Formula1 Season 2008

[insideout]

Its a Season that I am eagerly awaiting to start, the main attractions being India's step into F1 world, Force India F1(actual F1 management, previously it was just a partnership with Toyota), and the night race in Singapore! Both of them make the fans really pumped up!

[jaydeep]

As per report, Bernie Ecclestone will be in India to endorse the launch of the Force India car at the Gateway of India on February 7 ... Chances are that even Michael Schumacher might come down as the Force India cars are powered by Ferrari engines.

[jaydeep]

Mark Webber thinking with new changed rules regarding traction control systems will increase more crashes in wet condition.

Webber fears more crashes after rule change

[jaydeep]

Kimi Raikkonen set a pace in morning practice session at Albert Park, where Australian season-opener is on Sunday ... Kimi clocked fastest time in first practice session, 1.26.461 mins.

But in afternoon Kimi struggled with car's set-up ... McLaren's Lewis Hamilton clocked fastest time in afternoon sesion, 1:26.559 mins after finishing 2nd in morning session.

Renault's Fernando Alonso finished 6th in the morning but disappointing 13th in afternoon practice session.

Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella showed creditable performance to finished 12th in morning session and improved 9th position in afternoon session.

[kallu]

Qualifying Top 10

Hamilton
Kubica
Kovalinen
Massa
Heidfeld
Trulli
Rosberg
Coulthard
Glock
Vettel

Fisichella and sutil qualified 17th and 19th

[S_K_S]

So much for staying up all night! The race lasted all of 10 laps for TeamForce! Fisichella got shunted on the 1st corner as if it was a stock car race and Sutil has just been pushed into the garage with an unknown problem. Come on Louis. Make it worthwhile for to have stayed up!

[kallu]

bad luck really ....But the pace difference between the front and the bottom pack isnt that much this season, so hopefully we will be in points few times this season

[jaydeep]

So first race finished with only 7 cars finishing the race ... So lot more crashes due to FIA's decision of removing traction control ... Hopefully drivers will learn to control F1 cars manually without traction controls until Malaysian GP.

Kimi got 1 pt after Ruben disqualified for driving through red light in pit lane.

[jaydeep]

2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX - Qualifying


1  Felipe Massa         Ferrari 1:35.347    1:34.412 1:35.748
2  Kimi Räikkönen       Ferrari 1:35.645    1:34.188 1:36.230
3  Heikki Kovalainen    McLaren-Mercedes    1:35.227 1:34.759 1:36.613
4  Lewis Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes    1:35.392 1:34.627 1:36.709
5  Jarno Trulli         Toyota              1:35.205 1:34.825 1:36.711
6  Robert Kubica        BMW                 1:35.794 1:34.811 1:36.727
7  Nick Heidfeld        BMW                 1:35.729 1:34.648 1:36.753
8  Mark Webber          Red Bull-Renault    1:35.440 1:34.967 1:37.009
9  Fernando Alonso      Renault             1:35.983 1:35.140 1:38.450
10 Timo Glock           Toyota              1:35.891 1:35.000 1:39.656
11 Jenson Button        Honda               1:35.847 1:35.208 
12 David Coulthard      Red Bull-Renault    1:36.058 1:35.408 
13 Nelsinho Piquet      Renault             1:36.074 1:35.562 
14 Rubens Barrichello   Honda               1:36.198 1:35.622
15 Sebastian Vettel     STR-Ferrari         1:36.111 1:35.648 
16 Nico Rosberg         Williams-Toyota     1:35.843 1:35.670 
17 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Ferrari 1:36.240 
18 Kazuki Nakajima      Williams-Toyota     1:36.388   
19 Sebastien Bourdais   STR-Ferrari         1:36.677   
20 Takuma Sato          Super Aguri-Honda   1:37.087 
21 Adrian Sutil         Force India-Ferrari 1:37.101 
22 Anthony Davidson     Super Aguri-Honda   1:37.481 

But McLaren drivers Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton will each drop five places on the grid for Sunday’s Malaysian Grand Prix after stewards decided they had blocked rival drivers in the closing stages in qualifying. They will now start the race eighth and ninth respectively.

[jaydeep]

Felipe Massa's stupid mistake on lap 31 cost Ferrari 1-2 finish in Malaysian GP ... Otherwise very fairytale race for Ferrari.

2008 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX - RACE (Top 8 Standing)

1 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari  1:31:18.555 2 10
2 Robert Kubica BMW  +19.5 secs 4 8
3 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes  +38.4 secs 8 6
4 Jarno Trulli Toyota  +45.8 secs 3 5
5 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes  +46.5 secs 9 4
6 Nick Heidfeld BMW  +49.8 secs 5 3
7 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault  +68.1 secs 6 2
8 Fernando Alonso Renault  +70.0 secs

[jaydeep]

McLaren r demoted to the slow end of the pit lane, next to tail-enders Force India, for next Sunday's race at Bahrain as being told by Formula One Management.

The garage allocation is based on last year's positions in the constructors' standings and McLaren were stripped of all their points in 2007 due to a spying controversy over possession of Ferrari data.

However the Mercedes-powered team, with Britain's Lewis Hamilton leading the drivers' standings, were given the fifth set of garages at the first two races of the season behind champions Ferrari, BMW Sauber, Renault and Williams.

[kujo]

which is the slow end of the pit lane?  The one nearest to the exit or to the pitlane entrance?

[jaydeep]

which is the slow end of the pit lane?  The one nearest to the exit or to the pitlane entrance?

The one nearest to the exit of the pit lane.

Having garage in the first in the pitlane is advantageous because the angle needed to turn into the other spots is obstructed by other teams; pitlanes tend to be quite cramped at the best of times ... With the first spot the entry line is much smoother and the driver doesn’t have to worry about other team’s equipment or even cars getting in the way.

Generally in most tracks the first 5 (or so) pits are larger than others ... So, to a team like McLaren it might make quite the difference (considering the size of the McLaren motorhome).

Jaydeep.

[kujo]

which is the slow end of the pit lane?  The one nearest to the exit or to the pitlane entrance?

The one nearest to the exit of the pit lane.

Having garage in the first in the pitlane is advantageous because the angle needed to turn into the other spots is obstructed by other teams;

Ok now, I am confused....  Below is the pit lane and direction of driving:

>----->------------>------->----->
A       B                             Y       Z


You are saying spot Z is the best. But, wouldn't spot Y  block the angle of turning into that spot anyways??

[piranha]

Spot A is the best, but spot Z is second best because you have a clear exit angle.