The Official 2018 Chinese Grand Prix Thread **SPOILERS**

[gibbon]

Angpozzuto said:

The Ferrari does seem to be kinder on its tyres this year so they could possibly have a go at a one stop race

Also Kimi is historically kind to his tyres, so as long as his rotten luck doesnt follow him to China then I hope he could be in with a shout.

[carinaman]

Go Kimi!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w9wdkZRzgI

[vonuber]

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

[paulguitar]

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

[HustleRussell]

paulguitar said:

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

Plodding and dull cars were within two seconds of Montoya’s time last year and that was before the engines were turned up for qually. That’s with a 1.6 litre V6 and approaching 50% thermal efficiency... amazing.

[paulguitar]

HustleRussell said:

paulguitar said:

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

Plodding and dull cars were within two seconds of Montoya’s time last year and that was before the engines were turned up for qually. That’s with a 1.6 litre V6 and approaching 50% thermal efficiency... amazing.

Yes, they are indeed a technical marvel, no argument from me there... The issue is when you are at the circuit they are, to put it kindly, very underwhelming.

The first 37 F1 weekends I attended live, I left feeling like I had been battered about the head, in a good way. Overwhelmed and dazed, with a head full of sounds and smells, excitement and awe.


My one and only race in the hybrid era, I left feeling as if I have been at the snooker.

[The Moose]

paulguitar said:

HustleRussell said:

paulguitar said:

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

Plodding and dull cars were within two seconds of Montoya’s time last year and that was before the engines were turned up for qually. That’s with a 1.6 litre V6 and approaching 50% thermal efficiency... amazing.

Yes, they are indeed a technical marvel, no argument from me there... The issue is when you are at the circuit they are, to put it kindly, very underwhelming.

The first 37 F1 weekends I attended live, I left feeling like I had been battered about the head, in a good way. Overwhelmed and dazed, with a head full of sounds and smells, excitement and awe.


My one and only race in the hybrid era, I left feeling as if I have been at the snooker.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the race I went to in the hybrid era. In fact, I am quite keen to go again!

[paulguitar]

The Moose said:

paulguitar said:

HustleRussell said:

paulguitar said:

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

Plodding and dull cars were within two seconds of Montoya’s time last year and that was before the engines were turned up for qually. That’s with a 1.6 litre V6 and approaching 50% thermal efficiency... amazing.

Yes, they are indeed a technical marvel, no argument from me there... The issue is when you are at the circuit they are, to put it kindly, very underwhelming.

The first 37 F1 weekends I attended live, I left feeling like I had been battered about the head, in a good way. Overwhelmed and dazed, with a head full of sounds and smells, excitement and awe.


My one and only race in the hybrid era, I left feeling as if I have been at the snooker.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the race I went to in the hybrid era. In fact, I am quite keen to go again!

Well, we are all different and I am genuinely pleased you enjoyed it.

Goodwood Festival of Speed for me these days to get my racing car fix. F1 is TV only for me since we got the leaf blower sound. The good part is that it really saves me quite a lot of cash.

[DanielSan]

paulguitar said:

Well, we are all different and I am genuinely pleased you enjoyed it.

Goodwood Festival of Speed for me these days to get my racing car fix. F1 is TV only for me since we got the leaf blower sound. The good part is that it really saves me quite a lot of cash.

Try the Revival or Silverstone Classic, you get proper racing. Actually add BTCC, British GT’s and pretty much any club event to the actual racing list.

[paulguitar]

DanielSan said:

paulguitar said:

Well, we are all different and I am genuinely pleased you enjoyed it.

Goodwood Festival of Speed for me these days to get my racing car fix. F1 is TV only for me since we got the leaf blower sound. The good part is that it really saves me quite a lot of cash.

Try the Revival or Silverstone Classic, you get proper racing. Actually add BTCC, British GT’s and pretty much any club event to the actual racing list.

Yep, I am planning on the Silverstone Classic as well. I last went to that in 2012, I think. I also try to get to my local circuit, Oulton Park, to see whatever is on there.

Very tempted by a Motogp this year as well…

[ellroy]

DanielSan said:

Try the Revival or Silverstone Classic, you get proper racing. Actually add BTCC, British GT’s and pretty much any club event to the actual racing list.

Also WEC. That’s some proper racing and tech wise, in P1, right up there as well.

[Vaud]

paulguitar said:

Yes, they are indeed a technical marvel, no argument from me there... The issue is when you are at the circuit they are, to put it kindly, very underwhelming.

The first 37 F1 weekends I attended live, I left feeling like I had been battered about the head, in a good way. Overwhelmed and dazed, with a head full of sounds and smells, excitement and awe.


My one and only race in the hybrid era, I left feeling as if I have been at the snooker.

Having stood next to a Honda v12 and a modern hybrid while being started, the difference is incredible. One makes your lungs vibrate and your body shake with the noise, the other less so. The hybrids are technical marvels though.

[sandman77]

Ferrari and Mercedes look pretty evenly matched in 2nd practice. Lewis Hamilton was 0.007secs faster than Kimi Raikkonen and 0.108secs faster than Sebastian Vettel.

[Dr Z]

Yep, the Ferrari looks very quick in the straights and isn't too shabby in the downforce sector either.

FP1:



FP2:

[thegreenhell]

Good to see Kimi leading the Ferrari challenge again. Hopefully he gets a clear run to convert it into a good result.

[cjm]

ELUSIVEJIM said:

Can't see anyone beating Mercedes this time out. Big power circuit but "to put a spanner in the works" there is a 50-60% of rain for Saturday so it might mix things up for at least qualifying.

I'm not sure there is much if anything between Mercedes and Ferrari power wise. Looking at the qualifying laps in Australia the Ferrari was taking time out of the Mercedes down the straights but losing more through the corners.

[The Moose]

paulguitar said:

The Moose said:

paulguitar said:

HustleRussell said:

paulguitar said:

ash73 said:

vonuber said:

Ah, Williams:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqYPU3MNqHw

Great days.

God I miss those engines

Me too.

It's hard to believe how plodding and dull it looks now really. Like a totally different sport.

Plodding and dull cars were within two seconds of Montoya’s time last year and that was before the engines were turned up for qually. That’s with a 1.6 litre V6 and approaching 50% thermal efficiency... amazing.

Yes, they are indeed a technical marvel, no argument from me there... The issue is when you are at the circuit they are, to put it kindly, very underwhelming.

The first 37 F1 weekends I attended live, I left feeling like I had been battered about the head, in a good way. Overwhelmed and dazed, with a head full of sounds and smells, excitement and awe.


My one and only race in the hybrid era, I left feeling as if I have been at the snooker.

For what it's worth, I enjoyed the race I went to in the hybrid era. In fact, I am quite keen to go again!

Well, we are all different and I am genuinely pleased you enjoyed it.

Goodwood Festival of Speed for me these days to get my racing car fix. F1 is TV only for me since we got the leaf blower sound. The good part is that it really saves me quite a lot of cash.

Certainly true that we are all different!

I think I have said this elsewhere on here, but I must say that a single car passing on its own was disappointing. However when more than 2 or 3 cars were there at the same time, I certainly thought the sound was great. Sure, you could argue that there shouldn't need to be multiple cars to sound great. We are wondering about heading back to Texas again this year.

Interesting, because we did Nascar a year or two previously. That really is brutal as an assault on one's hearing! It really was too much. Ear defenders were a necessity ( or maybe I'm just a pussy ).

[The Moose]

Dr Z said:

Yep, the Ferrari looks very quick in the straights and isn't too shabby in the downforce sector either.

FP1:



FP2:

Out of interest, where do you get these graphics?

[TheVole]

The Moose said:

Out of interest, where do you get these graphics?

F1 put them on their Twitter account after each session, although I'm sure there are other sources too.

[Dr Z]

TheVole said:

The Moose said:

Out of interest, where do you get these graphics?

F1 put them on their Twitter account after each session, although I'm sure there are other sources too.

Yep, I got it from the F1 twitter account.

Looking at the long runs, it is a shame that Kimi didn't have a chance to do a run on the ultra softs, and Vettel didn't have a clear long run in it either...the Ferrari is looking like it is the quickest car at the moment on ultra softs. If they'd have done the runs, I'd be a bit more sure of it.

Most teams were running around 15 laps on the ultra softs, so it's looking very much like a 2-stop race. The medium was working as well the softs here I think, so teams may well choose to do a longer middle stint on it or simply close out the race with it on a 1-stop. Nice to have that uncertainty.

I'm not going to make any grand pronouncement about McLaren's race pace until I see qualifying, but I'm loving the way Alonso is working that ultra soft...he's looking dialled in. Apparently Renault have released more power this weekend.