Australian Formula One Grand Prix

[Blake]

Well, practice 1 is going to start in less than 2 hours, and no-one has made a race thread! So I figure I best do it before the race ends.

 

[Gabkicks]

i have to wait to download it from the internet i dont have cable tv + i live in america

 

[Nasadus]

Oh man, will have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to watch this live.

 

[livemusic]

Hmm, this one will air at midnight over here, which makes watching it a bit easier. I just don't know if I'll be home on saturday night...

 

[Kylehnat]

Oh man, will have to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning to watch this live.

*playing a tiny violin* Welcome to my world...

This race is perfect...right in prime-time on the west coast And it's early enough so I can still go out on Saturday night after the race is over.

 

[Blake]

Friday Practice 1

[b]Pos.  	Driver  	Team		Time		Laps[/b]
1 	A. Davidson 	Honda 		1:28.259	26
2 	R. Doornbos 	Red Bull 	1:28.558	19
3 	J. Villeneuve 	BMW 		1:28.595	16
4 	K. Räikkönen 	McLaren 	1:28.713	5
5 	F. Massa 	Ferrari 	1:29.025	7
6 	M. Schumacher 	Ferrari 	1:29.041	5
7 	R. Schumacher 	Toyota 		1:29.411	5
8 	A. Wurz 	Williams 	1:29.461	19
9 	R. Kubica 	BMW 		1:29.576	13
10 	C. Klien 	Red Bull 	1:29.601	7
11 	D. Coulthard 	Red Bull 	1:29.676	9
12 	S. Speed 	STR	 	1:31.017	8
13 	C. Albers 	Midland F1 	1:31.017	8
14 	T. Monteiro 	Midland F1 	1:31.812	10
15 	T. Sato 	Super Aguri 	1:34.036	9
16 	Y. Ide 		Super Aguri 	1:36.684	19
17 	M. Winkelhock 	Midland F1 	1:36.859	17
18 	N. Jani 	STR	 	1:40.818	4
19 	F. Alonso 	Renault 	no time		2
20 	G. Fisichella 	Renault 	no time		2
21 	J. Trulli 	Toyota 		no time		2
22 	JP. Montoya 	McLaren 	no time		2
23 	N. Heidfeld 	BMW 		no time		1
24 	R. Barrichello 	Honda 		no time		1
25 	V. Liuzzi 	STR	 	no time		2
26 	M. Webber 	Williams 	no time	 
27 	N. Rosberg 	Williams 	no time	 
28 	J. Button 	Honda 		no time

 

[Gabkicks]

wow some of those lap times are quite depressing.

 

[Carl.]

Well, it's already faster than last year's pole...

I thought Villeneuve said he was going to be careful about his engine as it is its 2nd race and Melbourne is hard on them. Oh well.

 

[Small_Fryz]

The race will be on for a good time for me 👍

 

[liam2maps]

Yeah you're right about JV on the engine thing. The BMW has blown up twice, once for each driver. I'm guessing JV will have an engine change. That's just speculation though. Let's see if Blake can outpick me

 

[Carl.]

Yeah you're right about JV on the engine thing. The BMW has blown up twice, once for each driver. I'm guessing JV will have an engine change. That's just speculation though. Let's see if Blake can outpick me

According to Autosport, that's what they're planning to do, so getting the most out of this one during practice is the logical thing to do.

 

[Kylehnat]

wow some of those lap times are quite depressing.

The track looked pretty bad today. Not a lot of grip. On the other hand, Melbourne won't have to mow any of the grass in Albert Park for a while.

 

[Mclaren_Man]

just finished watching the second practice session, i think davidson was fastest again then wurz. button was the fastest "race" driver so to say still fairly close between the rest i think.

Where is Kensei? over the winter he was expecting big things out of toyota but nothing much seems to be happening with them...

 

[Blake]

Hmm, that was a pretty miserable looking session. Both Red Bull teams were in the wars today, especially STR.

The Williams race drivers were looking pretty shabby.

 

[qwazy|06]

BMW confirm JV engine change.

 

[Lee]

Yeah! Go Honda!! (Just continuing from PSICivic's legacy) Albers and Liuzzi both suffer pretty heavy crashes in the second session, Ide span the Super Aguri. Sounds like it could be a pretty high crash-your-car-into-the-wall rate for this race already.

 

[Touring Mars]

My very good friend Tim and his wife and his wife's brother are currently enjoying the full race weekend over there in Melbourne...

Here is a website that illustrates my feelings about this...

 

[Blake]

Yeah, DC spun a few times, ditto a few other drivers.

A lot of drivers went off at turn 11 as per usual.

 

[Blake]

Here is a website that illustrates my feelings about this...

Haha, I was staring at it for a good 30-40 seconds before I got it! Nice one.

 

[Appie]

I think they already finished Practice 2 aren't they

 

[Lee]

I think they already finished Practice 2 aren't they

Yes they did;

Friday Practice Session 2

1. DAVIDSON-Honda-1m26.822s

2. WURZ-Williams-1m26.832s

3. KUBICA-BMW-1m27.200s

4. BUTTON-Honda-1m27.213s

5. ALONSO-Renault-1m27.443s

6. M.SCHUMACHER-Ferrari-1m27.658s

7. RAIKKONEN-McLaren-1m27.773s

8. BARRICHELLO-Honda-1m28.075s

9. MONTOYA-McLaren-1m28.200s

10. MASSA-Ferrari-1m28.227s

11. FISICHELLA-Renault-1m28.280s

12. VILLENEUVE-BMW-1m28.440s

13. COULTHARD-Red Bull-1m28.531s

14. WEBBER-Williams-1m28.860s

15. HEIDFELD-BMW-1m29.053s

16. TRULLI-Toyota-1m29.138s

17. SPEED-Toro Rosso-1m29.196s

18. R.SCHUMACHER-Toyota-1m29.379s

19. MONTEIRO-Midland-1m29.713s

20. DOORNBOS-Red Bull-1m29.876s

21. KLIEN-Red Bull-1m29.879s

22. ROSBERG-Williams-1m29.933s

23. JANI-Toro Rosso-1m30.666s

24. LIUZZI-Toro Rosso-1m30.734s

25. ALBERS-Midland-1m30.830s

26. WINKELHOCK-Midland-1m31.260s

27. SATO-Super Aguri-1m32.556s

28. IDE-Super Aguri-1m34.224s

 

[liam2maps]

Haha I predicted the engine change Yay for me. Yeah he's done a fair few of laps on this current engine and it's smart for BMW to collect data on it. About Friday practise though, it's not so boring there were a few spins and Murray Walker was commentating.

"Jacques Villeneuve continued his morning speed for BMW, with 1m 28.440s, but he will need an engine change for qualifying tomorrow so will get a 10 place grid penalty."

From F1.com

 

[Carl.]

STARTING GRID:

1. Jenson Button - 1:25.229 (223,994 km/h)
2. Giancarlo Fisichella - 1:25.635
3. Fernando Alonso - 1:25.778
4. Kimi Raikkonen - 1:25.822
5. Juan Pablo Montoya - 1:25.976
6. Ralf Schumacher - 1:26.612
7. Mark Webber - 1:26.937
8. Nick Heidfeld - 1:27.579
9. Jarno Trulli - No time set in last session.
10. Michael Schumacher - 1:26.718
11. David Coulthard - 1:27.023
12. Vitantonio Liuzzi - 1:27.219
13. Christian Klien - 1:27.591
14. Nico Rosberg - 1:29.422
15. Felipe Massa - Crashed in second session
16. Rubens Barrichello - 1:29.943
17. Christijan Albers - 1:30.226
18. Scott Speed - 1:30.426
19. Jacques Villeneuve - 1:29.239 (10 place penalty for engine)
20. Tiago Monteiro - 1:30.709
21 Takuma Sato - 1:32.279
22. Yuji Ide - 1:36.164

Sessions: 1st - 2nd - 3rd

Great qualification, looks good for tomorrow! Rubens must not feel very good at the moment, not making it to second session while your teammate is on pole... Not seeing Ferrari in the last session was quite a surprise, too.

 

[Omnis]

Poor Nico. He really got an unlucky set of circumstances.

 

[Blake]

1:25 is a fast lap by V10 standards, the corner speeds these cars are getting is quite incredible!

 

[Kylehnat]

Jenson Button is going to have his work cut out for him, with the Renaults chasing him. I'd like to see the top three finish right where they are. JB taking his first career win, with the two Renaults right behind him .

 

[Blake]

I think Button will get beaten into the first corner, and that will be race over for him.

 

[Omnis]

Mark Webber will pwn, and Nico will take the backfield in the butt and make it to at least third.

 

[Kylehnat]

I think Button will get beaten into the first corner, and that will be race over for him.

Yeah, probably. Honda doesn't have the best racing strategy behind them.

I heard on SPEED that Ruebens is having a hell of a time with the left-foot braking. He's way back on the grid this time. Why is there such a difference between the Ferrari and the Honda??

 

[Blake]

Rubens was seriously hampered by traffic. On S1 on his fastest lap he was a few tenths on the P1 time at that moment. By S2 he was a tenth down, and still behind the traffic.