[Official] Australian Grand Prix 2017 - Round 1 of 20 - Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[Born Racer]

It's back!

This is the place to discuss myriad aspects of the Australian Grand Prix specifically.

Don't forget you can join our predictions and fantasy competitions:

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=149762
http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=146625



Hurry up, though. Deadlines are start of qualifying for the predictions contest and the start of FP1 for the fantasy competition.

[F1Guy]

Well, Lance Stroll is keeping up to expectations. On the way out of his pit bay for lap one of FP1, almost hits the pitlane wall! Williams mechanics had to pull him back and get him going again.

[F1Guy]

It's only FP1 and LH is only .095sec off the 2004 lap record!

[Razzzor]

Lewis on top in both session, easily. Just a day after saying Ferrari are the ones to beat. God I could just punch him the face.

[ascarracinguk]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Lewis on top in both session, easily. Just a day after saying Ferrari are the ones to beat. God I could just punch him the face.

Why? bit harsh!?

firstly its day 1 of a full season, vettel and red bull already admitted they mucked up today so expect that gap to close. and in any case most of us thought Ferrari were quickest after testing so guess his statement had some fact in it...no one knows the full picture until after qualifying.

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by ascarracinguk

and in any case most of us thought Ferrari were quickest after testing so guess his statement had some fact in it...no one knows the full picture until after qualifying.

Really? I don't think I've read anything that pointed to Ferrari being quickest other than Hamilton. All the analysis of testing seemed to be "they're closer" but Mercedes still have an advantage (and there were suspicions throughout testing that Mercedes weren't showing their full pace).

The real surprises from those sessions are the McLarens - I haven't seen the phrase "engine change" used yet

Wehrlein, Stroll and Ocon disappointing I'd have said.

[spider]

I suspect Merc have as much if not more in hand than Ferrari and Red Bull - ready to see what Lewis does on his pole lap. 1:21's?

McLaren look better - still 2.5sec+ off, and with Fernando the chances are he's faster in the groove than the likes of the Ocons he's outpaced - so I'm still guessing at 17th on the grid, come quali.

The cars do look good, just annoying it looks like Lewis is miles clear of Bottas / everyone else.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by Razzzor

Lewis on top in both session, easily. Just a day after saying Ferrari are the ones to beat. God I could just punch him the face.

I assume you are joking- LH said exactly what I would expect someone in his position to say.

If he had said the opposite- that Merc were odds on favourites to win the championship, and him the WDC, then I would have been far less impressed......

[F1Guy]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

If he had said the opposite- that Merc were odds on favourites to win the championship, and him the WDC, then I would have been far less impressed......

But then the Lewis Hamilton haters would be posting up that he is arrogant and/or cocky.

But yet, the #1 King of hoodwink, the one M. Schumacher, is their hero!??

[chillibowl]

have to say i found myself really liking the look of the new cars on track.

[S griffin]

No surprise to see Hamilton on top, we wait till quali and the race to see if Ferrari and RBR have got any answer

McLaren so far looking a bit better than in testing

[GT6]

Well if the silver cars are that far out in front in the races then it looks like a repeat of last seasons and that is not good

[Sodemo]

Bernie will not be happy...

[Adam43]

Anyone seen any lappery yet? What do the cars looks like in motion?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Anyone seen any lappery yet? What do the cars looks like in motion?

I watched some of FP2 on TV. They look good. Better than last year, but they are what they are. The "T wing" on the fin (and the fin itself) detract from the look.

Richard

[BertMk2]

Originally Posted by Richard Casto

The "T wing" on the fin (and the fin itself) detract from the look.

The "T wings" are odd - they really seem to flex quite a lot, I'm not sure how effective they are - I guess the teams data shows that they do have a positive effect but I really do wonder just how much it is.

[Razzzor]

Originally Posted by Mike Bell

I assume you are joking- LH said exactly what I would expect someone in his position to say.

If he had said the opposite- that Merc were odds on favourites to win the championship, and him the WDC, then I would have been far less impressed......

At least he'd be honest. That team have a habit of downplaying their speed. It's probably because they feel a little guilty about turning the sport into a snoozefest and want to give the fans some hope. But, it's lying.

Hamilton would have known how much they were sandbagging in the tests, and they know the speed Ferrari had because Vettel was only slowing over the line. Not hard to put together their real lap time from that.

It just annoys me that Lewis makes out that Ferrari are now #1 and there's going to be some competition, but day 1 out of the box the Mercedes is dominant as usual.

It's only early days though - perhaps there's a bit left in the Ferrari to find or they're not enjoying this track.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by BertMk2

The "T wings" are odd - they really seem to flex quite a lot, I'm not sure how effective they are - I guess the teams data shows that they do have a positive effect but I really do wonder just how much it is.

Haas were ordered to remove their T-wing.

http://classic.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/128622

Otherwise, the first race of the new season and Melbourne usually delivers a good one. I haven't seen the new cars in action, so looking forward to watching Qualifying tomorrow.

[F1Guy]

That Minardi V10 sure does sound sweet! For those not in Melbourne, they have a Minardi 2 seater doing laps on track in the mornings. The sound of one single V10 on it's own on track is just so tasty. But the sound of 20 V10's on track at the same time was just too overwhelming. IMO, if these V6T's are allowed to rev to 18-20'000 RPM's, it would be somewhere in between then and now.

C. Horner seems to be a fan of the V10. During the TP press conference he said... "I think the best sounding car we have here this weekend is a 12-year old Minardi that 12 years ago had the worst sounding engine in it."

[Adam43]

Just got to see a bit of FP1. I agree, they look good, but the T-wing is unnecessary.

[wolfhound]

A short video from FOM of Australian free practice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Id3b1VdScfg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQ8s2tGR370

Times are changing

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Haas were ordered to remove their T-wing.

They showed video of it during either FP1 or FP2 and it would oscillate back and forth (aeroelastic flutter) pretty heavily at times. I am talking many inches in both directions including part of the fin moving as well. I am sure it wasn't supposed to be doing that. Charlie could easily ask for it to be removed as either a safety issue (eventually breaking off and potentially creating a Massa like accident) or as a movable aero device. Back to the drawing board for Haas.

Richard

[F1Guy]

Pascal Wehrlien pulls out of the GP with 'fitness concerns'.

There's something not quite right here. I feel there's more to this story.

[F1Guy]

Red flag in FP3 with 10 min left. Someone has crashed. Guess who?

[F1Guy]

Sebastien Vettel almost half a second in front of the Mercedes cars. Only a day after saying Mercedes is the team to beat. God I could just punch him in the face.