Official 2023 Australian Grand Prix Thread ***SPOILERS***

[sparta6]

Fundoreen said:

As already proven many times you need the best car.Still got fingers crossed for merc/ferrari and now aston to get in the way within a few races.

Not always.
Alonso took the fight to a dominant Red Bull / Vettel.

[Muzzer79]

abzmike said:

It’s easy to imagine Ferrari trying to tempt him, but I don’t think Max will go to a team that is uncompetitive, either the car or the organisation. He doesn’t need any more money that RB will give him for as long as he wants, and it’s hard to see them imploding in performance or organisation.

I think that if he dominates (as is likely) for the next few years, he may want another challenge.

thegreenhell said:

Muzzer79 said:

I still think Max is destined for Ferrari. Either they’ll hand him a blank cheque and ask him to fill in the numbers, Red Bull will drop the ball, he’ll get bored winning at Red Bull or a combination of all three.

I think he'll quit F1 when he gets bored at RB. He's already indicated that he's not in it for the long haul, and history has shown that Ferrari is a graveyard for drivers who think they can go there and reproduce the successes they've had elsewhere.

History has also shown that Ferrari can be a place where one can build and succeed, if the right organisation is around you. Lauda was successful, Prost could/should have won a title. Of course, the most famous example would be Herr Schumacher, who i think would dispute your comments about it being a graveyard where he couldn't reproduce his previous success.....

[thegreenhell]

Schumacher would have achieved nothing there without Todt, Brawn and Byrne building the team and the car for him, just as Mansell, Prost, Alesi, Vettel and Alonso failed, and Leclerc is also failing to achieve his potential. A driver is nothing without the right team and the right car.

I would put money on Verstappen failing if he went there without Newey and Horner.

[Stealthracer]

Deesee said:

Grid boxes 20cm larger here than standard following Ocon and Alonso penalties..

Blimey, that's less than half an inch per side! How wide are the wheels?

[5s Alive]

Stealthracer said:

Blimey, that's less than half an inch per side! How wide are the wheels?

cm! 4" per side.

[Muzzer79]

thegreenhell said:

Schumacher would have achieved nothing there without Todt, Brawn and Byrne building the team and the car for him, just as Mansell, Prost, Alesi, Vettel and Alonso failed, and Leclerc is also failing to achieve his potential. A driver is nothing without the right team and the right car.

Agreed.

thegreenhell said:

I would put money on Verstappen failing if he went there without Newey and Horner.

1. That doesn't mean he wouldn't give it a go

2. Newey I can understand, although he won't be around for ever (he's 65 this year) But Horner? I don't see him as anything special in respect of being a team principal.

Let's not forget also that with Mateschitz's death, the blank cheque that he was able to supply may also be rescinded. I don't think it's an accident that Verstappen was signed up to a mega-money, mega-year contract whilst he was still alive (he'd had cancer for quite a while) It smacks of wanting to get MV tied in before the coffers were restricted.

[sparta6]

thegreenhell said:

Schumacher would have achieved nothing there without Todt, Brawn and Byrne building the team and the car for him, just as Mansell, Prost, Alesi, Vettel and Alonso failed, and Leclerc is also failing to achieve his potential. A driver is nothing without the right team and the right car.

I would put money on Verstappen failing if he went there without Newey and Horner.

Except that Schumacher was getting results in the wonky donkey in '96, before Brawn etc arrived.

[Mark-C]

Stealthracer said:

Deesee said:

Grid boxes 20cm larger here than standard following Ocon and Alonso penalties..

Blimey, that's less than half an inch per side! How wide are the wheels?

A very similar mistake caused Spinal Tap considerable embarrassment ...

[paulguitar]

Mark-C said:

A very similar mistake caused Spinal Tap considerable embarrassment ...

[Deesee]

Mark-C said:

Stealthracer said:

Deesee said:

Grid boxes 20cm larger here than standard following Ocon and Alonso penalties..

Blimey, that's less than half an inch per side! How wide are the wheels?

A very similar mistake caused Spinal Tap considerable embarrassment ...

Landing stripes also to guide the nose in..



Hit a apex at 180mph, stop in a pit box at 80kph, can't park in a box...

[Deesee]

Muzzer79 said:

2. Newey I can understand, although he won't be around for ever (he's 65 this year) But Horner? I don't see him as anything special in respect of being a team principal.

Let's not forget also that with Mateschitz's death, the blank cheque that he was able to supply may also be rescinded. I don't think it's an accident that Verstappen was signed up to a mega-money, mega-year contract whilst he was still alive (he'd had cancer for quite a while) It smacks of wanting to get MV tied in before the coffers were restricted.

Is his (Newey) contract expiring this year?

[thegreenhell]

sparta6 said:

Except that Schumacher was getting results in the wonky donkey in '96, before Brawn etc arrived.

Sure, he won a handful of races, but then so did Prost, Vettel and Alonso. No championships though.

[suffolk009]

thegreenhell said:

Schumacher would have achieved nothing there without Todt, Brawn and Byrne building the team and the car for him, just as Mansell, Prost, Alesi, Vettel and Alonso failed, and Leclerc is also failing to achieve his potential. A driver is nothing without the right team and the right car.

I would put money on Verstappen failing if he went there without Newey and Horner.

Completely agree with all of this. Except the idea that Horner is any substantial part of Red Bull's success as an F1 team.

[sparta6]

thegreenhell said:

sparta6 said:

Except that Schumacher was getting results in the wonky donkey in '96, before Brawn etc arrived.

Sure, he won a handful of races, but then so did Prost, Vettel and Alonso. No championships though.

yep, a WDC in that '96 bathtub was probably a stretch too far

[honda_exige]

suffolk009 said:

thegreenhell said:

Schumacher would have achieved nothing there without Todt, Brawn and Byrne building the team and the car for him, just as Mansell, Prost, Alesi, Vettel and Alonso failed, and Leclerc is also failing to achieve his potential. A driver is nothing without the right team and the right car.

I would put money on Verstappen failing if he went there without Newey and Horner.

Completely agree with all of this. Except the idea that Horner is any substantial part of Red Bull's success as an F1 team.

Depends on how you feel on principals overall. If Horner is irrelevant in their success then so is Toto, Todt et al. But that equally means that Horner had no responsibility for RBs lack of success 2015-2020.

[Fundoreen]

Honda have won 100% of the 2023 races this year and dont even get a mention. With a bit of luck they are building some duds as we speak.
Once it breaks a few times they may get some media coverage. Remember Honda engineers, no such thing as bad publicity.

[Muzzer79]

Fundoreen said:

Honda have won 100% of the 2023 races this year and dont even get a mention.

That was their choice.

Pull official factory support and effectively become a silent partner and you won't get as much credit.

[Mark-C]

Muzzer79 said:

Fundoreen said:

Honda have won 100% of the 2023 races this year and dont even get a mention.

That was their choice.

Pull official factory support and effectively become a silent partner and you won't get as much credit.

The engine is listed as a Honda, the drivers and car have Honda badging on and the official Constructors Championship shows "RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT" as leading ...

[Muzzer79]

Mark-C said:

Muzzer79 said:

Fundoreen said:

Honda have won 100% of the 2023 races this year and dont even get a mention.

That was their choice.

Pull official factory support and effectively become a silent partner and you won't get as much credit.

The engine is listed as a Honda, the drivers and car have Honda badging on and the official Constructors Championship shows "RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT" as leading ...

I know.

In 2022 they bought back the right to have the name more prominent on the car and drivers, rather than the small HRC logo that was present before.

But the fact remains that they have pulled out as a works effort, therefore it's not surprising that they aren't getting as much credit as they could.

[MustangGT]

sparta6 said:

Bottas


Alonso, Leclerc or Russell for the 3rd step.

I see you are backing the driver who is behind in the WDC and has lost one position in each race this year over the driver who is ahead in the WDC and has gained 2 positions in each race this year?

Maybe a bit irrational? Or, perhaps your obvious dislike of Lewis means you will always say George?