The 2017 Australian Grand Prix Thread

Post by **Ataxia** » 22 Mar 2017, 19:24

F1 is back! Woo! Yeah!

If you've lived under a rock over the past few months, this is your guide into the new season.

Set your alarms and get ready for some high-octane action (but only at the permitted fuel flow rate, of course) and the usual mayhem in Melbourne as people grasp for results that they have no chance of achieving in the rest of the season. Enjoy!

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 22 Mar 2017, 19:27

I know optimism is very much on the back burner at the moment, but I for one am very hopeful about Ferrari. If Mercedes were sandbagging in Barcelona, Ferrari were sandbagging to an equal or greater degree, and that coupled with a more harmonious design concept and a reportedly more powerful engine will hopefully mean great things.

Post by **DemocalypseNow** » 22 Mar 2017, 19:28

In late driver knews, Toro Rosso have signed Sean Gelael!*
*As a test-driver. For 3 races this season. None of which are Melbourne.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 23 Mar 2017, 11:29

OK, Sauber, this is getting ridiculous.

Wallio · Post by **Wallio** » 23 Mar 2017, 12:00

Alonso taking a fairly large shot at Honda during the press conference. When the drivers were asked what one thing they could add to F1, he quipped "Same engines for everyone."

High expectations for Sunday indeed.

watka · Post by **watka** » 23 Mar 2017, 12:53

Simtek wrote:

OK, Sauber, this is getting ridiculous.

If only. I think the Netherlands is way overdue a fine Dutch talent to support in F1...oh wait.

Anyway, some of you might consider this non-news but the dangerous driving penalty procedure has been reviewed: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39362780

Bit of a misleading name for the article as some of the stuff Max did last year would probably still be penalised under the new rules but I'm encouraged by the term "laissez-faire" as a descriptor for the stewards' new approach. I get a bit tired of the main talking points being whether penalties were fair or not.

Barbazza · Post by **Barbazza** » 23 Mar 2017, 16:55

Those who are watching live, I hope you have a fun race to watch. I saw something from Lewis along the lines of 'the fans are more excited than they've been for years'.

Sorry mate, but I'm not. I cancelled Sky Sports a while back and don't miss it at all. I got increasingly bored with F1 last year and am quite happy to be quite uninterested at the beginning of a season for the first time since I started watching as a kid. As a result I will be watching on C4 as and when and if I miss races through being away I won't be too bothered.

nome66 · Post by **nome66** » 23 Mar 2017, 18:28

Aislabie · Post by **Aislabie** » 24 Mar 2017, 02:11

That Force India is beautiful

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 24 Mar 2017, 02:15

Aislabie wrote:That Force India is beautiful

It's not a perfect 10. The red on the swoops clashes with the pink, the silver is too light in respect to the pink and the pink itself could afford to be a shade or two darker.

Nessafox · Post by **Nessafox** » 24 Mar 2017, 03:30

pasta_maldonado wrote:
Aislabie wrote:That Force India is beautiful

It's not a perfect 10. The red on the swoops clashes with the pink, the silver is too light in respect to the pink and the pink itself could afford to be a shade or two darker.

Fair points, but it offers much needed variation and certainly doesn't look bad. Shame we don't have any green cars, though.

AdrianBelmonte_ · Post by **AdrianBelmonte_** » 24 Mar 2017, 05:43

"Okay Jolyon, do your thing"

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 24 Mar 2017, 07:25

-The cars are visibly faster. It isn't late 1990s cool, but it's pretty cool. Hopefully overtakes etc..
-The Force India is really cool. And it looks tasty.
-I really like the mini-sector graphics. And I really hate the graphics explaining what the session states are.
-It's way too early to whinge that Hamilton is going to walk this season. As much as I want to.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 24 Mar 2017, 07:39

Barbazza wrote:I will be watching on C4 as and when and if I miss races through being away I won't be too bothered.

I'm with you brother! I believe it's highlights only for C4 this weekend and as it's Mothering Sunday (there's your reminder people) I won't be able to hog the TV at 2pm like I would've if it were on live early doors. Maybe I'll be able to watch the next one. Or the one after that. Or maybe one in Summer....

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 24 Mar 2017, 07:44

Hamilton will be on pole by half a second and win by half a minute and when that happens, I'm out. Not watching another steamroller.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 24 Mar 2017, 08:20

Salamander wrote:Hamilton will be on pole by half a second and win by half a minute and when that happens, I'm out. Not watching another steamroller.

Has anything Liberty Media proposed so far sounded like something that would keep you interested? Because I don't recall anything concrete myself but I may have missed it.

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 24 Mar 2017, 08:35

CoopsII wrote:
Salamander wrote:Hamilton will be on pole by half a second and win by half a minute and when that happens, I'm out. Not watching another steamroller.

Has anything Liberty Media proposed so far sounded like something that would keep you interested? Because I don't recall anything concrete myself but I may have missed it.

Nothing for 2017.

I'll be watching again this time next year for sure, but I just can't take another Hamilton title, especially when all indications are it'll be the easiest on record.

Jan Magnussen · Post by **Rob Dylan** » 24 Mar 2017, 09:44

Woke up this morning to the pleasant surprise that the McLarens had done 52 laps between them in the second practice session, and they weren't occupying the final two positions. Fingers crossed, touch wood, whatever, that pre-season testing was the worst of it.

Good to see Bottas isn't too far off Hamilton's pace, and good to see the Ferraris not steamrolling like I was worried they would. Can't say which I would hate less between a Hamilton or a Vettel championship this year. So for now I will say #RicciardoFTW!

Post by **Miguel98** » 24 Mar 2017, 10:38

Rob Dylan wrote:Woke up this morning to the pleasant surprise that the McLarens had done 52 laps between them in the second practice session, and they weren't occupying the final two positions. Fingers crossed, touch wood, whatever, that pre-season testing was the worst of it.

Good to see Bottas isn't too far off Hamilton's pace, and good to see the Ferraris not steamrolling like I was worried they would. Can't say which I would hate less between a Hamilton or a Vettel championship this year. So for now I will say #RicciardoFTW!

Instead, we have a Hamilton steamroller. Which is worse. Much worse.

Also, I hoe this finally proves Rosberg was a damn good driver - Bottas seems much far off Lewis than Nico ever was.

Aislabie · Post by **Aislabie** » 24 Mar 2017, 13:25

Miguel98 wrote:Also, I hoe this finally proves Rosberg was a damn good driver - Bottas seems much far off Lewis than Nico ever was.

I find it amazing that people didn't realise this before to be honest.

Look at his record: he outright flattened the GP2 field in its inaugural season and got promoted to Williams. He was competitive against Webber in his rookie year, then flattened the his team-mates in '07, '08 and '09. He was signed by Mercedes to partner Michael Schumacher, and proceeded to beat him every year for three years.

That was when he was paired with a driver who took podiums in his first nine Grands Prix, and came within a single point of claiming World Championships in each of his first two years as an F1 driver. And Rosberg wasn't outclassed. He was within a single second place of his team-mate in 2013, and then in 2014 he would have been World Champion if it had been Hamilton and not he who had suffered the Abu Dhabi ERS failure.

2015 was the first time he really looked to be off the pace, falling as far as 80 points back by the end of the US Grand Prix. But he fought back, won the next seven Grands Prix and clung on to win his first (and final) World Championship by five points.

He wasn't the most exciting driver on the grid, but he was arguably as good as anyone in the world at getting the very best out of a car: from 2014 to 2016, he bagged 26 pole positions to Hamilton's 30. Hardly outclassed.

DanielPT · Post by **DanielPT** » 24 Mar 2017, 15:28

Miguel98 wrote:Also, I hoe this finally proves Rosberg was a damn good driver - Bottas seems much far off Lewis than Nico ever was.

Or that Bottas isn't as fast as everyone thought (including me) that he would be in F1. He found himself barely beating Maldonado and being a bit ahead of Massa, who was never the same again after the accident, understandably. The lad may be still finding his feet at Mercedes, but so far things don't look so good for him. Specially if he finds himself battling Ferraris and Red Bulls while his team-mate is above this battle.

CoopsII · Post by **CoopsII** » 24 Mar 2017, 16:31

Aislabie wrote: He was competitive against Webber in his rookie year, then flattened the his team-mates in '07, '08 and '09. He was signed by Mercedes to partner Michael Schumacher, and proceeded to beat him every year for three years.

An aging Wurz, Naka-bloody-jima and then an equally aging MSC? Not the best examples, in my opinion. However I still maintain that crap drivers don't win WDCs. They just don't. But some drivers ride their luck, give it their all and deliver consistency when they have to and Rosberg, for me, falls into that category.

Bottas hasn't even begun his first Qualifying for Mercedes yet, might be a bit early to write him off.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 24 Mar 2017, 17:08

Salamander wrote:Hamilton will be on pole by half a second and win by half a minute and when that happens, I'm out. Not watching another steamroller.

Miguel98 wrote:Instead, we have a Hamilton steamroller. Which is worse. Much worse.

I didn't know race results could be judged on Friday practice times...

OK, fine, Mercedes are strong favorites to win and it looks like they will dominate based on what little we've seen so far, but Christ, at least wait until Sunday before writing everything off.

Post by **mario** » 24 Mar 2017, 19:06

Simtek wrote:
Salamander wrote:Hamilton will be on pole by half a second and win by half a minute and when that happens, I'm out. Not watching another steamroller.

Miguel98 wrote:Instead, we have a Hamilton steamroller. Which is worse. Much worse.

I didn't know race results could be judged on Friday practice times...

OK, fine, Mercedes are strong favorites to win and it looks like they will dominate based on what little we've seen so far, but Christ, at least wait until Sunday before writing everything off.

I agree that, whilst Hamilton has had a rather easy ride so far in the practise sessions, that may be a little bit of a false impression.

Bottas did mention he was having a few set up issues, and it is possible that Mercedes might move his car's set up more towards that of Hamilton if it looks like that might be the best approach to go, reducing the gap between them.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that Ferrari did not do a huge amount of running on the softer compounds in the pre-season tests, whereas Mercedes did run the softer compounds more frequently. Those same softer tyres are the ones which Pirelli have decided to bring this weekend, so it is possible that Ferrari might be slightly less comfortable with those tyres given they have less data to work with for this weekend.

I'd agree that what you are saying is reasonable - whilst the early signs would suggest that Hamilton has an initial advantage, it's not necessarily assured that will remain the case.

lance_rambert · Post by **lance_rambert** » 25 Mar 2017, 01:55

Antonio Giovinazzi is jumping in the Sauber this weekend in place of Pascal Wehrlein, as of FP3.

While the circumstances behind the switch are... not great, I'm pretty excited to see Gio finally get a shot.

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 25 Mar 2017, 02:15

lance_rambert wrote:Antonio Giovinazzi is jumping in the Sauber this weekend in place of Pascal Wehrlein, as of FP3.

While the circumstances behind the switch are... not great, I'm pretty excited to see Gio finally get a shot.

Yes, finally. Zero races after coming runner-up in GP2.

Seriously, though, it'll be cool to see him. And it'll be so awkward if he beats Ericsson.

Post by **Bobby Doorknobs** » 25 Mar 2017, 04:43

Vettel half a second quicker than the Mercs and breaks the unofficial Albert Park lap record. It's not over yet.

Nor has it even begun really...

Aguaman · Post by **Aguaman** » 25 Mar 2017, 06:05

Go Gio.

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 25 Mar 2017, 06:23

Drivers from all different teams out in Q1. Don't know the last time that's happened.

Aguaman · Post by **Aguaman** » 25 Mar 2017, 07:12

That Palmer.

girry · Post by **girry** » 25 Mar 2017, 07:18

I'm just glad I eventually didn't publish my prediction about Joe Palmer being the surprise package of the season anywhere on the internet :chilton:

...

UncreativeUsername37 · Post by **UncreativeUsername37** » 25 Mar 2017, 07:21

IID goes to Grosjean, the hero of Haas in 6th... again....

pasta_maldonado · Post by **pasta_maldonado** » 25 Mar 2017, 07:24

Vettel inside 3 tenths is very, very pleasing, we could have a race on our hands. Never thought I'd be cheering on Vettel this much, but colour me red!

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 25 Mar 2017, 10:05

giraurd wrote:I'm just glad I eventually didn't publish my prediction about Joe Palmer being the surprise package of the season anywhere on the internet ...

He's not having a good weekend, is he?

watka · Post by **watka** » 25 Mar 2017, 11:15

Pretty hopeful for the race, first time in a while that we might have a championship battle between 2 different constructors. Still expect Hamilton to take the win but hopefully Vettel and Bottas can have a good scrap. And anyway, we know from last year that anything can happen off of the start line.

Did not expect to see Grosjean so far up the grid, you have to say that on his day he is one of the best drivers on the grid. Likewise, did not expect to see Giovinazzi anything other than dead last, props to him.

Aislabie · Post by **Aislabie** » 25 Mar 2017, 11:41

Giovinazzi is a beast; he ought to be in the Ferrari next year if there's any justice

On the other hand, there seem to be many Deadbeat Teammate contenders

Wallio · Post by **Wallio** » 25 Mar 2017, 13:37

watka wrote:Pretty hopeful for the race, first time in a while that we might have a championship battle between 2 different constructors. Still expect Hamilton to take the win but hopefully Vettel and Bottas can have a good scrap. And anyway, we know from last year that anything can happen off of the start line.

Did not expect to see Grosjean so far up the grid, you have to say that on his day he is one of the best drivers on the grid. Likewise, did not expect to see Giovinazzi anything other than dead last, props to him.

Keep in mind too that the brake issues Mario mentioned in testing have not yet been cured. Roman had an issue in Friday practice and barely kept it off the walls. So he went P6 in a car he can't be 100% confident in. Mad props.

Post by **mario** » 25 Mar 2017, 14:16

Wallio wrote:
watka wrote:Pretty hopeful for the race, first time in a while that we might have a championship battle between 2 different constructors. Still expect Hamilton to take the win but hopefully Vettel and Bottas can have a good scrap. And anyway, we know from last year that anything can happen off of the start line.

Did not expect to see Grosjean so far up the grid, you have to say that on his day he is one of the best drivers on the grid. Likewise, did not expect to see Giovinazzi anything other than dead last, props to him.

Keep in mind too that the brake issues Mario mentioned in testing have not yet been cured. Roman had an issue in Friday practice and barely kept it off the walls. So he went P6 in a car he can't be 100% confident in. Mad props.

As you rightly say, Grosjean has certainly been one of the surprise drivers this weekend and it is impressive that he managed to get that far up the grid (especially when Magnussen is 17th) despite the fact that there must have been at least a little bit of uncertainty in his mind over the brakes.

However, those brake problems must be a bit of a concern, and at the moment Haas aren't likely to fix that until the Bahrain GP at the earliest (when they're due to try switching back to Carbone Industrie brakes from the Brembo's they currently run) - I hope that his heroics in qualifying don't come to nothing in the race as a result of that.

As for Giovinazzi, considering that he had very little time to prepare for qualifying, he managed to step up to the plate with a pretty impressive performance. I expect that will have caught the eye of a few teams out there, and I would not be surprised if Ferrari might look for a way to manoeuvre him into a full time seat at Sauber as a way of both evaluating his potential and to try and avoid another team potentially poaching him.

To some extent, Alonso managing to get the car into 13th place is also a little bit of a surprise, although admittedly the biggest surprise is that the car ran for long enough for him to get that far up the grid in the first place...

Alextrax52 · Post by **Alextrax52** » 25 Mar 2017, 14:59

Even though Lewis took pole I think today's session proved Friday's doom and gloom was premature

Hopefully Ferrari will be able to keep it up for as long as possible and I think Kimi is definitely better than 8 tenths off the pace (he was quicker than Seb in Q2 even before Seb backed off). Bottas showed a few glimpses of what he's capable of too.

Further down I'm not surprised that Stroll and Palmer were slowest. They obviously lost a lot of running time and a new formula means you need as much runtime as possible to build the confidence up. I wouldn't be surprised if we see this more in the early rounds. Furthermore one of sky's conclusions was that the lower midfield may be the back of the field. I certainly thought Sauber would be the tail enders but they are not being pushed over. Giovanazzi should have made Q2 but for his error so Ericsson was there to pounce.

Red Bull have gone backwards (quite literally in Daniel Ricciardo's case). Max nearly 1.4 off pole and 0.5 behind Kimi who didn't have a great last session. Grosjean was excellent while I think it's too early to write K-Mag off as he was another who lost practice time and he'd have probably reached Q2 without the error on his best lap

Post by **Ataxia** » 25 Mar 2017, 15:50

Very impressed with Giovinazzi. Considering he didn't find out he was driving until this morning, he had to acclimatise quickly; he made that mistake which lost him a potential Q2 berth, but to be two tenths off of Ericsson at the first attempt is very good.

Stroll looked understandably cautious, and seemed a bit rattled by his Q3 shunt. Palmer's struggled all weekend; as much as I like Hulkenberg, even I can't skew things to suggest that Palmer is three-and-a-bit seconds down on his team-mate.

This field seems so much tighter than last year, and I'm partially glad some of the dead-weight has been clipped back...but the other part of me is crying out for three teams with big-budget-low-talent drivers!