The Official Not606 Australian GP Chat + Predictions 2013!!!

[El_Bando]

says the man with the camcorder

 

[Forza Bianchi]

Interesting. Mercedes looking good but Ferrari looking even better....

Test analysis Barcelona 2
Mercedes in the role of favorite

The winter tests are over. Rarely is the Formula 1 started with so many question marks in a new season. Guilt were the short-lived tires, have diluted the significance of the driving games. The only clue is the fastest laps. We bring order to chaos.

How fast it can turn the tide. A week ago, Red Bull was the great World Cup favorites . Now Mercedes brings this week. That's what happens when you drive two consecutive superior personal best. Ferrari also took part in the record attempt. Can not or do not want it faster: at McLaren is not sure about that one? Red Bull can certainly faster than shown, but the question is: How fast? 2.4 seconds adrift of Mercedes is a lot of wood. This can be explained not only by the amount of fuel in the tank.

Mercedes makes himself a favorite
Mercedes shook on the last two days of the best times almost from the wrist. Lewis Hamilton turned four rounds below the 1.21er brand, Nico Rosberg also four. The time of 1.20,558 1.20,130 minutes and minutes were therefore no accident. Only the first line sector with its three flowing curves of the Mercedes lost time at Ferrari, Sauber and McLaren. Since gets Aldo Costa's claim "We need more downforce," suddenly made ​​sense. Kimi Raikkonen interjects: "Mercedes has done in the last year at the Barcelona tests also a very good figure This could look different in Melbourne again.."

This concern also is plagued by Ross Brawn and Niki Lauda. What happens to the tire when it gets warmer? Break them then as 2012? "We do not know, and can only hope that we have the problem under control," prays Brawn. Lauda shakes his head: "I am spinning, if we go back to the tire problems getting the basic speed is good, but the points made in the race for me is the key races in Malaysia Because it is certainly hot And when we need to.... prove it. "

Ferrari increases from day to day
Fernando Alonso was the only driver who could come close to the times of Mercedes. 1.21,494 with the Spaniard was up 0.364 seconds behind Rosberg. The Ferrari driver turned the same one five series at 1:21 minutes: 1.20,809 min, 1.20,900 min, 1.20,606 min, 1.20,494 min, 1.20,503 min. And he stuck to his record lap on the track one lap longer than Rosberg.

It is interesting that Alonso drove in the first and third sectors faster than the Mercedes. Only in the middle sector, with a mix of fast and slow corners Rosberg could score against the Ferrari. However, as much lead with 0.347 seconds. One more thing: The Ferrari was with 316.7 km / h, together with the Sauber the fastest car on the straights. The F138 seems to have no weaknesses.

McLaren: The Great Unknown
What this may McLaren MP4 -28? The fastest lap was missing Jenson Button 1.314 seconds on the Mercedes. The 2009 World Champion set his best time of 1.21,444 minutes under a five-lap stints. No one on the question of the level of performance of the McLaren a conclusive answer. Not even the drivers themselves, "We have spent all twelve test days trying to learn the car," said Button.

Sports director Sam Michael said that one has understood it now. Therefore only now beginning a sensible development. Indeed, McLaren brought fewer new parts to the car than the other teams. It would have made little sense, because the engineers would have just confused. You need a benchmark. They have now. The question is how much McLaren can still correct to Melbourne. Button already hinted: "We may be at the first race can not exploit the full potential."

Red Bull problems
That was not the perfect performance of the defending champions. Red Bull has been improved not only team since the first week of testing in Barcelona. Despite better conditions. The RB9 bucked suddenly vote against all attempts and put an unpredictable balance of the day. What does that have to do with the exhaust configuration and the FIA ​​anathema for new engine maps to be seen.

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber lost 2.4 seconds to 2.1 seconds on the Mercedes and Ferrari. Vettel knows that Alonso in a car that is now so strong, is a very dangerous opponent for the World Cup. And he should not underestimate neither Hamilton nor Rosberg.

Red Bull could not convince even with the long runs. They may have lost their meaning. Still other cars looked better in terms of tire wear. It is also no secret that the grip wears off quickly when the car is poorly balanced. It is also worrying that the Red Bull on the line is still far lagging. Vettel lost to Alonso at the end of the straight smooth 10 km / h

Lotus with defect devil
Lotus has clear with 3578 kilometers of testing its worst. The trend was also found in the last week of testing in Barcelona. 252 rounds - none drove less. Kimi Raikkonen ailment certainly helped, but there was again defects. For the third time was a problem in the environment on transmission. Raikkonen's best lap of 1.21,568 minutes no tears from the stool. It looks as though Lotus abgetankt it. Raikkonen was after four rounds back in the box. The traction problems are still not resolved. Raikkonen loses in the final sector 0658 seconds on Alonso.

Sauber just before Force India
The midfield is highly competitive. Sauber made ​​a round of the best figure, beating even the Lotus. Nico Hulkenberg drove the time of 1.21,541 minutes under a five-lap turns. The Sauber is especially in the first sector, and on the line quickly. So is the concept of narrow sidepods on exactly. It should bring more downforce and less drag. Only in the third sector is still lacking a bit of time. Since moving to Hulkenberg Raikkonen level. So in the upper middle.

In the race simulation on the last day did Force India the better figure. Sauber should not underestimate the force of Silverstone. The VJM06 looks relatively unsophisticated, but the engineers and drivers seem to get the most out of their car. And they do it. Williams looked to the third last day of testing still look as good as Sauber and Force India. Since the new sidepods and the exhaust after Red Bull are modeled on the car, the driver struggling with altered driving characteristics. In the slow corners suddenly lacked grip. Perhaps you may have with the late radical reconstruction scored an own goal. But Williams can always get back on the old muffler package.

Toro Rosso has either bluffing or you have made ​​up the ground to the midfield still not. Neither Daniel Ricciardo or Jean-Eric Vergne cracked the 1.23er brand. On the stability of her Sauber is the number one. No one in the twelve days of testing covered more miles than the Confederates. With 5,405 kilometers of Sauber, clearly surpassing Mercedes (5,215 miles) and Ferrari (4,950 miles). These are 450.4 kilometers per day. Williams worried a KERS problem. Twice there were battery alarm. Available in the new car is less than in the old. Maybe it has to do with.

Fight against the red lantern
Caterham and Marussia carry out a very close duel. Only 0.052 seconds separated the two. This time in favor of Caterham. But Jules Bianchi had to zero in on the unfamiliar car once. Charles Pic was the Caterham driven six days. The reliability speaks at the moment with 4513 to 3622 miles for Caterham. What is not surprising, because Marussia must to get used to the KERS age. Marussia way, gets the year-KERS Williams. With the larger batteries. But they are apparently stable.

We have recorded in the last two days of testing all the lap times and sector values. A detailed analysis of who is strong where you read it later in the week.

 

[allsaintchris.]

It's like Borat giving an analysis of testing!

 

[EternalMSC]

It's like Borat giving an analysis of testing!

Whhaa whhaa weee whhaaa

 

[Delete Me]

Bet on Red then, the odds are good!

Looking at all the stats, on track evaluation and media speculation, Alonso can now Stfu and stop moaning about his car being slow. Since I and most people would admit the Ferrari is looking stronger than most on grid, including RBR who look like they're still trying to recover from 2012.

 

[SgtBhaji]

Kyle's been at the sherbet dips again. He's always like this after a sherbet dip.

 

[BrightLampShade]

Autosport:

Talk of tyre chaos is going too far

The warmer temperatures experienced on the final two days of the Barcelona test, allied to an improved track condition from last week, were supposed to be perfect for allowing teams to get a clear understanding of where they stand.

Yet a recurring theme that came up in conversations with drivers and engineers throughout the test was of how the tyre situation – and in particular the high degradation, was making it incredibly hard to work things out.

Barcelona has always been tough on tyres. But throw in the cooler track temperatures that were around 10 degrees colder than is experienced at the Spanish GP, plus air temperatures that cool the tyres on the straights, and you have the perfect mix for that nightmare of graining.

With the situation meaning the supersoft was barely good enough for a single flying lap, and the other rubber not allowing very long runs, there were the usual doom mongers predicting that we should brace ourselves for chaos in Australia.

Surely, they suggest, the supersoft will be fantastic for qualifying but fall apart after a few laps, producing a topsy-turvy race in Melbourne where drivers could be forced to make five or six stops.

Don't believe a word of that though. Looking at how the long runs panned out in Barcelona this week, it was common to see drivers get through with four stops.

Transposing that to a warmer grand prix, and the pressures/understanding that comes from a competitive situation, and that means a two or three-stop race.

Yes, strategy is going to be pretty open in Australia, especially with a predicted one-second per lap difference between the two compounds being taken, but that's only a good thing. It will be interesting, not a shambles.

 

[Forza Bianchi]

But it would be a major surprise if Red Bull is not in front of everyone. They should be able to win in Australia even with the car of Brazil (2012).

What an idiot. They didn't even have the fastest car in Brazil 2012.

We should not forget the goal we have, and we should not forget the 0.7-0.8 seconds gap we had to the rest at the end of last year. But we can be closer to Red Bull and McLaren, who will be the strongest this season.

Third fastest again? No. Just setting it up so that everyone praises him rather than the car when he finishes on the podium in Melbourne.

 

[Delete Me]

I wonder if he will say that again come 2014? You know since Byrne will be designing it and all. Kind of spits in the face of Ferrari who have done nothing but bend over backwards for him and get nothing but negative publicity which is quite astounding.

Enzo I'm sure would of ripped his balls off and fired his arse back in the day when he was running things. Amazed how placid Ferrari have come against Alonso, when the old Ferrari would say the reason they lost was because the driver wasn't good enough and the car is the best on the grid because of their pride alone.

So lucky he isn't driving for Mercedes, they would of put him in the meat grinder for that kind of comment. Even Lewis is careful what he says around the media when it comes to the people paying his wages!

 

[di Fredsta!]

What an idiot. They didn't even have the fastest car in Brazil 2012.



Third fastest again? No. Just setting it up so that everyone praises him rather than the car when he finishes on the podium in Melbourne.

Are you ill? You've never praised RB and put Alonso down so much

 

[Delete Me]

Nah unlike Alonso/Ferrari combo fans that you see a lot of, Forza is what you call Real Tifosi. He supports Ferrari over Alonso and Massa who are a small part of a team unit and if they left he would still act the same with the new drivers.

The whole (Real) Tifosi ideal is that their cars are the best in the world, always! End of...

Having a driver you pay just come out and say (RBR and McLaren are better than us car wise) pretty much ****s on their doorstep. The funny thing is I always suspected the Tifosi would be the last group to admit their car is behind a drinks company, Enzo I gather would rather sell his whole body than admit a "drinks company" has a better car than his team could design. In fact I would wager an ageing Enzo would call Alonso out in the car park and have it out there and then if he heard that every year.

 

[El_Bando]

whats up with Forza?

 

[Julius Caesar]

What an idiot. They didn't even have the fastest car in Brazil 2012.



Third fastest again? No. Just setting it up so that everyone praises him rather than the car when he finishes on the podium in Melbourne.

Well his accounts clearly been hacked.

 

[EternalMSC]

My initial thoughts exactly.

 

[Forza Bianchi]

I wonder if he will say that again come 2014? You know since Byrne will be designing it and all. Kind of spits in the face of Ferrari who have done nothing but bend over backwards for him and get nothing but negative publicity which is quite astounding.

Enzo I'm sure would of ripped his balls off and fired his arse back in the day when he was running things. Amazed how placid Ferrari have come against Alonso, when the old Ferrari would say the reason they lost was because the driver wasn't good enough and the car is the best on the grid because of their pride alone.

So lucky he isn't driving for Mercedes, they would of put him in the meat grinder for that kind of comment. Even Lewis is careful what he says around the media when it comes to the people paying his wages!

Alonso can get away with it right now for two reasons. Firstly his performances have kept Domenicali in his job, and secondly Ferrari would be nowhere if they got rid of him. Alonso needs to be careful - if he keeps doing this, I reckon they'll replace him as soon as Vettel becomes available. Or maybe replace him with Bianchi once he becomes a more complete driver.

 

[El_Bando]

just seen the new santander advert with Button... <cringe><cringe><cringe>

 

[StoneRosesRam]

Alonso needs to cut it with the 'car is always slow it would be a miracle if I win' motto. Fair enough last year he drove amazingly and put that Ferrari in places that it should not have been at times, but now it appears to me like he is a man obsessed with covering his tracks if he does not win the title again. We have not even got to the first race yet and he is already claiming their slower than RBR and McLaren how can he make such statements when it is clear that no one really knows what the pecking order may be like come Melbourne.

 

[StoneRosesRam]

just seen the new santander advert with Button... <cringe><cringe><cringe>

Lewis must be thinking thank F*** I don't have to do any of that cheesy stuff now. Although always good to see Jessica Ennis if you know what I mean

 

[Delete Me]

just seen the new santander advert with Button... <cringe><cringe><cringe>

Saw it, *cringes!*

 

[allsaintchris.]

Alonso can get away with it right now for two reasons. Firstly his performances have kept Domenicali in his job, and secondly Ferrari would be nowhere if they got rid of him. Alonso needs to be careful - if he keeps doing this, I reckon they'll replace him as soon as Vettel becomes available. Or maybe replace him with Bianchi once he becomes a more complete driver.

Ferrari have not been shy in ditching drivers for being outspoken or not trying hard enough. Alonso is banking on that he is too valuable to Ferrari for them to show him the door at this moment.

The Old Man certainly would not be taking this crap from him.