The Official 2015 Melbourne Grand Prix Thread ***Spoilers***

[Walford]

RichB said:

Walford said:

1st and 2nd yawn yawn yawn
3rd VB and DR could be a race

You must have missed last season because 1st and 2nd will also be a race. I fail to see how the cars being the same or different colours changes that fact?

There was a couple of times when LH and NR sort of raced, but LH was the fastest, and only reliability and the daft double point sort of kept it alive

[RichB]

I hope that Hamilton does walk it in the way you are suggesting but I doubt it will be as simple as you forsee.

[Walford]

RichB said:

I hope that Hamilton does walk it in the way you are suggesting but I doubt it will be as simple as you forsee.

Take the car DNF and the double point away from last year, and it would have been game over long before the last race, TV companies were lucky the car problems were not on NR car, or it would have been a runaway year

[007 VXR]

RichB said:

Walford said:

1st and 2nd yawn yawn yawn
3rd VB and DR could be a race

You must have missed last season because 1st and 2nd will also be a race. I fail to see how the cars being the same or different colours changes that fact?

+1 Last year was great to watch

This year will be better imho

[swisstoni]

Didn't watch the same season as you. Rosberg often out qualified Hamilton, something few teammates have managed. He also matched his race pace regularly. Rosberg is a serious threat and this year could easily go his way.
I don't like the bloke but I have to give him credit.
Hamilton should be very proud of winning a WDC without a Patsy in the other car unlike a few recent champions.

[BritishRacinGrin]

Robert Merhi Completes the driver line-up for the Australian Grand Prix.

[BritishRacinGrin]

Spotted a rule change I haven't noticed before, this could prove quite significant with Manor competing in a 2014 car and also the 4 power unit limit.

F1fanatic said:

Any drivers who granted permission to start the race despite having failed to pass the 107% rule must now start at the back of the grid, behind any drivers who have had penalties applied

[Europa1]

swisstoni said:

Didn't watch the same season as you. Rosberg often out qualified Hamilton, something few teammates have managed. He also matched his race pace regularly. Rosberg is a serious threat and this year could easily go his way.
I don't like the bloke but I have to give him credit.
Hamilton should be very proud of winning a WDC without a Patsy in the other car unlike a few recent champions.

I wasn't a huge fan of Nico Rosberg for much of the season but like you, have to give him credit for giving Hamilton a far harder time than many expected. I also thought the way he conducted himself at Abu Dhabi, both in the car when the team asked him to retire it and after the race when he went and shook hands with Hamilton gave him credit.

[Walford]

swisstoni said:

Didn't watch the same season as you. Rosberg often out qualified Hamilton, something few teammates have managed. He also matched his race pace regularly. Rosberg is a serious threat and this year could easily go his way.
I don't like the bloke but I have to give him credit.
Hamilton should be very proud of winning a WDC without a Patsy in the other car unlike a few recent champions.

Merc had no choice, they were so far in front, if they had not let there drivers race, TV deals would have gone t/ts up

[suffolk009]

I kept an eye on the McLaren odds for WCC. 7/1 before testing began. 33/1 now.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Europa1 said:

I wasn't a huge fan of Nico Rosberg for much of the season but like you, have to give him credit for giving Hamilton a far harder time than many expected. I also thought the way he conducted himself at Abu Dhabi, both in the car when the team asked him to retire it and after the race when he went and shook hands with Hamilton gave him credit.

I'm no nico hater & Lewis fanboy, but I've never subscribed to this "acting with dignity" assessment of nico in the last race.

He simply acted like a normal grown adult IMHO, if we have to congratulate someone for that all's lost!

[jbudgie]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Europa1 said:

I wasn't a huge fan of Nico Rosberg for much of the season but like you, have to give him credit for giving Hamilton a far harder time than many expected. I also thought the way he conducted himself at Abu Dhabi, both in the car when the team asked him to retire it and after the race when he went and shook hands with Hamilton gave him credit.

I'm no nico hater & Lewis fanboy, but I've never subscribed to this "acting with dignity" assessment of nico in the last race.

He simply acted like a normal grown adult IMHO, if we have to congratulate someone for that all's lost!

Exactly.

[hairyben]

angrymoby said:

Rosberg did seem to suffer when the coaching was banned ...Lewis won 5 out of 6 after the rule change

I expect Rosberg and his engineer have worked out a "system" over the winter..?


I'm gonna say it, I think mclaren will be struggling to show manor their heels.

[Mr_Thyroid]

I think it'll be a repeat of 2009 for McLaren - maybe without the wins but they'll pull some strong results two-thirds of the way through the season.

The bookies don't want to take the bet - with one establishment McLaren are 6/4 to win a race this season.

[hairyben]

Mr_Thyroid said:

I think it'll be a repeat of 2009 for McLaren - maybe without the wins but they'll pull some strong results two-thirds of the way through the season.

The bookies don't want to take the bet - with one establishment McLaren are 6/4 to win a race this season.

General consensus expects them to improve but general consensus has been unceasingly overstating mclarens chances for many years as they've slid back and back. what did this bookie offer on a race win last season?

Without development data on the power unit I can't see how honda intend to get on terms with fez or renault, never mind the mercs. Their decision not to supply more teams makes no sense at all.

[Sir Bagalot]

Thankfully this year we have a new Driver tracker website to make use of. Clicky

[andburg]

BritishRacinGrin said:

Robert Merhi Completes the driver line-up for the Australian Grand Prix.

seems you jumped the gun with GVG now winning in court although now subject to an appeal from Sauber.

do have the think though, there has to be some deadline for getting drivers registered to race and hopefully that could stop the legal mess thats ongoing.

This is not good for the sport

[clarki]

Hopefully i'm completely wrong but I cant help but think this year is going to be dull.

The fastest driver is in the fastest (by miles) car.

Only 9/10?? teams now...and will they all survive the season...

The young guns will hopefully add a bit of spice and i'll probably go to silverstone as its just up the road and a good day out. But tbh the best weekends last year were when the beeb only had highlights, sitting through a whole race was just zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[e36er]

clarki said:

Hopefully i'm completely wrong but I cant help but think this year is going to be dull.

The fastest driver is in the fastest (by miles) car.

Only 9/10?? teams now...and will they all survive the season...

The young guns will hopefully add a bit of spice and i'll probably go to silverstone as its just up the road and a good day out. But tbh the best weekends last year were when the beeb only had highlights, sitting through a whole race was just zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Well, I'm really looking forward to it.

It's a given that Lewis or Nico will win the championship, but so what? I appreciate good racing, whether it be for 1st or 21st. It looks like Ferrari, Red Bull and Williams will be fairly evenly matched. I think the McLaren might not be far off that pack towards the mid/end of the season.

If you're only bothered about who wins, why not skip the race and just find out the result?

[Speed Badger]

Is there a real possibility of McLaren being out-qualified by Manor?