I have subscribed to the sky HD package to enable me to watch Formula One. So I pay an extra £10 a month or £120 per season so that I can see every race.
Sky promised us uninterrupted coverage of the races.
As everyone knows, I am a freelance journalist who covers F1, easy if I could get to go all over the world to watch the races but finances don't allow that, hence the reliance on Sky's new F1 channel. Last season was perfect from the BBC, great coverage and awards also.
Now, I understand that everything can't be perfect but let me tell you about my experiance of Sky F1 to date. I've recorded every practice session, watched qualifying and the races. Every practice session has recorded but has come up with the words 'part rec' which in Sky TV language means the program has not fully recorded. When I have watched these back there have been losses in the signal which have meant me missing parts. This hasn't been a one off either. We have had six practice sessions so far this season and all six have partially recorded with signal losses. Then there was today and the Malaysian Grand Prix, I'm sitting there with my laptop making notes on the race, early on Grosjean goes off and I wanted to make some extended notes as its a worthy part of my article in the end, so I pause my Sky using live pause, make my notes and pressed play to carry on and nothing, the box had crashed and had to be reset. Hence the gap in my Malaysian Grand Prix report.
This happened to me when the biggest event of the grand prix happened. When the box was reset Alonso was leading, Perez was 2nd and Button was heading for the pits after a crash. So I missed the best part of the grand prix because of a Sky issue.
Sky is a satellite service which means that sometimes there can be a loss of signal. This is a risk, especially if you are like me and report on Formula One. I'm not criticising the coverage, they have a good team and the coverage is good, perhaps not up to the standard we were used to with the BBC yet.
I called Sky today and spoke to a technician who said it was probably just a chance thing that it happened on the F1 channel. She said it may well have happened on any channel at that point in time. On the day I tested live pause on other channels and it was fine. So I have reset my box in a way described by the Sky technician and we tested live pause on F1 channel and it was fine.
So in conclusion, was it a box issue? Was it an issue with the Sky F1 channel itself? Was it just me? I'd love to know whether anyone else experienced similar problems.
To talk about this either use the comments box or follow me on Twitter @F1News2012
Formula One News, views, reports, interviews. The world of Formula One from a fans point of view.
Sunday, 25 March 2012
Malaysian Grand Prix Report and Final Standings
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| The 'My Formula One' Star Of Today's Show |
It started to rain 15 minutes before the start of the race. The question was on everyone’s mind was, will there be rain for the start of the race and will there be a safety car start?
Charlie Whiting couldn't decide whether to have a safety car start, the teams couldn't decide on the tyre options. They thought the race could be delayed. It was a confusing lead up to the race for all the teams and race officials.
The cars started the formation lap on intermediate tyres. Both HRT's were on the full wets, however, the HRT of Pedro De La Rosa had to be wheeled into the pits as his HRT wouldn't start. The team managed to get started so he joined the race.
It stopped raining on the formation lap. All the teams started on intermediates.
There was a great start by Grosjean who made it up to 3rd place but soon lost it and went down to 5th. Then he went and hit Michael Schumacher and both cars spun, Schumacher ended up down in 12th. It looked like it was Romain's fault from the replay, but that's not my decision.
By lap 3 it was Hamilton, Button, Webber running as the top 3.
Felipe Massa put on full wets on lap 4. All the teams watched his times and it became obvious that they were the tyres to be on. Grosjean race ended as he hit standing water at turn 6 and ended up in the gravel
On lap 5 Button and Alonso went in for full wets. Button started has started putting in fast lap times, so on lap 6 the other top drivers came in for full wets.
After all the pit stops the lead was kept by Hamilton. Button with warmer wet tyres tried to overtake but pulled out of it, probably because of the spray which was immense.
The safety car came out on lap 7 because the rain was so heavy and in the last sector it was like a lake.
The top 5 order under the safety car was Hamilton, Button, Perez, Webber and Alonso, all these drivers have made a pit stop. The only drivers in the top 10 who haven't stopped are Vergne who is still on intermediates and Karthikeyan in the HRT who had the foresight to start the race on wets, I never thought I'd be saying that a HRT was running in the top 10. Schumacher is down in 15th under the safety car.
On lap 9 the race was red flagged. Most of the teams had special gazebo's over their cars on the grid, obviously they've learnt a lesson from Canada last year.
The race started again at 10:15 GMT under the safety car. During the red flag period we learned that Raikkonen had a problem with his KERS. When I say race, I mean the cars started to go round with the safety car, this meant that there can be no overtaking under the safety car. The big issue for everyone at this point is when to come in for the intermediates. Turn 15 had standing water so the safety car is obviously going to wait until there is a decent dry racing line.
On lap 14 the safety car went in and we got racing again. Pedro De La Rosa's day went from bad to worse as he got a drive through penalty because of a member of the team was still on the grid when he shouldn't have been.
I lost my satellite signal until lap 16, this is why I am not a fan of the Sky deal for this season. More on that in a report later.
As my signal came back Fernando Alonso is in the lead with Perez 2nd and Hamilton has fallen to 3rd. Jenson Button had crashed and had a puncture and a damaged front wing so had to go back in the pits.
Now, Button is in last position, the last time that happened he won, in Canada. On lap 18 Button did the fastest lap of the race and is now 20th but more importantly he is over 40 seconds behind.
On lap 20 DRS has been enabled, that should help Button to get back up the field. You may have noticed that I am now writing this in the same style as the qualifying report. Live writing, more like a report.
I can't risk pausing the Sky coverage again.
Alonso still leads the race, with Perez 4 seconds behind. Vettel has just used his DRS to go into 4th as he passes Rosberg in the Mercedes. I expected the Mercedes to be faster on the straight and be able to defend better. On lap 23 Rosberg got caught again in the same place, this time it was Raikkonen who took 5th place.
On lap 25 Button pits again and puts a different set of intermediates on as he couldn't get heat into the tyres he had.
Rosberg must be having issues as he has now been passed by Webber. We are now on lap 26 and Perez makes a fastest lap. Massa has just been taken by Vergne who is up to 9th. Senna is having a great run at the moment in the Williams, he's in 9th now. Massa pits on lap 28, and comes out in 16th.
Karthikeyan has now fallen down to 22nd, a more familiar position than 10th. Hamilton in 3rd is closing in on Perez but he is around 7 seconds behind.
Alonso and Perez are having a great race, they keep putting in personal bests. They are driving the soul out of their cars. The other Sauber with Kobyashi has just overtaken the Mercedes of Schumacher.
The weather forecast says that there will be showers in a couple of minutes, we are now on lap 32. Button has got himself up to 17th, next up for him is Massa. We are more than half way through the race, how far can Button go?
Perez has set another fastest lap of the race on lap 32. The problem is that the track is nearly dry enough for the slicks but the weather forecast says rain on the way. Button is struggling to get past Massa.
Button has just taken Massa in a brilliant overtaking move. Wheel to wheel with Ricciardo involved too.
At the front, Perez is catching the Ferrari of Alonso who is currently in 1st place.
The Caterham of Petrov is in 15th and having a great race, he's currently on lap 37 is Buttons next victim potentially, he kept him behind for a while but couldn't keep him behind for too long. We all know what Button is like in the rain..
Lap 38 and Ricciardo pits for slicks. Lets see what happens now. All the teams are watching his times and and the weather forecast.
Perez is now close to Alonso now, can he get close enough.
The teams are starting to gamble by putting on slicks. Webber, Hamilton, Senna and more have gone onto slicks. Alonso goes into the pits but Perez doesn't, he stays on intermediates. If it does rain, Perez will be on for a win, if it doesn't he will fall down. On lap 42 Perez does pit for slicks.
Maldonado has just set a fastest lap. By staying out for an extra lap, instead of being in the mirrors of Alonso he is about 4 seconds behind.
I've just said that about Perez, but he is catching Alonso now, and catching him fast.
Bruno Senna, has just used his DRS and overtaken Paul Di Resta to move into 7th in his Williams. Senna is having a great race.
Perez has just been held up by a HRT who wouldn't move off the racing line. He is now just 2.7 seconds behind. It's crazy, especially for me, I've criticised the Ferrari and it's winning, I said that Sauber would be the victim of Caterham moving up the world championship, looks like someone else will be the victim.
Lap 48 Vettel gets a left rear puncture and had to pit, caused yet again by a HRT.
Perez is now in the DRS zone of Alonso, can Perez do it. He didn't manage it on lap 50. I hear Kobayashi has now retired. Perez has went wide but has lost so much time, he is now 5 seconds behind, what a shame for the lad.
Senna is now 6th and Maldonado is 10th, how's that for Williams, following last season. Let's see where they finish. Vettel and Button are not making up time, so they are not likely to get any points today. No repeat of Canada from Button who is currently 4th.
There are 4 laps left, it's not likely that Perez will catch Alonso now.
Maldonado is trying to catch Hulkenberg in the Force India, but in the DRS zone, the Force India seemed to have more straight line speed.
Raikkonen in his Lotus has just set the fastest lap. He is in 5th at the moment.,
I really can't believe Mercedes in this race, they are so fast, I suppose it's the rain.
Final lap has just started and Alonso has a 2 second gap so should win it.
Over the finish line Fernando Alonso wins, a great 2nd place for Sergio Perez and Hamilton finished in 3rd place for the second week in a succession.
This has been an exciting race, totally unpredictable. Fantastic to see a Sauber driver on the podium. There were some good overtaking moves, and in all honesty Perez could have won the race if he hadn't made that mistake. I was disappointed with Mercedes, as I thought they would have done so much better. The Lotus of Raikkonen looked strong and so did Grosjean's for the short time he was on track. I have to be honest and say I am disappointed with HRT, nothing to do with positions etc, the problem is that they caused two major issues in my opinion. They caused Button to have to pit with a puncture and a new nose, they also did the same to Vettel who had a rear puncture. Sorry to criticise but this is a website written by a fan, for fans. The race though was outstanding. Well done Sauber, My Formula One are proud of you. Sorry for doubting you in my season preview. I officially change my mind and say that someone else will fall down a place in the championship for Caterham to move up. Both Caterham cars finished the race today, and in decent positions. Not quite in the points yet, but as the season progresses they will get there. Here are the final standings;
Malaysian Grand Prix Final Result
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
| 1 | Alonso | Ferrari |
| 2 | Perez | Sauber |
| 3 | Hamilton | McLaren |
| 4 | Webber | Red Bull |
| 5 | Raikkonen | Lotus |
| 6 | Senna | Williams |
| 7 | Di Resta | Force India |
| 8 | Vergne | Toro Rosso |
| 9 | Hulkenberg | Force India |
| 10 | Schumacher | Mercedes |
| 11 | Vettel | Red Bull |
| 12 | Ricciardo | Toro Rosso |
| 13 | Rosberg | Mercedes |
| 14 | Button | McLaren |
| 15 | Massa | Ferrari |
| 16 | Petrov | Caterham |
| 17 | Glock | Marussia |
| 18 | Kovalainen | Caterham |
| 19 | Maldonado | Williams |
| 20 | Pic | Marussia |
| 21 | Karthikeyan | HRT |
| 22 | De La Rosa | HRT |
| 23 | Kobayashi | Sauber (Retired) |
| 24 | Grosjean | Lotus (Retired) |
Saturday, 24 March 2012
Formula One Qualyfying Report - Malaysia 2012
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| Lewis Hamilton Gets Pole For a 2nd Race in a Row. Joined here by team mate Button who will start 2nd and Schumacher 3rd |
We are looking at McLaren and Mercedes following the practice sessions. They don't always give us the answers, but they look the best bet for pole. Lewis Hamilton looked fantastic on Friday, Michael Schumacher was also looking good. It wouldn't surprise me to find a silver front two rows. We will see as Qualifying starts in a few minutes. As we know anything can happen in qualifying. Caterham will be looking to battle with the midfield today, can Vitaly and Heikki get one of the cars into qualifying two?
Qualifying 1
We find out from the Pit Wall that there is a large rain cell located to the west of the track. They are not expecting rain in this session but we may well have rain at some point during proceedings today.
We are go for qualifying, however unusually no one is waiting at the lights to go straight out. Caterham have said that they are happy with race pace, but are trying to understand why their qualifying pace isn't quiet right.
The first car out is Paul Di Resta followed by Nico Hulkenberg. They are the only ones on track as we are two minutes into the session.
Lots more cars have joined the Force India's on the track. Paul Di Resta is the first to set a time and that is 1:38.927. Everyone is now on track apart from the HRT's and Vettel, talking about them will they get in the 107% rule. Raikkonen has gone top with a 1:37.961. Hamilton's just topped that with his first lap and put down a benchmark of 1:37.904. At the moment only 12 drivers have put in a time. Button beats Hamilton then Rosberg goes fastest in his Mercedes. The bottom 7 who go out in this round are so far in that seven are Massa, Petrov, Kovalainen, Glock, Pic, Karthikeyen and De La Rosa. Schumacher is currently fastest with a 1:37.517. Both Red Bull's are pretty much safe but Vettel is 7th and Webber 12th. There are two compounds of tyres for this race and each tean has just three sets of them. For this race its the hard and the medium that Pirelli have chosen. It's a surprise to see both Ferrari's going out on the medium compound at this stage. Massa will be the first to cross the finish line and moves himself 11th, he can't relax on the time though. Already Massa has gone down to 13th.
Webber has just put himself on top with a good lap. The session finishes and the grid from 17th to 22nd are as follows;
18th Vergne - Toro Rosso
19th Kovalainen - Caterham
20th Petrov - Caterham
21st Glock- Marussia
22nd Pic - Marussia
23rd De La Rosa - HRT
24th Karthikyan - HRT
Karthikeyan is over five seconds off the pace but is just is inside the 107% by a tenth of a second. Kovakaiinen takes a five plactie grid penalty so will start at the back with the HRT's. Webber's time stayed as the fastest for this session.
Qualifying 2
With Webber setting the fastest lap late on in the last session, I think that shows that the track has now bedded in and there is a decent amount of rubber laid down. I think that this session is going to be exciting.
Light is green, 15 minutes of fast action is on it's way.
Perez is first on track in his Sauber.We have just seen that the rain is not expected in this session. The first time set is a 1:39.043, that certainly won't be the top time for very long. Kobayashi knocks his team mate off top spot beating him by around a second. That was literally quickly followed by Kimi Raikkonen as he puts his Lotus top 1.443 seconds faster than the Saubers. A good time by Raikkonen, that will be difficult to beat in his session. With 8 minutes remaining 13 teams have set a time. Button and Hamilton are 2nd and 3rd in the standings. We are half way through the session and the drop zone looks like this Massa, Perez, Di Resta, Hulkenberg, Maldonado, Senna and Grosjean. Kimi certainly hasn't lost any of his talent, you can see that by the comparison to his team mate, it's just a shame that Kimi has a five place grid penalty because of a gearbox change. I'm now watching Felipe Massa in the worryingly poor Ferrari, he is 11th fastest at the moment and in the drop zine, lets see if he can drag his way out of danger and get a good lap in. Whilst we were watching Massa, we have flipped to Grosjean in the Lotus, to see if he can get up there with Kimi, don't forget he is only a sort of half rookie, as he's raced in F1 before. He should be able to get the Lotus in the top 10, Romain doesn't disappoint and goes into 4th place. The Lotus is looking good on low fuel, what will it be like on full load tomorrow? We will have to wait and see. Back to MassaMassa is just going round the last corner and goes into 9th, that won't be safe, I'm sure of that. He will need another go. Alonso is just about to cross the line, will he get back into the top 10 and beat his team mate, he does and goes 6th (not 5th, maybe that's to come in the pole position shoot out). With just over a minute to go Senna crosses the line in his Williams and sits 12th, he can still get another lap in. Maldonado has ust put his Williams into 9th position which has put Massa's Ferrari and both Mercedes in deep trouble. They all need to pull something special out of the bag right now. Hulkenberg goes 15th. The chequered flag has now just fallen, both Mercedes are on hot laps. They cannot make a mistake, and they need to be the best laps they can do. We've seen them in practice and I personally expected them to be fighting for pole position. Let's see what happens, we are watching Schumacher, he has traffic in frint of him, he passes them with ease, at the end of the second sector he is half a second up on 10th place, so barring any mistakes he should be ok, let's see his final sector. For a moment we switch to Rosberg in the other Mercedes and goes into 3rd position so is safe and will be in the pole position shoot out, Schumacher gets himself into 4th just behind his team mate. We loose a Ferrari, Felipe Massa couldn't make it through.
So the session is over so the grid from 11th to 17th looks like this;
11th Maldonado - Williams
12th Massa - Ferrari
13th Senna - Williams
14th Di Resta - Force India
15th Ricciardo - Toro Rosso
16th Hulkenberg - Force India
17th Kobayashi - Sauber
Now it's time for the pole position shoot out.
Pole Position Shoot out - Qualifying Session 3
The ten minute session has started. The first man out is Raikkonen We now have the current world champion out n track. Will the Red Bull's get to the front, have they been sandbagging? We are about to find out. The McLarens are both out on track. The Mercedes are both waiting, perhaps to do only one run. I have just learnt that Sergio Perez will only do one run. Raikkonen is rhe first man to lay down a time for everyone to chase, he sets a time of 1:36.837 for everyone to try and beat. Button comes round the final bend in the McLaren and goes faster straight away with a 1:36.627. Hamilton is coming round the final corner as Button crossed the line, what can he do? Hamilton now goes 1st with a 1:36.219 nearly half a second quicker. Next up it's time to see if Red Bull have been sandbagging or whether some work needs to be done on the car to bring it up to speed, as Mark Webber crosses the line with a 1:37.011 putting him 4th at the moment. Grosjean is next across the line and he goes 5th. Now its the double world champion, Vettel to cross the line, and there seems to be no sand bags in the Red Bull garage as he can only manage 6th, over a second off the pace.We are half way through the session. Both Mercedes are out on a clear track, lets see what Rosberg and Schimacher, Rosberg is having a poor lap, he's locked up under braking and gone wide on a couple of occasions. He is in a car that is capable of pole, perhaps it's the pressure. Perez in the Sauber has just gone out for his only lap (apparently). Rosberg is about half a second down in the 2nd sector. He has pulled something out the bag in the final sector to put him 3rd for the moment. At the end of the 2nd sector Schiumacher was down on pole by 0.232 seconds. All the cars are now on track and Raikkonen has gone out on a brand new set of tyres. Schumacher will be next over the line as we have just over 2 minutes left of the session. Schumacher goes 2nd by a small margin. Now it's all about these final laps, it could all change now. At the moment we have a all silver front two rows as I predicted earlier. Perez puts his Sauber on 9th. Rosberg is happy with his time as he has gone into the pits along with Schumacher, they obviously believe they've done enough or their cars were only fuelled for the one flying lap. Hamilton is out on track and going faster than his original time. Webber is coming to line now and he goes 3rd fastest, a great lap by webber. Raikkonen crosses the line and goes 4th (putting him 9th due to a five place grid penalty). Vettel is now coming down the long straight towards the last corner, what can he do? He can only manage 6th, out qualified by Mark Webber. Jenson Button is right behind him and crosses the line in 2nd to give a 2nd front row lock out for McLaren in a row. Grosjean is the last man to cross the line and puts his Lotus 7th.
So here is the grid order for the top 10 (prior to penalties)
1st Hamilton - McLaren
2nd Button - McLaren
3rd Schumacher - Mercedes
4th Webber - Red Bull
5th Raikkonen - Lotus
6th Vettel - Red Bull
7th Grosjean - Lotus
8th Rosberg - Mercedes
9th Alonso - Ferrari
10th Perez - Sauber
Yet another great Saturday for McLaren. I'm looking forward to what should be a great race tomorrow. We'll be covering it with a report on the race tomorrow.
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Scandal Over Ugly Nose Regulations - They May Not Have Been Necessary
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| The Ugly Noses Could Have Been Avoided |
Apparently, Lotus mentioned to the group that the new regulations could lead to some odd looking cars. They then proposed that the height change down from a distance of 400mm behind the front bulkhead. It has been said that some drawings were distributed and ten of the teams agreed that the regulations should be changed.
When the teams voted for this change, only Red Bull and Toro Rosso voted against the changes for some unknown reason. Despite there being a majority vote, the regulation never got changed. No one knows the reason why? Well no one has said they know. Somebody actually does!
I think that as fans we should be told why the majority vote was ignored. I don't know what you guys think, but I am calling for the truth and for an answer. So can someone tell us why this was vote ignored?
Friday, 23 March 2012
Ferrari - A Look At The Current Situation
Ferrari seem to have built a very poor car this year. It's such a shame that they are not able to battle at the front. They've got the history, they've got a decent team of engineers and drivers. They still can't build a decent car.
If it wasn't for Fernando Alonso, they would be running in the midfield sY best. Alonso drove that car beyond its capabilities in Australia. His fifth place finish has nothing to do with the cat, for once in Formula One, it was all about the driver.
So what can they do about it? They have given Massa a new chassis, however in practice 1 & 2 it didn't seem to make a difference. They need to completely re-think their car and they need to do it fast. If they don't, they could end up loosing Alonso, never mind, this thing about giving Massa a year to prove himself.
Ferrari have such a history in the sport that it is so sad to see, just like Williams in 2011. I tell you now, without Alonso, Ferrari would be in the midfield without a doubt.
You may agree or think I'm totally off the boil here. But I want Ferrari back at the front fighting with McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. Who knows they may resolve whatever the issues are. We will just have to wait and see.
If it wasn't for Fernando Alonso, they would be running in the midfield sY best. Alonso drove that car beyond its capabilities in Australia. His fifth place finish has nothing to do with the cat, for once in Formula One, it was all about the driver.
So what can they do about it? They have given Massa a new chassis, however in practice 1 & 2 it didn't seem to make a difference. They need to completely re-think their car and they need to do it fast. If they don't, they could end up loosing Alonso, never mind, this thing about giving Massa a year to prove himself.
Ferrari have such a history in the sport that it is so sad to see, just like Williams in 2011. I tell you now, without Alonso, Ferrari would be in the midfield without a doubt.
You may agree or think I'm totally off the boil here. But I want Ferrari back at the front fighting with McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull. Who knows they may resolve whatever the issues are. We will just have to wait and see.
Free Practice 1 & 2 News
Lewis Hamilton topped the time sheets in his McLaren in FP1. Followed by Vettel, Rosberg and Schumacher in 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. The Ferrari's struggled, with Massa using his new chassis, in only 13th place. That however was faster than his team mate Alonso who was a couple of places further down.
Further down the order, the HRT's got some running in at last but were 7 seconds off the pace. Caterham will be happy with being in the thick of the midfield, only two seconds off Hamilton's time.
In second practice Hamilton again topped the timing charts, making him the fastest driver of the day. He was again followed closely by Schumacher in the fast looking Mercedes. Button in the other McLaren followed close behind. Rosberg completed the top four. Both these teams look good at Sepang.
After a good start in Melbourne, Sauber look to be struggling on a few points, one of which is tyre degradation, normally one of the things they're good at.
Lotus had an issue with KERS on Kimi Raikkonen's car which left him further down the order than he should be. Meanwhile his team mate Romain Grosjean ended up a respectable ninth position.
The HRT's closed the gap to 5 seconds in practice 2, compared to 7 seconds in the first session.
Now it's a wait until tomorrow for third practice and qualifying. We will have a report on qualifying soon after it finishes tomorrow. From today's showing, expect to see McLaren and Mercedes right up there at the front.
Further down the order, the HRT's got some running in at last but were 7 seconds off the pace. Caterham will be happy with being in the thick of the midfield, only two seconds off Hamilton's time.
In second practice Hamilton again topped the timing charts, making him the fastest driver of the day. He was again followed closely by Schumacher in the fast looking Mercedes. Button in the other McLaren followed close behind. Rosberg completed the top four. Both these teams look good at Sepang.
After a good start in Melbourne, Sauber look to be struggling on a few points, one of which is tyre degradation, normally one of the things they're good at.
Lotus had an issue with KERS on Kimi Raikkonen's car which left him further down the order than he should be. Meanwhile his team mate Romain Grosjean ended up a respectable ninth position.
The HRT's closed the gap to 5 seconds in practice 2, compared to 7 seconds in the first session.
Now it's a wait until tomorrow for third practice and qualifying. We will have a report on qualifying soon after it finishes tomorrow. From today's showing, expect to see McLaren and Mercedes right up there at the front.
Thursday, 22 March 2012
Malaysian Grand Prix Preview
This weekend sees the teams at battle once again, just days after Jenson Button kicked off the season on style. McLaren seem to have the best car and with Marussia having a two car finish, may well mean the nose step was the wrong decision.
I am going to run through the latest news ahead of this weekends grand prix.
The Felipe Massa Saga Continues at Ferrari
We will start with Felipe Massa, who had a poor race in Melbourne. 2012 was supposed to be the season he proved himself. Some of the Italian press have been calling for a replacement already. I don't agree, I believe he is a decent driver. Don't forget he was seconds from being world champion in 200&. Italian slots paper 'Autosprint' had this to say about Massa, which is a bit off hand being we've only has one race. Here's a segment of what they said; "The Brazilian is already a case: disastrous and embarrassing in the race. Last year, he had the excuse of not being able to get heat into the tyres, this year the opposite happens, [and] he destroys them in a few laps. Felipe is useless to the team and does not carry championship points. Massa is now the shadow of the beautiful pale rider of the past, [when he was] aggressive and [capable of a] quick lap."
We will see what happens with Massa, but I fully expect him to see out the year, especially following the replacements Ferrari used when he was out injured in 2009.
The Bookies Rate Lewis Hamilton for Malaysia
Lewis Hamilton is the early favorite for Sepang. After his outstanding pole position in Melbourne, the bookies are looking at his race there as unlucky. They believe with a bit of luck he would have won. However you can't take anything away from Jensons great drive.
Sebastian Vettel Talks About the Future of the RB8
Reigning World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, believes the RB8 needs more track time to become a force on 2012. He had said that the car has no fundamental issues, it just needs fine tuning in order to become a race winning car like its predecessor. Red Bull were unable to compete with McLaren in qualifying in Melbourne Nd during the race. It has been said in the media that without the safety car, We would have had a McLaren 1-2. Vettel is confident for Sepang this weekend as he puts a poor qualifying performance down to his final race position in Melbourne. So I guess it's watch out everyone, Vettel believes he'll be back to his very best this weekend.
Schumacher Set For Pole in Sepang?
Michael Schumacher has played down talk that Mercedes are set for pole in Sepang. Many pundits believe the use of their innovative rear wing device will give them a chance to lead from the front. Pundits have been putting Schumacher's qualifying pace, which got him on the second row in Melbourne, down to the unusual duct on the Mercedes, that seems to work when the DRS system is activated and is used to channel air onto the wing, which will inevitably give him an extra boost, when the DRS is activated. In qualifying you can use DRS for the full lap. This will give him and Rosberg the chance to get among the front runners.
Williams New Found Pace Needs to Turn to Points
Following a 13th place for Maldonado and a 16th for Senna in Australia, you may be forgiven for thinking that there had been no real impovement over the winter for the British team, however, you'd be wrong. Until the last lap in Australia, Williams looked on course to score more points than they did in the entire season during 2011. Pastor unfortunately retired on the final lap. Bruno Senna showed some good pace during the race but seemed hampered by bad luck, his race finally coming to an end when he collided with fellow Brazilian Felipe Massa (maybe Massa has found a new play mate for 2012, especially now he cant't catch Lewis' McLaren. Williams are set to use pretty much the same car,with no updates, for Malaysia. The only difference maybe an opening up of cooling level due to the higher temperature in Sepang. It does look like Williams are set to have a much better season, I wouldn't bet against them being among the points scorers in this weekends race.
The Season Has Just Started and We Are Already Hearing Transfer Rumours
Rumours have been flying around faster than a Formula One car this week about Sergio Perez being linked with a move to Ferrari, to take ovet Feipe Massa's seat. Both drivers have denied these reports as just speculation. Perez has said that he is fully focused on his drive with Sauber, however Sergio is part of the Ferrari young driver programme. Whilst I believe Massa will probably keep his seat, until the end of the season, Perez has driven a Ferrari Formula One car before. Sergio has made it quite clear that he is concentrating on the Malaysian Grand Prix only and would like a second points finish to follow up his 8th place in Melbourne. Perez had an excellent race last weekend, following a gearbox issue he started at the back of the grid. Felipe has also distanced himelf from these reports as he commented to ESPN "I never drove depending on what others think or say about me. I do my job thinking about trying to the best I can the car." How much truth there is in this rumour, I don't know. But it does seem a logical next step for the Mexican if Felipe doesn't improve fast.
And Finally My Thoughts on Malaysia
I'm predicting another win for McLaren. It was obvious that thier car was the best in Australia and that they have, arguably, the best driver line up. The circuit should suit Jenson Button more than Lewis Hamilton, due to the need for a smooth style of driving. However, I do have one surprise up my sleeve and it's been mentioned on here already. There are a couple of long straights at Sepang, and this could give Mercedes a real chance this weekend. Don't be surprised to see at least one Mercedes driver on the podium. I just hope that if it is Schumacher, he keeps his current chilled out peronality and doesn't go back to his old ways. I don't mind admitting, I am beginning to like the new Michael.
Expect to see the Caterham cars further up the field this weekend, mixing it with the midfield. I am thinking Sauber probably won't do as well, as it is more difficult to look after tyres in Sepang.
On Saturday I will be writing my report on Qualifying and then on Sunday will tell you all my opinions and run through all the talking points of the race.
Tuesday, 20 March 2012
Post Melbourne News and Comments
We start with the biggest surprise, as Marussia defied their sceptics by having a two car finish. Something they deserve to celebrate following a lack of winter testing. Well done to them.
Kimi Raikkonen rues a missed opportunity, as he watched Romain Grosjean pick up a podium. Problems with the Lotus of Raikkonen meant that he had limited running in practice and had to start way down the grid. He still managed to get amongst the points, showing that the Lotus has pace, and most importantly for Kimi. He still has the ability.
Lewis Hamilton was disappointed with his race. Lewis dropped from pole at the start of the race, when overtaken by team mate Jenson Button. He then lost out during a safety car period to rival Sebastian Vertel in the Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso drove his Ferrari car to the absolute maximum. Finishing 5th was the best he could archive. I believe that had anyone else been in the car it wouldn't have finished at the back.
Heikki Kovalainen has been handed a 5 place grid penalty for Malaysia. The reason for the penalty is overtaking before the line. Heikki is not too concerned as he believes he can make those places up easy. There's confidence for you. Well done Heikki, that confidence is nice to hear.
Felipe Massa has been given a new chassis for Malaysia due to the poor performance of his car at Australia. It'll be interesting to see if this makes any difference to his performance.
Pirelli have offered a chance for all F1 teams to send an observer to the first test in Jerez of its new 2010 Renault. They believe this move will both help the teams and stop any advantage to one team. The first test is due in May.
Kimi Raikkonen rues a missed opportunity, as he watched Romain Grosjean pick up a podium. Problems with the Lotus of Raikkonen meant that he had limited running in practice and had to start way down the grid. He still managed to get amongst the points, showing that the Lotus has pace, and most importantly for Kimi. He still has the ability.
Lewis Hamilton was disappointed with his race. Lewis dropped from pole at the start of the race, when overtaken by team mate Jenson Button. He then lost out during a safety car period to rival Sebastian Vertel in the Red Bull.
Fernando Alonso drove his Ferrari car to the absolute maximum. Finishing 5th was the best he could archive. I believe that had anyone else been in the car it wouldn't have finished at the back.
Heikki Kovalainen has been handed a 5 place grid penalty for Malaysia. The reason for the penalty is overtaking before the line. Heikki is not too concerned as he believes he can make those places up easy. There's confidence for you. Well done Heikki, that confidence is nice to hear.
Felipe Massa has been given a new chassis for Malaysia due to the poor performance of his car at Australia. It'll be interesting to see if this makes any difference to his performance.
Pirelli have offered a chance for all F1 teams to send an observer to the first test in Jerez of its new 2010 Renault. They believe this move will both help the teams and stop any advantage to one team. The first test is due in May.
Monday, 19 March 2012
What Do YOU Think?
As part of a commitment to bring you the news and views from within Formula One, we want to hear from fans of all the teams, following the first grand prix of the year in Melbourne.
We will be running an article (hopefully) later this week, featuring the views of fans from each of the teams, that's where I need your help.
I want a small (perhaps 2 or 3) write up from a supporter of each team. All you have to do is email me at info@myformulaone.com with your name, age, team supported and short viewpoint of your teams weekend. The first people who reply get theirs included.
The article will be on website and in the first issue of My Formula One magazine due out in April.
Simple as that. I look forward to your views.
Thank you for your support.
We will be running an article (hopefully) later this week, featuring the views of fans from each of the teams, that's where I need your help.
I want a small (perhaps 2 or 3) write up from a supporter of each team. All you have to do is email me at info@myformulaone.com with your name, age, team supported and short viewpoint of your teams weekend. The first people who reply get theirs included.
The article will be on website and in the first issue of My Formula One magazine due out in April.
Simple as that. I look forward to your views.
Thank you for your support.
Jenson Button Talks About Winning the First GP of the Season
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| Jenson starts as he means to go on - and he could have been so much faster |
He commented "Every victory means a lot but today shows just how important it was to have a strong winter, he confirmed. The starts of the past two seasons have both been tricky for us, so today is really encouraging. The guys at the circuit and all the men and women back in Woking have done an amazing job to get us here"
Button believes there is now a realistic chance to fight with this car for the championship. His only concern was the restart following the safety car. He said "At the start, I really wanted to get away fast in the first two laps to avoid the threat of DRS it wasn't easy because I had Lewis right on my tail. But the race went smoothly after that. My biggest worry was the late-race Safety Car: I had a 10-second advantage, which was pretty healthy, but the Safety Car cut that to nothing."
Not only that, he had to spend the early part of the race in fuel saving mode unnecessarily. McLaren thought he was using too much fuel and asked him to just manage the gap at the front. He later revealed that he could have raced full on and still have enough fuel for both cars.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile finished 3rd, although this has been attributed to the safety car incident in which he lost out to raining champion Vettel. I have no personal doubt that we'd have had a McLaren one-two if fortunes had gone their way, but that's racing.
The good testing period for McLaren has shown how important it is for a good start to the season. Without doubt, the two best cars on the grid were the McLarens.
What did you all think of the race, to start a conversation just go to Twitter and use the hash tag #F1News2012aussie
Sunday, 18 March 2012
So How Did it go for Pirelli?
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| Pirelli 2012 Tyres - Much Clearer Markings |
Here were his post Melbourne comments for My Formula One;
"The Australian Grand Prix certainly lived up to expectations, and we fulfilled our objective of providing scope for more strategies by reducing the performance gaps between the compounds and extending the window of peak performance. An interesting element was that there were many pit stops that were not for wear level but instead for degradation, confirming what we wanted to achieve strategy-wise. We also saw more use of the medium tyre than the soft tyre, contrary to last year. Despite this range of strategies there were some very tight battles all the way down the field right up to a dramatic final lap, with one driver crashing out and eighth, ninth and 10th places crossing the finish line practically together! The wear and degradation of the tyres was around 0.1 seconds per lap on the soft tyre – with the frontrunners choosing to pit twice, despite the rapid pace at the front of the field. Many congratulations to Jenson Button and McLaren for a stylish victory and also to Mark Webber, who scores his best-ever finish on home territory."
Finally, the markings on this years tyres are so much better, as you can see in the picture above.
Thank you once again Paul for taking time out to speak to My Formula One.
Reaction from Caterham F1 on their first Race Back
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| Vitaly Petrov in action at Melbourne |
I spoke to Tom Webb just minutes before he got on board to his flight to Malaysia for next weeks grand prix. In the short but significant chat about the weekend just past.
First of all I asked about the reasons for both cars stopping before the end of the race, I am assured they are. Both minor issues that will be resolved by Malaysia.
I then asked about how he felt the team performed overall. Firstly he pointed to the fact that Heikki had no DRS until lap 6, and on a track with two zones this has to be a factor. He also has an issue with his KERS system over the start finish line. He pointed out that the timings showed Caterham matching, if not bettering the establishes midfield pack. There was a point at which we were battling with the Ferrari of Massa.
Overall, had things not gone against them, their own timing sheets showed that they were in a good position to score their first ever points.
If lady luck falls on them well in Malaysia, you wouldn't bet against some points for Caterham.
Thank you for spending the time to speak to us Tom. Good luck in Malaysia.
Autralian Grand Prix Race Report
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| Jenson Collects the 1st Trophy of 2012 |
We start off this morning with a look at the grid for todays race:
| Grid Number | Driver | Team | (Any other info) |
| 1 | Hamilton | McLaren | 1:24.922 |
| 2 | Button | McLaren | |
| 3 | Grosjean | Lotus | |
| 4 | Schumacher | Mercedes | |
| 5 | Webber | Red Bull | |
| 6 | Vettel | Red Bull | |
| 7 | Rosberg | Mercedes | |
| 8 | Maldonado | Williams | |
| 9 | Hulkenberg | Force India | |
| 10 | Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | |
| 11 | Vergne | Toro Rosso | |
| 12 | Alonso | Ferrari | |
| 13 | Koyayashi | Sauber | |
| 14 | Senna | Williams | |
| 15 | Di Resta | Force India | |
| 16 | Massa | Ferrari | |
| 17 | Raikkonen | Lotus | |
| 18 | Kovalainen | Caterham | |
| 19 | Petrov | Caterham | |
| 20 | Glock | Marussia | |
| 21 | Pic | Marussia | |
| 22 | Perez | Sauber | 5 Place Grid penalty |
| 23 | De La Rosa | HRT | Didn't Qualify |
| 24 | Karthikeyan | HRT | Didn't Qualify |
So only a few moments to go until the lights go out. Sit back and enjoy this report,written in real time. For race reports we will write it as the action unfolds and then upload it to the website. So apologies for any early errors. We will proof reading during the day. F1 is all about speed, so let's see how soon you can red our coverage. Live, but only just.
The track temperature is just 29, and there are drivers out of position. Not only that, we have six champions on the track and many drivers out of position. With a double DRS we are likely to see a lot of overtaking today.
The lights go out and we are off and racing for 2012.
At the start Lewis got some wheel spin, letting Jenson through into first corner. The Ferrari's seem to be making progress through the field. Then after a great qualifying session, Grosjean comes off the track with what seems like front right wheel issues.
Within 4 laps Button had already built up a 2.6 second gap, on his team mate. Vettel showed that he can race after all, with a great early move on Rosberg. On lap 7 the top 10 are split by around 20 seconds already.
Red Bull are confident they can catch Schumacher. At the moment the top 5 are 1. Button 2. Hamilton 3. Schumacher 4. Vettel 5. Rosberg. Immediately after this run down we have the Mercedes of Schumacher pulling over will a faulty car. Now there will be only one Mercedes racing.
Massa pulled into the its for a new set of tyres on lap 12, the first of the unscheduled stops. Rosberg pits second, this time on lap13. Raikkonen has already up 11 places so far by lap 14.
On lap 17 the leaders started to pit. Button was the first with Vettel following. As Hamilton left the pits he found his a Sauber in his way, which won't help. Rakkionen went in for his first lap during the 20th. This is where we and out the true gains of Kimi. He started in 17th and comes out 11th with others yet to pit in front of him.
What an exciting race as there is action up and down the track. On lap 21 Alonso and Rosberg took places from perez. It looks like Sauber may try a one stop race.
Halfway through the race, all the top 10 have now pitted.
Jenson is still running away with the race at half distance, however Hamilton is putting him under pressure. Vettel is a steady distance behind the two McLarens. As for Ferrari, they are relying on Alonso (who you could put in a Fiat Panda in this race and he'd still do well).
Massa is the first of the drivers to make a second stop, let's see who follows.
Mercedes are showing great straight line speed during the middle part of this race. They are making it difficult for anyone to overtake, despite DRS. This could prove more significant as the race and season goes on.
On lap 37 Vitaly Perov parked his car on the start\finish straight causing an issue for McLaren. The safety car was deployed and this meant Jenson kept his first place, but the big winner and big looser from this was Vettel, who jumped Hamilton into 3rd. Now this will be an interesting restart.
During this safety car period caused by the Caterham of Petrov, we also lost Kovalainen. Not a great day for the lads from Hingham. Maybe next week things will be better.
Following the safety car period, we can run down the latest top five – Button, Vettel, Hamilton, Webber and Alonso (5th? Really? Surely not).
With just 10 laps to go, Massa was in the garage with front wing issues, they will try to fix it but it looks to be the end of Massa's race.
Jenson Button seems to be managing the gap nicely between himlelf and 2nd place Vettel. Hamilton can't seem to make any inroads on Vettel, likewise Webber on Hamilton.
The final laps seemed like a precession but Button would have relieved to finish on the top step of the podium. I have to be honest in saying that I got a fair few of my predictions wrong for this race. I'll start with the ones I got right; a win for a McLaren, a podium for one of the Red Bull drivers, A nice run through the field for Raikkonen. Then there are the ones I got wrong; a stinker for both Ferrari's (5th again for Alonso – he'd even make 5th in a HRT, I bet), Caterham to beat a few midfield teams and be closer, if not in the points and finally the big one, I predicted a tough start for Williams, but they must be so pleased with the race weekend as a whole.
So there you have it, we're off and running, next stop Malaysia in a few days time. I will be running some comments later today from the guys on the front line. Watch out for that article, with more analysis and stats for you to sift through. Other articles to look forward to this week; an interview with Formula One fan and runner-up in last seasons World Touring Chamoionships. We'll have the views from a supporter from each team on how the first weekend felt for them, a huge announcement about Issue One of a new magazine entitled 'My Formula One' plus so much more.
Final Race Standings and Points
| Position | Driver - Team | Points |
| 1 | Button – Vodafone McLaren | 22 |
| 2 | Vettel – Red Bull Racing | 18 |
| 3 | Hamilton – Vodafone McLaren | 15 |
| 4 | Webber – Red Bull Racing | 12 |
| 5 | Alonso – Ferrari | 10 |
| 6 | Kobayashi - Sauber | 8 |
| 7 | Raikkonen - Lotus | 6 |
| 8 | Perez - Sauber | 4 |
| 9 | Ricciardo – Toro Rosso | 2 |
| 10 | Di Resta – Sahara Force India | 1 |
| 11 | Vergne – Toro Rosso | 0 |
| 12 | Rosberg – AMG Mercedes | 0 |
| 13 | Maldonado - Williams | 0 |
| 14 | Glock - Marussia | 0 |
| 15 | Pic - Marussia | 0 |
| 16 | Senna – Lotus | 0 |
| 17 | Massa – Ferrari | DNF |
| 18 | Kovalainen – Caterham F1 | DNF |
| 19 | Petrov – Caterham F1 | DNF |
| 20 | Schumacher – AMG Mercedes | DNF |
| 21 | Hulkenberg – Sahara Force India | DNF |
| 22 | Grosjean – Lotus | DNF |
| 23 | De La Rosa - HRT | DNS (107%) |
| 24 | Karthikeyan – HRT | DNS (107%) |
FOR JUST A MOMENT - To Think About Someone
As sports fans we would like to send our thoughts to the family, colleagues and friends of Fabrice Muamba, Boton player who remains critically iLL in hospital after collapsing during the FA Cup Quarter Final with Tottenham.
The match was abandoned by the referee, without any complaints from players or fans.
As sporting fans we have to send our wishes out and hope that he makes a recovery.
F1 Race Report coming soon.....
The match was abandoned by the referee, without any complaints from players or fans.
As sporting fans we have to send our wishes out and hope that he makes a recovery.
F1 Race Report coming soon.....
Saturday, 17 March 2012
The Headlines Follwowing the Headline Times
With the line up organised via qualifying, that is not the end of the stories.
As we look forward to the race in a few hours, here are some whispers coming from the paddock. Or for some should I rephrase that excuses.
First look at the top. A lock out for McLaren, so they're confident oblong fuel runs and now show us the car has one lap pace too. Although confident in the car, both Hamilton and Button were surprised at the gap between them and last years champions Red Bull.
At the other end of the grid it has been confirmed that both HRT's are not going to be on the grid. This is the second time in two years and will surely be an embarrassment to them.
Lotus are very pleased with their 3rd place on starting grid, however lament the issues with Kimi's car. As it could have been so much better.
Williams faired much better too, with Maldonado finishing in 8th and hopes to consolidate then move forward. The other WillIams of Brunno Senna will start in 14th.
Mercedes showed strength and speed throughout the the weekend so far. They then continued that into qualification and ended up with a 4th for Schumacher and a 7th for Rosberg.
Red Bull aren't the team they were, they've struggled in practice a then when it mattered. Putting in solid buy unconvincing qualifying session. Perhaps the blown diffuser rules Have hit them heard. Vettel will start back in 6th, a long way from this time last year. Don't write them off yet though, it's o long season to go.
In short we are looking a a battle of the McLaren and the Mercedes tomorrow with a very quick Lotus to be looking out for. It's set up to be a cracker. Don't miss it
As we look forward to the race in a few hours, here are some whispers coming from the paddock. Or for some should I rephrase that excuses.
First look at the top. A lock out for McLaren, so they're confident oblong fuel runs and now show us the car has one lap pace too. Although confident in the car, both Hamilton and Button were surprised at the gap between them and last years champions Red Bull.
At the other end of the grid it has been confirmed that both HRT's are not going to be on the grid. This is the second time in two years and will surely be an embarrassment to them.
Lotus are very pleased with their 3rd place on starting grid, however lament the issues with Kimi's car. As it could have been so much better.
Williams faired much better too, with Maldonado finishing in 8th and hopes to consolidate then move forward. The other WillIams of Brunno Senna will start in 14th.
Mercedes showed strength and speed throughout the the weekend so far. They then continued that into qualification and ended up with a 4th for Schumacher and a 7th for Rosberg.
Red Bull aren't the team they were, they've struggled in practice a then when it mattered. Putting in solid buy unconvincing qualifying session. Perhaps the blown diffuser rules Have hit them heard. Vettel will start back in 6th, a long way from this time last year. Don't write them off yet though, it's o long season to go.
In short we are looking a a battle of the McLaren and the Mercedes tomorrow with a very quick Lotus to be looking out for. It's set up to be a cracker. Don't miss it
Formula One Qualyfying Report - Australia 2012
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| Front row lock out for McLaren - Lewis 1st, Jenson 2nd |
Qualifying 1st Session
Pre-season over, practice sessions over, no more excuses, the lights turn green, it's time to stand up and be counted.
In the first practice session seven cars are eliminated, as we find out position 18 to 24 on the grid for tomorrows race. The questions as qualifying session one starts are, will HRT make it within the 107% rule and who will be the 7 drivers taking no further part in qualifying?
First out on to the track was Charles Pic, the rookie from Marussia. Hi time a 1:32.349. A surprise for most was to see Vettel out on track early in the session. Most of the top teams are on the harder compound tyre. Half way through the first session, it's the McLarens, Mercedes, Sauber and Wiliams. Are times changing or is this just a precursor to a rush on towards the end of the session.
With under 4 minutes remaining in the session, Massa is in the drop zone. Massa will have to go out again to try a set of soft tyres.
The first major casualty of qualifying one was returning world champion Kimi Raikkonen as he couldn't manage better that 18th, followed by the usual teams of Caterham, where Kovalinen and Petrov still look like they need to find an extra second in qualifying to get into the midfield. Catherham finished 19th and 20th. Next out in 21st and 22nd were Glock and Pic for Marussia, despite a lack of winter running have will be on the grid tomorrow. The final two slots were taken by HRT, both De La Rosa and Karthykeyan, but they will struggle to to race given the 107% rue. There will be a lot of persuading going on at the stewards office by the HRT lads.
At the other end, Kobayashi, Vergne and Grosjean completed the top, with Mercedes the only big team to show any action worth noting in this session.
A lot of discussion will no doubt take place about Kimi, but you have to wonder whether this is all an overhang from his steering yesterday, who knows?
Qualifying 2nd Session
Now we find out who is going to make it through to the top ten shoot out. Can the big teams pull something out of the bag or are we in for that tipsy turvy weekend so many predicted. From what I have seen so far, I am not sure. I would expect a fight between Mercedes and McLaren for poll later but I may well be mistaken.
Paul Di Resta is the first out for this session on soft tyres, the rest soon followed, now the top teams set out to guarantee a place in the top ten shoot-out. It's now we'll see the real times start to poor through. There is 10 minutes to go and I am watching Hamilton light up the timing screens, yet something else has caught me eye, Fernando Alonso beached in the gravel, his session surely over now. Whilst my eyes were diverted, Hamilon went 1st and Button joined him in 2nd. Then the session was red flagged with 8 minutes to go while race stewards removed the stricken Ferrari.
The biggest loosers from the red flag were the Mercedes when they had ventured out on a new set of softs and then had to roll back to the pits. We'll see if that makes a difference come the end. Straight away both Mercedes made it to the top of the leaderboard.
It's unusual to see so many mistakes from top drivers here today as they throw their cars round in anger. These cars must feel so different without the blown diffussers.
The Mercedes and McLarens' stayed in the pits straight after the red flag, obviously happy with their times. At the end of that session Alonso was dropped into 11th and where he will start that race from.
So the seven we loose from this session are (with their grid positions for tomorrows race are);
11th – Vergne – Toro Rosso
12th – Alonso – Ferrari
13th – Kobayashi – Sauber
14th – Senna – Williams
15th - Di Resta – Force India
16th – Massa – Ferrari
17th – Perez – Sauber
Qualifying Top Ten Shoot out
The cars taking part in the session for pole position are, both Mercedes, Both McLaren's, Both Red Bull's, Grosjean's Lotus, Maldonado's Williams (a great start for them, such improvement on 2011), Hulkenberg's Force India and Ricciardo's Toro Rosso.
Who will be on pole? The next ten minutes will give us the answer. Welcome to the first pole position shoot out of 2012.
McLaren, Mercedes and Red Bull will go out on soft tyres for the first two lap run. A great lap by Hamilton, putting in a 1:24.922, a time that will take some beating.
As we get into the the final few minutes of this shoot out, what are we going to see? Vettel will be the final car across the line, so some things never change. The chequered flag falls as all cars are on track setting times. The only car not taking part and therefore happy with 10th on the grid is Ricciardo.
Schumacher is first to finish on a 1:25:336, followed by Grosjean follows up with a 1:25.302 for provisional 2nd before Button follows him over the line with a 1:25.07, good enough for 2nd so far but not good enough to topple Hamilton. Then the final car across is Vettel's Red Bull which was only good enough for 6th. What an exciting end to the session. Let's catch our breath and look at the times and run down of the top 10 for the grid of the 2012 Australian Grand Prix.
Position | Name | Team | Time |
1 | Hamilton | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 01:24.92 |
2 | Button | Vodafone McLaren Mercedes | 01:25.07 |
3 | Grosjean | Lotus Renault | 01:25.30 |
4 | Schumacher | AMG Mercedes | 01:25.37 |
5 | Webber | Red Bull Racing | 01:25.65 |
6 | Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 01:25.67 |
7 | Rosberg | AMG Mercedes | 01:25.69 |
8 | Maldonado | Williams Renault | 01:25.91 |
9 | Hulkenberg | Sahara Force India | 01:26.45 |
10 | Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | DNR |
A magnificent start to the season with Ferrari's struggling, McLaren on form, a surprise or two. Mercedes looking like they have taken a huge step forward. Perhaps most surprising of all is the lack of Red Bull anywhere near the speed of the top runners. A season of shocks perhaps.
The real answers come tomorrow. Join us tomorrow afternoon for a full race review. Until then, enjoy the racing.
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