Chinese Grand Prix - A Quick Review

Editors Note: I apologize for being so late with my review for the Chinese Grand Prix. On top of rating each team and their respective drivers, I had hoped to add a small competition to the mix in which I would take an example from the weekend and put the readers in a “what would you do if you were the manager of x team” situation where a prize would be given to the top response...but my internet service provider experienced technical difficulties for 2-3 days. So instead of giving a grand review I have decided to keep it short and to the point so we can move on towards the infamous Bahrain GP. So without further ado...   

It goes without saying that this was an action and thus very exciting grand prix. My expectations built up from the hype around qualifying did not end in disappointment. The race delivered on so many levels that the theme of “expect the unexpected” definitely prevailed here.

Oh and on a side note, watching the race in the library of my university on a Monday morning was probably not the greatest idea. I brought headphones but still proved to be a distraction to others as I kept expressing myself through grand gestures and several choice words. At least I learned that watching the race definitely replaced my need for coffee in the morning!

Major Themes and Favorite Moments

Tire Management



Coming into the weekend it was clear that the teams were eager to gain more data on the performance and life of the Pirelli tires. Australia and Malaysia had proved that maintaining optimum tire temperature would be challenging yet paramount to success. Colder than normal temperatures in China had proved to be a problem for many during the practice and qualifying sessions as drivers struggled to keep their tires within the optimal operating windows. Oddly enough, Mercedes were expected to suffer the most tire wear out of the top tier teams. They instead ended up dominating a race on two stops whereas the supposed 'tire friendly' car of Sauber could only manage as high as tenth!

Without a doubt the greatest example of a rapidly deteriorating tire was illustrated through the sudden loss of grip experienced by Kimi Räikkönen. The level of grip on his car plummeted immediately as he suddenly fell prey to the attack of the long train of cars behind him. While heartbreaking, Lotus and Kimi have surely learned a valuable lesson from this and it may prove to be to their advantage later on this season. I suspect that we will see temperatures play a more crucial role than ever as the season progresses..

Strategy

I found this to be one of the most interesting aspects of the race. There were an abundance of differing strategies taking place amongst the grid that led to some spectacular racing action and crucial overtaking moves. I was taking notes lap for lap and doing my best to keep up with each driver's strategy. It was particularly interesting to see to the degree as to how one drivers strategy could prove to be dire to another (e.g. Massa and Perez). It is usually easy to predict where a driver truly stands in relation to the rest of the field once the first pit window opens but this proved to not be the case in China. The volatile nature of the tires kept things very interesting. Each time I started to make a prediction I would find that some dramatic event had changed the game completely. .which moves to the next theme.


Pit Problems



Having a smooth and efficient pit stop has always been of the up most importance to any racing team. When it comes to F1, there is absolutely no room for error. Especially in modern F1 where the optimum pit stop and the difference between a position gained and a position lost is decided within a time span of three to four seconds! The slightest hesitation or lack of preparation made by a crew member can have a significant affect on the outcome of the race. This was clearly the case with Schumacher and Button. At least this time Button didn't drive into the Red Bull pit box!

Speaking of Michael Schumacher, I must say that I admire his attitude towards the team mechanics. It reminded me of Japan 2006 when his engine blew and effectively ended his title hopes. Despite losing out on the title by such a close margin, Schumacher made sure and gave praise to the engineers and mechanics. He displayed the same thing at this race where he expressed sympathy for his pit crew and hoped that the crew member wouldn't beat himself up over it. Now that is what I call a good example of team cohesion and leadership!


Close Competition + DRS + Unpredictable Tires = Overtaking Galore

This is pretty self explanatory. The race provided excellent wheel to wheel action that was a joy to watch. It was surprising to see that DRS did not play as huge of a role as most thought it would. While tires and strategy certainly mixed things up, the cars seem to be the most evenly matched in years.

The battle for second place and the long line of cars provided a constant source of entertainment. It was a fine example of cool headed driving. If I had to rate my top 3 overtakes it would be in the following order:

1. Button & Vettel - Button was so late on the brakes and had to take a risk in passing Vettel at that moment in order to put a gap between himself and a hard charging Lewis Hamilton. It was a skillful move that held crucial relevance to his race.

2. Webber & Vettel - Vettel was losing his tires but it was good to see Webber fight hard and take the current world champion with an outside move on the penultimate lap. The BBC reporters did their best to try and get Webber to comment on how sweet the move must have felt but the Australian skillfully avoided commenting on it. However... I have no doubt in my mind that he loved getting the upper hand on Vettel.

3. The Grosjean & Maldonado battle - Grosjean keeping his cool against an aggressive Maldonado whilst sparks were flying and wheels were touching was nothing short of epic. Amazing stuff!


Webber Wheelie!



This must have hurt..

 

The Son Rises



While no one doubted his ability to drive a car, there were some who wondered if he would ever win a race in F1. Nico Rosberg finally proved critics wrong with an absolutely commanding drive on Sunday. Following a near perfect start, he slowly pulled away from the rest of the field and kept it that way throughout the entire race. Not only did he have to avoid the shadow of his father he had to also avoid being stuck in the shadow of his current legendary team mate and compatriot Michael Schumacher. Congratulations are in order!

Nico has handled himself well and ultimately proved his critics wrong. Hopefully,  this boost of confidence will carry over into the next few races. This may be his one and only shot.

Other worthwhile mentions

- Williams both make it into the points w/ Senna placing ahead of Maldonado despite him missing FP1.
- The several times Perez locked up his tires.
- That damn section of track that caught some drivers off guard
- It was nice to see a Kimi/Alonso battle take place!
- The younger generation Chinese fans and their enthusiasm.
- It was great to see the BBC coverage team again.
- Kimi seems to be successful on his return to F1 and is quickly overcoming any rust-related issues.
- The Red Bull RB8 is suffering when it comes to straight line speed.