The 2009 Chinese Grand Prix Thread

[Ed]

Now Button goes fastest with a 1:35.679

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14 drivers on the track now. Just 5 minutes remaining

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16 drivers on the track.

The lap times in general are slower and a few cars are running the medium compound

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Rosberg sets the fastest time in S1!

18 cars on the track

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Rosberg moves into second with a 1:35.704. Just 0.025 seconds off!

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Sutil spins but recovers and the session comes to an end

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So the order at the end of the session:

Button (1:35.679), Rosberg (+0.025), Barrichello, Webber, Vettel, Trulli, Nakajima, Glock, Kovalainen (+0.995), Bourdais, Sutil, Massa, Hamilton, Raikkonen, Buemi, Piquet, Kubica, Heidfeld, Alonso and Fisichella.

[Julian Mayo]

If Flavio's description of the Brawn drivers is accurate, imagine what a couple of real pilots could do......................

[Snowy]

Flavio doesn't always say what he really thinks, say what he really means or thinks, full stop. Whilst it would be convenient to suppose that Jenson and Ruben's are journey men, the fact of the matter is that both have shown slivers of brilliance in the past. Over the past decade - longer in Rubens case - if it were raining and you couldn't have Schuey in the car you would have wanted Jenson or Rubens and been envious of the teams that had them.

[Julian Mayo]

Flavio doesn't always say what he really thinks, say what he really means or thinks, full stop. Whilst it would be convenient to suppose that Jenson and Ruben's are journey men, the fact of the matter is that both have shown slivers of brilliance in the past. Over the past decade - longer in Rubens case - if it were raining and you couldn't have Schuey in the car you would have wanted Jenson or Rubens and been envious of the teams that had them.

When it comes to rain, I want Webbo in my car. Was it not here that he did some amazing laps in a barge of a jag, to put it on the front row.............my memory may be a tad tatty from too long in the bush, but that's what I recall.

[Snowy]

Mark is very good in the wet, has upheld the rather odd tradition of Aussies being wet weather specialists and has many other fine qualities but I stand by what I said.

Jenson apparently turned his nose up at an offer of a drive from "Flav the impala" this year. So that probably goes part way to explaining his rather embittered attack. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

[GhoGho]

While Mark Jensen and RB are all undoubtedly quick in the wet, and FA is is no slouch either, the one that really impresses me is the young Sebastian Vettel!

[Julian Mayo]

Yup, everything about him says future champion. Unfortunately he reminds me very much of Jochen Rindt, who went out of his way to give time to a certain impressionable young teenager on several occasions.
Still, thats something the head doctors can play with when they come to change my nice white coat next week.

[Ed]

Saturday practice session underway, air temperature is 22 degrees and track temperature is 33 degrees.

15 cars on the track

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Rosberg is off in the gravel on his way into the pits! Similar to were Hamilton got stuck two years ago!