137 replies to this topic

[Exb]

It's race week   F1 heads to Bahrain for the first night race of the season (for anyone that still cares)

(photos from the Bahrain circuit twitter feed)

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      A sneak preview of what to expect from the race?  https://twitter.com/...814920580341760

Amid all the doom and gloom surrounding F1 at the moment, as those in control try their best to look as idiotic as possible, there is a race fast approaching, and despite the shambolic qualifying in Australia the race was actually pretty decent and sets the season up nicely.

 

Some Bahrain stats from Renault

 

Tyres

 

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Timings: Local(BST)

FP1 14.00-15.30 (12.00-13.30)

FP2 18.00-19.30 (16.00-17.30)

FP3 15.00-16.00 (13.00-14.00)

Qualifying 18.00 (16.00)     

Race 18.00 (16.00)

 

So (ignoring qualifying as that stays the same format as Australia - Thanks for that Bernie/Jean ) the race should hopefully answer a few more of the questions about the current competitive order amongst the teams. Bahrain, with plenty of straights, should favour those with Mercedes power, so could Williams and Force India find themselves ahead of Red Bull and Toro Rosso this race? Will Ferrari show their great starts in Australia wasn't a one off? Can Haas get more points and show Australia wasn't a fluke due to the Red flag? Who's going to get the tyre strategy right Are the supersofts going to last more than a few laps in the race        

 

Last years lap times:

P1 - Kimi Räikkönen 1:37.827 (13) https://www.formula1...practice-1.html

P2 - Nico Rosberg 1:34.647 (31) https://www.formula1...practice-2.html

P3 - Lewis Hamilton 1:34.599 (13) https://www.formula1...practice-3.html

Qualifying - Lewis Hamilton Q3 1:32.571 https://www.formula1...qualifying.html

 

Race https://www.formula1...sults/race.html

1 HAM Lewis Hamilton GBR Mercedes 1:35:05.809 25 2 RAI Kimi Räikkönen FIN Ferrari +3.380s 18 3 ROS Nico Rosberg GER Mercedes +6.033s 15 4 BOT Valtteri Bottas FIN Williams +42.957s 12 5 VET Sebastian Vettel GER Ferrari +43.989s 10

 

[anbeck]

So, honestly, who is going to tune in for qualifying? 

[Risil]

Another year, another opportunity passed over to run the perimeter circuit

C'mon, it would be great.

[Vettelari]

Oh WOW, Risil! Great call, there. I never knew a perimeter circuit existed. That looks awesome. Talk about a high speed race. Lord have mercy, that'd be fun as hell to watch. Makes turn 4-5 look like a beast compared to what we see on the current track.

Edited by Vettelari, 29 March 2016 - 22:38.

[Marklar]

Remember when they used this layout in 2010? Worst race ever.

 

[johnmhinds]

So, honestly, who is going to tune in for qualifying? 

 

Already have my popcorn ready!

 

[BRG]

What level of oppression of the people of Bahrain are they using this year?

[Vettelari]

I wasn't aware it was modified that much in 2010 either, Marklar. I'm going to go watch it. What made it so much worse?

[johnmhinds]

I wasn't aware it was modified that much in 2010 either, Marklar. I'm going to go watch it. What made it so much worse?

 

The track out there is bumpy as hell, and not wide enough to make any passes work.

 

[Risil]

Bahrain is one of those circuits where I simply can't tell from looking what part it is that the TV cameras are showing.

[Exb]

I wasn't aware it was modified that much in 2010 either, Marklar. I'm going to go watch it. What made it so much worse?

Please don't waste your time. It was terrible (and the 1st race of that season)

[Kristian]

The 2010 race was terrible. I remember watching it with a hangover, which promptly got worse.

The perimeter circuit would be brilliant, it would be a no brainer to use if we lost Monza.

[Kristian]

The 2010 race was terrible. I remember watching it with a hangover, which promptly got worse.

The perimeter circuit would be brilliant, it would be a no brainer to use if we lost Monza. It would envoke memories of Ain diab or Tripoli.... But with more tsrmsc. But at least f1 would still have a high speed race.

[teejay]

Looking forward to a stunningly exciting Q3

[Vettelari]

Q3 will once again be comparable to watching a porno movie in reverse.

[TomNokoe]

If Ferrari are still running a dud engine then I'm expecting a walkover. Massa on the podium?

Manor to get out of Q1?

[Wuzak]

If Hamilton improves his Q3 time by as much as in Australia (2.5s) he will be only a half second of the fastest ever time at Bahrain - in 2005 by Mark Webber in practice.

 

And only a few tenths behind the best qualifying time from that year.

[kvyatfan]

What level of oppression of the people of Bahrain are they using this year?

 

Whatever it is let's hope they don't learn anything from Bernie's Car Elimination B-I-N-G--.

[KingTiger]

Lets hope qualy is the worst thing ever so these damn clowns can finally do something about it.

[Docc]

The anticipation for qualifying is stunting..stunning..er stunted.. Yeah that's it..stunted..

[GoldenColt]

Lets hope qualy is the worst thing ever so these damn clowns can finally do something about it.

 

Not that we can be sure about that...

[Widefoot2]

What level of oppression of the people of Bahrain are they using this year?

 

I think the strategy will be hard, soft, hard (pre-race, race, post-race).  Wets will only be used in the event of waterboarding...

[Balthazar]

Are we there yet ?

[Radion]

Interesting, Mercedes goes way softer than Ferrari re tyres.

I think those tyre choices really are interesting and can make for a good race once in a while.

[lbennie]

Expecting quali to somehow not be so apically bad due to some bizarre circumstance. which will then be followed by the grim realization/despair that they will stubbornly persist with the format for a few more races.

[thegamer23]

I quite like that track. It's one of the best ones for racing out there, and it looks stunning under the night lights, with all those sparks.

Can't wait for another great race, would be the fourth in a row in Bahrain (2013,2014,2015 were just good).

Edited by thegamer23, 30 March 2016 - 10:38.

[Jon83]

Expecting quali to somehow not be so apically bad due to some bizarre circumstance. which will then be followed by the grim realization/despair that they will stubbornly persist with the format for a few more races.

 

That is my concern also.

[ConsiderAndGo]

That is my concern also.

 

Don't be. It will be just as bad as Aus.

[Marklar]

Considering that the teams might be better prepared (doubt that) but on the other hand that the lap time is approx 10 seconds higher in Bahrain than in Melbourne (which means that in theory it will be even worse), I see no chance that it will be really better than in Melbourne.

 

I fear something else: If a Merc is failing to make it to Q2 for some reasons (which is in Bahrain more likely than in Melbourne), then the system caused the wished shake-up and then they will persist with this format for sure....

[SCUDmissile]

Made me think.

 

F1 under Bernie will have peaked with the inevitable North Korean GP. It won't get any better than that. Can't wait for it to be honest.

[w1Y]

What I want to see

Ferrari drivers fall out in q2 with merc on pole and second winning an uneventful race by 40 secs. How's that for "THE SHOW" Bernie?

Then they may drop it

[cokata]

Interesting, Mercedes goes way softer than Ferrari 

That's what she said.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

sorry

[Ruusperi]

So, honestly, who is going to tune in for qualifying? 

Not me. This madness won't stop until every fan leaves the circuit and TV receiver during the qualifying. In other words, they'll never revert to 2015 system.

[TomNokoe]

I have a thread of hope for quali because saving a set of supersofts for the race doesn't open up a whole new direction for strategy. We may see Ferrari do 2 runs, which makes it a tiny bit better than Australia.

The format is still dreadful though and no one will touch Mercedes

[Starish]

Ferrari had warm up problems in Aus so i expect a better qualy performance here. 

[Araqiel]

Weather Forecast

What should be one of the simpler forecasts of the season is complicated slightly by an area of low pressure over Iran, producing some gusty winds from the NNW and resulting in cloud across the Arabian peninsula. Friday will be partly to mostly cloudy throughout the day as a result, with 15-25mph winds from the NNW, strongest after midday, and a high of 23°C (74°F). There is a 30% chance of rain in the evening hours of Thursday, but with an overnight low of 18°C this is unlikely to stick around for long enough to affect Fridays's running. Chance of rain for Friday is 10%, most probably around midday if at all, and therefore not likely to mean much except perhaps a less dusty track than is normal for FP1 here.

Saturday is much the same to start, albeit with skies having cleared in the early hours allowing highs to reach around 25°C (77°F), falling to around 22°C by the time qualifying starts, with the winds also having dropped to around 10-15mph and shifted around slightly to the WNW. Sunday will be the best of the three days, highs reaching 26°C (79°F) in the afternoon but again closer to 22°C by race start, with some patchy cloud building in late in the day and winds at 5-10mph from the NNE. Chance of rain for both days currently stands at 0%, although it should be noted that the last week has seen at least some rainfall across much of the region.

Edited by Araqiel, 30 March 2016 - 14:21.

[Lotus53B]

That the weather is going to be noticeably cooler than last year, softer tyres may be the order of the day.  Last year (24-26°) the tyres were medium and soft, so maybe softs will be the best tyre for the race this year.

[MasterOfCoin]

I really like this track, it's a track where there's no place to hide engine wise or tire degradation performance. 

[ConsiderAndGo]

Since its become a night race, its easily become one of the best races of the year.

[Marklar]

Actually since DRS/Pirelli (one of just a few circuits were the racing really improved): 2012 was a solid race, 2013, 2014 and 2015 each time one of the best of the whole season (2011 not held).

Edited by Marklar, 30 March 2016 - 14:09.

[Brackets]

Another year, another opportunity passed over to run the perimeter circuit. C'mon, it would be great.

 

I don't know about 'great', but at the very least, it would be done faster.

Edited by Brackets, 30 March 2016 - 14:08.

[TomNokoe]

Another year, another opportunity passed over to run the perimeter circuit
C'mon, it would be great.

That image seems a little deceiving. The main straight and second straight look super long but it's just the scale of the image, they are exactly the same as the current layout. The final straight would get a little longer but not by much.

Reminds me of Mexico a little bit, would be a great low downforce track.

[Nonesuch]

Another year, another opportunity passed over to run the perimeter circuit

 

C'mon, it would be great.

 

It'd be a nice change of pace for tracks with multiple configurations - especially if they're on the longer side rather than just a chopped up version of the GP track - to change things up every couple of years. 

 

Do something weird. It's F1, it'll look normal.

[fawx]

will be interesting to keep an eye on Haas as well as the Ferrari-Mercedes battle as this track will be more indicative of what the true pace is.

 

that is if we can keep ourselves awake through Q3.   

[andrea303]

Since its become a night race, its easily become one of the best races of the year.

 

Any particular reason why you like it as a night race instead of running in daylight? Of course the ambience is nice but I prefer daylight over night in every circuit except Singapore. I think really hot temperatures add nice variation to racing. Maybe mix up the grid also.

[ConsiderAndGo]

Any particular reason why you like it as a night race instead of running in daylight? Of course the ambience is nice but I prefer daylight over night in every circuit except Singapore. I think really hot temperatures add nice variation to racing. Maybe mix up the grid also.

 

I like it because since it's become a night race, the actual racing, what we all tune in to see, is much better. Look at the races between 2004 - 2012 - Awful. 

 

2013 was the only anomaly.

Edited by ConsiderAndGo, 30 March 2016 - 15:50.

[Exb]

Press conference schedules:

 

Drivers - Thursday 15.00 local (13.00 BST)

Rosberg, Alonso, Massa, Grosjean, Verstappen , Wehrlein

 

Team - Friday 20.00 local (18.00 BST)

Fernley (Force India), C Williams (Williams), Tost (Toro Rosso), Kaltenborn (sauber), Ryan (Manor), Hembery (Pirelli)

 

hmm, the only some pro-elimination qualifying people (from the teams at least) on Friday with Fernley, Williams and Hembery so I'm expecting to hear how great it is that it has another chance....

[nosecone]

For those who didn't know that Bahrain has a history at all, here's FOM's viedeo about the history of the Bahrain GP.

[Szoelloe]

So, honestly, who is going to tune in for qualifying? 

 

Wouldn't do that to myself. Maybe I'll watch the race, not sure about that either.

[andrea303]

I like it because since it's become a night race, the actual racing, what we all tune in to see, is much better. Look at the races between 2004 - 2012 - Awful. 

 

2013 was the only anomaly.

 

 Then I guess my memory is not sharp enough on this matter