Formula 1 - Season 2015 - (Decade of F1 Discussion)

[genius83]

Rosberg fastest as Hamilton has engine trouble
Nico Rosberg set the fastest time in the opening practice session at the Malaysian Grand Prix as Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton had his session cut short with an engine problem.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Malaysian GP</font>
<font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 1</font>
[/U]<font color='#006400'>Pos. No. Driver             Car                   Best lap   Gap   Laps</font>
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>1    6  Nico Rosberg       Mercedes              1:40.124          20
 2    7  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:40.497   0.373  17
 3    5  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:40.985   0.861  13
 4    8  Romain Grosjean    Lotus-Mercedes        1:41.543   1.419  14
 5   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr   Toro Rosso-Renault    1:41.596   1.472  26
 6    3  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault      1:41.787   1.663  15
 7   33  Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso-Renault    1:41.803   1.679  23
 8   77  Valtteri Bottas    Williams-Mercedes     1:41.882   1.758  23
 9   26  Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull-Renault      1:42.055   1.931  18
10   9   Marcus Ericsson    Sauber-Ferrari        1:42.064   1.940  16
11  19   Felipe Massa       Williams-Mercedes     1:42.103   1.979  23
12  13   Pastor Maldonado   Lotus-Mercedes        1:42.567   2.443  19
13  36   Raffaele Marciello Sauber-Ferrari        1:42.621   2.497  13
14  14   Fernando Alonso    McLaren-Honda         1:42.885   2.761  20
15  27   Nico Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes  1:42.893   2.769  13
16  11   Sergio Perez       Force India-Mercedes  1:43.054   2.930  15
17  22   Jenson Button      McLaren-Honda         1:43.100   2.976  19
18  28   Will Stevens       Manor-Ferrari         1:46.686   6.562   8
19  98   Roberto Merhi      Manor-Ferrari         1:47.683   7.559   8
20  44   Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes                                 4</font>
</font>

Hamilton tops FP2 despite niggling issues
Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in the second practice session despite car problems limiting his track time over the 90 minutes.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'></font><font color='#808080'>Malaysian GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 2
</font>[/U]<font color='#006400'></font><font color='#006400'>Pos. No. Driver             Car                   Best lap  Gap    Laps
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'></font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   44  Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes              1:39.790          16
 2    7  Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari               1:40.163  0.373   29
 3    6  Nico Rosberg       Mercedes              1:40.218  0.428   26
 4   26  Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull-Renault      1:40.346  0.556   17
 5   77  Valtteri Bottas    Williams-Mercedes     1:40.450  0.660   31
 6   19  Felipe Massa       Williams-Mercedes     1:40.560  0.770   27
 7    5  Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari               1:40.652  0.862   29
 8   33  Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso-Renault    1:41.220  1.430   30
 9    9  Marcus Ericsson    Sauber-Ferrari        1:41.261  1.471   30
10    3  Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault      1:41.799  2.009    8
11   13  Pastor Maldonado   Lotus-Mercedes        1:41.877  2.087   15
12   12  Felipe Nasr        Sauber-Ferrari        1:41.988  2.198   30
13   11  Sergio Perez       Force India-Mercedes  1:42.242  2.452   24
14   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr   Toro Rosso-Renault    1:42.291  2.501   31
15   27  Nico Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes  1:42.330  2.540   28
16   14  Fernando Alonso    McLaren-Honda         1:42.506  2.716   25
17   22  Jenson Button      McLaren-Honda         1:42.637  2.847   24
18    8  Romain Grosjean    Lotus-Mercedes        1:42.948  3.158    7
19   28  Will Stevens       Manor-Ferrari         1:45.704  5.914   12
20   98  Roberto Merhi      Manor-Ferrari         1:47.229  7.439    6
</font></font>

Hamilton blocked from novelty helmet change
Lewis Hamilton appears to be the first victim of the FIA's controversial helmet ban after being blocked from wearing a novelty lid in Malaysia.

Hamilton: Ferrari pace a surprise
Lewis Hamilton admits he is surprised about Ferrari's competitive lap times in Friday practice but thinks he left plenty of time on the table from his own qualifying simulation.

Vettel admits spin was a result of pushing too hard
Sebastian Vettel admitted he was pushing too hard when he spun out of the second practice session at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Ferrari stronger than Williams expected - Bottas
Valtteri Bottas is keeping a close eye on Ferrari after it showed much more Friday pace than Williams expected to see in Malaysia.

Rosberg: Tyres a huge challenge
Nico Rosberg thinks the perfect strategy in Malaysia will involve getting as much out of one stint on the option tyre as possible during Sunday's race.

MP4-30 exceeds Alonso's expectations
After Friday practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix, Fernando Alonso said his McLaren felt much better than he expected during his first run in the MP4-30 since pre-season testing.

More speed to come from Ferrari - Raikkonen
Following two promising Friday practice sessions, Kimi Raikkonen says Ferrari will go even quicker with some set-up changes and a clean lap on the medium tyres at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Ricciardo encouraged by Renault driveability progress
Daniel Ricciardo says Renault has solved many of the driveability issues which hampered Red Bull so drastically in Melbourne.

Renault considering F1 exit
Renault is considering its F1 future with options varying from a takeover of Toro Rosso to leaving the sport entirely.

McLaren getting more from Honda PU - Button
Jenson Button was in an optimistic mood following Friday practice in Malaysia after seeing McLaren make a step forward from its dismal Australian Grand Prix pace.

[genius83]

Rosberg fastest ahead of qualifying
Nico Rosberg set the pace in the final practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix, although Mercedes' stranglehold on the top of the timesheets appeared to loosen ever so slightly as six cars managed to lap within a second of the W06 Hybrid.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Malaysian GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 3</font>
[/U]<font color='#006400'>Pos.  No.  Driver           Car                   Best lap   Gap   Laps
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1     6   Nico Rosberg     Mercedes              1:39.690          13
 2    44   Lewis Hamilton   Mercedes              1:39.873   0.183  10
 3     7   Kimi Raikkonen   Ferrari               1:40.245   0.555   9
 4     5   Sebastian Vettel Ferrari               1:40.266   0.576  13
 5    19   Felipe Massa     Williams-Mercedes     1:40.391   0.701  14
 6    77   Valtteri Bottas  Williams-Mercedes     1:40.406   0.716  15
 7     3   Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull-Renault      1:40.590   0.900  19
 8    55   Carlos Sainz Jnr Toro Rosso-Renault    1:40.601   0.911  19
 9    33   Max Verstappen   Toro Rosso-Renault    1:40.989   1.299  18
10     9   Marcus Ericsson  Sauber-Ferrari        1:41.200   1.510  19
11     8   Romain Grosjean  Lotus-Mercedes        1:41.206   1.516  16
12    13   Pastor Maldonado Lotus-Mercedes        1:41.592   1.902  18
13    26   Daniil Kvyat     Red Bull-Renault      1:41.775   2.085  14
14    27   Nico Hulkenberg  Force India-Mercedes  1:41.804   2.114  15
15    14   Fernando Alonso  McLaren-Honda         1:41.991   2.301  13
16    11   Sergio Perez     Force India-Mercedes  1:42.099   2.409  14
17    12   Felipe Nasr      Sauber-Ferrari        1:42.117   2.427  18
18    22   Jenson Button    McLaren-Honda         1:42.319   2.629  13
19    98   Roberto Merhi    Manor-Ferrari         1:46.647   6.957   9
20    28   Will Stevens     Manor-Ferrari         1:47.059   7.369   6</font></font>

Hamilton beats Vettel to pole in the wet
Lewis Hamilton just held onto pole position ahead of Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel by 0.074s at the Malaysian Grand Prix as rain played a factor in a tense qualifying session in Sepang.

<font color='#808080'><font face='courier new'>[U]Malaysian GP
[/U]</font></font><font color='#0000cd'><font face='courier new'>[U]Qualifying Session[/U]</font></font><font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'>
Pos. Driver             Team                   Best Lap
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes               1:49.834
 2   Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari                1:49.908
 3   Nico Rosberg       Mercedes               1:50.299
 4   Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault       1:51.541
 5   Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull-Renault       1:51.951
 6   Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso-Renault     1:51.981
 7   Felipe Massa       Williams-Mercedes      1:52.473
 8   Romain Grosjean    Lotus-Mercedes         1:52.981
 9   Valtteri Bottas    Williams-Mercedes      1:53.179
10   Marcus Ericsson    Sauber-Ferrari         1:53.261
</font><font color='#006400'>[U]Q2[/U]</font>
<font color='#a52a2a'>11   Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari                1:42.173
12   Pastor Maldonado   Lotus-Mercedes         1:42.197
13   Nico Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes   1:43.022
14   Sergio Perez       Force India-Mercedes   1:43.468
15   Carlos Sainz Jnr   Toro Rosso-Renault     1:43.700
</font><font color='#006400'>[U]Q1[/U]</font>
<font color='#a52a2a'>16   Felipe Nasr        Sauber-Ferrari         1:41.308
17   Jenson Button      McLaren-Honda          1:41.636
18   Fernando Alonso    McLaren-Honda          1:41.746
19   Roberto Merhi      Manor-Ferrari          1:46.677
20   Will Stevens       Manor-Ferrari          No Time
</font></font>

Ecclestone frustrated and disappointed with F1
Bernie Ecclestone says Formula One needs to be a lot better at facing its problems and admits he is disappointed with the sport.

Allison explains Ferrari's improvement
Ferrari technical director James Allison says his team's improvements relative to Mercedes this year are split evenly between power unit and chassis - not just down to an increase in BHP.

McLaren won't be getting knocked out in Q1 for long - Alonso
Fernando Alonso is confident McLaren will not be getting knocked out of Q1 for long this season despite his first qualifying session with McLaren leaving him 18th on the grid at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Rosberg: 'I just didn't drive well enough'
Nico Rosberg admitted he only had himself to blame after failing front row of the grid for the first time in 13 races in a wet qualifying session in Malaysia.

Vettel believes win is possible even without rain
Sebastian Vettel confidently declared Ferrari can beat Mercedes come rain or shine in Malaysia after qualifying on the front row of the grid for Sunday's grand prix.

Grosjean gets two-place grid penalty
Romain Grosjean has been given a two-place grid penalty at the Malaysian Grand Prix and will now start 10th on the grid.

Manor granted permission to race in Malaysia by FIA
Manor has been given permission to race at the Malaysian Grand Prix despite seeing Roberto Merhi and Will Stevens fail to set a time within the 107% time required in qualifying.

Ricciardo happy to settle for fourth on grid
Daniel Ricciardo thinks Red Bull can be happy with a spot on the second row on the grid in Malaysia after struggling at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Rosberg didn't block me - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton does not feel he was unfairly blocked by Nico Rosberg during the final session of qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Verstappen: Brakes cost me better than sixth
Seventeen-year-old Max Verstappen will start his second Formula One race from sixth on the grid but admitted it could have been even better without a brake issue in Malaysia.

We made life difficult - Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen said he and Ferrari have made life difficult for themselves at the Malaysian Grand Prix after qualifying 11th in mixed conditions on Saturday.

Honda halfway up a 'high mountain'
Honda has used the analogy of being half way up a "high mountain" with its work on its new power unit after McLaren qualified on the second to last row at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Massa frustrated by Williams' wet weather pace
Felipe Massa says Williams is still "too slow" in the wet after he could only qualify seventh in Malaysia.

[nightsurfer]

Surprisingly exciting race with some decent action. Hoping they'll be able to repeat this next race.

[aref]

Vettel, baby!!

[MoinIqbal]

Ferrari, baby!!

[zia1288]

Couldn't watch the race, but joyed to see Ferrari win What is the time of repeat/re-telecast?

[genius83]

Vettel beats Mercedes for first Ferrari win
Sebastian Vettel took his first Ferrari victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix and the first for the team in 35 races after beating Mercedes in a battle of tyre degradation and strategy in the heat of Sepang.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Malaysian GP</font>
<font color='#0000cd'>Race Results</font>
[/U]<font color='#006400'>Pos  Driver             Car                 Laps  Time/gap       Difference  Reason</font>
 <font color='#a52a2a'>1   Sebastian Vettel   Ferrari              56   1:41:05.793s		
 2   Lewis Hamilton     Mercedes             56         8.569     8.569
 3   Nico Rosberg       Mercedes             56        12.310     3.741
 4   Kimi Raikkonen     Ferrari              56        53.822    41.512
 5   Valtteri Bottas    Williams-Mercedes    56	       70.409    16.587
 6   Felipe Massa       Williams-Mercedes    56	       73.586     3.177
 7   Max Verstappen     Toro Rosso-Renault   56	       97.762    24.176
 8   Carlos Sainz Jnr   Toro Rosso-Renault   55	   1 lap          1 lap
 9   Daniil Kvyat       Red Bull-Renault     55	   1 lap          1.027
10   Daniel Ricciardo   Red Bull-Renault     55	   1 lap          7.928
11   Romain Grosjean    Lotus-Mercedes       55	   1 lap         17.681
12   Felipe Nasr        Sauber-Ferrari       55	   1 lap          2.507
13   Sergio Perez       Force India-Mercedes 55	   1 lap         17.192
14   Nico Hulkenberg    Force India-Mercedes 55    1 lap          0.455
15   Roberto Merhi      Manor-Ferrari        53    3 laps         2 laps</font>
<font color='#0000cd'>[U]Not classified[/U]</font>
     <font color='#a52a2a'>Pastor Maldonado   Lotus-Mercedes       47    9 laps         6 laps     Brakes
     Jenson Button      McLaren-Honda        41   15 laps         6 laps     Turbo
     Fernando Alonso    McLaren-Honda        21   35 laps        20 laps     ERS
     Marcus Ericsson    Sauber-Ferrari        3   53 laps        18 laps     Accident
     Will Stevens       Manor-Ferrari         0   56 laps         3 laps     Did not start</font>
</font>

Here is the Championships Standings after the Malaysian GP:

<font color='#696969'><font face='courier new'>[U]World Championships Standings
[/U]</font></font><font face='courier new'><font color='#000080'>[U]Drivers? championship
[/U]</font><font color='#2f4f4f'>Pos   Driver           Points</font> <font color='#800000'>
 1    Lewis Hamilton    43
 2    Sebastian Vettel  40
 3    Nico Rosberg      33
 4    Felipe Massa      20
 5    Kimi Raikkonen    12
 6    Felipe Nasr       10
 7    Valtteri Bottas   10
 8    Daniel Ricciardo   9
 9    Nico Hulkenberg    6
10    Max Verstappen     6
11    Carlos Sainz Jnr   6
12    Marcus Ericsson    4
13    Daniil Kvyat       2
14    Sergio Perez       1
15    Jenson Button      0
16    Romain Grosjean    0
17    Roberto Merhi      0</font>
<font color='#000080'>[U]Constructors? championship[/U]</font>
<font color='#2f4f4f'></font><font color='#2f4f4f'></font><font color='#2f4f4f'>Pos  Team       Points</font></font><font face='courier new'>
 <font color='#800000'>1   Mercedes    76
 2   Ferrari     37
 3   Williams    30
 4   Sauber      14
 5   Toro Rosso  12
 6   Red Bull    11
 7   Force India  7
 8   McLaren      0
 9   Lotus        0
10   Manor        0
</font></font>

MP4-30 has more downforce than cars in front - Button
Jenson Button is confident his McLaren-Honda has more downforce than the cars in front of him on the grid in Malaysia and is hoping to exploit it at future races when the Honda power unit is closer to its full potential.

Stevens ruled out of Malaysian Grand Prix
Will Stevens will miss the Malaysian Grand Prix after Manor failed to rectify a fuel system problem which saw the Brit sit out qualifying.

Vettel: I was 's***ting' myself in final laps
Sebastian Vettel admits he had to calm himself down in the final few laps of the Malaysian Grand Prix as he closed in on his first victory at Ferrari.

Strategy did not cost me win - Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton doubts Mercedes could have beaten Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel even if it had matched the German driver's two-stop strategy in Malaysia.

Rosberg challenges Ferrari: 'Bring it on'
Nico Rosberg has challenged Ferrari to "bring it on" after Sebastian Vettel's victory in Malaysia.

Mixed feelings for Alonso after retirement with ERS issue
Fernando Alonso was left with "mixed feelings" following the Malaysian Grand Prix after he retired from his McLaren-Honda debut on the 21st lap of the race with an ERS cooling problem.

Ferrari like 'a perfect Italian watch' - Arrivabene
Team principal Maurizio Arrivabene never doubted Sebastian Vettel could be a contender in Malaysia but he says Ferrari must not get carried away with one victory.

Penalty points for Maldonado and Force India pair
Pastor Maldonado has been handed three penalty points to his super licence for exceeding the speed limit under the safety car at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Allison explains Ferrari win and why a repeat will be tough
Ferrari technical director James Allison is not convinced his team will be able to repeat its Malaysian Grand Prix performance at the next round in China in two weeks' time.

Being lapped by Vettel hurts - Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo said being lapped by race winner and former team-mate Sebastian Vettel was "the icing on the cake" after another frustrating race for Red Bull in Malaysia.

Button: We're catching midfield teams
Jenson Button says McLaren should be encouraged by its race pace compared to the midfield despite a double DNF in Malaysia.

Raikkonen lost downforce with puncture damage
Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari lost downforce as a result of the puncture he suffered at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Malaysian Grand Prix extends race contract until 2018
The Malaysian Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for the next three years after the Sepang International Circuit announced a new deal until 2018 on Sunday.

[genius83]

Helmut Marko wins ?400 bet on Sebastian Vettel claiming Malaysia victory
Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko left the Malaysian Grand Prix ?400 richer after an astute bet - on former prot?g? Sebastian Vettel winning the race in his Ferrari.

Bernie Ecclestone keen on all-female world championship
Bernie Ecclestone has suggested the creation of an all-female world championship to run alongside Formula One to encourage more women to enter the sport.

2014 upheaval was crucial for Ferrari future - Allison
Technical director James Allison says the bloodletting at Ferrari over the course of last season was necessary to allow the team to go from strength to strength over the coming years.

Silverstone circuit's 'Wing' roof badly damaged in winds
The roof of the ?27million 'Wing' roof at the Silverstone circuit has been damaged by high winds.

Jenson Button says Sebastian Vettel 'lucked into' Ferrari resurgence
Jenson Button thinks Sebastian Vettel "lucked into" a good situation at Ferrari after the German won his second race at the Italian outfit in Malaysia.

Renault asks Red Bull to put trust in its expertise and not interfere
Renault has asked Red Bull to take a step back and stop interfering in some areas of the areas of its power unit development in order to allow it to make up the deficit to Mercedes.

Pierre Gasly handed Toro Rosso drive for Barcelona test
Toro Rosso has announced Pierre Gasly will drive for the team at the Barcelona test directly after the Spanish Grand Prix.

Carmen Jorda: All-female series 'the right answer' for F1
Lotus development driver Carmen Jorda has backed the idea of an all-female world championship put forward by F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone.

Kimi Raikkonen: Malaysia pace not just down to heat
Kimi Raikkonen is convinced Ferrari's pace in Malaysia was not solely due to the hot weather and thinks the team can challenge Mercedes again in China.

Nico Rosberg determined to rectify form in China
Nico Rosberg says a strong finish at the Chinese Grand Prix is vital if he wants to turn his early-season form around.

Mercedes sharpens weapons to beat Ferrari
Mercedes says it has assessed every area of the Malaysian Grand Prix to ensure it overcomes the threat of Ferrari in China.

Hamilton '99.6%' done on new Mercedes ?27m deal
Lewis Hamilton is closing on a new Mercedes deal reportedly worth ?27 million a year and he expects it to be finalised this week.

Williams 'needs to look at entire car' to catch Ferrari, says Rob Smedley
Williams needs to continue developing the FW37 from "back to front" if it is to keep pace with Ferrari and Mercedes, according to head of performance engineering Rob Smedley.

No point Honda copying Merc - Alonso
Fernando Alonso says the only way Honda can win in Formula One is by taking a different approach to current champions Mercedes.

Sebastian Vettel takes Malaysia trophy back to Maranello
Sebastian Vettel has delivered his winning trophy from the Malaysian Grand Prix back to Ferrari's Maranello headquarters and told his team: "I want to be one of you, no more, no less".

Fernando Alonso works out with 'Uptown Funk'McLaren-Honda might be climbing a "high mountain" but Fernando Alonso has been tackling something a little less challenging - an exercise ball and a smash hit song.

Maurizio Arrivabene broke down and cried after text from Michael Schumacher's family
Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene says a congratulatory text from the family of Michael Schumacher was enough to break his cool demeanour after Sebastian Vettel's Malaysia victory.

Sky's the limit for Lewis Hamilton, says Sir Jackie Stewart
Sir Jackie Stewart fully expects Lewis Hamilton to surpass his tally of three world championships, currently the most won by any British driver, and says there is no limit on what the Mercedes man can achieve.

Calls for equalisation were premature, says Lotus
Lotus deputy principal Federico Gastaldi thinks Ferrari's win in Malaysia proves Christian Horner's calls to level the playing field in 2015 were premature.

Toro Rosso could adopt Renault-inspired livery
Toro Rosso could adopt a yellow livery in future to help give engine supplier Renault more visibility in Formula One.

Christian Horner's plan for a wind tunnel ban is foolish - Ferrari
Ferrari technical director James Allison has labelled Christian Horner's suggestion to ban wind tunnels in Formula One as "foolish".

Pastor Maldonado: I've been a victim
Pastor Maldonado claims he has been "a victim" of first corner contact at the opening two rounds of the season, but is confident his Lotus is capable of scoring points soon.

Token loophole had downside for Renault
Renault says the loophole in the regulations that allows for engine performance development throughout the season partly had a negative impact on its plans for this year.

Force India chief Vijay Mallya targeting points in China
Vijay Mallya is targeting a return to the points for Force India at this weekend's Chinese Grand Prix.

James Allison explains Ferrari's nose design
James Allison has explained the reasons behind Ferrari's long nose design this year and revealed that the team is working on shorter versions as a part of future updates.

Renault sure it will catch Mercedes ... it's just not sure when
Renault says there is no reason why it cannot catch up with Mercedes under the current regulations and believes the law of diminishing returns will curb its rivals' progress in the coming years.

More Honda power will result in snowball effect for McLaren performance
Jenson Button believes McLaren can expect a snowball effect in performance as it ups the power from its Honda engine.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Chinese GP:

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#800080'></font>[/U][U]<font color='#800080'></font>[/U]<font color='#800080'>[U]Chinese GP[/U]
</font>[U]<font color='#40e0d0'></font><font color='#40e0d0'>Friday
</font><font color='#daa520'></font><font color='#daa520'>Practice Session 1</font>[/U]   <font color='#b22222'>07:00 To 08:30</font>
<font color='#daa520'>[U]Practice Session 2[/U]</font>   <font color='#b22222'>11:00 To 12:30</font>
[U]<font color='#40e0d0'>Saturday
</font><font color='#daa520'>Practice Session 3</font>[/U]   <font color='#b22222'>09:00 To 10:00</font>
<font color='#daa520'>[U]Qualifying Session[/U]</font>   <font color='#b22222'></font><font color='#b22222'>12:00 To 13:00</font>
[U]<font color='#40e0d0'>Sunday
</font><font color='#daa520'>Race</font>[/U]                 <font color='#b22222'></font><font color='#b22222'>11:00 To 13:00</font>
</font>

[genius83]

F1 has lost its direction - Kaltenborn
Sauber boss Monisha Kaltenborn thinks F1 has lost its direction and is losing its connection with fans as a result.

Mick Schumacher, 16, completes test of Formula 4 car
OSCHERSLEBEN, Germany -- The teenage son of former Formula One champion Michael Schumacher completed his first public test drive Wednesday.

China and Bahrain may show limited McLaren gains
McLaren chief Eric Boullier doubts China or Bahrain will show noticeable steps forward for the MP4-30 "from the outside looking in" due to the characteristics of either circuit.

Renault sets sights on challenging Williams in China
Renault expects its power unit to be more competitive in China and is aiming to take the fight to Williams.

F1 heading for financial doom, says Max Mosley
Former FIA president Max Mosley says Formula One is heading towards a "collapse" unless it changes the way money is spent and distributed in the sport.

Waiting for B-spec Force India 'frustrating' - Sergio Perez
Sergio Perez admits it is frustrating waiting for Force India's B-spec car while the current car is struggling to challenge for points.

Valtteri Bottas expects 'more equal' fight with Ferrari
Valtteri Bottas thinks Williams can engage Ferrari in a straight fight at the Chinese Grand Prix due to the cooler temperatures of Shanghai.

Red Bull reverts to 2014-spec brakes
Red Bull has switched to the Brembo specification brakes it used in 2014 to address the issues faced at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel could be key in Mercedes title battle - Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg thinks Sebastian Vettel could become a key player in the championship, but hopes only by stealing points from Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton rather than as a contender himself.

Jenson Button can see 'great future' developing at McLaren
Jenson Button says he and McLaren are remaining positive this year because they see "a great future" ahead of them with new engine supplier Honda.

'Realistic' Sebastian Vettel targeting second behind Mercedes
Sebastian Vettel says Ferrari is still aiming to be best of the rest behind Mercedes despite beating both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in a straight fight in Malaysia.

Ferrari win 'blown out of proportion' - Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton was not worried by Sebastian Vettel beating him to victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix two weeks ago and believes Ferrari's success was blown out of proportion.

Kimi Raikkonen: Mercedes closer than people think
Kimi Raikkonen says the gap to Mercedes is "not as far as people think" and has reiterated his belief Ferrari has a package which can challenge in any conditions.

Only a Ferrari title would make Fernando Alonso question McLaren switch
Fernando Alonso says only a Ferrari world title in 2015 would make him question his decision to move to McLaren-Honda this year.

Mercedes will not reassess pit strategy
Mercedes has no plans to reassess the way it prioritises pit stop strategies for its drivers after being caught out by Ferrari in Malaysia.

Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz reiterates F1 quit threat
Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz has reiterated the threat Red Bull will quit Formula One if it cannot get a competitive engine.

Red Bull investigates Kvyat's brakes after FP2 failure
Red Bull is investigating Daniil Kvyat's brakes after the Russian finished FP2 parked in the barriers at Turn 14 with flames spitting from his left rear tyre.

Jenson Button sets sight on Q2 after 'surprising' progress
Jenson Button believes McLaren can make Q2 in China after a being "pleasantly surprised" by the amount of progress the team showed on Friday.

Man arrested after running across track during Chinese Grand Prix FP2
A man who ran across the pit straight during the second practice session for the Chinese Grand Prix has been arrested.

'Stalling rear wing' caused Felipe Massa's FP2 shunt
Felipe Massa confirmed a rear wing "stalling problem" caused his spin in FP2 and revealed the subsequent crash may have cost him the use of Williams' new front wing in China.

Sebastian Vettel: Consolidation key for Ferrari
Sebastian Vettel is still of the opinion Ferrari must not focus all its attention on challenging Mercedes for pole position or the win in China despite encouraging pace during Friday practice.

Mercedes race pace still a concern for Nico Rosberg
Nico Rosberg has little doubt Mercedes will be strongest in qualifying but says race pace is still something of a question-mark ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren's improvement surpasses Fernando Alonso's expectations
Fernando Alonso said Friday practice at the Chinese Grand Prix was better than expected for McLaren after the cars finished the second session 10th and 12th fastest.

Ferrari 'more or less there', says Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen thinks Ferrari can expect a close fight with Mercedes at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Lewis Hamilton puts Mercedes back on top in China
Mercedes resumed business as usual during the first practice session of the Chinese Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton led team-mate Nico Rosberg at the top of the timesheets.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'></font><font color='#808080'>Chinese GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 1
</font>[/U]</font><font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'>Pos. No. Driver              Car                    Best lap  Gap   Laps
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   44  Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes               1:39.033         21
 2    6  Nico Rosberg        Mercedes               1:39.574  0.541  21
 3    5  Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                1:40.157  1.124  18
 4    7  Kimi Raikkonen      Ferrari                1:40.661  1.628  27
 5   12  Felipe Nasr         Sauber-Ferrari         1:41.012  1.979  18
 6    3  Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull-Renault       1:41.029  1.996  21
 7   26  Daniil Kvyat        Red Bull-Renault       1:41.097  2.064  24
 8   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr    Toro Rosso-Renault     1:41.112  2.079  23
 9   77  Valtteri Bottas     Williams-Mercedes      1:41.303  2.270  23
10   19  Felipe Massa        Williams-Mercedes      1:41.304  2.271  17
11   13  Pastor Maldonado    Lotus-Mercedes         1:41.335  2.302  23
12   33  Max Verstappen      Toro Rosso-Renault     1:41.575  2.542  28
13   22  Jenson Button       McLaren-Honda          1:41.845  2.812  19
14    9  Marcus Ericsson     Sauber-Ferrari         1:41.918  2.885  24
15   30  Jolyon Palmer       Lotus-Mercedes         1:41.967  2.934  25
16   11  Sergio Perez        Force India-Mercedes   1:42.141  3.108  22
17   14  Fernando Alonso     McLaren-Honda          1:42.161  3.128  20
18   27  Nico Hulkenberg     Force India-Mercedes   1:42.184  3.151  19
19   28  Will Stevens        Manor-Ferrari          1:45.379  6.346  18
20   98  Roberto Merhi       Manor-Ferrari          1:46.443  7.410  20
</font></font>

Lewis Hamilton sets pace in FP2 but Ferrari remains in the mix
Lewis Hamilton topped both Friday practice sessions ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix weekend, but Ferrari again showed signs of being able to challenge Mercedes over a race distance during the two 90 minute sessions.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Chinese GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 2
</font>[/U]</font><font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'>Pos. No. Driver              Car                    Best lap  Gap   Laps
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   44  Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes               1:37.219         32
 2    7  Kimi Raikkonen      Ferrari                1:37.662  0.443  35
 3    3  Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull-Renault       1:38.311  1.092  24
 4    5  Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                1:38.339  1.120  30
 5    6  Nico Rosberg        Mercedes               1:38.399  1.180  35
 6   26  Daniil Kvyat        Red Bull-Renault       1:38.737  1.518  10
 7   77  Valtteri Bottas     Williams-Mercedes      1:38.850  1.631  27
 8   12  Felipe Nasr         Sauber-Ferrari         1:39.032  1.813  26
 9    8  Romain Grosjean     Lotus-Mercedes         1:39.142  1.923  32
10   22  Jenson Button       McLaren-Honda          1:39.275  2.056  29
11   13  Pastor Maldonado    Lotus-Mercedes         1:39.444  2.225  30
12   14  Fernando Alonso     McLaren-Honda          1:39.743  2.524  27
13    9  Marcus Ericsson     Sauber-Ferrari         1:39.751  2.532  33
14   33  Max Verstappen      Toro Rosso-Renault     1:39.894  2.675  32
15   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr    Toro Rosso-Renault     1:39.971  2.752  28
16   27  Nico Hulkenberg     Force India-Mercedes   1:40.151  2.932  28
17   19  Felipe Massa        Williams-Mercedes      1:40.423  3.204   7
18   11  Sergio Perez        Force India-Mercedes   1:40.868  3.649  24
19   98  Roberto Merhi       Manor-Ferrari          1:42.973  5.754  27
20   28  Will Stevens        Manor-Ferrari          1:44.564  7.345   8
</font></font>

[malickhanan]

I have had enough of the nonsense bernie eccelstone has made of Formula One
I used to support this sport but I think FIA World Endurance Championship is much better than Formula One now
because unlike Formula 1, FIA WEC has no stupid Fuel Flow restrictions, weight restrictions
WEC has just the dimensions' restrictions
the res is up to the manufacturers to do whatever the hell they want to do
Formula One has become boring

[nightsurfer]

I agree with you. They are killing F1. Its not the leading edge of motorports anymore.

[genius83]

Lewis Hamilton completes clean sweep in FP3
Lewis Hamilton completed a clean sweep of practice sessions in China as Mercedes showed its one-lap strength over Ferrari in FP3.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Chinese GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'></font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 3
</font>[/U]</font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>Pos. No. Driver              Car                    Best lap   Gap  Laps
 </font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>1   44  Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes               1:37.615         14
 2    6  Nico Rosberg        Mercedes               1:37.841   0.226 16
 3    5  Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                1:38.313   0.698 17
 4    7  Kimi Raikkonen      Ferrari                1:38.512   0.897 16
 5    3  Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull-Renault       1:39.020   1.405  8
 6   26  Daniil Kvyat        Red Bull-Renault       1:39.106   1.491 14
 7   55  Carlos Sainz Jnr    Toro Rosso-Renault     1:39.113   1.498 17
 8   77  Valtteri Bottas     Williams-Mercedes      1:39.243   1.628 15
 9   33  Max Verstappen      Toro Rosso-Renault     1:39.274   1.659 19
10    8  Romain Grosjean     Lotus-Mercedes         1:39.405   1.790 14
11   19  Felipe Massa        Williams-Mercedes      1:39.410   1.795 17
12   27  Nico Hulkenberg     Force India-Mercedes   1:39.513   1.898 14
13    9  Marcus Ericsson     Sauber-Ferrari         1:39.559   1.944 18
14   12  Felipe Nasr         Sauber-Ferrari         1:39.591   1.976 19
15   22  Jenson Button       McLaren-Honda          1:39.694   2.079 16
16   13  Pastor Maldonado    Lotus-Mercedes         1:39.766   2.151 16
17   11  Sergio Perez        Force India-Mercedes   1:39.781   2.166 17
18   28  Will Stevens        Manor-Ferrari          1:42.928   5.313 15
19   98  Roberto Merhi       Manor-Ferrari          1:44.956   7.341  9
20   14  Fernando Alonso     McLaren-Honda                            1
</font></font>

Lewis Hamilton beats Nico Rosberg to Chinese Grand Prix pole by 0.04s
Lewis Hamilton took his third consecutive pole position of the season as he pipped Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg to the top spot in China by the slimmest of margins.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'></font><font color='#808080'>Chinese GP</font><font color='#696969'>
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Qualifying Session
</font>[/U]</font><font color='#0000cd'><font face='courier new'></font></font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>Pos. Driver                Team                  Lap
 </font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>1   Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes              1:35.782
 2   Nico Rosberg          Mercedes              1:35.824
 3   Sebastian Vettel      Ferrari               1:36.687
 4   Felipe Massa          Williams-Mercedes     1:36.954
 5   Valtteri Bottas       Williams-Mercedes     1:37.143
 6   Kimi Raikkonen        Ferrari               1:37.232
 7   Daniel Ricciardo      Red Bull-Renault      1:37.540
 8   Romain Grosjean       Lotus-Mercedes        1:37.905
 9   Felipe Nasr           Sauber-Ferrari        1:38.067
10   Marcus Ericsson       Sauber-Ferrari        1:38.158
</font></font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>[U]Q2[/U]
</font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>11   Pastor Maldonado      Lotus-Mercedes        1:38.134
12   Daniil Kvyat          Red Bull-Renault      1:38.209
13   Max Verstappen        Toro Rosso-Renault    1:38.393
14   Carlos Sainz Jnr      Toro Rosso-Renault    1:38.538
15   Sergio Perez          Force India-Mercedes  1:39.290
</font></font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>[U]Q1[/U]
</font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>16   Nico Hulkenberg       Force India-Mercedes  1:39.216
17   Jenson Button         McLaren-Honda         1:39.276
18   Fernando Alonso       McLaren-Honda         1:39.280
19   Will Stevens          Manor-Ferrari         1:42.091
20   Roberto Merhi         Manor-Ferrari         1:42.842
</font></font>

Lewis Hamilton still expects fight from Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari will still pose a threat at the Chinese Grand Prix despite leading a Mercedes front row lock for his third pole positions from three attempts this season.

Kimi Raikkonen admits to s*** lap in qualifying for Chinese Grand Prix
Kimi Raikkonen was disappointed with himself after admitting his qualifying lap for the Chinese Grand Prix was ... substandard.

'Main priority is to finish' - Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso says reaching the chequered flag is the main priority for McLaren at the Chinese Grand Prix after failing to make it out of Q1.

Sebastian Vettel surprised by Merc advantage but says third was maximum
Sebastian Vettel was surprised by Mercedes' advantage in qualifying but admits third on the grid was still the best Ferrari could have hoped for.

Nico Rosberg 'very annoyed' with qualifying result
Nico Rosberg admitted it was "very annoying" to be beaten to pole position at the Chinese Grand Prix by a margin of just 0.042s.

Daniil Kvyat blames Renault engine for poor qualifying
Problems with Daniil Kvyat's Renault power unit hampered him in qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix and contributed to him missing the cut for Q3.

Honda disappointed with grid positions at Chinese Grand Prix
Honda admitted it was disappointed to qualify at the back of the grid for the third race in a row at the Chinese Grand Prix after feeling it had made good progress over the last two weeks with its power unit.

Daniel Ricciardo keen to take fight to Williams
Daniel Ricciardo does not think he could have improved on seventh on the grid in China but is certain Red Bull can take the fight to Williams on Sunday.

Lewis Hamilton: Mercedes in a battle with Ferrari in China
Lewis Hamilton believes Mercedes will again be in a tight battle with Ferrari at the Chinese Grand Prix this weekend, but is hoping his car's power will be enough to give him the edge in the race.

[genius83]

Dominant Lewis Hamilton beats Nico Rosberg in China
Lewis Hamilton turned in a faultless drive as he and Mercedes returned to winning ways at the Chinese Grand Prix ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Chinese GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Race Results
</font>[/U]</font><font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'>Pos  Driver                Car                   Gap
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   Lewis Hamilton        Mercedes              1:39:42.008s
 2   Nico Rosberg          Mercedes                    0.714s
 3   Sebastian Vettel      Ferrari                     2.988s
 4   Kimi Raikkonen        Ferrari                     3.835s
 5   Felipe Massa          Williams/Mercedes           8.544s
 6   Valtteri Bottas       Williams/Mercedes           9.885s
 7   Romain Grosjean       Lotus/Mercedes             19.008s
 8   Felipe Nasr           Sauber/Ferrari             22.625s
 9   Daniel Ricciardo      Red Bull/Renault           32.117s
10   Marcus Ericsson       Sauber/Ferrari        1 Lap
11   Sergio Perez          Force India/Mercedes  1 Lap
12   Fernando Alonso       McLaren/Honda         1 Lap
13   Carlos Sainz          Toro Rosso/Renault    1 Lap
14   Jenson Button         McLaren/Honda         1 Lap
15   Will Stevens          Marussia/Ferrari      2 Laps
16   Roberto Merhi         Marussia/Ferrari      2 Laps
17   Max Verstappen        Toro Rosso/Renault    Engine
-    Pastor Maldonado      Lotus/Mercedes        Collision
-    Daniil Kvyat          Red Bull/Renault      Engine
-    Nico Hulkenberg       Force India/Mercedes  Retirement</font></font><font color='#a52a2a'>
</font>

Here is the Championships Standings after Chinese GP:

<font color='#696969'><font face='courier new'>[U]World Championships Standings
[/U]</font></font><font face='courier new'><font color='#000080'>[U]Driver's Championship:
[/U]</font><font color='#2f4f4f'>Pos  Driver            Points
</font></font><font face='courier new'><font color='#800000'> 1   Lewis Hamilton     68
 2   Sebastian Vettel   55
 3   Nico Rosberg       51
 4   Felipe Massa       30
 5   Kimi Raikkonen     24
 6   Valtteri Bottas    18
 7   Felipe Nasr        14
 8   Daniel Ricciardo   11
 9   Romain Grosjean     6
10   Nico Hulkenberg     6
11   Max Verstappen      6
12   Carlos Sainz        6
13   Marcus Ericsson     5
14   Daniil Kvyat        2
15   Sergio Perez        1
16   Jenson Button       0
17   Fernando Alonso     0
18   Roberto Merhi       0
19   Will Stevens        0</font>
<font color='#000080'>[U]Constructor's Championship:
[/U]</font><font color='#2f4f4f'>Pos  Constructor          Points
 </font><font color='#800000'>1   Mercedes               119
 2   Ferrari                 79
 3   Williams/Mercedes       48
 4   Sauber/Ferrari          19
 5   Red Bull/Renault        13
 6   Toro Rosso/Renault      12
 7   Force India/Mercedes     7
 8   Lotus/Mercedes           6
 9   McLaren/Honda            0
10   Marussia/Ferrari         0</font></font><font color='#800000'>
</font>

Lauda backs Hamilton, saying drivers have to be 'egocentric ********'
Mercedes boss Niki Lauda says he expects his drivers to be selfish during races and believes Lewis Hamilton did nothing wrong at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Toto Wolff: Lewis Hamilton wasn't trying to compromise Nico Rosberg
Toto Wolff has revealed that Mercedes had pre-race discussions about the contentious situation that emerged between its two drivers at the Chinese Grand Prix, but still argues Hamilton did not step over the line.

Daniel Ricciardo: Renault engine penalties inevitable
Daniel Ricciardo says engine penalties are already inevitable for Red Bull after another problematic weekend for Renault power in China.

It's a fact Hamilton compromised my race - Rosberg
Nico Rosberg is adamant his race was compromised by team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix.

'It's not my job to look after Nico's race' - Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton has denied claims from Nico Rosberg that he tried to compromise his team-mate's race at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Safety car prevented Kimi Raikkonen attacking Sebastian Vettel
Kimi Raikkonen believes he would have created a chance to overtake Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel for third at the Chinese Grand Prix had it not been for a late safety car.

Felipe Massa: Matching Ferrari pace 'impossible'
Felipe Massa says Williams had no chance of matching Ferrari's race pace in China and conceded the team has dropped to third in the pecking order ... for the time being.

Fernando Alonso: 'Not the best feeling' to be lapped by Ferrari
Fernando Alonso said it was "not the best feeling at all" to be lapped by the Ferraris in China but insists McLaren's days of languishing outside the points will not last much longer.

Jenson Button penalised after Pastor Maldonado collision
Jenson Button put his late collision with Pastor Maldonado down to a "misjudgement" on his own part.

Sebastian Vettel: Mercedes too quick in final stint
Sebastian Vettel admits Mercedes was just too quick on the medium tyres at the end of the Chinese Grand Prix for Ferrari to finish any higher than third.

[genius83]

Nico Rosberg ready to move on after 'intense' Chinese GP debrief
Nico Rosberg said an "intense" debrief after the Chinese Grand Prix has allowed him to move on from the events of Sunday's race.

Honda to up power in Bahrain ahead of new spec engine in Spain
McLaren will up the power of its Honda engine again this weekend in Bahrain before introducing a new-spec power unit at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Here is the Timing Schedule for this weekend's Bahrain GP:

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#800080'></font><font color='#800080'>Bahrain GP
</font><font color='#40e0d0'>Friday
</font><font color='#daa520'>Practice Session 1</font>[/U]   <font color='#b22222'>14:00 To 15:30
</font><font color='#daa520'>[U]Practice Session 2[/U]</font>   <font color='#b22222'>18:00 To 19:30</font>
[U]<font color='#40e0d0'>Saturday
</font><font color='#daa520'>Practice Session 3</font>[/U]   <font color='#b22222'>15:00 To 16:00</font>
<font color='#daa520'>[U]Qualifying Session[/U]</font>   <font color='#b22222'>18:00 To 19:00</font>
[U]<font color='#40e0d0'>Sunday
</font><font color='#daa520'>Race</font>[/U]                 <font color='#b22222'>18:00 To 20:00</font>
</font>

[genius83]

Ferrari can regularly beat Mercedes - Kimi Raikkonen
Kimi Raikkonen believes Ferrari can get to the point where it will be able to regularly beat Mercedes to race victories.

'Sensitive' Raikkonen needs full support of Ferrari - Arrivabene
Maurizio Arrivabene has shed new light on Kimi Raikkonen's persona behind closed doors, revealing that he is much more sensitive than his public image suggests.

Toto Wolff holds threat of team orders over Mercedes drivers
Toto Wolff has warned his drivers Mercedes may start making firmer calls from the pit wall this year if it feels race wins are coming under threat from Ferrari.

[genius83]

Fernando Alonso: Ferrari was more frustrating than McLaren
Fernando Alonso says missing out on titles with Ferrari was more frustrating than being at the centre of McLaren's current struggle to get off the back two rows of the grid.

Red Bull and Renault ready to forgive and forget?
Red Bull and Renault appear ready to forgive each other for the poisonous comments and disagreements they have had over the performance of their cars so far this year.

Toto Wolff does not expect Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton repercussions in Bahrain
Mercedes boss Toto Wolff does not expect to see any lingering ill feeling between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton carry over into this weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg: Lewis Hamilton's driving 'irrelevant' to me
Nico Rosberg says the way Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton's drives in future races will now be irrelevant to him as he looks to rectify his form in Bahrain.

Daniel Ricciardo named 'Breakthrough of the Year' by Laureus
Daniel Ricciardo has been named 'Breakthrough of the Year' at the Laureus World Sports Awards in recognition of his remarkable 2014 campaign with Red Bull.

Daniel Ricciardo: My starts need to improve
Daniel Ricciardo is targeting an improvement to his race starts after dropping down the order at the Chinese Grand Prix.

Williams' budget gap to Ferrari starting to show - Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa believes Ferrari's extra resources are starting to show in the battle with Williams for a place on the podium.

Lewis Hamilton: 'Everything is good' with Nico Rosberg
Lewis Hamilton says he and Nico Rosberg are "grown-ups" and have already moved on from the post-race controversy from the Chinese Grand Prix.

Nico Rosberg studying footage of Bahrain 2014 to try to gain advantage
Nico Rosberg has analysed footage of last year's Bahrain Grand Prix in an attempt to give himself every possible advantage over Lewis Hamilton this weekend and swing momentum back in his favour.

Kimi Raikkonen hints at Ferrari stay in 2016 ... if the team wants him
Kimi Raikkonen has dropped a hint he is keen to stay at Ferrari next year, saying it is up to the team to decide whether it wants to keep him.

Sebastian Vettel understands Nico Rosberg's China complaint
Sebastian Vettel understands why Nico Rosberg was upset with Lewis Hamilton's driving in China but says any feud between the Mercedes drivers is "irrelevant" to Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso: McLaren still in test mode
Fernando Alonso says McLaren is still treating races as test events but thinks Q2 is a possibility in Bahrain if the team has a clean weekend.

Jenson Button: McLaren currently missing more than just power
Jenson Button says the McLaren MP4-30 currently lacks performance in every area compared to the cars at the front of the grid and is not being held back by its Honda power unit alone.

Lewis Hamilton bemused by Chinese grid girl controversy
Lewis Hamilton was bemused by controversy which arose in China around him spraying a grid girl with champagne during the podium ceremony.

[genius83]

Kimi Raikkonen leads first practice at the Bahrain GP for Ferrari
Ferrari topped the timesheets in a blisteringly-hot first practice session at the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Kimi Raikkonen leading Sebastian Vettel by 0.202s while Mercedes focused on longer, slower runs.

<font color='#808080'><font face='courier new'>[U]Bahrain GP
[/U]</font></font><font color='#0000cd'><font face='courier new'>[U]Practice Session 1[/U]</font></font>
<font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'></font><font color='#006400'></font><font color='#006400'>Pos  Driver              Best lap   Laps
 </font><font color='#a52a2a'>1   Kimi Raikkonen      1:37.827    13
 2   Sebastian Vettel    1:38.029    12
 3   Valtteri Bottas     1:38.390    23
 4   Carlos Sainz Jnr    1:38.447    14
 5   Daniel Ricciardo    1:38.455    17
 6   Max Verstappen      1:38.598    22
 7   Fernando Alonso     1:38.598    18
 8   Felipe Nasr         1:38.628    17
 9   Daniil Kvyat        1:38.661    17
10   Felipe Massa        1:38.790    21
11   Sergio Perez        1:38.793    15
12   Pastor Maldonado    1:38.842    23
13   Nico Hulkenberg     1:39.187    20
14   Jolyon Palmer       1:39.283    31
15   Nico Rosberg        1:39.293    23
16   Lewis Hamilton      1:39.532    22
17   Marcus Ericsson     1:39.534    21
18   Will Stevens        1:42.973    12
19   Roberto Merhi       1:44.265    15
20   Jenson Button       No time      2
</font></font>

Nico Rosberg finds edge on Lewis Hamilton in FP2
Nico Rosberg beat Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time of Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix by 0.115s as the two Mercedes drivers prepare for another duel in the desert this weekend.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Bahrain GP</font><font color='#0000cd'>
Practice Session 2</font>
[/U]</font><font face='courier new'><font color='#006400'>Pos  Driver              Best lap   Laps
 </font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>1   Nico Rosberg        1:34.647    31
 2   Lewis Hamilton      1:34.762    33
 3   Kimi Raikkonen      1:35.174    30
 4   Sebastian Vettel    1:35.277    26
 5   Valtteri Bottas     1:35.280    36
 6   Daniel Ricciardo    1:35.449    27
 7   Pastor Maldonado    1:35.474    34
 8   Felipe Nasr         1:35.793    27
 9   Daniil Kvyat        1:35.883    23
10   Felipe Massa        1:35.884    35
11   Marcus Ericsson     1:36.148    34
12   Fernando Alonso     1:36.191    22
13   Romain Grosjean     1:36.334    31
14   Carlos Sainz        1:36.471    32
15   Nico Hulkenberg     1:36.805    30
16   Max Verstappen      1:36.917    26
17   Sergio Perez        1:37.062    33
18   Will Stevens        1:39.131    21
19   Jenson Button       1:39.209    15
20   Roberto Merhi       1:40.592    26
</font></font>

Kimi Raikkonen was hoping for more from Ferrari in FP2
Kimi Raikkonen said his Ferrari was not as good as he had hoped during Friday practice at the Bahrain Grand Prix, despite Mercedes showing genuine concern about his pace.

McLaren apologises to Jenson Button for Friday issues in Bahrain
McLaren has apologised to Jenson Button for the reliability problems he experienced during Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix and is hoping to have them fixed in time for a proper run in final practice.

Nico Rosberg: Ferrari pace is 'very worrying'
Nico Rosberg says Ferrari's long run pace from Friday practice in Bahrain is "very worrying" for Mercedes.

Fernando Alonso 'very optimistic' about Friday pace
Fernando Alonso thinks McLaren can be "very optimistic" after an encouraging Friday practice in Bahrain.

Mercedes focused on race pace, says Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton says Mercedes' clear advantage over one lap means it has been focusing mainly on perfecting race pace in Bahrain, with Ferrari looking strong on longer runs.

Daniel Ricciardo has Williams in his sights
Daniel Ricciardo is hoping to take the battle to Williams this weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix and put an end to Red Bull's poor start to the season.

Sebastian Vettel and Sergio Perez cleared after FP2 collision
The stewards have decided to take no action against Sebastian Vettel or Sergio Perez after the pair collided during Friday practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Bernie Ecclestone: Monza 'must pay' to stay on calendar
Bernie Ecclestone says Monza "must pay" the same amount as other European circuits if it wants to remain on the Formula One calendar.

[genius83]

Sebastian Vettel just 0.069s off Lewis Hamilton in final practice for the Bahrain Grand Prix
Ferrari looks set to give Mercedes a fight in Bahrain this weekend after Sebastian Vettel clocked a time just 0.069s off Lewis Hamilton in the final practice session ahead of qualifying.

<font face='courier new'>[U]<font color='#808080'>Bahrain GP
</font><font color='#0000cd'>Practice Session 3
</font>[/U]</font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>Pos  Driver              Best lap   Laps
 </font></font><font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>1   Lewis Hamilton      1:34.599    13
 2   Sebastian Vettel    1:34.668    14
 3   Nico Rosberg        1:34.968    16
 4   Kimi Raikkonen      1:35.141    13
 5   Valtteri Bottas     1:35.393    18
 6   Felipe Massa        1:35.471    15
 7   Pastor Maldonado    1:36.307    14
 8   Daniel Ricciardo    1:36.335     8
 9   Nico Hulkenberg     1:36.421    13
10   Felipe Nasr         1:36.429    18
11   Jenson Button       1:36.488    14
12   Daniil Kvyat        1:36.548     7
13   Marcus Ericsson     1:36.612    17
14   Max Verstappen      1:36.684    11
15   Sergio Perez        1:36.727    14
16   Fernando Alonso     1:36.899    11
17   Carlos Sainz        1:36.979    14
18   Romain Grosjean     1:37.151    17
19   Will Stevens        1:39.745    12
20   Roberto Merhi       1:40.541    14
</font></font>

Lewis Hamilton takes pole ahead of Sebastian Vettel at Bahrain Grand Prix
Lewis Hamilton secured his fourth successive pole position this season during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix, but looks set to face a challenge from Ferrari on Sunday after Sebastian Vettel managed to qualify ahead of Nico Rosberg and split the Mercedes on the grid.

[U]<font face='courier new'><font color='#808080'>Bahrain GP</font>
<font color='#0000cd'>Qualifying Session
</font></font>[/U]<font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>Pos  Driver              Team                   Best Lap
 </font></font><font color='#a52a2a'></font><font face='courier new'><font color='#a52a2a'>1   Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes               1:32.571
 2   Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                1:32.982
 3   Nico Rosberg        Mercedes               1:33.129
 4   Kimi Raikkonen      Ferrari                1:33.227
 5   Valtteri Bottas     Williams-Mercedes      1:33.381
 6   Felipe Massa        Williams-Mercedes      1:33.744
 7   Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull-Renault       1:33.832
 8   Nico Hulkenberg     Force India-Mercedes   1:34.450
 9   Carlos Sainz Jnr    Toro Rosso-Renault     1:34.462
10   Romain Grosjean     Lotus-Mercedes         1:34.484
</font><font color='#a52a2a'></font><font color='#006400'>[U]Q2
[/U]</font><font color='#a52a2a'>11   Sergio Perez        Force India-Mercedes   1:34.704
12   Felipe Nasr         Sauber-Ferrari         1:34.737
13   Marcus Ericsson     Sauber-Ferrari         1:35.034
14   Fernando Alonso     McLaren-Honda          1:35.039
15   Max Verstappen      Toro Rosso-Renault     1:35.103
</font></font><font color='#006400'><font face='courier new'>[U]Q1[/U]</font></font>
<font color='#a52a2a'><font face='courier new'>16   Pastor Maldonado    Lotus-Mercedes         1:35.677
17   Daniil Kvyat        Red Bull-Renault       1:35.800
18   Will Stevens        Manor-Ferrari          1:38.713
19   Roberto Merhi       Manor-Ferrari          1:39.722
20   Jenson Button       McLaren-Honda          No time set
</font></font>

Sebastian Vettel sets sights on victory
Sebastian Vettel believes Mercedes will struggle to beat his Ferrari at the Bahrain Grand Prix after he managed to split Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in qualifying to line up second on the grid.

Lewis Hamilton: Ferrari will be 'very hard to beat'
Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari will be "very hard to beat" in Bahrain despite claiming his fourth consecutive pole position of the season.

Nico Rosberg 'underestimated' Sebastian Vettel in Q3
Nico Rosberg admits he underestimated Sebastian Vettel's pace and also paid for going too conservative in Q2 after qualifying third for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen: ' I could have pushed more'
Kimi Raikkonen confessed he could have pushed harder than he did on his final Q3 lap after qualifying fourth for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Kimi Raikkonen contract extension depends on performance
Maurizio Arrivabene has told Kimi Raikkonen he must perform if he is to stay at Ferrari next year.

Jenson Button takes positives from 'tough' weekend
Jenson Button is taking positives from the improvement in performance McLaren has experienced this weekend in Bahrain despite qualifying at the back of the grid.

We can catch Williams with perfect race - Daniel Ricciardo
Daniel Ricciardo thinks Red Bull can challenge Williams in Bahrain, but only with a "10 out of 10" race on Sunday.

Daniil Kvyat blames Red Bull issues for Q1 exit
Daniil Kvyat says he needs to work with his team to solve a recurring operational issue which he feels accounted for his exit in Q1 during qualifying for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

[zia1288]

HAM was just fast enough to not be disturbed while two finns KIM & BOT drove brilliantly.

[zia1288]

And the Germans, well they disappointed.