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I never knew that about how the drivers weren't allowed to drive around the streets in China. Interesting stuff Murray!

what a poor video.

ferrari arent running KERS, mclaren have a host of updates including a new front wing and diffuser, plus buttons fastest lap in malaysia was a second faster than anyone elses!!!

im quitly confident the f1 drivers wont be too disturbed by the drive to the circuit!!!

Good vid! Always great to hear your opinions. Im going for button, with hamilton shocking everyone and finishing third.

Nice one Murray.

If KERS does give a good advantage in Shanghai, then Lewis is in with a good chance of a podium finish, especially with the new modifications.

Fingers crossed for an English 1-2!

Sorry conchord_rock but what flag flies at the end of a British GP victory?

Does that mean that Andy Murray is Scottish come Wimbledon?

Does that mean we should have had flower of Scotland for all those Coulthard victories? Damn.

Wouldn't it be great if the McLaren car could get back to form and we could see Lewis and Jenson fighting out at the front all season?
And if that did happen, who do you think would have the edge??

As for predictions. I'm going to say Jenson 1st. But I don't think we will see a BRITISH 1-2 this weekend.

guys what's your issue...hamilton and button are both english...so it will be an english and a british 1-2. Just like if murray wins wimbledon it is a scottish and british win...durrr

jeez!

Oh Please... of course Andy Murray will be Scottish come Wimbledon. He'll be Scottish come what may! The fact that he frequently "represents" Britain at a sporting level--as do Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton--does not make him any less Scottish, or them any less English.

I don't suppose you ever felt inclined to whinge about David Coulthard overtly sporting the Saltire on his helmet. And I don't recall any English people ever begrudging him that national pride either. So why the antipathy towards the English whenever they show the slightest bit of national pride in one of their countrymen's achievements?

The old canard about the English claiming Scottish, Welsh and Irish stars for Britain whenever it suits them is really becoming very tiresome.

Nice overview of the race leadup, from one of the worlds most experienced GP comentators!

Ferrari dropping KERS came out about 1 hour or so before this blog was posted, so when the video was recorded that probably wasn't known, will be interesting to see if that will make a difference or not.
The other teams bringing in changes will probably not put an immediate challenge on Brawn, as Murray mentioned, will also be interesting to see how they respond over the next few races...
The chinese driving conditions were meant to give the viewer a sense of the atmosphere of the circuit, not suggest that the drivers would be scared, as was mentioned here! Though I might think twice about getting a lift in China, should I ever visit!

How much do you think Lewis Hamilton's employment at Mclaren depends on his relationship with Ron Dennis? and now that Dennis has left the team is Lewis more likely to leave too?

The biggest danger to any driver is Murray Walker making a prediction. :) And there have been many a Grand Prix in which surprise winners have happened. I remember one Monaco GP that was notable for the first five cars all running out of fuel on the last lap. Although that (probably) won't happen here, it seems pretty much a guarantee that there will be one surprise entry in the points at least. Although KERS has a reliability issue, I would expect any team to tell its drivers to use it if they're borderline on getting points, so don't be surprised if KERS teams take risks near the end. Button has a psychological edge for this race and the next, but that will only matter if he builds up a big gap and drivers consider if it's worth risking pushing hard to close it. In a close race, the only things that matter are nerves and car reliability. Although British drivers represent Britain as a whole, it would be a nice touch if Welsh and Scottish drivers could elect to have their respective nation's anthem, at the very least in the British GP even if not abroad.

Dear Murray,
Looking at the recent races, and especially in China, Williams appears to have problems other than their car and are struggling to make the most of what appears to be a very competitive car. What do you think their main problems are at the moment?

Also, I was wondering, as Red Bull Racing have an Austrian license - why is that the British national anthem was played for podium ceremony? I realise the team is British-based and is the ex-Jaguar/Stewart team but surely the team's Austrian ownership affects this?

Will Ferrari at all be reconsidering their role in F1 after their embarrassing start to the season?

Hi Murray.

I was wondering what your thoughts are on Nelson Piquet jnr. after three disappointing races so far this season following on from a bad 2008. Do you think his days are numbered at Renault now and who do you think could be drafted in to replace him?

Cheers :D

Murray: Sebastian Vettel, can he be as successful as Michael Schumacher?

Hi Murray,

I hope you and Elizabeth are well.

My question for next week is: Are Tilke tracks dull and do we need to find a new track designer?

Many thanks indeed,

Gianni Fasulo
Peterborough

Dear Murray

Two years, while watching F1 coverage in Germany, we were assured by Niki Lauda that Sebastian Vettel would be World Champion in 2011. What do you think? Is it worth a trip to Ladbrokes? (other betting shops are available)

Steve

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

Hi Murray,
How long do you think it will be before Briatorie gers rid of Nelson Piquet, who had another horror showing?

Andrew Webb

Hi Murray,

Do you see Brawn GP's 'dominance' fading slightly now other teams are catching up?

Jon Clark

Hi Murray

First question - How does Vettel compare in wet conditions to Michael Schumacher?

Second question - Is Mark Webber F1's unluckiest driver and will he win a GP this year?

Does Murray foresee any changes in driver line-ups during the season? In particular I am thinking about Ferrari (although the car is probably the biggest factor there) and Piquet Jnr, who seems somewhat accident prone.

Sutil seems to have some speed, he made a mistake today, but the conditions were pretty terrible. He looks more deserving of a drive in a team like Renault than Piquet does.

Hi Murray,
In the history of F1, which National Anthem has been played the most after a GP [including the winning constructors] - ie, today, we had the German and the UK National Anthems?

Cheers

Alun

Hi Murray,

What do you think the chances are of Vettel winning the world championship this year? I put a but on him in pre-season and could get £100 back if he does!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

To the legend that is Murray Walker,
i. Do you like the look of the new front wings? - I love it.
ii. Do you agree with F1 racing at night? I don't due to safety issues.
iii. Can you come back please for the British GP? Please.

Dear Murray,

What, if anything, other than changing the rear diffuser can Scuderia Ferrari do about their performances? It seems that whilst the car might not be as competitive as others, certain factors besides those to do with the vehicle seem to be hampering their F1 constructors title chances very early on.

In addition, do you think the team will retain Massa and Raikkonen for next year?

Thank you :)

Hi Murray
i support kimi and have done so since he came into f1. watching today's race and looking back to the first two races this year, i can't help but notice that kimi no longer has that strong presence on the track as compared to before. i know his car is not that good at the moment but we have known kimi to out-perform an imperfect car beyond its capabilities. now it seems felipe is out-performing kimi. i like kimi to start winning again and be the driver that he was when he was with Mclaren, but now it seems that he has peaked. i would like to know what you think

jay

Hi Murray, Whats your view regards the Kers system which seems to be losing favour with some teams and seems to be of limited benefit particularly in wet conditions. If you you took a straw poll of the drivers I wonder how many would want a bigger fuel tank as the Brawn car?

Hello Murray & Roy

Murray - what do you make of the recent announcement by Mclaren re Ron Dennis. Do you think it will have an impact on Lewis Hamilton's future?
Also can Brawn maintain this advantage or will they be 'consumed' when the other teams inevitably catch up?
Thanks - look forward to your thoughts.........
Louise

Hi Murray,

I found it really strange that Kimi ruled himself out of the title race this week. After watching the Chinese GP I felt as though he had no fight in him. I understand that he has a slower car than some of the field but he just seemed very disinterested in defending himself.

So my question is......has Kimi lost his passion and desire for F1 and do you think he will win a race this season?

Thanks Murray!

Dear Murray

We all know that there is no testing at all this year, but what I would like to know is, what's to stop Ferrari testing as much as they please behind closed doors at their Maranello headquarters? We all know they are prone to bending the rules shall we say.

Hi Murray,

After Sundays race do you see this being the end of the domination of the Brawns?

Many thanks

Hello there!
Murray do you think that Robert Kubica just wanted to have a closer look at Toyota's diffuser? Maybe team wanted to make few close up pictures? ;)
Thank you! :)
Lucas

hi Murray,
we all know that the ferrari cars are not so good at the moment. but surely they couldn't be worse than the force india of adrian. howcome adrian was doing very well whereas kimi was nowhere? and considering that felipe ran as high as third and he did have a real shot at the podium. i support kimi and id love to see him winning races again, but he seems to have no fight left in him. he didn't even try having a go at passing other drivers, he was too busy letting other cars pass him.

Hi Murray. Need to pick your brains. Loved the Chinese GP and what a result. Never miss an F1 no matter what time. Currently reading your autobiography which has brought back so many memories (yup golden oldie). Question, what is the name of the female driver who took on the gauntlet and I think her name is Davina or Davinia. You will know. Please let me know . Ann XX

Hi Murry

What do you think of Ron decision to step away from the F1 team. Do you think there there is any truth in the assertions the FIA will treat Mclaren different if Ron is not there. And if you do, what does that say about the impartiality of the sports governing body.

Thanks

McLaren seem to be improving rapidly. Do you think Hamilton still has a reasonable chance of defending his title?

Hey Murray great to have you back.
What do you think of the rule changes?? and do you think it will get even more exciting??
I have been following F1 since the seventies and have found in the last 10 years it became very tedious, but I think its on its way back to the great sport it used to be what is your opinion??

I find it more than a little tad offensive during the present climate that we should be subjected to Formula 1 cars advertising the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Do you think that teams hould be mindful of what the world wide viewing public makes of things like this

Hello .

All the eyes are on Brawn gp and trick diffusers and Ferrari's disaster and liargate scandal at the beginning of the season .
But here's another team where a lot of excitement is coming from . And that team is Renault respectively . Flavio's like the man-machine gun , blazing all directions in desperation . First victim were diffusers on Brawn, Toyota and Williams machinery , next was Jenson and Rubens followed by Mr. Brawn himself and ''brawn's money'' in the order . Who will be next on target's list ? Will it be Adrian Newey or all RedBull squad now after they tooked the dominance in China ? See - they have unusual car as well , very different from others and it proved to be a hell quick even with not having multideck diffusers so here has to be something . . . But in my opinion , he, Flavio better should concentrate on his prime duties to make Renault to be the Renault F1 TEAM not just Fernando's Racing Operation . All the way since Alonso came back to hometeam everything is in force to make him the winner again , all the attention , all the improvements and fixtures are just for Fernando primary , but nobody cares about Nelson . I don't believe that Piquet is worse racer than Vettel , Rosberg and Hamilton are , the only difference is that the all other teams are real two driver teams while i can't say the same about Renault. Did anybody ever see any care about their second driver ? Was it ever any strateghy for Piquet jr ? They just tank Nelson's car up to lid to forget about him for as long as possible . That's all the ''strateghy'' . And here's no wonder if youngster , finding himself like alone in the jungles, is desperately trying to show if it is another man apart from Alonso in the team , to show he's also able to do a great job . And that is why he makes so many mistakes, not because he's a bad race driver . He just never has got any serious attention or the chance to race a win-tuned car and win-aimed strateghy. But he certainly CAN . Hopefuly he will get his true chance to prove that . Keep fight Nelson,
don't give up.

kardaans
Dublin

Hi Murray

It amazes me that 17 cars got rid of the KERS system at the weekend when McLaren and Lewis Hamilton have the best one on the grid.

Why do you think this is? Was it because of the adverse weather conditions at the weekend or are the teams just not fully ready to use it?

Love the work! Keep it up!

Sean Sutton

Hi Murray,

I am a huge believer that Fernando Alonso is certainly the number 1 driver in F1!! I feel that he won't put up with another year of not challenging and this leads me onto my question. If Ferrari continue struggling and Raikannon continues to appear disinterested, does this..
a) Make way for Alonso joining Ferrari before the year is even out?
b) Mean Alonso will not join Ferrari and perhaps look at Toyota?

Cheers

Kieran Finn

The most interesting questions from my POV are: whether Red Bull has a better car, or just a better car in the wet; and how many races Picquet Jnr will last before being replaced. Place your bets.

Hi Murray,

I have a very simple question for you:

Who has impressed you the most this season, and why?

I don't mind how you interpret this question, whether it is a driver, team, a rule change etc.
I'd appreciate your answer!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

it seems that red bull have something illegal on their cars (only joking)
it seems odd that they are so quick when they were one of the teams complaining about the brawn,toyota,williams diffusers.even jenson commented on how much downforce they had !

Hi Murray!!!

So glad to see you back on the F1 scene, how are you finding your new cyber role??!! I was wondering, with the upcoming "Lie-Gate" hearing, what your thoughts were on it. Personally, I think, had Ron Dennis been there, it wouldn't have happened.

"We don't have time to show drivers news conference. See the mid day program."

Thanks very much - I record it to watch at a sensible time so missed the drivers news conference.

I never had this problem with ITV...

Hi Murray,

This weekends practice and qualifying sessions alone produced more than one off the road excursion at the very same gravel trap that Lewis more or less lost the 2007 championship in.

Do you think, like Canada's 'wall of champions', the pit entry gravel trap in Shanghai will be the bane of more than one championship contender in the future?

If the gravel trap should reach a sort of 'iconic' status as with Canada, what would be your choice for a name?

Many thanks,

Rich Simnor

Murray

Two questions:

First - Are others concentrating too much on double diffuser especially if you think that Toyota and Williams has it and they are not as quick as Brawns and Red Bull doesnt have it and it is giving a touch time to Brawns.

Second question - Marrio Thaissan said that he needs double diffuser banned as he wants 'level playing field'. What do you think of this comments especially if one considers that there can never be a level playing field - Ferrari has more than 4 times the size of budget than Force India.

Hi Murray,

Do you agree with Flavio Briatore that Brawn GP shouldn't receive TV rights money this year or transportation money for the next three years?

hey murray,

I am fed up of all the ridiculous penalties that have been handed out in f1 in the recent past for racing incidents and also the inconsistancies in how they have been dealt out..the most obvious examples are Hamiltons penalties at spa and fuji last year..I mean any f1 fan who has followed the sport for some time will know the spa penalty was ludicrous and Hamilton was robbed of a brilliant win (I'm not a big fan of his by the way!) and the fuji penalty,for a first corner incident?? How anyone can justify penalising a driver for having a go into the first corner is beyoned me..Anyway my main fear is the inconsistancies i see in the stewards decisions this year also and that these penalties dont look like going away.I believe this can only be damaging for the sport from a racing point of view and also from a public point of view..Drivers will fear aggressive racing,decreasing the racing spectal,and die hard fans like my self will be frustrated by drivers being punished for pushing their limits..Vettel was penalised for his crash with kubica in austrailia with a 10 place grid penalty,but as of yet there has been no word of kubica getting a penalty for running into trulli today?? i know the conditions of todays race were completely different to oz,visibility and grip being so poor,but it mustn't be forgotten that vettels tyres were shot in oz and the low sun was making conditions tricky..and kubica didn't exactly leave him room for error..

I'd like to know your opinions on this murray and also if you agree with me,wether you see a way of getting rid of these penalties for the future..

Cheers
Micky Crosse

Sebastien Vettel hugely impressed me over this weekend, he was Schumacher-esque throughout. I was wondering though, when was the last time a F1 Driver scored the first wins for two different teams? (Like Vettel has now done for Toro Rosso and now Red Bull)

Hi Murray,

Can the Red Bulls mount a serious challenge to the Brawns for the remainder of the season?

Why, when Button wins for Brawn GP, do we only hear the British National anthem once(or at least, why isn't it on for longer)?

I can't remember if we heard two national anthems this morning when Vettel won, but assuming there where two different(manufacturer and driver) ones as there has been in the past and that a new rule hasn't been introduced to irradicate the manufacturer anthem, have the race winners who share nationality with their team always had to listen to their anthems once?


I feel sad. This is far too long and far too complicated to be picked.

what a breath of fresh air to see middle ranking teams now leading and winning races ,a much more interesting formula to attracting new fans to a very predictable sport ,would it be to much to ask the fia to introduce weight penalties like in bttc

Murray,

First of all, thanks so much for coming to the Isle of Man a few years ago, it was a delight to have you back for the TT and we all hope to see you again soon.

Now, for my question: Murray, will you PLEASE come back and sit in on the commentary for us at the British Grand Prix? I'm sure Jonathan and Martin would shuffle along the bench and make room for another mouth at the mike!

This is a brilliant blog, Murray, thanks so much.

BlindedBTLight
Isle of Man

Hi Roy,

This is my question to Murray:

"Why would Renault pit Alonso so early in the race? They said they thought the safety car would stay out for much longer, but if that is the case, how would he gain an advantage? He will still have to pit again later in the race right? Unless they think they can save fuel under the safety car and don't have to refuel...?

Wouldn't it be much better if he stayed out like Vettel and Webber and got a clear start while the field is spreading and pit when he only needed? I reckon he would've been comfortably in the points!"

Many thanks Roy,
Attakorn S.

Hi Roy,

This is the shorter version of my question to Murray:

"Why would Renault pit Alonso in the beginning of the race and not left him out like Red Bull did to Vettel and Webber?"

Cheers Roy!
Attakorn S.

How when Truli was still running after being shunted from behind and the safty car was out and there were waved yellows, the several cars that passewd him were not punished ???

The Chinese GP was a very wet race the whole way through but if it was a dry race who do you think would have won?

Hi Murray

I have really enjoyed your contribution to F1 this year, thank you.

Murray Can I ask you, have you ever missed a race?
Also when can we call Sir Murray?

Do you think Alonso could have had retained his second position or in the points if he had pitted later or if the safety car had been out longer after he pitted?

Many thanks

Hi Murray, first of all your contributions to this website are faaantastic! I am blown away by the efforts that everyone on the team is going to in providing us with coverage of the sport. I think having fresh faces up at the top and winning also helps and, in my opinion, is really revitalising the sport's image and rekindling interest with many fans who may have been left disillusioned after the past few years. Which leads me onto my question:

"Do you think we will see a record number of winners this season?"

Many thanks!

hi murry ive i was to become a f1 driver what do i have to go though to get there and do i have to talk to the press coz im not good at talkin

thanks bazza

Murray,

What are your thoughts on the Brittish GP being moved to Donington? Do you think this is a good move or do you think it should stay at Silverstone?

Thanks gromcom

Hi Murray.
I personally believed that Michael Schumacher was given too much power at Ferrari to tempt him to join them, do you think that power has since been used to favour Massa over Raikonen, resulting in Kimi's reduced form and seeming loss of interest?

Also I caught the disease of 'Infectious Enthusiasm' from you over forty years ago, have they found a cure yet.??

Oh, And THANK YOU.

Hi Murray, Do you think that Briatore should answer a charge of bringing the sport into disrepute over his remarks about Brawn GP's drivers?

Murray Walker: Hello from Brazil! What's the best driver: Button or Barrichello? What are your predictions for Massa this year? Is Nelson Piquet (the F1 champion) embarassed by his son underachievements?

Murray,
Hello from New Zealand! The general trend in F1 is that we tend to see one driver in each team that, for the most part, achieves better results than his team mate. When teams are deciding which drivers to recruit, do they try to pick the best two they can, or do they try to pick a number 1 driver and then 'second' driver who will be happy to play the support driver role?

Mr Walker,

for whom do think Vettel, Alonzo, and Rosberg drive for 2010?

Hi Murray,

Do you think that Brawn GP's dominance will continue or will they fade as other teams develop new technology?

Hi Murray,

China's current deal to hold a Grand Prix expires this year. Does the Chinese Grand Prix have a future?

Thanks

Matt

Being a somewhat McLaren fan, some might be surprised to what I am about to say.

Yesterday, I was very impressed with Fernando Alonso, he might not have had the luck to score any points but he did manage to notice the red light at the end of the pitlane. This notorious system has managed to catch out the likes of Hamilton, Barrichello, Massa and many others over the past few years. Up to now, it seemed that Kubica is the only driver to ever notice the pit-light.

But, my question is, why do some drivers manage to pay attention, or remember the light in the pitlane, when others (like those forementioned) manage to forget the device?

I also have another query.

After the race when the graphics for the championship standings came up I was surprised to see Barrichello in second.
I thought that the "winner takes all" system meant that Vettel would now jump up to second as a result of his one race win?

Murray,

With the Red Bulls doing so well this weekend we heard that the Brawn's downfall had been getting heat into their tyres (a similar problem Ferrari had in recent years). We also read that the Bridgestone technician said the that Brawn cars were easier on the option tyre this weekend. With a bigger difference prime and option spec this season - will we see Brawn have the advantage on dry, warm tracks where perhaps the Red Bull and other teams may experience higher tyre wear and therefore suffer reduced pit windows?

Can sebastian vettel go for the championship this season or is he too inexperienced?

p.s im loving the videos murray.

Do you think jonathan legard is a good commentator or do you think you could do better?

Dear Murray,
Of all the motoring memorabilia that you have collected or been given in your glittering career what is the most prized possession you have to date?



...oh, and it's good to have you back in glorious techniblogging colour!

Carlonso

Dear Murray,
Your prediction for Timo Glock winning at China was staggarenly foolhardy to say the least.
All the ranting and raving about what a great driver he is is solely based on the fact that he was lucky enough to come into the pits at the right time to put on the intermediates in Malaysia.Remember - this is the same driver who spun off in the wet at the last corner to hand Hamilton the Championship in the last race at Brazil.
Toyota to date have not capitalized at all with their bend on regulations and if not careful will leave a legacy of being yen for yen the biggest underachievers in the history of Formula 1.
They have almost bankrupted the Japanese economy to be fronted by B-list drivers and until they address the issue of having an inspired leader in the cockpit with zeal,tenacity and the will to win for the team they might as well stick 2 Priuses in the starting line up and have it covered up so Martin Brundle can't have an eyeful of the "secret" triple decker diffuser stuck at the back of them.

Ole!

Carlonso