Australian GP 2010 - Melbourne

[Giblet]

Here's my take on the race, as I just watched it (thanks RU!!):

1st corner, Alsonso should not have tried to close the door on Button, you need to hold your groove (not line) a little more at the start of the race. It was not a blatant move, it was just him trying to close the door, but Button was there. I don't see any fault, but Button had nothing he could have done in that corner. I have the race in another window right beside this one, and Alonso definitely started turning in while Button was still on his inside. Button could have given the spot before that, but Alonso had not turned in yet, and hind sight is 20/20. If anything Schumi pinched them both in, and 3 cars don't fit in 2 grooves. They could have made the corner 3 abreast.

"Races are rarely won in the first corner, but often lost there" is the quote posted on the screen before every virtual race I attend.

Red Bull needs some reliability. The car isn't disintegrating like before, but the 'plug' and now the brake exploding as Vettel said, must be very frustrating. I am guessing the bottom mounted calipers need some more teething.

Webber was just too erratic. The last incident with Hamilton was mostly his fault, but he can't be faulted for being where he was. He needed to to be there to have a chance to pass if Lewis made a mistake.

Kubica and Renault, very well done. Quick and consistent.

Ferrari might have done well to get new tires, and have some more pace in the pocket. Hard to tell really. Massa looked a little lame out there, and Alonso should not have been able to catch him from so far back. By the time he was at Massa, he was clearly quicker, but his tires had gone off by then as had Massa's, and passing became impossible, especuially against a teammate.

But was the man of the race, and is showing that it was the right move to be on the Mclaren team.

But the fact still remains, if Red Bull can get their reliability up they can still walk away. Too bad Webber was seeing red. He might be quick enough to win when Vettel makes a mistake, or if his car brakes, but he needs to be there to do it. It was a bit too optimistic to think Alonso would let Lewis straight by (the locked tire was an indication) and that he could also get through.

[marcush.]

I swear this is what lauda and Vettel said.Seb even made a reference to the sparks coming from the left front corner and asked if this was visible in the onboard footage....he clearly said the something was working loose grinding with the wheel
and he had already accepted to drive back to the pits slowly to try and fix it...he stopped short of saying it was not the brakedisc in that interview ..but the idiot did not ask explicitly..
Lauda came back to the micro after asking dr.Marko (both Austrian ... and lauda said what marko had told him there was a problem on the wheel when they fitted the dries
it first seemed to be ok ,but then a vibration came up ...but quickly this developped into a grinding and to the loss of braking force on the left front ....

[Ray]

I think alot of people have forgotten, here and in various broadcast booths, that Vettel whacked the CRAP out of his left front during his flying lap in quali. He hit it so hard on the kerb that it threw a huge amount of sparks. With parc ferme rules they may not have been allowed to change anything and even if they could change it that would have incurred a penalty and they might have thought it would last. I don't think that failure should be considered when talking the RB6s reliability because there were earlier indications that a failure could have been caused by him hitting that corner on a kerb really hard.

[The FOZ]

Who thinks that we should have a sprinkler system installed into every track, and a computer randomly either turns on one sector or the whole track for a random ammount of time.

Could that be the answer to "boring" F1???

Or they quit racing in the flippin` desert.

[marcush.]

I think alot of people have forgotten, here and in various broadcast booths, that Vettel whacked the CRAP out of his left front during his flying lap in quali. He hit it so hard on the kerb that it threw a huge amount of sparks. With parc ferme rules they may not have been allowed to change anything and even if they could change it that would have incurred a penalty and they might have thought it would last. I don't think that failure should be considered when talking the RB6s reliability because there were earlier indications that a failure could have been caused by him hitting that corner on a kerb really hard.

oh ,i did not realise this ... of course this could have caused some damage.

[marcush.]

official reason for the dnf : loose wheelnut...

RB is scratchin heads how this come..

http://www.motorsport-total.com/f1/news ... 32844.html

[mstar]

Great drive by button, all weekend looking at the cars i JUST felt the car seemed more stable in jensons hands and possibly more refined set-up.

Anyway has anybody heard of a new fuel mixture/lubricant used by Mobil? unusual to have MW praise them in the press release:

"I also think it's worth praising the extremely valuable contribution of ExxonMobil in this race: their engineers and chemists have done a fantastic job over the winter to provide us with a set of fuel and lubricants that really set the standard in Formula 1; their performance, efficiency and reliability played a crucial role in our victory today"

anyone know of any updates on this? have they come up with a fuel that weighs less? or better performance/fuel efficency?

[Giblet]

Who thinks that we should have a sprinkler system installed into every track, and a computer randomly either turns on one sector or the whole track for a random ammount of time.

Could that be the answer to "boring" F1???

Or they quit racing in the flippin` desert.

+1.

Nobody was there to watch it anyways.

[autogyro]

Great drive by button, all weekend looking at the cars i JUST felt the car seemed more stable in jensons hands and possibly more refined set-up.

Anyway has anybody heard of a new fuel mixture/lubricant used by Mobil? unusual to have MW praise them in the press release:

"I also think it's worth praising the extremely valuable contribution of ExxonMobil in this race: their engineers and chemists have done a fantastic job over the winter to provide us with a set of fuel and lubricants that really set the standard in Formula 1; their performance, efficiency and reliability played a crucial role in our victory today"

anyone know of any updates on this? have they come up with a fuel that weighs less? or better performance/fuel efficency?

It is just a response to the Ferrari confirmation and media hype on the other fossil fuel exploiter Shell.
FIA regulations on fuels and oil are pretty much set.

[Shaddock]

I don't understand the logic. Years back when MS came few time from last to finish 4th or win, then it was a stellar performance. But when Alonso does the same, it is just a good race......

As for LH, yes, he did overtake several people but failed to do that when mattered most (RK and FA). So in the end of the day he finished where he was after the first corner. Besides, he destroyed his tires and started whining.

I think the point that people are trying to make is that Lewis overtook drivers that were quick today, Button, Massa, Rosberg, not cars that were 5 seconds off the pace.

By your own logic Alonso stared P2 and lost places and was stuck behind Massa for 30+ laps, Lewis started P11 and gained places.

The point I want to make is that LH did overtake them but destoyed his tire in the process and at the end he finished behind all of them. That's a fact.

As for who gained what, you are right, but I would count only after the 1st corner mess. Everyone could have a bad start and get spun by another guy. After the 1st corner Alonso was dead last and quickly recovered, even caught Hammy after 15 laps, or so

Did you watch the race? Lewis overtook Button on inters, he passed Massa and Rosberg on his first set of soft's, and then drove away from the Ferrari's and up behind Kubica. There was nothing wrong with tyres then, and when Webber hit himn from behind he was all over the back of Alonso.

[raymondu999]

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this now. But found this off his qualy lap:

[gridwalker]

Not sure if this is the right thread to post this now. But found this off his qualy lap:

I don't care if this is the right place : that is a great image ...

It would explain A LOT

[ringo]

Vettel loves to swing wide on the curbs to keep up his speed. His understeer style is killing his chances on the bumps. I think it hurt him in Bahrain last year and in the european grand prix where he damaged the gearbox as well. The low and delicate RBR doesn't like curbs very much and this is why Webber never seems to have as much reliability problems even when he is straining the car fighting in the midfield.

[Shrieker]

Lewis had Alonso. He was on the outside, Alonso inside and he locked his brakes and was going wide. Hamilton initiated the switch back to take the place and then...

BANG !

Webber strikes back...

Driver of the day was Hamilton. He drove superbly, overtook many high profile drivers. Some say he can't save his tyres. You say he should save his tyres, and then go complain there's no overtaking. Well, somethings gotta give. For me F1 isn't about saving tyres. It's about who can go fastest and display more skill.

[ringo]

Did you see Lewis hold off the 2 Ferraris at the same time before the second pit stop (can't remember the turn or lap). Alonso /offensive/defensive driver of the race, oh please!
I know what i saw, and the pass on rosberg, pass on Massa and webber, pass on Massa again, and the list goes on. The BOSS is the real McCoy.
Hamilton is in a league by himself on passing and in the wet, hands down. Alonso is in Lewis league on overall all parameters, but not on passing, wet driving and track presence.

If Lewis is behind someone expect them to be humiliated !!! That's what i like about the driver, keeps you on the edge of your seat. =D>

Alonso would have been humiliated by the BOSS lap 57 as well had it not been for Webber's impatience.