2017 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne, 24 - 26 March

[GoranF1]

1. Fernando Alonso
2.....
3.....
It will rain, Max will be voted driver of the day.

Is that the list for the DNF's?

Never undereatimate Fernando Alonso, the walking God!

[OneAlex]

1. Fernando Alonso
2.....
3.....
It will rain, Max will be voted driver of the day.

Is that the list for the DNF's?

Never undereatimate Fernando Alonso, the walking God!

Emphasis on walking past lap 10...

[godlameroso]

No rain for race weekend.

[GTO99]

I assume the following factors will be the 2 major issues in this race.
1) fuel consumption
2) passing collisions - due to new wider cars
Which team or driver will have the greatest challenge with the said factors?

[f1316]

I disagree about race pace not being strong .

We know there's not a lot of deg (with US being used, will it still be a 1 stop?) which means both a. Drivers will be pushing much harder in the race than last year b. There'll be fewer chances to overtake in the pits, so there'll be a more incentive to push harder throughout.

I'll be gobsmacked if we don't see race laps in the 25s and agree with an earlier poster that it's quite possible the lap record will go towards the end of the race.

[godlameroso]

25's would have them 6 seconds per lap faster than last year. I doubt we'll see that kind of speed. They're ~3.5 to 4 seconds faster than last year, so 27's most likely.

[ME4ME]

Given people are posting predictions, I might as well add mine to it:

Ferrari & Mercedes equally fast. Hamilton puts it on pole followed by Vettel, Raikkonen, Bottas and the RB drivers.

In the race: Stroll loses control and crashes, at least one Haas will retire with break issues, neither Mclarens make it to the end of the race. One Toro Rosso retires with PU issues and Sauber gets lapped twice.

[FrukostScones]

HAM and VET collide last lap to allow RB victory.

[basti313]

HAM and VET collide last lap to allow RB victory.

It took two pages until someone claimed Vet will crash.
And I wonder why Ham was predicted to crash already twice...ok, I would love to see him side by side with Ves, that will surely not end up without contact...

[godlameroso]

Vettel's Melbourne crashing days were back in 2008-2010

[Fifty]

Qualifying will be faster. Race laps will start fast and then there will be calls to do some serious fuel savings and lap times not much better than last year.

[Gerhardsa]

Its so hard to predict without really knowing the real performance levels, but I will have a go.

Qualy:
1. Ham
2. Kimi
3. Vet
4. Bottas
5. Ric
6. Ves

Race
Hamilton wins quite easily (god I hope not. I want a fight but i suspect this)

I see a good scrap for the two other podium positions between
Kimi, Vet, Bottas.

The Red Bulls will just not have the pace yet to keep those 3 in range
In the end I think

1. Ham
2. Kimi
3. Vet
4. Bottas

[Vasconia]

Mercedes has been particularly dominant on this track so if we see Ferrari close there will be some hope for this season, if they are even ahead 2017 could be a great season.

[f1316]

25's would have them 6 seconds per lap faster than last year. I doubt we'll see that kind of speed. They're ~3.5 to 4 seconds faster than last year, so 27's most likely.

To be clear, I'm not saying 25s from the start on fat fuel , I'm saying fastest lap in the 25s.

Last year's fastest lap was a 1:28.9 and I'm certain they're going to be going more than 1 sec faster than that. I doubt if there were any race laps last year where drivers were pushing anywhere close to the maximum, whereas with the low deg we expect this year, they're likely to be pushing much more.

I don't think a fastest lap 3 secs faster than last year is unrealistic - in fact I think that's quite conservative - which is why I think it's probable that even the lap record from refuelling era could be at risk. Obviously this also partly depends on strategy though - if we get someone from the front running teams doing a two stop with fresh SS or US towards the end (like Ricciardo last year) then it becomes more likely than if people are stretching out a 1 stop and pacing themselves.

[etusch]

There is too much to race and I prefer to make prediction for race after qual. For now
Qual
1. Vettel
2. Bottas.
3. Kimi
4. Verstappen
5. Ham
6. Riccardo

For race
1 Vettel
2 ham
3 Bottas
4 verstappen
5 Riccardo
6 massa

I think kimi will be faster but unlucky as he was when he has fast car