The 2009 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:57 pm

Timo Glock and Robert Kubica are starting from the pits.

Air temperature is 20 degrees and track temperature is 19 degrees

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:59 pm

I beleive you are right, it was Suzuka 08

Formation lap about to get underway

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:00 pm

And they're off on the sighting lap; all cars are on full wets

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:01 pm

Vettel is looking good, last year in Monza he won in the Toro Rosso.

The track is very wet and there is a lot of spray. Doubt the race will start straight away

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:05 pm

Race has begun under the safety car; it will be up to race control to decide when to, as they say, "release the hounds......."

Cars kicking up lots of rooster-tails; an in-car shot showed almost no visibility............Alonso reports that the grip is okay; Button radios that visibility is poor

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:06 pm

2 laps covered so far under the safety car

Massa goes wide but recovers

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:07 pm

there are pockets of standing water visible on-track; Vettel radios that "track is okay, but there has been worse"

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:09 pm

here's an interesting thought......thanks to the safety car start, McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen finally completed his first lap of the F1 season..............

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:09 pm

There is a lot of spray at this low speed. When the race starts, the visibility will be near zero!

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:10 pm

Yeah lets hope Heikki's luck is better today!

Sutil goes off avoiding a very slow Piquet

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:10 pm

Ed wrote:There is a lot of spray at this low speed. When the race starts, the visibility will be near zero!

They were talking about that on the Speed broadcast, Ed. Also, there were a couple of in-car shots and there wasn't much visibility[one can only imagine what the driver is seeing; those in-car cameras are above the driver.....]

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:11 pm

The safety car starts the 4th lap of the race

mlittle · Post by **mlittle** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:12 pm

Massa's team is telling him to keep the temps up as much as possible

Sutil just about ran into the Renault of Piquet; also, Rosberg radios that there is aquaplaning on the main straight

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:13 pm

Sutil pits and rejoins. That maybe a good strategy as he doesn't loss many places and can fill up.

Kimi Raikkonnen goes wide in the same place Massa goes off, he recovers

Ed · Post by Ed » Sun Apr 19, 2009 5:14 pm

Rosberg makes his stop.

It will be interesting to see if this strategy works

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The 2009 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

Driver of the day ?