Malaysia Grand Prix 2009

[Metar]

They have eight engines and they can't modify them between one usage and the other - so it doesn't matter if you use them consecutively or not. You can use the older engines on testing, and swap between Saturday Testing and Saturday qualifying, too.

 

[darkfinal]

Which ends up between two and three weekends per engine. If you have a reliable unit, why not use it for three races now, and keep the two-per-race engines for later on in the season?

I think that will be decided on whether the track is suitable for a team or not.

Slow, twisty circuits with short straights: Ferrari, McLaren, BMW and Renault will probably be using old engines there, given the cost of breaking their engine whilst running 8th won't be as painful as breaking it in, let's say, Canada (Where I would've predicted a massive ownage of KERS-enabled teams before I realized it's out this year, dammit!).

 

[ROAD_DOGG33J]

No, both Brawn's started on Mediums.

Then I don't think Rubens was holding his pace back. I think if he could've he would've passed most of the people when they were clustered after his "snooze".



On the engine issue, it looks like Ferrari should be able to use their fresher engines and should be able to use that to their advantage in the future. Both of the engines are still in play right?

 

[Alex.]

Be a shame if a team blew 8 engines in 8 races and couldnt race anymore...

 

[Metar]

They could, but with an automatic 10-place penalty per engine.

 

[Ardius]

Just over 4 hours left till Friday Practice session 1! Hopefully we can get on this weekend without any more added controversy.

 

[peterjford]

Just over 4 hours left till Friday Practice session 1! Hopefully we can get on this weekend without any more added controversy.

A Formula 1 race weekend without any more added controversy? Do you still believe in Santa Claus?

 

[NapoleonMikey]

i thought thats what F1 was ll about? i though it was the day time soap opera of motorsports. but only a few more hours till practice ill have to find a stream so i can watch it here at work.

 

[VTRacing]

Found on another forum:

/sarcasm=[mode/on]

In a surprising reversal of normal procedure the FIA have decided to announce the results of this weeks GP in Malaysia 3 days in advance of the meeting instead of 3 days after.

1st S Nakajima Williams/Toyota 1:35:20.438
2nd N. Piquet jr Renault + 2 laps
3rd A. Senna Williams + 20 odd Years and a bit

All other drivers DQ'd for racing and making F1 a spectacle

/sarcasm=[mode/off]

 

[prisonermonkeys]

You know Senna could beat Piquet Jnr. Even if he was riding a tricycle backwards and towing a caravan.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Fifteen minutes in, and the weather seems fine. Ferrari are the only ones yet to complete an installation lap.

 

[Tobias123]

Am I the only one who thinks that Anthony Davidson and his commentary partner(I don't know his name) are better than Brundle and Legard this season?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

Raikkonen and Nakajima exchanging blows out front, but Hamilton is two seconds adift (though it was his first fully timed lap out).

 

[zed300]

I know it's a little late but, Rubens deserved what Vettel got and/or visa versa.
They were both racing incidents or they were both penalties.

Lewis may have had a good race to come from 18th and worth the mention. The two Toyotas are worth just as much a mention, as they are equally good drives.

Red Bull were probably the biggest suprise for my mind, the ability to put in a 3rd place grid position, and then hold 2nd with a consistant gap to 3rd for 95% of the race, shows they are up with the 2nd best teams.
Maybe the this race can give us a better indication of which is actually the better racecar, as the field will be a little more strung out, with less stop start action.

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I know it's a little late but, Rubens deserved what Vettel got and/or visa versa.

If you're referring to the first corner, Barrichello wasn't the cause. Heikki Kovalainen hit him, and the Brazilian cannoned into Webber, who in turn found Heidfeld.

Barrichello didn't deserve a penalty because he didn't cause the accident. Kovalainen did, and he was out with accident damage before the end of the first lap.

 

[Chronos]

Highlights of Kimi in first practice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7980532.stm

Live stream of the second practice

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/7979833.stm

 

[Roo]

FP1 results:

Pos  Driver        Team                      Time              Laps
 1.  Rosberg       Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:36.260           27
 2.  Nakajima      Williams-Toyota      (B)  1:36.305 + 0.045   25
 3.  Button        Brawn GP-Mercedes    (B)  1:36.430 + 0.170   20
 4.  Barrichello   Brawn GP-Mercedes    (B)  1:36.487 + 0.227   22
 5.  Massa         Ferrari              (B)  1:36.561 + 0.301   21
 6.  Raikkonen     Ferrari              (B)  1:36.646 + 0.386   18
 7.  Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:36.699 + 0.439   16
 8.  Webber        Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:36.703 + 0.443   23
 9.  Vettel        Red Bull-Renault     (B)  1:36.747 + 0.487   25
10.  Glock         Toyota               (B)  1:36.980 + 0.720   27
11.  Trulli        Toyota               (B)  1:36.982 + 0.722   26
12.  Fisichella    Force India-Mercedes (B)  1:37.025 + 0.765   20
13.  Kubica        BMW Sauber           (B)  1:37.039 + 0.779   18
14.  Piquet        Renault              (B)  1:37.199 + 0.939   20
15.  Sutil         Force India-Mercedes (B)  1:37.241 + 0.981   18
16.  Alonso        Renault              (B)  1:37.395 + 1.135   12
17.  Buemi         Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:37.634 + 1.374   22
18.  Heidfeld      BMW Sauber           (B)  1:37.640 + 1.380   17
19.  Bourdais      Toro Rosso-Ferrari   (B)  1:38.022 + 1.762   19
20.  Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes     (B)  1:38.483 + 2.223    7

 

[RACECAR]

Hmm, some dirt tracking going on with most of the cars in Malaysia. Is it track related? Also, they brought up an interesting thing that prompts me to ask this: Exactly where do the teams using KERS place their batteries in the cars?

 

[prisonermonkeys]

I think they're somewhere near the fuel tank. The BBC commentators remarked during the Australian Grand Prix that the cars running KERS have to have smaller fuel tanks to accomodate the batteries.

 

[Tired Tyres]

Different teams put the batteries in different places.

Incidentally the Flywheel in the Williams Flywheel KERS is mounted directly behind the drivers head!

 

[ExigeEvan]

Different teams put the batteries in different places.

Incidentally the Flywheel in the Williams Flywheel KERS is mounted directly behind the drivers head!

Which brings us back to a discussion had previously of finding out what the flywheels are made of.

 

[Metar]

Different teams put the batteries in different places.

Incidentally the Flywheel in the Williams Flywheel KERS is mounted directly behind the drivers head!

Except it isn't mounted anywhere at the moment.

Some teams behind the fuel-tank (most teams), others below it (Red Bull). Renault and BMW apparently experimented with placing them in the front, behind the removable section of the nosecone, and Renault even considered placing them inside the fuel-tank, to aid cooling them. And no, fuel-tanks are pretty much the same size, since they can't sacrifice fuel-capacity needed for a race-stint - the only difference is that a KERS-equipped car is slightly more "bloated" to accommodate the batteries and to cool them.

Which brings us back to a discussion had previously of finding out what the flywheels are made of.

Racecar Engineering says: Steel wrapped with carbon filament.

 

[Tired Tyres]

In first practice Anthony Davidson said that if the outside temperature was 32 C the Cockpit would be 50 C and the fuel tank behind the driver would be 100 C because it's heated up by the engine.

 

[ExigeEvan]

Racecar Engineering says: Steel wrapped with carbon filament.

Thanks 👍

 

[Metar]

Amazing. McLaren managed to bring yet another new diffuser for today!

 

[Tired Tyres]

They are off the pace and need to get all the speed they can find. Their factory will be working (within FIA rules I hope) to develop new parts and they would be flown out to each Grand Prix until they can get back to Europe at which point they will be working from their normal base of operations.

 

[Sureboss]

In first practice Anthony Davidson said that if the outside temperature was 32 C the Cockpit would be 50 C and the fuel tank behind the driver would be 100 C because it's heated up by the engine.

Wouldn't the fuel ignite in the tank if it was 100C?

That said, don't know the flash/ignition point of F1 fuel (Which is just high-octane petrol, isn't it?)

 

[Tired Tyres]

No idea at all. I'll double check the recording after work.

Edit. 246 C

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point

 

[Metar]

F1 fuel is regular high-octane petrol, with 5.75% bio-fuel content.

 

[livemusic]

Friday, second free practice

Pos. Driver Team Time Laps 
01  K. Räikkönen Ferrari  1:35.707 40 
02  F. Massa Ferrari  1:35.832 38 
03  S. Vettel Red Bull  1:35.954 40 
04  N. Rosberg Williams  1:36.015 39 
05  M. Webber Red Bull  1:36.026 36 
06  R. Barrichello Brawn GP  1:36.161 37 
07  J. Button Brawn GP  1:36.254 31 
08  K. Nakajima Williams  1:36.290 35 
09  H. Kovalainen McLaren  1:36.397 40 
10  N. Piquet jr. Renault  1:36.401 35 
11  L. Hamilton McLaren  1:36.515 30 
12  J. Trulli Toyota  1:36.516 34 
13  S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso  1:36.628 32 
14  T. Glock Toyota  1:36.639 29 
15  F. Alonso Renault  1:36.640 20 
16  A. Sutil Force India F1  1:36.875 36 
17  R. Kubica BMW  1:37.267 38 
18  S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso  1:37.278 30 
19  G. Fisichella Force India F1  1:37.432 27 
20  N. Heidfeld BMW  1:37.930 37