Speed Channel, the race broadcast starts March 29th @ 12:30 am (EDT) March 28th @11:30 (CDT)

 

WHOO HOOO....Brawn, Williams and Toyota are LEGAL

The Australian Grand Prix stewards have rejected the protests against the Williams, Brawn and Toyota teams' diffusers, meaning the three cars are free to participate in this weekend's Melbourne race.

http://www.itv-f1.com/News_Article.aspx?id=45332

I gotta tell you, yeah, I'm a Ham fan, and Kubica is up there for me too(but I'm still bitter about him taking Villeneuve's seat ), but damn, I'd really like to see Rubens win the championship this year. I love an underdog...and hell man, I think he deserves it.

 

....and another thing, instead of all the other teams trying to file a protest, they just need to freaking copy those guys...you've got 3 very different examples...and the main ones bitching have the resources to probably have one built and flown in by tonight!!!...(I realize that would be dumb to do without testing, etc.., but you get my point...it could be ready by the next race i'm sure)

 

^^ yep just read it. glad , because i root for Williams for mid pack . but yah think ill be very sleepy tommorow, since the races start tonight at 1230 central

 

Shell promo video of a C130 tanker refueling a Ferrari at 150 mph.

http://wm.streaming.shell.com/21538/...ng_ad_2251.wmv

 

lol i just realized, its qualify night (not race night) guess ill be going to be at a normal time lol.

awesome commerical. not a ferrari fan but still awesome.

 

Well, the other teams are filing appeals so we won't know for absolutely certain until then. Still it is a VERY good indication that they are legal.

Brawn FTW!

 

Practice (Friday) has just started today in Australia in Melbourne, cars look fast!..

We are also getting to HEAR the cars in 5.1 Dolby Surround Sound for the first time anywhere in the world, sounds Unbelievable!!!, plus full widescreen HD.

Massa in his Ferrari looks very Fast!

 

http://www2.brawngp.com/

 

SWEEEEEEEEEEEET!!!! It's going to be a looooong night

 

So what do you guys think of tomorrow qualifier?

I believe the three diffusor teams (Williams, Brawn, Toyota) will be in the top even there.

My guess is that Nico will take pole position. He has looked strong, and the williams has looked strong. Second spot I believe will fall to a Brawn. Whether its Button or Barichello remains to be seen. And we will probably see Trulli making some qualifier magic as usual, I'm setting him on third in the qualifier.

I think McLaren will make it to Q2 and I think Ferrari will make it to Q3 but will be outclassed in once there. Alonso might make it to Q3 too. Damn the guy knows how to make magic with little material. Piquet wont make Q2.

So guys, pipe in your comments and we will see who is closest to the truth tomorrow morning. Heh, damn early morning for you in the US.

 

Thank God for DVR's. I watched it this morning even before getting on the computer.
I don't think Ferrari will make it out of Q2. I'm surprised that they didn't come with different body work to compete with the W-B-T diffusers. They must feel they can win on appeal. Anyone know when that hearing is? How many races may go by before the dispute is heard?

 

From what I have read I got the impression that the appeal will be heard before the second race. I cannot give a source because it is only the impression I got when scouring all articles about it on www.f1-live.com

 

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090326....ian-grand-prix


KERS for Heidfeld, but not Kubica for Australian Grand Prix

Nick Heidfeld's BMW-Sauber F1.09, but not that of his teammate Robert Kubica, will be fitted with an active KERS system for the Australian grand prix weekend.

The news was confirmed not only by German Heidfeld, 31, but also his team boss Mario Theissen.

The reason for the split strategy is due to the weight of the drivers: while diminutive Heidfeld is perhaps the lightest in the entire 2009 field, Kubica - one of the tallest drivers - would have made his F1.09 ten kilograms overweight had he elected to run KERS.

"The regulations mean that heavy drivers are disadvantaged," Theissen said in Melbourne.

He added that he hopes an advantageous KERS solution will be able to be devised for Kubica, for deployment later this season.

 

That was in "last nights" Speed broadcast.

 

Curious to see that laptimes aren't far off last year's. Slicks make the trick?

 

good post. i am hoping that MClaren was just sandbagging it. since i feel they have nothing to prove before qualify run. where other teams such as brawn etc has to. but taht is just me thinking outloud and hoping lol

 

i meant to post it yesterday morning, but was to busy drawing

 

I think McLaren are in a pretty bad spot right now. Even to an untrained eye their car is clearly inferior, especially under braking and in turns. The lack of down force is really giving everyone a hard time this year. Lewis was saying in the radio that the car was bouncing too much and bottoming out. I guess they tried to increase down force by lowering the car generate more down force from the diffuser.

 

I for one loved the shuffle in speed this year. The top teams from last year are now struggling to find speed, I have no doubt with time they will be back on top though. But for the first few races of this year, we should see some great battles and a VERY close grid, well maybe except for Red Bull + Toro Roso, they're kinda slow!

 

yah read how hamilton wasnt sure about the car. i was just hoping that it just a distraction . but i guess there goes for hoping. i think ill just watch q1 and q2 tongiht before heading to bed. think those q2 will give me an idea how mclaren is doing.

 

http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090327....e-to-fia-court

With the stewards rejecting the diffuser protest, the main controversy at the scene of the Australian grand prix got set to take its next steps.

Hinting at yet another protest against Brawn, Williams and Toyota after Sunday's chequered flag, Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo told the La Repubblica newspaper that he "can't rule out an angry gesture" at the end of the season opener.

The three teams' diffuser designs, while technically legal according to the regulations, contravene the "spirit" of the rules, the protesting teams argued in detailed protests numbering dozens of pages.

In first Friday practice, Williams was first and second fastest, while both Brawns were also within the top six.

Germany's Auto Motor und Sport publication, meanwhile, reports that the protesting teams - Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault (BMW's protest was not allowed) - are indeed intending to now send the case to the FIA Court of Appeal.

They have already informed the stewards of their intention, which must be backed up with letters within two days.


















http://www.worldcarfans.com/9090327....-on-season-eve


A row between Bernie Ecclestone and the F1 teams' alliance FOTA stepped up a gear on the eve of Australian grand prix action.

After F1 chief executive Ecclestone leaked to the press that Renault and McLaren chiefs recently threatened to boycott the Melbourne race, FOTA hit back by insisting that Flavio Briatore and Ron Dennis had "presented the unified views of all FOTA members."
In a statement, the teams' body said the dispute with Ecclestone is about money "owed" for the past three seasons, with the matter needing to be settled before a new Concorde agreement can be signed.

Ecclestone's Formula One Administration (FOA) replied with its own statement to correct FOTA's "inaccurate and misleading statements".

FOA denied that "any amount" of money is owed to "any team," because the existing Concorde "expired at the end of 2007."

Some teams, however, have penned individual contracts with FOA, while others have been paid "substantial payments ... on account of future prize fund entitlements they will have when they sign a contract."

78-year-old Ecclestone has not travelled to Australia for the 2009 season opener.



lol this session hasnt even started, and we see all this befor the first race.

 

Yeah, I am leaning the same way, but I have the funny feeling a BMW and a Ferrari might pop up within the first 3 rows. I don't see the McLaren making it out of Q2. And yes, Alonso has been known for pulling out CRAZY fast laps out of nowhere..in dog equipment, so who knows... I haven't seen practice yet, I'll check it out after work, but it is surprising that the lap times are close to last year....anybody know how far off they are??

 

1. Barr 125.006
2. Button
3. Webber
4. Glo

Q1

 

Q2 Started

14.00 mins