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10 Nov 2006, 10:55 (Ref:1762584) | #26 | ||
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Incidentally both races were organized by the same people
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10 Nov 2006, 12:05 (Ref:1762649) | #27 | ||
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what a farce that is.
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10 Nov 2006, 12:17 (Ref:1762661) | #28 | ||
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I love the official press release...
"After two cars had experienced minor incidents at turn eight, the hairpin bend at the end of the straight, which caused the session to be red flagged" |
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10 Nov 2006, 12:24 (Ref:1762668) | #29 | ||
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ohh official press releases.
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10 Nov 2006, 13:16 (Ref:1762717) | #30 | ||
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This is really bad.
The Melco hairpin at Macau has always been regarded as very tight - it's a permanent yellow flag zone - but the cars have (almost) always managed it. Even Ralph Firman on a demonstration run in an F1 Jordan a few years ago, although he had to power slide the car to do it. If this corner is worse than that, and it sounds to be, then shame on whoever designed it and how on earth did it manage to pass the FIA inspection? |
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10 Nov 2006, 14:06 (Ref:1762758) | #31 | ||
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It didn't
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10 Nov 2006, 15:28 (Ref:1762796) | #32 | |
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Yep things got pretty pathetic, with most of the cars having to either powerslide out of the hairpin, or having to do a 3 point turn!
Some of them just got stuck against the wall...maybe the drivers never bothered to learn how to put the cars in reverse? At the moment it looks like the track will be shortened, using a wider part of that straight to make a new hairpin. But it was a day full of surprises today, so who knows really? |
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We're no longer called Sonic Death Monkey. We're on the verge of becoming Kathleen Turner Overdrive, but just for tonight, we are Barry Jive and his Uptown Five. |
10 Nov 2006, 16:02 (Ref:1762814) | #34 | ||
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°- !Nelsinho Piquet! -° |
10 Nov 2006, 18:15 (Ref:1762890) | #35 | ||
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What I also forgot to mention earlier was my first moment of shock, which was when I arrived in a taxi and found turn 3. That and turn 2 are basically blind 90 degree corners which have absolutely no run off areas! The outside of the corners are solid concrete walls with a couple of rows of tyres. How they have passed the FIA inspection is beyond me...
Another thing to note is that the pit lane is too short. Before each session cars are parked on an angle, as this is the only way they will fit. The teams are going to have to cooperate regarding which lap they come in to change tyres during the feature race, as there is no way they can all come in together. |
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10 Nov 2006, 18:35 (Ref:1762899) | #36 | ||
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...and in case anyone is interested here are my favourite shots from Friday.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/ste...prix/my_photos |
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10 Nov 2006, 19:12 (Ref:1762913) | #37 | ||
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I'm getting a message your page is inaccesible
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10 Nov 2006, 20:01 (Ref:1762937) | #38 | ||
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I just hope that for next year they reinstate the hairpin, just having made it wider. It is pretty stupid to have it as it is though.
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10 Nov 2006, 22:36 (Ref:1763030) | #39 | ||
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Serious questions need to be asked of the FIA delegate, and also for that matter the circuit organisers. How difficult would it have been to drop a phonecall to A1GP and ask what the turning circuit is of the cars.
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11 Nov 2006, 06:15 (Ref:1763253) | #40 | |
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Hi all,
just had a text message from the circuit:- ran for 30 minutes, before manhole covers started lifting, game over for today. |
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11 Nov 2006, 06:29 (Ref:1763256) | #41 | ||
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This is just terrible.
It doesnt look good for the whole weekend do you think they will race at all ? |
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11 Nov 2006, 07:29 (Ref:1763267) | #42 | ||
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How annoying that in an A1GP press release they have credited the FASC for solving the layout problems. The event is a farce and that FASC are clueless!
Problems I faced/was told about at the track today: 1. No idea how to get to the grandstand as no signage, so had to walk around half the circuit to find the overpass. 2. No shelter, food or beverage available, and no rubbish bins! 3. Grandstand seating was planks of wood covered in dirt and dust. Was kicked off another grandstand after 30mins because apparently it was not safe, and it was situated in an absurd location anyway (50m back from the track!). Good some good shots from one end of it while I was there at least. 4. No announcements at all about what was going on. I stood around for three hours, when I left at 2.30pm local time people were still waiting and turning up. I even saw two people running to the track because they were scared they were late... 5. Official photographers were complaining because the fencing has no gaps, so no way for them to take images! A bad joke really but I am not laughing. |
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11 Nov 2006, 09:39 (Ref:1763307) | #43 | ||
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What a shambles to say the least. These sorts of problems should of been sorted out Thursday. Couldn't they of got a car out there to check all these things. As for the manholes, well they should of been properly sealed to begin with! I feel very sorry for the paying spectators, do they not deserve some sort of refund for Friday and today!? Lets hope that with such little track time we end up with a very open and exciting race and pray it goes by without any problems.
I wonder if A1GP will be so keen on 2 races in China next year! |
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11 Nov 2006, 10:22 (Ref:1763326) | #44 | ||
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A1 Team Netherlands take pole in Beijing
It has just been officially confirmed that A1 Team Netherlands will start from pole position in tomorrow’s Sprint race. Due to problems with a manhole cover on the circuit the qualifying was cancelled. According to article 144 of the Sporting Regulations the times from free practice will be decisive for the grid in the case that qualifying is cancelled. Netherlands will thus start from pole, followed by Mexico and Canada. It’s the first pole position for A1 Team Netherlands. |
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"just checking the walls, dear." |
11 Nov 2006, 11:31 (Ref:1763354) | #45 | ||
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Quote:
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. |
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11 Nov 2006, 12:01 (Ref:1763363) | #46 | ||
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De Ja Vous really (DTM 2004).
Circuit looks terrible for racing anyway...more processional than Monaco but without the pazazz. Too narrow over similar circuits like the Norisring to provide any overtaking. |
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11 Nov 2006, 12:50 (Ref:1763383) | #47 | ||
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I have to say that the event as a whole has become something of a joke.
I think I'm right in saying that the cars have had about 30 minutes at best of green flag running. The revised hairpin while now a bit wider, looks terrible with the pit entry right on the racing line. The bumps on the track looked bad when SkySports showed Simon Hill driving the safety car around, but when they then showed the earlier much truncated practice, the A1GP cars were having their back wheels kicked clean off the ground! I don't hold out much hope for a "good clean race" tomorrow. Hell I think they wil have trouble getting the cars lined up side by side for the rolling start without them being bounced into one another. |
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11 Nov 2006, 12:59 (Ref:1763389) | #48 | ||
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Both races are starting behind the SC, which I interpreted as meaning that the cars would line up in single file.
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11 Nov 2006, 13:05 (Ref:1763396) | #49 | ||
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It is a shambles, as someone has already said.
On the other hand I don't think it is fair to blame the FIA Delegate, Charlie Whiting. From what I can gather, the very private way the Chinese go about these things is to do their own thing until the last possible moment, in this case yesterday morning, when the FIA inspection immediately brought the problems to light. In the political world of motor racing, the A1GP people have to go through the motions of thanking the Chinese for their efforts in seeking to resolve the problems, but I bet that underneath that veneer they are absolutely seething. The only good thing than can come out of this mess is for the Chinese to realise that if they really want to become part of the world of motorsport, then they must in future forget their secretive ways and do things as everyone else does. It's a tried and proven method. |
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11 Nov 2006, 14:12 (Ref:1763445) | #50 | |||
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Quote:
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. Either way, I hope that lessons will be learnt... |
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