2013 Chinese GP - Race Thread

[Rob]

but we do need to start giving felipe good strategies as well, he has earned this right!

its a risk that same races it pays off some it doesnt. If the team then pitted both cars at the same time, then have wheel nut trouble or something else silly with Fernandos stop then Felipes race is totally ruined.

[Rob]

3 place grid drop for Webber next race.

Really? how come?

*EDIT*

Just see twitter feed, causing accident, there was massive gap to go for. Thought racing drivers go for gaps.

[Kristof_F40]

Very nice victory from Fernando, briliant racing.. "I'm not pushing" love it!
And Felipe, I think the problem is that Felipe always has some bad luck with traffic, the big difference between Fernando and Felipe is just that when Fernando is in some traffic after a pit he knows what to do and he does it IMMEDIATLY (overtaking), while Felipe is struggling a bit after a stop and then he's stuck behind traffic hurting his tyres.. Felipe is a very good driver, but when you put Felipe in the middle of traffic he will struggle.. Fernando however, well, is doesn't really matter where you put him..

[Greig]

Really? how come?

Wiping out Vergne

[Alessandra]

Great result. A pity not 2 Ferrari drivers on the podium - Felipe had graining problems it seems.
RBR too clever by half he, he, he. Very pleased that those who didn't bother to fight for a good grid place in Q3 not on podium either!
Seemingly effortless brilliant drive from Fernando.
Superb starts for both our guys.
Five stars for the Ferrari car.
Well done whole team. Onwards and upwards

[Alessandra]

3 place grid drop for Webber next race.

Things just get better andf better for poor old Webber!

[anakin]

webber only?
how about hamilton and vettel for yellow flag infringements?

[SinanOzerS]

Finally,we have a very good balanced car.2013 Champion Fernando Alonso / Scuderia Ferrari

[Greig]

webber only?
how about hamilton and vettel for yellow flag infringements?

Don't think Lewis is under investigation for that.

[Rob]

Duurt (#F1extra) ‏@Formula1extra 34s
#F1 All 8 drivers under DRS investigation summoned to the stewards at 18:15, which is in 10 minutes

[Hornet]

I felt it too. Just like in Australia. Well, we all know they are trying to put Fernando in the best position first, but at least they should do it in the way that will not hurt Felipe's race. It definitely did today. A podium would've been a possibility for him as well today.

But still, happy for the overall result. Last year 6th was fantastic for Felipe. This year it's underperformance and I'm sure he's gonna be real quick in Bahrain. Hope he wins there.

Alonso was ahead of Massa at all times today, are you still suggesting that Ferrari is messing up Massa's race to put Alonso ahead?

The result is what it is. We have no information about what went on, so it's pointless trying to blame anyone. We just have to accept it and move on.

[Rob]

Wiping out Vergne

[tifosi1993]

Race result

Pit-stops

Fastest Laps

Lap-chart

Race history graph

[Rob]

Chinese GP – Shanghai in the bank for Alonso
Shanghai, 14 April – Scuderia Ferrari won the tenth edition of the Chinese Grand Prix thanks to a fine drive from Fernando Alonso. Felipe Massa came home sixth to add to the team’s Chinese points haul.

Both Ferraris got off the line really well and Fernando and Felipe made up one and two places respectively to go second and third into the first turn. On lap 5, both men got past the leader Lewis Hamilton, to go into the lead. On laps 7 and 8 Fernando and then Felipe switched from Soft to Medium tyres.

Several drivers led the Chinese Grand Prix, thanks to the different strategies in play on the tyre front and after the second stop, which came on lap 28, Alonso went past temporary leader Sebastian Vettel to retake the lead. At the end of lap 41, Alonso made a third stop fitting the final set of Mediums and from then on he controlled the race to the flag. Thanks to this result, Alonso is third in the Drivers’ championship, while Massa is fifth, ten points off Lewis Hamilton.

[Poltergeistes]

its a risk that same races it pays off some it doesnt. If the team then pitted both cars at the same time, then have wheel nut trouble or something else silly with Fernandos stop then Felipes race is totally ruined.

agreed, but what i meant was, its a whole new season, felipe is at the top of his game, as fernando, what i am saying is, people (not meaning you rob) have to agree that for the giving momment, felipe doesn't need to be fernando's 2nd driver.

let's make things, like winning strategies, for both our boys! we have this season, it would be insane not to, we have the best pair out there by far, they can both fight for the WDC at least for now.

[NasI]

Is there any way I can see the race again?

[Forzi]

Having pitted Felipe who was already struggling with tires for two laps, from being just over one second behind Fernando, he ended up over 7 secs behind. That space was filled up with Lewis, Botas, Kimi, Webber and later on with when the front pitting, with Vergne, Di Resta, Hulkenberg and Button. Having to wait till Fernando pits, so Felipe could do it was the thing that ruined his race. Even if having passed Di Resta, he would have been almost 10 secs behind Kimi, let alone Fernando who was even further.

Thank god the race is next weekend, otherwise this thread would go the Malaysian way... Hopping we'll do even better then!

[Nero Horse]

Grande weekend, grande weekend!

Absolutely perfect race and a perfect win from Fernando...flawless victory! Shame about Felipe though, hopefully he can do a lot better in the coming races. But an absolutely brilliant weekend for Ferrari. So happy! And what made this win even more special was the presence of signore Piero Ferrari.
What a difference between Malaysia and this Chinese GP...from sadness and frustration to an absolute happiness and joy.

This win = 1st win of the season for Ferrari...220th overall Grand Prix win for Ferrari...31st win for Alonso (equaling Nigel Mansell)...and it also marks 20 years with at least one win during the season for Ferrari (from 1994 German GP to 2013 Chinese GP)

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful day


Forza Ferrari!!!!!

[FrankAlfa]

Great Race! A very strong performance from Alonso to take this win very cleanly. He won on Speed today not on weather for once! Massa has to lift his game! 6th is not a good place for him to finish! Ferrari needs him to finish much stronger than trailing the lead group! We need a few 1 & 2 finishes. He has to work on it!

Ciao,

Forza Ferrari!!!!

[fratelliferrari]

Iam very happy for Fernando to win this race! But after lap 1 I was feeling we would get a 1-2 but I guess it would have been better if Felipe had come in the pit one lap earlier than Fernando than one lap later. So Iam feeling sorry for Felipe because he soo much deserves it to be on the podium as well. But it went wrong when he got stuck behind Di Resta. He was on the fist DRS zone too much behind him so that he couldn't overtake him at the second DRS zone anymore. If he hadn't lost that much time behind Di Resta and with a bit other strategy I would have been much happier. He just brings 8 valueable points in the bag for WCC. Remember that last year after 3 GP's he had zero points, so much much better. I have a good feeling for next week because we have been good in Bahrain before and Felipe likes the track very much as well. Forza Ferrari!

[scuderiafan]

Webber Vergne was a racing incident IMO. Webber tried something from far, but the door was open.

[SashAlex]

Alonso was ahead of Massa at all times today, are you still suggesting that Ferrari is messing up Massa's race to put Alonso ahead?

The result is what it is. We have no information about what went on, so it's pointless trying to blame anyone. We just have to accept it and move on.

Man, I'm not blaming anyone. To me it's Ok like this because as I've said many times, Fernando is the guy to bring the titles to Ferrari.

But I feel sorry for Felipe that sometimes he can suffer because of a worse strategy. And that's it.

[Poltergeistes]

Alonso was ahead of Massa at all times today, are you still suggesting that Ferrari is messing up Massa's race to put Alonso ahead?

The result is what it is. We have no information about what went on, so it's pointless trying to blame anyone. We just have to accept it and move on.

Nobody is saying Ferrari is intentionally doing this, all people (and alot of them,myself included but also aALOT of nandos fans too) is asking is that ferrari makes winning strategies for felipe too.

we have 2 great drivers doing great jobs, why not haul home the most points we can possibly haul?

sorry but sometimes you make it sound like as long as fernando wins any strategy from the team is perfect. (sorry if thats not what you mean) we think its only reasonable to put the 2 ferraris in position to win, they are smart and mature boys, they wont pull a vettel on each other

PS its obvious that ferrari isn't trying to bullie felipe out of the way

[Ferrari_Fanatic]

sorry to drag this up but it might help :)

FIA bans DRS under yellow flags

Following the controversy surrounding Michael Schumacher’s final lap in Valencia, the FIA has confirmed that Formula 1 drivers will no longer have the ability to use DRS under yellow flag conditions from now on.

Red Bull claimed that Schumacher had used the DRS system under yellow flags during the European Grand Prix, which he later went on to finish on the podium.

The stewards decided not to take action, however, because they judged that Schumacher had slowed down for the warning signals - even if he had used DRS for a short period of time before turning it off.

With that situation prompting discussion among drivers - especially after Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa were punished for using DRS under yellow flags at the Spanish Grand Prix - FIA race director Charlie Whiting agreed to look into the matter over the Silverstone weekend.

It is understood that Whiting informed the drivers before the race about how behaviour under yellow flags would be treated by stewards going forward.

He informed them that from now on, drivers would primarily have to 'demonstrate' that they slowed down sufficiently - with the use of KERS or DRS of secondary importance.

However, to limit the possibility of any confusion about the use of DRS in such a situation, the FIA said from now on it would disable the use of the overtaking aid whenever there was a yellow warning flag displayed in the DRS zone at each race.

The new ban on the use DRS during yellow flag periods was implemented for the first time at the British Grand Prix in the wake of the collision between Pastor Maldonado and Sergio Perez.

Before that ruling was laid down, Schumacher had said that he was always under the impression that as long as drivers slowed down for yellow flags then there should not be a problem.

"There are two basics to this one [yellow flags and DRS] and people seem to mix them up," he said. "There is no rule that says if you use DRS in a yellow zone that you automatically will be penalised. Depending on when it happens, you can prove that where the accident is you go slow and you significantly reduce your speed. Whether you use DRS or don't use DRS, that is another story.

"But obviously if you use DRS from points A to point B, and you use 100% DRS, then it is likely that you have not slowed down and therefore you get a penalty."

credit: autocarindia

[SilverSpeed]

Esteban Gutierrez 5 place penalty for the next race. Others are still under investigation.

[Poltergeistes]

by the way nobody would have liked if felipe had done the move fernando did on massa in china 2010 and simply get his way in entering the pit stop that was supposed to be the other drivers.

this is my point.

[tifosi1993]

[fratelliferrari]

Piero Ferrari

[mark p]

Massa seems to lose pace when back down the order i remember singapoure 2008 faster than anyone by a long way then that pit stop error no damage to the car but when came out he was no faster than the midfield runners. but all 2nd drivers in top 5 teams are a long way short of 1st driver in top 5 teams. massa is beating all the other 2nd drivers which is good for wcc. he is 5th in wdc so if alonso gets 1st massa 5th they will win wcc and wdc. massa is doing a great job. i will add i do not mean ability when saying 1st and 2nd drivers just their current championship positions reletive to team mates there are big gaps same drivers in top 4 or 5 from each team then their team mates from 6th and back. seems strange.

[anuragiyer8989]

.....and amidst all this, Fernando says, " I wasn't pushing from halfway during the race. I had more pace in the pocket. Maybe we can show full potential in Bahrain!"