Grand Prix 2019 Australian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

There's still another test session before the F1 season kicks off in Melbourne on 17th March but lets get the hype going as we enter the 69th season of the Formula One World Championship. It will be the usual early start for UK viewers if you able to watch live with Sky starting their broadcast (or narrow cast if the declining number of viewers is true) at ten past five in the morning. Yes, there is a five o'clock in the morning now.

The 2019 season is long. We are starting earlier in March than normal and the last race is on 1st December at Yas Marina. In amongst all this the 1,000 GP will be held in China on April 14th. There had been suggestions of trying to run the race in the UK to bookend race 1 and race 1,000 at Silverstone but anyone who can recall the Easter GP of 2000 will realise what a very silly idea this would be. I went to a WEC race at Silverstone in April a few years ago and it snowed. Enough said.

So can we hope for a close, exciting and entertaining season with a close battle for race wins and the championship? I have no idea. Testing has suggested Ferrari are the team to beat but then it has suggested this for a few years and the Scuderia has failed to deliver. I suspect the Mercedes will be up to speed come Australia when then take the bag of cement out of the cockpit. Valterri Bottas is talking tough in the season build up, I have a feeling he will roll over and the team will take it in terms to tickle his tummy as each race goes by before they part ways at the end of 2019.

Charles le Clerc should give Sebastian Vettel a run for his money at the red team, it will be fascinating to see how the team dynamic develops and if the young pretender can rattle the four times world champion in the way Daniel Ricciardo did at Red Bull. Talking of Red Bull, it is a new era as they move to Honda power. Testing has shown the engine to be finally getting some reliability and Helmut Marko claims they are behind Ferrari but ahead of Mercedes. This may well be wishful thinking on Helmut's part but I do hope the Red Bull can mix it up the front.

Behind the top three teams Renault and the newly branded Alfa Romeo team look like being at the head of division two with Toro Rosso not too far behind. McLaren, Racing Point and Haas will be hoping to get closer to these two as the season develops whist poor old Williams will simply be grateful to met the 107% rule if current form continues.

So what of Melbourne itself? It took over as the home of the Australian GP from Adelaide in 1996 and has produced, in equal measure, some of the most exciting and boring F1 races I have seen. I hope 2019 proves to be the latter, if not I will have to look to Formula E to continue to compensate for the dirth of excitement in F1.

So stats fans, which drivers (according to Wikipedia) have the most wins at the Australian GP? Well there are two with four wins, Michael Schumacher (well durr) and Lex Davidson. Who he you ask? Well, as much as Formula One would like to think it holds the intellectual property on the term Grand Prix lots of other races have been given this title and Lex won races back in the 50's and 60's.

These races were run to different rules, Davdison's win in the the '54 race being to F2 spec, the '61 race was Formula Libre and looking at the list of entrants it's quite an eye opener. You had Cooper F1 and F2 cars racing against road cars like the Austin 8 and Zephyr. Can you imagine the bleating from today' s drivers if they came up behind a Fiesta or a Mondeo half way through a lap at Melbourne. It's bad enough for the poor little loves when they have to lap a back marker who's only marginally slower than they are.

Back to the Grand Prix pre-85. There is a stunning list of winners including Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Alan Jones and, inevitably, Jack Brabham and Bruce McLaren. These were the days when F1 drivers had to race in various series to make ends meet and were often contracted by the teams to run in F2 and F3 races as well as F1.

Here's another for you stats fans, the Australian GP has been won by two father and son combos (I wasn't sure how else to put this so please forgive my rather clumsy description). Graham and Damon Hill should be easy to work out but Alan Jones' father Stan won the race in 1959 in a Maserati.

Before I leave you to get excited about the upcoming season, one last pointless fact for you to take a guess at. Only one driver won the Australian Grand Prix at the full World Championship event and in the Formula Pacific era, who he?

Welcome to F1 2019.
 
Pre-season chatter is promissing crowded podium. Renault is now grabbing headlines how close they are to Ferrari.
Sheezzzz... Ferrar, RBR, Mercedes, Renault ...? This is going to be fun at T1 / Jones. I could actually see Max taking straight line and not be bothered with minor details line track topography.
 
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for me the gap will shrink I believe but 1 pre season is not enough to close that gap where we consistently having teams top 3, minute ahead of the other 7. I doubt we will have the grosjean being 4th but getting lapped again. but then as long the drivers can race each other that going to be the great thing, which they feel that they can & ross brawn for all the stick he taking is about to poteinally deliver the signs are more promising than depressing headlines of 2017

if I was going to take a punt at the running order. I would guess at
Ferrari
Mercedes
Red Bull

Haas
Renault
Toro Rosso
Alfa Romeo
Racing Point
McLaren













Williams
 
for me the gap will shrink I believe but 1 pre season is not enough to close that gap where we consistently having teams top 3, minute ahead of the other 7. I doubt we will have the grosjean being 4th but getting lapped again. but then as long the drivers can race each other that going to be the great thing, which they feel that they can & ross brawn for all the stick he taking is about to poteinally deliver the signs are more promising than depressing headlines of 2017

if I was going to take a punt at the running order. I would guess at
Ferrari
Mercedes
Red Bull

Haas
Renault
Toro Rosso
Alfa Romeo
Racing Point
McLaren













Williams
You would put Alfa Romeo that low? I will place them leading midfield, but then... We don't really know
 
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I think you're a bit harsh McLaren there.

i think it was a toss up between them & racing point for that spot i had McLaren 8th. but on both last yr displays with there residual pace & mercedes engine would just see racing point edge it. also my explanation for 4th - 7th below & only 10 teams means thats where McLaren i feel slot in on process of elimination.

You would put Alfa Romeo that low? I will place them leading midfield, but then... We don't really know

its just educated guesswork & hunches. from testing analysis. but ill explain how i got to my midfield thinking

Haas - great out of the box in 2018 & seem to repeated that feat again 2019. look quick on the tyre comparisons & "estimated" corrections

Renault - seem good & considering the money they have. "enhanced" engine & the fact they have the 2nd best driver partnership on the grid. anything lower would be disaster for them cant have Riccardo trundeling around on a merit 13th

Toro Rosso - have a feeling that they could surprise & have an actually decent car using the benefit of improved Honda engine & red bull tie up. testing times seems good. & have 2 talented drivers in the car

Alfa Romeo - looked good 1st test, but once the qualifying runs started. i felt they lacked something. but i could have them higher but process of elimination & someone got to slot somewhere
 
its just educated guesswork & hunches. from testing analysis. but ill explain how i got to my midfield thinking

Haas - great out of the box in 2018 & seem to repeated that feat again 2019. look quick on the tyre comparisons & "estimated" corrections

Renault - seem good & considering the money they have. "enhanced" engine & the fact they have the 2nd best driver partnership on the grid. anything lower would be disaster for them cant have Riccardo trundeling around on a merit 13th

Toro Rosso - have a feeling that they could surprise & have an actually decent car using the benefit of improved Honda engine & red bull tie up. testing times seems good. & have 2 talented drivers in the car

Alfa Romeo - looked good 1st test, but once the qualifying runs started. i felt they lacked something. but i could have them higher but process of elimination & someone got to slot somewhere
Yes, they have seem to have fallen back have'nt they. One is not sure is they are holding back or been more experiential. Reports from drivers are abit misty (even Kimi is unsure about potential of the car), Gio is still...uhm...learning things...

Actually, I can't really argue with your analysis but hope that Alfa springs a surprise (Kimi for one never shows his true potential during testing). They were after all one of the teams with quite radical concepts
 
As much as I want this prediction turn into reality, this year cars seems to be just too close to each other, and driver's skill might be not the only factor that propels him to the top. Little bit of luck will be in demand as well. (Unobstracted qualifying, optimised and error free setup for climatic conditions of the day, etc.) Several cars could be crossing Finish line a meter apart of each other on Saturday in qualifications practice. Vettel, Leclerc, Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, they all have chance in first race IMO. I would add, anyone from midfield might surprise us as well. Sainz was doing well, Perez cannot be underestimated, and there could be someone else from midfield coming up as a surprise for us all. Maybe not in the top three places, but among first five.
Out of curiosity, What is your first 3 prediction ?
 
Out of curiosity, What is your first 3 prediction ?
Radical, my friend, how long we know each other? I don't do predictions. Chances of cardiac arrest is then lower. You know for whom I am cheering, but I will be happy if he survives T1 and can develop race strategy par excellence.
- It's too close to make a call.
- I am not sure what Whiting did to engines (closing "grey" areas Honda was complaining about).
 
Out of curiosity, What is your first 3 prediction ?


For me it's 1st Vettel, 2nd Leclerc, 3rd I'm going to say it's likely to be Hamilton, but maybe Bottas will surprise us all, including himself and his team mate.

That's what I'm hoping for (on the top two steps at least) as much as what I expect.
 
Verstappen? Its possible, but only because he will cut T1 in straight line, and FiA let him to finish the race. After race he will be punished for the infraction by serving 1 week of community service on beaches of Majorka.
 
Radical, my friend, how long we know each other? I don't do predictions. Chances of cardiac arrest is then lower. You know for whom I am cheering, but I will be happy if he survives T1 and can develop race strategy par excellence.
- It's too close to make a call.
- I am not sure what Whiting did to engines (closing "grey" areas Honda was complaining about).
I know. I just thought I can lure you to prediction :snigger:
 
For me it's 1st Vettel, 2nd Leclerc, 3rd I'm going to say it's likely to be Hamilton, but maybe Bottas will surprise us all, including himself and his team mate.

That's what I'm hoping for (on the top two steps at least) as much as what I expect.
Very sensible prediction.
 
Verstappen? Its possible, but only because he will cut T1 in straight line, and FiA let him to finish the race. After race he will be punished for the infraction by serving 1 week of community service on beaches of Majorka.
Got ya Izumi ! That right up there is a prediction LOL
 
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