2016 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix

SVT Cobra GT

SVT Cobra GT

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After a good opening race in Australia the circus moves to the desert under the lights in Bahrain. More questions continue to be asked. Will Ferrari keep up their pace against Mercedes? Can they beat them? Will Haas continue their good form and score more points? Can McLaren do the same? Only time will tell, but there isn't much time left to wait for the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix!
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Circuit Length: 5.412km (3.363 Miles)
Number of Laps: 57
Lap Record: 1:30.252 (Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 2004)
Tyre Allocations: Medium, Soft & Supersoft

Sky Sports' Classic Race Schedule;
Wednesday - Spain 2012
Thursday - China 2013
Sunday - Brazil 2008


2015 Result
1: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
3: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)​
 
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Ferrari generally do quite well here, so hopefully that's the case this year. Hopefully qualifying is a little more interesting this time around but I'm certainly not counting on it.

Here's the tyre selections for this round. It's interesting that the Mercedes pair have only selected one set of mediums each.

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It's been a long time since we've been heading into a quali session knowing the format is going to stink. I'm not sure if this is worse than the 2005 aggregate system or not, which lasted 6 races.
 
The 2005 System would of been significantly better if it was just a one go straight shootout.

Infact I wouldn't mind if we had Q1 & 2 in Elimination Form and then have a Top 8 Shootout for Q3, with 1 Lap each.

Shootouts are good because you get to Savour the Lap, rather then just be surprised by a good lap by how it pops up on the position screen at the end.
 
mustafur
The 2005 System would of been significantly better if it was just a one go straight shootout.

Infact I wouldn't mind if we had Q1 & 2 in Elimination Form and then have a Top 8 Shootout for Q3, with 1 Lap each.

Shootouts are good because you get to Savour the Lap, rather then just be surprised by a good lap by how it pops up on the position screen at the end.
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They're never particularly fair though with tracks changing so much over time. I vaguely remember with one of the old systems Schumacher spinning on purpose so he could run later on a drying track.
 
Samus
They're never particularly fair though with tracks changing so much over time. I vaguely remember with one of the old systems Schumacher spinning on purpose so he could run later on a drying track.
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Silverstone 2004 I think? When they had two one-lap shootout sessions run back to back, the first deciding the running order of the second. I think it was the other way round - rain was forecast late in the second session and quite a few cars were spinning/running slowly in the first session so they could run earlier in the second. It was pretty hilarious :lol:

To be fair the 2005 system was much worse than what we have now - aggregate times were bad enough but deciding the grid on Sunday morning was just bonkers.

I'd forgotten as well the number of systems they went through in just a few years before finally settling on elimination qualifying. Hope this isn't the beginning of a similar mess.............
 
Samus
They're never particularly fair though with tracks changing so much over time. I vaguely remember with one of the old systems Schumacher spinning on purpose so he could run later on a drying track.
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I Agree but if you have a Small amount of drivers in the Shootout rather then the whole grid it's minimized, and the loss if they do lose out on weather isn't as harsh.

Having the Top drivers last is usually normal practise in shootouts anyway.
 
jontikis
I thought it was Pedro de la Rosa with 1:31.447 in 2005. Except if we're counting the qualifying laps
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If we count racing Laps then it's Michael Schumacher in 2004 with a 1:30.252.

Looking back, in 2005 they Widened the exit of turn 4 in 2005 so in reality the 2004 time doesn't count even though the post 2004 track is faster.

Alonso did a 1:29.848 in Qualifying in 2005 though to prove this.
 
Samus
It's been a long time since we've been heading into a quali session knowing the format is going to stink. I'm not sure if this is worse than the 2005 aggregate system or not, which lasted 6 races.
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I think qualifying might be slightly better (still nonsense, mind) than Australia, as teams should understand it better so we'll have less of the "sending a driver out from the pits with only 2 minutes to complete out and flying lap". Of course, I'd love to see the teams protest it and forfeit qualifying, not that it would happen.
 
Sureboss
I think qualifying might be slightly better (still nonsense, mind) than Australia, as teams should understand it better so we'll have less of the "sending a driver out from the pits with only 2 minutes to complete out and flying lap". Of course, I'd love to see the teams protest it and forfeit qualifying, not that it would happen.
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They will still run out of time because there just isn't long enough if they've already done a run. They have to do an inlap, refuel and change tyres, an outlap and the complete flying lap. That is 5+ minutes you need in total, so you're screwed if even 4:30, three eliminations, is on the clock, never mind 90 seconds.
 
My focus for this race will now fully be on Vandoorne, just hope he gets more of a chance than Magnussen did last year to show what he can do!
 
Alonso misses another race due to injury following an accident in a McLaren. Really unfortunate again, but Stoffel can finally get his chance.
 
Sureboss
Oh I know it's still complete nonsense, but it might be slightly better in Q1 and Q2.
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I hope it is of course, but I just can't see it. If anything it'll be worse than Australia since it's a slightly longer lap, adding another 20-30 seconds onto the whole thing.

God forbid how bad things will be if we still have this by Spa, Singapore or any wet race.
 
I don't think it would actually have much affect in the wet, other than potentially working as the FIA thought it might anyway... The teams normally fuel the cars to last the full qualifying block since the wet track neutralises the weight gain. Then the cars just lap and hope their tyres are still good when the circuit is at its peak.

I said before Australia that I like to give new ideas their chance, and I'm kind of glad that they are willing to give even the worst ideas a second chance too...
 
Samus
They will still run out of time because there just isn't long enough if they've already done a run. They have to do an inlap, refuel and change tyres, an outlap and the complete flying lap. That is 5+ minutes you need in total, so you're screwed if even 4:30, three eliminations, is on the clock, never mind 90 seconds.
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Well, there is, just as there was in Australia. They just need to be out running on the track for longer - that's what caught them out in Australia. That's why I was in favour of the option to continue with Q1 and Q2 in the current format and have a "normal" Q3.
 
TenEightyOne
Well, there is, just as there was in Australia. They just need to be out running on the track for longer - that's what caught them out in Australia. That's why I was in favour of the option to continue with Q1 and Q2 in the current format and have a "normal" Q3.
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How can they be though with tyres that are only good for one hot lap and a limited supply of them? There is always going to be that 5+ minute downtime whilst they make the changes, and that means we're always going to lose 3/4 cars together, essentially.
 
Very excited to see how Vandoorne goes this weekend. Shame his debut has to come like this with Alonso out due to injury, though, so all the best to him in recovery. I have a feeling that Vandoorne might just score points and beat Button...
 
What's the betting the teams protest in quali? All go out for the first run and then sit in the pits until time runs out, without any attempt at another run.
 
Jimlaad43
What's the betting the teams protest in quali? All go out for the first run and then sit in the pits until time runs out, without any attempt at another run.
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What's the betting they'd like to... but then they realise that places mean chances mean points mean prizes?
 

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