2013 Formula One Chinese Grand Prix

[Hampus Andersson]

Can´t blame the drivers for overtaking during yellow flags if the flag men are a sleep

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Alonso also finished his race 0.016s slower then Rosberg did last year

 

[Shane Butler]

The cause of Webber's tyre problem today.

 

[David Garcia]

This song applies to the picture above:

 

[Hampus Andersson]

Pit radio from race.

Kimi classic: "WATTA HELL HE`S DOING?"

 

[Antony Snook]

What a fabulous GP at China. Thought it would rain as the Aisaian tracks tend to do heavily. Nice to see good weather and Hulkenberg up front in the Sauber nice show but ugly car, aircraft grey ugh.
Pole sitter came 3rd as tire wear and pitstops where a issue with one and 2 stop strategy and drivers mixed over prime and option tire.

The tittle can go to Vettel or Kimi Maybe is Alonso and Hamillton heat it up in the European part they can get in the mix

Two thumbs up 2013 will be a nail bitter finish

 

[Hampus Andersson]

http://www.racedepartment.com/forum/threads/2013-f1-chinese-grand-prix.67834/

Not sure why you persist on posting off topic stuff in the driver´s section.

 

[William Levesque]

This topic is irrelevent, the Sauber is the best looking car out there.

 

[Warren Dawes]

Nice drive from Daniel Ricciardo, he looks to have a bright future in F1.

 

[OverTake.gg]

Antony Snook this is the last time we are cleaning up yet another wrongly posted topic in the wrong section. Please think first where you open threads.

Topic now merged into the Chinese GP discussion.

 

[driveroz247]

Bring on Bahrain and all the grid penalties that will go with it.

Just 4 days to go

Hoping that Webbo has a lot better luck there.

 

[Jack Acid]

Chinese GP results
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In a race that featured six different leaders and nine lead changes, Fernando Alonso was able to ultimately coast to his 31st career win in a weekend that favored Ferrari all along.

Heading into China, the F1 world wondered how Red Bull teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel would get on following their clash three weeks earlier in Malaysia. But any notion of a similar outcome was dashed by the end of qualifying, when an apparent fuel rig problem in Q2 ensured that Webber would have to start from the pit lane.

But the race may be best remembered for a near photo-finish between Lewis Hamilton and Vettel for the final podium spot. Lewis was able to fend off the German and secure his third podium in three races.

Per usual, tire strategy was the biggest difference in the results.
Biggest Winners

Fernando Alonso - After a nightmare race in Malaysia when Alonso suffered wing damage and ultimately retired after just one lap, this victory was a huge rebound for he and Ferrari. He also ended his stretch of four races of being out-qualified by teammate Felipe Massa. The win put Alonso right back into the driver championship race, only 9 points behind Vettel. It's clear that Red Bull and Ferrari will be trading blows all year.

Daniel Ricciardo - Just when it appeared Jean Eric Verge was leveling out as Toro Rosso's better driver, Ricciardo had himself a fantastic qualifying session and finished a career best 7th, the team's best result since 2011. Verge had a dodgy-at-times race but also ended well finishing 12th after starting in P16, even after a tangle with Mark Webber on lap 16. Rumors have percolated that Ricciardo may be in line for Mark Webber's seat at the end of the year. Still, it's fair to suggest Ricciardo needs to demonstrate consistency.

Paul di Resta - He was able to salvage 8th after what looked like another disaster in waiting for Force India. On lap 1, he and teammate Adrian Sutil had a small tangle, but both survived. Later however, Sutil's race would be ruined by an error by Sauber's rookie driver Estabon Gutierrez, who damaged Sutil's rear wing and rear suspension following a braking error. So far, the Force India car looks like a consistent 10-7 hole car, but that will depend on reliability and if Sutil can get his groove on that he flashed in Melbourne.

Honorable Mention:

• Kimi Räikkönen. After only getting 7th in Malaysia after winning the season opener in Melbourne, Kimi overcame a poor start and finished 2nd, placing him only 3 points behind Vettel for first place. All this despite Kimi suffering significant front wing damage in an incident with Sergio Perez. The Fin refused to allow the team to replace it and his gamble paid off.
• Jenson Button. Getting 5th was a mammoth leap for McLaren, who struggled to even score points in the first two rounds. Sergio Perez could only manage 11th, but on the plus side he was able to make his tires last for eternity, a trademark he showcased last year with Sauber. This could be a sign that McLaren has started zeroing in on some of its early problems.
• Nico Hulkenburg. The results will tell you he finished 10th, but at one stretch of the race it appeared he could finish around 5th. It was a good race from Nico and if Esteban Gutierrez can bounce back from his forgettable weekend, Sauber may stand to make a push.

Biggest Losers


Chinese GP Driver Productivity
Esteban Gutierrez - While he had two strong rounds to start his career, this will be one he tries to forget as quickly as possible. He had an immaculate start, shooting from 19th to 12th, but then retired after braking far too late coming into the back of Adrian Sutil's Force India car. He will have to pay the piper in Bahrain, after being handed a 5-spot grid penalty for the incident.

Nico Rosberg - After getting seemingly robbed of a podium spot in Malaysia, Nico saw his impressive P4 qualifying spot squandered after a suspension problem forced him to retire on lap 22. Even though Lewis was able to nab 3rd, once again Mercedes proved to be its own worst enemy in China; last year a tire bolt issue cost Michael Schumacher in what was shaping up to be a quality race.

Mark Webber - His weekend went from bad to worse after having to start in the pit lane (fuel problems in Q2) and ultimately had to retire after his wheel came off on lap 17. This was after an earlier incident in the race when Webber came into the side of Jean Eric Vergne, which will cost Webber a 3-spot grid penalty at Bahrain.
Biggest Surprise

McLaren, who didn't appear very close to solving its early woes, demonstrated sizable improvement with Button able to finish 5th. Such a result looked like it could be weeks away, but Button's pace offered hope that the team could get the ship turned around sooner than later.
Not So Surprising...

Suddenly Felipe Massa's results are back in the realm of "to be expected", especially coupled with the strong pace of the Ferrari. Massa finished 6th after starting 5th, but if there was any lingering question of Massa's instinct being lost, look no further than his gutsy and breathless overtake of Lewis Hamilton on lap 5 as evidence to the contrary.
What to Look for in Round 4

• Will Romaine Grojean finally be able join Kimi near the front of the field? So far Kimi's pace has been significantly faster than the second year driver, though he has at least been able to score points and stay out of trouble.
• Will Webber's luck finally improve?
• Can Marussia continue it's impressive campaign? Jules Biachi has the team looking better than expected and they appear to be the stronger team than Cataerham. Marussisa can almost start setting its sights on Williams for a new benchmark.

2013 F1 Driver Power Rankings after Round 03

2013 F1 Driver Power Rankings