The F1 Thread

[FrankMunro-371]

It looks like Mercedes are going to dominate again, unless maybe Ferrari can find that bit extra. As for McLaren, they are so far off the pace it beggars belief.

 

[Kenny]

It looks like Mercedes are going to dominate again,

It does but at least we get the battle between Nico and Lewis again.

 

[Carrotdude]

Ferrari and Williams look very close so that should be a good battle too

 

[Nando]

First time I've not woken up to watch the first GP of the season.
My interest in it has completed evaporated.

 

[Kenny]

First time I've not woken up to watch the first GP of the season.
My interest in it has completed evaporated.

If McLaren / Honda don't sort themselves out, Alonso may well join you.

 

[Nando]

If I was him I'd be asking my doctors to sign me off for the season!

 

[Kenny]

Knew they would be starting behind the main group but did not expect to see them starting behind everyone and basically limpng around the track. Manor would have given them a fight if they could have sorted their car out.

Odd stuff from Manor dragging all their shit to Australia for a race that they had pretty much zero chance of taking part in. They are basically having to rebuild everything, right down to the software used for the cars as the Administrators wiped all their computers in readiness to sell them in the planned auction.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

First time I've not woken up to watch the first GP of the season.
My interest in it has completed evaporated.

Why is that? I thought you were a big F1 fan.

 

[Kenny]

Bottas a doubt for the race after suffering a back injury this morning.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

4.

Christian Horner was fuming on Sky earlier (just watching the replay of P3 and then the Qualifying) and blamed the "Silver team, and not the one from Japan" for the rule that they have 4 engines for the season and have to use them in practice as well as the races.

It's a ludicrous rule as far as I can see, I don't see who it benefits at all.

 

[Kenny]

Obviously they can use more than 4. But outside the 4 you get a grid penalty for every extra one. So I guess the thinking is it spices shit up at the end of the season.

 

[The Bear]

Forcing them to use it for practice just limits the amount of running teams will do. Like Deutsch says it benefits no-one.

 

[Kenny]

It is a shit rule. I think they have to include at least one bollocks rule per season.

 

[Kenny]

Pretty uneventful race with Lewis taking it from Rosberg. Gap at the end was 1.3 seconds but no dramas as whenever Nico looked like he was closing in Lewis would just pull away again. Vettel nabs 3rd after jumping Massa on the pit stop. Only 11 cars finished, with Button the 11th.

All the drama before the race. Obviously no Manor drivers took part, Bottas failed to pass fitness test, Kyvatt and Magnusson both broke down on the way to the Grid and didn't take part.

Kimi was having a good race but he was released from his final Pit before a rear wheel was properly put on so he had to quit the race. Verstappen ws having a great race on his debut until his engine went.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

It is going to be a mundane season if this is a taster for what we have in store.

 

[Kenny]

Like any season, there will be dull races. Didn't help that just 11 cars finished.

Probably would have been a bit more interesting if Bottas was fit, Kimi wasn't let down and Renault learnt how to improve an engine, rather than make it worse.

 

[FrankMunro-371]

The Mercedes cars look like being even more dominant than they were last season. I suppose given a few races that a couple of other teams will be a bit closer, but at the moment I cannot see anyone challenging Mercedes.

 

[The Bear]

Fairly pedestrian race. Shame Button couldn't snatch a point.

 

[Kenny]

Fairly pedestrian race. Shame Button couldn't snatch a point.

An achievement getting the car to the finish. Shocking piece of kit he has.


Alonso will be phoning in work tomorrow complaining of dizziness I reckon.

 

[Carrotdude]

You'd hope that doing a race distance will give them a hell of a lot of info to work from to improve the car, they should have the people in place to do it but I imagine it'll be a good few months before any real progress is made