F1: 2011 - (caution - may contain result spoilers just after a race...)

[pyan]

A new thread for a new season: but starting off with the news that the Bahrain Grand Prix has been postponed and possibly cancelled altogether, due to the unrest in the country.

BBC Sport - F1 - Bahrain Grand Prix off after anti-government protests

[thaddeus6th]

Seems sensible.

Shame we have to wait for the start of the season, but it was the only real path to make, I think. McLaren and Mercedes should benefit from the extra development time, as both seem to lack the pace compared to Ferrari and Red Bull.

That said, testing times can be very misleading.

[Foxbat]

Much as I love watching F1 - cancelling (or postponing) was the right thing to do. Hopefully when F1 goes back there, the country will be a happier (and possibly more democratic) place.

McLaren do seem to have struggled a little but - historically - their in-season development has been awesome. They might be slow in the first couple of races but the other teams know what is to come from them. They will be a threat as always.

Mercedes, I'm not too sure about, but I think Schumi might win a race (perhaps one of the slower ones like Monaco)

Tips for 2011? My heart says Ferrari and Alonso but I have a sneaking suspicion that either Hamilton or Vettel will take it this year.

Very disappointed that Kubica will not be there. Testing can be misleading as thaddeus says but - with the innovative new exhaust - this new Renault could be a real title threat in the right hands.

Bring it on

[thaddeus6th]

Ha, I'm not an Alonso fan, but right now it seems possible a Vettel-Alonso duel could be the story of the season.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by thaddeus6th

Ha, I'm not an Alonso fan, but right now it seems possible a Vettel-Alonso duel could be the story of the season.

Vettel-Alonso? Sounds good to me

I'm also hoping to see Paul di Resta do well. The Force India is normally a decent mid-grid car with good straight line speed but it lacks the aerodynamic subtleties of the big boys' toys.

[thaddeus6th]

Di Resta seems like he might do well. Toro Rosso have been going nicely in testing, as have Renault, so podiums may be very hard to come by for the midfield teams.

I just hope that Lotus, Virgin and HRT aren't the woeful also-rans they were last year. I'm glad the 107% rule has returned.

[Foxbat]

Not sure how HRT or Virgin will fare but I believe Lotus is using the Renault engine and Red Bull gear box so I'm expecting them to make a bigger impact than last year.

[pyan]

Originally Posted by thaddeus6th

I'm glad the 107% rule has returned.

Yes, so am I - I thought the difference in speed between the slowest and the fastest while it wasn't in force was positively dangerous at times.

[Hazeltree]

Am more than happy that Bahrain has been cancelled with all the political unrest out there at the moment... and from a totally selfish stand point, because to me Australia should be the first race of the season.

Sad that Robert Kubica is out but happy to see Nick Heidfeld take his seat - I was very upset that he didn't get a full time seat last year as he is a better driver than some out in the pack at the moment and he is consistent.

I am interested in seeing if Schumacher makes his glorious comeback this year and am thrilled that Jonathan Legard has been cut from the commentary box although I don't think David Coulthard is the right man for the job. They should hire someone like Eddie Irvine, he has the guts to say what he really thinks.

I have a feeling I will be sticking with Crofty and Ant Davidson on Radio 5 Live this year.

[Foxbat]

Totally agree that Australia should kick off the season - it usually gives us a cracking race

I'll reserve judgement on DC until I hear him. He is intelligent, articulate and well spoken.....but will that transfer well in the commentary box? Who knows?

[thaddeus6th]

Welcome to the site, Hazeltree

I'm also glad Legard was tossed overboard. The worst aspect of his commentary was constantly interrupting and talking over Brundle with tedious bits of information. Coulthard may be ill-suited, but there should at least be commentator chemistry this season.

Bahrain and Abu Dhabi are bloody awful tracks. I'm hoping India and Korea (in the dry) will be more like Turkey than the desert boredom the Middle Eastern tracks usually give us.

[Foxbat]

Well, the new season is almost here. So I thought I'd gather my thoughts all in one place (shouldn't take up too much space )

It’s going to be a difficult one to call. Apparently tyre degradation is a major factor and it seems to be different for each car. Will a slow car that is light on its tyres be better than a fast car with heavy degradation? Alonso says he expects to see four or five pitstop races.

Then, there’s the rear wing (adjustable in certain circumstances) and the return of KERS.

Testing-wise, it looks like the RB6 is the car to watch (with Ferrari not far behind).
MacLaren are on the back foot (again!) but their in-season development is nothing short of phenomenal. I fear, however, unless they build a car that is the business from the first race then that ever elusive constructor’s title will still be out of reach.

Renault I thought might do something special this season (until they lost Kubica).
Mercedes seem to be struggling a bit and just take a look at the rear end of the Williams. You can see daylight!!!! This is different than the norm with rear suspension attached to rear wing support rather than gearbox, but what can they do with the airflows in such a tight package? They could be a very dark horse but it’s risky stuff and it could blow up in their faces with unreliability and suspension failures.


So, who’s going to win?
I think the first few races might throw up a few surprises but it will soon settle down to a race between the usual suspects with everybody else scrapping for the few points left.

My prediction hasn't really changed from previous posts: Webber, Alonso, Hamilton up there and fighting but I think Vettel is going to do it again.

Sticking my neck out here…after listening to some of Horner's comments recently, I think there's a bit of manouvering going on…End of season prediction – Webber to retire and Hamilton moves to Red Bull alongside Vettel (unless the Maclaren boys build a championship winner of course).

Roll on the 27th

[thaddeus6th]

One of the very good BBC pre-season vids on the website had Brundle suggesting 3-4 pit stops per race as standard (makes me wonder how many we'll get at Montreal).

Aren't we up to RB7 now? I'd say Ferrari are marginally ahead. Alonso's more reliable than Vettel.

The McLaren is the least reliable 2011 car (save HRT, of course) as well as being off the pace. The Mercedes upgrade package looks to have worked quite well, so maybe they'll be up for podium spots.

My prediction for the title tussle is a Vettel-Alonso duel, with the latter likelier to win, and the possibility of Schumacher spoiling the party.

[Foxbat]

Oops! I think you're right. RB7 it is. Ferrari seem to be good on long runs both tyre-wise and reliability. That could count for a lot.

I believe Mercedes have tried about 3 different front wings so I'm sure Schumi is hoping that things are sorted now.

Certainly wouldn't be surprised to see Schumi getting in on the fight but I wonder how Rosberg will do against him this season.

[thaddeus6th]

Glad I managed to wake up in time for qualifying. If you're waiting for the repeat, don't read on.



Really interesting. KERS failed for Schumacher, Hamilton and Vettel. I think Rosberg and Schumacher are about equal (KERS probably robbed Schumacher of a top 10 place) but Hamilton and especially Vettel were spectacularly fast. Vettel beat Webber by effectively a second.

Surprised to see Heidfeld exit so early and Petrov snag a superb 6th. Great to see Kobayashi in the top 10.