Rain likely at German GP weekend
The last Grand Prix at the Nürburgring was hit by heavy rain and we could be in for a repeat this weekend.
Several weather sites are reporting a strong chance of rain at some point over the weekend, with race day looking the most likely to see wet conditions.
Weather Underground rates the chance of rain on Sunday at 50%. But qualifying on Saturday has only a 20% likelihood of being run in wet weather. Friday practice is also likely to see rainfall.
Although it is quite early to be making such a precise prediction, Weather2 says the track will be hit by 5.4mm of rain after noon on race day.
When F1 last raced at the track two years ago a huge downpour fell as the race began. The Grand Prix had to be suspended, but not before Spyker’s Markus Winkelhock had jumped into the lead by taking the gamble of starting on wet weather tyres.
The Nürburgring is notorious for its temperamental weather and has seen rain-affected races in 1995, 1999, 2000 and 2007.
We’ve already had wet races in Malaysia and China this year, and on both occasions Red Bull proved to have a very strong car in the rain.
Yes!! Not had a good race since China and hopefully a wet race well suit the Red Bull’s
Good. The rain will spice things up a bit.
If it’s anything like the last race in the rain in 2007, should be a good one
Markus Winklehock FTW!
The Last race of 2007 is my favorite ever Formula 1 race up until now! Hope we can have a repeat of 2007 again this year with Ferrari winning!
When was the last time there was a wet race which wasn’t any good? I’ve been following F1 since about 1998, and I can’t think of a single dull wet GP in that time.
Fuji ‘07 wasn’t great, too much time spent behind the safety car. And Malaysia was a bit of a damp squib this year what with the race being stopped early.
It’s a bit sad when we have to hope for bad weather to see any action, isn’t it?
I’d prefer a good race in good weather where drivers can push to the limit but those races seem to have become a thing of the past.
Save the engine, mind the gearbox. Consistency reigns but, sadly, that seems to mean that so does mediocrity.
Yes rain muhuhaha a repeat of 07 Nurburgring apart from red flag situation Red Bull’s at front and hopefully Toro Rosso can follow suit people seem to forget about Buemi in China how he got up to at one stage 4th but got caught out by safety car after crashing into Vettel. I hope it does rain and that STR have a few updates seeing them at the back after last year they were in the top 6 is pretty deperessing
The old Red Bull car was so good in the wet. Maybe the new one isn’t as good. Might see a good race from Buemi if it buckets it down!!
A Toro Rosso fan? That’s quite an obscure team to follow, unless you’ve supported them since they were Minardi. I suppose they need rain for a result this year, they’re probably behind even Force India now at the back of the field, which is unusual considering the almost identical Red Bull car is so strong.
Toro Rosso are my favourite team. I like Toro Rosso and Red Bull but I liked Vettel in the Toro Rosso and loved the livery on the old STR’s
Also STR’s overalls look immense!:D
Yeah i mainly fell in love with Toro Rosso first when they had Liuzzi & Speed odd but hey they were great characters then last year with Vettel that was just amazing the STR3 was just for me perfect and the livery that still sends chills down my spine.
However this year it’s gone a bit pearshaped but i guess its a learning process for Toro Rosso heading into 2010 when they have to build their own car but by Hungaroring I expect top 10 to be a possibility with their major upgrade.
Yeah It was a big dissapointment when Toro Rosso were back at the back after so many performances from Vettel getting into the points. I’m sure they will improve at the end of the season and will get used to building their own car. Lack of test time really really hurt them this year too.
I was also dissapointed how much the new car looks like the Red Bull now, bring back the huge bull on the side. Also hope Toro Rosso get the new wide looking nose thats on the Red Bull – i love it.
Very glad Vettel is in a car that can win races often now. Shame its not the STR but oh well.
Yeah, I like the Toro Rosso bull livery, but they spoilt it a bit this year- now it looks too much like the Red Bull. Shame they’re having such an anonymous year compared to 2008, but I always support the underdog so come on Toro Rosso!
me too – huge STR fan! Always love to see an underdog (small team, small budget) to take on the big guys and and embarrass them every now and then.
I wondered at the beginning of this season what the impact of Gerhard Berger leaving would be and it appears now that my fears became true: STR without Berger is not competitive! Of course, there never is just ONE factor (Vettel leaving being the major one).
Now, with a 50% chance of rain, I get really excited for STR again: is Buemi able to shine in rain and put STR on the map this season? Hope floats …
Yay thats 4 Toro Rosso fans on this website!!
I hope we have a dry track, then we will understand what is the true pace of Red Bull-Renault
yyer, it is sad that we still have to hope for rain in order to see a good GP, gives the also rans a chance tho, adrian sutil is good in wet, Buemi had a good start to the season but has tailed off with teh STR since china! hamo is also good in the wet, as r both RBR drivers! rain could hold off on us knowing the true opace in the Brawn-Red Bull fight but Brawn struggles in the wet so that may not be abad thing, esp if Brawn still have the best car! anything to make it at least half exciting is a good thing in my book.
German weather forecast:
http://www.wetteronline.de/Rheinland-Pfalz/Nuerburg.htm
http://www.wetter.com/deutschland/nuerburg/DE0007130.html
Keith, could you do me a favour and take my predictions for the grand prix this weekend as I will be away.
Vettel
Vettel
Webber
Button
Well, if the weather forecasts supplied are accurate, then we can expect cool weather and air temps. We can then safely assume that the Red Bulls have it in the bag, unless Brawn or someone else can pull a rabbit out of their hat.
Rained races are always funny (apart for long time after the SC), but it’s bad when you cannot see cars in the storm.
At the end I prefer dry conditions, and Nurburgring could be amusing all the same.
Rain and low temperatures should help RBR. If it stays dry, look out for drivers on the clean side of the grid at the start. There is a very significant racing-line advantage at the start at the Ring.
Also, Keith, why is Murray Walker predicting a very strong race for Ferrari this weekend ??
Orders from FIA :
All races wet in 2010 !
Yahoo
Wet races are more or less lotteries
Which is why I just put down $5 on Toro Rosso or Force India to win. $2500 return.
I respectfully disagree:
wet races bring out the driver skills and narrow down the differences between cars.
Driving ‘on the edge’ in rain is first and foremost a skill and ‘feel’ challenge. Second is the ‘brain’ challenge – choosing a competitive strategy! When it comes to “brain versus muscle”, Ferrari failed miserably in the recent wet races
.
I never quite understood why this is. I would imagine any advantage or disadvantage will be magnified under extreme conditions. That is, a small improvement in downforce or mechanical grip should result in a larger performance gain in harsh conditions vs. more forgiving conditions.
Can anyone explain?
Mechanical grip with wet tyres on wet asphalt is so much lower that the differences in downforce are secondary compared to the driver’s skill to find a good line with just the right amount of “wetness” (not too wet, not too dry) to find optimal grip.
Vettel won Monza 2008 by skill and consistency, not by the aerodynamics/downforce of his STR.