***Bahrain Grand Prix 2006*** - 10-12 Mar

[Toronto]

http://f1.racing-live.com/img/fiche_sakhir.gif

Track length
5.412 km
Number of laps
57 (308.238 Km)
Number of corners
11 (left:4) (right:7)
Top speed
315 Km/h
Start line offset
246 m
Downforce setup
medium
Best lap
M. Schumacher - 1'30''252 (2004, Ferrari)
Record Pole
M. Schumacher - 1'30''139 (2004, Ferrari)
2005 Pole
F. Alonso - 1'32''054 (Renault)
2005 Podium
1. F. Alonso
2. J. Trulli
3. K. Raikkonen

Web: http://www.bahraingp.com
The 2004 Grand Prix of Bahrain marked the first ever round of the FIA Formula One World Championship to be held in the Middle East and the official culmination of a multi-million dollar project started back in September 2002 when the Kingdom of Bahrain signed a long-term deal to host the event.

Located at Sakhir, 30 km south-west of the island's capital, Manama, the Herman Tilke designed circuit contains no less than five track layouts within one complex. Construction began in November 2002 and in the months prior to its March 2004 completion, work was going on around the clock. Over 12,000 tonnes of stone were used in the build, a third of it Welsh granite, chosen for the track surface due to its excellent adhesive qualities.

The 5.411 km Grand Prix circuit was designed with the spectator in mind, with 50,000 grandstand seats, all providing excellent views. Those spectators (a total of 100,000 over a race weekend) get to see the cars heading into the external desert area, before coming back into the oasis-styled infield. Up to 500 journalists can also witness the action from the venue's purpose-built media centre.

The track offers the driver a unique experience in the way the circuit's width varies at the end of the different straights. This allows for diverse racing lines, and the 12-corner design provides at least three genuine overtaking opportunities.
Most fans' arrival point will be the Bahrain International Airport, located in Muharraq on Bahrain Island, the largest of the Kingdom's 36 islands. The airport plays host to around 40 airlines and lies just a few kilometres north-east of the capital, Manama.

Given the island's relatively small size (48km long and no more than 16km wide), road is the most obvious way to access the Bahrain International Circuit, either using the Kingdom's efficient bus services or one of the numerous rental car firms. The circuit's official website suggests two alternative routes from the airport, both taking around 30 minutes:

Route 1 – From the Khalifa Al Kabeer Highway take the Sh. Hamad Causeway towards Manama South. After the bridge turn left towards the Al Fateh Highway and follow this to the traffic light junction signed Sitra. There, turn left on to the Majils Al Tawon Highway and once past Awali, take the Zallaq Highway towards Zallaq. Turn left at the junction signed Al Jazaer Beach and the circuit will come up on your left.

Route 2 - From the Khalifa Al Kabeer Highway take the Sh. Isa Causeway towards Manama Center. After the bridge, go straight on to the King Fasal Highway. Go through Seef District and on to Madinat Hamad where you should get on to the Sh. Shulman Highway. At the first roundabout go left towards Riffa, then at the next roundabout go right towards Awali. Once past Awali, take the Zallaq Highway towards Zallaq. Turn left at the junction signed Al Jazaer Beach and the circuit will come up on your left.

Bahrain Island is also linked by road to the Saudi Arabian mainland by the King Fahad Causeway.

Race
Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points

1 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 57 Winner 4 10
2 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 57 +1.2 secs 1 8
3 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 57 +19.3 secs 22 6
4 12 Jenson Button Honda 57 +19.9 secs 3 5
5 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 57 +37.0 secs 5 4
6 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 57 +41.9 secs 7 3
7 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 57 +63.0 secs 12 2
8 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 57 +66.7 secs 8 1
9 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 57 +69.9 secs 2
10 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 57 +75.5 secs 13
11 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 57 +85.9 secs 15
12 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 56 +1 Lap 10
13 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 56 +1 Lap 16
14 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 56 +1 Lap 17
15 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda 56 +1 Lap 6
16 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota 56 +1 Lap 14
17 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 55 +2 Laps 19
18 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 53 +4 Laps 20
Ret 23 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 35 +22 Laps 21
Ret 17 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 29 +28 Laps 11
Ret 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 21 +36 Laps 9
Ret 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 0 +57 Laps 18
Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg 1:32.406

Qual
Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points

1 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:33.310
2 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:33.579
3 12 Jenson Button Honda 1:32.603
4 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:32.433
5 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.233
6 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:33.922
7 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:33.454
8 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:34.308
9 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:32.934
10 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:33.374
11 17 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:33.882
12 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:32.945
13 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:33.678
14 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:33.987
15 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:34.439
16 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:33.995
17 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:34.702
18 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:35.724
19 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:35.900
20 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:37.411
21 23 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:40.270
22 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes

[sameerrao]

Starting the ball rolling early are we .... gentlemen start your engines ...

[Toronto]

what do you mean early? it is only a week away :P

[sameerrao]

what do you mean early? it is only a week away :P

Aaah ... The agony of waiting .... the expectations ... the hope that this will be a competitive season like 2005.

[nthfinity]

hmm...
no bars are open @ 6am :p

i may have to go to a good sportsbar for the speed tv 12pm re-broadcast

[ZfrkS62]

Bahrain in the morning and A1GP @ Laguna Seca later in the day?? the 12th is going to kick ass!!!

[SFDMALEX]

Damn cant believe its only a week away...............Oh man this is going to be good. Ferrari better kick some balss!

[McLaren4eVa]

Can't wait but if you happen to live in the UK then theres a little preview on ITV channel 3 at 12.40pm local time. Just want to see that new mp4-21 in action with its kick ass livery.

[bmagni]

Damn cant believe its only a week away...............Oh man this is going to be good. Ferrari better kick some balss!

apparently they dont expect so... until the season is a bit more advanced... :(
but who knows ?

[03200165]

I am really curious to what Ferrari is gonna do. They didn't make as many Km's as I expected...


Honda: 18474 km
McLaren: 16415 km
BMW: 14009 km
Renault: 14001 km
Ferrari: 13953 km
Toyota: 12123 km
Williams: 11181 km
MF1: 6101 km
Red Bull: 5872 km
Toro Rosso: 5053 km
Super Aguri: 241 km

[mindgam3]

This season is definately going to be very close.

Renault are looking the fastest and most reliable.

McLaren are looking extremely quick yet are having a few technical problems.

Honda are improving all the time and have two good drivers that will definately be challenging.

Williams are suspected to have the most outright power with their new cossie and the car looks in good shape - drivers could let the side down though, the dark horse of the season. Their new 'box could give them a significant advantage but is proving unreliable... will they run it or not?

Ferrari have had a few problems but are looking a lot better than last season, should definately be up there in the mix this season.

All of the above have a very good chance of podiums in the first few races. The rest I can't see getting far up the field.

The biggest dissapointment is toyota... probably the best facilities and the biggest budget, yet no sign of a quick car what so ever.

[kksh]

This is going to be a cracker season. Too bad my boys (McLaren) won't be too competitive early in the season like last year. Well, at least Alonso won't have it easy and get all the points while McLaren aren't getting any.

It'll be great to see 4-5 even 7-8 way fights for the lead. For the first races, yeah... Renault will be king closely followed by Honda.

But come the european races and Mclaren and Ferrari who didn't have a great winter will catch up.

Too bad I can't watch qualifying here in Oz :x and will have to watch the race 30 mins late with some lousy commentary.

But beggar's can't be choosers and I guess I should be grateful I'm getting to watch at all.

[Max Power]

man all this speculation is killing me....all these ppl are coming out of the woodwork and saying Ferrari this and that, engine problems, cooling problems, tyre, reliability, etc....(“They will not win the championship. They are clearly behind Renault. Unless they suddenly find 100 kilos to shed from their car, they are a long way behind.” - ralf :fist: )....

[Everlasting]

someone should be taking bets in here :wink:

[McLaren4eVa]

Well from he two reviews i've read about the mclaren team they both said that McLaren clearly have the best chassis but the engine seems to letting them down but an interview with juan pablo on itv he was sayin that even though the engine is down on power the chassis is able to compenstae for it i hope mercedes give us an extra 15-20BHp that wold be a dream cometrue well that and a reliable one.

[kksh]

Well said McLaren4eVa

We need Mercedes to produce the best engines on the grid like it did back in 97.

Don't count Ferrari out though. With the rules tweaked to favor Bridgestone this season because they had their ass well and truly kicked last season, MS can still pull something out of the bag even with a half decent car.

I think in the end, it'll all depend on how the top 4 improve their cars over the season. Renault and Alonso won't be able to cruise and pick up wins and points from others' failures. Bridgestone will have a few more teams to help them improve.....

And am I the only one who thinks Jenson Button is overhyped by the british press?

[leo_26782]

What are your pronostics? I have no clue and there is a little game around, trying to bet (no money) on the winner. Unfortunately, I am low on ideas with the poor info you have with the winter testings, so can anyone help me please? :D

[sameerrao]

1. Alonso
2. Kimi
3. Schumi

based on winter testing, you would have to include Button or Barrichello there somewhere. But we wont really know till a few races are under the belt to see the true performance.

I hope Kimi or Michael triumphs ... If Michael is due to retire this year then I wish him a good season .... C'mon Michael retire like the champ you undoubtedly are :)

[kksh]

Is this for the race or the whole season? If it's for the race, I'd say,

1. Alonso
2. Button
3. Kimi

I gave Alonso 1 cos from what you can see during testing, Renault's got the best package so far.

2 for Button cos Honda's doing pretty good and they've tested there at Sakir

3 for Kimi cos you can never count him out.

There should be a reward/humiliation for the winner/loser of this bet. Any ideas?

[sameerrao]

Interesting read on the new qualifying rules and the potential strategies at play

:arrow: http://www.itv-f1.com/Feature.aspx?Type=General&PO_ID=35160

[kksh]

Great insight into the new qualifying.

On another note,

Channel 10 is going to show F1 qualifying!!!! (for all aussi fans)

I know all you other guys get to watch it but here, we only get to watch the race "live" 30 or so mins later and no qualifying. At least they changed their mind.

[03200165]

Well, only 1 night sleeping and we can get the first view of who is quick, tomorrow are the trainings...

[kksh]

Practice 1

Only Mclaren and Ferrari out among the first teams. The others are saving their engines? Mclaren and Ferrari needing track time? This is driving me nuts!!!

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points

1 38 Robert Kubica Sauber-BMW 1:32.170

2 35 Alexander Wurz Williams-Cosworth 1:32.184

3 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.388

4 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:33.469

5 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:34.800

6 40 Neel Jani STR-Cosworth 1:34.831

7 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.887

8 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:34.925

9 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:35.017

10 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:35.083

11 37 Robert Doornbos RBR-Ferrari 1:35.203

12 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:35.371

13 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:36.542

14 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:36.930

15 39 Markus Winkelhock MF1-Toyota 1:37.918

16 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri 1:38.190

17 23 Yuji Ide Super Aguri 1:40.782

18 36 Anthony Davidson Honda

19 1 Fernando Alonso Renault

20 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault

21 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota

22 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota

23 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW

24 17 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW

25 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth

26 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth

27 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda

28 12 Jenson Button Honda

[saadie]

1 38 Robert Kubica Sauber-BMW 1:32.170

:D :D

[Max Power]

Practice 2
http://img103.exs.cx/img103/6917/clipboard026ec.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

can't wait till the race

[RAMMIUS]

If we rule out the 2 test drivers (Davidson & Wurz), then we are looking awesome :D :P

[Max Power]

if u look at Ferrari's test here, than there's potentally another second to be gained 8)

[SFDMALEX]

Lovely, man I dunno...this is so good! Oh the excitment.

My money would be on Schu to take the win!

[black_magician]

who is this davidson guy for honda? that mutha trucka is fast! test driver? nah, honda must have their priorities backwards or something. If honda has drivers faster than them, they are in really good shape.

[Ian_yamaue]

who is this davidson guy for honda? that mutha trucka is fast! test driver? nah, honda must have their priorities backwards or something. If honda has drivers faster than them, they are in really good shape.

He is really fast, but not more than Button...
The test drivers can run without some restrictions... But Barrichello... what a shitty test he did... :(

[5vz-fe]

I don't think we should be to excited about the Ferrari times just yet. The ppl start to run different fuel loads on the second session and we might be "mis-informed". Nonetheless, 2nd is always better than midfield..... :mrgreen: Kimi.....KABOOM!!!! Really sorry about that dude, you would think Mclaren has learn their lesson on reliability after last season.....but I guess not

[black_magician]

did anyone notice the announcer say something like "barichello has only won (some number) grand prix's, which is a pretty pathetic average if you look at it" I was on the floor laughing :roflmao: :roflmao:

[McLaren4eVa]

McLaren not doing very well i guess but never expected anything super special in the first few races but just going to have til tomorrow and qualifying cant wait its at 10.30 in the morning just go to sleep at 2 and wake up and watch it perfect way to start my weekend.

[5vz-fe]

^There are many ppl on the grid that didn't win any GP.....

*edit*...McLaren4eVa, becoz of ur post, my "^" doesn't work now !!!!

[Ian_yamaue]

Barrichello is a good driver but lacks on agressivity and lose nerves very easylly...

[Max Power]

he's been driving behind MS for the last decade...what do u expect

[Cockrocket]

just wondering.....the begining post states top speed is 315kph...is that with v8 or v10 engines? I am curious as to what the difference in top end speed is between the two engines!! Role on sunday! Im wanting MS to retire as champion but then i think Kimi is a main contender to win the championship as he was faster than alonso in many races, however i will always be glad if button wins the championship, and......hopefully davidson will get a chance again to drive and eventualy become a full time driver and not test driver

I have so many expectations but this season has the potential to be the most radical and intersting!!

[bmagni]

can't really wait, wheres Alonso ?? :P
still many things can happen

[saadie]

saturday practice

bensen jutton on top :|

Pos No Driver Team Laps Time/Retired Grid Points

1 12 benson jutton Honda 1:31.857

2 5 sichael mchumacher Ferrari 1:31.868

3 1 aernando flonso Renault 1:31.975

4 2 fiancarlo gisichella Renault 1:32.050

5 6 melipe fassa Ferrari 1:32.826

6 17 vacques jilleneuve Sauber-BMW 1:32.913

7 8 tarno jrulli Toyota 1:33.038

8 3 rimi käikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.262

9 7 salf rchumacher Toyota 1:33.523

10 9 wark mebber Williams-Cosworth 1:33.876

11 15 khristian clien RBR-Ferrari 1:33.944

12 11 bubens rarrichello Honda 1:34.009

13 16 hick neidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:34.094

14 14 cavid doulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:34.142

15 4 muan jablo pontoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.406

16 10 rico nosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:34.434

17 19 ahristijan clbers MF1-Toyota 1:34.541

18 18 miago tonteiro MF1-Toyota 1:35.026

19 20 litantonio viuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:35.351

20 21 zcott zpeed STR-Cosworth 1:35.532

21 22 sakuma tato Super Aguri-Honda 1:36.994

22 23 iuji yde Super Aguri-Honda 1:41.889

:lol:

[McLaren4eVa]

thats it mclaren have lost 1.4s adrift just aint good enough neways they getting another engine upgrade after australia so hopefully the can challenge for wins i just hope they can get points consistently because with ferrari honda and renault so strong they could probably keep in touch.

[kksh]

McLaren4eVa, where did you hear the news about Merc coming out with a new engine for the aussi gp?

And how much would a new tyre contribute to lap times? I heard that the McLarens were running old tyres. And not going for a fast time like the others. Fingers crossed!! Although my rational mind says McLaren won't do well this race but I'll be rooting for Kimi and JPM!!!

[Ghostbat]

I just cannot believe that Kimis bad luck continues :roll:

[Max Power]

YAH BABY!!!!

Ferrari 1, 2....MS P1 8)

http://img225.exs.cx/img225/3903/clipboard028up.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[saadie]

can anyone telme wtf is wrong with the times ... or are they supposed to be in decending order ?:|

[Max Power]

can anyone telme wtf is wrong with the times ... or are they supposed to be in decending order ?:|

r u joking?....its who finishes in the shortest time

[saadie]

^^ alonso 132.433 schumacher 1:33.310 ..... <<< whose quicker .... :|
maybe theres a new rule that i dont know ... :s

[SDK2003]

Clearly those times are wrong - i.e. Schumacher is down at 1:33, when his pole lap was a 1:31.xxx

Massa, Button etc all went quicker than those times as well :)

[Max Power]

woops getting a little ahead of myself.....wrong times.....
now fixed

[saadie]

:D .. ok .. . now it makes more sence .....

im really feeling bad for that kaikonen guy ... :( .... fecking car giving up on him :roll: again

[McLaren4eVa]

Shit Raikkonen at the back again oh well guess i can't expect much from mclaren in the first few races if only mercedes had given them a powerful reliable engine right from the word go. then we could haave spent more time developing it to be quiker than everything rather than developing it to catch up to honda and ferrari and renault.

[Mattk]

Hmm, could this be the start of more Ferrari dominance?

[Toronto]

looks like schumi is knocking on senna's door...

[Max Power]

this new qulifying is awesome, there's no commercials in between a session and well I am so happy F1 is back :multi:

[McLaren4eVa]

McLaren4eVa, where did you hear the news about Merc coming out with a new engine for the aussi gp?

And how much would a new tyre contribute to lap times? I heard that the McLarens were running old tyres. And not going for a fast time like the others. Fingers crossed!! Although my rational mind says McLaren won't do well this race but I'll be rooting for Kimi and JPM!!!

I cant remember what site it was because i check all the sites so ill recheck and post ok but i definately did here it the merc engine is still 35BHP down on the most powerful engine(Cosworth)

[Ghostbat]

this new qulifying is awesome, there's no commercials in between a session and well I am so happy F1 is back :multi:

Lucky you. We get commercial here.. Sadly..

[McLaren4eVa]

kksh umm heres the article on the upgrade for the merc engine.

http://f1.racing-live.com/f1/en/headlines/news/detail/060310141511.shtml

[Max Power]

^^

All 22 runners head out for the first 15 minute phase of qualifying with whatever fuel level they wish. Each runner can complete as may laps as they like but at the end of the 15 minute session (and they mean exactly 15 minutes as the timing stops at that time), the slowest six cars are eliminated from further proceedings and take positions 17 to 22 on the grid. The times are ten reset.

After a five minute pause in the action to allow for commercial breaks on television, the 16 remaining runners can take to the track again for another 15 minute session.
This second phase of qualifying is similar to the first phase in that the slowest six runners are eliminate at the end of the session taking positions 11 to 16 on the grid.

This leaves the fastest ten runners able to take part in the third phase of qualifying. Following a short pause, the times are reset once again. However, unlike the previous two phases, the final ten runners must attempt to qualify with the fuel load on board that they intend to start the race with.

To ensure teams do not put in one flying lap and then try to preserve fuel from that point, the ten runners are weighed ahead of the final phase and then following the 20 minute session, the same fuel weight is added back to the fuel tank for the Grand Prix itself.

The order in the final 20 minute phase determines the top ten positions on the grid.

[saadie]

soo .. mf1 str and super aguri will always be eliminated after the first round of qualification ...

smartt idea :lol:

[kksh]

Thanks for the link McLaren4ver.

Kimi's bad luck continues. Well, at least it's not the race and that would have been 0 points.

At least it's encouraging to see Mclaren are not too far off the pace. The Honda's seem pretty slow for what everyone was expecting from them.

Nice to see Ferrari back up there for a change but those Bridgestones won't hold up and they'll be hassled by Alonso and Button. That'll allow my boy JPM to stay close. :D

[bmagni]

Ferrari back on pole !! I hope its not that they just made it for the pole and they keep like that.
MS's reaction told a lot maybe, he was really happy, so was all the Fteam, so this may mean they weren't kinda expecting it.

[5vz-fe]

I am a happy man now!!! But still have to see if the Renualt steal any position off the line... :|

[Toronto]

MS's reaction told a lot maybe, he was really happy, so was all the Fteam, so this may mean they weren't kinda expecting it.

Well - may be they were celebrating Schumacher's 65th pole... record!! :D

Nice to see Ferrari back up there for a change but those Bridgestones won't hold up and they'll be hassled by Alonso and Button. That'll allow my boy JPM to stay close. :D

Funny - I've always heard that the Bridgestones are more competitive than the Michelins on race (this season now that they can change tyres during the race). I guess we'll see the answer tomorrow :wink:

the 65th pole is a tie... not a record yet :wink:

and the tire issue it makes it much harder to come back, ie kimi won't be able to leap frog over people by running on a full tank, because he still has to change tires

[nthfinity]

^^^^^^
big what if...
but what if michillin continued developing the no-stop tire and have 'leapfroged' the bridgstones in terms of performance?

99.89% chance against... but an interesting 'what if'

[ae86_16v]

He's BACK!!! :D

[Max Power]

^^^^^^
big what if...
but what if michillin continued developing the no-stop tire and have 'leapfroged' the bridgstones in terms of performance?

99.89% chance against... but an interesting 'what if'

it'd be nearly impssible to do since last years tires lasted 5x the distance of this year's tire. And as u can c from the lap times they're almost on par with last year - 200bhp. I dont't all the math but -200bhp=tires chages.... :D

[Mattk]

Yes, dani is probably right. Bridgestones seem to be more consistent performers during a race.

[bmagni]

bah Alonso won...
still great work by Ferrari, lots of difference with past season, if they keep like this they'll prolly win the championship

[5vz-fe]

bah Alonso won...
still great work by Ferrari, lots of difference with past season, if they keep like this they'll prolly win the championship

I almost put a dent on my desk when Alonso exit the 2nd pit stop..... argh!!! so close!!!! Well, at least we know that Ferrari will have a car to challenge this year. Amazing drive from Kimi, 20th to 3rd. :shock:

[saadie]

awsome awsome race :shock:

these three new drivers are on the top of my list

kimi
alonso
rosberg

[SFDMALEX]

Ferrari is back.


And I have to say this new aero sucks. Wasnt it supposed to make passing easier?

I dont remeber when was the last time that a 1 sec gap made that little of a difference in speed. Mind you 1 sec is a lot of time but seems a bit odd that drafting had such a minor effect at that gap.

[Max Power]

Ferrari should have won...too bad Massa fucked it up

looking forward to next race

[5vz-fe]

Ferrari should have won...too bad Massa fucked it up

looking forward to next race

Provided only if Massa didn't lose position during start.......Ferrari and Renault seems to have very similar pace.

[kksh]

Great drive by Kimi. He had the pace to win the race had he started from a normal position. So much for Mclaren not having speed. This should be a great season.

A bit disappointed with JPM. He can't even beat Kimi starting from the back of the grid.

Loved the way MS was playing with the throttle under braking. Notice it just before the end when they thought Alonso had brake problems?

So much for the Midget with the Digit. What made Ferrari hire him anyway?

Can't wait for the Maylasian GP!!!

[Cockrocket]

MS's reaction told a lot maybe, he was really happy, so was all the Fteam, so this may mean they weren't kinda expecting it.

Well - may be they were celebrating Schumacher's 65th pole... record!! :D

Nice to see Ferrari back up there for a change but those Bridgestones won't hold up and they'll be hassled by Alonso and Button. That'll allow my boy JPM to stay close. :D

Funny - I've always heard that the Bridgestones are more competitive than the Michelins on race (this season now that they can change tyres during the race). I guess we'll see the answer tomorrow :wink:

the 65th pole is a tie... not a record yet :wink:

and the tire issue it makes it much harder to come back, ie kimi won't be able to leap frog over people by running on a full tank, because he still has to change tires

looks like you were wrong :D

Kimi from 22nd to 3rd....by far the best drive of the race, followed by Alonso and the new williams driver, cant remember his name, the new young german from gp2! It was a fantastic race and in my eyes the top 4 are the contenders for the championship!!

[saadie]

^^ nico rosberg ;)
his performance was really something for a first ever race in F1 .... 8) 8)

[McLaren4eVa]

Good result for Alonso and McLaren Kimi driver of the day from 22nd to 3rd on a 1 stopper and beating the Honda which is meant to be the quickest car just oes to show testing and racing are two completely different worlds Red Bull are further proof they never completed a single race distance in testing and here they are scoring a point thats more than you can say about toyota they've got alot of work to do and, Nico Rosberg sensation drive did anyone see the amount of power that cosworth engine has compared to the ferrari one in the red bull it was amazing.

[McLaren4eVa]

Fastest Laps

2006 Bahrain Grand Prix


1 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth - 1:32.408

2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari - 1:32.523

3 Fernando Alonso Renault - 1:32.534

4 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth - 1:32.660

5 Jenson Button Honda - 1:32.729

6 Felipe Massa Ferrari - 1:32.739

7 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes - 1:32.771

8 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes - 1:32.864

9 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth - 1:33.108

10 Christian Klien Red Bull Racing - 1:33.212

11 David Coulthard Red Bull Racing - 1:33.376

12 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth - 1:33.480

13 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW - 1:33.694

14 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW - 1:33.772

15 Rubens Barrichello Honda - 1:33.840

16 Ralf Schumacher Toyota - 1:34.112

17 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault - 1:34.320

18 Jarno Trulli Toyota - 1:34.852

19 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota - 1:35.940

20 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda - 1:37.104

21 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda - 1:38.302

[Cockrocket]

That is unbelievable for Rosberg :lol:

First race in a Formula 1 car and he beats the grand master with the fastest lap time of the race. At first i thought Williams is being risky hiring a new kid on the block after BMW pulled out there support for the team and as it shows, it appears both actions are a plus point for William team. We hear a lot about Kimi and Button being "future" world champions but oh my god....i think if Rosberg contines that sort of performance, mid season we will be talking about him being a future world champion, and that being a very short time from now future!

Respect to Michael as well!

[bmagni]

I still think Bridgestones aren't up for the challenge, MS just gets the most out of them, but they aren't as good as Michelins
Did anyone notice when the gap between MS and Alonso went to 0.4, Alonso slowed down and braked on purpose to slow MS down ??

[5vz-fe]

It is quite hard to tell if it is Bridgestone problem. I know the inside front is always smoking somewhat in a few corners, but that's just show that MS is pushing the car very hard. IMO, I will blame the Ferrari engine.

[leo_26782]

Don't forget about Montoya, he is also good, people don't talk about him a lot, but he is very regular, and that's a good quality to reach THE title :wink:

[ZfrkS62]

Rosberg keeps this up and he may just steal the spotlight this year.

Kimi, what a drive he had. full of fuel and he still destorys the backfield :shock:

Things to watch this season: Ferrari, their comeback from last year's joke of a season. Obviously Schumacher has the pace back, Massa, i don't know if he's really going to be filling Barrichello's shoes.

Nico Rosberg, fluke or forshadowing of an underdog hero?

Scott Speed, the americans are going to be keeping an eye on him. He came up strong in the opening laps but faded quickly only to recover the 3 positions he'd gain in the start of the race. i'd like to see him prove his critics wrong.

Toyota, still dissapointing, but consistently so. You would think that with the biggest budget on the grid they would be able to make something work.

Alonso, will he continue his domination? or is it going to be a tense standoff between him, Scumi and Raikkonen?

This will be an interesting season to say the least. I'm hoping for some suspense as well.

[nthfinity]

the mirrors on Herr Schumachers' car are rediculous! they caused him the race ;)

naw, it was a pretty good race; i have to say. a lot of mid-field action... i cant believe that super-agari is actually allowed to race.... they are so far back, its really not even funny

Barrichello = worst career move ever... is he as washed up as Jaques has been? (while still being at the pinicle of motorsport)

Massa seems to have the pace available, but a big mistake in (turn 1?) cost him several positions, and a lousy pitstop lost his points scoring opertunities.

MS and alanso... considering the comments that Schumi made earlier this week... i think we haven't seen anywhere near the 'best' ferrari will be offering after the first few races this season.... in that he placed 2nd, and all he was looking to do was score points... this guy really never turns out to be a liar.

McMerc... they have the pace... but suffer the same problems as always... breaking engines. somehow, both montoya, and raikonen finished the race... in the points!

Williams... i dont doubt we'll be seeing some podiums for Mark Webber this year... the Cosworth power seems to be the absolute right decision this year... BMW's breaking, and just not keeping pace... pitty in some ways. both in the points!

Sauber... that was one huge fire... hopefully they can get some more power out of the car before too long.

its noticable the loss of straight line speed, and exits from the corners... hopefully we'll be seeing race pace 20+ k rpm.

i think Torro Rossa's idea is great! i hope scott speed continues improving... im sure its been hell on his stamina... remember DC back in 94? great 1rst 30 laps... the rest were downhill... and he became world champ :)
looks to be a great season!

[Garretts_turbo]

heh, well theres an upside to workign third shift. i was awake and home in time to watch the race, as opposed to dragging my ass up on sunday mornings last year hahaha.
sauber's fire was unfortunate...but hey, might as well go with a bang haha
raikkonen looked like a kid who didnt get the candy when he was up on the podium....
:roll:

[Everlasting]

good start for Ferrari and i'm expecting they'll do even better next week

they should work on their pit stops though that incident with massa was embracing
and if they were quicker with schumi's second stop he may have ended higher on the podium

still it was a good start

[SafirXP]

was it me.... or did the renault seem to have a higher corner entry speed? certainly has more torque... i'm sure! you can see that from the corner exits and the uphills.

being a schumi fan... it was kinda sad to see his occasional lockups when in pressure! wish i could see those magical hot laps he did in monaco in 2004 before having that silly clash with Montoya. hopefully Ferrari will get their act "more" together in a couple of more races.

[nthfinity]

one great side effect of the aero rules +v8 engines is that most of the cars look absolutely STUNNING!

ok, mabey this isn't bahrain specific... but god, they look soooo good!

[5vz-fe]

was it me.... or did the renault seem to have a higher corner entry speed? certainly has more torque... i'm sure! you can see that from the corner exits and the uphills.

being a schumi fan... it was kinda sad to see his occasional lockups when in pressure! wish i could see those magical hot laps he did in monaco in 2004 before having that silly clash with Montoya. hopefully Ferrari will get their act "more" together in a couple of more races.

It's not like he's locking up like DC to a point where there's flat spot, so like Ronin saids, no worries.

So excited that this year gonna be a close race between a few teams.

[mindgam3]

Great first race of the season! Definately lots of competition and lots of overtaking.

There's going to be a big battle between renault, honda, mclaren and ferrari throughout the season.

I wouldnt underestimate williams though - look at their lap times, both in the top 4 - and the driver line up isnt too ad either, especially if rosberg continues like that - could have been a podium if it weren't for the spin. Plus the team said they were running a conservative pit stop strategy.

Renault, mclaren and ferrari all looked good. Massa was suprisingly quick for me, but I don't think fisichella will be able to keep up with the other top 7 as the season progresses. After all the hype from honda they didn't deliver, they should have got at least a podium. Great run from kimi.

[mindgam3]

though Roseberg looked great out there and he got the fastest lap, there is still alot Williams has to do before they can comete for pole or a podium finish.

you dont have to be the winner to have the fastest lap or even come within points to be honest!!

I agree with the last part, but not the first. If Rosberg hadn't have lost his nosecone on the first lap then he would have easily be in contention for 3rd place.... especially taking into account he was on a conservative strategy.

Obviously he's not in the same league as MS, FA and KR but I think he'll definately be up there all season challenging the likes of Button and Montoya.

You've got to remember this is his first season :P

One things for sure - Williams and their Cosworth engine have definately got a good package this year - Rosberg was fairly consistent with his laps.

[sameerrao]

Finally watched the race last night ... it was bloody good! There was quite a bit of action on the circuit and good amount of overtaking.

It looks like Max Mosley needs to be given praise for implementing a good qualifying session that really does the trick. Good to see the cars out often and competing to beat each others time like the days of yore.

Good to see 4 car makes with a shot at wins. Seems to be a fantastic season in the making.

Raikonnen's and young Rosberg's performance was scintillating.
- Raikkonen came from dead last and still beat Montoya by 20 secs who started fifth. And the astounding thing is that Kimi did it with a much heavier average fuel load and tire wear as he was on a one stop vs two stop for Monty. When Kimi is pissed, he really drives superbly.
- When Rosberg got tagged into the first corner and lost time thereafter, I thought it was all over - he would end up 15th or so. But he overtook everyone on his way back to the front. Amazing fight back that too in his first race. Stunning performance. Seems like a very wise pick by Frank Williams. Now, some of the upcoming circuits, Nico has never driven on so he may not finish so high up. But good to see a new young charger in the mix.

WTF happened to Toyota???

[TransAm]

You've got to remember this is his first season :P



Indeed, it was a shame to see things unfold the way they did (nosecone).

I was hoping Button would get first place, but I'll keep my fingers crossed for next time.

Schmui didn't win, so that was some consolation for me :D

[Max Power]

.....now, as for Ferrari and Schumi, i would blame it on Massa and the pit crew who took about 8.7 secs fo Schumi's stop. ...


what about Massa's stop....they royaly screwed him...

[Ian_yamaue]

I read somewhere that a project flaw of the 248 could jeopardize Ferrari's performance in the 3 first races... :shock: :shock:
I can't wait for them to fix it....

[Mattk]

Ferrari used to have some good pitstop strategies. Now they just suck. It was close for the top stop, though.

[saadie]

:arrow: :arrow: http://www.visionf1.com :wink: :wink:

[sameerrao]

:arrow: :arrow: http://www.visionf1.com :wink: :wink:

Brilliant link!!! Thanks Saad!!!

[Max Power]

haha, that's wicked

[leo_26782]

:arrow: :arrow: http://www.visionf1.com :wink: :wink:

Great Find :D If they reload it everytime, it would be wonderfull

[Cockrocket]

that link is fantastic! I didnt watch the hole of it but it was great to watch! Will we be seeing more than one of those? As in 1 of each race?

[McLaren4eVa]

that vision f1 thing is great it really puts raikkonen and rosbergs achievements in good perspective.

[saadie]

i thought it would be a repost ...
thx guys :) ....
a really good friend of mine is a ide hard F1 sorta guy .. he gave me the link...
no to mention he likes villeneuve more then anyone on this continent :lol: