Australian GP 2011 - Albert Park, 24-27 March

[Jimi_Hendrix_1967]

I couldnt find the exact rule where the race director can alter the parts of the track where going outside the lines is accepted. They must have changed it for this year. Anyway, every race weekend has a meeting with the race director where he explains what is and what isnt allowed. IM pretty sure yesterdays turn 4 driving of Vettel was well within what was acceptable.

[madly]

Pit-stop summary

Nick Heidfeld in Mercedes?

[myurr]

I thought Vettel went Option - Prime - Prime. I remember wondering if McLaren had made a mistake by putting Lewis on the options for the second stint as Vettel had the more consistent tyre over the stint.

[andartop]

Pit-stop summary

Ferrari really need to have a good look at their pit stop times. Alonso's first was 4.1sec, second 5.5sec and third 5sec. That's about 2.5sec "lost". That could be a podium finish or Championship winning (or losing) points at the end of a season..

[CyleB]

Three driver's notably drove beyond the white lines in this race. One was punished.

Button & Massa outside of the lines:



Vettel outside:

1st image the car on the left was Button cutting the corner

2nd image you can see the yellow line right???? you can leave the track there and Vettel didn t gain a position unlike Button

[Pandamasque]

Oh, so it was YOU who allowed him! Why didn't you tell us straight away that you had given a late waiver to RBR concerning T4?

Using the run off when u are racing alone (driver error or any factor) is another thing than when overtaking someone.Since its a park and a wall cant be just be built there,i would love to see Vettel (or any driver) completing that move with a bunch of these placed in the runoff area.

+1 great idea. I'd prefer a small lake of lava, but that's just me.

[Ciro Pabón]

OMG. Yellow lines at the edges!

I guess I don't have to explain to expert drivers in this forum when you have to use yellow lines and when you have to use white ones and what they mean, but apparently FIA doesn't care.

Unbelievable.

[raymondu999]

I thought Vettel went Option - Prime - Prime. I remember wondering if McLaren had made a mistake by putting Lewis on the options for the second stint as Vettel had the more consistent tyre over the stint.

Watched the reruns and no. Vettel's 2nd stint definitely had yellow markings on the tyres.

[Tamburello]

Oh, so it was YOU who allowed him! Why didn't you tell us straight away that you had given a late waiver to RBR concerning T4?

Using the run off when u are racing alone (driver error or any factor) is another thing than when overtaking someone.Since its a park and a wall cant be just be built there,i would love to see Vettel (or any driver) completing that move with a bunch of these placed in the runoff area.

+1 great idea. I'd prefer a small lake of lava, but that's just me.

Why have such an obstinate position on an overtaking maneuver? I thought we were supposed to be encouraging overtaking, not punishing it?

[raymondu999]

For what it's worth, the stewards are the judges, and the ones who interpret the rules. They ARE the rulebook. They can't be doing something that's against the rules because let's face it, they are the rules. No matter what other people think, what's done is done.

Also let's not forget Johnny Herbert would also have contributed to giving Button a drivethrough, and to letting Vettel through on that count

[Pedro]

Pit-stop summary

Nick Heidfeld in Mercedes?

Corrected, thanx!

[Pedro]

I thought Vettel went Option - Prime - Prime. I remember wondering if McLaren had made a mistake by putting Lewis on the options for the second stint as Vettel had the more consistent tyre over the stint.

That's what we have got from Pirelli:


PIRELLI PIT STOP SUMMARY

Below is a summary of all the pit stops made at the Australian Grand
Prix and the tyres changed. The hard tyre was the prime in Australia
and the soft tyre was the option:

Lap 11 – Webber pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 12 – Alonso pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 13 – Massa pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 13 – Barrichello pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 14 – Vettel pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 14 – Di Resta pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 14 – D'Ambrosio pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 15 – Buemi pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 15 – Heidfeld pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 16 – Hamilton pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 16 – Petrov pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 16 – Rosberg pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 16 – Kobayashi pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 16 – Sutil pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 16 – Trulli pits from hard to soft tyre
Lap 17 – Button pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 17 – Alguersari pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 17 – Kovalainen pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 17 – Schumacher pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 18 – Glock pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 19 – Button pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 19 – Glock pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 23 – Perez pits from hard to soft tyre
Lap 23 – Barrichello pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 26 – Webber pits from hard to soft tyre
Lap 27 – Alonso pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 28 – Barrichello pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 29 – Buemi pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 30 – Heidfeld pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 31 – Massa pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 32 – Kobayashi pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 35 – Alguersuari pits from hard to hard tyre
Lap 36 – Vettel pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 36 – Hamilton pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 36 – Petrov pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 36 – Di Resta pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 37 – Button pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 37 – Sutil pits from hard to hard tyre
Lap 38 – D’Ambrosio pits from hard to hard tyre
Lap 40 – Barrichello pits from soft to hard tyre
Lap 41 – Webber pits from soft to soft tyre
Lap 42 – Alonso pits from soft tyre
Lap 48 – Massa pits from hard to soft tyre


Vettel after 1st pit-stop:

[raymondu999]

Pirelli releases that info? Really?

[Pedro]

Pirelli releases that info? Really?

Yeap, couple hours after the race on Sunday.
They have some mistakes in their report there (see Toro Rosso drivers) but we communicated that and they confirmed our graphics is right.

[horse]

In Button's case there was one minor detail which was overlooked by everyone - including myself. After Button cut the chicane to get in front of Massa, Massa slowed down to give his place to his team mate. Doesn't that mean he isn't entitled to the spot which he was fighting over for with Button anymore ? I think it does.

Totally, but I'm sure this was the Ferrari tactic. Not to force Button into error but Massa was to back Button into Alonso to allow Alonso to get past both of them.

To me, Massa is a broken driver without ambition of title or race wins. His job now is solely to work for Alonso. I also see this as indicating that Ferrari are much more interested in the drivers championship than the constructors championship. Surely, this is perfectly reasonable assumption to make: Ferrari does not need the money, does it?

Don't get me wrong, I think Massa can race, you only had to look at his initial defense of his position against Button, but as soon as Alonso was past him, he no longer cared, evident by the soft pass Button got on him once he had regained the time from the drive through.