Tag: #chinesegp

2016 Chinese Grand Prix – We Go Green in 3 Hours

So the Haas boys, Grosjean and Gutierrez have qualified 14 and 18 respectively.

Qualifying position is not that important to me right now, not do i think the team cares too much. The drivers do… and they should. so all is right with the Haas F1 world.

The next goal is to have both cars through turn 6 unskaved and picking up the positions for the cars that are… skaved! The turn 1-2-3-4 combination is like a combination cork screw/ meat grinder, it is forced down into turn 5, which is more of a bottleneck than a turn and into 6. Position and exit speed at turn 6 could be the setup until either the first caution or cycle of pit stops.

I think Daniel Riccardo is the one to watch. I picked him in my pre-quali blog that he will be fast, and he is. But i think we are starting to see an 800 pound gorilla in the room. I don’t have evidence to support my claim without doing some research, but… I think Danny Kvyat is underperforming. His result will give us a baseline of where he will be in regard to his team-mate.

I am detecting a sub-plot within the Haas team. Previously I questioned weather Gutierrez got the prototype car, which might explain the mechanical issues. The term “bad luck” has been used in regard to his two DNF’s. But Esteban seems very insistent on disclaiming that term. When interviewed by Will Buxton during the China GP weekend Gutierrez was persistent to identify specific causes for every technical problem. He seemed uncomfortable with any attribution of luck to his results. It is difficult for many to understand why he would care about these remarks. But it is very important that he control his psyche.

When an F1 driver is on the track in the heat of battle for championship points, luck does not enter the focus. Like a fighter pilot, he is strapped into a machine that needs to respond predictably and instinctively. It is the mental preparation of work and discipline that prepares the driver to jump into a mental tunnel at 200 mph. At no point in any of that process does luck enter into it.

If the mechanical and electrical issues on the #21 car are resolved, and if the car finishes the race,  I expect Gutierrez to perform well. My overall expectations are somewhat tempered. I want to say that I think Romain Grosjean will finish in the top 5 or 6 as before. But I cannot. The Mercedes powered force India’s and Williams tool very strong. Grosjean is starting in the 14th position, so he will have to find a way to move up. He seems to have the race pace to perform, but a better qualifying position should also be expected.

So, if Grosjean can finish with in points, and Gutierrez can just finish, I’ll be happy. And I suspect the teams expectations to be about the same. The team is fighting to develop their car. We’ve seen improvements in the front wing already. 14th and 18th are not very strong qualifying positions.  Grosjean/Gutierrez  qualified 19/20 for Australia and 9/13 in Bahrain. The new qualifying format did not seem to indicate or impact their race performance.  And like I said, I’m not too concerned with their current qualifying position. They seem to out perform their expectations. Clearly the Haas F1 team is one of the most prepared rookie teams to take up an F1 livery. Preparation cannot make a car faster than it really is. Will power and wishful thinking won’t work either.

If ever there is a place to attribute luck in F1, it is when you gain a race position due to a competitors mechanical failure. A timely pit stop under caution like in Australia can also be partially attributed to luck. But luck is something which you cannot control or plan on. My favorite quote regarding luck comes from the actor James Earl Jones… “The harder I work the luckier I get”

Again, my expectations for the 2016 Chinese Grand Prix are realistic… a race finish for Guiterrez and a top 10 for Grosjean and I’ll be dancing. But now knowing what we know about how Haas has built his team, it will be hard to temper excitement. But for now… a 2 hour nap before the 2 AM Kannapolis race start time is worth a try!

It’s gonna be awesome!

Richie OUT!

 

2016 Chinese Grand Prix – Qualifying is Next!

So here we are, the 2016 Chinese Formula 1 Grand Prix… it is Friday night on the East Coast US.  At midnight we get the hour long FP3. Qualifying goes off at 3:00 AM. The sleep cycle during race weekends in Asia can be challenging.  But with our own team, Haas F1 Team, sleep almost becomes optional.

After the first two practice sessions the Haas F1 has again had gremlins on Esteban Gutierrez’s side of the garage. His car returned to the garage with his rear brakes in flames. There was an electrical issue with this brakes; something about brake bias. Who knows. Again it is the #8 car with issues. It has got to be wearing on Esteban’s confidence. I was wondering if Grosjean got car #2 and Esteban got the prototype? With this being the first season for the team, all they have is their prototype plus 1 car. Or are they not running the prototype? Ah but if I only had access; these are the questions I’d ask.

Early Expectations: My expectation is that both cars will make it into Q2. I am going to assume that both cars will be running fine for the full qualifying session. But we have not had the third full practice yet. Gutierrez needs to get as many laps under his belt as possible. I still don’t think he’s has the the time yet to fully set his bench mark. If the car is running well and has no mechanical or electrical issues, is not hit from behind, or the car does not melt in the rain… A top 10 finish is not completely unreasonable to predict. A top 15 finish is probably more realistic. But again, we have no real bench mark on Esteban Gutierrez, and an opportune caution or mechanical attrition, and he could surprise us all. My jury is still out on Esteban, but I’ve seen no reason to expect anything than great results. But I do need more.

Romain Grosjean will be limited only by his car. Any rain conditions during qualifying or the race will be an advantage to Grosjean. His driving performance during the first two races have been just stellar. He’s got the skill, talent and aptitude Gene Haas needs. Not only is Grosjean helping with the development of the car, but he has the wherewithal to compete towards the front with confidence. A new car at the front is one thing, but having a driver who feels he belongs there is another. Again, I believe that no other driver would have achieved more in that Haas seat than Grosjean.

So, Grosjean. It all depends on how fast his car is. The williams cars have traditionally demonstrated very good top end speed on the long straights. And China has the longest straight in Formula 1 at 1170 meters/3838 feet. That is over .7 of a mile and a lot of ground to cover. But with DRS, tire strategies, a divine wind and a handshake, perhaps those Haas cars can excel in the long straights. We really don’t know. But surely the team is on top of the situation. That new front nose has some really special science going on and the car will be fast without a loss in downforce… it’s really special science.

In Bahrain the Haas outfit seemed to have the pace to keep the competition at bay. But I must admit… I have a huge fear about this race. The first 4 turns happen real fast, and they are going fast into turns 5 and 6. A mid-pack shatter session seems almost unavoidable as the entro to turn 1 gyrates 270 degrees, then gyrates 270 degrees again, exiting out of turn 4. That many cars trying to squeze through that nasty section can only mean trouble, and it is most important for both Haas cars to exit turn 6 unskathed. The aggressiveness and immaturity of 1 driver is all it takes to ruin your entire effort. And yes I am refering to Max Verstappen, or as named him last year “Max Vernotstoppin”.

For the Haas team, the narrative continues. They are still a new team. Play it conservative. Completing the race with both cars is the first goal. It is reasonable to expect points. If we can bring both cars home, we can overtake Williams for 4th place in the constructors championship. Williams 20 points leads Haas by only 2. give me two healthy Haas cars out of turn 6 on the first lap of the race and we’re on our way!

2 hours till FP3, 5 hours until qualifying!

Go Haas!