Kimi Raikkonen has converted a brilliantly working 2-stop strategy to a race wing for Lotus, immediately confirming the long run pace of the E21. Fernando Alonso finished in second place, 10 seconds behind while Sebastian Vettel completes the podium in third.
On paper Australia is a tad bit more twitchy of a circuit with flicks of the wheel hard braking and on and off throttle compared to most Tilke style tracks. I find hitting the braking zones in Australia is the secret to this track much like Monaco and Brazil both Webber has been above average of late. Anyone remember Webber's first race in Australia, 5th if I'm not mistaken.raymondu999 wrote:IMO he can't take title pressure and goes too conservative or too aggressive (depending on his mood). Also, he seems very bad on all Tilke circuits. I wonder... Is it something in the way Tilke designs his circuits? Or perhaps a manufacturing thing, eg Webber doesn't like the type of asphalt Tilke's contractors use?
Hez definitely staying at Crown across the yarra river. Some pre-race events include RBR at Fed SQ
Spot on mate, I'm at Crown towers in Southbank so hopefully if time permits I can catch up with some F1 Technical members whilst in Melbourne!n_anirudh wrote:Hez definitely staying at Crown across the yarra river. Some pre-race events include RBR at Fed SQ
Definitely. There are quite a few braking zones where you need to be spot-on. I just think about Turn 1,6,9,13,15. Braking too early and you lose so much time, braking too late and you just understeer around the corners. I know it's the same with every corner, but Melbourne is less forgiving.Hobbs04 wrote:I find hitting the braking zones in Australia is the secret to this track much like Monaco and Brazil.raymondu999 wrote:IMO he can't take title pressure and goes too conservative or too aggressive (depending on his mood). Also, he seems very bad on all Tilke circuits. I wonder... Is it something in the way Tilke designs his circuits? Or perhaps a manufacturing thing, eg Webber doesn't like the type of asphalt Tilke's contractors use?
Hi Hail.....Well done and thanks for sharing =D>Hail22 wrote:Live blog with Daniel Ricciardo is now open!
http://www.news.com.au/sport/motor-spor ... 6594801320
Turn 1 this morning, 9:27am local time and its already hot here! Tipped to be 37 degrees Celcius today!
https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/ ... 0200_n.jpg
Ricciardo replies to the question about Pirelli's tyres:
He has his loyalties in checkDaniel Ricciardo:
Hi Hail, they proved quite a challenge in winter testing. I think we're gonna have to wait till racing starts to see how they perform. But they have changed since last year and should provide more excitement. I expect quite a few pit stops!I admire that:
9:30
Comment From Hail F1Technical
If you were given the option for a seat at the following: Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari whom would you sign with
9:30
Daniel Ricciardo:
Infiniti Red Bull racing
No offense mate, but with him contracted to the Red Bull family, nad having a much more direct (and more likely) path to Infiniti Red Bull Racing than to Scuderia Ferrari, did you expect him to say any different? Even if he did prefer Ferrari deep down, he'd have said Red Bull.Hail22 wrote:He has his loyalties in check
9:30
Comment From Hail F1Technical
If you were given the option for a seat at the following: Infiniti Red Bull Racing, Scuderia Ferrari whom would you sign with
9:30
Daniel Ricciardo:
Infiniti Red Bull racing
raymondu999 wrote:Wow. Interesting. Don't think I've seen a prediction for a while that doesn't feature teammates at all. In the name of curiosity, Nando - are they by any chance, your top 5 drivers too? ie the drivers you consider the "5 best" of the grid.Nando wrote:Q
1. Vettel
2. Raikkonen
3. Hamilton
4. Button
5. Alonso
For my own predictions:
Qualifying
1. Lewis Hamilton - I don't think the Merc is the fastest car, but IMO it's a car that could very well suit the one-off demands of Albert Park.
2. Sebastian Vettel
3. Nico Rosberg
4. Romain Grosjean
5. Jenson Button
6. Kimi Raikkonen
7. Mark Webber
8. Fernando Alonso
9. Nico Hulkenberg
10. Felipe Massa
I'm predicting Checo to struggle in his first ever qualifying session with a top car - my guess is around mid-Q2, ie 13th/14th.
Race:
1. Sebastian Vettel - who takes the lead through the pits as it turns out the Mercedes has to do a stop more than Vettel.
2. Jenson Button - plays a smart, canny race with tyre preservation and shines in a front-limited circuit.
3. Fernando Alonso
4. Kimi Raikkonen - hounding Alonso for the podium though
5. Lewis Hamilton
6. Nico Hulkenberg
7. Mark Webber - having cold feet at Albert Park as always
8. Romain Grosjean
9. Felipe Massa
10. Nico Rosberg
Unfortunately I think Checo will struggle in the race too - trying to repeat a one-stop and it turns out that he's not such a great tyre manager without a tyre-friendly Sauber...
Strategy predictions... Giventhat in qualifyng, top cars generally run prime (Q1), option Q2 and option Q3, they generally have 2 new primes, and 1, or no, new options (if they run two laps in Q3).
As such I think some will go oPP (lowercase denotes qualifying-used, uppercase denotes new tyre set) - or some going more flat out and going ooPP. Basically - the two strategy choices we saw in China 2012.
Like all other tracks,Pandabeer wrote:There are quite a few braking zones where you need to be spot-on.
Yep. Precisely why I think he won't be able to repeat his one-stop "heroics"KATO wrote:I can't say Sergio will win the race (as my own prediction I dare not make a prediction ) but I will point out last season he had a Sauber qualified 14th and finished 8th now he has a McLaren. So I really don't know. But I wouldn't count him out..
