Australian GP 2010 - Melbourne

[Sean H]

another Ferrari 1-2? RBR vs Scuderia? Can anybody challenge?

[Mr Alcatraz]

I agree that Bahrain was a dull race, but we should consider that everyone was in new waters, nobody knew how the tires will behave with the heavy cars, etc. So, everyone took a very conservative approach. As the season progresses the teams will understand the tires behavior better and I really hope they will start being more aggressive, taking more risks ect. (especially the cars behind the top 4). So, I would wait for couple of more races and see how the things will go

I totally agree with this! As bad as it seem let’s not scrap the whole formula yet! Let's really get a snoot full! If things keep up the way the first race went even a very close championship, wont keep these reg's in place!

I also agree with Prost’s comments:

But when you start a race with 160 kilos you have to think differently
- and they are not used to that. After a few races, I am sure the good drivers, the top drivers, will like it."

Prost, 55, dubbed 'the professor' during his racing days for his cool analysis and performance in conserving tyres and managing fuel loads, added: "These drivers have never experienced this before so they are a bit confused by everything, and so are the teams.

"They have to get used to it and it will be better."

He added that he would prefer to see more freedom left to the teams and drivers in their choice of tyres - allowing them to do as they please rather than have to use one set of soft and one of harder compound. "If it was my decision, I would have left it free so they do what they want."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/ar ... 352&pnum=2

As much as it pains me, this maybe what F1 needs to help them understand what the consumer expects in this series! And indeed what great open wheel racing is all about!

[raceman]

another Ferrari 1-2?

Amen. [-o<

[_GOGGS_]

If you want to follow weather trends for Melbourne, check out the link below...
http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/vic/forec ... urne.shtml

[forty-two]

In terms of the regulations, I have to say that I am still a little undecided.

I found the last season in particular to be very exciting to follow, and often there would be times when you thought the outcome of a race was decided, only to find at the last few laps the running order changed because someone had to dart into the pits to change tyres.

I wonder if perhaps allowing the teams to choose what tyres they run would be better, and NOT mandating any stops at all. If for example one car was very rough on it's tyres but very fast, it might be worth THEIR while stopping three times, while another car might be very gentle on it's tyres and prefer a harder compound and not need to stop at all AT SOME CIRCUITS.

I haven't really thought through all the implications of this, just my meandering thoughts....

[Shaddock]

Bridgestone will not bring tyres that will fall apart after 10 laps for PR reasons.

They are in F1 to make money in the long term, and tyres that do not last isn’t a good public image to have, even if it will spice up the racing. The only PR tyre companies now get out of F1 tends to be negative, when things go wrong, drivers complaining about graining, concerns about wear rates flat spots and under steer. How much positive press do the tyre companies get?

This is one of the reasons why being a single tyre supplier in F1 is not that attractive a proposition to the manufacturers, they only make the news when things go wrong. This is the main reason F1 is having difficulty getting a new tyre supplier when/if Bridgestone eventually pull out.

The tyre companies enjoyed the days of multiple manufactures and tyre wars, who could provide the best tyre for each track. Plenty of positive PR.

[rfs]

I don't understand the reasoning behind bringing a softer tyre. One of the reasons why the Bahrain race was crap was that drivers felt that if they drove aggressively, they would destroy the tyres. But as it so happened, the tyres lasted the distance very well. So why would you bring softer tyres which would probably end up with the guys driving like grandmas again?

I think they'll be more aggressive this time and produce a better spectacle. The Australian GP usually produces good races anyway.

[djos]

I don't understand the reasoning behind bringing a softer tyre. One of the reasons why the Bahrain race was crap was that drivers felt that if they drove aggressively, they would destroy the tyres. But as it so happened, the tyres lasted the distance very well. So why would you bring softer tyres which would probably end up with the guys driving like grandmas again?

I think they'll be more aggressive this time and produce a better spectacle. The Australian GP usually produces good races anyway.

The logic is that they will try to take advantage of the drip while they have it as they know they have to stop twice anyway - in Bahrain everyone knew they would be 1 stopping and had to make the tires live for the last 2/3rsd of the race.

The softer tires have more mechanical grip and if you can use that to your advantage while making them last 1/3rd of the race you can hopefully overtake.

[WhiteBlue]

Enjoy Mark Webbers run up to the OZ GP.

Fasten your belts: here comes the world's fastest sandwich board
RICHARD HINDS
March 23, 2010

Sit back and relax . . . Mark Webber is paraded around his home town of Queanbeyan yesterday. After Mark Webber steered his Red Bull around the black cats that once blocked his path and won last year's German Grand Prix, his reaction was more like something you would hear in an X-rated movie than a sporting arena.

More recently, as Australian Grand Prix organisers imposed upon the now-celebrated Australian driver to help promote an event struggling to regain its cachet despite huge government support, and in direct competition with the opening round of the AFL season, the response to even the most obscure request was similar: ''Yes! Yes! Yes! Ohhhh Yessss!''

It is testament to Webber's support of the local race that, even with the return of superstars such as the un-retired Michael Schumacher and the charismatic Lewis Hamilton, Australian Grand Prix promotion is so heavily focused on the only home-grown competitor that the list of media opportunities reads like pages ripped from his personal diary.

These engagements and the race poster of Webber in orgasmic post-German Grand Prix pose make it clear the organisers are banking on the vastly improved image of a driver once so cursed by fate he was at long odds to make it out of the hotel driveway in his courtesy car. The proof will be in the ticket sales, but - and we are not making any of these appearances up - this is a week in the life of the world's fastest sandwich board.

Monday: Webber was paraded along the main street of his home town, Queanbeyan, to a civic reception and, in the first local demonstration of his newfound reliability, made it to the civic offices without suffering any mechanical problems or damaging any councillors. The Raiders' No.1 ticket-holder then spent the night with the team hierarchy and found there was even more smoke coming out of the Canberra coaches' box than there once was from his gearbox.

Tuesday: Making the significant leap from Monaro Street, Queanbeyan, to the halls of Melbourne University, Webber and Red Bull Racing head of car engineering, Paul Monaghan, will deliver a lecture to mechanical engineering students. The title has not been released, but should be:

Wednesday: Webber will allow other F1 stars to take the limelight. Massive surge in ticket sales expected as the media flocks to see Nico Hulkenberg in a go-kart, Sebastian Vettel learn to throw a boomerang (I repeat, I am not making this up), Vitantonio Liuzzi eat Italian food and a bunch of others playing poker with Joe Hachem. Meanwhile, the historic link between F1 and feminism will be celebrated at the launch of the grid girls' uniform, although Germaine Greer is a surprise absentee from the celebrity race.The Modern Formula One Car: Why I Thought About Trading Mine For A Corolla.

Thursday: Webber attends a ''Legends of Sport'' lunch where fellow stars such as Lydia Lassila, James Tomkins, Damien Oliver and Mick Doohan will assemble to tell Webber that, when everyone else in the change room was cracking gags about his latest DNF, they still thought he was a gun.

Friday: Webber meets The Fanatics, ''a well-known supporter group that show their support via wacky green-and-gold outfits and loud humorous chants and songs for key Aussie athletes and teams''. Never will those attending a grand prix be more grateful they coughed up $1 for a set of earplugs. Webber will also receive the Jack Brabham Award to acknowledge his outstanding contribution to Australian motor sport - and his reduced contribution to international panelbeating.

Saturday: John Travolta meets Mark Webber. (Yes it was written that way; no I'm still not making this up.) No news yet on what number they will perform, but put your house on Greased Lightning.

Sunday: Mark Webber, to everyone's relief, drives in the Australian Grand Prix. His improved reputation is based on newfound reliability. But, after this build-up, he will need to lap Hamilton twice, make Schumacher look like Mr Magoo and have Felipe Massa eating fumes or some of us will feel short changed.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald

Good Corolla joke

[Mr Alcatraz]

Good stuff WB!

[WhiteBlue]

I have prepared some interesting analysis in the WDC/WCC odds thread after the last race. I have added some comments and would like to re post it here primarily to remind us of the relative strength of the cars and drivers going into the week end.

The reasoning behind this is that obviously the driver odds are influenced by the relative pace of the car they drive. I have tried to dial that out in a novel way and I'm showing the result here once again.



This chart shows the relative strength of the cars. I have divided all team odds by the odds of the WCC leader which happens to be Ferrari at the moment. This is why Ferrari relative odds are shown as a one. The chart will always tell us how strong the other cars are perceived by the betters in comparison with the leading car. Obviously one is the best and the higher the score is the weaker the car is perceived. Once you have the relative strength of each car compared to the leader you can effectively use this to eliminate the handicap the drivers are carrying. This is shown in the next chart.



In this chart I have devided the personal WDC odds of the drivers by the relative car odd. This should now show us what the betting folks think about the driver strength independent of the car they are driving. I'm not saying this represents the true driver ability but I would think that it comes closer to it than the absolute driver odds.

I think it compliments Vettel a bit because the strength of the Red Bull has not been realized totally by the odds. But is is not such a big surprise. Vettel was voted the highest rated driver by the F1 team principals this winter.

Button obviously looks pretty bad considering he is the reigning champion. I certainly expect him to be beaten this year and in the future by Hamilton. Hamilton will look better I guess as the season progresses when the betting public appreciates the strength of the Red Bull.

Rosberg will also get closer to Schumacher if he continues to show the good form of the last race. Rosberg shows a pretty good form in this ranking which indicates that he will make good use of finding himself in a top four car. His ultimate test will come when he needs to fight for a race win.

[Danlizzyman]

I could hear what sounded like a V10 F1 engine today from my apartment. I could be very much mistaken or it could have been the 2-seater Minardi doing a bit of a shakedown, either way it gave me a tingle down the spine and now I'm super excited for sunday (got my ticket), and possibly friday and saturday if I go!

[Fil]

I could hear what sounded like a V10 F1 engine today from my apartment. I could be very much mistaken or it could have been the 2-seater Minardi doing a bit of a shakedown, either way it gave me a tingle down the spine and now I'm super excited for sunday (got my ticket), and possibly friday and saturday if I go!

About 12:30-1pm?
I could hear them from work in South Yarra, and friends in St Kilda were claiming to hear it too!
It was a Jamie Whincup driving a 2008 McLaren for 4 laps, and Button driving a V8 Super Car for 4 laps too.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAZ4yT-NY6g[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9bRQWNamQ8[/youtube]

[raceman]

I could hear what sounded like a V10 F1 engine today from my apartment. I could be very much mistaken or it could have been the 2-seater Minardi doing a bit of a shakedown, either way it gave me a tingle down the spine and now I'm super excited for sunday (got my ticket), and possibly friday and saturday if I go!

About 12:30-1pm?
I could hear them from work in South Yarra, and friends in St Kilda were claiming to hear it too!
It was a Jamie Whincup driving a 2008 McLaren for 4 laps, and Button driving a V8 Super Car for 4 laps too.

Indeed

Jenson and Jaime swap cars

[horse]

Possibility of intermittent rain during the weekend:

Australian Grand Prix Forecast: 26-28 March 2010