Chinese GP Qualifying Thread

[prancing horse]

Alonso's lab was terrible but he is still 0.6 of Rosberg, and he is on the clean side.

[Ferrarichamp]

I hope we're faster in race trim. The good news is Webber will start way behind.
btw, any pics of Ramilton's overalls?

[yellowbird rs]

but Im still not convinced vettel is as good as that car is making him out to be and Im not convinced he is a racer

Really?? all drivers are just as good as his current car. But if he is not a top driver what about MW

[Katu]

I hope we're faster in race trim. The good news is Webber will start way behind.
btw, any pics of Ramilton's overalls?

couldn't find anything better
http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-photos...174035/#174035

[Lithium]

Really?? all drivers are just as good as his current car. But if he is not a top driver what about MW

it's a conspiracy! No, but really, I doubt Webber is that much slower than Vettel... Something's not right there..

[Cavallino Rosso]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/form...e/13102816.stm See Pic 4 and below caption ref Maccas Race Overalls - Celebrating 30 year partnership with their clothing supplier - Hugo Boss[?]

[Alessandra]

Fernando never off duty........walks to the two front cars, checks their tyres, files away info. for tomorrow

Any thoughts on why Vettel took so long to get out of his car? I think they were teling him Webber was waiting for him down a long, dark corridor........so stay put!!

[Katu]

it's a conspiracy! No, but really, I doubt Webber is that much slower than Vettel... Something's not right there..

i tend to agree, there's something wrong with webber's car, this is not normal

[Ferrarichamp]

Senna in Mclaren red:

http://static.blogo.it/motorsportblo...n_rotta_01.jpg

[scuderiafan]

if both guys can get passed within the first 5 laps, then it will be good for us. And our pitstops need to be like clockwork tomorrow.

[Tech_Skill]

Really?? all drivers are just as good as his current car. But if he is not a top driver what about MW

i never said vettel wasnt a top driver.

What im saying is that he is overrated, that's my opinion, the guy isnt blowing anyone away from what I can see, he's just in a monster car. he strikes me as one of these drivers who likes to stroll off in clean air, but when they actually have to race, they are not as good, thats my opinion on vettel, time will tell if I am right or not.

It reminds me a little of 2009 with Button (not saying Button is better than Vettel) when he had a crazy car and the media were hyping him up as some monster driver blowing the other drivers away with his ''smooth style and new found confidence'', they also used the same ''he's beating his teammate by a few tenths in the same car so he must be the real deal''..... As soon as button lost the rocket ship, it was game over.

No way is vettel anywhere 7 tenths faster over a single lap than hamilton, if them two were in the same car, i think hamilton beats him over a season, I just think the red bull in Q3 over a final lap at its full potential is in another league.

As for webber........something obviously isnt right there, I dont believe he gets treated fairly within red bull and Its odd that guy who was conistently about 1 tenth slower than seb, sometimes beating seb in the same car not so long ago....is now 6/7 tenths slower than Vettel......

Not saying red bull are fixing the car (a'la mclaren and tyre pressures), but its odd, thats all im saying.

[burak karakutuk]

its time to give up to be optimistic.like alonso said ferrari must be realistic.1.4second gap is huge.you can not reduct that even you are the most improved team whole season.because rb is improving as well as others.also they are not trying with issues...

[yellowbird rs]

I call it pressure but quoting MW last year "is not bad for a 2nd driver." he is not just in the cockpit he have a lot in his head to perform well just as FM

[Agron]

Alonso's lab was terrible but he is still 0.6 of Rosberg, and he is on the clean side.

¬¬ I guess that makes Massa a GP2 driver or am I missing something?
Maybe it wasn't an extraordinary lap but Mercedes and Renault seemed to be faster in this particular qualifying of this particular GP; we'll see if things change during the race.

[Tech_Skill]

its time to give up to be optimistic.like alonso said ferrari must be realistic.1.4second gap is huge.you can not reduct that even you are the most improved team whole season.because rb is improving as well as others.also they are not trying with issues...

but is the gap 1.4 seconds in the race?

The race is more important than ever, in terms of the rest of the season we dont actually have to be faster than red bull over a lap, we just need to be within striking distance in Q3, Fernando will handle the rest, look at the last race, we should have been on for P2/3.

We just need to get in the ball park and make vettel race, then see what happens.

[Grillo]

I pray for a McLaren passing Vettel at the start and Alonso passing Rosberg.

[Tech_Skill]

I call it pressure but quoting MW last year "is not bad for a 2nd driver." he is not just in the cockpit he have a lot in his head to perform well just as FM

Maybe part of it is mental, but what about all the dodgy things happening to his car, how many times has his Kers failed or something else happened?

No way does he get equal treatment in that team in my opinion.

I dont believe seb is geninley 6/7 tenths a lap faster than webber, not when we have seen webber outqualify him and get so close to him last season. Unless webber is a shot driver, but i doubt vettel got 6/7 tenths faster over the off season, like i said, take vettel out of that rocket ship, and see what happens, personally, i wouldnt want seb at Ferrari right now, especially in a box like the thing we have now, we need a driver who has a proven track record of taking dumpster truck cars and getting the best out of them, not a ''i'll off the into the distance, but dont race me'' type driver, we sort of had that with massa already, and it didnt work out.

[yellowbird rs]

i never said vettel wasnt a top driver.

What im saying is that he is overrated, that's my opinion, the guy isnt blowing anyone away from what I can see, he's just in a monster car. he strikes me as one of these drivers who likes to stroll off in clean air, but when they actually have to race, they are not as good, thats my opinion on vettel, time will tell if I am right or not.

It reminds me a little of 2009 with Button (not saying Button is better than Vettel) when he had a crazy car and the media were hyping him up as some monster driver blowing the other drivers away with his ''smooth style and new found confidence'', they also used the same ''he's beating his teammate by a few tenths in the same car so he must be the real deal''..... As soon as button lost the rocket ship, it was game over.

No way is vettel anywhere 7 tenths faster over a single lap than hamilton, if them two were in the same car, i think hamilton beats him over a season, I just think the red bull in Q3 over a final lap at its full potential is in another league.

As for webber........something obviously isnt right there, I dont believe he gets treated fairly within red bull and Its odd that guy who was conistently about 1 tenth slower than seb, sometimes beating seb in the same car not so long ago....is now 6/7 tenths slower than Vettel......

Not saying red bull are fixing the car (a'la mclaren and tyre pressures), but its odd, thats all im saying.

I agree about JB but I think SV is a young, talented driver. And to be honest I think FA is overrated as well he won 2 titles with a super car back in that days also with the Michelin tires then ......
yes I know how all FA fans going to fell over me

[Katu]

I pray for a McLaren passing Vettel at the start and Alonso passing Rosberg.

i hope nobody passes Fernando at start

[burak karakutuk]

but is the gap 1.4 seconds in the race?

The race is more important than ever, in terms of the rest of the season we dont actually have to be faster than red bull over a lap, we just need to be within striking distance in Q3, Fernando will handle the rest, look at the last race, we should have been on for P2/3.

We just need to get in the ball park and make vettel race, then see what happens.

yes maybe you are right mate but qualy is also important because we start badly and always try to catch.when your way is clean in front there is only push and drive you need to do.every practice session,qualy,race we say similar words.and i feel patient because of our perfonmans

[Lithium]

I guess the encouraging thing is that Ferrari yesterday said they will not compromise their race pace for more speed in quali. I think we will get rid of Rosberg rather quickly (assuming an 'ok' start), as he will not be able (unlike quali) to use his superior DRS. And then... who knows. But again, we were very lucky because of Webber and Renaults' failures.

[Grillo]

No way does he get equal treatment in that team in my opinion.

Equal treatment? He doesn't even get equal equipment.

[Brian]

I'm a little bit disappointed. Alonso would have been in p4 if the flying lap had been smooth

[Greig]

I agree about JB but I think SV is a young, talented driver. And to be honest I think FA is overrated as well he won 2 titles with a super car back in that days also with the Michelin tires then ......
yes I know how all FA fans going to fell over me

Yeah you are right, in the Minardi he was terrible right......oh wait no he wasn't, and his performances at Ferrari also suggest he is overtated right? LOL

Every driver must be overrated to you as they all win in super cars.

[Hornet]

As far as today's qualifying goes, I feel Webber has his own share of blame, it was purely a wrong decision to go out on the hards. He should have known better judging by his time in relative to Alonso. if Alonso had to go out on the soft which do makes a huge difference, Webber needed that too. It was a stupid decision on that, otherwise he could have easily made it to Q3

[Grillo]

i hope nobody passes Fernando at start

It will be a tough job with Massa along him. Hopefully he doesn't get into trouble this time and has a clean start, then I think both Alonso and Massa would pass Rosberg on the first few laps.

[Tech_Skill]

As far as today's qualifying goes, I feel Webber has his own share of blame, it was purely a wrong decision to go out on the hards. He should have known better judging by his time in relative to Alonso. if Alonso had to go out on the soft which do makes a huge difference, Webber needed that too. It was a stupid decision on that, otherwise he could have easily made it to Q3

I agree, but are we 100% sure this was all Webber's decision?

I saw his interview after and he took the blame on his shoulders, but its a bit odd, he has no kers so he already a few tenths down, the softs were about a second a lap faster than the hards, it seems odd....lets put it this way, i doubt anyone said ''listen mark, are you sure you wanna do this'' type thing.

I dunno man, the whole webber situation down there is odd as hell, to be honest, I find it a little embarassing that he is being buried by some in the media as ''cracking under pressure'' rather than people looking at the bigger picture.

I would actually like to see him a ferrari next season, I like webber a little, but i think Alonso would end his career.....and i think him and nando are good friends, so that prolly wont happen.

[Tech_Skill]

I agree about JB but I think SV is a young, talented driver. And to be honest I think FA is overrated as well he won 2 titles with a super car back in that days also with the Michelin tires then ......
yes I know how all FA fans going to fell over me

That's your opinion, im cool with it.

You know what, Alonso is actually UNDERRATED for raw pace in my opinion, but lets put it this way, the drivers and team bosses voted alonso the best in the sport for a reason, and that reason was revealed last season.

Alonso doesnt need the best car, just give him something with a fighting chance, he will do the rest.

Alonso and or Hamilton in last seasons red bull, and you would see absolute devestation....not a championship going down to the wire.

[Greig]

I would actually like to see him a ferrari next season, I like webber a little, but i think Alonso would end his career.....and i think him and nando are good friends, so that prolly wont happen.

So why would he be good enough for Ferrari?

[Tech_Skill]

So why would he be good enough for Ferrari?

Who do you think is faster?

Webber of last season (lets assume he can get last years speed back, if he ever lost it that is)

or Massa.

In both a race situation and quali, who would you rather have?