On Lap 9, Nice Rosberg is pulling away from the pack. Michael Schumacher is struggling to hold second place and with Jenson Button in the DRS zone its becoming tougher and tougher.

On Lap 11 , Kimi Raikkonen have a good fight inside the pitlane. Kimi almost noses the McLaren while coming out. Did Lewis Hamilton overtake Kimi Raikkonen in the pitlane ? Its too close to call.

On Lap 13, Michael Schumacher comes in for a pit stop and loses position to Lewis Hamilton as he takes on the harder compound tyres. Race over for Michael Schumacher as he rolls to a standstill on the track side. He lost a wheel apparently (whatever that means).

We just see a replay of Michael Schumacher’s mechanic frantically trying to stop Michael’s car, nut didn’t go on properly.

Lap 27 and the race is a bit boring, Mark Webber overtakes Felip Massa for 12th place I think. Yeah these are Ferraris and Red Bulls fighting for out of points positions.

Lap 31, Massa asked to let Alonso pass as the 2 Ferraris are on different strategies.

Lap 41 , Another pit disaster, Jenson Button’s rear jack fails, loses more than 6 seconds in the pits which ensures that Nico Rosberg isn’t pressurized. Mercedes tells Nico to take it easy.

Lap 50, race is getting super duper exciting, everyone is off the racing line, Raikkonen is probably slower than my grandma at this point, from 2nd place to 12th for him.

Note to Karun Chandhok : Don’t make your co-commentator look like a super fool on international television.

Lap 56/56 – Nico Rosberg all set to take the chequered flag on a 2 stop strategy.

Nico Rosberg wins the Chinese Grand Prix, his 1st grand prix win. Jenson button takes second place for McLaren and Lewis Hamilton makes it a McLaren 2-3.

The camera shows a shot of Michael Schumacher rejoicing, bitter sweet joy there.

Race report in some time.

Its so good to have another Asian race, so you wake up, have coffee and there is qualifying on TV for you. And on the television you see Chinese girls with tattoos of ‘I love Kimi Raikkonen’ alongwith a weird rendition of the Finnish flag on their cheeks.

Qualifying Session 2

As the boring Q1 finishes, Narain Karthikeyan is last as usual but within 107% of qualification time so he gets to start again. Its now Q2 and 16 cars are out on track, Romain Grosjean is sitting inside since he used the prime tyres in the 1st session. Alonso is struggling, Ferrari is even slower than the Saubers at this point. Talking of Romain Grosjean, no one has told me who issued him a driver’s license ? Maybe he got his FIA superlicense here in India through some agent.

Nico Rosberg goes fastest and Michael Schumacher is second fastest in what could be his last Chinese Grand Prix as per the 3 year contract he is supposed to have signed with the Mercedes GP F1 team. The Mercedes GP team with Schumi were the fastest during Friday practice , they really seem to have got their setup right this time. A welcome change from mistake after mistake

As the session comes to an end, Felipe Massa is 10th fastest, and every other car is clocking 11th fastest, Massa is living dangerously. And Perez with a P3 time pushes Massa to 11th place. So no qualifying session 3 for Massa, Fernando Alonso is the only Ferrari in top 10 at 10th place. Sebastien Vettel is 11th fastest and he wont be in the 3rd leg of qualifying. Massa is only 12th fastest. Very poor results for both Vettel and Massa. Vettel would be heartbroken especially when Mark Webber is P1 after Q2. Maybe its karma for calling Narain Karthikeyan a cucumber.

Qualifying Session 3

Nico Rosberg is the 1st car out on track, you may think it’s a bad move, but the track is getting cooler, so it could be smart of the Mercedes GP team as cooler track means slower lap times. Rosberg sets a 1:35.1 lap time. That’s pretty awesome I tell you. Michael Schumacher is a full half second slower and Lewis Hamilton now splits the 2 Mercedes.

The Red Bull struggle continues, Webber only manages a P5 on his 1st hot lap with only 5 cars on the track.

And as the session comes to an end Rosberg is still  P1 , Lewis Hamilton is P2 and Michael Schumacher is P3. First ever pole position for Nico Rosberg in 110 races as Michael congratulates him after disembarking from his car. Lewis Hamilton will only start 7th though due to a gearbox change.

And did I mention I like this new Star Sports raceday host, she keeps rooting for Michael Schumacher. Here are the final timings from the qualifying and a smashing portrait of the man of the moment : Nico Rosberg

At the start of the race no one would have placed their bets on seeing a scarlet car on the podium let alone winning the race, even Ferrari wouldn’t have bet on Ferrari winning the race, but heavy rain which was followed by a game of tyre poker ensured a Ferrari and Fernando Alonso victory even as Sauber’s Sergio Perez won hearts challenging Fernando Alonso till the end of the race and being the faster of 2 cars almost throughout the race.

The race was well dominated by the McLarens before they lost the plot in tyre strategy and before Jenson Button turned out to be an idiot clipping the back of Narain Karthikeyan’s car who wasn’t a back marker as the Brit tried to pass him and was infact racing for position. This damaged his front wing and he had to pit. Needless to say this cost him the race.

Later on Jenson Button accepted blame for the unfortunate? accident

“I was struggling to keep the tyres up temperature and it was totally my fault,” Button admitted.

“I hit the brakes, I lost the rear. I was struggling to get the car slowed down. I tried to get around the corner but I couldn’t do anything but hit him really.”

Moving onto the happy story of the day though, luck favoured Alonso as the Spaniard even though a full 3 seconds slower than second place Perez on most laps clinched the chequered flag.

“It’s an unbelievable result, a great job from the team,” Alonso said.

“It’s a big surprise to win. We were not competitive in Australia and we were not competitive in qualifying here.”

Sergio Perez on the other hand was disappointed, although the second place result was more than what Sauber Ferrari driver would have ever hoped for, Perez was much faster than Alonso and just couldn’t pass him. In the end it had to do with racing experience which Perez didn’t seem to have a lot of.

“Today a win was possible,” Perez said.

“I was catching Fernando and I knew I had to get him soon because  the sectors with high speed I was losing the front tires.

“I touched the curb and I went onto the dirty side of the track. It was completely wet and I lost the win.”

This young lad can go a long way , just needs the right guidance.

Lewis Hamilton in his superfast McLaren was third. The McLarens are easily the pick of all the cars, superfast, super slick, they were off the grid at the start at such a pace that all other cars looked like 800cc cars of the past.

For a more detailed report, you can go through our live blog (previous post).

After Malaysia we head to China now, lets see how the race unfolds in Shanghai !

The clouds are dark and it certainly looks like its going to rain. I am sure Michael Schumacher in the back must be praying that it rains. Sebastien Vettel with his hard compound tyres would be kicking himself in the butt at this point ? If all the cars start from the pits or head into the pits for slicks, the clouds are looking menacing, definitely.

One thing to note is Narain Karthikeyan’s optimism with the HRT racing team, he mentions a few problems with cooling and power steering and no KERS, but still doesn’t fail to proudly mention that there is a provision for DRS in the car. Provision –> Working Prototype –> Final Product , there is a definitely a good million Euros there.

Confirmation of rain on some parts of the track, the cameras have droplets on them and it’s a rainy race for sure. Someone just called Michael a rainmeister ? , what’s up with that ? Nico Rosberg’s engineer has suggested him to use intermediate tyres, there are chances that the rain would be blown away also. The first corner would be interesting to see how many cars crash out this time.

Owen Wilson just recorded the start on his Nokia E series phone (I think), will the FIA sue him ? And Pedro De La Rosa’s car fails to move off the grid.

The red lights go off, McLarens are fast, Schumi is slow off the grid but tries to fight back. Michael Schumacher just spun, now he is at the tail of the field. Not a good start for Schumi.

The rain is getting heavier, will it be tyre poker again in Sepang ? Seeing the start replays again, boy those McLarens are quick off the grid, no other car matches their start speed and acceleration , not even the Red Bulls who seem to have lost most of their last season’s advantage this season.

Michael Schumacher was spun by Grosjean, the reckless racer claims another victim it seems. Reminds folks of the Schumi of earlier days ?

McLaren opting for Slick tyres for Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton however is still on intermediates. Lewis Hamilton into the pits very next lap, everyone is coming on slicks now, has Mercedes GP lost the plot ?

Narain Karthikeyan is in 13th place in his HRT, that’s because he started in full slicks, good call by them there, getting a taste of a decent track position which they may never get again this season.

Lap 8 : Safety car is out now, too dangerous to race in these conditions, spins and slips everywhere.

Lap 9 : Red flags, race is stopped ! Pit crews are back on track, all the commentators can think of is that Narain Karthikeyan may just get a point.

Is formula 1 racing getting more and more sissy ? Have people forgotten the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix ? Let the cars race and not be covered in tents on the starting grid

Another joke about Indians, 9-10-11 we have Karthikeyan and Force India.

Lap 19 : Things starting to settle down, Bruno Senna  showing spunk, but fails to overtake Ricardo. No DRS allowed the commentator reminds us for the 1000th time.

Lap 26 : Perez sets the fastest lap, really ? Sauber Ferrari showing what tyre management can do.

Lap 27 : Vergne overtakes Massa in style, makes Felipe Massa look like an amateur.

Lap28 : Massa realises he needs new tyres after Bruno Senna almost overtakes him on all corners of the Sepang circuit.

Lap 44 : Race turns boring, everyone on dry weather tyres now. Rain forecast is maybe !

Lap 45 : Can Perez overtake Fernando Alonso ? 2 seconds faster than the race leader, Alonso must be scared !

Lap 48 :  Vettel just lost a tyre, coming into pit lane, throwing rubber all over the track.

Lap 50 : Whats up with Steve Slater, 2 laps ago suggesting Perez had gone over Vettel’s rubber and now that Perez runs wide, he reacts like he won a lottery.

Lap 54 : Kimi Raikkonen sets a fastest lap in his Lotus Renault, looks like he has avoided a Michael Schumacher and done his team proud.

Lap 55 : Williams lose the last championship point as their car billows blue smoke, Schumi gets into the last point scoring position in 10th place, disappointing race again from Michael Schumacher but Grosjean is to blame.

Lap 56 : Sebastien Vettel asked to retire the car and then asked to stay out, cant Red Bull make up their mind or are they high on redbull ? And now he is told “Emergency, stop the car, stop the car”

Fernando Alonso takes the chequered flag, Perez in second place, Lewis Hamilton is a distant third. Mark Webber salvages the race for Red Bull in 4th place. Who would have thought Ferrari would have a win today ?

I am starting a new thing, wherein I will be penning my thoughts as the sessions progress. The third session of qualifying is about to start and Star Sports just showed 30 seconds of footage with 10 seconds focusing  on a driver’s wife/girlfriend with race control headphones on before going into a commercial break again.

Iceman Kimi Raikkonen is the first man out on track in his Lotus Renault followed by last year’s champion Sebastien Vettel in his Red Bull and McLaren’s Jenson Button. Red Bull seems to be totally off pace so far this season although they tasted some success in Melbourne.

After the 1st three cars have set a flying lap, its Lewis Hamilton in P1,  leading Jenson Button who leads Kimi Raikkonnen.

As more cars set their 1st Q3 times, Sebastien Vettel only manages a P6 in his Red Bull. I am eagerly awaiting the 2 Mercedes and the Ferraris at this point. Nice Rosberg and Michael Schumacher are on their warm-up laps even as I write.

As they head onto their flying laps, Michael is inside the best time on Sector1 (Lewis Hamilton’s) while Rosberg is much slower in the 1st Sector and outside Hamilton’s P1 time. Schumi is just outside Hamilton’s time in sector 2 where Lewis Hamilton’s McLaren gained the most time and is the fastest.

Haven’t felt this excited by a Michael Schumacher flying lap in a long time, Schumi is off Hamilton by .18 of a second at the end of his flying lap, but its nice to see Michael Schumacher at the top again (almost). The Mercedes cars opting only for 1 lap in Q3, I wonder why, it was always awesome to see Michael doing flying laps 1 by  and getting awesome times in. Here is a photo from Friday with Michael surveying the track in trademark style on his scooter.

Red Bull and Lotus are now pushing in their second laps in the last 20 seconds of Q3. Some random commentary chatter about Red Bulls (its Sebastien Vettel only) using harder compound tyres putting the race ahead of qualifying. Webber still gets P3 and Button is pushed to 5th position by Kimi Raikkonen’s 4th best time.

But wait Jenson Button fights back with a P2 time now. It’s an all McLaren front row with Button’s time, Michael Schumacher has to be content with a second row P3. Kimi Raikkonen has a 5 place penalty to contend with so his P4 isn’t actually a P4.

And the qualifying sessions ends, the final order being (before penalties):

Good news for the HRTs finally, they make the race cut this time unlike the disappointment in Australia. Although, I sometimes wonder if its even worth it. They are so off the race pace that it makes no sense for them to be in formula one racing,what do you think ?

Narain Karthikeyan’s sponsors have to do some soul searching and get him a better drive, who knows what he can do in a Sauber or a Red Bull.

Force India is not living up to their pre-season hype and is struggling to keep pace not making it to the Q3 also.

Onto the Press conference now, Lewis Hamilton isn’t swearing this season, what’s up with that ? Also its Michael’s best qualifying since Monza 2011, where he was 5th. That’s just wow !

With rain predicted for tomorrow, Steve Slater would bet on Lewis Hamilton, really Steve ? The lady host would bet on Michael Schumacher though, finally some support. sorry I don’t know who your are or your name

It was an action packed qualifying session, the traffic snarls at the venue were legendary with the snarls extending to late evening when I was passing by the track. Spotted a few team folks in various cars Team Lotus prefers the Renault Fluence to travel in style.

Sebastian Vettel grabbed another pole position showing the dominance of his Red Bull, he is just three wins shy of Michael Schumacher’s record of most wins in a formula one season and looks all set to equal that if he continues his current form.

“The car was fantastic since yesterday and throughout qualifying,” said Sebastian Vettel. “In the end there was a little bit left in the first sector.

“I’m extremely happy and it’s good to be here. It will be a very interesting race on a challenging circuit.

“You have to really make sure you stay on the line and the circuit here is not forgiving mistakes. It’s not easy but I enjoy what I do and I was excited when I came here.”

Lewis Hamilton was second fastest in qualifying however due to a penalty he was given on Friday, he got thrown back three places and will start fifth on the grid. Fernando Alonso who will start third on the grid and seemed pleased with Hamilton’s penalty :

“With Hamilton’s penalty, starting third will be even better,” The Spaniard said

Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa could manage only sixth position in contrast. He has been quite a press favorite with certain Indian tabloids going gaga over his resemblance to his brother whatshisname Massa.

Meanwhile Narain Karthikeyan would have entered the bad books of Michael Schumacher. Narain impeded the German champion in his hot lap and was penalized five places. Needless to say that generally means Narain Karthikeyan would be starting last on the grid. However since Timo Glock is approved to race despite being too slow, Narain wont be last on the grid.

Adrian Sutil of Force India qualified in eight position impressing new boss Subrata Roy (in photo with Nico Hulkenberg). Force India fans will remember Sahara bought stake in the team rechristening it the Sahara Force India formula one team.

I write this post as the latest game in the series ‘F1 2011’ is launched and yes it includes the new Buddh International circuit at Noida. Its coded by codemasters and is marketed by Zapak in India.

The game has a number of new gameplay options, one of which is the much awaited co-op mode, you and your friend compete as formula one racing partners for a team. I have just got my review copy and cant wait to play it out. If you are looking for features, they are all listed here. You can also view the release trailer here, the graphics look simply awesome ! Am awaiting my Xbox copy to really see the HD graphics

The game is available on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3.

F1 2011™ is the sequel to the BAFTA winning FORMULA ONE™ videogame from Codemasters®, the developer and publisher of award-winning racing games. Developed under Codemasters’ exclusive worldwide agreement with Formula One   World Championship Limited, F1 2011 will come complete with all the official drivers, teams and circuits featuring in the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE World Championship™. Zapak Games, the licensing & merchandising arm of Zapak Digital Entertainment Ltd. will distribute the title in India.

Developed using Codemasters’ EGO Game Technology Platform F1 2011 will deliver an unrivalled FORMULA ONE experience that puts players into the heart of the world’s most exciting sport, powered by cutting edge graphics, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

· Go Compete!  F1 2011 builds extensively on the multiplayer options from F1 2010. Split-screen racing is included for the first time in a high-definition FORMULA ONE title. Competitive online racing is extended with 16 players going head-to-head in GRAND PRIX™ with up to 8 AI drivers added to simulate the full grid of 24 drivers. An innovative new co-op Championship enables two players to lead their favourite FORMULA ONE team to Driver and Constructor glory across the course of a FORMULA ONE season. These enhancements are complimented by additional quick fire modes including Time Attack.

· New Circuits for 2011. Two stunning new additions to the race calendar extend the number of circuits to feature in F1 2011 to 19. Players will be able to debut ahead of the drivers on the Buddh International Circuit, the home of the first FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX OF INDIA and players will be able to test themselves on the iconic Nürburging circuit for the first time in High Definition, as this legendary track returns for the 2011 season.

· Be the driver, live the life.  From the paddock to the track, F1 2011 takes players closer to the experience of being a FORMULA ONE driver than ever before. A new Parc Ferme area, an expanded and revamped Paddock, new Pit Lane, celebration and reaction cinematics and an enhanced media interaction system fully immerse players in the glamour, pressure and excitement of being a FORMULA ONE driver. Players progress from rookie to FIA FORMULA ONE DRIVERS’ WORLD CHAMPION in an extensive career mode where gamers fight to become priority driver and shape the development of the car by performing well in races and earning performance upgrades.

· All the cars, all the stars. Fully licensed, F1 2011 features all the drivers set to contest the 2011 FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, including Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Jenson Button. All 2011 teams are represented including Ferrari, Red Rull Racing, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes and Lotus Renault GP in their iconic black and gold livery.

· KERS, DRS and more! F1 2011 includes all the new rule changes set to make this year’s season the most exciting yet. F1 2011 debuts DRS (Drag Reduction System) – the new system which enables drivers to adjust the rear wing on the car to give a boost of up to 10km. KERS also returns, giving players an extra 80BHP for up to 6.67 seconds, enabling drivers to blast past rivals. Combined, these systems encourage close wheel-to-wheel racing with new options for both defence and attack. This season’s new Pirelli tyres are faithfully simulated in the game, and if players push their car too hard they may experience a range of authentic new damage failures.

· Full Day / Night Racing. The 2011 FORMULA 1 ETHIAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX comes alive with a full day/ night transition which recreates the special atmosphere at this unique track. Every one of the existing circuits from the 2010 roster has been given a complete visual overhaul. New atmospheric effects, including dynamic clouds, compliment a weather system which features an advanced rain model that affects on-track grip.  Powered by the EGO Game Technology Platforms, F1 2011 pushes forward the graphical standard of what can be achieved in a racing game.

· The world’s greatest cars, the most exciting racing. Building on the heritage of producing award-winning racing games for over a decade, Codemasters is uniquely placed to realise the spectacle and exhilaration of racing 200MPH+ FORMULA ONE cars for all fans. F1 2011 can be tuned for players from a wide range of skill levels, from the casual gamer to the hardcore simulation enthusiast and those in between, with a range of differing skill levels. A huge range of vehicle variables can be tuned to suit each player’s unique driving style, or drivers can entrust their Race Engineer to set their car up and head straight onto the track. F1 2011 will support a comprehensive range of racing wheels for the ultimate racing experience.

· Unprecedented authenticity. Codemasters has used its unprecedented access to the world of FORMULA ONE to connect the development team directly with FORMULA ONE teams and tyre manufacturers. Extensive consultancy has taken place with a range of FORMULA ONE professionals, including race engineers, mechanics and drivers. This has been combined with real world data including CAD and on-board telemetry to deliver a race experience complete with authentic handling, accurate circuits and precisely modelled racing cars.

· EGO powered FORMULA ONE. F1 2011 is being developed on the EGO Game Technology platform, evolved from the award winning EGO engine. Enabling Codemasters development talent to share tools and technology across Studios and Central Technology teams, the EGO Game Technology Platform empowers Codemasters game designers to realise their creative visions across multiple platforms featuring cutting edge graphics, powerful AI, advanced physics systems and integrated network play.

Michael Schumacher’s old teammate Johhny Herbert in an interview/article has predicted that Michael Schumacher will go back into retirement at the end of the season.

Critical of Michael Schumacher, the Brit driver said that the new generation of F1 drivers had raised the bar and Michael Schumacher couldn’t keep up with the new formula one blood.

In related news, in an interview Michael Schumacher said that he didn’t feel big joy racing anymore. This has further fuelled speculation that the German might call it quits from formula one at the end of this season. Schumacher further said :

“What I feel in my hands is the same as it’s always felt.”

Coming back to Johhny Herbert’s interview though :

“The simple fact is that he is no longer the best driver on the track,”

“Schumacher has not lost any of his skill – the new generation of young drivers are just better than him. It is a case that the level required to win in F1 has gone up and he is not at that standard anymore.

“I do not think he is any slower than he was when he was winning seven world titles; he is just struggling to cope with a situation he is not used to – he is no longer the best guy in the field and he does not have the best machinery at his disposal, as well as the fact that he has a team-mate in Nico Rosberg who is consistently beating him.”

“He did not return just to run in the middle order. His dream was to win again and make Mercedes race winners, but it has not turned out that way and I would be surprised if he chose to continue.”

It does seem like Michael is not feeling the magic he was known for, he had put his legacy on the line, very few people have the guts to do that. We as Schumi fans would support him in whatever decision he takes

Last year was Michael Schumacher’s return to the world of formula one, the veteran with multiple championships under his belt was beaten pretty convincingly by most teams and a little less convincingly by his teammate Nico Rosberg in the Mercedes GP car.

However he indicated that this season would be much better. He seemed confident of podium finishes and at least some victories this season.

“I am confident that we can compete for podium finishes, and I am hopeful we can fight for victories at some of the races,” Schumacher said

On being prodded further about the story this year, this is what he had to say :

“This year feels very different indeed. Last year everything was new again; the testing situation, the car, the team, the structures. It was very exciting but it was still something you had to find your way through,” Michael Schumacher said.

“Now, one year later, I know much better which areas to work in. I am much more familiar with the team and we have a great group of very skilled and dedicated people. I enjoy what I do, I enjoy working with Mercedes, and I have never regretted my decision to return … if that is what you wanted to ask next!”

“My feeling is a good one. The team has been working very hard over the (European) winter to shape our car in all of the areas which had been identified by us as needing improvement,” he said.

“The data I have seen over the winter has been quite encouraging, but then we all know that the realities of data and the race track can be quite different.

“As a driver, you obviously hope for a good step forward and I think this is what we have achieved.

“Saying that, we will only see the truth once the season gets underway, so I can hardly wait to go to Melbourne to finally see what the real picture is.”

Mercedes Benz motorsport boss Norbert Haug was quick to come to Schumacher’s defence and admitted that the car was certainly a bit part of the problem.

“Well, this is an interpretation of what was said, but of course there was no ultimatum.

“We are currently a little bit handicapped with our car but I have no complaints and no regrets that we’re going to achieve our target. We need to work hard.

“We are sticking together and Michael is, for me, as good as he ever was and probably even better. He’s relaxed, concentrated. He doesn’t need anybody to defend him, certainly not me but we are very happy with the job he’s doing.

“If you take into consideration that he was not in Formula One for three years, we are heading in the right direction and there is certainly not an ultimatum.”