Tag Archives: first race

Testing times in F1

Three tests down and the last about to start before the 2011 season kicks off two weeks late in Melbourne after the cancellation postponement of the Bahrain GP.
2011 looks to be a stellar season in F1 – did I just use the word ’stellar’? – with Red Bull continuing their position as the team to beat and Ferrari showing good form. McLaren will have a fast car too, they always do and they have a well earned reputation for improving their car throughout the season.
The tyres are likely to play a key role this year too with the Pirellis not lasting as long during testing as last years Bridgestones. It will be an interesting year as during the tyre war a few years back it took teams nearly a whole season to effectively make the switch from one supplier, now all the teams are doing it together but will that [...]

How did the new teams do in the first race?

Bahrain played host to three brand new teams this year, Lotus, Virgin Racing and HRT Cosworth/Hispania Racing. After months of preparation it was their first taste of F1 proper with nothing to hide behind.
Lotus performed the best of the new teams, they had a seemingly problem free weekend with their cars both going on to almost finish the race – they were both classified as finishers though. They were off the pace and even got outqualified by one of the Virgin cars but the results happen on race day. Top marks for their effort though and as they were the last team to be granted their entry they have done a fantastic job, it shows what bringing in F1 experience can do.
Virgin Racing put on a reasonable show though neither car finished the race due to technical issues – one hydraulic related and one with gearshift problems. The car looked [...]

What can we expect form HRT Cosworth today?

HRT Cosworth or Hispania Racing have made it to the first GP, they’ve managed to get both cars out on track – just – and have got both drivers into the race. Bruno Senna had much more running that Karun Chandhok who just got two runs in qualifying and so did amazingly well to get as close to Senna as he did.
The team have has a few dramas over the weekend with the hydraulics issues that they’ve had with Chandhok’s car and the issue with the wheel nut on Senna’s car at the end of practice on Friday. These type of issues are to be expected from such a new team really and as Chandhok says is the problem when they are forced to conduct what is essentailly a shakedown in public.
So what can we expect from them in the race? I think that we may have to expect [...]

The Bahrain GP – the track, the tests and a prediction

F1 has just under a week to go until the first winner of 2010 will lift the trophy. It all starts in the Kingdom of Bahrain at the Sakhir circuit. It’s been on the calendar since 2004 and has provided some good racing, it stays in it’s position of the first race from last year having deposed the Australian GP.
This year the drivers will run on the full length circuit compared to the Grand Prix circuit. This change takes that circuit from 5.412 km to 6.299 km and adds a twisty in field section after turn 4, the drivers will run 49 laps for a total race distance of 308.651 km. It will be the first few miles of running in anger for the new teams and the new drivers to F1, lets hope that they can all keep it together for those first few corners.The first corner is tight [...]