2012 Australian GP Thread ***SPOILERS***

It's so tempting to speculate about a much closer season this year, but we've just not seen enough evidence to be sure of anything yet. Aaaarrgghh!!

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EC83 Wrote:
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> It's so tempting to speculate about a much closer
> season this year, but we've just not seen enough
> evidence to be sure of anything yet. Aaaarrgghh!!

I know, i want to be able to say something about what teams are where but i still can't tell from those two sessions (apart from HRT last and Marussia 22nd/21st). If either of those sessions do have truth behind them though we could be in for an interesting season, we can but wait for qualifying...

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Kimi topped the speed traps with the Mercedes duo.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

Ms looked well on it.

What I thought was funny was that Mclaren are short of parts so they kept Lewis in the pits yet let button run.

I hope tomorrow is dry so we can get a good idea on pace.

Andrew Benson is saying the FIA are about to say a teams rear wing is illegal but no one is saying what team yet.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 11:36AM by marcl.

I found the Mercedes and Red Bull most impressive at the track today, they looked great, particularly through Turn 5. The Ferrari I think is a fast car, but difficult to handle - and I guess that's why it probably eats the tyres pretty quickly apparently.

The weather was sort of a mixed blessing, it would've been great to see more running today, but on the other hand it makes tomorrow even more fascinating.

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X (@ed24f1)

Its funny that the 2 teams you mentioned at the ones that are meant to be under investiagtion with Ferrari as well.

Wish they would hurry up and say whats happening.

They will probably run under appeal anyway if anything is found.

Difficult to assume too much apart from the fact that the conditions weren't ideal... differing fuel loads were being used, HRT have made their best start to a season ever (lmao) and that Massa is a n00b.

Oh and live timing is massively b0rked.

I wonder if Massa will even last the season before Ferrari give him the boot. I also get the feeling that Mercedes may be a lot closer to the leading teams in pace. If they are, it could be a massive battle up front. I just hope its not a season when one team runs off never to be seen again.

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I heard that Massa was about to be replaced by Crash Bandicoot... j/k

Mclaren looked so nice to drive.

RedBull equally as easy looking... IMO RedBull still minimum 2-3 tenths quicker. Button looking strong, though early days! This is usually a trend, good FP1, and 2 quicker than Lewis on times and long runs then boom Q3 and Lewis pulls it out and 3-6 tenths quicker than Jenson!

Schumacher especially was pushing which suggests to me the car's good. The guy's excited and happy to have a responsive car, Nico being Nico probably more conservative, very much more Jenson like.

Ferrari looked a handful but once again Alonso looked OK, and looked like he could do whatever he wanted with it.

Other than that the killer thing about FP1 and 2 which gave me a constant semi .... MARK WEBBERS HELMET CAM!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!

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"Trulli was slowing down like he wanted to have a picnic" LOL

You're a strange man Chet, a strange man.

Now everytime i see that camera im gonna be thinking of chet lol

I really don't see Massa surviving the season either - thought that well into last year about 2012 being phased out.

The rumours of Kubica inking a deal to replace him are only fuelled more, I feel, by Kubicas hush hush regarding his injury.

Funny isn't it, how hard some people find it to hide from the media, yet this guy has gone over a year with only what he has chosen to release. Amazing.

I expect he will be well tested behind closed doors IF and WHEN he is able to, and then come out all guns blazing towards the end of this year; with the aim being the 2013 seat.

But I do expect him to be given a taster if Massa is flapping by Korea.


Jenson drives it like he owns it; Lewis drives it like he stole it

chet Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mclaren looked so nice to drive.
>
> RedBull equally as easy looking... IMO RedBull
> still minimum 2-3 tenths quicker. Button looking
> strong, though early days! This is usually a
> trend, good FP1, and 2 quicker than Lewis on times
> and long runs then boom Q3 and Lewis pulls it out
> and 3-6 tenths quicker than Jenson!
>
> Schumacher especially was pushing which suggests
> to me the car's good. The guy's excited and happy
> to have a responsive car, Nico being Nico probably
> more conservative, very much more Jenson like.
>
> Ferrari looked a handful but once again Alonso
> looked OK, and looked like he could do whatever he
> wanted with it.
>
> Other than that the killer thing about FP1 and 2
> which gave me a constant semi .... MARK WEBBERS
> HELMET CAM!!!!!!! FINALLY!!!!!!!!


Now called ChetCam.

HRT are taking the piss a bit, organisation isn't something that they're particularly good at. Pic looks a bit out of his depth at the moment, time will tell whether he'll improve, but canning D'Ambrosio doesn't look like the best move Marussia has made.

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GPGSL: S6 - TafuroGP Tester (14th) /// S7 - ART Tester (6th) /// S8 - Demon Driver (13th) /// S9 - Demon/Snake Driver (13th) /// S10 - Snake Driver (???) ///]
"My ambition is handicapped by laziness" - Charles Bukowski



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/16/2012 07:44PM by Incident 2k9.

Expecting too much from Pic is unrealistic though. He's had what? A little time in last years virgin at the young driver test and 2 days at Barcelona. In the new Marussia he's had no more than 1 day on demo tyres. So he's not ideally prepared and this isn't exactly his fault.

I think he's no worse a prospect as a rookie than say... Nakajima, d'ambrosio, Kobayashi etc.. He's won races in every category he's raced in so he's not completely worthless. I think he'll be competent enough given the chance.

Massa will be out on his ass by mid-season at this rate. The one thing he needed to be doing was keeping the car on the track.
I'm really hoping what appears to be an early glimpse of strong form from Mercedes is not misleading.

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I found it amusing that he put almost two wheels on damp grass and was then surprised that he spun.

True, it was a level of hopelessness reminiscent of his Sauber and early Ferrari years.

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yeah that was super silly mistake from Massa a *facepalm* deserving one, is a shame because up until his accident he was constantly improving but after that he's been useless... it reminds me of Ralf, who at the peak of his form had his accident, came back and show his speed but once in Toyota he was done, never the same... but tbh i'm sure he'll finish the season but i don't see Kubica in that seat at all..

for sure we're all "touch" by his case an all, but does he really deserve it?, why get rid of Massa to try some luck with Kubica.. being rartional, Kubica is a fast driver no doubt, but he ironically gets involved in many incidents on track as well and no one knows how good he will be on his comeback, if he's ever fit to come back

What about the possibility of a schumi return to ferrari?Am probably just dreamin but how awesome would a Schuey-Alonso line up be?!!