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[irons_4_ever]

Renault boss Flavio Briatore reckons the ruling in favour of the 'diffuser three' has made a farce of this season's world championship. He reportedly told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Our (McLaren, Ferrari and Renault) drivers are or have been world champions, and then you have a (Brawn) driver who was almost retired, and another who is a 'paracarro' (Italian for a roadside concrete post) fighting for the championship. I don't know how we can say we have credibility."

Button always had the pottenital just never had the car, Man needs to stop being so bitter and concerntrate on his own driver

[FerrariFan63]

First practice doesn't prove anything, but it looks like teams such as McLaren and Renault can just bolt on a new diffuser and go fast.

Watch for the times tumbling in second practice. In previous weeks, McLaren have set decent times in the first session and then set the same kind of times in the second session whilst everyone goes quicker, so it could be all change. McLaren have put a new diffuser and front wing on Lewis' car, so the multiple upgrades must be designed to work well together (which would explain why Kovalainen isn't going as fast with only the new front wing).

I've gone through the practice times for the first two races. While there is an element of what you say, McLaren not improving as much as the other teams, they haven't been at the top of the timing sheets in any session before. I'm surprised to hear that HK doesn't have the new diffuser. Perhaps McLaren's improved pace isn't as dependent on the diffusers as I first thought. Later sessions, qualifying, and the race will build a better picture of what's going on.

[irons_4_ever]

Have Brawn run any softs i cant remember seeing any

[texasmr2]

Just finished watching session two and its:
1. Button
2. Rosberg
3. Barrichelo

I'm also merging this thread with the one already started concerning the GP of China .

[FerrariFan63]

Just finished watching session two and its:
1. Button
2. Rosberg
3. Barrichelo

Back to business as usual, for this year.

HK is now faster than LH. So that little bit of highly inconclusive evidence suggests that McLaren's diffuser isn't helping them. Yet.

[MAD MAX]

Maybe they should put the diffuser onto H.K's car if he's running quicker

[FerrariFan63]

Maybe they should put the diffuser onto H.K's car if he's running quicker

I'd guess that with no in-season testing, that McLaren are A/B'ing the diffuser and non-diffuser versions of their car as they would normally do in testing. While the diffuser teams work on their setups for qualifying and the race.

[texasmr2]

McLarens pace this year is not because of the the diffuser they just do not have the best overall aero package.

[Denthúl]

Just finished watching session two and its:
1. Button
2. Rosberg
3. Barrichelo

Back to business as usual, for this year.

HK is now faster than LH. So that little bit of highly inconclusive evidence suggests that McLaren's diffuser isn't helping them. Yet.

Did Lewis run the new front wing and diffuser in the second session as well?

[racechick]

I think so.

[MAD MAX]

I've put both practice sessions together now to compare the timings

Practice Session 1
1 1 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:37.334 22
2 22 Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes 1:37.450 0.116 18
3 23 Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:37.566 0.232 19
4 2 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:37.672 0.338 23
5 14 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:37.752 0.418 20
6 9 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:37.764 0.430 19
7 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:37.860 0.526 24
8 10 Timo Glock Toyota 1:37.894 0.560 21
9 7 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:38.089 0.755 19
10 11 Sebastien Bourdais STR-Ferrari 1:38.195 0.861 24
11 4 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:38.223 0.889 23
12 15 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:38.274 0.940 20
13 12 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 1:38.307 0.973 26
14 20 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:38.319 0.985 18
15 3 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:38.418 1.084 20
16 6 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:38.456 1.122 21
17 21 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Mercedes 1:38.460 1.126 19
18 5 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1:38.463 1.129 18
19 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:38.730 1.396 25
20 8 Nelsinho Piquet Renault 1:38.825 1.491 20

Practice Session 2
1 22 Jenson Button Brawn-Mercedes 1:35.679 35
2 16 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:35.704 0.025 36
3 23 Rubens Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:35.881 0.202 35
4 14 Mark Webber RBR-Renault 1:36.105 0.426 32
5 15 Sebastian Vettel RBR-Renault 1:36.167 0.488 22
6 9 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:36.217 0.538 42
7 17 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:36.377 0.698 32
8 10 Timo Glock Toyota 1:36.548 0.869 40
9 2 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:36.674 0.995 34
10 11 Sebastien Bourdais STR-Ferrari 1:36.800 1.121 34
11 20 Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:36.829 1.150 30
12 3 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:36.847 1.168 34
13 1 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:36.941 1.262 28
14 4 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:37.054 1.375 33
15 12 Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari 1:37.219 1.540 34
16 8 Nelsinho Piquet Renault 1:37.273 1.594 36
17 5 Robert Kubica BMW Sauber 1:37.491 1.812 34
18 6 Nick Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1:37.544 1.865 28
19 7 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:37.638 1.959 28
20 21 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Mercedes 1:37.750 2.071 31

[irons_4_ever]

Sounds like there is a real issue with the supersofts

[Denthúl]

Sounds like there is a real issue with the supersofts

Depends who you are, I guess. Some cars are shredding the medium compound as well, Massa's particularly.

[Denthúl]

Renault boss Flavio Briatore reckons the ruling in favour of the 'diffuser three' has made a farce of this season's world championship. He reportedly told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "Our (McLaren, Ferrari and Renault) drivers are or have been world champions, and then you have a (Brawn) driver who was almost retired, and another who is a 'paracarro' (Italian for a roadside concrete post) fighting for the championship. I don't know how we can say we have credibility."

Button always had the pottenital just never had the car, Man needs to stop being so bitter and concerntrate on his own driver

Button's response made me chuckle a little. Barrichello's are spot-on, too.

Button hits back at 'bitter' Briatore

By Jonathan Noble and Pablo Elizalde Friday, April 17th 2009, 09:30 GMT

Jenson ButtonJenson Button has hit out at Renault team boss Flavio Briatore after the Italian criticised the Brawn GP drivers on Thursday.

Briatore, who was angry at the FIA's decision to rule the double-decker diffusers as legal, suggested the Brawn GP team will dominate the championship thanks to an unfair advantage.

"The drivers in our teams have been and are world champions, while the championship is now fought between a driver who was almost retired and another one who is a good guy but a paracarro (Italian saying for being as slow as a milepost at the side of a road)," Briatore told Gazzetta dello Sport.

"I don't know where credibility has ended up with all this. To make up the gap we have to those teams is impossible."

On Friday, Button responded to Briatore, and said the Italian should remember that he tried to hire him for his own team this year.

"Unless he is at the front of F1, I am sure [he thinks] any team [being there] hurts the credibility of F1," Button told reporters in Shanghai.

"He also needs to remember that he tried to employ me for this year, so..."

Button added: "He is obviously a very angry man after the diffuser issues and he is obviously very disappointed that they haven't produced a car that is as competitive as ours.

"We have produced a very competitive car because of the work force we have back at Brackely and you cannot take it away from them - it is very unfair to say that.

"They have worked very, very hard in very difficult circumstances and it is very, very unfair for Flavio to comment as he has just because he is a little bit bitter – he should also not forget he tried to employ me for this season."

When asked what was his team's response to Briatore's comments, Button said: "Laughing, basically."

Team-mate Rubens Barrichello said Briatore was a "bad loser".

"I think that is stupid. Really. What a comment. If we all think that we need Ferrari and McLaren to win, why are the others here?

"I really think that because we have a white car and some people are not able to go as fast as us….this is what is good about the sport. They are trying to make the same engine for everybody…so do you think Ferrari is always going to be on top?

"There are plenty of good people in the paddock and plenty of bad losers."

[Dutchcruijff]

"He also needs to remember that he tried to employ me for this year, so..."

Never heard that before but maybe it's because I've been in hiding...