2010 Australian Grand Prix (March 26 - 28)

[andycoates]

Shows he's passionate about driving and car control though...partial explanation of why he's so good! But I would like to know just how busy the roadway was before passing any kind of judgement.

PS: Webber to win! Would love to see a good guy and hard worker win his home GP!

[RacingManiac]

But what do you expect; I watched a promo he did last year (could have been 2008) where he was driving in one of those Merc SUVs and he was saying how he was disappointed that it was lacking the spinning wheels...

Might have been Top Gear during his reasonably priced car interview...

Burnout = no car control involved, especially in one of the new crazy Merc...

[andycoates]

Burnout = no car control involved, especially in one of the new crazy Merc...

Fair point...should've said hooning around in cars, rather then control for this example...

[LTSmash]

You managed to sound like a prick to the whole US. Wes was just asking a question for his job, no need to brush him off like that.

[Wouter Melissen]

Webber tops third practice:

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
1. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:24.719 16
2. Alonso Ferrari 1:24.929 + 0.210 19
3. Schumacher Mercedes 1:24.963 + 0.244 17
4. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:25.122 + 0.403 19
5. Rosberg Mercedes 1:25.366 + 0.647 16
6. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.399 + 0.680 20
7. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.505 + 0.786 14
8. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:25.525 + 0.806 18
9. Massa Ferrari 1:25.549 + 0.830 20
10. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:25.782 + 1.063 19
11. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:25.852 + 1.133 17
12. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.104 + 1.385 21
13. Kubica Renault 1:26.184 + 1.465 21
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:26.275 + 1.556 21
15. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.368 + 1.649 17
16. Petrov Renault 1:26.661 + 1.942 19
17. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:26.804 + 2.085 19
18. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:26.818 + 2.099 18
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:29.539 + 4.820 19
20. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:29.800 + 5.081 16
21. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:30.800 + 6.081 18
22. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:31.114 + 6.395 12
23. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:34.334 + 9.615 11
24. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:36.649 + 11.930 8

autosport.com - F1 News: Webber leads final practice in Australia

[Wouter Melissen]

A Red Bull clean-sweep as Vettel takes pole.

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3
1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:24.774 1:24.096 1:23.919
2. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:25.286 1:24.276 1:24.035
3. Alonso Ferrari 1:25.082 1:24.335 1:24.111
4. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:24.897 1:24.531 1:24.675
5. Massa Ferrari 1:25.548 1:25.010 1:24.837
6. Rosberg Mercedes 1:24.788 1:24.788 1:24.884
7. Schumacher Mercedes 1:25.351 1:24.871 1:24.927
8. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:25.702 1:25.085 1:25.217
9. Kubica Renault 1:25.588 1:25.122 1:25.372
10. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:25.504 1:25.046 1:26.036
11. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.046 1:25.184
12. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.061 1:25.638
13. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:26.170 1:25.743
14. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:26.089 1:25.747
15. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:25.866 1:25.748
16. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:26.251 1:25.777
17. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.095 1:26.089
18. Petrov Renault 1:26.471
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:28.797
20. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:29.111
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:29.592
22. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:30.185
23. Senna HRT-Cosworth 1:30.526
24. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:30.613

autosport.com - F1 News: Vettel heads all-Red Bull front row

[Cyco]

With the Merc cars coming in late to go to the harder tyres will they be able to start the race on them as they didn't actually qualify on them?

[S.O.S]

Isn't it start with what you qualified with ?.

[Wouter Melissen]

I believe it is start on the tires you set the fastest time with.

[RacingManiac]

If it rains then it doesn't matter...

[fpv_gtho]

I think the rule still stands if its declared a wet start, everyone starts on the full wets.

[pimento]

Well, that was a much more exciting race.. Shame about RBR though, another mechanical failure taking Vettel out from the lead again and Webber making some poor mistakes after losing out in the first pit stops. Kubica was probably the driver of the race, having a magical start and then keeping his head down and retaining second. Jenson's ballsy pit stop is also to be commended.

[henk4]

I was sleeping the whole of the race. I understand it was raining part of the race. Perhaps the best way to create exciting races is to fit each track with a sprinkler installation, that produces water on a regular basis, (preferable random) to increase the excitement.

[faksta]

I liked the last half of the race (just because it was all I have watched...stupid summer/winter time rule...).

[Wouter Melissen]

Button wins Melbourne thriller for McLaren

Jenson Button moved within six points of the world championship lead with a superbly judged victory for McLaren in a dramatic Australian Grand Prix that firmly gave the lie to suggestions that Formula One racing is boring.

A rain shower just before the start saw the field start on intermediate Bridgestone tyres, and after a brush between Button, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes’ Michael Schumacher, then a heavy crash involving BMW Sauber’s Kamui Kobayashi, Toro Rosso’s Sebastien Buemi and Williams’ Nico Hulkenberg in Turn Six, the safety car was deployed.

When racing resumed on Lap Five drivers then had to judge the best time to switch to slick tyres as the track began to dry out in places. Button made the decision first, but it seemed premature as he momentarily slid off the road as he rejoined from his pit stop on Lap Six.

By Lap Eight, however there were wholesale pit stops as the road dried out, by which time the Englishman had climbed back up the order. When the final stops had been completed by Lap 11 Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel had a one-second lead over Button, with hard-tyred Robert Kubica third for Renault ahead of a mighty scrap between Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg, fast-starting Felipe Massa for Ferrari, Red Bull’s Mark Webber and McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton as, further back, Alonso recovered having been spun to the back of the pack at the start.

Soon Vettel and Button had left Kubica to his own devices, and the Red Bull driver seemed to have things under control. But on the 20th lap the German speared off into the gravel in Turn 13, handing Button the lead he held comfortably until the end. It is possible that the Red Bull suffered a brake failure.

Behind Button, Kubica drove a brilliant race to hold off Hamilton, who had fought up to third after passing Webber and Massa. But a second tyre stop dropped the 2008 champion back and obliged him to fight again to catch Massa and Alonso who moved to third and fourth places. Hamilton and Webber had a fabulous fight as they drew closer and closer to the red cars, with Rosberg pulling up to join them and make the fight for second a six-car affair in the closing stages.

On Lap 56 Hamilton got alongside and fractionally ahead of Alonso, but the Spaniard braked super late, locked up and just maintained the position, and as Hamilton was obliged to back off a fraction Webber charged into the back of him, spinning them both off.

Thus Kubica brought the Renault home a brilliant second from Massa, with Alonso fourth from Rosberg and the recovered Hamilton, who had put in the drive of the race.

Behind them, Vitantonio Liuzzi drove another unobtrusive but beautifully-controlled race for Force India, dealing with Pedro de la Rosa’s BMW Sauber and holding eighth until the Webber/Hamilton incident elevated him to seventh. Rubens Barrichello again brought the Williams home in the points, this time eighth, ahead of the recovered Webber.

The final point went to Schumacher, who had a bruising afternoon after his first-corner altercation. He spent most of it getting a driving lesson from young Toro Rosso’s Jaime Alguersuari, but at one stage he was also repassed by Timo Glock’s Virgin and Heikki Kovalainen’s Lotus as he fought back up the field. In the end he got past Alguersuari, and then jumped De la Rosa, but this was undoubtedly a tough afternoon for the multiple champ.

Alguersuari finished 11th on a day when he truly earned his F1 spurs, ahead of De la Rosa, while Lotus again earned top new team honours courtesy of Kovalainen’s 13th place. Behind him, Karun Chandhok scored his and the HRT team’s first-ever finish, at the second attempt.

The first-lap contretemps saw Kobayashi damage his BMW Sauber’s front wing, and when it folded back under the car he was a passenger as it went out of control in Turn Six and he smashed into Buemi’s Toro Rosso and Hulkenberg’s Williams. All three cars were eliminated immediately, while Jarno Trulli counted as the first official retirement when his Lotus was wheeled off the grid and was unable to restart from the pits.

HRT’s Bruno Senna retired early with yet more hydraulic problems, while Renault’s Vitaly Petrov retired when he spun. Force India’s Adrian Sutil fell prey to mechanical problems, while both Virgins also failed to go the distance.

After a gripping race Alonso still leads the world championship with 37 points to Massa’s 33, Button’s 31, Hamilton’s 23 and Rosberg’s 20. In the constructors’ stakes, Ferrari still lead with 70 from McLaren on 54, Mercedes on 29 and Renault and Red Bull on 18.