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Ok guys I'll start this topic.
I dont know if it's just beacause its local, but qualifying seemed very interesting yestaerday.
I think the tyre situation has made the teams a lot
more even, which is good for the sport.
Comments
You know, this year could be a red wash. Was at the track and I couldn't believe the gap kimi had after the first lap. Probably Heidfeld didn't help, but they did look special.
Yes RJ they are "Redder" this year. Probably more Rosso Corso than the day glo they had previously.
I know it's early days, but reliability aside 2007 will be between Kimi and Massa.
Just a point of interest. Sitting in the grand stand watching Webber trying to keep up with Fisi down the straight. They may both have a Renault engine, but they are certainly NOT the same engine. You can distinctly hear the difference in revs.
[Edited on 19-3-07 by SuperRoo]
Super Aguri - What a hoot! Those guys are entertainment plus. Honda just looked plain silly.
Spyker - C'mon Cato, where's the vitriol? Albers needs to go back to tin tops. That's where his style of racing works. Quote of the day came from Gascoyne when being i nterviewed after the race by Channel Ten "Last year you guys interviewed me after the race. The next day I was sacked. I hope that isn't a pattern." We'll see Mike, we'll see.
Ferrari - Ah get stuffed! The car and driver combo is just too scary. Anyone notice that they don't call Massa Jungle Boy anymore?
Mac & Lauren - Car looked great, just not quick enough. Alonso is sometimes a little too professional methinks. New guy went OK. He has a nice story, but way too much guff from the press if you ask me.
So what looked in practice and qually to be an open event, turns into a lapping fest. The only interest at the moment is in regard to the attack of the clones, and it seems to me that it is only the press keeping that one alive. Without some more hoopla from the big privates, it is going to just go away. What a shame.
I rest my case, Jello. :P
Webber's problems first came from a sticking fuel flap needing to be prised open with a screwdriver on both his visits to the pits, which then remained open during his 2nd & 3rd stints causing him to lose downforce off the rear wing and upsetting the car's balance, coupled with a sticking throttle that took several laps of the team trying to reset it over the radio with Mark.
Mark spun pushing too hard trying to make up a lot of lost time from the first pitstop and second stint.
Try driving an F1 car flat out whilst having a running conversation with your engineers for several laps and trying to play your steering wheel buttons like a keyboard. I think he did remarkably well all things considered. The Red Bull in Webber's hands (during the first stint) was more than a match for Rosberg's Williams & the Toyotas. And no, he wasn't especially light either.
Channel 7 used to interview the V8 Supercar drivers out here mid race at Bathurst every year. It was soon stopped by the teams when it became apparent that drivers being interviewed were losing up to 6 seconds a lap during the interview as they lost concentration, and that was just talking.
[Edited on 19-3-07 by MinardiP1]
And look at the fastest laps: Webber did the 9th fastest lap (DC 11th) even though he never ran on the soft option tyres when the car was operating 100%.
I tell you, the man is a star waiting to happen if he'd just happen upon reliable equipment. It doesn't necessarily need to be the fastest car for him to shine. :)
I don't buy into your surmise that RBR look like racing Honda and TOYO consistently either. RBR clearly lack grip so it does not matter what compund you run with an unstable car cos the sliding is going to kill its Tyres. Honda and Toyo look like they are struggling to find a balance for their cars. Thats easier to solve. To make it easier to understand, its like moving the weights on a balance scale till the whole aparatus is in balance, which is akin to moving the cntre of aereo pressure around till it coincides with the cars centre of gravity.
. Spyker's season will revolve around its arbitration case. Lose that and the team will be up for sale.
A bit too much hype surrounding Hamilton for my liking. A competent drive in the second best car. Lets see how they all cope at Sepang.Race craft, setup ability, Aero, mechanical grip and the abilty to conserve tyres will all be tested there to the maximum and will prvide a true indication of the pecking order!
On track, RBR is marginally quicker than the Honda, not enough to overtake it at a circuit like Melbourne, but a little quicker. Let's see how it happens in Sepang where there are a few overtaking zones.
As for the Toyota..... lineball, but I think Webber could be the edge there.
Williams look to be a fraction ahead of RBR, but if Rosberg isn't 'on it' all the time, they will struggle. I firmly believe Williams made a real mistake putting Wurz in the other car. He's like Gene, a lovely bloke, an excellent tester but at 32 he's no more than that.
[Edited on 19-3-07 by MinardiP1]
Albers got outdrove by Sutil for most of the weekend.
Hmmm, I don't like being incorrectly paraphrased Cato, so cut it out. Not really what one expects from a scientist.
The scary thing is that I agree with regard to Hamilton. The press here were all over his story like dogs over a bone. Even Sir Sterling got into the syrup jar, saying he is the best thing to happen to Formula One since in his entire association with the sport. Pure reverse racism. Ant Davidson could have exactly the same thing with the equipment. Honestly, a poor black kid gets a break in the big time and they go overboard trying to be nice. Reminds of that old gag about the shortest almanac in the world 'Negros I have Met While Yachting'. It is offensive and patronising to the guy to make such a fuss.
Compare that to other GP's and it's pretty good figures.
They complain about the support categories. My god, some GP's don't even have support categories!!!
Now Bernie want's Melbourne to be the first night GP, for those in the northern hemisphere who just can't be stuffed getting up early.
Give me a break.
It's the way of the world.
If they swap to a Sunday night GP that'll be the end of attendance for me.
MARCH 20, 2007
How to go night racing in daylight!
The Australian Grand Prix can be run at night - but without the need to have lights. Australia's Motorsport News has come up with a most interesting theory about the future of the event, suggesting that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take place in January 2009 and that Melbourne could happen in February. The city has its traditional Australian Open Tennis competition in mid-late January but there are then no major sporting events until the Grand Prix in March. This means that moving to race February would be possible to get away from the start of the Australian Football Season and other events. The advantage of doing this is that rather than being an autumn race, it will be held in the summer and that means that the days are longer and it is light until 10pm at night.
Starting a Grand Prix at 8pm in Melbourne in February would mean that the race would be live on TV at 10 o'clock in the morning in the major European TV markets. And would mean that the audience would be many times bigger than the current situation which sees the race taking place at four o’clock in the morning.
As F1 races are restricted to two hours in duration the light will be fine and everyone will be happy, not least because the race authorities will not have to pay out huge sums of money to use floodlighting. It will also open the way for more people to go to the event as those who want to do other activities during the daylight hours can then turn up for the race in the warm of the evening.
The logic of the idea is perfect and would fit in with the idea of an extended F1 season, which is suggested by a countdown to be found on the official Abu Dhabi Grand Prix website (abudhabigp.com) which indicates that the race there will take place on Saturday, January 31 2009.
At the moment the Formula 1 teams have an agreement that restricts the length of the F1 season but it makes a lot of sense to reduce pre-season testing and extend the calendar to give a better year-round footprint for the sport. The top teams now all have their cars ready in mid-January and there is no reason why racing should not happen between the end of January and the end of October rather than from March to October.
The more races there are the more money everyone makes.
It may be that there will be a real night race in Singapore from September 2008 onwards, but that city has the advantage of having street lighting already in place.
If Melbourne had to pay for a similar idea, it is not likely to happen.