2009 Chinese Grand Prix – Can anyone stop Brawn?

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Blake

Blake

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haswell00
2009 Chinese Grand Prix









Number of Laps: 56
Circuit Length: 5.451 km
Race Distance: 305.066 km
Lap Record: 1:32.238 – Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), 2004
Tyre Compounds: Super Soft, Medium​


Form Guide

Brawn GP
Currently with the quickest car by quite some margin Brawn look to be the obvious choice to win this race. Both drivers have had good finishes here in the past, and I can’t see anything that will bring their winning streak to an end. Rubens will be looking to establish himself as a challenger to Button in the title fight, but Jenson is on good form and has a history of being quicker than Rubens here. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top, I’m guessing Button will.

Toyota
The Japanese giant have a very quick car this year, only bested by Brawn and Red Bull. Trulli has done a particularly good job. I expect him to qualify well and fall back. The fight for positions 4 and down will be pretty tight and I think Toyota will be fighting with a bunch of other teams in that group.

BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica has been quietly putting in some good times, so I think he’ll be well placed to fight for good points. Heidfeld has been struggling in qualifying, but it’s hard to tell why. Is KERS throwing off his balance too much, or is he still struggling with getting the tyres up to temp for a flying lap? Whatever the case he’ll be struggling to get into the top 8 in qualifying and I’m not sure if he will be able to move through the field.

Renault
Renault are still being carried by Fernando Alonso’s genious, which is really unfortunate because they need 2 cars up there to be getting any real constructors’ points. Alonso will be fighting to get into the points, which Piquet will be fighting to stay on the track. If he’s lucky he’ll finish ahead of the STR boys.

Williams
If points were awarded for practice times… I hope Rosberg can pull it together and get a real result, but I think he missed an opportunity in Malaysia. There are a few other cars I expect to be fighting with Williams in China and Nico will have a lot of competition trying to fight at the pointy end of the field. I hope he can do well, but I have a feeling the end result will be average.

Scuderia Torro Rosso
Don’t expect miracles. The midfield beckons.

Red Bull Racing
For the ‘A’ team however, I think we can expect a bit more. Vettel is right on form at the moment and Webber put in a solid drive in Malaysia. These guys can fight for the podium and maybe more if the weather turns.

McLaren
McLaren have a giant cloud hovering over them at the moment, but I don’t expect that to get in the way of their racing. They don’t have the pace to get into the top 10, but Lewis should be able to race his way into the top 10. I don’t know how much to expect from him, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to pull a result out of thin air.

Ferrari
My beloved Scuderia, oh how you suck these days. :( I think they can actually get points this weekend. Kimi typically has very good form here, and with such a long straight KERS should help them race a bit. As long as the pit crew and strategists keep their heads, Kimi doesn’t hit anything, and Felipe doesn’t spin, maybe they can get something. God it’s depressing to have to have so many conditions attached to getting a good result, it used to just happen. :P

Force India
They’ll come last. Sutil will beat Fisichella.

Previous Race Winners
2008: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007: Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari)
2006: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2005: Fernanda Alonso (Renault)
2004: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)

Previous Polesitters
2008: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) – 1:36.303
2007: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) – 1:35.908
2006: Fernanda Alonso (Renault) – 1:44.360
2005: Fernanda Alonso (Renault) – 1:34.080
2004: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari) – 1:34.012

2009 Predictions
1. Jenson Button
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Sebastian Vettel
4. Kimi Räikkönen
5. Jarno Trulli
6. Robert Kubica
7. Nico Rosberg
8. Felipe Massa

So, predictions, news, discussions, etc. kgo
 
My predictions:
  • BrawnGP will win for the 3rd time in a row, most likely Button again
  • A Toyota will be on the podium again
  • Ferrari will run into bad luck... again
  • A streaker will run out on the track and he'll be pretty hairy and gross
 
I think Toyota are significantly faster than Red Bull actually, I think a lot of Vettel's pace is coming from him more than the car if we compare with Webber.

I also don't think Trulli will fall back so easily, if he qualifies well (and thats a certainty with the one-lap-master) you can expect him to finish very high up even if the car is slow because of Trulli-train.

I predict a Brawn 1-3 with Trulli, Glock or Vettel on the 2nd step. I expect Ferrari in the points this race.
 
I think Toyota and Red Bull are pretty similar as far as pace is concerned. Red Bull just haven’t been able to convert anything into good results whereas Toyota have been able to pull of fantastic results in both races. I don’t think there’s much to pick between them.

Also one thing to watch out for in this race is the Super Soft tyres. These are the same tyres as we had in Australia, and I don’t think they’ll hold up well. So look out for some late race overtaking (remember Rosberg dropping like a brick at the Aussie GP after 3 laps on the softs). I don’t expect any funky strategies here, because a safety car is really unlikely.
 
Hopefully in this race Brawn actually don't get a 1-2, because then we'd know what the season would turn out to be: a Brawn washout. Button might even take every single race this year and become the British Michael Schumacher. Mind you, Schuey was an absolute clown here...in his first two races here.

The long straights on the circuit are probably gonna work in the teams with more powerful engines way, so McLaren and Ferrari are most likely gonna grab some points (unless Ferrari run short on luck again).
 
Now that's a gp thread! :D

I'm guessing pretty much all wing adjustments will be made before and after the main straight, and that A Brawn won't win this one.
 
I am only making half a post
since the last race was cut
short by rain. With that said,
I think the Chinese GP will be
won by
 
C-ZETA
Hopefully in this race Brawn actually don't get a 1-2, because then we'd know what the season would turn out to be: a Brawn washout. Button might even take every single race this year and become the British Michael Schumacher. Mind you, Schuey was an absolute clown here...in his first two races here.
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be so certain, Brawn have a big advantage at the moment but that advantage is likely to dwindle of the season, particularly if the non-'super' diffuser teams manage to get the new 'super' diffuser to work with their cars, that's a few tenths per lap. A few more tenths per lap for redbull would make thinks a lot harder for brawn.

The long straights on the circuit are probably gonna work in the teams with more powerful engines way, so McLaren and Ferrari are most likely gonna grab some points (unless Ferrari run short on luck again).
Click to expand...

Does brawn not use a Mercedes engine? or is it last years :boggled:

Alex.
Now that's a gp thread! :D
Click to expand...

Agreed, good job Blake 👍
 
I honestly don't care if Brawn dominate this season - its better than the usual suspects dominating, so long as they don't dominate next year too.
 
I think that some will already be bored if BrawnGP dominates this season, I know I will. It's good to see a new team that has been struggling is at the front, but if they're to win every race, I'll get tired of it very soon.

As for predictions, podium for Toyota.
 
I somewhat doubt it will be a domination anyway, the field isn't exactly spread out and we have 2 very close (although crazy) races. Especially if you look at the early stages of Malaysia, there were some definite contenders against Brawn and there is still plenty of action midfield (which really is the important part).
 
I think the competition will come closer to Brawn and Toyota as well. Even though the others aren't driving those weird diffusers, they'll find something to improve. Just like Renault did last season :)
 
Ardius
I somewhat doubt it will be a domination anyway, the field isn't exactly spread out and we have 2 very close (although crazy) races. Especially if you look at the early stages of Malaysia, there were some definite contenders against Brawn and there is still plenty of action midfield (which really is the important part).
Click to expand...

True. But so far we haven't seen Button under presure. It looks so easy for him to keep his car in front. Some people even suggest he may have kept "quite a bit" under the feet. Anyway, I'm pretty sure 2009 will provide lots of fantastic races given how much on track action we have already seen after only one and a half race.👍
 
Well, we did see him under a bit of pressure at Malaysia, or rather we did see him overtake Rosberg and Trulli in between pit stops with insanely fast laps.

I think he handled Alonso very decisively, he clearly has confidence in the car (which I think is the key thing here, looking at some of the other driver's driving you can clearly see the differences in where they put the throttle down) and can maintain a lead and put in fast laps when he needs to.

He just lacks a bit of blocking skill but I think this combined with Trulli's famous blocking ability and the differences in car performance should make some interesting duels in future.
 
I can't see Brawn dominating for the whole season, though I've been over the moon that Button finally has a car worth driving - regardless of his doubters, he's always been a talented driver and even when he has had a bad car under him he's occasionally shown flashes of great talent.

I can see Button winning in China though. Him and the team are on a roll and the other teams will have to pull out something pretty special to beat him.

Re: Button under pressure - he seemed to do fine even when he was a bit hot-headed and inexperienced in Formula 3 back in the UK - I've been watching him since 97/98 ish and as far as his skill in a one-on-one situation goes I wouldn't count against him.
 
I'm expecting the Kovalainen #2 car to finish the first lap. Only to fail on the 2nd lap. Hey, it's progress, and as Bill Murray said, "baby steps"
 
thirteendog
I'm expecting the Kovalainen #2 car to finish the first lap. Only to fail on the 2nd lap. Hey, it's progress, and as Bill Murray said, "baby steps"
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Yeh its not like he has finished a race before is it. :rolleyes:
 
Blake
2009 Predictions
1. Jenson Button
2. Rubens Barrichello
3. Sebastian Vettel
4. Kimi Räikkönen
5. Jarno Trulli
6. Robert Kubica
7. Nico Rosberg
8. Felipe Massa

So, predictions, news, discussions, etc. kgo
Click to expand...

My prediction would be the same, except put move Trulli to 4th and replace Massa with Glock.

That leaves Massa and Hamilton to fight for the first no-points place.
 
My predictions:
Pole:
Button in a Q2 time of ~1minute, 31.9 seconds
Race:
1. Button
2. Vettel will suprise!
3. Barrichello after a long fight with
4. Trulli
5. Webber
6. Rosberg
7. Nakajima who will duel with
8. Kubica and
9. Glock
10. Heidfield
 
I'm not going to make predictions - I never do, largely because I don't want to jinx my favourite drivers - but I do want to see Button win. In fact, I'd be cool with it if he won every last race this year; I've been a fan since he began in the sport and I'd love to see him crowned champion. But with that said, I also want to see victories for others as well, namely Vettel and Kubica as they're my second and third drivers, and Toyota, because I don't want to see them exit Formula One. I like the grid to be as full as possible.

I'm not really sure what to think about the diffusers, either. I'm hoping that the FIA will for once remain consistent in their verdict; I've seen some pretty solid arguments as to why the diffusers are legal, and statistically you have a very low chance of getting the FIA to change their minds. But on the other hand, I've read comments from Christian Horner and Rory Byrne that at the very least make me dispel the notion that they're doing this solely to improve their chances (I wouldn't put it past Briatore, though). I want to see the diffusers declared legal, because I want to see the Ferrari-McLaren duopoly fall to pieces; Formula One has long been due for a changing of the guard. Hell, some races in 2007 and 2008 felt as if the other eight teams were largely there to see that the terms of the Concorde Agreement were met. If the diffusers are found to be illegal, then I'm pretty sure the FIA won't overturn the results of Australia and Malaysia. It'd be suicide, and a lot of fans would rebel over the fact that the results were changed a month after the race. The backlash over the events four days after Melbourne was bad enough; imagine what it would be like if the overturned the standings four weeks later. The FIA have to do what is best for the sport, and I can't see how changing everything so long after the race will benefit Formula One in any way. That said, I'm seriously hoping - I hate to say confident, largely because it usually blows up in my face - the diffusers will be declared legal and the most interesting race of the season will be the race fo the other teams to reel Brawn, Williams and Toyota in.

So go Team B of Brawn, Branson, Button and Barrichello in the BGP-001 in the Mercedes "B"-Team. Looking forward to wins in Britain, Bahrain, Belgium and Brazil, too.
 
Pupik! That was a quarter-post!


The entire weekend depends on today's diffuser hearing, but assuming they're accepted as legal:

Double-podium for Brawn - Barrichello 3rd at worst, with Trulli or Vettel sneaking the other podium spot.

The rest? 4th-to-8th will be taken by Glock, Kubica, Kimi, Webber and Alonso and Rosberg - note that it's one too many here, we'll have to live and see.

senamic
Button in a Q2 time of ~1minute, 31.9 seconds
Click to expand...

Eerrrrm... What? Three seconds under the 2004 time? :odd:

And Sutil will set a 0'00.001 lap record?
 
Blake
2009 Chinese Grand Prix​

Previous Race Winners
2005: Fernanda Alonso (Renault)

Previous Polesitters
2006: Fernanda Alonso (Renault) – 1:44.360
2005: Fernanda Alonso (Renault) – 1:34.080
Click to expand...
Is that Alonso's sister? :P

Anyway, I hope we see some improvement from Ferrari.
 

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