Formula One Chinese Grand Prix

    The Formula One, Chinese Grand Prix is on this Sunday...


    Third race of the year already! So on Sunday Morning we'll be watching the Heineken Chinese Grand Prix - Race on Sky Sports F1 HD at the race start of (07:10)...


    We'll be routing for Daniel Riccardo and Fernando Alonso, whilst watching the other competitors with interest,

    especially Kimi Raikkonen.


    Kind regards


    Mark


    Love Formula 1, as some from the older Genesis forum members would know!......


    To start off, I'm not a Vettel fan, though a very funny guy off track find he tends to lose his teddy from the pram when things go wrong!!.....


    Surprised at Bottas with his lack of pace in the last race, thought he should of done better IMHO... Though he needs desperately to pick the pace up or his contract or future could be over in F1.


    Would love to see Daniel Riccardo get a F1 WC title... Lots of potential out at the moment.


    Wishing McLaren and Alonso to do well, feel his next WC title will never happen IMHO... Possibility of a few more wins till his career is over.. Shame!!!....:(


    Looks like another Hamilton and Vettel scrap this year for the title!....

    Noni... indeed it was like they were not taking it seriously... I had a bet on Kimi doing well with Q1, but he simply coasted... so my bet went out of the window. Hamilton seemed to lose interest in Q3 the moment he fudged up that corner.


    Still, what an amazing feat in the Red Bull Garage getting Daniel Riccardo's car put back together and ready for Q1... those guys earned a bit of respect today, to finish in qualifying in 6th, is a major achievement.


    Regards


    Mark

    2 Ferrari's and 2 Mercedes lead the group!!....^^



    Vettel wins Pole !!...X/


    Surprised at Hamilton's pace here? Weird!! :/ But!,... I'm thinking and hoping a plan is in place, could Hamilton beat them at the start or wait over the race.

    Wow, a bit interesting at the start, dull in the middle then 12 laps from the end very exciting...


    Daniel Riccardo won... so did I as I placed a bet on him to win, now what should I spend my winnings on?


    Maybe the new Anthony Phillips box set...


    Regards


    Mark

    I'm glad Daniel Riccardo won the race. Probably one of the great overtakers I've seen in a while... Great job by Max Verstappen to tangle with Sebastian Vettel.. Damage limitation for Hamilton to stay ahead in the point here, 9 below Vettel.. Would love Riccardo to win the Championship.




    Race results


    Pos Driver Team Gap Stops

    1 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 56 laps - 1:35:36.380s 2

    2 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes + 8.894s 1

    3 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari + 9.637s 1

    4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes + 16.985s 1

    5 Max Verstappen Red Bull + 20.436s 2

    6 Nico Hülkenberg Renault + 21.052s 2

    7 Fernando Alonso McLaren + 30.639s 1

    8 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari + 35.286s 1

    9 Carlos Sainz Renault + 35.763s 2

    10 Kevin Magnussen Haas + 39.594s 1

    11 Esteban Ocon Force India + 44.050s 2

    12 Sergio Pérez Force India + 44.725s 2

    13 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren + 49.373s 1

    14 Lance Stroll Williams + 55.490s 1

    15 Sergey Sirotkin Williams + 58.241s 2

    16 Marcus Ericsson Sauber + 62.604s 1

    17 Romain Grosjean Haas + 65.296s 2

    18 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso + 66.330s 2

    19 Charles Leclerc Sauber + 82.575s 1

    20 Brendon Hartley Toro Rosso DNF 3

    Some of these colours now, are a lot easier to see. Noticed this year that McLaren ( Orange), Renault(Yellow) and Force India(Pink), seem a lot bolder......

    Hope this year that Red Bull are in contention for the Championship. Would love to see a 3 team scrap. The next race is also considered as unpredictable....

    Rumors from Spain are alleging that a frustrated Fernando Alonso will likely depart McLaren at the end of the current season.


    According to Spanish publication Diario Gol, there's a strong chance the two-time world champion - disappointed and tired of F1 - will call it a day at the end of 2018 and vacate his McLaren seat in favour of promising F2 junior Lando Norris.


    McLaren boss Zak Brown recently said the Woking-based outfit had yet to contract its drivers for 2019, although it is believed the team has options on both Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne for next year.


    Alonso fed up of being asked about Ferrari and Honda

    Should Alonso indeed decide to jump ship at the end of the season, it's highly unlikely he would join either Mercedes or Ferrari where coveted drives could become available.


    Pairing the Spaniard with either Lewis Hamilton at the Silver Arrows team or Sebastian Vettel at the Scuderia would likely be e recipe for inner-team disruption.


    In the event that he should turn away from Grand Prix racing, Alonso would probably focus his efforts on the World Endurance Championship or the Indy 500 as part of his Triple Crown motorsport ambitions.


    The 36-year-old F1 veteran is racing with Toyota in this year's WEC, with the Le Mans 24 Hours the centerpiece of Alonso's involvement with the Japanese manufacturer.

    There are always rumours, there was a recent documentary about Mclaren on Amazon Prime (UK) which followed the 2017 season I believe. It was quite interesting and brutally frank / honest.


    It was very interesting to see how the management will do anything to appease Alonso.


    So he might not be bowing out just now.


    Regards


    Mark