Chinese GP 2012 - Shanghai

[Hail22]

Going to throw my qualifying predictions for now:

1. Button
2. Hamilton
3. Schumacher
4. Raikkonen
5. Rosberg
6. Webber
7. Vettel
8. Alonso
9. Grosjean
10. Ricciardo

[PlatinumZealot]

Qualifying on this track is all about saving the tyres for sector 3. That is where you need the tyre in its temperature range, you don't want to overheat them before that sector.

[aparajuli]

Hi guys, great discussion. I think for qualification my predictions are:

1. Hamilton
2. Vettel
3. Button
4. Webber
5. Alonso
6. Schumi
7. Grosjean
8. Raikkonen
9. Rosberg
10. Perez

McLaren will be strong still, but I think Redbull will use this time off to fix some issues with car and Vettel to regain some focus. Webber will always be off pace but still be competitive enough.

Ferrari will not improve as Alonso has said but they have good team spirit at the moment so Alonso will be up there in top 5. Sadly Massa will not make it in top 10.

I also predict Grosjean will finish in top 10 as he has consistently done well in qualification so far, I just hope he can actually finish the race this time.

[raymondu999]

I think most teams do run DRS open on 13 at Sepang... they take a sort of straight exit for a few seconds before entering 14. The advantage of the system is not about opening early - you still have to have more than enough traction. They won't be able to do it on the exit of 6 because there the issue isn't drag - but that they're traction limited. They might be able to close it later than others in 7 though. I suspect they will be massively early (if the system is indeed as we think it is) out of 13. Heck they might DRS the whole of 13.

[myurr]

I predict Hamilton on pole with a 1:37.8, Button 1 tenth behind, then Raikkonen, Schumacher, Grosjean, Webber, Vettel, Rosberg, Alonso, Perez.

[raymondu999]

1:37? Isn't China generally quicker than Malaysia? (I'm going off the top of my head here - so I could be wrong)

[myurr]

1:37? Isn't China generally quicker than Malaysia? (I'm going off the top of my head here - so I could be wrong)

Last year was a 1:33.7 so my memory was poor. I'm going to revise that prediction to be a 1:34.9

[raymondu999]

Hamilton is mega in China. One of his specialty tracks IMO. He should nab pole rather easily. I think last year was the first time he has been outqualified by a teammate.

[prince]

My predictions.

Qualifying:
1. Hamilton
2. Schumacher
3. Button/Raikkonen
5. Rosberg/Grosjean
7. Vettel/Webber

Race:
1. Button
2. Hamilton
3. Schumacher (if tyre problems are sorted)/Vettel
5. Raikkonen/Webber
7. Alonso/Grosjean/Rosberg (if tyre problems are sorted)
.
.
.
12. Schumacher (if tyre problems are not sorted)
13. Rosberg (if tyre problems are not sorted)

Looking at the speed differential between last year and this, I think pole sitter's time would be 1:35.4.

The weather for Raceday is shwoing as RAIN in accuweather. If it rains, it would be anybody's race, my race day predictions then stand null and void.

[Blackout]

Something strikes me as just weird about the circuit. Really the quickest car of the year just about has never won here - other than 2004.

2005 - Alonso won - McLaren/Raikkonen quicker
2006 - Schumacher won - (arguably) Alonso maybe quicker. Maybe.
2007 - Raikkonen won - McLaren quicker
2008 - Hamilton won - Ferrari quicker
2009 - Vettel won - Brawn quicker
2010/2011 - McLaren won - Red Bull quicker

Renault was basically quicker in the last three GP in 2005 thanks to the new mass damper and an engine upgrade.

[raymondu999]

Yeah I know that some of the cars were quicker that weekend; but I'm talking more in terms of on balance, over the course of the year.

[astracrazy]

could we see mercs drs/f-duct advantage cut by the time this race comes around?
By melbourne teams knew fully what mercs up to. We might not but i'm sure one or two teams must do but they aint gonna tell the world they know what it is. With a full 4 weeks from then (Aus) to China, some teams might have this device with them at the gp?

[raymondu999]

Back in 2010 it took MGP until China to copy the device; Ferrari took until Barcelona, and Red Bull only raced their solution to Valencia (Tested it in Canada though). I don't think it'll be that quick.

[myurr]

Back in 2010 it took MGP until China to copy the device; Ferrari took until Barcelona, and Red Bull only raced their solution to Valencia (Tested it in Canada though). I don't think it'll be that quick.

just a thought, but does anyone think that all Lotus and Red Bull's bluster about whether it's legal or not was never designed to get the device banned but to delay the other teams developing their solutions. They knew from their discussions with the FIA that it would most likely be deemed legal, and they kept saying how they were going to protest it and even got it mentioned on Sky's coverage as how they were going to take it to the stewards just so that they could then appeal and take it legal. And yet nothing ever happened.

I can only think they were creating all this bluster to try and delay other teams from starting work on their own solutions as they wouldn't want to waste resources until they were sure the system was legal.

[Maelstrom]

Back in 2010 it took MGP until China to copy the device; Ferrari took until Barcelona, and Red Bull only raced their solution to Valencia (Tested it in Canada though). I don't think it'll be that quick.

just a thought, but does anyone think that all Lotus and Red Bull's bluster about whether it's legal or not was never designed to get the device banned but to delay the other teams developing their solutions. They knew from their discussions with the FIA that it would most likely be deemed legal, and they kept saying how they were going to protest it and even got it mentioned on Sky's coverage as how they were going to take it to the stewards just so that they could then appeal and take it legal. And yet nothing ever happened.

I can only think they were creating all this bluster to try and delay other teams from starting work on their own solutions as they wouldn't want to waste resources until they were sure the system was legal.

It might be possible. Also just might be worry that MGP has a leg up on them.