760 replies to this topic

[jrg19]

Lets go!

I guess the main story to this race will be if it stays dry, I think we're in for a cracker!


*please Mark don't punt Lewis off.

Edited by jrg19, 17 March 2013 - 01:08.

[Con1]

Lets go!

I guess the main story to this race will be if it stays dry, I think we're in for a cracker!


*please Mark don't punt Lewis off.

If it stays dry this will be a mixed up race. All the top guys on the supersofts will have to pit early. And I mean really early. Then they will be well down the field and will need to fight their way through. Throw in a few safety cars and you could be looking at an odd podium.

[weareracing]

Will be interesting to see if Ferrari call any strategy calls to "assist" their "preferred" driver.
Felipe starts P4, Fernando P5, bit early for a gearbox change?
Honestly think that if it stays MOSTLY dry that Red Bull will have both drivers on the podium, though Seb's rear-tyres looked ugly after qualifying in comparison to others.
Third driver on the podium to be either a Mercedes (MAY suffer on race-pace but safety-cars are a feature in Australia which might help), Ferrari (see 1st line) or a Lotus.
Incident at turn1/2 on opening lap guaranteed.

[Longtimefan]

I was going to suggest Vettel will make a run for it and Webber backs the pack up, but with Marks terrible starts, I guess that's not an option.

[weareracing]

Longtimefan,
given the state of Sebastian's rear-tyres I don't think that's an option.
On a dry/drying track he'll need a very early pit-stop, can he stick to a two-stop strategy?
Ferrari & Lotus to challenge in the race, and can Mercedes hold their form over a whole race?
McLaren a DISTANT 5th, cue the smile on Lewis Hamilton's face

[Wheels23]

Massa to win.

You read it here first or maybe third. I'm going to get a sandwich now and do work till 10 minutes before the race.

[Con1]

Longtimefan,
given the state of Sebastian's rear-tyres I don't think that's an option.
On a dry/drying track he'll need a very early pit-stop, can he stick to a two-stop strategy?
Ferrari & Lotus to challenge in the race, and can Mercedes hold their form over a whole race?
McLaren a DISTANT 5th, cue the smile on Lewis Hamilton's face

You meant 15th surely?

[PorcupineTroy]

If the start is dry I expect Hamilton to go over the back of Webber at the first corner, eliminating eight cars in total. Daniel Ricciardo barely holds off Valtteri Bottas to finish 5th, while Vettel romps off to victory from Alonso and Sergio Perez, scoring a podium in his first race for McLaren. Eight cars finish the race.

[speednerd]

*please Mark don't punt Lewis off.

With Mark starting 2nd and Lewis starting 3rd... also with Lewis' famous 2011...plus this being Mark's home race, I think you should say...

Please Lewis, don't punt Mark off

[Kelateboy]

Lets go!

I guess the main story to this race will be if it stays dry, I think we're in for a cracker!


*please Mark don't punt Lewis Vettel off.

Fixed that for you.

[choyothe]

The top 10 destroys the SSs on lap 2 and pit on lap 4-5. Hulkenberg wins.

[Wander]

The top 10 destroys the SSs on lap 2 and pit on lap 4-5. Hulkenberg wins.

I seriously doubt any of the cars outside the top 10 have the pace to do quite that.

We could have something interesting happen though.

[braderzf50]

Looking forward to the start of the race! However, as much as I'd love for Ham to jump Webber at the start, we must remember how strong the Ferrari's race starts were last year (especially Alonso). Regardless, we're in for a cracking race.

Cheers, Brad.

[gincarnated]

With Mark starting 2nd and Lewis starting 3rd... also with Lewis' famous 2011...plus this being Mark's home race, I think you should say...

Please Lewis, don't punt Mark off

Actualy, it wouldn't be the first time Mark as punted Lewis off in Melbourne, if it did happen. If i'm remembering correctly he's taken him out once and only just missed on his second attempt a few years ago.

[TomNokoe]

Track will be completely green. I think 4 stops is likely.

[Con1]

Track will be completely green. I think 4 stops is likely.

I think most will try for 3. And that is part of the reason that most of the top 10 will struggle. If they get 3 to 5 laps out of the supersofts they will be doing well. Which means doing most of the race on two sets of mediums. The rest of the field will start on the mediums, and when they finally have to switch on to the SSs the track will have rubbered in again and they will know exactly how long they need to make them last.

Of course if it rains and we get a wet start the advantage switches to the front runners.

The worst thing that could happen for Vettel, Hamilton etc is that it rains around lap 6-10. By that point they could already have pitted and be caught up in the midfield/back markers, and having to make a second stop as everyone from P11 downwards makes their first. And those guys wouldn't need to use the SSs at all.

Edited by Con1, 17 March 2013 - 03:00.

[Markn93]

Look how bad these (everyone's) rear tyres look - http://i.imgur.com/8ue4myu.jpg

[SirT]

Actualy, it wouldn't be the first time Mark as punted Lewis off in Melbourne, if it did happen. If i'm remembering correctly he's taken him out once and only just missed on his second attempt a few years ago.

Australia 2010 - Webber crashes into Hamilton

[chumma]

Sun is out currently.

Button probably to pit on lap 1 his tyres are finished he should have sat Q3 out.

[Markn93]

Sun is out currently.

Button probably to pit on lap 1 his tyres are finished he should have sat Q3 out.

https://twitter.com/...2295552/photo/1 Quite right

Edited by Markn93, 17 March 2013 - 03:08.

[coppilcus]

I was going to suggest Vettel will make a run for it and Webber backs the pack up, but with Marks terrible starts, I guess that's not an option.

Well, that couldn't be the case at the start of the season... and not because of the terrible starts from Webber; in Brasil and with absolutley not a chance at the title he almost ram Vettel in the first corners...

Edited by coppilcus, 17 March 2013 - 03:18.

[BigCHrome]

Look how bad these (everyone's) rear tyres look - http://i.imgur.com/8ue4myu.jpg

Oh god. Hamilton's tires are the worst. Lotus look the best. I was hoping Merc would have decent tire wear . I wouldn't be surprised if Button finishes ahead of Lewy.

[Kelateboy]

Oh god. Hamilton's tires are the worst. Lotus look the best. I was hoping Merc would have decent tire wear . I wouldn't be surprised if Button finishes ahead of Lewy.

Vettel's rear tyres look equally bad.

[Lord Snooty]

Look how bad these (everyone's) rear tyres look - http://i.imgur.com/8ue4myu.jpg

Definitely a candidate for "caption this picture"...

[Markn93]

Definitely a candidate for "caption this picture"...

Absolutely, my first thought was:

Massa: Er hang on, there's a dwarf in there doing it for him!

[BigCHrome]

Vettel's rear tyres look equally bad.

I'd say Hamilton > Vettel > Di Resta > Webber > Lotus from the picture above. Can't make out the others.

[Bruce]

Wow - high deg. That should put a cat amongst the pigeons. Looks as though tyres and pitstops are going to be a major story in this race...

[Kelateboy]

Track will be completely green. I think 4 stops is likely.

I'd say 3 is the optimum nr.

[otbevo]

Tires look miserable due to the cold track temps causing the graining... if it's decently warm the tire deg should be a lot better for all parties involved. The first stint is going to be short for the top 10 though for sure.

[krapmeister]

Ambient is around 17C, track temp at the moment is about 20C - if the sun comes out if should go up a bit but it is windy and quite a bit of cloud cover at the moment...

[BigCHrome]

Any chance of more rain?

[alfa1]

Any chance of more rain?

Probably no.
I'd say the "worst" possibility is that one cloud could drop a small light sprinkle.

[alfa1]

This page for some streaming Driver-Pit radio communications.

Lotus and STR (all the other teams have gone digitally encrypted).

http://www.broadcast...sten/feed/13713

[f1fastestlap]

This page for some streaming Driver-Pit radio communications.

Lotus and STR (all the other teams have gone digitally encrypted).

http://www.broadcast...sten/feed/13713

If you have an android phone you can use an app that I did to listen: MyScanner

[DanardiF1]

Oh god. Hamilton's tires are the worst. Lotus look the best. I was hoping Merc would have decent tire wear . I wouldn't be surprised if Button finishes ahead of Lewy.

Don't worry. McLaren won't finish in the points, there are teams behind them (Button) that will get their acts together... I reckon McLaren will have to do one more stop than whatever is ideal, and not just because of degradation but more strategic blunders.

[Longtimefan]

Just for a bit of fun, my race predictions:-

Ferrari win
Webber DNF
Perez DNF
Hamilton podium

[aray]

unless a DNF,Vettel to win.....

[pinkypants]

I think podium or DNF for Hamilton

[SamH123]

Being boring I think either VET/WEB/ALO or VET/ALO/WEB

[jonpollak]

Ambient is around 17C, track temp at the moment is about 20C - if the sun comes out if should go up a bit but it is windy and quite a bit of cloud cover at the moment...

Live from a 3AW society garden barbeque ...It's Krapmeisters race forecast..!

[DanardiF1]

Problem with fuel system on the Hulk's car, doesn't look like starting today...

[Longtimefan]

Problem with fuel system on the Hulk's car, doesn't look like starting today...

That's a damn shame

[krapmeister]

Live from a 3AW society garden barbeque ...It's Krapmeisters race forecast..!

And you know - I got that all from going out on the back deck and sticking a wet finger up in the air...

[Pingu Pi]

Bar a mechanical problem, it's a Vettel win, the tires are far weaker than last year, the guy who leads the race after lap 1 will have the easiest job, no dirty air heat destroying the tires, which is a certain this year due to weaker tires. Stinks of a worse 2011 if RBR have a quali advantage.

Vettel has a very uncanny nack of having a brilliant first couple of laps. It's certainly his unique talent for me until he has a teammate who is regarded on the same level as a qualifier.

Edited by Pingu Pi, 17 March 2013 - 05:23.

[DanardiF1]

That's a damn shame

Yeah I know, was looking forward to seeing what he could do today. Sauber will try and get the car built up in time (the engine is off and everything atm) but doesn't look likely.

[krapmeister]

Problem with fuel system on the Hulk's car, doesn't look like starting today...

That is a shame - I was thinking he'd be a good chance for a good points finish today...

[fatd]

Problem with fuel system on the Hulk's car, doesn't look like starting today...

Too bad

[Longtimefan]

Ross Brawn 'teams will concentrate on looking after the tyres'

I'm sick of this Pirelli tyre management series, hardly 'racing' is it?

[pinkypants]

Too bad

Confirmed on SKY he's out of the race

[krapmeister]

Yeah just seen pics of Hulk's car without the engine etc covered in the garaged...

Edited by krapmeister, 17 March 2013 - 05:33.