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posted on 5/3/2010 at 16:48
Bahrain Grand Prix 2010
>
* Circuit Length 5.412kms
* Circuit Turns 15
* Circuit Direction clockwise
* Capacity 50,000
* Established 2004
* Designer Hermann Tilke
History
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 6.299 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 23-corner design provides at least three genuine overtaking opportunities.
First race Bahrain Grand Prix April 4, 2004 Michael Schumacher (GER)
Last race Bahrain Grand Prix April 26, 2009 Jenson Button (GBR)
Total races 6
Next race Bahrain Grand Prix March 14, 2010
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posted on 6/3/2010 at 03:57
A PREVIEW OF THE BAHRAIN GP 2010
The 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix will be a Formula One motor race held on 14 March 2010, at the Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It will be
the seventh Bahrain Grand Prix and the opening race of the 2010 Formula One season. It will be the first time since 2006 that Bahrain has hosted the
opening round. The race will also take place on a lengthened layout of the track, due to the additional number of cars taking part in the 2010
season.[1] For 2010, Bahrain has been promoted to the opening race of the season in response to cost-cutting measures: the final major session of
pre-season testing will be held at the circuit a fortnight before the actual race weekend, allowing teams to leave all non-essential equipment at the
circuit, thus reducing transport costs.
The race will also see the debut of four new teams: Campos, Virgin, the new Malaysian owned Lotus (unrelated to Team Lotus), and US F1, as well as the
return of Mercedes which had competed as Brawn GP in 2009. New drivers Nico Hülkenberg, Bruno Senna, Lucas di Grassi, José María López and Vitaly
Petrov will also take part in their maiden races, driving for Williams, Campos, Virgin, USF1 and Renault respectively. 2009 World Champion Jenson
Button will make his debut for McLaren after changing teams from 2009 Constructor's Champions Brawn in November 2009. Seven-time World Champion
Michael Schumacher will make his return to Formula One with Mercedes, Felipe Massa will return for Ferrari after his head injury at the 2009 Hungarian
Grand Prix, and Timo Glock will return with the Virgin team following his accident at the 2009 Japanese Grand Prix.
The race will also see a return to the banning of refuelling of the racing cars during the race, a practice which has been in place since the 1993
Formula One season. Additionally a new points scoring system to decide the World Drivers' Championship will be implemented, the most radical revamp
of the system since the formation of the World Championship in 1950. Race winning drivers will now score more than double the number of points
previously allocated with points distributed further down the list of finishers.
On 2 February, aspiring Serbian team Stefan Grand Prix announced that it had forwarded a container of equipment to the circuit despite the team
lacking an entry to the grid at the time the container was sent,[2] reinforcing their previous assertation that they intended to be present in Bahrainwith or without an entry.[3]
On 20 February, US F1 team principal Ken Anderson said that they have applied to the FIA to miss the opening four races. They could be making their
debut at the 2010 Spanish Grand Prix.
Entry List:
1 | Jenson Button | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
2 | Lewis Hamilton | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes
3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes GP Petronas 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes GP Petronas
5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing Renault
6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing Renault
7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari
8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari
9 | Rubens Barrichello | AT&T Williams
10 | Nico Hulkenberg | AT&T Williams
11 | Robert Kubica | Renault
12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault
14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India
15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India
16 | Sebastien Buemi | STR
17 | Jaime Alguersuari | STR
18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus
19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus
20 | Karun Chandhok | Hispania
21 | Bruno Senna | Hispania
22 | Pedro de La Rosa | BMW Sauber Ferrari
23 | Kamui Kobayashi | BMW Sauber Ferrari
24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing
25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing
Previous winners:
2009 - Button (Brawn)
2008 - Massa (Ferrari)
2007 - Massa (Ferrari)
2006 - Alonso (Renault)
2005 - Alonso (Renault)
2004 - Schumacher (Ferrari)
Timetable (All times GMT (Local - 3))
Code:
Fri 12 March 2010
Practice 1 07:00 - 08:30
Practice 2 11:00 - 12:30
Sat 13 March 2010
Practice 3 08:00 - 09:00
Qualifying 11:00
Sun 14 March 2010
Race 12:00
nikki
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posted on 6/3/2010 at 04:44
Bahrain Grand Prix - team and driver preview quotes
After months of preparation and weeks of testing, it is almost time for the 12 teams and 24 drivers that make up the 2010 FIA Formula One World
Championship to finally put their cards on the table and show just what they can do. For the teams it will be their first real chance to see if they
can really challenge for the title, while for the drivers the joy of racing again will be just as potent. The Formula One fraternity look ahead to the
season opener in Bahrain…
Pedro de la Rosa, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I have good memories of Bahrain. In 2005 when I had to jump in I scored the fastest race lap. In 2007 I was there for two days of testing. However,
I think the new section which is added to the infield will make it an all new track, because it means we have to adapt the downforce level. The best
aspect of the circuit is that you can overtake. There are three long straights with each followed by a corner where you have to brake really hard. We
will have good racing there, I think, and all I want is to fight because this is what I missed most. It is difficult to tell yet which track will be
good for our car. In any case it will be very interesting to see how the strategies unfold, and how the teams will react to each other's strategy in
the race. Due to the fact that refuelling isn't allowed anymore, the team can influence the outcome a lot more. After we have had four good tests on
three different circuits I feel very confident for the season's start. I covered a lot of mileage with the team and we learnt a lot. Bahrain will
mark my return to racing and I can't wait."
Kamui Kobayashi, BMW Sauber
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"I won two GP2 Asia races in Bahrain in 2008 and 2009 and I have been testing there in Formula One in 2009. I like the fact that the season starts on
a circuit I know so well. The track is quite nice, I like every corner and now we get some more of them. The track has a lot of stop-and-go corners
and I really enjoy that style, while I also think it will suit our car. During the tests I learnt a lot and I'm training hard. I definitely feel
ready for the start of the season and I'm also looking forward to the usual good weather in Bahrain, as I really like it warm."
Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber technical director
"The kick off for the coming season promises extra excitement because very few of the teams showed their full potential during the tests. Due to the
refuelling ban the fuel cells have become much larger and, therefore, we've got radically different cars. It is an engineer's task to find a set-up
which provides a good balance for the cars, although they will now be a hundred kilos heavier at the start of the race. Race strategy also provides
totally new challenges. Pit stops will be mainly dictated by the tyre performance. Both tyre specs still have to be run. The circuit lay-out in
Bahrain has changed significantly as it is now dominated by a narrow section in the infield with eight additional corners. The downforce level will be
a compromise. On the one hand the many low speed corners require high downforce, but on the other the extraordinary width of the track encourages
overtaking and this means you can't disregard the need for top-speed."
Michael Schumacher, Mercedes GP
2009 Qualifying - n/a, 2009 Race - n/a
"Finally the season will start! I feel like a child looking forward to Christmas. The decision to make my comeback feels like a long time ago now and
I can hardly wait for the season to get underway in Bahrain. It's funny to think that I will be competing in Formula One again when just a few months
ago, I would have declined the opportunity categorically. But sometimes things change and the right circumstances come together. I feel fresher than I
have for many years. I am perfectly prepared physically and most importantly, my energy is back completely. When I retired from racing in 2006, my
batteries were simply empty. Now they are totally recharged and I am ready for the challenge. It is the competition at the highest level that only
Formula One offers which has provided the temptation for me. It is always difficult to predict the form in pre-season testing, this year more than
ever, but the final test in Barcelona proved to us that we should be competitive. We know that we will have more new parts in Bahrain which should
bring extra performance to the car. It's important to be in the leading group from the start of the season and I am confident that we will be
there."
Nico Rosberg, Mercedes GP 2009 Qualifying - 9th, 2009 Race - 9th
"The build-up to a new Formula One season is always an exciting time, particularly when you have a new team to settle into and a brand new car to get
used to. It has been a really nice process integrating into the team. Everyone has been very welcoming and I feel very much at home here already. Our
pre-season testing programme has gone pretty well in February. We did have some concerns that we were not able to find the right direction to extract
the maximum potential from the car but by working hard, we were able to find our way and ended testing on a high. We also have a good upgrade coming
for Bahrain which should develop the car further and so I am quite optimistic that we will do well. Bahrain is a track which I really enjoy so it
should be a good start to the season all in all."
Ross Brawn, Mercedes GP team principal
"Everyone at Mercedes GP is proud to be representing the rich motorsport pedigree of Mercedes-Benz as we start the season as the first Mercedes works
team for over half a century. In addition, knowing that we go into the new season as the reigning World Champions gives the team confidence and a
fierce pride to defend our position. However this is a new season and a new challenge. We had a strong pre-season testing programme with the MGP W01
but we are not quite reached the level of preparation that we would have liked prior to Bahrain. The car shows promise and we have a strong
development programme planned for the season but there is a lot of hard work ahead to ensure that we will be in the fight for the title. I am very
pleased with how our new drivers Michael and Nico have settled into the team and developed a close working relationship. They have really pushed the
development of the car throughout testing and they will push each other to achieve better results on the race track. This season should be a fantastic
one for the fans with so many talented drivers competing and what is likely to be a very close fight for the title between the top teams and that can
only be good for our sport."
Norbert Haug, vice president Mercedes-Benz Motorsport
"The Bahrain Grand Prix as the first race of the 2010 Formula One season marks the beginning of a new era for Mercedes-Benz. 55 years after the last
race of the Silver Arrows works team, Mercedes GP will start to continue this tradition. In preparation for our first season, we have covered over
6300 kilometres during 15 test days from the 1st to the 28th of February. Judging our competitiveness for the first couple of races, my impression is
that we are not quite where we want to be and I would not see our team in the role of favourites. Having said that, I am fully convinced that the
whole team and our drivers Nico and Michael are fully prepared to get on top of our job and fulfill our targets which are winning races and fighting
for world championships."
La nena de Nico Rosberg
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Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg have already touched down in warm and sunny Bahrain ahead of the weekend's 2010 season opener.
Spaniard Alonso's Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa is expected early on Tuesday morning, while Rosberg's Mercedes teammate Michael Schumacher is set to
be accompanied by his wife Corinna on a private jet.
Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi's commercial flight is scheduled to touch down on Tuesday evening.
FIA president Jean Todt was spotted at Bahrain International Airport on Sunday, while at the Sakhir circuit, the pitlane and paddock are already abuzz
with F1 personnel activity.
"My flight leaves on Tuesday," confirmed Williams' German rookie Nico Hulkenberg. "It is important to have a little time to settle in and get
ready with the team for the weekend."
The returning Schumacher, 41, warmed up for Bahrain with a weekend on the Genk go-kart track near the Belgian-German border.
Also expected in Bahrain this weekend is the Spanish bank Santander's boss Emilio Botin, to witness the competitive debut of the
Alonso-Ferrari-Santander sponsorship combination, as well as former Ferrari driver Jean Alesi.
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Sweltering temperatures may seem a far cry from the wintry weather sweeping its way across Europe at present although that is exactly what the 12
teams can expect as they make the annual pilgrimage to Sakhir this weekend for what is the opening race of the 2010 World Championship.
As Bahrain hosts the first Grand Prix of the year for the second time, having first done so in 2006 when Fernando Alonso won for Renault, bright days
and clear nights are in store for the Formula 1 circus, coupled with good visibility.
Temperatures over the course of the weekend are expected to sink no lower than the mid-teens, with highs of some 35°C (95°F) looking to confirm a
stiff challenge for the drivers - particularly the five newcomers - right from the start of the 2010 campaign.
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posted on 12/3/2010 at 10:54
BAHRAIN GP 2010 PRACTICE SESSION 1
Sutil tops first practice in Bahrain
Adrian Sutil, Force India, Bahrain GPAdrian Sutil struck the first blow of the 2010 Formula 1 season, by setting the fastest time in the first free
practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix for Force India.
The German slightly upset the form-book by edging double world champion and pre-season favourite Fernando Alonso to the top spot with a 1m56.583s lap.
The Ferrari driver's last ditch attempt was just 0.183s shy of Sutil.
Robert Kubica provided another surprise by going third fastest for Renault - the Pole having proved competitive whenever he was on track. His yellow
machine was 0.458s back from Sutil, and less than three tenths faster than Felipe Massa's second Ferrari.
The McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton were next up, having enjoyed a battle for the top spot in the early stages of the session.
Vitantonio Liuzzi proved the pace of the Force India in seventh ahead of Nico Rosberg, Mark Webber and the returning Michael Schumacher - who was more
than 0.4s slower than his Mercedes team-mate.
A fascinating first free practice was opened by Jarno Trulli, who brought the Lotus name back on track in an official session for the first time since
the Australian Grand Prix in 1994.
The Italian was also quickly out on track after the obligatory break that follows the flurry of installation laps at the start of practice. Trulli was
joined by team-mate Heikki Kovalainen - who also opened the serious times with a 2m04.225s.
Just prior to the 30-minute mark, Hamilton joined the fray in the controversial new McLaren and lowered that target to a more realistic 1m57.759s
He didn't keep the top spot for long, however, as his team-mate Button went faster with a 1m57.068s lap.
The world champion wasn't the only man on track as the session reached the hour mark and new Ferrari-man Alonso moved to the front with a
1m56.909s.
Just to ensure things didn't get too familiar, Sutil then thumped in a super-fast 1m56.583s lap with 25 minutes to go. That time would stand to the
end.
Sutil ended the session 7.3s faster than Trulli who was slowest of the timed runners in 21st. It was Timo Glock that was fastest of the new runners,
pedalling his Virgin around Sakhir in 2m03.680s, 0.2s quicker than the Lotus cars.
HRT also made it out having completed scrutineering this morning, Bruno Senna giving the Dallara-built machine a shakedown 70 minutes into the
session.
Pos Driver Team
1. Sutil Force India-Mercedes
2. Alonso Ferrari
3. Kubica Renault
4. Massa Ferrari
5. Button McLaren-Mercedes
6. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
7. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
8. Rosberg Mercedes
9. Webber Red Bull-Renault
10. Schumacher Mercedes
11. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari
12. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
13. Vettel Red Bull-Renault
14. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari
15. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
16. Petrov Renault
17. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari
18. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari
19. Glock Virgin-Cosworth
20. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
21. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
23. Senna HRT-Cosworth
24. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth
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Nico Rosberg led the way in Friday afternoon practice at Sakhir, as Mercedes-powered cars filled the top four in 2010's second official session.
The two works Mercedes entries were first and third with Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, while McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button surrounded
them in second and fourth.
Rosberg hit the front after 20 minutes, and the only subsequent change at the top came when the German shaved a further tenth off his time a quarter
of an hour later, getting down to 1m55.409s. By then the field had settled into a run of longer stints and the times remained relatively static.
Hamilton's best lap was 0.4s slower than Rosberg's, and the former world champion reported several tyre wear after just a handful of hours on the
harder rubber early on. Schumacher was half a second off his team-mate's pace in third, and 0.2s ahead of Button.
Red Bull's two teams both had difficult sessions. Sebastian Vettel was the best of the quartet in fifth, but had two trips over the run-off at the
final corner, while his team-mate Mark Webber was sidelined in the pits with a driveshaft problem after just five laps.
At Toro Rosso, Sebastien Buemi spent the entire afternoon in the pits while the team worked on a problem at the rear of his car, and his team-mate
Jaime Alguersuari only narrowly avoided reversing into the barriers when he ran wide over a kerb in the new section of the circuit and spun back
across the track.
Nico Hulkenberg got into the top six for Williams, ahead of Felipe Massa in the best of the Ferraris. His team-mate Fernando Alonso was ninth behind
Renault's Vitaly Petrov, whose car shed its headrest under braking on an early run, but later showed encouraging pace.
Pedro de la Rosa completed the top ten for Sauber, followed by team-mate Kamui Kobayashi and morning pacesetter Adrian Sutil (Force India).
Virgin was again the fastest of the new teams, this time by 2.5s over Lotus. Timo Glock was only able to get out for three laps, but he used those to
top the 'newcomer class' in 18th ahead of team-mate Lucas di Grassi.
Lotus completed more mileage and appeared to be carrying more fuel as Heikki Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli lapped 9s down on the leaders. Trulli's car
also appeared to lose a small piece of bodywork on the pits straight in the opening minutes.
Bruno Senna got Hispania's F1 life underway in earnest and completed 17 laps, 12.5s off the pace. But his session ended with a scare as his car
lurched under braking for the first corner and slid off the road - with replays suggesting it had shed a wheelnut. Senna's team-mate Karun Chandhok
spent the day on the sidelines - with his car not ready to run yet, the Indian will not join the fray until final practice on Saturday.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Rosberg Mercedes 1:55.409 23
2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:55.854 + 0.445 22
3. Schumacher Mercedes 1:55.903 + 0.494 23
4. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:56.076 + 0.667 28
5. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:56.459 + 1.050 18
6. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:56.501 + 1.092 26
7. Massa Ferrari 1:56.555 + 1.146 30
8. Petrov Renault 1:56.750 + 1.341 26
9. Alonso Ferrari 1:57.140 + 1.731 25
10. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:57.255 + 1.846 24
11. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:57.352 + 1.943 27
12. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:57.361 + 1.952 29
13. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:57.452 + 2.043 21
14. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:57.833 + 2.424 29
15. Kubica Renault 1:58.155 + 2.746 29
16. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:59.799 + 4.390 31
17. Webber Red Bull-Renault 2:00.444 + 5.035 12
18. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 2:00.873 + 5.464 23
19. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 2:00.990 + 5.581 14
20. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 2:02.037 + 6.628 3
21. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 2:02.188 + 6.779 21
22. Senna HRT-Cosworth 2:06.968 + 11.559 17
23. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1
24. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth
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posted on 12/3/2010 at 17:31
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![[*]](./images/engage/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
posted on 5/3/2010 at 16:48
