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
18 1:34.285 Lance Stroll Williams
19 1:34.454 Charles Leclerc Sauber
20 1:34.914 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:53 pm
by cmlean
Results
Code: Select all
Pos Driver Team
1 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing
2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes
3 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing
6 Nico Hulkenberg Renault
7 Fernando Alonso McLaren
8 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari
9 Carlos Sainz Renault
10 Kevin Magnussen Haas
11 Esteban Ocon Force India
12 Sergio Perez Force India
13 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren
14 Lance Stroll Williams
15 Sergey Sirotkin Williams
16 Marcus Ericsson Sauber
17 Romain Grosjean Haas
18 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso
19 Charles Leclerc Sauber
DNF Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso
Re: The 2018 Chinese GP Thread
Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:01 pm
by cmlean
A reasonably late safety car turned the race on its head following a collision between the two Toro Rosso's at the hairpin.
Verstappen pitted with 6th placed Ricciardo and both Red Bulls commenced their drives through the field.
Max came upon Alonso and ran off the track giving the lead Red Bull position to Ricciardo.
From there on in, it became a question of when the leaders would be caught and passed.
Verstappen had an incident while trying to pass Vettel at hairpin for which Max received a 10 second penalty for his efforts.
This race showed the class of Ricciardo with decisive passes on both the Mercedes.