19 days to go to the Oz GP (Unofficial Australian GP thread)

[woof]

Just realised we're less than 3 weeks till the Australian GP - that came around quick.

I still don't think we really know who's going there with the best car but it does look like
Ferrari and Red Bull do have a very good starting point. But Mclaren traditional hide their real pace in all pre season testing - so who knows.

So far testing hasn't really told us anything about the top teams. At the bottom Caterham look like the team that's made the least progress. Even with Chilton at the wheel the Marussia doesn't look that bad.

[EDLT]

This one isn't live on the BBC is it?

McLaren haven't hidden pre-season pace for the last few years

[woof]

Sadly the Beeb won't be live for Oz.

Stupid decision as per last year. As a fan we've been waiting for nearly 4 months to see some F1 action and getting up in the middle of the night was always part of the fun.

I don't see Suzi Perry doing a particularly good job as lead. She's simply not got the skills to handle it. Well past her best.

[baz1985]

Will Paddy Lowe be there? Latest reports suggest that deal done for Merc move.

[woof]

baz1985 said:

Will Paddy Lowe be there? Latest reports suggest that deal done for Merc move.

I think Paddy Lowe will be on forced gardening leave for 6 months. When any team personnel leaves a team for another, they have to do 6 months in the wilderness before being allowed to work with any new team.

[RealSquirrels]

Paddy Lowe has new duties, he has to clean the grout on all the tiled surfaces at the MTC using a set of these:

[London424]

woof said:

Just realised we're less than 3 weeks till the Australian GP - that came around quick.

I still don't think we really know who's going there with the best car but it does look like
Ferrari and Red Bull do have a very good starting point. But Mclaren traditional hide their real pace in all pre season testing - so who knows.

So far testing hasn't really told us anything about the top teams. At the bottom Caterham look like the team that's made the least progress. Even with Chilton at the wheel the Marussia doesn't look that bad.

I think the gap might be closer with the top 4 or 5 teams with next to no major rule changes.

I think the first few races will be like last year. Teams trying to figure out the new tyres and making mistakes.

[cheddar]

Who's your internet tenner on then?


Race Winner - Australian F1 Grand Prix - Race Winner
All Bets

15 Mar 01:30 UK
5/2 Sebastian Vettel
7/2 Jenson Button
5/1 Fernando Alonso
7/1 Mark Webber
8/1 Kimi Raikkonen
14/1 Sergio Perez
16/1 Lewis Hamilton
16/1 Romain Grosjean
25/1 Felipe Massa
40/1 Nico Rosberg
50/1 Nico Hulkenberg
50/1 Pastor Maldonado
80/1 Paul Di Resta
100/1 Daniel Ricciardo
100/1 Esteban Gutierrez
100/1 Jean-Eric Vergne
125/1 Valtteri Bottas
500/1 Charles Pic
500/1 Giedo van der Garde
500/1 Luiz Razia
500/1 Max Chilton

I'm going with Perez @ 14-1 and Rosberg paying 40-1.

Both as quick in testing as their team mates but paying much more as patriotic punting brings down the Brit drivers odds.

[woof]

I'm surprised the odds are that tight !
JB for the win I reckon. (which means he'll won't finish)

I think Perez just might get a surprise result - maybe an each way

cheddar said:

Who's your internet tenner on then?


Race Winner - Australian F1 Grand Prix - Race Winner
All Bets

15 Mar 01:30 UK
5/2 Sebastian Vettel
7/2 Jenson Button
5/1 Fernando Alonso
7/1 Mark Webber
8/1 Kimi Raikkonen
14/1 Sergio Perez
16/1 Lewis Hamilton
16/1 Romain Grosjean
25/1 Felipe Massa
40/1 Nico Rosberg
50/1 Nico Hulkenberg
50/1 Pastor Maldonado
80/1 Paul Di Resta
100/1 Daniel Ricciardo
100/1 Esteban Gutierrez
100/1 Jean-Eric Vergne
125/1 Valtteri Bottas
500/1 Charles Pic
500/1 Giedo van der Garde
500/1 Luiz Razia
500/1 Max Chilton

I'm going with Perez @ 14-1 and Rosberg paying 40-1.

Both as quick in testing as their team mates but paying much more as patriotic punting brings down the Brit drivers odds.

[RealSquirrels]

Raikkonen clearly

[egor110]

woof said:

Sadly the Beeb won't be live for Oz.

Stupid decision as per last year. As a fan we've been waiting for nearly 4 months to see some F1 action and getting up in the middle of the night was always part of the fun.

I don't see Suzi Perry doing a particularly good job as lead. She's simply not got the skills to handle it. Well past her best.

Why not? When she was doing moto gp she was well respected and she's now doing pretty much the same thing.

[woof]

Well personal opinion.

She knows nothing about F1 - doesn't have any history or experience in the paddock. I just don't see it working. But maybe it will all gel and it will be a great chemistry.

[egor110]

woof said:

Well personal opinion.

She knows nothing about F1 - doesn't have any history or experience in the paddock. I just don't see it working. But maybe it will all gel and it will be a great chemistry.

Is a f1 paddock so much different to motogp? She's already said she's reading all the f1 books she can get hold of, i think she'll know her stuff.

[davepoth]

She'll do a better job than the plank with a microphone they have on Sky, but let's face it, that wouldn't be hard.

[thunderbelmont]

Wake me up when it's over. I can't get into it this year. I used to have lots of enthusiasm for F1 until they started pissing about with the rules and binning the old classic tracks for these processionfest Tilkedromes.

My prediction is that no team will dominate again.

Hopefully Pirelli will have tyres that will be far enough apart in their performance, with enough wear that you can't do even half a race on one set of the harder ones, and the soft ones stick like st to a blanket, are lots faster, but don't last more than about a dozen hard laps. And cars won't be able to do a full race flat out on a tank of fuel. Even if it rains. That might spice it up a bit.

HRT will win their first race, oh wait.... forget that.

There will be wins from Sauber, Williams, and Force India to go with Lotus, Fezza, Maccy D's, but I reckon Merc will fall back further. Caterham will close the gap by another tenth to Toro Rosso. Marussia will have spells of brilliance then fall back to languish at the back again.

That's it. My F1 Almanac for 2013 is written.

See y'all next season.

[cheddar]

thunderbelmont said:

Wake me up when it's over. I can't get into it this year. I used to have lots of enthusiasm for F1 until they started pissing about with the rules and binning the old classic tracks for these processionfest Tilkedromes.

See y'all next season.

Tosh!

Did you sleep through last season as well?

[Life Saab Itch]

cheddar said:

Who's your internet tenner on then?


Race Winner - Australian F1 Grand Prix - Race Winner
All Bets

15 Mar 01:30 UK
5/2 Sebastian Vettel
7/2 Jenson Button
5/1 Fernando Alonso
7/1 Mark Webber
8/1 Kimi Raikkonen
14/1 Sergio Perez
16/1 Lewis Hamilton
16/1 Romain Grosjean
25/1 Felipe Massa
40/1 Nico Rosberg
50/1 Nico Hulkenberg
50/1 Pastor Maldonado
80/1 Paul Di Resta
100/1 Daniel Ricciardo
100/1 Esteban Gutierrez
100/1 Jean-Eric Vergne
125/1 Valtteri Bottas
500/1 Charles Pic
500/1 Giedo van der Garde
500/1 Luiz Razia
500/1 Max Chilton

I'm going with Perez @ 14-1 and Rosberg paying 40-1.

Both as quick in testing as their team mates but paying much more as patriotic punting brings down the Brit drivers odds.

They're really bad odds. I got Webber's odds on Button and Massa's odds on Perez before testing started.

Massa could be good value there though...if Alonso weren't to finish...

[Life Saab Itch]

Gaz. said:

Massa doesn't really have a great Aussie record, just his Ferrari years:

2006: Retired.
2007: 7th
2008: Retired.
2009: Retired.
2010: 3rd.
2011: 7th
2012: Retired.

Save your money...

Look at Button's record in Oz from 2000-2008.

[Life Saab Itch]

Gaz. said:

Life Saab Itch said:

Gaz. said:

Massa doesn't really have a great Aussie record, just his Ferrari years:

2006: Retired.
2007: 7th
2008: Retired.
2009: Retired.
2010: 3rd.
2011: 7th
2012: Retired.

Save your money...

Look at Button's record in Oz from 2000-2008.

Look at the cars they were in

Of course, but some drivers just don't get on well with a circuit and "luck" seems to hit them there. Barrichello in Brazil, for example. All I'm saying is there is no point in writing someone off because of a circuit, when they seem to have struck a bit of form.

[scubadude]

woof said:

She knows nothing about F1 - doesn't have any history or experience in the paddock. I just don't see it working. But maybe it will all gel and it will be a great chemistry.

Neither did Jake when he started and I think he was widely accepted for much of his time presenting.

The Plank on Sky makes me want to throw the TV out the window he's so stupid and uninterested, Ant and Bl**dy Dec would have been a better choice IMVHO, given the "competition" I'd say Suzi's winning before she's even picked up a microphone!

Chemistry on TV is all fake anyway, Suzi managed to smile and present with the Silicon bimbo they drafted in on the Gadget show clearly with her being a replacement in mind, next you'll be saying Brundle "likes" Croft and Lazenby, I get the impression he couldn't give a fig...

As for the "sport" I'm very interested to ses how the big movers will perform, Perez has to deliver IMO and I can imagine despite all the chilled Tweets in the world Hammy will go hurtling into the scenery in short order.

Anyone else think this year might be Jenson's chance?