2015 Chinese GP Qualifying Thread

[fmatiasii]

another area where our car needs improvement is the quick acceleration at the start, i noticed in malaysia that vettel had a poor start and was almost overtaken by Ros.

[Kyss4k]

No way... Mercs still half sec faster over one lap on the softs, but we can go longer on the softs, our race pace is good and we can make up the time on the longer runs on the mediums, Nico is already a beaten man, he won't put up any fight when Super Seb appears in his mirrors, think it will be close at the end with Super Seb and Lewis, think our tire deg could be enough to nick it tomorrow...

Edit - Both cars on the podium tomorrow...

The tyre advantage won't matter, when it's easy 2 stopper for everyone, as we've been said by Pirelli. And a full second over one lap... I don't think we can repeat Malaysia tomorrow.

[Ferrarichamp]

Mercedes to blow an engine tomorrow

[Nero Horse]

Seb seemed rather happy at the press conference

Yeah, he certainly had a sneaky smile on his face and seemed very optimistic for the race.

[Tobes]

The tyre advantage won't matter, when it's easy 2 stopper for everyone, as we've been said by Pirelli. And a full second over one lap... I don't think we can repeat Malaysia tomorrow.

Not convinced it will be an 'easy' two stopper for everyone...

[fmatiasii]

Yeah, he certainly had a sneaky smile on his face and seemed very optimistic for the race.

now THAT'S a good sign.

[darkchild]

Merc and Williams will go OPP, we wil go OOP so there is a chance.

[Nero Horse]

[zike]

I think it will be crucial to stay 3rd after a first lap

[darkchild]

Ric is beating Kvyat pretty badly there...

[Ilsan]

Merc and Williams will go OPP, we wil go OOP so there is a chance.

Saving one set of soft pretty much tells our strategy for tomorrow. Both Merc drivers also have one fresh set. Will they use it as well?.. Their top speed is a bit higher than us.

According to Lewis there's two seconds difference between 2 and 3 stop strategy, then he seems to rule out considering a 3 stopper. James Allen rules out 1 stopper, too.

Ric is beating Kvyat pretty badly there...

Kvyat suffered from power unit issues all day.

[KimiBot]

Ric is beating Kvyat pretty badly there...

yes, but Kvyat have had a problems all weekend with the car, I am pretty sure that end of this year he is better than Ric, we`ll see

[Black Adder]

Kimi had so far an excellent WE, but it seems that at qualifications he struggle. Already at Lotus you could observe this. I don't know what it is. Most of the time he makes it up during the race, but even if he ends up 3rd he will blame the qualification.

[abbottcostello]

Not convinced it will be an 'easy' two stopper for everyone...

+1 Pirelli not always 100% right with their predictions for how race will play out!

[darkchild]

Saving one set of soft pretty much tells our strategy for tomorrow. Both Merc drivers also have one fresh set. Will they use it as well?.. Their top speed is a bit higher than us.


Kvyat suffered from power unit issues all day.

I think we have a bit advantage in top speed actually.

Oh didnt hear that...I guess Renault will get ****** in press today.

[wickedf1]

Good job by Ferrari here. Sebastian expected to earn more speed on the final lap but it wasn't there and Kimi was doing wrestlemania with his car. So for struggle so much he did a good job to come in very low 137.2.

Now in the race Kimi is massive and Seb too so we can expect if mercs has no problems to get 3 and 4. Also, maybe with our better wear on Pireli and the strategies we could make a miricle, but I think the gap is too big this time. Still position 3 and 4 is really good for Ferrari they are still making a beautiful car for the races!

[Haroski]

Kimi's Q3 lap was 95% great.. and 5% extreamly bad

I hope Vettel gets a super start, and 2nd or even 1st after the first lap. There are 2 cars between Kimi and Nasr, so Kimi needs a good start.

[Sriharsha]

No driver ever won the Chinese GP back to back.
Apart from that I think its going to be 2 v 3 Stops. Merc if they are on a 2 stop then i feel they will come to attack at the end of stints from Vettel

[Kristof_F40]

Remember 2013? We were also good on tyres, but we choose an agressive strategy, not saving a stop like Kimi in the Lotus, but pushing a bit more on the tyres. I think, if we can stay clear of the Williams, that's the way to go. Mercs have better pace, we are a bit better on tyres, but we can't save a stop, so we push harder, and force Mercs to push a bit more, so they ask more from the tyres...

Medium will definitly be the race tyre so perhaps, it's good to push hard on the soft and if we are 3, than pit early and try the undercut on Merc.
I don't think the chances of a win are so big here, but I think we can pressure Mercs...

[Ilsan]

I think we have a bit advantage in top speed actually.

Oh didnt hear that...I guess Renault will get ****** in press today.

Unfortunately doesn't look so. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCS9b8DWEAASVsH.jpg
Merc have more downforce and more top speed. We really need to nail the start and the strategy to get anything better than 3rd place.

Does anyone have any info about Williams and Red Bull tyre usage in Q2, Q3? Did they save any option set?

[darkchild]

Unfortunately doesn't look so. https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CCS9b8DWEAASVsH.jpg
Merc have more downforce and more top speed. We really need to nail the start and the strategy to get anything better than 3rd place.

Downforce and top speed are not proportional. Look at Williams, 0.5+ second down on Vettel slower on straight and slower in downforce heavy sector. Either way its pretty close actually, Hamilton is only .5kph on Vettel.

I think we are pretty damn close to Merc in engine department, but our car does look a bit underdeveloped in comparison (just look at their front wing). Gap is big, but we will close it...They came with new wing and updated rear wings so they came out all guns blazing this week.

[Haroski]

Kimi after quali:

"The lap was ****, the first sector was slippery and that was it, the rest of the lap was just struggling"
"Good race pace doens't give comfort today"

[darkchild]

The thing I don't like with Kimi is when he doesn't qualify as good as he should (he is very fast after all), and thats alot of times, he just gets so moody and starts blaming everything else but himself. I think it kinda puts pressure on the team tbh...

[Haroski]

The thing I don't like with Kimi is when he doesn't qualify as good as he should (he is very fast after all), and thats alot of times, he just gets so moody and starts blaming everything else but himself. I think it kinda puts pressure on the team tbh...

What do you mean? Do you have an example? I think Kimi has blamed only himself this year.

[F1NAC]

yes, but Kvyat have had a problems all weekend with the car, I am pretty sure that end of this year he is better than Ric, we`ll see

this is his 2nd season lol vs Ric's 5th

[Paulpg87]

another area where our car needs improvement is the quick acceleration at the start, i noticed in malaysia that vettel had a poor start and was almost overtaken by Ros.

dirty side of the grid

[darkchild]

What do you mean? Do you have an example? I think Kimi has blamed only himself this year.

He kinda blamed the team last time when he didn't qualify behind Sauber, then when he finished 4th and whole team was happy for him he was ***** off because he said if not for qualis, he would have done better. Which kinda means "If my team didn't send me late (and it wasnt late mind) in Q2, I would be on podium"

[Sriharsha]

Ric is beating Kvyat pretty badly there...

his Weekend was damaged since FP2. Failing Brakes/ loosing power. These things will have big effect on him.

[Kristof_F40]

He kinda blamed the team last time when he didn't qualify behind Sauber, then when he finished 4th and whole team was happy for him he was ***** off because he said if not for qualis, he would have done better. Which kinda means "If my team didn't send me late (and it wasnt late mind) in Q2, I would be on podium"

Kimi is not the person who starts blaming the team that easily, he know's his lap was crap, the question is, why didn't the softs worked?

[Haroski]

He kinda blamed the team last time when he didn't qualify behind Sauber, then when he finished 4th and whole team was happy for him he was ***** off because he said if not for qualis, he would have done better. Which kinda means "If my team didn't send me late (and it wasnt late mind) in Q2, I would be on podium"

Kimi is only interested in winning and podiums, so the fact that he isn't happy about 4th places is not because he thinks that team made something wrong, but because the Q2 was bad and destroyed his changes for podium. He just speaks in that laconic monophonic voice and uses passive voice in the weard finnish way that might sound confusing and rude. In finnish interviews he hasn't criticiced the team. I will not start an marathon battle about this, time to have a lunch :)

Btw. in Finland we this thing called "Mika Häkkinen passive", when someone tries to speak in passive like: "If you drive like that, you don't get good results".