Ferrari have yet to score any points in the 2009 Formula One season. This should be no suprise since I’ve been talking about this for the last three races. Even though Ferrari are confident they will do better in the coming races; that’s still a half-assed statement. When you’re at the bottom of the championship leaderboard, you have no place but to go up. My honest opinion is that they won’t do much better in Bahrain than what they accomplished in previous three races. That would be “zero” if you haven’t been paying attention. Ferrari are hopeful though and that’s a good sign. They’ve done some of their pre-season testing there and did pretty good. They should have a good baseline setup for the car and they know what they need to change in order for a good result.
KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) should be back on the car and this will help re-establish their baseline for weight distribution. I believe that when they removed this system from the car for the Chinese GP that the weight distribution of the car was detrimental to the balance of the car.
Kimi Raikkonen, normally a good wet weather driver, was getting passed by people not as good. Granted he did state that there was a problem with the engine early on in the race. Felipe Massa had electrical problems that resulted in his retirement. For me, the biggest surprise was Heikki Kovalainen. He moved all the way up to 5th position, starting from 12th. Vettel was not really a surprise as he’s always good in the rain. I always thought that Webber was a good driver as well, just really unlucky with people running into him. Team Brawn were expected to be up there as well. Another big surprise was watching Louis Hamilton spinning out as often as he did. Obviously overworking the car trying to get to the front.
Ferrari with no points after three races in 2009
All in all though, my thoughts are with Ferrari and their lack of performance. As a true Ferrari fan, I will continue to support them (as long as Kimi drives for them) and hope that they will overcome their problems. In a statement gathered from F1technical.net, Niki Lauda says, “Now the Italians are running it all. Does it work? It could be chaos. That’s the problem.” He’s referencing that Ferrari have become too specialized in getting Italians to work the shop. However, in the more successful days they had Englishmen and Germans working there as well. This meant that they were more diversified and had a broader rage of work ethics and habbits. Ferrari should rethink their goals and bring in some fresh minds from other countries to look at different ways to solve the same problem… getting championship points.
You know, I was up till 1:oo-a.m. watching the Formula 1 Second Free Practice and I am still wondering why I’m wearing my Ferrari gear to work to show my support. Now that the diffuser debate has been settled (which I’m still not happy about) why hadn’t Ferrari come up with an emergency back-up plan to have a diffuser ready for the Chinese Grand Prix? They, along with everyone else, knew what diffuser Brawn GP, Williams and Toyota were going to race since the season opener in Australia! So there’s been plenty of time to come up with an alternative diffuser in light of the ruling. Oh Ferrari… more importantly… Kimi Raikkonen where art thou?!?!
Stepping back a few thoughts though, regarding the diffuser debate. SPEED TV had mentioned that Adrian Newey had come up with a double-decker design as well but the FIA forced him to change it. Whereas the other teams that are running the diffuser didn’t ask for permission. So I guess the old cliché of, “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness, than it is to get permission.”
Brawn GP Exhaust System... Legal? (Courtesy of Racecar Engineering)
Also, whatever happened to the investigation of Brawn GP’s exhaust system? From my understanding it’s similar or the same as what Ferrari was forced to change in the pre-season testing. I have yet to verify this but if it is true then I’m really not liking how some teams can get away with all these technical changes that were deemed illegal for other teams. Are the FIA losing grip of consistencies in the rules? I think that my other frustration is that these teams that are getting away with these technicalities are teams that did not attend the group meetings on the new technical rule changes and should penalized for that alone!
Tomorrow could be the deciding factor to the 2009 FIA Formula One championship. I am referencing the diffuser debate and the uncurtanty of many teams now lies in the hands of the higher sporting court that will be held tomorrow. Teams like Ferrari, BMW and McLaren are all running diffusers that were understood to be utilizing a read diffuser that’s within the good sportsmanship ruling of the regulations. However, there are some that are looking for the loopholes within the system and therefore taking advantage of them.
I’m not sure how I really feel about this though. Part of me says, good job for taking advantage of every angle and creating a superior car. However, there also should have been a meeting to discuss whether it was legal or not before the start of the race (not just race weekend). There should have been a better understanding of the diffuser ruling and the FIA should have been responsible to ensure that everyone is clear on the ruling. I also understand that teams are trying to adhear to the sporting regulations to keep it fair.
I feel that although I’m tipping my hat to the teams with the modified diffuser for being creative and inovative. These teams are also the teams that didn’t appear at a meeting regarding the aerodynamics that most of the other teams did attend (from my understanding for the Speed TV broadcast of the Australian GP). So I feel that these teams should be penalized but not disqualified. The should not be disqualified only because the FIA and the Sterwards allowed the diffusers even under protest. The solution at this time would be to assess the actual time advantage per lap and then take the total number of laps completed. So as an example if you are a team with a diffuser and you are thought to have an unfair advantage of 0.5 seconds and the race was 70 laps, you would be assessed a 35-second time penalty for the entire race. This way people that didn’t finish the race still are placed lower than the people who did finish the race.
Ferrari, Ferrari, Ferrari… what the hell guys? Your antics are showing of not being the veteran team that you are! First, in qualifying you fail to send Massa out to defend getting into round two and then during the race you send Raikkonen out on Wets (formerly known as Extreme Wets)? If anything Intermediates would have been okay a better bet. They knew that if there was a downpour that they most likely would have had to stop the race! It’s been a monsoon every time it’s rained there over the entire weekend. Come on guys, you’re not just looking bad, you’re making all of us Ferrari fans look bad and worst of all, you’re making Kimi look bad!
Kimi retires to the garage during the downpour at the Malaysian GP
As irony would have it, Kimi would retire from the race (or be placed 14th. I’m still not sure what’s going on with the results) but my Fantasy Formula 1 picks put me with the most points for the weekend. I jumped from 5th place to 3rd. Scoring 29 points over my closest rivals at 26 points. My picks for the Malaysian GP was: Kimi Raikkonen, Jenson Button, Rubens Barrichello and Brawn GP. Lucky me, unlucky Raikkonen…
Practice was pretty boring to watch last night. There were a couple of highlights that I thought was interesting. BMW was a the bottom of the time sheets. Force India had a surpising outing but Giancarlo Fischicella had an off and broke front and rear suspension as well as other components. Looked unhurt for the most part. Ferrari had a 1-2 punch at the end of practice with my boy, Kimi Raikkonen taking provisional pole. As we all know that the times from Free Practice don’t mean much because each team has their own program and tests to run. Some will run all out to check overall speed and others will check for tire degregation as well as fuel loads. So times usually don’t mean much for Free Practice but in any case, it’s good fun to watch!
Kimi take provisional pole during Free Practice 2
I just got done watching The Duel from Tag Heuer off of Autoblog’s website. I have mixed feelings about this, but overall the cinematography was very well done. I’m not sure who I would choose in this situation. First you have Steve McQueen. The quinticential motorsport legend/actor. Then you have Louis Hamilton the 2008 Formula One Drivers’ Champion. (Click link below)
the_duel
The reasons why I would pick Steve McQueen is because the heart and soul of motorsport racing is different than today. When people raced back then, they held their life in the hands of thier peers, competition and lady luck. It was a different time and diffent type of racing.
The reasons why I would pick Louis Hamilton is that it would be a great “passing of the torch” and could be good for Tag Heuer’s image for evolutionizing their time pieces. The newest technologies that are being brought in to the epitomy of perfection. Where precision is now more than an art than bruit force.
Watch the video and decide for yourself. Who would you pick?
This really isn’t a preview but more about my thoughts leading into the race this weekend. I’m a little concerned that we won’t see much of a difference. The real wrench in the works is how the aerodynamics is going to play. This course is not as “technical” in the sense of contrast in corners and the straight a ways are longer. The transitions between corners are subtle and for the most part, expected. KERS cars will have some advantage with the extra boost coming out of the corners for the long straight a ways. However, I’m not sure how the new diffuser will react at higher speeds. As always better airflow is part of the winning combination but does the new diffuser put too much down force for a high speed track?
Sepang Circuit for the Malaysian Grand Prix
Ferrari have promised to put a better result together for this race. Well I hope so! Any championship point is 100% better than were they were at the end of this last race. Kimi needs to win to get Ferrari’s moral back on a high. However, with the looks of BRAWN GP, Red Bull Racing and BMW, this feat may be harder than what it sounds. In the end I will still be rooting for Kimi but I do have my Fantasy Formula One picks to worry about too.
Disappointed Ferrari Team - Courtesy of DayLife.com
The first round of the 2009 season was both exhilarating and disappointing. First and foremost… Kimi!!! What the hell man?!?! I was deeply disappointed that Kimi was unable to finish in the points let alone not finish the race. My fear is that this trend will continue because they will not be heading back on European (home) soil for the next couple of races. So they are stuck with the cars that they have now. I’m hoping that Ferrari can get their act together and make the necessary changes to make the car competitive again. To be out shined by a rookie team is not a good start in anyone’s book. The only light at the end of the tunnel that I can see is that because the Ferrari cars of Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa did not finish they would be able to make some limited modifications to the car(s) without incurring a penalty.
I will say that my hat does go off to Jensen Button though. We are talking about a guy, who only a couple of months ago was questioning whether he would have a job or not. The same goes for Rubens Barachello. These guys were consistently at the back of the grid over the last couple of years and I can see how frustrating it could have been to have a car (Honda) that was crap! Get a good driver(s) in a good car and you have a winning combo.
However, both Rubens Barachello and Jarno Trulli were lucky to have made the podium if it wasn’t for Sebastian Vettel’s accident with Robert Kubica. This was unfortunate and as it stands now, Vettel will have to pay a penatly for the accident he caused as well as a ten spot grid penalty. I’m not sure if I entirely agree with this though. When I saw the accident, it looked as though Kubica closed the door on Vettel, leaving the young German with no other place to go. However, I do believe that with Vettel apologizing on the radio to BMW for the incident left the door open for BMW to protest the accident. I will say that Jarno Trulli made an excellent comeback because he actually started from the pit lane because of a rear wing replacement due to too much flexibility.
Then… to top off the finishing podium, Louis Hamilton takes third place because Jarno Trulli went off the course, got passed by Hamilton then re-entered the race and passed Hamilton back. Because he did a pass under the Safety Car, Trulli got penalized for a drive through ten-second penalty (which couldn’t be assessed till after the race) and got relegated to tweleth place.
As much as I would have like to see Ferrari do better (ok… and McLaren), I was happy that the race was exciting and CRAZY! I do look forward to the rest of the season and as for my Fantasy Formula One picks, I will have to rethink my B-Driver picks as well as my Team picks. The A-Driver lineup is not looking so “A-Driver” in the standings and do not seem to be making as big of an impact as the B-Driver listing. Yes, this will be a very unpredictable year… and I kind of like that.
Bernie already explained the new layout of the track at Sykart on a previous post. I had a chance to go Tuesday night and just wanted to add my impression also. I included an unofficial track map that I made using a template from Sykart and MS Paint. It’s not perfect but it may be easier to visualize what I’m talking about.
The track feels larger, mainly due to the faster corners with wider entries and exits. It also feels much faster with a couple turns taken at full throttle (at least in the 6.5-hp karts, I haven’t yet used the 9-hp karts on the new layout.) My initial reaction is more of fun rather than technical and challenging. Every turn is 180 degrees, although with varying radii and entry/exit room, so it doesn’t have the variety of the old layout. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining at all. The feeling of speed through the turns adds an element that the old layout was missing. I’m definitely a novice when it comes to racing, but it will be interesting to see where passing opportunities will present themselves. Attempting to pass seems like it would compromise your line and hurt your lap times more now. So consistency may be even more valuable so other drivers can’t take advantage of mistakes. Of course, I’m sure all the fast drivers will still have no problem passing me.
Thanks to everyone at Sykart for taking the time to set up the new layout!
One last thought, how about naming all the corners instead of just going by numbers? Especially since the course can be run in reverse, I don’t want to confuse myself too much!
Earlier this week, SyKart spent the evening hours applying the new format for Oregon’s premier indoor karting facility. SyKart is mostly known for it’s tight and technical layouts with varying grip surfaces. It’s also the host some of the best indoor karter’s in the country with the likes of Mike Smith of Smith Racing Development, Steve Pepka, Scott Santiani, Adam Kellerman, Scott Gaarde and so many more.
The track seems to be longer and faster than before with longer, swooping corners and less tight-hairpins. However two of the four hairpins are still high-speed hairpins with the last two hairpins being the tightest and most technical part of the track. The pit layout is also part of the change where you must make two u-turns to get out of the pits. As odds as it may feel it still works. As you head out of the pits and drive along the spectator wall, it feels traditional to the original track. Turn-One is a long sweeping left that you can take at full speed if you’ve turned at the right moment. Keep in mind of the metal plate in the middle of the turn. Then a short straight away into Turn-Two, where you realize that you’re traveling at top speed going into a hairpin right. Fortunately the track is wide at the entrance and exit of the hairpin, which again flows into another short straight. From there short straight again you have a very wide entrance and exit into Turn-Three, which if done right you can build your momentum from that corner to the longest straight-a-way on the course. From the long straigh you have a long-long turn left that continues to another straight. Turn-Four (that I just explained) can be taken in many different ways depending on your driving style. I’ve seen people treat it as a double apex, a late apex, a single apex or just stay wide and find that there’s still a little grip out there that can help you carry your speed through to Turn-Five. Turn-Five is a tight hairpin right. The problem with this corner is that that it comes up on you faster than you think. You really have to play with the brakes to find what works best for you to take this hairpin. From here you travel down the final short straight to one of the most technical hairpin of the course, Turn-Six. This has a tight entrance and exit and this can really make or break your race.
Since this is a high speed course times are quicker than before even though the track feels longer. Most of the experienced drivers were getting in the low 29-second range in the 6.5-hp karts and it was almost a second quicker in the 9-hp karts. With this new layout though it should be able to be ran in the reverse direction. Those who have driven the course backwards are getting times that are close to 3-seconds to 5-seconds quicker. That has yet to be verified.
I’d like to send a special thanks to the employees of SyKart for spending such long hours to make our lives more fun.
