Y.E. Yang (left) and Tiger Woods. (Image: Zuma Press)

Along with Yang and Woods, the tournament also boasts the defending champion Sergio Garcia, and 2007 winner Phil Mickelson.  Add to that the inclusion of Paul Casey, Henrik Stenson, Geoff Ogilvy and Stewart Cink, the 2009 HSBC Champions will feature seven of the top ten players in the world.

The tournament takes place November 5-8 at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.

Post from: EveryJoe

Yang, Woods to Renew Rivalry in Shanghai

Formula One pulls into Bahrain

The last two races at Bahrain have seen Ferrari and Felipe Massa come away with a victory at this fast race course that should allow the racers to spend a little more time jockeying for position and doing some amazing racing. Felipe and Ferrari will be hard pressed to win this time though and if the Brazilian is able to pull another rabbit from his hat and beat the field to the finish line, it would be a real magic trick, considering the way his car has been running.

The odds at Bahrain would indicate that Brawn and Jenson Button would be the expected favorite, but then that’s why we run the race, to see what fate and life has dictated. The competition to Button would certainly have to be Red Bull Racing considering their on-two punch at the finish line of Shanghai, but the rest of the field will be looking to see if they can throw a wrench into the betting line.

Toyota’s TF109 and Willams’s FW31 will probably see their diffuser advantage disappear after Bahrain as the rest of the teams get diffusers installed and working properly in their cars in anticipation of catching up and over taking the lead Brawn has taken over the field in the season standings, probably by Barcelona.

Bahrain has a series of hard turns that are hard on the brakes of Formula One cars, add to this the problem of dust on the track in the corners, and tires and traction will be on the mind of the racers and teams as they pull into Bahrain this weekend. Brawn should have the advantage here also as they are generally less aggressive in their use of rubber, but the set up of the cars will be the key as Bahrain is a tough track.

Image: Newcom

Post from: EveryJoe

Formula One Pulls into Bahrain this Weekend

Vettel uses less fuel and wins in Shanghai

The race started in wet and windy conditions that saw the Mercedez-Benz safety car lead the race for the first 8 laps, something that has been happening a lot this season as the safety car has done more laps than Heikki Kovalainen so far this season. The safety car pulled off the track after eight laps and the Red Bull cars pulled into the lead and stayed there until they were first to pit for fuel. This put series leader Jenson Button in the front of the pack after he passed his teammate Rubens Barrichello on lap 11, but Mclaren’s Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa were making a charge behind him.

Lewis Hamilton managed to work his way to fifth before spinning-out and dropping to 10^th on lap 11, he worked his way back to 8^th position before the safety car came back out onto the track on lap 18, after Robert Kubica slammed his BMW Sauber into the back of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota.

The race advantage switched back to Vettel after these events, especially after Button’s car rolled to a silent-stop on lap 21. The race started again on the 23^rd lap, and with a lighter fuel load Vettel pulled away from his heavier competition and raced to the finish line to take the checkered flag.

Button tried to keep up, but after he missed his braking before Turn 14 on lap 29, he lost the time he needed to catch Vettel, and the Red Bull drivers kept their cars on the track and were running one-two. Button found himself only 1.2 seconds ahead of Vettel on lap 42, with one fuel stop left to make, while Vettel had already made his final fuel stop, and I am sure he could see the writing on the wall. This was the first Formula One race this season where Button didn’t look like the pace setter, running second to Adrian Newey’s RB5 design probably doesn’t sit too well with him, and expect him to show up at the next race with the goal of winning on his mind.

(Images: Newscom.com)

Post from: EveryJoe

Vettel Wins at Shanghai

Formula One 2009 Pulls into Shanghai

The flag will drop on the Grand Prix of Shanghai at the Shanghai International Circuit in a week or so, and the drivers and teams have probably been contemplating the winding turns and high-speed straights designed into the amazing architecture of the circuit. The track combines a nice variety of high-speed corners and slow turns that put demands on the grip of the cars, and throws a few wrenches into the mix. The most challenging and enjoyable corners for both the racers and the drivers will probably be turns six and seven, sweeping left and right hand turns. The Shanghai circuit has always been hard on tires because of the severe lateral forces the cars will experience at speed. The track design requires a medium down-force setup for the race cars because of the two long straight stretches combined with many technical turns. The cars need the right setup to race effectively and fast with the heavy braking, fast accelerations, and constant changes in velocity.

The Shanghai Grand Prix is a technical track that Lewis Hamilton won on last year, so expect McLaren to do well, although, they probably won’t do as well as last year because they won’t have the same performance advantage they had last year. It will be even more important for Hamilton to start farther up the grid, if he’s able to do so; he might be able to finish high in the points or even on the podium, even though his car is running a little slower.

The Shanghai Grand Prix kicks off earlier this year than in previous years, so the temperatures should be a little easier to handle for both the drivers and the cars, but the chance of rain will increase, and they will need to keep their rain tires close by. The first turn should be spectacular and might be the real eye-grabber of the race as the drivers take their cars in a high speed on the throttle, then suddenly drop the car into second gear as the track tightens up.

“Images: Newscom.com”

Post from: EveryJoe

Formula One 2009 Goes to Shanghai

China represents the 2nd largest auto interest in the world, and with the introduction of the Honda Civic hybrid, Toyota Prius, and Buick Lacrosse Eco-Hybrid, major automakers are making a move to take advantage of China’s new environmental trends. In fact, Toyota began producing the Prius there, partnering with China FAW Group Corp. while GM’s move into the Chinese market represents an even bigger push.

In a joint venture with Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. – Shanghai GM – the companies have put into action a program they call “Drive to Green.” Beginning in mid-2008, Shanghai GM will begin releasing a slew of environmentally friendly automobiles into the Chinese market, including the new Buick Lacross Eco-Hybrid, and a line of fuel cell vehicles starting in 2010. The company plans to cut overall fuel consumption by 10% across the board.

Sources:
Marketwatch
Reuters
Shanghai Daily

Post from: EveryJoe

Hybrids Clearing new Paths in China: GM’s Buick LaCross, Honda Civic, and Toyota Prius Hybrids