Australian Grand Prix 2011 - Race Thread

[DanielM]

Where? on a Red Bull forum?

lol. I dont like redbull stop mentioning them. Let me try to explain something to to. There is nothing wrong with being negative if its justified. There is plenty wrong with being a rabid fanboy. There are plenty here that only speak positive, so think of me as the voice of reason.

[Brakefade]

Ferrari need to make a decision on Massa. To the untrained eye, it looks like he picked up right where he left off last year. Anymore performances like this, and it could make the WCC impossible to win.

[Red is Best]

I've been looking at the race lap analysis (available here: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...es/timing.aspx) and during the second part of the race (excluding pit-stops and out laps), Alonso was faster than Vettel from lap 30 to 35, and from lap 45 to 58 (around one sec per lap).
So I think it proves that the gap between us and the others isn't that big.

[theforce]

Fernando's race pace was wicked, a few more laps and he would've passed Petrov. Good drive by Felipe at the start but what is this I hear that Jenson's thinks Ferrari pitted Massa deliberately so he could get a drive through?? wonder if he came up with that excuse all by himself

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/68...y-With-Ferrari

I reckon we've got a pretty fast car for race (not sure about qualifying), but we'll have to see in the next few races before starting to worry.

[impactX]

Montezemolo threw his remote control at Domenicali's face today.

[Greig]

lol. I dont like redbull stop mentioning them. Let me try to explain something to to. There is nothing wrong with being negative if its justified. There is plenty wrong with being a rabid fanboy. There are plenty here that only speak positive, so think of me as the voice of reason.

All hail the voice of reason

Pathetic from Ferrari. This season is a write off already. Looks like we are in the mid field. All this big talk and we are nowhere. Destroyed by even an unsorted Mclaren.

Alonso does 2 days testing with zero reliability problems, yet massa jumps in and blows up within 12 laps. You gotta laugh. Even the gods know who is the ferrari number 1.

Massa must have had tyre heating problems in the ice.

And that's before I even bother to look at last season

[Hornet]

Ferrari need to make a decision on Massa. To the untrained eye, it looks like he picked up right where he left off last year. Anymore performances like this, and it could make the WCC impossible to win.

There's no point in piling more pressure on Massa. Massa himself knows what he needs to do, he wants a good result for himself as much as anyone would want to see him do well.

Besides, its just the first race, lets not judge him yet. He did a good job in defending his position during the early part of the race. The pace just somehow wasn't there after the first stop. But its just the first race, we need to wait a couple more races to see a better picture of where everyone stands.

[Alonsomaniac]

lol. I dont like redbull stop mentioning them. Let me try to explain something to to. There is nothing wrong with being negative if its justified. There is plenty wrong with being a rabid fanboy. There are plenty here that only speak positive, so think of me as the voice of reason.

We all see that things were far from perfect this weekend. Still I think it is not a panicking situation and for you no need to act like a "voice of doom".

[DanielM]

I've been looking at the race lap analysis (available here: http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...es/timing.aspx) and during the second part of the race (excluding pit-stops and out laps), Alonso was faster than Vettel from lap 30 to 35, and from lap 45 to 58 (around one sec per lap).
So I think it proves that the gap between us and the others isn't that big.

Like I said before, Alonso was on a 3 stopper, and vettel 2, so he was always on newer tyres than vettel for most of the race except the first stint, when he was almost 1 second a lap slower as he was catching the button and massa fight.

[Hornet]

Fernando's race pace was wicked, a few more laps and he would've passed Petrov. Good drive by Felipe at the start but what is this I hear that Jenson's thinks Ferrari pitted Massa deliberately so he could get a drive through?? wonder if he came up with that excuse all by himself

http://www.planetf1.com/news/3213/68...y-With-Ferrari

Or he could have quickly gave up the position knowing darn well he cut the corner, and Alonso was approaching. He decided not to, it was his gamble. There's nothing illegal with pitting

[DanielM]

All hail the voice of reason


And that's before I even bother to look at last season

Nice selective work there. The last two posts were jokes, and the first was a fact. Not my fault some people have no sense of humour. :)

[aroutis]

Actually...
I have to disagree with those that said that the movable wing and KERS made no difference to the point that I think that they saw a different race.. I think the whole thing needs tuning, granted, but combined with the new tires I believe that the numbers of variables can spice up the whole thing.
With all that said, I believe Alonso did all he could and the result he brought to the team was the best , considering the comeback he had to do right from the first lap. Sorry to say that by no means the same cannot be told by Massa , who I fear is continuing the same , mediocre, not to say below average standards shows and I hope that is going to stop very soon, because Ferrari really needs the points for the WCC. So yeah, he needs to get his show back together. I don't care how he does it and I don't care why this happens.

[Grillo]

I can see why people are unhappy, we had a decent winter, the PR from the team was good, the media were saying how close we were, our race pace was as good or better than Red Bull, Domenicali saying how the tyre wear is not our issue, then we get to round 1 and are pretty much miles behind Red Bull, sure Malaysia might play out differently but as it stands we are going to need a massive turn around, and it does feel all too common these days that we start off on the back foot and are always playing catch-up.

I'm not conviced about Red Bull being as good as last season to grab 8 out of 10 poles but if they manage to do it then I think both drivers' and constructors' championship might be a cakewalk for them. Ferrari needs to hurry up, it will take 2 or 3 races more to have a clear picture but we cannot afford waiting half the season for the car to be competitive. This season I think Red Bull will make much less mistakes, will have a more reliable car and Vettel will be #1 driver from the get go.

[brembo man]

It looks like pole position is where it's at to win in 2011.

[impactX]

People are p***ed because the team was over hyped and we ended up getting beaten by the problematic Mclaren.

[Brakefade]

The pace was there for Fernando. First of the 3 stoppers, and one place up from his starting position. It's one thing to not score as many points as the number one driver, but it's a completely different thing to score so little that it kills all chances of your team winning the WCC.

[Sianellen]

NobleF1: Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi disqualified from the Australian GP. More details soon

[Alonsomaniac]

SAUBERS DISQUALIFIED

[m schumy]

Both Saubers disqualified

[Sianellen]

Kobayashi and Perez disqualified from results

27 March 2011 by Keith Collantine

Both Saubers have been disqualified from the Australian Grand Prix due to a technical infringement.

Sergio Perez and Kamui Kobayashi therefore lose their seventh and eighth place finished in the race.

Their upper rear wing element was found not to conform to the regulations.

The change promotes Felipe Massa to seventh and Sebastien Buemi to eighth.

It also means both Force India drivers have moved up into the points, with Adrian Sutil taking nine and Paul di Resta scoring the final point on his debut.

[Tifosi]

The pace was there for Fernando. First of the 3 stoppers, and one place up from his starting position. It's one thing to not score as many points as the number one driver, but it's a completely different thing to score so little that it kills all chances of your team winning the WCC.

It's also another to write off the season based on one result as you focus on one element of your team as supposedly the only perfect thing in it.

[Hornet]

Kobayashi and Perez disqualified from results

That sucks for Perez. I felt he deserve being driver of the day, a new rookie finishing P7

[Alonsomaniac]

That sucks for Perez. I felt he deserve being driver of the day, a new rookie finishing P7

Very true, the guy did great and this is really disappointing, even though it moves Felipe up the order.

[Sianellen]

Very true, the guy did great and this is really disappointing, even though it moves Felipe up the order.

Indeed

[Brakefade]

It's also another to write off the season based on one result as you focus on one element of your team as supposedly the only perfect thing in it.

Oh, the "one bad result" excuse. How many times did Massa have a "one bad result" last year?

[Greig]

The pace was there for Fernando. First of the 3 stoppers, and one place up from his starting position. It's one thing to not score as many points as the number one driver, but it's a completely different thing to score so little that it kills all chances of your team winning the WCC.

If we are 3rd/4th on pace then the WCC won't matter, let's sort the car out first before replacing drivers who will still not be able to win.

[Tifosi]

Oh, the "one bad result" excuse. How many times did Massa have a "one bad result" last year?

what has that got to do with you writing off the season after one race? Not a lot really! Your bias is a bit pointless one race in though.

[Red is Best]

Let's see what they are going to do now with Hamilton and his "massively damaged floor".

[hogo]

wow they were fast to DQ Saubers, still nothing on Lewis, guess he's untouchable.

[Hermann]

I'm having a deja vu here- Fernando stuck behind Petrov and racing Webber while Vettel vanishes into the distance.


So its RB- Macca- Renault- Ferrari for now? Gone backwards?