German Car Zone

Qualifying rules changed for Bahrain


Formula One qualifying will be modified to prevent the danger of drivers suddenly slowing to save fuel after their final quick laps while others are still at full speed.
A spokesman for the International Automobile Federation confirmed the change was likely to be enforced before next week's third round of the season in Bahrain.
"Our clarification to the teams and drivers will be that cars returning to the pits having completed their flying lap or laps will be required to do so within a time that we will set," he said.
"This could be approximately 120 percent of the normal time as we do to prevent drivers going very slowly to the grid (on the pre-race formation lap) to save fuel."
Teams and drivers called on the governing body to act after last weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix threw up an obvious danger in the third and final qualifying phase.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and Heikki Kovalainen were penalised five places on the starting grid for impeding rivals but the safety implications caused more concern than the sanction.
The rules have changed this season, preventing the 10 drivers who take part in the final session from refuelling between the end of Saturday's qualifying and the race on Sunday.
The revised format has raised safety concerns with drivers slowing to save fuel immediately they finish while others are still at full speed.
"I clearly don't like the dangers implicit in this situation," said BMW Sauber team boss Mario Theissen at the weekend.
"The speed differentials are so great that this is a problem which we need urgently to resolve, hopefully by the next race in Bahrain."
Reuters

Who guys do you think will win ? I still hesitate between Sato & Piquet.

Kubic.

I would like heikki or lewis to win

But i think ferrari has better pace and i think massa will take this one

If reliability is not a issue i see a ferrari 1 and 2

Its gotta be Kimi for the win this time, although he finished 3rd in the Bahrain Gp for the past 3 years

Kimi, Lewis and Nick get the Rose-Water

Not entire impossible. During the latest two races especially the recent one BMW have demonstrated that they are capable of achieving their goal this season which is to win a GP. Last weekend Kubica set the faster lap during the race and during qualification him and Heidfeld were just as fast as the Macca and Ferrari boys.

The car is reliable and very fast. All the drivers have to do is to act like champions, they need to be at the top of their game and drive like Hamilton and Alonso who can easily climb up 2-5 places on the grid in the first two corners of a race.

my bet is on Massa. he'll get pole and the win.

any one has an idea of what Bahrain looks like, is it safe and nice ?