2014 Bahrain Grand Prix

[Phillyred]

We all have seen Alonso's stellar ability to handle and over-achieve with Ferrari's underwhelming cars in the past so this lends me to believe that Kimi's performance with this year's car is probably a better representation of the car's overall pace despite rumors of Kimi having braking issues which he has flat out denied recently.

Why are you making --- up? He has not denied that in any way shape or form. And everyone knows its true, just look at his car, especially in melbourne.

Silly me. http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/24187 ... ire-system

"However, speaking during Thursday's press conference for the Malaysia GP, Raikkonen was adamant that he had been misquoted and his early-season travails couldn't be attributed to the F14 T's brake-by-wire component.

'I don't know where that came from, it's not the issue and there is nothing wrong with the system,' the 2007 World Champion retorted. 'Somebody asked me about it after the race and I said 'it's not that', so it's not true. It is mainly just set-up and getting the car as I like it.'"

[Shrieker]

Ferrari must improve massively. Heads will roll before the end of the season if they keep going like this. If i'm not mistaken, they have good reliability but are too slow for a podium, which makes me think they've erred too much on the side of caution with the car.

[dans79]

Ferrari must improve massively. Heads will roll before the end of the season if they keep going like this. If i'm not mistaken, they have good reliability but are too slow for a podium, which makes me think they've erred too much on the side of caution with the car.

I'm not sure what it is, but since the ban on in season testing ferrari just hasn't been very good, they seem to have an issue every season.

[Vasconia]

Podium for....The Force India of HULKENBERG...
Real talk!! being perfectly serious.

I sincerely think this can be real. Look how strong was Di Resta last year in this track and how fast and strong has Nico been in the first two races.

And with the dominant Mercedes power unit supposed to be even more dominant in this track this could happen. I would like to see Nico on the Podium.

My poll:

1. Hamilton
2. Rosberg
3. Nico
4. Vettel
5. Bottas
6. Alonso
7. Massa
8. Raikkonen
9. Magnussen
10. Button.

Rb will be lucky because they track is at night, anyway they demonstrated in Malaysia that they can resist high temperatures too.

[basti313]

I suspect Ferrari will be close to RB this weekend as well and therefore have a chance of being best of the rest. Alonso stated that they seemed to struggled (slide) more on the harder tyres, so the inclusion of the soft might play to their strengths more.

This is a even larger benefit for Redbull. Ric had a very poor performance on hard tires, much slower than Alonso. Only Vettel was able to manage them in a short stint at the end.
But with others you are right. McLaren and Williams seemed to be as fast on the hard tires as on the mediums. So rather poor usage of the mediums.

Could even be, and perhaps I'm clutching at straws, that Mercedes' tyre usage is still worse than some others on softer compounds; could be that their car gets them into the harder compunds' window better but overheats the softer ones. Likewise, Ferrari looked the worst car on tyres in Malaysia but the reported sliding could be because they're not getting them into the window quickly enough (and then the problem compunds itself).

Like I say, possibly wishful thinking.

A lot of "wishful thinking" I would say... there was absolutely NO tire degradation issue on the Mercs (they could easily do two laps more in each stint than Redbull) and they just have taken to most experience on the tires out of testing.

And why do you thing Ferrari has a tire issue? Alonso made early stops to undercut Ric, but in the end he had a fabulous, long and very constant stint on the mediums and perhaps the best hard-stint in the race. I don't think the tires are a problem, it is just traction.

Rb will be lucky because they track is at night, anyway they demonstrated in Malaysia that they can resist high temperatures too.

I would say it is the other way round: The hotter, the better for Redbull (who would have thought that after the tests...) as they have more downforce advantage and less drag deficits when the others have to open their cooling outlets and, thus, loose downforce and gain drag. Redbull isn't doing that, they always have the same drag and keep the cooling air focused in the same way for rear downforce.

[FrukostScones]

my predictions:
1.HAM
2.ROS
3.BOT
4.HUL
5.VET
6.MAS
7.MAG
8.ALO
9.BUT
10.GRO

[basti313]

my predictions:
1.HAM
2.ROS
3.BOT
4.HUL
5.VET
6.MAS
7.MAG
8.ALO
9.BUT
10.GRO

11. PER? It is always good to have the groper on the grid

[Gerhard Berger]

Ferrari must improve massively. Heads will roll before the end of the season if they keep going like this. If i'm not mistaken, they have good reliability but are too slow for a podium, which makes me think they've erred too much on the side of caution with the car.

Simone Resta's comments from last week ("our number 1 priority is reliability") would seem to indicate that. Red Bull seem to have gone in an opposite direction (performance first, and then make the car reliable) and it has paid off for them.

[willmesquita]

Ferrari again and Ferrari all over again. Be realistic. Bahrain will be much of traction and straight line speed, and all of us knows that Ferrari is inferior to the top 5 teams on this aspects. I expect them to struggle not only behind Red Bull but also behind Mclaren because of the traction and behind Williams because of their efficiency down the straights. And remember, that Ferrari won't have updates until China or even Europe, only software modifications. =D>

Ferrari has a front suspension upgrade now, and they have parts for China. I understand that you like Mclaren, but don't get all crazy just because someone thought Ferrari might do well. Besides, with Mclaren's lack of DF, software upgades to help power delivery should be all Ferrari need to help stay ahead of Macca.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113226

Oh yeah Pierce, and Alonso is very optimistic...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113224

[Just_a_fan]

Could even be, and perhaps I'm clutching at straws, that Mercedes' tyre usage is still worse than some others on softer compounds; could be that their car gets them into the harder compunds' window better but overheats the softer ones. Likewise, Ferrari looked the worst car on tyres in Malaysia but the reported sliding could be because they're not getting them into the window quickly enough (and then the problem compunds itself).

Like I say, possibly wishful thinking.

Very wishful thinking. At Sepang the Mercedes pitted last of the three stoppers each time if I remember correctly and they were last to go on to the harder compound.

[gray41]

Different design for Grosjean in Bahrain.

[dren]

Mercedes
.
Red Bull
.
Ferrari
FI
Mclaren
Williams
.
.
Rest

[Kiril Varbanov]

Braking facts from Brembo for Bahrain. In general a tough one for them:

[mclaren_mircea]

Ferrari again and Ferrari all over again. Be realistic. Bahrain will be much of traction and straight line speed, and all of us knows that Ferrari is inferior to the top 5 teams on this aspects. I expect them to struggle not only behind Red Bull but also behind Mclaren because of the traction and behind Williams because of their efficiency down the straights. And remember, that Ferrari won't have updates until China or even Europe, only software modifications. =D>

Ferrari has a front suspension upgrade now, and they have parts for China. I understand that you like Mclaren, but don't get all crazy just because someone thought Ferrari might do well. Besides, with Mclaren's lack of DF, software upgades to help power delivery should be all Ferrari need to help stay ahead of Macca.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/113226

Ferrari will have something minor more to make the car friendly to Kimi not a conventional upgrade package to bring performance. And don't excuse their lack of development by bringing "software modifications" . They won't have an extensive upgrade package until Barcelona, while Mclaren will update the car in Bahrain and China.
And remember, Mclaren had an upgrade package, who's performance was masked by Sepang characteristics, but in Bahrain that performance will be visible. And combined with the new package for Bahrain should make the car faster than Ferrari. You will see how Ferrari, like every year, will fall back as the season will progress.

[Darknight]

And the sky opens up and it rains in Bahrain!!!!!!!