Melbourne GP Discussion Thread

UPDATE from Melbourne GP after practice one.
Just spoke to a mate of mine.

Jordan’s sounding really bad, that Indian fella picked the wrong tyre and it started to blister straight away and smoke was coming off them in the pits when he pulled in.

Toyota and Honda are sounding the best according to my mate

Webber went out in his T car

Weather today, overcast but not rain.
Rain tomorrow almost guaranteed

Schumacher’s car didn’t sound too flash either, he didn’t do a hot lap at all.
And went straight to the pits.

This is all from a mate of mine, he is calling me back after practice 2 and during it so I can hear them http://forums.fastfours.com.au/image...icon_smile.gif

Jason

[04/03/05 - 02:32]

Vitantonio Liuzzi sets the pace for Red Bull
Australian GP - First practice





A most impressive F1 debut for Liuzzi

The first practice session of the 2005 season saw Vitantonio Liuzzi top the timesheets for the new Red Bull Racing team. In his very first official Formula One session, the 2004 F3000 Champion set a best lap of 1:25.967, just 1.5 seconds shy of Michael Schumacher’s Pole Position time recorded last year.

Liuzzi, the third driver for the team this weekend in Australia, was comfortably faster than race drivers David Coulthard and Christian Klien who were fifth and tenth fastest respectively. The second and third fastest times in the session fell to Pedro de la Rosa and Ricardo Zonta.

It was a rather quiet start to the season. The 2005 rules dictate that engines must last for two Grand Prix and as a direct result of this, few teams wish to put miles on its power-plants this early in the weekend. Those teams that finished outside of the top four in the Constructors’ Championship last year are entitled to run a ‘third driver’ in Friday practice. As a result the third drivers dominated the 60-minute session.

Pedro de la Rosa set the second fastest time in the rapid new McLaren MP4-20 while Juan Pablo Montoya set the fourth best time. Kimi Raikkonen did not record a representative lap time.



Felipe Massa set the sixth best time in his Sauber Petronas ahead of Mark Webber in lead BMW Williams. Jarno Trulli set the ninth best time in his Toyota ahead of Jenson Button and Christian Klien.

Nick Heidfeld was 11th fastest in his first session for BMW Williams while Rubens Barrichello was 12th in his Bridgestone shod Ferrari. Michael Schumacher completed an installation lap but did not record a lap time.

Ralf Schumacher was 13th fastest in his Toyota ahead of Jacques Villeneuve in his Sauber, Robert Doornbos in the Jordan Toyota and Takuma Sato in his BAR Honda. Tiago Monteiro and Narain Karthikeyan brought up the tail of the timesheets for Jordan Toyota and Karthikeyan was forced to pit mid-session with a smoking engine. Renault racers Fernando Alonso and Giancarlo Fisichella joined Kimi Raikkonen and Michael Schumacher in just completing installation laps and no timed runs. Over at Minardi, the team did not run either Patrick Friesacher or Christijan Albers as the team failed to get unanimous agreement from its rivals to run the ageing PS04B chassis which does not conform to the current rules.

Practice continues at 04:00am CET.

Earl ALEXANDER
© CAPSIS International

You'd have to be worried if an engine supposed to last two races is smoking after a few laps!

btw, whats the thoughts on minardi not running yet. As far as i'm concerned they shouldn't be allowed to, an illegal car is an illegal car.

This is what I wrote on FastFours:

Quote:I mean - i get their point - the rule should apply to everyone.
But give Minardi a chance.


That makes no sense.
You get their point about the rule applying to everyone but you want to give Minardi a chance?

I agree with Ferrari, all the teams want them off the top spot and they have brought in all these new rules mainly to try and knock god off the number one spot which Ferrari HAS TO FOLLOW, WHY? BECAUSE its the RULES!

Minardi follow the same rules, if we give them a break, why not give Ferrari a break?

Schumacher = GOD! http://forums.fastfours.com.au/image...s/icon_lol.gif

-=--------------------

Sorry to say ladies, but F1 is a business now more then a sport, and Ferrari don't want Paul in it anymore because of this.

I do wish Paul all the best being an aussie and all, but if you can't afford it don't be in it. F1 is the pinnacle (sp) of motorsport no time for whingeing people because of money.

He should join the A1GP or superfund GP.
But, I do know what your saying but I just don't agree with you! http://forums.fastfours.com.au/image.../icon_wink.gif

Edit: Just with the business thing, the more Paul changes F1 and doesn't woant Ferrari at the top, the less sponsor(s) they get which is less money etc

Ferrari = number 1 everyone talks about them and they are on TV the whole time and show VODAFONE all the time the more money they get!-----------


I agree with Ferrari
Also, I got a Webber pit shirt, polo shirt, hat
Renault pit shirt and polo shirt :cool:
Man, i'm cool lol

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12...ostersgirl.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12...stersgils3.jpg

http://www.autoweb.fi/img/foster_girl.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12...tersgirls2.jpghttp://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y12...stersgirl1.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...t/33274140.jpg

update again

Minardi have packed up there garage

Updating the last update

Minardi are fighting to be in and changed there mind about packing up.
Rumor has it that they will put 2005 wings on them to race, if the FIA lets them ofcourse!

now those pics are what i call and update!!!! :D


if they can put 2005 wings on them now why didn't they do that before?!

how much did that rain serve a kick in the balls to the middle/last pack in qualifying, unlucky...still brilliant stuff

sato sucks balls.....jenson isnt it such a bad spot tho...

FIA threaten Australian GP future
Ramifications of the Minardi fiasco
http://f1.racing-live.com/img/l3.gif
http://f1.racing-live.com/img/vide.gif

http://f1.racing-live.com/photos/img...05_220x146.jpg
Paul Stoddart has few friends at the FIA
The FIA has threatened to pull future Grand Prix events out of Australia after legal intervention in the Minardi team saga. Minardi's attempts to participate in this week's Australian GP without modifying their cars to new team regulations have dominated the headlines and led to team principal Paul Stoddart seeking a court injunction to overturn a stewards' ruling.

A judge in the Victorian Supreme Court on Friday ruled that the F1 minnows could participate in Saturday qualifying, even though it was in contravention of participation rules set down by the FIA before the start of the season.

Minardi's cars competed in Saturday's first qualifying session after team mechanics modified them overnight to 2005 specifications and were cleared by FIA stewards before morning practice. But FIA have taken a dim view of Stoddart's much-publicised actions and on Saturday issued a press release slamming the interference in their sport by Australia's legal system.

The FIA said that as a consequence if Australian laws and procedures allowed a judge to act in this manner then the future of world championship motorsport events in Australia were under threat.
FIA said they and their stewards were given no notice of Stoddart's legal proceedings and were given no opportunity to be in court when the judge ruled on the case.

"Apparently, the judge thought it right to interfere with the running of a major sporting event, overrule the duly appointed international officials and compel the governing body to allow cars to participate in breach of the international regulations, all this without first hearing both sides of the case," FIA's statement said.

"If Australian laws and procedures do indeed allow a judge to act in this way, it will be for the World Motor Sport Council to decide is a world championship motor sport event of any kind can ever again be held in Australia."

Stoddart criticised the FIA release as "an ill- judged, ill-timed document which I believe was created to disrupt and discredit the Minardi F1 team, the Australian Grand Prix and me. The Australian judicial system is similar in many ways to those of the world's other major democracies and it cannot give comfort to the relevant motorsport bodies in those countries when the FIA President issues statements such as this," Stoddart's statement said.

Australian Grand Prix Corporation chief Ron Walker said late Saturday the issue would be raised by the Australian representative and FIA vice-president John Large at the next meeting of the WMSC later this month. Walker said the issue raised by FIA in its statement "clearly have implications for many other countries which host rounds of the FIA Formula One World Championship."

Stoddart's actions are known to have upset the sport's commercial powerbroker Bernie Ecclestone, who is said to have spoken to the Australian aviation millionaire team owner late Friday.

Source AFP

set for a decent race this arvo i reckon:thumbsup:

If it starts dry, I'm sure at least 3-4 cars will go in the first corner!
Hope it gets wet half way through it,as Schumacher said, then he can make up lost ground.

nice to see anthony galea not really synching his lips with music, bit of backing tape in the background

wow

what an interesting race

nice to see the strategy come into play with schumacher, button and sato not finishing - DNF. that means they can use a new engine in malaysia in 2 weeks time

well done fisichella and renault with the 1-3 result

button sato DNF?....

sato and button did finish didn't they ?
DNF were schumacher, heidfeld and albers (spelling)

http://www.formula1.com/race/result/732/8.html

retired - button, sato, schumacher M, heidfeld and albers

yep they sure did. I was there at the Prost stand and saw the sneaky buggers head straight for the pits instead of doing the final lap. Was a disappointing weekend for BAR. I had been ampin for this race for 6 months, flew down to melb and everything, got ****ed up by melbournes shit weather (hailed onem e at one stage in my damn rain poncho) got burnt as a mofo, and BAR didnt even score points. Blardy hell!!!!!!

Haha! Welcome to Melbourne. :p
Another victim!

Great start to the season. BAR had a shocker as did Schumie, but that's okay, it's early days. It was clear to see who the fastest drivers were. Raikonen, Alonso, Fisichella and Michael. Webber had some great speed too, just got stuffed up by Coulthard and pit stop strategy. Should really've had a podium but then again, he shouldn't've been 3rd on the grid, the lucky bugger.

Pretty boring race, but hey, they all are. It was good watching the live split/lap times online though. Buy yeah, should be a great championship. Michael playing catch up, the Renaults being quick again, Webber in the hunt, Toyota has some speed and how about those Red Bull Cosworths!?

-Viv-

Bloody Stoddart, i've lost a lot of respect for him over this weekend, Jordan were in financial problems too and you don't see them whinging to the courts and putting on a show for the media when, essentially, their cars were illegal. Does this court ruling set a precedent that if a footy team thats not so good plays with an extra two players then they can apply to the court to have it allowed?!, wtf reasoning did the judge use?

Makes me so pi$$ed off that stoddart can be so damn selfish, bloody hell, he goes on about politics and he's the biggest politics using wanker of them all.

Pratt.

/rant off =).

Anyone go to GP afterparty at Boutique? I met (and shook hands with:eek:, i'm never washing my hand again:o ) Rubens B. and Jarno Trulli!!!! Rubens wife or whatever is farking HOT! but he's about 5ft tall and she's about 7ft tall....Funny.

Hondavirgin - I agree with you on Stoddart.

IRI - I don't know what place you talking about, but I wish i was there if you meet those guys!

Race overall was ok, I have to admit those redbull cars were impressive!
If it didn't rain through qualifying we would be talking about something else, but thats motorsport.

Seems that Renault, McLaren and Ferrari should have nice healthy batttle this year, as Schumacher said " we can't do much until our new car comes out" which they have done 60 laps in already testing.

Going to be an interesting year, I HATE the new rules, 1 set of tyres is stupid, and I want the old qualifying system back.
12 laps of your best time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LUD02C

IRI - I don't know what place you talking about, but I wish i was there if you meet those guys!

---

It's in greville St...just noticed ur in Syd so no wonder u got no idea:p

Yeah the new regs suck balls. 1 set of tyres makes the cars freakin slower and makes pit stops not very interesting.

I don't mind the aggregated qualifying times, it was only crap this time coz of the weather (they should have ignored that session like they could under the old one lap system, where they could use practice times to set up the grid if the qualifying session was messed up).

I'm ok with engines lasting two races, hopefully will eventually save costs, but they need to close the loopholes, otherwise everyone outside of the top 8 might as well pit and retire on the last lap so they can have new engines.

I hate the one set of tyre rules too though, i like tyre change stops, and the stratgy component of choosing the right compound, taking your fresh set at the right time and all....was exciting to see, but thats one of the few cost cutting measures the FIA has that will definately cut costs....

My money is on the cars being as fast next year as this year even with the V8s instead.......

The V8's will not be as fast as the current cars until after a year or so of development IMO. You cannot expect a V8 to produce the same amount of KW without extensive R&D. It also heavily depends on whether aero rules will change to compensate or whatnot. Gotta love BAR for exploiting the system, hell at least the guys are smart :) I hope BAR have a great season, however with all the competition from what can be seen at this early stage, it may be a battle for the constructor's this season. I am seriously impressed at the McLaren. If it can prove reliable i believe JPM and Kimi will prove hard to beat.

tru 1 set of tyres dont do it for me...

pitstops are uneventful and turn it from a team sport to just driving... which may be okay for some/most ppl... but for me more things that could go wrong in the pitstops = more action / more overtaking positions in the pits...

dont mind the new qualifying system... melb just has unpredictable weather and messed the grid up...

I agree with Javed about BAR, very smart by them.
F1 has been all over the news today about the Minardi situation, and the V8's can't go next year, and the Australian F1 chairman says if they don't go, they don't go, then hopes in his Ferrari. lol

They say it will be in April.

Also, credit to Schumacher, he recognises that he has had so much luck and he says oh well. This happens, what a champion!

Wonder who Red Bull is going to race at Kuala Lumpur?
Klein or Luizzi?

red bull gives you wings :D

nah, seriously, how pissed off would Webber be? last yr he raced for Jag and the car wasn't good, now Coulthard and Red Bull come in and finish in front of him?
and the williams is supposed to be a better car?!?!?!?

team wise, red bull and mclarens in the pts

bring on sepang!!!!!!!!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LUD02C

I agree with Javed about BAR, very smart by them.
F1 has been all over the news today about the Minardi situation, and the V8's can't go next year, and the Australian F1 chairman says if they don't go, they don't go, then hopes in his Ferrari. lol

They say it will be in April.

Also, credit to Schumacher, he recognises that he has had so much luck and he says oh well. This happens, what a champion!

Wonder who Red Bull is going to race at Kuala Lumpur?
Klein or Luizzi?

---

the reschedule to april is because of the commonwealth games

at one stage cause of the stoddard decision the FIA threatened to pull all international motorsport events out of aus. i.e. WRC round in perth and 500cc's in phillip island

how crap would that be?

errr riiteeyo... stoddard has so much control over australian motorsport...

i'd like to see that happening

Can the FIA actually break the contract that the Victorian government have with them?
And the Western Australian to?

it's all playing politics i reckon
as if they would actually do it

there would be so many pissed off people :D

politics is what's ruining the sport you know, just get on with the racing and keeping the punters happy

too many people in motorsport just out for themselves and to make squillions of bucks. although there's exceptions like when guys like schumacher donate squillions of bucks to the tsunami appeal then that is really good

(end rant)

*off topic... anyone know where i can get a honda BAR team shirt? should've got one on race day but i forgot my debit card pin number lol doh!

Ha, Stoddard... it was all a publicity stunt I reckon. Stoddard will get it any way he knows how. It's not very good for the future of F1 though...
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/moto...ne/4322741.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/moto...ne/4292545.stm

F1 politics, the sport wouldn't be the same without it.

I'm amazed they got a set of tyres to last that long, that's phenominal. The engine rule will cut costs in the number of engines but increase the cost of each one (plus bucketloads of development $$).

The problem with F1 is still that there's no overtaking. You have to be 5s faster per lap to be able to overtake. It's just silly. Webber's Williams was a shitload faster than Coulthard's RedBull but he had to sit behind all the way 'til the first pit stop, by then Fisi had bolted.

If nothing else, at least F1 gives us something to talk about. :p

-Viv-

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kenshin

*off topic... anyone know where i can get a honda BAR team shirt? should've got one on race day but i forgot my debit card pin number lol doh!

---

Polo shirt or pit shirt?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Vivski

The problem with F1 is still that there's no overtaking. You have to be 5s faster per lap to be able to overtake. It's just silly. Webber's Williams was a shitload faster than Coulthard's RedBull but he had to sit behind all the way 'til the first pit stop, by then Fisi had bolted.

If nothing else, at least F1 gives us something to talk about. :p

-Viv-

---

I reckon the overtaking problem lies within the tracks themselves.
The old Hockenheim was a brilliant track for overtaking, the 2004 GP at Spa was excellent as well.
Bahrain, China are both good overtaking tracks (on certain corners)

But places like Silverstone, Magny Cours (sp) and other tracks are just no good.
They need an exciting race like the full Nurgurburgring (sp) which is 23.6km long from memory each lap!
Now that would be a race to watch!

YEh I wanna get a shirt too, I noticed that the prices from BARF1.com are as much as what I woulda paid at the track, but me being naive thought otherwise. The replica crew shirt thing (dont think its a pit shirt) was $135 i think, that was a nice shirt!

yeh bahrain and china are killer tracks for overtaking, that guy designed them quiet well

agree that spa was a good overtaking track too

what do you do? make the tracks wider? :D
cause i mean monaco is so narrow, you might as well forget about overtaking......

in response to making a set of tyres last the whole distance, well, if you have enough $ you can do anything right? and all these regulations were supposed to SAVE money not SPEND it.....oh well.....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LUD02C

Polo shirt or pit shirt?

---

replica pit crew shirt :)

Villeneuve baffles Sauber
From correspondents in London
March 11, 2005

JACQUES Villeneuve's disappointing debut for Sauber-Petronas in last weekend's Australian Grand Prix has baffled the Formula One team.

The 1997 world champion started fourth on the grid and finished 13th while Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa went from last to 10th after rain in qualifying scuppered his chances.

The Canadian lost five places on the first lap alone.

To make matters worse, Massa was on a one-stop strategy and driving with a fuller fuel load. Yet his fastest lap was almost a second quicker than Canadian Villeneuve in a lighter car.

"I can't explain the difference, which is a big one," Peter Sauber told the website of sponsor Credit Suisse. "Really it was bigger than it looks.

"Felipe Massa, at the start and the pitstop, drove with a heavier car. In contrast to the other drivers who made two pitstops, he only had a one-stop strategy in mind."

Sauber said that Villeneuve, who made a low-key race comeback with Renault for the last three races of 2004 after being dropped by BAR-Honda in 2003, had said little about his difficulties. "We still have to analyse it," he said. "Villeneuve himself is not saying much at the moment. He had problems in certain phases of the race but he hasn't revealed anything more than that," added the Swiss.

Reuters

im still saying he should of left and stayed out of the sport