2016 Race #1, Melbourne, Thoughts/Views

[45bvtc]

An excellent event with a closing-up of the teams: Mercedes are where everyone expected and with the Ferraris maybe better than expected: for me a good race spoiled by allowing changes to be made during a red-flag period; why not just bring 'em in, ground 'em, and send 'em back out again as was? Allowing damaged front wings to be replaced and or tyres destroyed any and all managed strategies

Fact: My man Sebastian is sure quick off the line though; hey Lewis, Nico...

Dream: Sebastian would have won had it not been for the red flag.... Did you see the way he caught and passed Hamilton on a track where "overtaking is not possible": the race commentators seem to say this on each and every track we now use; can't overtake, can't overtake, can't overtake; must be written onto their bl**dy T-shirts...

Good race and most enjoyable, and Alonso was unharmed in an epic shunt most likely of his own making; most of us have no idea of how quick that can happen but then again that's why these guys are paid the monies they are; enjoy...

 

[voorhees]

I do hope the rest of the season is nothing like this race,that crash

 

[Scottyg]

Personally I thought it was a tad boring. Think I shut off after the borefest Quali 3 debacle.
Agree with the Red Flag situation. Race should go into lockdown and start as it was. Being allowed to change/swap gives a free pit-stop and its back to square one.
Did enjoy Seb's chat with Webber on the winners podium.

 

[45bvtc]

Did enjoy Seb's chat with Webber on the winners podium.

I agree, Scottyg; 100%; well done Seb and Mark...

I also enjoyed the seemingly re-found friendship between Nico and Lewis, hope it stays like that. Interestingly in the post qualifying chat it was said that the Mercedes 'mechanics' had had a compete shuffle since last year with both senior mechanics changing between drivers and some sort of shuffle of the others, too; maybe that's how Toto has 'quelled' the 'hostilities', for now.

 

[45bvtc]

Sunday's Seb and Mark moment:

 

[Bristle Hound]

Agreed - Great race!

BUT who the hell is the main presenter? Can't he look at the camera when he's walking around ***! He spent most of the time looking at the ground while the camera was on him. Idiot!

C4's production was not a slick as Beeb 1's was IMO, but it was their first race. Time will tell ...

Alonso's crash was truly frightening! 10 years ago I don't think he would have survived that. Just goes to show how safety has moved on, thankfully

I'm just hoping its not going to be a Merc 1 & 2 every race again this year, It can get a bit boring TBH
On a side note, looking foreword to MotoGP 2016

 

[joinerman]

On a side note, looking foreword to MotoGP 2016

Now your talking.

 

[jojo]

Apart from the start and the flying McLaren, I found the race to be boring, but I expected it to be anyways.

Have Ferrari closed the gap between the Mercedes? I personally think not. Look how Lewis dominated the quali, the Mercs killed quali2 using the soft tyre and probably their quali engine setting, sand bagging the whole of testing. I think you'll see the Mercs winning most of the race this season again I'm afraid to say.

 

[Ghost]

Have Ferrari closed the gap between the Mercedes? .

The Ferrari boys smoked Mercedes off the line, and I think they both had the pace to finish in the top 3.
Kimi was unlucky the engine failure

John I agree.. if the race is stopped, no work should be carried out apart from stop – starting them, but if like you say the teams are allowed to work / change tyres, isn’t it down to Ferrari to send Seb back out on new rubber?

We know now it cost him the race, but he should have passed Lewis on lap 55, but again Seb went onto the grass.

Lewis will be very happy to only be 7 points behind Nico after that race!

Good entertaining drive from the Toro Rosso boys
Good to see the Red Bull up the front and set the fastest lap
Good to see Haas / Grosjean finishing 6th

 

[desertstorm]

I thought it was a good start to the season. If the red flag hadn't come out then it could have been a Ferrari win and Lewis certainly wouldn't have made it back to second. I am sure the Merc engineers are working on a better start as if that's the best they have they are likely to get mugged every weekend even if they do get pole position.
Ferrari seem to have reliability issues with Raikonnen possibly needing a new engine and a few other Ferrari engine cars suffering issues.
Torro Rosso look very strong and hopefully they can improve the car over the season enough to keep competitive as they won't be getting any engine upgrades. Looking forward to seeing what Verstappen can do especially at Monaco, his car control is incredible he was driving it like a big go kart.
Wiliams seemed to be struggling, maybe there car doesn't like that track or the lower temperatures.
Watch out for Wehrlein in future races, at one point he was running 13th, If Rosberg doesn't perform this year I can see him being replaced.
Probably going to be a completely different race in two weeks as it will be a lot warmer in Bahrain.

 

[45bvtc]

Have Ferrari closed the gap between the Mercedes? I personally think not. Look how Lewis dominated the quali,

But he was running in FREE air, jojo, with competitors required to get-out-of-the-way. For me it's the same story this year as last as cars are finding it difficult to follow e.g. Hamilton and the Torro Rosso; a number of the teams are known to have creative turbulence - with drivers saying they cannot follow a particular car - and in the past that has worked against the Mercedes duo

All interesting stuff, mind...

 

[jojo]

But he was running in FREE air, jojo, with competitors required to get-out-of-the-way. For me it's the same story this year as last as cars are finding it difficult to follow e.g. Hamilton and the Torro Rosso; a number of the teams are known to have creative turbulence - with drivers saying they cannot follow a particular car - and in the past that has worked against the Mercedes duo

All interesting stuff, mind...

It was the same story last year John. Running in free air, the Mercs are simply quicker than the rest of the field, 0.5-1 secs quicker than Ferrari I reckon. Race pace is probably similar, which is the same story as last year, but going with the data from the last race, we have Rosberg keeping up with Vettel, and he was on Medium compound rubber, whilst Vettel was on Softs. Only Lewis and Vettel are able to pull away from the field running at the front of the race in 'free air' in most cases.

Will we be seeing races won from the start now, with who gets the start/lauch right? Even though it's part of racing, is that what we want to see? Time will tell...

The Ferrari's didn't even bother for a second run in Q3, as Vettel knows there just isn't another 0.5s to give from his car, and Lewis just destroys the field with his final run... had there been radio comms, the team would have told him to come in, I reckon.

 

[Ghost]

Alonso lucky to just walk away from that one!