Melbourne GP

Petroltorque

I stand corrected. Great Race, Roo had called it 2 weeks ago.
Just wonder how long Whitmarsh will keep the lid on the inter team politics, Hamilton vs Alonso comes to mind.
Virgin racing, all CFD approach vindicated? Too small a fuel tank? Listening to Nick Wirth trying to explain that was pure slapstick.
Hispania look like they're getting the jump on them. 300km of mileage has put them in the box seat regards setup info.
Webber, what can I say..... a race to forget.

SuperRoo

Who needs Tilke? As usual Albert Park is predictably unpredictable!
A bit of rain, different strategies, driver mistakes, team mistakes, mixed
up field, lots of overtaking, concrete barriers, indecision and bold
decisions.

Only one thing to say! Bahrain who?

Oh, and I told you so!

viges

Fantastic. Similar conditions to '02, eh Roo?

Webbo was over-driving today and paid the price. Jenson was coolly inspired. Lewis was storming but that probably did for his tyres. The move in the fast chicane was awesome. However, I don't think he can blame the team for bringing him in - they saw his laptimes.

Well done to Kubica and what price RBR winning the championship? I loved Fred's radio comment when they told him Lewis's closing times "I don't want to know!" The TOITs were all over the place in the slow corners.

Jenson's experience and judgement were on public display today; his other good decision was in December when he left Brawn for Macca. How many more races like that before Schumi walks away? He never was any good at overtaking and he certainly hasn't improved.

Here's a prediction: if Barca is dry it will be just as dull as Bahrain.

PistonBroke

I thought Jensons driving was impeccable. Especially when he came in for slicks and the commentators bagged him out when he had a slight off. Half a lap later he proved them wrong. Pity Mark didnt come in sooner, but he needs to keep a cool head under pressure. Much better race than Bah - (no) - Rain.
Maybe they need to put automatic sprinkler systems around the circuits and have a random time they come on???

SuperRoo

Webber or Vettel should have come in earlier. They were 1-2 on the road. It was always going to end badly for Webber. Tactical nouse seems to be RBR downfall. Not just this race but races last year, where the drivers are in good positions before the stops and get compromised after the stops. They boasted how quick their pit stops will be, but they botched Webbers stop in Bahrain allowing Jenson to pass Webber in the pits, and it seems a loose wheel nut caused Vettels problem. Webber should have kept his head, but he would've been pissed off to come in to the pits in first/second and leave in 6th.

Those last 15 laps were enthralling. I just feel that if Clewlis got passed Alonso, Massa and Kubica would have been alot easier to get by. But we will never know.

There seems to be a lot more spite building up between drivers. Between team mates and rival teams.

Seems like the eighties are back!!!

Petroltorque

Have to agree with Viges. Swervemaker does not look good and he no longer intimidates divers. Digrassi coming back at him and spending 18 laps behind Alguesari. How the mighty have fallen.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't it monsoon season in Malaysia and China. Teams might need boats rather than cars.

SuperRoo

I heard it was actually Glock and not Di Grassi.

Still it's a Virgin.

In defence of Schumi he was actually driving
Very fast all weekend. Should have qualified
On the second row. I think it's much to early
To write him off.





[Edited on 29-3-10 by SuperRoo]

Petroltorque

I see Norbert calling at Kimi's door with a case of Findlandia by mid-season.

Stan

I doubt the fuel tank problem is due to the exclusive use of CFD, Petrol ;). I don't think any of the teams design fuel tanks without computers.

Didn't stop people of renaming CFD to Complete Fucking Disaster though. :D

Petroltorque

I agree. CFD had nothing to do with the fuel tank; Thats just a monumental cockup. If I were the FIA I would not have allowed them to re-homogulate their car, just to see if Branson's incessant grin turns into a rictus!

Lease

Well, the race was fun.

Congrats to Jenson, but I think that he has been let off a bit easily on the first corner incident. Of course, you can argue it, but he really didn't have position to take the corner in my view. Still, an amazing call to bring him in. Seconds before that the RBR twits were talking rain in 12 minutes. That's the real reason they didn't come in.

After Alonso's response to the team about Hamilton, I find that I'm actually starting to like the guy.

Does Hamilton have any clue at all about team/tactics/technology? He seems to be the ultimate Cole Trickle "They told me to get in a car and drive. I'd like to help out, but I can't. I don't have the vocabulary."

Great fun for the boys who got to play with Schumaker. Man that must have been tweaking his 'God' gland.

Webber drove like a goose, but he knows that. Someone once famously said that Stirling moss was the best driver never to win a championship. Well Webber has to be the guy that was given the talent, and the car to win a championship, and then pissed it all away. Shame.

Vettell must be feeling not very positive towards the car at the moment. He should be undisputed leader of the chamionship instead of being on a big fat 0. Still, age and talent are on his side so his time will come.

As for the Virgin team; bloody hell! Come on, if you are allowed to fuck up like that, I want a go at running a team. In fact, the way that these bottom three teams are running, i want all of the bullshit said about minardi in its last three years taken back. They were magnificent in comparison to these twats.

Finally, you folks not located close to ground zero should be very grateful. The televsion coverage here over the course of the meeting was terrible. I mean really terrible. Just how many standard questions can you ask every driver, every team owner, every mechanic, every team barista..........? It was woeful. The telecast was squarely aimed at the once-a-year fan base, and was frankly embarrassing.