BARCELONA Grand Prix 2009 - Race 5/17

[Glaucus]

Hope I'm not stepping on anyones toes (delete this thread if I am), but it's Wednesday and I can't see a thread. Thought some people might be interested in some news as well, as a lo of people don't read much between races.

TV times:
BARCELONA - SPAIN

Friday 8 May

First practice: 0855-1035, BBC Red Button/online & BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online
Second practice: 1255-1435, BBC Red Button/online & BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online

Inside F1: 1830-1845, BBC News Channel, then looped on the Red Button. The show is repeated on Saturday at 1830 on the News Channel.

Saturday 9 May

Third practice: 1000-1100, BBC Red Button/online & BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra/online

Qualifying: 1210-1415, BBC One/BBC Red Button/Radio 5 Live/online
Qualifying replay: 1800-1000 (Sunday), BBC Red Button

Sunday 10 May

Race: 1210-1500, BBC One/BBC Red Button/Radio 5 Live/online
Race re-run: 1600-1100 (Tuesday), BBC Red Button

Interactive Forum: 1500-1600, BBC Red Button/online

Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three/BBC Red Button/online

Standings:
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/327_Untitled.jpg

Track:
BBC Circuit Guide (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/circuit_guide/default.stm#top)

Track Diagram
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/971_esp_f1_2008_circuit.jpg

Circuit information
Length: 4.655km
Race distance: 66 laps / 305.256km

Full throttle: 57%
Top speed: 308kph
Longest flat-out section: 16s / 1.14km
Right/left-hand turns: 9/7

Tyre wear: Medium
Brake wear: high
Downforce level: High
Gear changes per lap: 44

2009 tyre compounds: hard, soft (green markings)
2008 tyre compounds: hard, medium (white markings)

Average fuel consumption: 2.271kg per lap (source: Williams)
Pit lane time loss: 22 seconds

Classic Spanish Grand Prix

Classic F1 - Spanish Grand Prix 1981 extended highlights (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8034743.stm)
Watch the BBC's Grand Prix from the 1981 Spanish F1 race, as Ferrari's Gilles Villeneuve leads home a five-car train that was separated by just 1.24 seconds.

Classic F1 - Spanish Grand Prix 1986 extended highlights (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8034742.stm)
Watch the BBC's Grand Prix from the 1986 Spanish race as Ayrton Senna holds off Nigel Mansell's late charge in one of the closest finishes in F1 history.

Classic F1 - Spanish Grand Prix 1991 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8034550.stm)
Watch highlights from the 1991 Spanish Grand Prix as Nigel Mansell wins an early battle with Ayrton Senna before going on to win the rain-affected race.

Technical Changes - Bahrain
http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/118_Untitled.jpg

News


Suspended three-race ban for McLaren (http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45738)
McLaren has been handed a suspended three-race ban by the World Motor Sport Council as its punishment for lying to race stewards in Australia and Malaysia.
BMW ‘temporarily’ abandons KERS (http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45767)
BMW Sauber will not use its kinetic energy recovery system on either car at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Force India changes plan on KERS (http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45769)
Force India has dropped plans to race with a kinetic energy recovery system for the first time in this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix.
Brawn hopes upgrade will keep it ahead (http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45761)
Ross Brawn hopes the upgrade package his team will introduce on its car at this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix will be enough to keep it ahead of the chasing pack, but admits the competition is intensifying at the front.
BMW pins hopes on massive upgrade (http://www.itv-f1.com/news_article.aspx?id=45755)
BMW Sauber expects a 'significant' improvement in its pace when it introduces a swathe of upgrades for the Spanish Grand Prix, but with so many of its rivals doing likewise, the team is unsure whether its development efforts will pay off.


Senna remembered
Senna's death on 1 May 15 years ago changed F1 forever, but his life also had an indelible effect.


Senna remembered (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/3605323.stm)
Michael Schumacher may statistically be the greatest Grand Prix driver who ever lived, but to many who watched Ayrton Senna's career no-one can equal the brilliant Brazilian.
Senna feature film to start shooting in May (http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/4/9279.html)
A documentary feature film about the legendary Brazilian racer Ayrton Senna will begin shooting next month, makers Working Title Films have confirmed. Spanning Senna's Formula One career from 1984 to his untimely death a decade later, the film will explore the life and work of the triple world champion, his physical and spiritual achievements on the track, his quest for perfection and the mythical status he has since attained.
Formula One: Remembering Ayrton Senna 15 years later (http://www.autoweek.com/article/20090501/F1/905019989)
Formula One marks a tragic anniversary May 1: Fifteen years since the death of three-time world champion Ayrton Senna, one of the most charismatic and successful drivers the sport has ever known.
Roland Ratzenberger (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/f1-information/whos-who/whos-who-r/roland-ratzenberger/)
Roland Ratzenberger tragically crashed and died in only the third event of an F1 career that had taken him 34 years to begin.

Sij5HxaQdDA


The track and TV coverage starts

Technical changes Spain
http://www.formula1.com/news/technical/
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/522_Untitled.jpg


Inside F1 - Spanish Grand Prix preview (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8041185.stm)
Dan Walker is joined by the BBC Sport website's F1 editor Andrew Benson to preview the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.


Practice 1
Replay - Spanish GP first practice (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8040348.stm)
Highlights - Button fastest in Spain (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8040115.stm)
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/400_Untitled.jpg


Practice 2
Replay - Spanish GP second practice (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8040924.stm)
Highlights - Rosberg sets the pace in Spain (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8040764.stm)
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/766_Untitled.jpg


Practice 3
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/978_Untitled.jpg

Qaulifying
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/573_Untitled.jpg

Button's in-car pole lap in Barcelona (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8041842.stm)
Watch Jenson Button's pole position lap for the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona.

Highlights - Spanish GP qualifying (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8041894.stm)
Brawn GP's Jenson Button snatches pole for the Spanish Grand Prix from Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel in the dying moments of an exciting qualifying session in Barcelona.

Top-three qualifying reaction (press conference) (http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/8041805.stm)
Watch the full post-qualifying TV interview with pole-sitter Jenson Button, second-placed Sebastian Vettel and third-placed Rubens Barrichello

Fuel Loads
http://tchan4.com/image-up/images/478_Untitled.jpg

Race
Results
Standings

[Briggykins]

Be interesting to see if the new aero regs have improved overtaking at Barcelona - my hunch is it probably hasn't :) KERS might help a bit though, if anyone apart from McLaren is still running it.
Pre-practice prediction - Button for the pole and the win, but think another car might slip in between the two Brawns for the quali.
Incidentally, the much-maligned James Allen has a good piece (http://allenonf1.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/whos-doing-what-with-new-cars-in-spain/) on what new bits the teams are running in Barcelona. Despite all the talk of more performance for Spain, it doesn't seem that there's anything particularly ground breaking appearing.

[Burble]

I'm expecting this race to be a Procession, with a capital P.

[Glaucus]

I don't think these regs have affected over taking at all. The cars are just closer together as the rules are so tight and such a big change. teams haven't had years to perfect their teams with 100's of millions of £.

[Glaucus]

Yes, just oh so yes..
Button on fire!!!

[Knipples]

Yes, just oh so yes..
Button on fire!!!

I dont know where he pulled that lap from, but I liked it!
:D

[Feek]

We're going out for truncheon tomorrow so I'm not going to be able to watch it live. Sky+ is set.

[Briggykins]

Quite a good race in the end for Spain. Surprised at Brawn's strategy for Barrichello though, it was almost as if, as Brundle suggested, they deliberately hobbled him so Button could take the victory. Good drive from Webber, but felt sorry for Massa (unusually).

[Glaucus]

Quite a good race in the end for Spain. Surprised at Brawn's strategy for Barrichello though, it was almost as if, as Brundle suggested, they deliberately hobbled him so Button could take the victory. Good drive from Webber, but felt sorry for Massa (unusually).

No they didn't grr, brundle is an annoying *****
both brawns where on a 3stop strategy, they changed Button.
Barrechelo got the lap times needed and built up more time than he needed. 14 seconds. He needed a total of 24seconds. All he had to do was build another 10 seconds on his third stint but he didn't. He simply did not put he lap times in that where needed and more importantly expected. There is no reason he should not of been able to pump in the same times as the previous stint.

[lostkat]

Agreed, AH. I don't think there was any favouritism from the Brawn garage at all. I think they're more interested in team finishes than favouring either driver. Even Rubens said that himself. It just didn't work for him on a 3 stop. Sounds like there was a tyre issue and he just couldn't keep the pace up. Shame because his start was fantastic :D

Still, cracking podium though :D Did anyone else hear Webber say the F word?? ;D;D

Felt a bit sorry for Felipe baby and his fuel crisis.

[lostkat]

Oh, almost forgot to mention the crash too. Nothing like a good strong crash at the start to liven things up :D

[Briggykins]

Oh I don't think there actually was a conspiracy, I believed what they said about the race engineers choosing the strategies. It just went so wrong for Rubens that it looked like a stitch up :)
Crash was good, and both Brawns did well after the restart. I was expecting Massa to get past at least one, but they were both away very well.

[Feek]

Just watched this, excellent result, good crash and as usual for Spain, I slept for about 45 minutes during the race :D

[Mark]

Didn't even think to turn the TV on today (until now) let alone watch it. I'll grab the highlights early tomorrow morning and watch them, if only to see the crash. :o

Edit - seen the crash now. That one certainly looked pretty spectacular, especially from behind. :eek:

[Justsomebloke]

Only got the highlights later on.
Commentary is as piss poor as ever, Truly (was it???) got blamed for the crash when he clearly got clipped by the dude coming back onto the track from teh other side from the camera, Kin commentators take 10 mins & 5 replays to know what's going on & who the **** is that old Dude. :(

Best bit of all was when they asked Hamilton what he thought when Button Lapped him ;D;D;D Whilst he stood there silent I would have also asked what he thought when Alonso made a Mug of him an all. ;D;D;D Comedy Gold. :cool:
Buttons dad needs to take care of his perspiration problem before he waves his arms about an all. ;D
Good win for Button, Quite entertaining just watching the highlights.

[lostkat]

It was Rosberg who started the crash, not Trulli though. Rosberg put it off, then came back on right next to Trulli, who had to swerve to avoid him, which is why he span off. He then came back on (stupid idea IMO, especially in the middle of a gaggle of cars) and smashed into Sutil who was also coming back onto the track after having cut right across the previous corner. I'm sure Sutil would have received a penalty for cutting that corner anyway, so part of me says it serves him right :p

Bourdais just didn't see Buemi braking and took them both out. Oops!! I bet the Toro Rosso camp aren't very happy about that ;D

EJ is really getting on my nerves now. He's just plain weird and seems to ask stupid questions for the sake of talking. He also tries to force his views on everyone. They need to bin him.

[kaiowas]

Not sure what's up with this season, from reading comments on the various forums everyone else seems to think it's all going really well and we're getting good races whereas after the first couple of laps once everything has settled down I just find myself bored and looking forward to it finishing.

Funny thing is if the Brawns were red and had a German driving Button's car I suspect that many more people would share my viewpoint ;)

[lostkat]

I guess it all depends upon which team you support ;) I'm not behind any team in particular, although there are some drivers I like/dislike and I do support anyone/anything British (& understandably so I think!). For me, it's just great to see some of the 'underdogs' doing well for a change rather than the same old same old.

[Glaucus]

As I've said before the rules changes have not worked and never would work. It has not increased over taking. The cars can follow closer, but that's marginal.

Brawn and his team have been extremely cleaver not only with the rear diffuser.
But there disc callipers are all at the bottom of the wheel rather than the side like usual. they've got a unique steering rack which again is situated a lot lower than other peoples. All helps to lower centre of gravity.

[kaiowas]

I don't really support any team too closely since Schumacher quit, I just like/dislike various teams and drivers to varying degrees for numerous (mostly irrational) reasons.

Just so you know where my loyalties lie:

Ferrari - Being a Schumacher fan made me a Ferrari fan by default but since he quit I'm not overly fussed. Despite liking Raikkonen in his Sauber days he found his way onto the 'dislike' list by joining McLaren. I like Massa even though there are better drivers out there again because he was entertaining in his Sauber days.

McLaren - I'm quite negative on McLaren, started out when I was too young to appreciate Senna's genius and they were just the 'bad guys' in the Senna v Mansell days. On top of that Ron annoys me greatly. They were generally Schumachers main rival plus I'm not a fan of Lewis (think I'll explain that one seperately further down)

Brawn - Still not really got a strong opinion on Brawn but generally my "anti-british driver" bias seems to be winning over and I find myself wanting them to lose. I'd probably like them more if they let Rubens win occasionally ;)

Red Bull - I like Vettel. Of the current front running cars he's the guy I've been finding myself wanting to win this season.

Toyota - This may be surprising when you consider my MR2 obsession but I don't really care about how Toyota do. I just have no real emotional connection between the mk1 MR2 and the Toyota company as they operate today.

Toro Rosso - I liked them more when they were Minardi, Damned corporate sell outs. ;)

Williams - My goodwill for them from the Mansell days evaporated when it was Hill v Schumacher. Nowadays I'm neutral on them.

Force India - I usually like to get behind the underdog but I've no real interst in these, would rather have had Super Aguri on the grid.

At this point I needed to stop and think which teams I hadn't though of yet which must say something about the next 2.....

Renault - As entertaining as Alonso is he's ex-McLaren, and an ex-rival of Schunmacher so I can't warm to him. However if it wasn't for his efforts I'd have probably forgotten Renault were still racing by now.

BMW - It says one hell of a lot for how bad they've been this season that I couldn't think who the 10th team were especially as me and Vix have adopted Kubica as our #1 driver since Schumacher quit. Just a shame the team sacrificed his championship shot so they could put more time into developing a car which has turned out to be a complete dog. Despite liking Robert I feel dirty cheering on something with a BMW badge on it though.

So yeah, back to my dislike of the Brits. I think it stems from the fact that my interest in F1 came from the cars and the technical side of things. I've always viewed it as a technical competition rather than a competition between personalities (the current dumbing down of the cars is probably one of the reasons I find myself losing interest). Another side effect of this is that I can be pretty dismissive of the casual fans who see F1 as just another bandwagon where you support the British guys without question. Generally I don't care whether a driver was born on the same side of a line on a map as me, if they're good and likeable I'll support them. If they're british then the endless hype and jingoistic flagwaving from broadcasters, media and fans who don't really care about the sport inevitably ends up annoying me to the point where I want them to fail just so it all goes away.

[Glaucus]

I'm similar although an out and out brit supporter. Couldn't really care what team they are with as long as hey are challenging for wins.

Ferrari - Absiolutley hate ferrari, what they stand for, their arrogance and team orders.

McLaren - I'm also negative about mclaren used to like the. But the last few years they have lost all my respect. Team orders, decisions etc.

Renault - Again 10 or so years ago I liked Renault. However until Flavio Briatore leaves, I want there team to die.

The other teams I don't like, I don't dislike.

Button - great smooth driving, is capable of winning a championship or two.

Hamilton - great driver, looses his cool sometimes. but has bulls and uses them,. Doesn't care that all the other drivers think he is dangerous. Is certainly talented enough to win multiple world titles like MS. However he is annoying me the end of last season and this season. he is not new any more. He should not always side with Mclaren. He needs to be more involved tell Mclaren if he needs to pit and decide himself what to tell the stewards and most importantly lose the whiter than white look. Just admit to the press you are dirty and underhanded if you needed to be, or at least just ignore them. you would never of seen MS act like Hamilton does with the media.

Vettle - he has stunning pace when in clean air. But he just doesn't have the aggression or overtaking moves. li8ke Hamilton he listens to his team to much. On Sunday he should of known he had more fuel and when he saw massa drive pull in, Vettle should of stayed out. At the moment not overly impressed with him. Hopefully he can get a bit more charged up for the rest of the season.

[Lopez]

My feelings

Ferrari - stories of Gilles Villeneuve, Wolfgang Von Trips, Lorenzo Bandini, Niki Lauda etc are what got me interested in F1 in the first place, so I have a lot of time for Ferrari. There is still a mystical and almost romantic pull to the red cars that is hard to resist. I don't like their current attitude as a team however, and I cannot warm to Raikonnen at all.
Massa I do like, he is quite funny and I enjoy seeing him do well - he obviously gets quite emotional which is always good.

Williams - As a Mansell fan first and foremost, always like to see Williams do well. Nakajimi is not really registered on my driver radar, but I thought Rosberg's dad was cool so I like to see him fighting for points. Patrick head is a cool old school guy, I can never want Williams to fail.

Force India - Mean almost nothing to me, I haven't warmed to them yet like I did Minardi (the perennial underdogs) Don't think much of Sutil and Fisi is not what he once was

Toyota - Don't really like their corporate image, not really fussed where they finish. They are just grid noise to me. I like Trulli, seems to be a decent guy, Glock doesn't really register.

BMW - Part of me likes and part of me doesn't. I was into Sauber in a big way when they entered F1 because I liked them from Group C but they really aren't much of a Sauber team any more and my interest has faded. Kubica I have no real desire to see do well, but Nick Heidfeld has an excellent beard so I like it when he gets good results.
Mario Thiessen has a fantastic moustache which gains bonus points

Brawn - One of my big old favourites were Benetton so it's great to see Ross Brawn still doing well. As Honda they just seemed to be hapless, BAR I never liked their attitude much either. Brawn takeover has changed that and it's great to see a phoenix from the flames gaining success. Button and Barichello, journeymen for years and both seemingly really nice geezers so I'm damn pleased to see them doing well

Toro Rosso - Yeah they used to be Minardi, but let's face it they aren't any more. Neither driver means anything to me and nor does the team now that Gerhard Berger is no longer there.

Red Bull Racing - Now these guys I like. Seb Vettel is cool, funny bloke and knows how to drive, and Mark Webber is a likeable driver too, he looks like a cross between Superman and Danny from Grease. Made of win, that bloke. Christian Horner is a good guy too, and the team carry Red Bull which I will always associate with Sauber = good memories. Hope to see Kate's Dirty Sister get more wins this year.

Renault - I have a small piece of affection for Renault because they were once my favourite team (Benetton) although that is fading as the years go by.
Flav.... sometimes he needs to just shut up. Piquet junior is hapless, Alonso is great and I want to see him in a Ferrari and soon. Never been able to dislike Alonso even in his Hamilton rivalry period, just seems like a well educated guy who knows how to pedal.

McLaren - Arch rivals of Mansell generally so they were always a bit boo-hiss for me back in the day. But they had Senna (who I acknowledged was a bit special), Berger (damn nice bloke), Hakkinen (cool Finn), Rosberg (chain smoking champ) etc so there was always a bit of secret love there. Plus I like Ron Dennis, sad to see he has gone.
Kovailainen holds no interest for me. I like Hamilton, people say he's cocky and all that, but hey, if I was a 22 year old world champion shagging a Pussycat Doll I think I'd be a bit cocky too. He's obviously busting his ringpiece this year and it's a shame it isn't getting him anywhere