Australian GP 2011 - Albert Park, 24-27 March

[Jimi_Hendrix_1967]

If fia stewards would handle a system of considering prior offences he wouldnt be starting at all. Every race weekend its something else with him. The boy doesnt learn anything.

[mith]

If they really wanted to stop this situation to happen once in a while they could have invented some sort of system, where for each misbehaviour on the track driver receives penalty points and after reaching some set level he gets penalty of moving back 5 positions on the starter grid (and the counter is then reset). Of course it's just example, cause there are countless solutions, but FIA is not willing to really stop it.

[andrew]

It is up to the race steward to decide the penalty. A 5 place drop on the grid is an option (these have been handed out previously) but instead they were just told to sit on the naughty step for 10 minutes. Given Johnny Herbet's love of Schumacher, I can't help but feel that Hamilton being hauled up for the same infringement has saved Schumacher, and possibly Roseberg, from being given a sterner penalty.

[Just_a_fan]

Given Johnny Herbet's love of Schumacher,

(This is aimed at the entire forum, not just you) Any chance we can kill this sort of thing before the season gets going properly? The driver steward is one person out of a team of stewards. He advises the others on a driver's perspective of a given incident e.g. "no way he could have seen that from the cockpit" etc.

Repeat after me: The driver steward does not have the power to impose penalties on his own.

[chepoi]

Amateur footage @ Melbourne
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq1UjRXH8AQ[/youtube]


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hq1UjRXH8AQ

[andrew]

Given Johnny Herbet's love of Schumacher,

(This is aimed at the entire forum, not just you) Any chance we can kill this sort of thing before the season gets going properly? The driver steward is one person out of a team of stewards. He advises the others on a driver's perspective of a given incident e.g. "no way he could have seen that from the cockpit" etc.

Repeat after me: The driver steward does not have the power to impose penalties on his own.

Just stating a fact and looking at the realisitc consequences. This is a real concern I have with the former drivers acting as race stewards. Sure the final decision isn't soley down to them but I can gaurantee that their opinion will count for more than just one third of the race steward decision, regardless of what any guidlines say.

[nacho]

Kovalainen says the tires will most likely last well enough for two stops, a maximum of 3 stops.

[myurr]

Just stating a fact and looking at the realisitc consequences. This is a real concern I have with the former drivers acting as race stewards. Sure the final decision isn't soley down to them but I can gaurantee that their opinion will count for more than just one third of the race steward decision, regardless of what any guidlines say.

So let me get this straight, you with a massive bias against anything remotely connected with Hamilton are concerned about the biases of the FIA sanctioned stewards and the influence ex-drivers have... Right.

[andrew]

It is true I am not a fan of Hamilton but that has nothing to do with what I have written above. It is also a fact that Johnny Herbert is quite the fan of Hamilton, and less so than Schumacher.

However, putting names aside, my objection is having former race drivers as stewards due to previous team affiliations and public statements. I am not making a decision which can affect the outcome of a race but they are so my personnal preferences are irrelevant.

The impartiality of someone who publicly lambasts an active driver or has had some controversial battles cannot be trusted, neither can the impartiality of someone who has previously heaped praise upon an active driver.

This is why this FIA mind-fart scheme of having guest stewards should be scrapped and the previous system should be reinstated.

[komninosm]

James Allen reckons Vettel was activating it inside the chicanes!

It appeared to be open nearly anytime he wasn't on the brakes... truly amazing.

I really think this will cause the race pace to be drastically different for some teams who couldn't run the ARW as much. Did that mask some teams real pace?

I can't wait for the first few laps, when drivers can't use that button as freely.

I honestly do not understand why they allow the drivers to use the DRS in the quali at all It was introduce to help overtaking, not as a tool to make cars faster....

Is there an official FIA answer to this? I'd like another laugh and facepalm...

[vall]

I honestly do not understand why they allow the drivers to use the DRS in the quali at all It was introduce to help overtaking, not as a tool to make cars faster....

Is there an official FIA answer to this? I'd like another laugh and facepalm...

not that I ma aware of, but I noticed this a few days back:

http://www.f1network.net/main/s696/st167369.htm

Don't know if that is true, but using the DRS in quali and practice makes no sense to me

[andrew]

^ It only makes sense if the conditions for use are the same in qualifying as they are for the race, i.e. use only within a designated area (obviously the 1 second rule would be pointless in qualifying).

[vall]

^ It only makes sense if the conditions for use are the same in qualifying as they are for the race, i.e. use only within a designated area (obviously the 1 second rule would be pointless in qulifying).

still, even in the race if there is no car within 1s ahead you cannot use it. So, I say scrap it for the quali. In practice, the drivers may use it only in the permitted zone to try how it works, how the car behaves, get feeing on the braking point, etc.

[Formula None]

Pole position times @ Albert Park:

2011 Sebastian Vettel 1:23.529
2010 Sebastian Vettel 1:23.919

Good to see times are still faster without the DDD and reduced single diffuser height. Is this due to new tires and the ARW? Has anyone seen top speeds for qualifying?

[timd]

DRS has a massive effect. They have still lost net downforce. I think these tyres actually had some performance increase for their short life too here. I think in warmer climates it will be even more so.

KERS honestly looks scrap worthy to me. The rear wing you can easily see in use on the TV and is quite visual and understandable. I am guessing even the general uneducated public can understand that a great big hole in your wing is going to lessen its effect. If it lets drivers push the balance beyond the limit a little bit on corner exit to gain a tenth or two over a lap for the sake of excitement so be it imo. It doenst have to be dangerous if you are skilled enough like thay should be to judge it. I just hope that overtaking and pit stop hopping does not make the teams give up on trying with qualy to keep the first set of softs pristine. Which i dont think will ever quite happen.