Bahrain Race 1 - Pre race thread.

Good weather of course - Evening temp in 20's C for both qualy and race

https://cricfree.sc/motor-sports-live-streaming - if you need a stream.

F2 update. How will Mick do? - https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12140210/mick-schumacher-and-callum-ilott-set-for-f2-title-showdown-in-bahrain


A major story for the best of the rest in the midfield -

The fight for third in the constructors'...
While Mercedes are confirmed as champions, and Red Bull are poised to mathematically secure second place, the battle for third in the Constructors' Championship remains wide open.

Racing Point (154 points) currently hold the advantage after Sergio Perez's second place in Turkey but McLaren (149) remain on their heels, while Renault (136) now have some ground to make up after a disappointing time at Istanbul Park.

But Ferrari (130) cannot be entirely counted out yet. They are outsiders in sixth place, yet a season-best 27-point haul in Turkey has brought them back into contention.

Third place would represent a significant achievement for the others - and provide a financial boost too, with each of those places separated by around $4m in prize money. McLaren last finished third in 2012 and Renault in 2007, while the Silverstone-based Racing Point team have only finished in the top three once, 1999, when they were known as Jordan.

Ferrari, second-placed finishers for the past three seasons, haven't finished outside the top four since 1981.

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Pirelli has confirmed that 2021 tyres will be tested by the drivers during Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Pirelli’s compounds for the 2021 season have already been tested this year at the Portuguese Grand Prix, where each driver used them for the first 30 minutes of FP2 to provide data for the Italian company.

In Bahrain, each team will be provided with two sets of next year’s C3 compound. They must use one set during FP2, and are free to use the other in either Friday session.

Furthermore, at the final race in Bahrain, teams will be required to run the 2021 C4 compound tyre during the latter of the two practice sessions on Friday.

Pirelli F1 tyre chief Mario Isola says that the programme will provide the drivers with their first ‘proper’ experience of the compounds they’ll be using throughout next season.

 

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.kubica-to-replace-raikkonen-at-alfa-romeo-for-fp1-in-bahrain.6YJzaThKi2cptC1LJe79My.html

Robert Kubica will make his fourth free practice appearance of the season when he takes part in FP1 for Alfa Romeo in Bahrain. The Polish driver – a one-time Grand Prix winner – will take over Kimi Raikkonen’s car for the 90-minute session.

Kubica last appeared for the Swiss-based team in practice for August’s 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, with his other appearances this year coming in Styria and Hungary.

“I am very pleased to be back in the driving seat for the first time since August,” said the veteran of 97 Grands Prix. “It may sound like a long time, but my season has been really busy with my simulator work at the factory and my DTM programme, so it actually felt like it went quite quickly.

“Now that my DTM season is over, I am keen to get back into my Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN role full time: there is still a lot to fight for and I am confident my work will make a positive contribution to the team’s efforts.”

 

Television information - worldwide

https://www.formula1.com/en/toolbar/broadcast-information.html

 

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Tire allocation for Hulkenberg? Duh this is from 2019.

 

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Number of Laps
57

Circuit Length
5.412km

Race Distance
308.238 km

Lap Record
1:31.447 Pedro de la Rosa (2005)

 

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Good luck. Perez is waiting lol

Albon says ‘I’ve got three races to show what I’ve got’ as he awaits Red Bull 2021 decision

Alex Albon isn’t interested in a Plan B. The Thai driver says he is fully focused on Plan A, which is retaining his seat at Red Bull for 2021, and that means delivering in the final three races.


The Thai driver led a Grand Prix lap for the first time in Turkey, but a spin cost him a stronger result as he crossed the line seventh, one place behind Red Bull team mate Max Verstappen.


READ MORE: Perez says it’s F1 or bust for him in 2021 as he waits for Red Bull decision


Red Bull have yet to announce who will partner Verstappen next season, and while Sergio Perez has been linked with a move to the team, it is believed they are giving Albon more time to prove he should stay.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.albon-says-ive-got-three-races-to-show-what-ive-got-as-he-awaits-red-bull.5muJLl64p2GdxLHDmXfnqD.html

 

Race Stewards

- Garry Connelly
- Loic Bacquelaine
- Mika Salo [DRIVERS REPRESENTATIVE]
- Mazen Al-Hilli [NATIONAL STEWARD]

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Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Rear-end shot of the Ferrari SF1000, which has been transformed in the last few races in order to take on design influences from past designs. This includes the panel beside the crash structure, which forms a roof for the floor trough beneath the gearbox. Note the main cooling outlet is divided into two sections, with the upper section’s bodywork shorter than the bottom.

 

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

The Mercedes mechanics prepare the cars for action this weekend, note the DAS assembly is still in use on the W11 even in these closing stages of the season with both championships wrapped up, even though Mercedes won’t be able to use it next year.

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Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Renault’s periscope-style airbox not only features the letterbox-style main inlet that can be seen above the halo, but also has a large opening beneath this, that feeds a cooler mounted on top of the power unit assembly.

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Why are the start times of the two Bahrain races vastly different?

 

Photo by: Giorgio Piola

Rear end of the championship winning Mercedes W11 – note the collection of fins mounted under the wastegate pipes – demonstrating wonderful attention to
detail

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Photo by: Giorgio Piola

In this shot of the Ferrari SF1000’s rear end you’ll note the chequered stickers mounted on the various surfaces of the diffuser. These act as reference points that can be monitored by a hi-speed camera and will indicate how much movement there is. The team will then use this information to make improvements on the construction of those surfaces.


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Second race will be way faster, hence shorter. a GP is 300kms plus one lap. Monza, until now, has been the fastest.
One yellow flag free Monza GP in the early 2000's lasted just 1h15min...Monza has two slow chicanes, Sakhir outer loop has just one slow bit, turn one two, prepare for madness...

 

Power components used so far.....


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Pics from Sakhir's tarmac. One of the most abrasive of the calendar. Very aggresive with the tyres, mainly the rear ones.

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Ahh, different track setup/design. Got it.

 

Amazing this tech that allows us to communicate nowadays: you are having lunch in Hawaii, it is 23h30 here in Burgundy, France. Good afternoon, bed time here!

 

See you in 10 hours!

 

It's currently raining at Bahrain at time of post.

 

Formula 1 race director Michael Masi has taken the unusual step of abandoning lap time deletions for track limits offences in Bahrain following a discussion with the drivers on Friday.

For the opening day of running, track limits were monitored at Sakhir's Turn 4 for the first time, with the regular threat of the loss of a lap time for any offence.

There were 33 deletions over the two practice sessions, with Lewis Hamilton topping the list on five, followed by Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon and Nicholas Latifi on four apiece, and Romain Grosjean and Kimi Raikkonen on three.

At the drivers' briefing, the subject was raised by Vettel, who noted that there had never previously been a need to monitor limits at Turn 4.

Hamilton and others supported the GPDA director, pointing out that policing limits in the grand prix itself could spoil the racing, as the corner can potentially create passing opportunities.

It was also felt that there was little to be gained in terms of lap time by running wide.

Masi agreed to review the situation and, in the latest version of his race director's notes issued ahead of FP3, he confirmed that lap times would no longer be under threat.

He wrote: "The track limits at the exit of Turn 4 will not be monitored with regard to setting a lap time, as the defining limits are the artificial grass and the gravel trap in that location."