GP2 Asia Rounds 1 & 2 - Shanghai

[Robbe]

Kobayashi is fastest in the practise session, but the man on pole is.... Roldan Rodriguez!

Kobayashi 2nd, Villa 3rd, Yamamoto 4th, v.d.Garde best rookie in 5th, Earl Bamber 9th!

Qualifying article+results

[N.A-D.R]

quite suprised with Roldan Rodriguez to be honest. Nice job by him. v.d. Garde also put in a solid job.

[chunterer]

Thanks for opening this thread

Very good!!!

Roldan seems to like the old car better than the new one?!!

Mind you he did come on leaps and bounds later in the main series.

Perez long way down as is Van Der Drift?

[GroupOfOne]

I think Roldan's quite underrated actually, especially in comparison to some of the names competing at a similar level. He's a thoroughly nice guy too, so well done to him.

[Ssom]

Wow, Earl Bamber put in a massively impressive qualifying effort, especially in relation to Yoong. I hope he can capitalise on this for the race, 8th would obviously have him sitting very pretty for the Sprint

I'd say on recent form that Earl is now NZ's brightest F1 hope ahead of Hartley and van der Drift. But why oh why did his parents have to go and give him a name like Earl?

[Down F0rce]

What the hell is Phillipe doing?

[Stefvh]

How to watch the rces, is there a stream or something ?

[Ssom]

Or for that matter live timing?

[FIRE]

Eurosport 1

[sauber11]

http://www.justin.tv/dudek2
live-stream

[chunterer]

Well, it's a bit wacky races unfortunately, quite difficult for the commentators to keep up with what's going on!!!

They're doing great job though - commentators that is

Earl Bamber has done very well indeed so far though. Used the 'outside' line to great effect around the outside of T1 on lap one!!

[chunterer]

One thing I am certain of before the race has even finished:

Quite a few drivers who ought to know better have been driving like total idiots!!

[Ssom]

Brilliant rookie drives from Bamber and van der Drift!

[chunterer]

Bamber in particularly I think?!!

Most of the experienced guys made a right hash of that though, terrible.

Jean Paul Driot went absolutely mad over the radio when Kobayashi blew the lead. Couldn't hear it of course but you could see his face!!!!

[Down F0rce]

Well that was a bit nuts. Some silly mistakes but some really good drives as well.

[Jimmy Magnusson]

Originally Posted by chunterer

One thing I am certain of before the race has even finished:

Quite a few drivers who ought to know better have been driving like total idiots!!

I was about to say the same. Several experienced drivers did themselves no favours today, with a special mention to Nelson Philippe.

[chunterer]

I hadn't included him in my 'experienced' lot but you're totally right!!

I thought that Zuber drove like a total novice, Filippi is now wasting a lot of other people's time as well as his own, Yoshimoto was way OTT, Valsecchi was a bit dozy and D'Ambrosio nearly ran over half his crew when he pitted!!

Dear oh dear!!!

In fact the only guys who i'm sure didn't make a mistake out of the 'old guard' were Roldan and Javier?

[sauber11]

My view of the race
excellent drive:
Rodriguez: no mistakes
Yamamoto: first podium in europe or career?!
Bamber: wow, this guy is young and super-fast. Mega!
Better than expected:
Villa,Drift,Sekiguchi
Worse than expected:
Petrov,Ambrosio,Filippi,Nunez(i though he is much faster, even faster than teammate)
Terrible drive:
Garde(missed even 8 place with isport,slow),Yoong(no speed at all),Chia Chen(doesnt deserve to be in any racing, even go-kart).

[N.A-D.R]

I wouldn't say v.d Garde is slow. He just didn't have a good race, he will improve for race 2 heeps. Bamber though, just keeps suprising me.

[Lam Pak]

Originally Posted by sauber11

Chia Chen(doesnt deserve to be in any racing, even go-kart).

kevin chen has a small experience in gp2. but he is brave. may be he isnt on top. but its first gp2 season for him. he didnt qualifyi last. give him a chance tomorrow.

[Mak]

Bambers first experience too. I would'nt say he's brave just intelligent.

[the sniper]

Originally Posted by Lam Pak

kevin chen has a small experience in gp2. but he is brave. may be he isnt on top. but its first gp2 season for him. he didnt qualifyi last. give him a chance tomorrow.

Why do you always defend Asian drives, no matter how good or rubbish they are?

[Albeckinho]

He is N.A-D.R of Asia? ;O

[f-lot]

Originally Posted by N.A-D.R

I wouldn't say v.d Garde is slow. He just didn't have a good race, he will improve for race 2 heeps.

He will not participate in Race 2, he's flying back to Europe to be crowned WSbR champion.

"I could start anything on the straight," he said afterwards. "The gearbox was not properly configured, causing me on to hit the rev limit very quickly, and losing a second on the rest. I even had to lift of the throttle, so everybody would pass me on Shanghais long straight. We also had a bit of bad luck with the safety car, because when it came out, we had just done our pitstop. Anyway, it's like it is. I was much faster than the men in front of me on the first half of the track, but without a good top speed you can't get anywhere here. "

edited machine translation of the following article (Dutch):
http://www.racexpress.nl/index.php?n...ikel&nid=12982

[N.A-D.R]

Originally Posted by Albeckinho

He is N.A-D.R of Asia? ;O

Funny. I dont defend, i just have an opinion.