Australian Grand Prix!

[bigC]

the third race of the seasn, the Australian Grand Prix! Fisichella won this race last year, and he won last time in Malaysia, so Renault should be given the edge this weekend. Honda was quickest in practice, but the other main teams, Williams, Renault, Ferrari, and McLaren, were also quick, but these results are for Friday practice only, where teams run limited laps to save their engines. i wonder if there will be a spate of engine changes or blow-outs like we saw in Bahrain (running at 20,000 RPM really seems to be taxing these v8 engines). is it time to rethink the 1 engine 2 race rule?

i really hope that this race is more exciting then Malaysia, which was pretty much a snooze-fest.

story: http://www.formula1.com/race/news/4175/753.html
results: http://www.formula1.com/race/result/753/10.html


oh well, JV will be penalized 10 spots for changing his engine prior to qualifying. he is likely the first of many to befall this fate: http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=160711
more: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35436

Friday practice to be scrapped altogether?since nothing really happens anymore on Friday, that may not be such a bad idea. http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/formula_one/news_story.asp?ID=160748&hubName=auto_racing-formula_one

Minardi to return in 2008? does anyone really care? Mosley is no fan of Stoddart, so don't hold your breath, Minardi fans (all three of you), for the return of your favourite F1 team. also, David Richards, former grand poobah at BAR, wants to field a team in 2008. losing at BAR wasn't enough for him? well, i guess the more the merrier. http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=160359
and: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35444

brely three races into the season, and the speculation for next year alreay starts? Alonso to McLaren, Kimi rumoured to go to Ferrari, and now JPM to replace DC at Red Bull? don't these people have contracts? http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35447

[Shamrock]

Whoa, Button on the pole!!!

and M Schumacher 11th! (didnt make the 2nd cut in Qually)

Massa wrecked during qual and tore up his car.

I agree about the engines, turning 20k is murder on them, do away with the 2 race rule. Steve Matchett also let out a rumor about Schumie signing w Ferrari for 2 more years!

[BrianG]

I love the new qualifying system. That is all.

[Daneel Olivaw]

oh well, JV will be penalized 10 spots for changing his engine prior to qualifying. he is likely the first of many to befall this fate: http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=160711
more: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35436


To be honest I prefer JV finishing the race without points to him blowing up another engine, looks better and its more fun. Let Heidfeld score a few points this race, and Villeneuve climb 10 places and continue looking respectable (this year).

[bigC]

Button gets the pole for Honda but both Renaults are right behind him. the McLaren's are in 4th and 5th. Schumacher in the Ferrari was a slow 11th, better then his teammate Massa who spun out and will start 16th. Ralf S qualified in 6th for Toyota, Webber in 7th, followed by Heidfeld, JV, and Trulli (however, JV will start down in 19th since he had to change his engine). Barrichello in the second Honda starts in 17th place, a miserable qualifying by him.

story: http://www.formula1.com/race/news/4184/753.html
results: http://www.formula1.com/race/result/753/24.html

[Mr_LoL]

This is so exciting. Watching it now and i hope it rains. The best races are when it rains.

[Wolfhound]

Alonso won!!!! nice :D I´m happy, he had done a beautiful race

[Mr_LoL]

What a great race. Nice to see jenson blowing up in the last corner :D as I really cant stand him. I really hope the mclarens are quicker at san marino.

[BrianG]

Watched it live. I found it amusing that instead of getting championship point by coasting across the line, the commentators were yelling at him to stop the car to not take the penalty.

It was a good run for Webber, too bad the transmission let him down. Williams looks like McLaren did last year - able to create pace, but bad race luck damaging hopes.

Renault - "I'm the Juggernaut, biatch."

Super aguri - Bye. Go away now. Please.

Barichello - The Ferrari mechnics spent less time setting up the car for him and more for... erm... Nope, Honda's fault.

Honda - can not get heat into the tires quick enough, it seems. Watching live scoring I could see the sector times were competitive for Button once there were a few laps down from the restarts. Quite a show from Fisi's on-board of the blow-up.

Scott Speed - Scores his first F1 points holding off DC. Good for him.

[bigC]

wow, what an event-filed race. both Ferraris crash spectacularly; Klien, Trulli, and Liuzzi also had accidents, and the best driver in F1 (never to win a race) after having a miserable race, ended his day mere metres from the finish line, as his engine blew up and allowed Fisichella to pass easily and finish 5th. it may be sour grapes, but i couldn't help but laugh when Button's car failed--he is a fine example of a driver who hasn't lived up to all the hype. since i usually watch the ITV feed, i have grown sick of the Brits fawning over a driver who has never won a race.

good efforts by Alonso, Kimi, and Ralf S (in 3rd), who's Toyota has performed a lot better then the first race. Alonso took advantage of Honda's restart problems and easily passed him, never having to look back. Heidfeld finished in 4th and JV, who started 19th, one-stopped and finished 6th. JV benifitted greatly from all the cars dropping out, but points are points, and BMW gained 8 of them today. Barichello scored points for Honda, finishing in 7th.

story: http://www.formula1.com/race/news/4190/753.html
results: http://www.formula1.com/race/result/753/8.html

Scott Speed - Scores his first F1 points holding off DC. Good for him.oops, that'll learn ya. Speed was penalized 25 seconds and dropped down to 11th, whilst DC moved up to the 8th spot. rookie mistake: http://www.formula1.com/race/news/4196/753.html

Button's awful day chronicled: http://www.formula1.com/race/news/4192/753.html
and: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35478

yah for BMW and JV (admittedly, i am a fan). like Williams, nothing much was expected of the team when BMW took control, so it's nice to see them post some results. hopefully, it continues: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35482

in three weeks, the San Marino Grand Prix! :D :beer:

[Mr_LoL]

What a shame for speed. I hope he learns from his mistake.

[Shamrock]

Button blew an engine? LOL...no, he looks like a flaming meteor, that thing was shooting flames 20 ft or more!

[bigC]

some Aussie GP fall-out:

Super Aguri and Midland, the backmakers, are protesting Toro Rosso (Red Bull Jr), saying that they have an unfair advantange since they are still using v10 engines. this was bound to happen: http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=161051

as we all know, whenever we, mere consumers, see an advertisement, we are compelled to do whatever that ad tells us to do. so, in that spirit, the EU has demanded that Italy, Spain, and Hungary comply with the EU policy and ban all tobacco ads for their F1 events (because, as you know, i always get the urge to smoke when i see a car with Marlboro on it). do they want to kill the sport in Europe? do they really think that ads have such a major influence on our behaviour? http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35514

despite a good finish at Australia, Toyota fired its technical director, Mike Gascoyne: http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35517

BMW is happy with it's progress (but, the article has an error. *With Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve taking fourth and sixth in Australia, BMW scored its first ever points as a works team.* JV scored points in Malaysia): http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35533

Barichello is struggling at Honda. he had wanted to be a contender, and thought that he could push Button and even win races at Honda. well, so far, so bad: http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/formula_one/news_story.asp?ID=161494&hubName=auto_racing-formula_one

[Daneel Olivaw]

BMW is happy with it's progress (but, the article has an error. *With Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve taking fourth and sixth in Australia, BMW scored its first ever points as a works team.* JV scored points in Malaysia): http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?PO_ID=35533Bah, there's a conspiracy against JV anyways... (half-joking)

[bigC]

with Alonso moving to McLaren next season, the rumour is that M Schumacher is to replace him at Renault, leaving Ferrari: http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/news_story.asp?id=162469

Midland F1 is in trouble: a lack of competitiveness and a cash crisis has prompted owner Alex Shnaider to consider selling off his stake in the team (but i thought all the new rules that were put in place were supposed to make it cheaper to field an F1 team): http://www.tsn.ca/auto_racing/formula_one/news_story.asp?ID=162576&hubName=auto_racing-formula_one