2006 Fosters Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne

**^^v** · 02-04-2006 09:41 PM

man .. we're bak to where we were last year.... hopefully it was only for this round n they can get the tyre temp issue sorted out... first lap pace is shocking!

ffs... so shattered.. it HAD to happen in the final two corners...

bah...

EDIT: more on the story.. apprently they chose not to cross the finish line..

Australia: Three point gamble for San Marino win

By Phil Huff - April 2 2006

Honda Racing F1 elected to retire Jenson Button from the Australian Grand Prix just yards from the finish line, choosing instead to sacrifice a potential three points for a fresh engine without penalty at San Marino.
Jenson Button's car started spewing flames, smoke and engine parts as he exited the final corner of the race and, with just seconds to come to a decision, his race engineer Andrew Shovlin declared that Button should not cross the finish line.

In issuing the order, the team chose to lose the three points Button may have got for finishing sixth, although Jenson doesn't feel he'd have made it to the line anyway.

"Two corners from the end I felt it was a little bit down on power, a little bit tight, and then coming out of the last corner there was a massive, massive fire and lots of smoke," explained Jenson. "I pulled over to the right to get out of everyone's way but it seized just before I got to the finish line. I stopped the car anyway as it wouldn't have made the finish line anyway."

Team boss Nick Fry spoke immediately after the race, saying It was a quick call by the race engineer, and we need to see if it was right later."

Speaking later, Fry added "Clearly what we will do, as we will do with everything, is have an evaluation of the situation. At the moment we feel it was the right decision.

"We lost points here but we can go to Imola with a clean sheet of paper, a new engine and improvements to the car. Hopefully we can turn it into a good race position next time around.

"We didn't hear anything on the radio or data about it, but Jenson said he felt the engine not pick up properly on the last lap through the fast corners at the back. He felt that something was not quite right, but when he saw the smoke he kept his foot in."

"He's less than impressed, but rightly so I think," he continued. "We've got a lot of work to do before we get to Imola."

While many commentators are suggesting that the team made a poor decision in potentially sacrificing these points, it's worth remembering that Honda Racing F1's target for 2006 is race wins, and not points. Historically, both Jenson Button and Honda have been strong at San Marino, home to the next race, and a fresh engine package without penalty will be a great benefit, especially considering that both championship leader Fernando Alonso will be on his second engine cycle.

**j3z3z** · 02-04-2006 09:58 PM

i find it funny. M.S. going through the TOYOTA garage. You wouldnt expect a team to allow anyone from another team in their shed. Interesting considering all those rumors that TOYOTA are trying to poach him

**aaronng** · 02-04-2006 11:38 PM

If for Imola they don't score at least 3 points, then it would have been all a waste!

**j3z3z** · 02-04-2006 11:48 PM

Originally Posted by aaronng

If for Imola they don't score at least 3 points, then it would have been all a waste!

more like if they dont score more than 3! they should have taken the points and made button do a "kimi 1 stop special" im sure they garuateed some points that way. kimi always is

**aaronng** · 03-04-2006 12:21 AM

Originally Posted by j3z3z

more like if they dont score more than 3! they should have taken the points and made button do a "kimi 1 stop special" im sure they garuateed some points that way. kimi always is

If Kimi can go from last to 2nd, then why can't Button? Mercedes is more reliable than Honda?!

**Omotesando** · 03-04-2006 12:57 AM

There was clearly something wrong with Button today from what I can see...

Even if his tyres were warmed up at the rare occasions, he wasn't running at a good pace. Only 7th best lap time.

Also, he wasn't even trying hard enough to warm up the tyres. Even Alonso could see this (as he said in the interview), and hence overtook Jenson after 1st Safety Car period as he was more aggressive with warming up the tyres.

These are the things which make a world champion - I expected more from Button!

What about Mark Webber? That was a bit unfair to him.

Anyway Williams are known to have problems during winter testing, for using their new, quicker but unreliable seamless gearbox.

**Hondavirgin** · 03-04-2006 10:52 AM

What a fantastic race, i loved it (well, apart from being gutted when Fisi stalled on the grid!). But yeah, last to 5th isn't bad, and he was flying before the first pit stop, passed like 8 cars, one lap after another, not that we saw any of it. WTF is with channel 10!!!!

Great save as well on the last corner, all crossed up on button's oil with zero visibility, coz the oil on his visor. Someone said Button would have to change his underwear, what about fisi, he's all of a sudden 2 metres from a fireball!

Hopefully this race goes someway to correcting all the kimi fans and their "he is faster than alonso, just bad luck" crap. This was a straight race, and Kimi got beaten, he is not better than Alonos!, after every safety car alonso kept pulling away (even after MF1 gave them a head start) (oh, and btw, i think someone said MF1 was Minardi, they aren't, they are ex-Jordan, Toro Rosso are minardi).

I'm glad that BMW also pulled some points, we now have 3 or 4 teams for the wins, and 3 or 4 teams to fight for points....its going to be a great season.

But yeah, channel 10, 1. Do they not remember the backlash after they used their own commentators a few years ago?!, give us Brundle and Allen!!!!!! And also, the coverage missed the first restart!!! and no replays!!!! WTF!

**V8_Hero** · 03-04-2006 03:27 PM

haha thats gotta hurt
Button's gotta be crying
literally the vtec fell off lol

but yeah was a great race, so many big shots got taken out, I was surprised. And Montoya...what a tool.

**aaronng** · 03-04-2006 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by Hondavirgin

(oh, and btw, i think someone said MF1 was Minardi, they aren't, they are ex-Jordan, Toro Rosso are minardi).

Oops, that was me. Yeah, It's Jordan, not Minardi. Still noob blocking drivers.

**chicken8** · 03-04-2006 06:46 PM

new details

scott speed got docked 25seconds for ignoring yellow flags, which means he loses his 8th place and ends up in 11th

DC gets 8th and jenson gets 9th

sato also had some talking to by the stewards for ignoring blue flags