2009 Grand Prix of China - April 19th

Grand Prix of China - Shanghai
(April 19, 2009 - 09:00 AM)

FIRST RACE: September 26, 2004
LAP LENGTH: 5,451 meters
TOTAL LAPS: 56 (190 miles)
FASTEST LAP: Michael Schumacher - 1:32:238 (2004, Ferrari)
2008 PODIUM: 1. Lewis Hamilton - 2. Felipe Massa - 3. Kimi Raikkonen

HISTORY:

The long-awaited Grand Prix of China finally made its big debut on September 26, 2004. This Shanghai circuit is a bit of a mixed bag, featuring both high-speed stretches and tight, technical turns that really force drivers to maintain a blistering pace throughout the race.
There’s actually plenty of space surrounding the track, which the local organizers in China were smart enough to exploit, allowing for a massive crowd of about 200,000 fans—including 29,000 people sitting in grandstands right across from the pits, where you can actually see something like 80% of the entire layout.

Back when this all started, Rubens Barrichello took the checkered flag at the first-ever Grand Prix of China, marking his first win of that season. He wasn't alone up there, though; Jenson Button and Kimi Raikkonen grabbed the other two spots on the podium, separated by a mere four-tenths of a second.
Fast forward to the second Grand Prix of China, which served as the season finale, and Fernando Alonso walked away with the win, beating out Kimi Raikkonen and Ralf Schumacher. It was a nail-biter because Renault and McLaren went into that final showdown with just a tiny two-point gap, but ultimately, Renault snatched the Constructors' Championship.



In 2006, Michael Schumacher climbed onto the top step, winning an absolute thriller of a rainy race ahead of the Renault duo, Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella.
A year later, Kimi Raikkonen managed to snag the victory, finishing ahead of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

During the penultimate race of the 2008 season, Lewis Hamilton pulled off a win over the two Ferrari drivers, Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen. At that point, Hamilton held a solid 7-point lead over Felipe Massa in the standings.

PAST WINNERS:
2008: Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2007: Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)
2006: Michael Schumacher (Ferrari)
2005: Fernando Alonso (Renault)
2004: Rubens Barrichello (Ferrari)

let the racing begin😉

I’m anticipating seeing one or two Renaults out there 🙏🙏🙏

Man, I really hope Kimi can finally get things moving!

Morgan Murphy7 said:I'm looking at maybe one or two Renaults making the cut... 🙏🙏🙏

Emerson Fittipaldi is definitely gonna outrun Fernando Alonso🤣

I’m basically just sitting here waiting for Emerson Fittipaldi to show up in qualifying at a solid, totally predictable 17th place.☕

I am anticipating some significant progress compared to those first two races😛

And if things go according to plan, that progress should land us on the podium😉

I'm calling it now: expect one or two Red Bull wins 😍☕

stormybadger8 said:I'm anticipating one or two wins for Red Bull😍☕

I honestly don't know how you'll stomach it after seeing two Red Bull victories back-to-back😲 😁

I’m really pulling for a Brawn GP win, then maybe seeing Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso grab 3rd and 4th... 🙏

Nelson Piquet might bump up one spot, so let's all just have a collective party for his big move to 16th place 😉

ruggedfox28 said:I am really looking forward to seeing a Brawn GP win, followed by Robert Kubica and Fernando Alonso taking third and fourth 🙏

It would feel a bit excessive if Ross Brawn managed to pull off a third consecutive victory😠

Hopefully, they managed to make some meaningful adjustments during this break☕

I honestly feel like it might finally be time for a Williams win ☕

Morgan Murphy7 said:you won't feel too sick after just two Red Bulls😲 😁

Don't sweat it, I'll just have Kimi1 lend me a couple of vodkas😬😁

So there's zero issue😎 1-2 Red Bulls☕

And besides, if my memory serves me right, there’s that hearing regarding the diffusers scheduled for tomorrow. It'll be interesting to see who actually heads to the Shanghai Grand Prix with an advantage, and whether the teams can actually manage to get those (legal) diffusers fitted in time ☕

Morgan Murphy7 said:I am anticipating one or two Renaults 🙏🙏🙏

velvetdrifter15 said:And hopefully Kimi Räikkönen's tires will finally hold up!

darkmarlin16 said:I'm looking for a Nelson Piquet win

stormybadger8 said:I expect one or two Red Bulls 😍☕

ruggedfox28 said:I'm rooting for a Brawn victory

mistybear87 said:I believe it is high time for a Williams win☕

How much can we really expect🙄 🤣😂

If they had actually scrapped the diffuser, it would have fundamentally changed everything... but it looks like that's just not happening after all.😢

Just waiting on my pizza to show up in about fifteen minutes 🙏🙏 and honestly, I’m still trying to wrap my head around how McLaren ended up on the podium 😍

Arthur Doyle70 said:and which McLaren actually made it onto the podium 😍

🙂

They’d probably sooner cast Max in some trashy, low-budget mob movie featuring five strippers than actually step in and ban those devilish diffusers 🙂

Morgan Murphy7 said:They’d sooner cast Max out of a video game filled with nothing but mindless violence and debauchery than actually step in to ban those devilish diffusers. 🙂

I agree.😛

Everyone is waiting on this decision, but if you listen to the chatter around the paddock, there’s already a consensus that those diffusers are going to be legalized. There really isn't much uncertainty left regarding the rule itself. The real question we should be asking is how much time the other teams will actually need to manufacture and implement a compliant version once the verdict is final.😕

I am anticipating a victory for Trulli 🙏🙏🙏

Joseph Flores15 said:I'm anticipating a win for Trullie 🙏🙏🙏

Honestly, I had no idea people were holding expectations quite like that.

🤣😍