Beijing thread

[Speedworx]

Holland to win processional race 1 and race 2.

Total farce. They should have used Shanghai.

[ScotsBrutesFan]

Originally Posted by hakkiman

Holland to win processional race 1 and race 2.

Total farce. They should have used Shanghai.

They are going to Shanghai for the second last event of their season (April 15th 07).

[Knowlesy]

That hairpin is just brilliant. I mean, when they built that, did it not cross their minds that....oh never mind...

[strider]

Originally Posted by Asp

The problem is, the inspection didn't bring these problems to light.
They were discovered when the cars were on the circuit.

I seem to remember that the FIA inspection at Durban took place a few days before the event, and if this had been able to happen here then there might have been more time to discover more problems - but the "last possible moment" as you mentioned perhaps meant that things whilst sufficient weren't as thorough as normally?

One must also question if there was reason for the A1GP and/or FIA to insist they got involved earlier, and be more forceful about matters.

On the face of it, your first comment is correct, but I suspect that whilst Charlie Whiting had reservations, he told the Chinese to go ahead and give the circuit a try. No-one was going to hurt themselves at that daft hairpin, but it would prove to the Chinese that they had got it wrong. Sometimes that's the way the logic works.

I don't the circuit could be inspected any earlier because it simply wasn't ready.

For some reason everyone seems to be tip-toeing around the Chinese. Even Emerson Fittipaldi is telling people not be too hard on them.

[sizzle]

The circuit shown on their webpage is a copy from Google Earth, try as I might I am unable to find it in Google Earth. Does anyone know its exact location?

[Marcel ten Caat]

Don't wanna be a spoiler but......






WOOOHOOO

[Marcel ten Caat]

Originally Posted by Stranger

Don't wanna be a spoiler but......






WOOOHOOO

(ok...was an easy win)

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by dave not neil

Unless you get it just right It usually snaps the cable I believe. Most teams never check to see if its all working properly in fear of breaking the cable.

As for the pit stops, I think most teams usually check with each other, and they pre-determine what lap they will come in.

But the whole weekend seems like a right farce, and is really not helping the reputation of the series.

Cable?
I thought it was hydraulic controled by a button on the steering wheel.

It was a joke (still not as bad as F1 though!) and as for the recovery truck stopping and blocking the circuit, and then having to stop again on the track because the boom was too high to pass under gantry, I think I'll say nothing!
And why did one of the comentators (can't remember which one) insist on telling the drivers to follow the SC into the pits as it pulled off, technically they are still behind the SC until they cross the start line so they would have been pitting under SC conditions!

I hope they don't bring A1 back to Beijing next year, it just doesn't suit race cars of this type.

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by Stranger

(ok...was an easy win)

Don't you mean 'easy SPIN'!!

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by sizzle

The circuit shown on their webpage is a copy from Google Earth, try as I might I am unable to find it in Google Earth. Does anyone know its exact location?

You won't find Beijing's track on Google earth cause it is about 3 years old!
You might find the industrial estate though (it's the one with all the lorry's stuck at the hairpin!)

[Marcel ten Caat]

Not an easy spin...he had to get his foot from the brake pedal to spin the car.
He succeeded...

[CombeMarshal]

Originally Posted by strider

On the face of it, your first comment is correct, but I suspect that whilst Charlie Whiting had reservations, he told the Chinese to go ahead and give the circuit a try. No-one was going to hurt themselves at that daft hairpin, but it would prove to the Chinese that they had got it wrong. Sometimes that's the way the logic works.

I don't the circuit could be inspected any earlier because it simply wasn't ready.

For some reason everyone seems to be tip-toeing around the Chinese. Even Emerson Fittipaldi is telling people not be too hard on them.

Does Charlie Whiting do A1 too, I thought he just followed F1 around!

[Knowlesy]

Wow, we've had almost as many winers in six races this season as we had all of last season!

I hope the series never returns to Beijing it was dreadful. It is just not really a suitable track is it? I suppose they could always improve it though.

I seem to think that the time constraint on the sprint race is ludicrous as well. If there is a safety car (which has happened in two of the three races so far) then you end up with a boiled down, three lap farce. Why?

And please don't invite Robbie Kerr into the Sky Sports studio again, I can't take any more insight and charisma!

[sizzle]

Originally Posted by CombeMarshal

You won't find Beijing's track on Google earth cause it is about 3 years old!
You might find the industrial estate though (it's the one with all the lorry's stuck at the hairpin!)

My good friend Comb, I am not in the business of hanging it on people usually, however when the track shown on the A1gp site clearly comes from an image on google earth I think you may be in error. You may if you feel so inclined to point out the location of said industrial estate. Somehow I dont think the exhibition centre is that remote.

[brands]

Do A1GP think having running races at such an awful track will increase their following ??

I switched over in less than two laps.......what a farce

[nev]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

And please don't invite Robbie Kerr into the Sky Sports studio again, I can't take any more insight and charisma!

I wonder how good you would be at 6 am. I think he did an ok job, at least he didn't use his TV time to slate his other team mates !!!
He was actually glad to see them do well.

[Hazard]

In the end, the feature was an okay race.

A 'memorable' circuit, the race was all about strategy - the most F1-ish A1GP race I've seen.

Still some great drives in the feature, many drivers asserting themselves well, despite some errors (Bleekemolen, Hinchcliffe)...though Toccacelo showed how important not falling off is!

Good race, far exceded my expectations (the feature). The sprint race was pointless...in fact all of A1GP's sprints this year have been very poor...I'm wondering whether they should just ditch the sprint, perhaps run another feature race on the Saturday and throw a normal unwatched 20m qualifying session before it.

[strider]

Originally Posted by CombeMarshal

Does Charlie Whiting do A1 too, I thought he just followed F1 around!

He was there in his other role as FIA Circuit Safety Inspector. I saw the familiar blue shirt and silver hair in some of the TV shots! The Race Director for A1GP is a Belgian called Pierre Delettre, who is better known for running Spa.

Charlie would be in the area, anyway, because he will be the Race Director in Macau (also part of China these days) next weekend for the FIA F3 Intercontinental Cup.

[Knowlesy]

Originally Posted by nev

I wonder how good you would be at 6 am. I think he did an ok job, at least he didn't use his TV time to slate his other team mates !!!
He was actually glad to see them do well.

It is quite simple. I would be rubbish. That is why Sky Sports have not phoned me up yet, urging me to join the team.

They could really have done with a seasoned pro there, a Jardine or something. I don't particularly like Tony, but he would have said a bit more.

As it was we had a man who didn't want to be there, who was tense and uptight and terrified of saying something that may be perceived as interesting. The look on his face was of a man in excruciating discomfort. It is boring listening to someone saying "it'll be interesting to see what happens" for every question.

He should have slated his teammates off and made rude remarks as well.

Hazard, agreed. The feature was very interesting in the end. The track was a test for the cars and drivers over a long race. But really....it should have been even better. Durban was far superior, although that was put together over a lot more time!

[Kiwi3]

To my utter surprise things were actually reasonably well organised at the circuit today. The feature race seemed pretty good too, although I have not had a chance to see the TV footage yet.

There were so many problems over the weekend that I just hope the Chinese organisers and A1 have learned from. The event did receive a lot of coverage in Beijing, and the city is basically all wide avenues these days, so there should be potential to create a decent track somewhere. One thing I did hear over the weekend is that it is already planned to move it to the Olympic village, however that can only happen after the Games. I hope they do go back next year but with lessons learned and a track layout somewhere else that remotely works. I will then happily watch it on TV...

[strider]

To be fair, the feature race was as entertaining as usual, in a pantomime sort of way. More overtaking would have been good, but we were never going to have that on the circuit used this weekend.

Some people had good luck, probably including the three on the podium, depending on whether the timing of their pit stops was good judgement or just plain lucky.

I felt sorry for others including Jeroen Bleekemolen. It looked as though he was still on the brakes when he turned into the corner and the hit a bump, throwing the car sideways and into the barrier. The most unlucky was Nico Hulkenberg who took the lead in the race and in the Championship at that moment, only to suffer a gearbox problem.

Another to impress was Canada's James Middleton, again. Either gets tired towards the end of a race or a bit over-excited, but there's no doubt that he's a racer and fast with it.

[Knowlesy]

Middleton or Hinchcliffe?

[Jean]

The feature race really had some exciting moments.

But
Imo it really took to long with the safety car to remova that car in the Sprint Race. That car should have been removed a lot faster and not with that insane truck.

[strider]

Originally Posted by knowlesy

Middleton or Hinchcliffe?

Er, Hinchcliffe. Apologies. I keep wanting to call him Middleton, but I've no idea why. As far as I know, there isn't even a Canadian racing driver called James Middleton, but I can't get rid of the temptation. Maybe this will do it!

[outflat]

Well done to A1GP for making the best of a bad situation.

Now stick a rocket up the track organisers!

Here's to another good weekend in Sepang later this month.