From GMM
There were plenty of talking points as the formula one world gathered at a chilly Shanghai circuit on Thursday, on the eve of the official action for the Chinese grand prix. It emerged that while BMW's Robert Kubica will taste a KERS system for the first time this season in Friday practice, neither Ferrari will feature the energy re-use technology in China following problems in Australia and Malaysia. It was believed that the Swiss based team has built a lightweight monocoque of the F1.09, so that the tall Kubica could enjoy the same power boost as his diminutive teammate Nick Heidfeld. Renault, meanwhile, will have an early prototype of a 'double diffuser' fitted to Fernando Alonso's car in Friday practice. A second example is currently not available for his teammate Nelson Piquet. The French team is counting on a lap-time benefit of between three and five tenths. "There is no one magic detail that makes a car faster. In order for the diffuser to work right, the car has to be changed completely," the Spaniard is quoted as saying by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport. McLaren also has a new diffuser in China, but it is merely a development of its conventional design. BMW's double-diffuser won't be ready until Barcelona next month. "There we will have a new aero package, and I hope the diffuser," said Nick Heidfeld. Toro Rosso is hoping to gain a four-tenths lap time advantage in China thanks to a raft of parts that bring the STR4 closer to the specification of parent team Red Bull. But drivers on Thursday slammed the decision to mandate the use of Bridgestone's 'super soft' tyre this weekend. In 2009, to spice up the 'show', Bridgestone is bringing notably different compounds of its dry slick tyres to grands prix. For example, in China, while the 'medium' tyre is quite suitable for Shanghai's high-wear layout, the other compound to be used is the softest in the Japanese supplier's range. The 'super soft' was also used in Australia, where drivers complained bitterly about a drop in performance after just a handful of laps. Fernando Alonso was the most outspoken in Shanghai, slamming the decision as a "joke" and claiming the drivers will look "ridiculous" due to huge performance differences. Renault's Alonso said Bridgestone, or the FIA, made the decision about the tyre selection despite the protests of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. Photos: Renault
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