The official F1 grand prix prediction thread. Post all predictions here.

[rameshspassion]

I think Renault will be in the front this time unless Ferrari and Shumi have something up their sleeves. I do hope they do something (Me a Ferrari fan
Don't expect Mclaren to be too fast (as always) at the begining of the season.

[Aditya]

Kimi and McLaren all the way. I'd love to see Williams do well too.

[cheap_deal]

i see RED, black and white on podium. nothing else, lets see how it goes

[karthik247]

Bahrain GP Preview

Will Renault and McLaren carry on where they left off in 2005, when the red lights go out in Bahrain this weekend? It may seem a reasonable assumption, given the amount of mileage and the speed both teams have shown in testing. However, it also begs the question: who might challenge them?

The definite answer is Honda.

Jenson Button has covered more test mileage than anyone else, and set the fastest time during the last run in Barcelona. As we have mentioned previously, there is a menace about Honda this year that is wholly reminiscent of their halcyon days with Williams and McLaren in the 1980s and ‘90s.

Honda also have arguably the strongest driver line-up, in terms of speed, precision, level-headedness and resistance to silly mistakes or self-inflicted wounds.

Renault start the season as favourites, and in world champion Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella they too have a very strong driver line-up. But Honda have also tested recently in Bahrain (together with Ferrari and Toro Rosso) and that may be a key element in this hot race.

“We would hope that our recent test there would give us a little advantage over those who didn’t go,” says sporting director Gil de Ferran. “It wasn’t easy logistically but we always felt it was going to be a beneficial exercise. It has helped us with our choice of tyres, chassis set-up and with our understanding of the engine performance around that particular circuit, as well as uncovering any unforeseen issues. Apart from all of that, it was good for the drivers to experience the V8 engine and new car in a realistic race environment. Of course, we hope that our decision to go to Bahrain will pay us dividends come the opening race but, as ever, we will have to wait and see.”

McLaren’s pre-season testing was hampered by unreliability of the Mercedes-Benz engine which required the revs to be restricted, but towards the end of the test sessions it was clear in Valencia that the engine was working to full tune as Kimi Raikkonen set the fastest time. He and Juan Pablo Montoya are another very strong pairing, provided they can be steered clear of distractions or silly errors respectively.

The possible answer to the original question is Ferrari.

It is difficult to know precisely where the Scuderia will fit in this weekend. Much of their testing has been done with the new 248 F1 V8, but they also ran the restricted V10-engined F2004 a lot and it was quicker. The 248 F1s are due to run this weekend and next, and though Ferrari also gained valuable knowledge testing in Bahrain recently, their reliability was disappointing. Michael Schumacher believes they will be competitive, but the question remains how competitive.

The key issue here will also be tyre performance. Renault, McLaren and Honda all run Michelins, while Ferrari now have Toyota and Williams for company on Bridgestones, along with Midland and Super Aguri. The feeling remains that Michelin have the slight edge, but with tyre changes allowed once again during races, a smart team with good strategy should be able to minimize any gap. This is going to be one of the fascinations of the new season.

So too is the new qualifying format, outlined previously, in which two lots of six cars are knocked out in the first two sessions, leaving the final 10 to shoot it out for pole.

"I think the qualifying system will be good,” Button says. “I think it will be great for the crowd as they'll see a lot of cars out on the circuit, which is important for Formula One, and after the first qualifying session, people will get used to the format.”

Where will the others fit in? Toyota will be strong, but how strong may depend on the competitiveness of the Bridgestones. The same applies to Williams, whose Cosworth engine has been super-reliable while still running at competitive speeds.

Red Bull are uncertain whether some testing issues have been resolved on their RB2 which David Coulthard and Christian Klien will drive, but surprises are expected from Toro Rosso after Tonio Liuzzi’s very quick test performance here against Honda and Ferrari in February. There is a feeling that the restricted V10 package may have been sandbagging at times during the winter.

BMW Sauber have been quietly getting on with the job of honing their new F1.06 while further integrating the links between Munich and Hinwil, and the signs have been promising. Midland, too, have made a lot of progress, while Super Aguri will simply set about learning the business of Formula One racing in these opening rounds.

The Sakhir circuit is similar to Montreal in demanding a great deal of the brakes as drivers slow from over 300 kph to first or second gear on three occasions. Between turns 4 and 13 there is little chance for the brakes to cool much, as the corners follow each other in quick succession.

A car must be well balanced to minimise oversteer on the exit of slow corners, not just to maximize acceleration but also to avoid excessive rear tyre wear. The sandiness of the region can also be a problem; everyone will have extra filters to protect pistons, rings and valves against the ingress of sand. Cooling is also critical, even though the new V8 engines do not have such a high cooling demand as the V8s.

The race is 57 laps of the 5.412 km (3.363 mile) track, and starts at 14.30 hours Bahraini time, which is three hours ahead of GMT.

Source - www.f1.com

[sanket12]

i think it will be mclaren. ferrari renault & honda

[merve_extreme]

I think ferrari might be playing a poker game here.if u see the last day of the baharain tests ferrari 248 was within .7 secs of the pace that the restricted F2004 set and the f2004 is way faster than the renault,honda or the mclaren .and even on the second last day the F248 was within .15 secs of hondas best pace.ferrari's pace shows great improvement after honda and t.rosso concluded their baharain tests.

so it looks like ferrari is not as far of the pace as it looks like.they may not win but it will be close.Pit-strategy will be the most important as will be reliability.things will get clear after todays free practice session.

Here are the times

13/02/2006 - 21/02/2006

Results of 13/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 L. Badoer Ferrari F2004 V10 1'32''297 -- 77
02 A. Davidson Honda RA106 1'32''571 +0''274 114
03 J. Rossiter Honda RA106 1'32''864 +0''567 68
04 F. Massa Ferrari 248 F1 1'32''952 +0''655 51
05 S. Speed Toro R. RB1 1'34''280 +1''983 82

Results of 14/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 L. Badoer Ferrari F2004 V10 1'31''230 -- 63
02 J. Button Honda RA106 1'31''453 +0''223 87
03 R. Barrichello Honda RA106 1'31''489 +0''259 107
04 F. Massa Ferrari 248 F1 1'31''908 +0''678 68
05 V. Liuzzi Toro R. RB1 1'32''720 +1''490 70

Results of 15/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'30''029 -- 92
02 J. Button Honda RA106 1'31''278 +1''249 140
03 R. Barrichello Honda RA106 1'31''640 +1''611 102
04 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'32''229 +2''200 37
05 N. Jani Toro R. RB1 1'33''028 +2''999 76

Results of 16/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'30''578 -- 90
02 J. Button Honda RA106 1'31''254 +0''676 76
03 V. Liuzzi Toro R. RB1 1'31''380 +0''802 56
04 R. Barrichello Honda RA106 1'31''590 +1''012 22
05 S. Speed Toro R. RB1 1'32''640 +2''062 62
06 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'32''909 +2''331 23

Results of 17/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'32''702 -- 92

Results of 19/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'32''007 -- 93
02 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'32''307 +0''300 65

Results of 20/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'30''410 -- 124
02 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'31''390 +0''980 49

Results of 21/02/2006
Weather : dry track (morning), dry track (afternoon)
01 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'29''958 -- 36
02 M. Schumacher Ferrari F2004 V10 1'30''375 +0''417 47
03 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'30''723 +0''765 55

Best results
01 F. Massa Ferrari F2004 V10 1'29''958 -- 407
02 M. Schumacher Ferrari F2004 V10 1'30''375 +0''417 47
03 M. Schumacher Ferrari 248 F1 1'30''723 +0''765 349
04 L. Badoer Ferrari F2004 V10 1'31''230 +1''272 140
05 J. Button Honda RA106 1'31''254 +1''296 303
06 V. Liuzzi Toro R. RB1 1'31''380 +1''422 126
07 R. Barrichello Honda RA106 1'31''489 +1''531 231
08 F. Massa Ferrari 248 F1 1'31''908 +1''950 119
09 A. Davidson Honda RA106 1'32''571 +2''613 114
10 S. Speed Toro R. RB1 1'32''640 +2''682 144
11 J. Rossiter Honda RA106 1'32''864 +2''906 68
12 N. Jani Toro R. RB1 1'33''028 +3''070 76

[anarchist]

I have a strong feeling that this year Renault and Honda will be the top two teams, I root for Mclaren though!!!

[naveendhyani]

" " " " " " " " " F E R R A R I " " " " " " " " " " "

[hianooo]

shumi will start this season with a podium, the middle one ofcourse !!!

cheers
aNU

[karthik247]

Bahrain GP Friday Practice Results


1 Anthony Davidson Honda 1:31.353

2 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:31.751

3 Alexander Wurz Williams-Cosworth 1:31.764

4 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:32.175

5 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:32.538

6 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:32.703

7 Robert Doornbos RBR-Ferrari 1:32.926

8 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:33.215

9 Jenson Button Honda 1:33.226

10 Robert Kubica Sauber-BMW 1:33.244

11 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:33.557

12 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.577

13 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.726

14 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:33.848

15 Neel Jani STR-Cosworth 1:33.900

16 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:34.284

17 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:34.333

18 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:34.384

19 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:34.432

20 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:34.459

21 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:34.953

22 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:35.170

23 Markus Winkelhock MF1-Toyota 1:35.686

24 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:35.898

25 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:36.264

26 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:36.314

27 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:37.588

28 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:39.021

[karthik247]

Look whose 2nd and third!! No McLaren or Toyota in top 5!

FERRARI LOOK LIKE THEY ARE BACK HARD AND STRONG!!


Bahrain GP Technical requirements

Braking: Sakhir is a major challenge for the cars' braking systems. Along with Montreal, this is the most demanding circuit of the year in terms of brake wear. The drivers slow from over 300 kph to first or second gear on three occasions. Furthermore, between turns 4 and 13, the corners follow each other in quick succession, which means the brakes never really have time to cool down. This can cause oxidisation of the brakes, and leads us to use the largest brake ducts of the year at this circuit.

Handling: The car must be well balanced to minimise oversteer exiting the slow corners, and to provide good braking stability, in particular for turns 10 and 13 where the drivers must begin turning in to the corner while still braking. This makes it important to find the best set-up compromise between a stable balance in the quick corners, and supple suspension in the slower sections to generate sufficient mechanical grip. To achieve this, we use bump rubbers which the car ‘sits on' at high speed when the aero loadings are highest, and which it rises from in slower speed sections, allowing the suspension to function fully and generate mechanical grip.

Tyres: Owing to the presence of sand on the track surface, the grip level of the circuit is always relatively low. This means the drivers must stick to the racing line as much as possible to keep the tyres clean. The circuit is not particularly demanding for the tyres in overall terms, but we pay close attention to the rear tyres, which do a lot of work under acceleration out of the slow corners.

Engine: The Bahrain Grand Prix is a very demanding race for the engines. They spend 70% of the lap at full throttle, which puts the circuit among the top 5 of the year.

In the high temperatures, the engines experience ‘acoustic offset'. This means that as the temperature rises, the revs at which the engine develops its maximum power increase - by approx. 300 rpm for every 10 degrees Celsius. Previously, this was compensated in part by the use of variable intake trumpets. These are no longer allowed in 2006, which means the teams must forecast more accurately the ambient temperatures in order to fit the most appropriate length of trumpets. Variable trumpets previously allowed the teams to adapt to a wider range of temperatures, but fixed trumpets must be tuned more precisely to the prevailing conditions in order to generate maximum performance.

The primary risk for the engine remains the possible ingestion of sand, which would have be catastrophic for the pistons, piston rings or valves. The team therefore pays particular attention to air filters. Although certain materials may cost performance, they remain the most effective way of protecting the engine.

Temperatures are expected to be extremely high, which means that a successful car will be one which is able to provide sufficient cooling to the engine. Although the V8 is less demanding than the V10 in this area, the lower power also means that the percentage of the lap spent at full throttle has increased. As always, the optimum cooling level will provide the best possible compromise between cooling capacity and the cost of extra cooling in terms of aerodynamic performance

Source - www.f1.com

[Dippy]

Interesting practice times. Its good to see Massa doing well at the beginning itself. I hope these times carry into the qualifying. With tyre changes back the pit poker begins again

[ankeetw]

yes agree with your views but considering last season it is really difficult to predict who will outscore the other. will it be K R or M S or F A? but i think so K R should rock with mclaren in his fairwel season.

[Dippy]

ankeet

Its not a given fact yet that Kimi is set to leave Mclaren at the end of the season. Infact Kimi had some reliability issues during practice this afternoon. I think the first race might be a three way fight between Renault, Ferrari and Honda

[karthik247]

This years GP is really exciting..Last year at the start, everyone thought like it'll be Ferrari and Schumacher again but...

This year thre is a whole lot of competition. Can't wait till tomorrows qualification