Sunday, April 06, 2008
# posted by Rich @ 12:43 AM
2008 Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix: Pre-race
In preparation for the main event of the weekend, here are a few things to look out for, and some predictions. The race is scheduled for 57 laps (308.238km/191.539 miles), and is due to start at 14.30 local time (11.30 GMT/12.30 BST, 06.30 EST/07.30 EDT). The pit stop windows are as follows:
1 stop - laps 27-33
2 stops - laps 12-15, 33-37
3 stops - laps 6-12, 20-27, 37-45
Bridgestone's tyre compound allocation for this race is Medium (Prime) and Soft (Option). This is in contrast to last year (Hard and Medium).
Last year's winner was Felipe Massa, who won from pole position and set fastest lap of the race (1:34.067) to give himself a grand slam. He used a two-stop strategy (using a Medium/Medium/Hard tyre combination). The lap record is held by Michael Schumacher (1:30.252).
The weather is predicted to be sunny, clouding over later in the afternoon, with a temperature around 31 celcius. The risk of rain is low.
So, some predictions. With Robert Kubica on pole, Massa second, Hamilton third, and Raikkonen fourth, it looks like there is going to be a fierce fight into the first corner. The Ferraris are starting on the dirty side of the track, and therefore I predict that Hamilton will take second place either into the first corner or at turn 4. I think that Heidfeld and Trulli may collide at the first corner, which will drop both of them out of contention for the points.
Tyre degradation, especially rear tyre degradation, is going to be crucial, according to Renault's Pat Symonds. Consequently most teams will probably opt for a two-stop strategy, with two of the three stints on the harder Prime tyres. The BMWs and McLarens are known to be hard on their tyres, and the Ferraris are known to be kind on theirs. This plays into Ferraris hands, but Kubica could potentially be three-stopping to mitigate the tyre problems. Further back, the slow pace of Button and Alonso in Q3 suggests that they might have a lot of fuel on board for the start of the race, although it should be borne in mind that those times were set using the Prime tyres, which are thought to be worth about 0.4 seconds per lap.
Nico Rosberg has been racy all weekend, and looks like he could pull off a top 8 finish in the race. Jenson Button has been much improved in the Honda, although he will need retirements ahead of him to seriously challenge for points. The same will be true for Fernando Alonso.
So, given how fast he has been all weekend, I think it will be Felipe Massa taking the victory, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton. Then I think the order will be Kubica, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Alonso, Button. I can't wait for the red lights to go out!
Provisional Starting Grid
1 stop - laps 27-33
2 stops - laps 12-15, 33-37
3 stops - laps 6-12, 20-27, 37-45
Bridgestone's tyre compound allocation for this race is Medium (Prime) and Soft (Option). This is in contrast to last year (Hard and Medium).
Last year's winner was Felipe Massa, who won from pole position and set fastest lap of the race (1:34.067) to give himself a grand slam. He used a two-stop strategy (using a Medium/Medium/Hard tyre combination). The lap record is held by Michael Schumacher (1:30.252).
The weather is predicted to be sunny, clouding over later in the afternoon, with a temperature around 31 celcius. The risk of rain is low.
So, some predictions. With Robert Kubica on pole, Massa second, Hamilton third, and Raikkonen fourth, it looks like there is going to be a fierce fight into the first corner. The Ferraris are starting on the dirty side of the track, and therefore I predict that Hamilton will take second place either into the first corner or at turn 4. I think that Heidfeld and Trulli may collide at the first corner, which will drop both of them out of contention for the points.
Tyre degradation, especially rear tyre degradation, is going to be crucial, according to Renault's Pat Symonds. Consequently most teams will probably opt for a two-stop strategy, with two of the three stints on the harder Prime tyres. The BMWs and McLarens are known to be hard on their tyres, and the Ferraris are known to be kind on theirs. This plays into Ferraris hands, but Kubica could potentially be three-stopping to mitigate the tyre problems. Further back, the slow pace of Button and Alonso in Q3 suggests that they might have a lot of fuel on board for the start of the race, although it should be borne in mind that those times were set using the Prime tyres, which are thought to be worth about 0.4 seconds per lap.
Nico Rosberg has been racy all weekend, and looks like he could pull off a top 8 finish in the race. Jenson Button has been much improved in the Honda, although he will need retirements ahead of him to seriously challenge for points. The same will be true for Fernando Alonso.
So, given how fast he has been all weekend, I think it will be Felipe Massa taking the victory, ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton. Then I think the order will be Kubica, Kovalainen, Rosberg, Alonso, Button. I can't wait for the red lights to go out!
Provisional Starting Grid
| Row 1 | Kubica | Massa |
|---|---|---|
| Row 2 | Hamilton | Raikkonen |
| Row 3 | Kovalainen | Heidfeld |
| Row 4 | Trulli | Rosberg |
| Row 5 | Button | Alonso |
| Row 6 | Webber | Barrichello |
| Row 7 | Glock | Piquet |
| Row 8 | Bourdais | Nakajima |
| Row 9 | Coulthard | Fisichella |
| Row 10 | Vettel | Sutil |
| Row 11 | Davidson | Sato |
Labels: Bahrain, Formula 1, Grand Prix
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