Grand Prix 2010 Australian Grand Prix Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Well here we go for round 2 and anyone connected to the sport will be hoping for a better show of it than Bahrain.

For the night owls crazy enough to stay up into the wee small hours to watch the first practice sessions, of interest is the recent announcement from Force India that Paul di Resta will be testing the car in P1 of most forthcoming races. Sutil and Liuzzi will take it in turns to pass their cars to di Resta at alternate races. The Scot is highly rated so could this be a sign that Force India may not have the same driver line up next year?

The newbies are still going to be very much in the "testing" phase and all eyes will be on HRT to see if they can improve on their Bahrain showing.

Meanwhile at the sharp end of the grid doubts remain over the reliability of those Renault engines but there's no denying that the Red Bull is quick. Mark Webber, who constantly seems to be drinking Fosters in the last chance Saloon, really needs to put in a good showing at his home track. Of course we have the Nico/Schuey show to snigger at and then there are the Ferraris and Mclarens.

So it's on with the show........

 

[teabagyokel]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Black guys driving expensive cars exuberantly! That's never going to be let slide is it?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Don't think it's an issue of race, colour, class or creed. Just the fact that he span his wheels up would have got any one pulled by the coppers.

Would imagine the look on the coppers face as the window came down was a picture though.

"Ere, who do you think you are, Lewis.... oh"

or it could be worse.

"Ere, who do you think you are, Fernando.... oh"

At least he didn't chop up and cook a rat which is the last thing a British celeb got in to trouble for in Australia.

 

[genji]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Didn't Damon Hill once get stopped the words, "who do you think you are, Stirling Moss?" Or was that just a joke that went woosh! over my head at the time?

 

[cider_and_toast]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

No Genji, I seem to think you are right. I'm sure I've heard that from several different places.

 

[sobriety]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I heard that it was our Nige, sans tache, who got pulled and the copper said 'who d'you think you are Nigel Mansell?', by all accounts he didn't believe him when he said 'Actually I am'

 

[Brogan]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

What happened with di Grassi and both HRT's in P2?
They managed 3 laps between them.

Lucas di Grassi didn't emerge after his installation laps, due to an issue with his telemetry box.

At HRT, Karun Chandhok had to park his car 200 yards into his out lap when he lost drive with a suspected gearbox failure, while Bruno Senna missed the whole session after his car developed a fuel pressure problem.

It's not looking good for the new guys again.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

It's not looking good for the new guys again.

But it looked a lot better for them in P1 (with the exception of Trulli). I thought Chandhok looked quite good in the HRT and they seem to have made up a second or so on their Bahrain pace. They were right among the Loti and Virgi at times.

It's going to be so hard for all 3 of these teams given the rules they have to work with. When they find the flaws in their chassis (and not just small fuel tanks) there is nothing they can do about it. Couldn't get any further from the initial rules they thought they were signing up to if they tried.

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Just to lob a grenade into the proceedings - Schumacher & red flags? Is it correct that we've heard nothing from the stewards? It looked pretty clear-cut to me from the TV coverage.

 

[Brogan]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I still think special dispensation should be given to these teams with regards to testing.

After all, the established teams have a whole season's worth of data to work with (under the new design rules) so it's only fair.

Just to lob a grenade into the proceedings - Schumacher & red flags? Is it correct that we've heard nothing from the stewards? It looked pretty clear-cut to me from the TV coverage.

Couldn't agree more.
A red flag is a red flag, doesn't matter if it's practice, qualifying or the race.

It's a safety aspect.

 

[genji]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Just to lob a grenade into the proceedings - Schumacher & red flags? Is it correct that we've heard nothing from the stewards? It looked pretty clear-cut to me from the TV coverage.

I'm just watching FP1 and they've just been discussing that very issue.

I missed the actual incident but did he complete a lap under red flags?

 

[Brogan]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I missed the actual incident but did he complete a lap under red flags?

He didn't just complete a lap, he purpled it.
His time was wiped though.

 

[genji]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I missed the actual incident but did he complete a lap under red flags?

He didn't just complete a lap, he purpled it.
His time was wiped though.

So we're not talking about a driver setting a personal best sector under yellow flags? He actually completed a lap under "session stopped" (return to pits) conditions?

So he's not breaking rules now to maintain an advantage, or to disadvantage another driver - he's breaking them just for the sake of breaking them. Didn't his team tell him to come into the pits?

 

[rufus_mcdufus]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

He had a chance to break off and come into the pits but just went straight on. Seemed to be a moment of stupidity.

 

[slickskid]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

I know it says on this document for "safety reasons" but does anyone know what particular reason has prompted them to reduce the pit lane speed limit to 60kph?

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre/f1_media/Documents/aus-document-11.pdf

That's going to guarantee that everyone does a 1 stop now as there will be too much time lost in the pits.
So much for different strategies this race then

The only thing i can think of is thats it's quite tight in the pit's there, that was demonstrated by the virgin having to do a 3 point turn just to get out of the garage. If you look at the actual lines / length of the pit itself i don't think it would make a great deal of difference tbh, there is quite a long straight run into the pit before you hit the limiting line.

Still after P1 there were two fines dished out for speeding in the pitlane and i think it was petrov fizzed through at 90kph, wouldn't want him near the school run area

 

[Brogan]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Still after P1 there were two fines dished out for speeding in the pitlane

There were three.

Vitaly Petrov was fined €7,000
Bruno Senna was fined €1,600
Adrian Sutil was fined €1,600

 

[slickskid]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Sutil must have picked one up in P2 then.

 

[FungusDBogeyman]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Here's some footage from the top left of the Schumacher stand. great view from there, as you can actually see them down the back straight as well.

http://www.facebook.com/video/?my

sorry - not down with posting vid links and the like,....

 

[Speshal]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Hahahahah loud as Tom!

 

[FungusDBogeyman]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Yeah, they are crazy loud. At the track now just after FP3 and the crowd went nuts with Webbers time. Good session, watching from turn 9, great spot. Hope Mark does it tomorrow as it'll be a big party in the city..

 

[Speshal]

Re: 2010 Australian GP Practice, Qualifying & Race Discussion

Yeah, they are crazy loud. At the track now just after FP3 and the crowd went nuts with Webbers time. Good session, watching from turn 9, great spot. Hope Mark does it tomorrow as it'll be a big party in the city..

And if he doesn't you'll be able to hear the whinging from here