84 replies to this topic

[lukywill]

8 days to go and the forecast is good (?) for the time beeing:

http://br.weather.co.../local/ASXX0075

[logic]

It's always nice if sun is shining and the air is warm

[MONTOYASPEED]

Originally posted by logic
It's always nice if sun is shining and the air is warm

Sounds perfect for Michelin.

[gerry nassar]

If there is one city in the world where you cant trust the weather forecasts - its Melbourne.

Basically we have had a drought for over a year now - strangely Grand Prix weekend last year was one of the few wet days we had all year. This summer has been one of the hottest on record - but in the last couple of weeks - forecasters have proclaimed the drought over and its been raining a bit more. This weekend it will be raining and cool. Its seems like it will fine up for next weekend but its too early to tell.

Im just hoping for warm conditions!

[Fastcar]

The forecast for Saturday the 8th is mostly cloudy ? That can go both ways.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Fastcar
The forecast for Saturday the 8th is mostly cloudy ? That can go both ways.

As Gerry so accurately says, in Malbourne you just can't tell...

I recall being at Sandown... well, here's proof...



...and we were in shirtsleeves... in fact, some stripped to singlets... one minute, then jackets the next. That was in late February for the Tasman Cup race... but Malbourne is always like that. Except in winter, then it's jackets all the time, just a matter of whether you get them wet or not...

[StuckOnGrid]

Aussie Bureau of meterology forecast updates for Melbourne.

http://www.bom.gov.a...pl?IDV10450.txt

If its anything like last year, it will be cold and warm, wet and dry over the four days. A nice mix. Especially for one lap qualifying!

[gerry nassar]

Originally posted by StuckOnGrid
Aussie Bureau of meterology forecast updates for Melbourne.

http://www.bom.gov.a...pl?IDV10450.txt

If its anything like last year, it will be cold and warm, wet and dry over the four days. A nice mix. Especially for one lap qualifying!

Im just hoping that Friday is nice and warm - because thats when we will see how fast the cars actually are.

[Fastcar]

According to this http://uk.weather.co.../local/ASXX0075

Saturday will be 'Showers' and mostly cloudy on the Sunday ! Imagine if the qualifying session is on and off rain ! What a crazy race the first round will be.

[Ghostrider]

Some mixed weather combined with the new rules would confuse everyone.

[Scudetto]

Originally posted by Ghostrider
Some mixed weather combined with the new rules would confuse everyone.

Well, if the FIA wants a test of how well their new rules work, better sooner rather than later. Better to iron out any potential problems early in the season under real race-weekend conditions. Imagine if there isn't a rainy qualifying until mid or late season in the midst of a tight championship race (I know that assumes a lot), and the whole thing goes to hell at that point. It'll be chaos.

[Mat]

Its been crazy wheather in Melbourne today. We have had everything, from a warm sun, to heavy rain, to slight hail!

It's gone from bright warm sunshine to heavy rain about five times already this afternoon. The GP has been brought back a week this year, and normally today would have been Saturday qual. Let's just say it would have been very possible for Coulthards premonition of Wilson on pole wouldnt have been far off.

[Ray Bell]

You know how it is...

Melbourne's weather can always be predictably unpredictable.

Ask Jon Davison if you like...

[StuckOnGrid]

Current Melbourne medium range forecast:

Monday- Becoming fine. Min 10 Max 20
Tuesday - Mainly fine. Min 12 Max 21
Wednesday Fine. Min 12 Max 23

And more importantly -

Trend for Thursday, *Friday and *Saturday - Mainly fine. Warm ahead of a cool change.

[karlth]

Originally posted by Scudetto
It'll be chaos.

= France 1999

= Fun

=

[Formula-1]

Is the drought still active in Melbourne? Or will the track look splendid and green?

[HSJ]

Originally posted by gerry nassar


Im just hoping that Friday is nice and warm - because thats when we will see how fast the cars actually are.

After Friday let it rain, let it rain... What a show it would be if it would dry-wet-dry-wet-dry-wet-etc. all Saturday and Sunday! I mean it is going to be confusing enough with the new rules (or I hope so anyway!), but with the weather screwing everyone up it would be a total chaos!

[polaris]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[polaris]

sorry about previous post, problems with logging on my end, but seems ok now.

I was at last years race and though the rain makes things a little unpleasant it did esp during qualifting make interesting viewing. Seeing it live showed me what a lunatic MS is. He was clearly still giving the car some stick in the rain, noticably different to the others

[SeanValen]

Originally posted by MONTOYASPEED


Sounds perfect for Michelin.

Lets hope Michelin are so good now, we don't need to predict performance in tyres in terms of weather, bring on rain, sun, cold, hot temperatures, their challenge is to be good in all of them, not cross fingers and pray for weather, maximise their chances by working hard for all weathers, thats the way to compete with Bridgestone. Yes they could win the championship being lucky and wishing away rain and cold temperatures, but exceling in those conditions will make create more luck for themselfs and performance for their teams.

Originally posted by polaris
sorry about previous post, problems with logging on my end, but seems ok now.

I was at last years race and though the rain makes things a little unpleasant it did esp during qualifting make interesting viewing. Seeing it live showed me what a lunatic MS is. He was clearly still giving the car some stick in the rain, noticably different to the others

The best driver at work.

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Formula-1
Is the drought still active in Melbourne? Or will the track look splendid and green?

There's been rain this week, that should have been enough to make a big difference.

[Fastcar]

Ok I've decided that its gonna rain in one of the practices and a 3rd of the race.

[nigel red5]

My favourite scenario is the one where it`ll be a dry Friday.
Saturday wil start dry, and will be dry for the first part of qual...........and then as the last 6 drivers go out on their qual lap (likely to be the 2 Ferraris, 2 Mclarens & 2 Williams) it starts raining really hard, and all 6 start on the last 3 rows.

Oh wow! I would`nt sleep if that one came true!!!

[Mat]

Originally posted by Ray Bell


There's been rain this week, that should have been enough to make a big difference.

Yep, we are still in a drought here- just like the rest of the country. Grass is really quick to grow and I drove through the track last night on my way home and everything is looking lovely and green as usual! But boy, that fencing looks great this year!

[Ray Bell]

Rest of the country?

Tamworth has had floods, Brisbane is reeling after ten consecutive days of rain, lawns are growing as you watch... there's been a lot of rain around and in some places it's broken. Coastal areas, generally, are looking pretty good.

[Mat]

I dont want to change the topic of this thread, but I would have to disagree. A week of rain is not a broken drought. And flooding isnt normal either, nor helpful.

I can only judge from what I have seen in recent months and in my view, we are in dire troube.

[A3]

Scattered thunderstorms on sunday?

I want chaos !

[gerry nassar]

The long range forecast on TV (which is about 20% right) predicts Friday will be hot and 29 degrees with possible showers on sat and sunday.

[karlth]

I remember the weather forecasts last season. Nearly every single one predicted rain during the weekends but in reality it hardly ever did.

[Mat]

not sure if this belongs in this thread, but I went through the track yesterday. They had the usual 2 garage bays for scrutineering, and then another 4 garages titled parc ferme. Looked very strange indeed.

[lukywill]

http://www.wetteronl...n/Melbourne.htm

now they are predicting high temperatures and sun for friday but cold and heavy rain for saturday

[Ray Bell]

Originally posted by Mat
I dont want to change the topic of this thread, but I would have to disagree. A week of rain is not a broken drought. And flooding isnt normal either, nor helpful.

I can only judge from what I have seen in recent months and in my view, we are in dire troube.

But the pattern is changing... that's the issue, and that will break the drought.

Along with it the AGP will be a more interesting event...

[gerry nassar]

Originally posted by Mat
not sure if this belongs in this thread, but I went through the track yesterday. They had the usual 2 garage bays for scrutineering, and then another 4 garages titled parc ferme. Looked very strange indeed.

Yes - I went through the yesterday aswell and saw the same thing. They got lucky that there are only 10 teams so they had the extra two garages this year.

Its become ritual to hit the track on the sunday before Grand Prix in order to catch all the cars arriving. All were there from what I could see.

It was funny to see one of the workers make a big cock up by loading a Toyota container at the Ferrari pit garage as both are Red!!!

[Ghostrider]

Originally posted by gerry nassar
It was funny to see one of the workers make a big cock up by loading a Toyota container at the Ferrari pit garage as both are Red!!!

[Mat]

gerry, what time did you go through the track? I went past about about 6pm and could only see a couple of Toyota's and Jordan. I remember I used to take the Monday off from school as well so I could watch them setting up the garages and wheeling the cars around.

[Ray Bell]

A far cry from the days of the Tasman Cup series...

Then the hotshot International drivers and cars would arrive on the Friday morning of race weekend and start putting up their tents. The cars would be on open trailers behind F100s with 'AVIS' painted on the doors. The likes of McLaren and Clark would turn up in Falcons loaned to them by Ford or something.

Anyone could circulate in the pits on Friday and talk to the drivers, sit on the grass next to the cars and listen in while they discussed tyre pressures and spring rates with the mechanics. Even watch as the mechanics took out last week's gear ratios from the Hewlands and put in new ones for the circuit they have to race on this week.

And there was usually a local driver likely to put up a bit of a challenge...

[Mat]

1966 was a long time ago Ray.

[Ray Bell]

So I ask you...

Of the things I've described in that post, what is better today than it was then?

[Mat]

apples and oranges Ray.

[TailHappy]

mmmm apples..... Raelenes famous apple cake.....mmmmmmm...

[Mat]

for all you eager meteoroligists who want to keep track of the weather over the weekend:

Melbourne Radar

[gerry nassar]

Curent consensus:

Friday - warm and generally no rain
Saturday - cool and rain
Sunday - mixed but unkown

Could be another Ferrari/Bridgestone walkover

[A3]

Originally posted by gerry nassar
Could be another Ferrari/Bridgestone walkover

Well, I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Ferrari looks like they're still in a league of there own, rain or dry.

Btw, it seems Michelin has made big improvements with their rain tyres.

[gerry nassar]

Originally posted by A3


Well, I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Ferrari looks like they're still in a league of there own, rain or dry.

Btw, it seems Michelin has made big improvements with their rain tyres.

Maybe I should have said "even more of a ferrari-bridgestone walk over"

BTW - seeing you are a Jos fan - they just showed him on TV blwoing out a cake for his birthday today. He also raced a tram (with the government transport minister) against Stoddard and Wilson in the other tram. Jos won!

[A3]

I read he was going to race trams, didn't know he won ! Details please !

[Ray Bell]

What? Fastest lap and grid order?

Did they run the trams on parallel tracks?

[TAB666]

If the rain comes of and on drivers that are driving in the rain is going to go for a alot of fuel. Atleast that is what i would do

[StuckOnGrid]

Bureau of Met forecast for Melbourne Issued at 1625 on TUESDAY the 4th of March 2003

Thursday - Fine. Min 13 Max 25

Friday - Mainly fine. Min 15 Max 29

Saturday - Few showers. Min 15 Max 20

Trend for Sunday, Monday and Tue - Showers clearing. Generally mild.

from http://www.bom.gov.a...pl?IDV10450.txt
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So the big question is, when do the showers come Saturday (practice 1 or 2 or what part of qualifying, or not at all?)

[Schuting Star]

Well Atlas are reporting that local weather experts are saying there is a strong possibility of rain on Saturday and Sunday. This race weekend just gets more and more interesting.

[TT6]

Originally posted by Schuting Star
Well Atlas are reporting that local weather experts are saying there is a strong possibility of rain on Saturday and Sunday. This race weekend just gets more and more interesting.

I am a bit confused because according to the Atlas "local weather bureau expert Dean Stewart ... admitted the threat of a wet race is a distinct possibility with the Victoria state due rainfall".

So is the possibility of the rain distinct or strong?