2011 Australian Grand Prix discussion thread

Aerond · Post by **Aerond** » 23 Mar 2011, 12:09

Just found this photo description and it made me laugh; best way to start the Australian GP thread!

Sebastian Vettel handles a sheep on a farm outside Melbourne as part of his preparations for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix

It makes me wonder if he´ll actually do any sort training with the sheep at the starting grid.

Jeroen Krautmeir · Post by **Jeroen Krautmeir** » 23 Mar 2011, 12:18

Sheep: Baaaa! And when Webber defies your number 1 status, you do this! *rams into farmer*

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 23 Mar 2011, 12:55

Aerond wrote:Just found this photo description and it made me laugh; best way to start the Australian GP thread!

Sebastian Vettel handles a sheep on a farm outside Melbourne as part of his preparations for this weekend's Australian Grand Prix

It makes me wonder if he´ll actually do any sort training with the sheep at the starting grid.

Vettel's training.

Shizuka · Post by **Shizuka** » 24 Mar 2011, 16:07

Why did almost EVERY sentence of the five drivers start with "Yeah" in the press conference?

Debaser · Post by **Debaser** » 24 Mar 2011, 16:55

Shizuka wrote:Why did almost EVERY sentence of the five drivers start with "Yeah" in the press conference?

It fills time and adds length to short answers. Formula 1 drivers and footballers are the worst for cliche ridden, uninformative answers to questions from the press.

Ferrim · Post by **Ferrim** » 24 Mar 2011, 17:21

Finally!

golic_2004 · Post by **golic_2004** » 24 Mar 2011, 18:18

How is Timo Glock after his surgery?

jackanderton · Post by **jackanderton** » 24 Mar 2011, 21:11

I think they should start the race where we left off in Abu Dhabi, if only to see whether Alonso can finally get past Petrov.

Post by **mario** » 24 Mar 2011, 21:53

We have not even begun the practise sessions in Melbourne, and already there is a complaint brewing from the teams regarding the adjustable rear wings.

On the eve of the first practise session, the FIA has suddenly decided that it shall extend the length of the zone in which the adjustable rear wing may be used to 860m. This means that the wings can now be used from just before the last turn right up to the start of the braking zone for Turn 1; in reality, the DRS probably won't be used until the exit of the corner, effectively making the zone about 750m long.
Most of the teams are not happy about this sudden change because they had been working on the original plans for a 600m zone; Christian Horner is particularly annoyed, and has gone on record saying that it has "screwed up" Red Bull's race simulations and gear ratios, both of which are now out of date.
http://adamcooperf1.com/2011/03/24/fia- ... te-change/

Myrvold · Post by **Myrvold** » 24 Mar 2011, 23:53

Those 120m extra doesn't do THAT much...

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:33

Karun...

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:33

Karun Chandhok with a truly brilliant start to this season. :lol:

Valrys · Post by **Valrys** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:37

Oh Karun

the Masked Lapwing · Post by **the Masked Lapwing** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:40

Klon wrote:Karun Chandhok with a Trulli brilliant start to this season.

Brilliant chance to point out the obvious pun. :lol:

Mister Fungus · Post by **Mister Fungus** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:46

No sleep until HRT comes out on track!

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 25 Mar 2011, 01:48

Wierd from karun - slow speed too. Also wierd - the HRT is firing up!!!

Cars sound stranger too. So good to be back.

Valrys · Post by **Valrys** » 25 Mar 2011, 02:05

Just some lovely shots of the HRT garage on the BBC feed there.

I love the team, but oh lord, Narain's car is still in pieces, and there was a lovely shot of Liuzzi forlornly inspecting the floor of his car which still wasn't on the car :lol:

Henrique · Post by **Henrique** » 25 Mar 2011, 02:52

Valrys wrote:Just some lovely shots of the HRT garage on the BBC feed there.

I love the team, but oh lord, Narain's car is still in pieces, and there was a lovely shot of Liuzzi forlornly inspecting the floor of his car which still wasn't on the car

They're still building the cars? This is too reject to be true.

Henrique · Post by **Henrique** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:05

First practice is over and not a single lap from HRT. Virgin really needs to step up too.

patrick · Post by **patrick** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:09

fp1 impressions -

Red bull on top
Ferrari close, then merc, mclaren
good laps from rubens, kamui
renault a bit slow?
toro rosso, force india, lotus, virgin. No apparent performance jump for lotus
heavy tire wear, plenty of sliding under braking.

So happy to be back!

Myrvold · Post by **Myrvold** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:10

Henrique wrote:They're still building the cars? This is too reject to be true.

No! and that is the big worry atm. The car is not assembled, but they are not working on it!

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:11

Both Virgins outside 107%. By about two seconds, as well.

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:13

Henrique wrote:Virgin really needs to step up too.

And how. If they're not sandbagging massively, they're in mountains of trouble. Had that been a qualifying session, the 107% time would be 1'32.909. Heikki beat that by only half a second...

I will watch again in the second practice session, but as it stands, Virgin are on solid DNQ pace. Something tells me Timo Glock will end this weekend cursing the day he decided not to call Team Bahar and see if they'd give him a shot. Nick Wirth may also regret his decision to cut costs by shoving a new nose and front wing and a slightly altered paint job on a VR-01 and hope nobody notices it's last year's car.

As for Hispania... who knows.

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:14

GwilymJJames wrote:Both Virgins outside 107%. By about two seconds, as well.

Cut-off time: 1:32.909
D'Ambrosio: 1:35.282 (+2.373)
Glock: 1:35.289 (+2.380)

This is awful. I was really hoping that all teams can qualify just to prove the point of the 107-%-rule being bathpluging stupid.

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:16

The worrying thing is...

If Virgin are that slow...

How shite are Hispania going to be?

Henrique · Post by **Henrique** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:19

GwilymJJames wrote:The worrying thing is...

If Virgin are that slow...

How shite are Hispania going to be?

Quoting the F1 Rejects Season preview, "Virgin could be in a race of its own".

Priceless · Post by **Priceless** » 25 Mar 2011, 03:21

Henrique wrote:First practice is over and not a single lap from HRT. Virgin really needs to step up too.

Agreed. Kovalainen had nearly 3 seconds over them... but speaking of which, seems Team Lotus is standing exactly where it was last year - leading the "new teams" but a second or so off the "established teams".

Another interesting thing to note is that d'Ambrosio matched Glock's pace - actually d'Ambrosio was 0.007s faster! Seems like my predictions will be off by as much as Virgin was off Lotus in this session...

On the other end of the table, Red Bull seems to be flying, too...

Waiting for FP2 now!

McDuck · Post by **McDuck** » 25 Mar 2011, 05:33

Red Bull is fast.

I think they're doing some funny business with the way their rear wing element is used though. The smoothness and consistency of it's trim and deployment lap after lap borders on computer controlled active aero, IMO.

superimu · Post by **superimu** » 25 Mar 2011, 05:50

GwilymJJames wrote:
How shite are Hispania going to be?

Stunningly poor, Narain just said they may only be out for a recon lap. HRT are finding a way to somehow WORSE than last year. They are bending the laws of physics and rejectdom,

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 25 Mar 2011, 05:51

Apparently HRT are using last year's front wing here because the new one failed a crash test. James Allen (who now works for ONE here) has been told they'll try and get Tonio's car out before the end of the session

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 25 Mar 2011, 06:04

My god those McLarens are quick :shock:

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 25 Mar 2011, 06:12

I know this is the wrong thread but can I nominate the ONE commentry team for spending the past hour being unable to tell the difference betweens turns 2, 3 and 4?

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:04

I witnessed the first ever lap of the Hispania F111. That's a big tick in the box for me

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:07

107% for this one is 1:31.86, both Lotus cars getting through, neither the Virgins nor (obviously) the HRT making it through.

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:08

Have to say this rear wing is really doing my nut in, free practice 1 = use whenever, free practice 2 = first hour use it, then 30 mins race trim, qualifying = use whenever, race = use in the zone, rain = switch it off... What is the point?

dinizintheoven · Post by **dinizintheoven** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:09

Wizzie wrote:I witnessed the first ever lap of the Hispania F111. That's a big tick in the box for me

I saw... bits of it. The F111 moves, at least, but that's all we know until 2:55 am tomorrow...

107% of Jenson Button's time was 1'31.864. Both Virgins missed it, again, and Liuzzi never set a proper time. So this business of >107% qualifying times still causing the car to be allowed to start in "exceptional circumstances", say, if the pracice times have been well within the cut-off time - clearly, no exception will be made for Virgin or Hispania.

What are the odds on only 20 cars starting the race? I thought there would be 22, until a few hours ago...

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:10

sswishbone wrote:free practice 1 = use whenever, free practice 2 = first hour use it, then 30 mins race trim, qualifying = use whenever, race = use in the zone, rain = switch it off... What is the point?

FP2: Last half hour to test the regulating software works.
Rain: Safety reasons.

sswishbone · Post by **sswishbone** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:11

I might go down to the old bookmaker with that one dude, could get decent odds on a specific number taking the grid

@ Wizzie: - Ah thanks for clearing that up :geek:

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:18

I never thought I'd ever witness a DNQ, but it seems that may be about to change. So, thank you HRT and possibly Virgin too for this blast to the past.

GwilymJJames · Post by **GwilymJJames** » 25 Mar 2011, 07:20

This is the greatest photograph ever