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Formula 1
Chinese GP
2009 Chinese Grand Prix Race day at Shanghai International Circuit
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Lap 5: This is very bad news for the light runners at the front of the field.
Drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld and particularly Heikki Kovalainen can run much longer in this opening stint.
Drivers like Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, Nick Heidfeld and particularly Heikki Kovalainen can run much longer in this opening stint.
Lap 5: Sutil pits at the end of the next lap. He takes on some fuel and a fresh set of full wet tyres. He rejoins at the rear of the field in 20th.
Lap 4: Adrian Sutil runs off the road in the final corner of the lap. Bear in mind that these incidents are all occurring while at safety car speeds.
Sutil rejoins without damage, but has dropped behind his team-mate Fisichella and now runs in 18th position. He is not allowed to repass while the safety car remains on track.
Sutil rejoins without damage, but has dropped behind his team-mate Fisichella and now runs in 18th position. He is not allowed to repass while the safety car remains on track.
Lap 4: Felipe Massa is advised on the team radio by his race engineer Rob Smedley that his brakes have cooled down by 120 degrees.
Smedley encourages his driver to generate as much brake temperature as he can - a difficult task in these conditions.
Smedley encourages his driver to generate as much brake temperature as he can - a difficult task in these conditions.
Lap 4: The Meteo France radar at the circuit is showing persistent rain enveloping the track, with no break in sight.
Lap 3: Leader Sebastian Vettel reports on the radio that he has seen worse condtions in the past. The young German was the sensational winner in conditions like this at last year's Italian Grand Prix.
Lap 3: Felipe Massa is seen briefly locking the rear brakes on entry to the final corner of the lap. He corrects the resultant slide but runs wide, rejoining the track with no damage to the Ferrari.
Lap 3: Rain continues to fall and, if anything, conditions are deteriorating.
Lap 2: The field come through the second sector of lap two. Jenson Button reports on the team radio that the visibility is very bad.
Lap 2: Second-place man Fernando Alonso reports that the grip levels are OK with these full wet tyres.
Alonso is keen for the cars to be released as he has very little fuel in that Renault.
Alonso is keen for the cars to be released as he has very little fuel in that Renault.
Lap 1: There is heavy spray from the cars as they tour slowly behind the safety car in the continuing rain.
Lap 1: Robert Kubica and Timo Glock have been released from the pitlane, and have joined the rear of the field as the first safety car-led lap continues.
Lap 1: Sebstian Vettel leads behind the safety car from Alonso, Webber, Barrichello, Button, Trulli, Rosberg and Raikkonen.
Lap 1: The safety car pulls away from the front of the grid, and the cars follow dutifully behind it, signaling the start of the Chinese Grand Prix.
All cars must use the full wet tyre due to the safety car start.
The drivers - now well aware that this race will start behind the safety car - prepare themselves for the supreme challenge that lies ahead. To a man, they are all deep in concentration, ready to race in difficult conditions.
A final weather check for you as we approach the start of the race.
The Chinese weather radar is showing a varying shade of green for a little while, but behind that a shade of yellow is signaling heavier rain later.
This rain is on the day.
The Chinese weather radar is showing a varying shade of green for a little while, but behind that a shade of yellow is signaling heavier rain later.
This rain is on the day.
The rain is falling heavily again.
There are five minutes to go until the Chinese Grand Prix begins.
The safety car start means the field will pull away in order and eliminates the chance of a first corner melee.
This is not good news for the lightly-fuelled cars at the front, as they will not be able to sprint away ahead of their early first stops.
This is not good news for the lightly-fuelled cars at the front, as they will not be able to sprint away ahead of their early first stops.
Robert Kubica and Timo Glock have elected to start from the pit lane, allowing them to add more fuel before the start.
Race control have stated that the Chinese Grand Prix will start behind the safety car.
The packed crowd in the main grandstand rise in respect for the Chinese national anthem, which is currently sounding out over the Shanghai International Circuit.
With the cars now in place on the grid, the tyres are being removed. The mechanics have until three minutes before the formation lap to fit the appropriate set of tyres for the start.
The pits are now closed, with most of the cars now on the grid.
Fernando Alonso arrives on the grid with full wet tyres, while Jenson Button dodges the continuing rain under an umbrella.
Conditions at the moment do look too wet for the intermediate rubber, with some areas of standing water.
The Ferrari drivers have arrived on the grid and are pushed into their starting position by the mechanics. Both came round with the full wet tyre on.
Giancarlo Fisichella is another to brave the intermediates for his lap to the grid. The Renault pair also join the track.
Rain continues to fall at the circuit and the levels of spray are very high as the cars continue to lap to the grid.
These are the kind of conditions that may need a safety car start.
These are the kind of conditions that may need a safety car start.
Nico Rosberg exits the Williams garage with the full wet tyre bolted onto the car, as Nick Heidfeld climbs out of his 11th-place starting BMW on the grid.
Kazuki Nakajima decided to brave the track conditions on the intermediate tyre. The Japanese made it to the grid in his Williams Toyota. He starts from 14th place on the grid this afternoon.
Lewis Hamilton splashes around the track to the grid on full wet tyres.
Full wet tyres are the only choice at the moment as Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel bring their Red Bull Renaults out of the garage.
For reference, the full wet has a green band round the centre tread of the tyre. The intermediate tyre has no green band.
For reference, the full wet has a green band round the centre tread of the tyre. The intermediate tyre has no green band.
Toro Rosso drivers Sebastien Buemi and Sebastien Bourdais are among the first to check out the track conditions, along with Kazuki Nakajima.
Rain continues to fall at the Shanghai International Circuit and as the first cars head to the grid, the track is clearly in full wet condition with heavy spray from the cars.
The pitlane opens, allowing the drivers to join the racetrack for the first time today and check the current track conditions on their way to the grid.
Every driver will perform vital checks, such as testing the radio communication with the team, and determining where standing water is collecting on the track surface.
Every driver will perform vital checks, such as testing the radio communication with the team, and determining where standing water is collecting on the track surface.
Tyre choice will be critical today, with the drivers needing to be on the right tyre at the right time.
With conditions likely to vary throughout, it is very easy to get the tyre choice wrong - as Ferrari demonstrated with Kimi Raikkonen's early move to full wet rubber in Malaysia.
The Finn gambled on heavy rain that fell lightly - and not for several minutes. As a result, he was helpless in an understeering F60, lapping more than 20 seconds off the pace.
With conditions likely to vary throughout, it is very easy to get the tyre choice wrong - as Ferrari demonstrated with Kimi Raikkonen's early move to full wet rubber in Malaysia.
The Finn gambled on heavy rain that fell lightly - and not for several minutes. As a result, he was helpless in an understeering F60, lapping more than 20 seconds off the pace.
The pit lane will open in ten minutes for the cars to make a reconnaissance lap to the grid. In these changeable conditions, it will be important for the drivers to get a feel for the grip levels.
The safety car heads out of the pits to make its way around the lap and on to the front of the grid.
In these wet conditions, this may not be the last time the big Mercedes joins the track today.
In these wet conditions, this may not be the last time the big Mercedes joins the track today.
By: Emlyn Hughes, Geoff Creighton
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