The Official 2017 Australian Grand Prix Thread **Spoilers**

[MockingJay]

Bradgate said:

2016 Australian Grand Prix pole time 1:23.8

2017 pole 1:22.1

So what happened to '5 seconds a lap faster'?

Anyway, It's good to see the big boys showing the kids how it's done. Hopefully, the days of schoolboys jumping into F1 cars and immediately being competitive are over.

Melbourne has a lot of fairly slow corners, I suspect we will see quicker lap times at tracks with more high speed corners like Malaysia and Bahrain.

[37chevy]

GReat lap from Lewis, Ferrari look great.

Can we stop the whole Mercedes are dominant/ Lewis only wins coz he's in the best car crap now?

Looks like we have 2 teams very close and it could go either way this year!

[The Moose]

The question is whether Merc still have anything left in the tank!

I'm off to bed - hope for a good race tomorrow

[PDP76]

Yep the Ferrari on the front row makes for a good start to the season.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

I like seeing LH and SV going for a sneaky peak at the other cars, the red bull mechanic shoving SV off with a cheeky grin from his car

[hornetrider]

MockingJay said:

Bradgate said:

2016 Australian Grand Prix pole time 1:23.8

2017 pole 1:22.1

So what happened to '5 seconds a lap faster'?

Anyway, It's good to see the big boys showing the kids how it's done. Hopefully, the days of schoolboys jumping into F1 cars and immediately being competitive are over.

Melbourne has a lot of fairly slow corners, I suspect we will see quicker lap times at tracks with more high speed corners like Malaysia and Bahrain.

Also let's see what happens with race pace.

[Dr Z]

Well, that sets it up nicely. Bring on the first corner. Good to see Bottas do well too.

[PhillipM]

2017 - The Demise of The Pay Driver?

[Pickled]

PDP76 said:

Yep the Ferrari on the front row makes for a good start to the season.

If they get off the line as well as they have done in the recent past I can see a Ferrari 1-2 into turn one

[Vocal Minority]

PhillipM said:

2017 - The Demise of The Pay Driver?

I seriously doubt it.

As long as there has been Motorsport there's been rich guys playing around.

[Dr Z]

MockingJay said:

Bradgate said:

2016 Australian Grand Prix pole time 1:23.8

2017 pole 1:22.1

So what happened to '5 seconds a lap faster'?

Anyway, It's good to see the big boys showing the kids how it's done. Hopefully, the days of schoolboys jumping into F1 cars and immediately being competitive are over.

Melbourne has a lot of fairly slow corners, I suspect we will see quicker lap times at tracks with more high speed corners like Malaysia and Bahrain.

And the target was 5 secs faster than 2015. The improvements are gonna come in race pace. These cars are going to be in '05-'07 cars pace on this track and the fastest ever on some other tracks.

[PDP76]

Pickled said:

If they get off the line as well as they have done in the recent past I can see a Ferrari 1-2 into turn one

Yes, very true that.
Another early start tomorrow

[PhillipM]

Vocal Minority said:

I seriously doubt it.

As long as there has been Motorsport there's been rich guys playing around.

It's all rich guys playing around. But maybe we'll see skill valued a bit more over big bag 'o' cash.

[Blayney]

Dr Z said:

MockingJay said:

Bradgate said:

2016 Australian Grand Prix pole time 1:23.8

2017 pole 1:22.1

So what happened to '5 seconds a lap faster'?

Anyway, It's good to see the big boys showing the kids how it's done. Hopefully, the days of schoolboys jumping into F1 cars and immediately being competitive are over.

Melbourne has a lot of fairly slow corners, I suspect we will see quicker lap times at tracks with more high speed corners like Malaysia and Bahrain.

And the target was 5 secs faster than 2015. The improvements are gonna come in race pace. These cars are going to be in '05-'07 cars pace on this track and the fastest ever on some other tracks.

Glad someone else remembered!

Good quali. Vettel looks like he can challenge Hamilton. Bottas not too far off either for his first quali with Merc

[TheOversteerLever]

Well what a dick I am - got up an hour late!

[LaurasOtherHalf]

Any thoughts on Giovanazzi then? He was on for a storming lap before running wide on the second last corner. Could he take the seat from Werlein?

Also, is this years ferrari now getting built more with Vettel's style in mind? He seemed really comfortable with it.

Bottas-I didn't expect the gap to be that big. I know everyone says it's his first race weekend with the car but he'll have been in that simulator 24/7 so it really shouldn't be too unknown for him. I think he's got a good steady head for races but his natural speed doesn't seem to be in the same league as Nico. One things for sure, Mercedes will not be happy at him letting a Ferrari get in the mix.

[poo at Paul's]

It's all a little disappointing I feel! All these regulation changes, loads of money spent, but cars now wider, less braking area (a main overtaking area reduced), same cars / people at the front, same cars and people down the back.

I know the "people" thing may be expected, but whilst Ferrari seem to have closed a little on Mercedes, it's normal service being resumed. Except Bottas is not going to be as much as a challenge as Rosberg was, so sadly I can see the season being more predicatable than ever.

Hope I am wrong, but it is disappointing so far.

[Vaud]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Any thoughts on Giovanazzi then? He was on for a storming lap before running wide on the second last corner. Could he take the seat from Werlein?

Given his lack of drive time, that was a seriously good performance in my view. One to watch. Would be good for him to get some races this year as Ferrari look to 2018...

[Dr Z]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Any thoughts on Giovanazzi then? He was on for a storming lap before running wide on the second last corner. Could he take the seat from Werlein?

Very Verstappen-like, I thought. If he can keep it clean tomorrow and show good race pace, it will get difficult. I never really rated Ericsson.

[Blayney]

LaurasOtherHalf said:

Bottas-I didn't expect the gap to be that big. I know everyone says it's his first race weekend with the car but he'll have been in that simulator 24/7 so it really shouldn't be too unknown for him. I think he's got a good steady head for races but his natural speed doesn't seem to be in the same league as Nico. One things for sure, Mercedes will not be happy at him letting a Ferrari get in the mix.

Rosberg was 0.360 off Hamilton in 2016, 0.594 in 2015 and 0.364 behind in 2014 with Ricciardo ahead of him.