Australian Qualifying Thread (Spoilers likely)

I'll take a stab at the Southern end of the grid:

17. Jordan
18. Jordan
19. Minardi
20. Minardi

 

Fisichella puts in a good lap before the rain thunders down, right onto Massa who can barely control the car on his outlap while on dry tyres.

Ferrari just had enough time to put wets on Michael's car, and he goes out, almost losing it at turn 8 but brilliantly saves it, and goes 13th fastest.

Meanwhile, Sato crashes into the wall at Turn 8 on his outlap, badly damaging his car. Michael comes into the pits, and the session is red flagged.

 

Rain in the middle of Q1! Bloody hell!

 

I've got Shumi last........ where do you see 13th? (Less Sato)

 

Q1 times.
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It's amazing how fast these cars go in the rain. I will not be trying that in the 355.........

 

So...looks like it's going to be an awesome race. Toyota's podium prediction seems like an everpresent possibility.

 

Good run by Kathikeyan in his first ever attempt. My predictions for qually look like I will get 1/3 right - I predicted a Fisi pole tomorrow. Barring something stupid he should get it.

Poor Massa, the weather changed in an instant on his outlap. Schumi went out on Intermediates when the situation called for full wets. He is unlikely to improve tomorrow as the gap to the next couple drivers is a country mile

On a side note, seeing the Mclaren with the horn like wings near the air box makes me smile. From the front it almost looks like it extends out of the helmet of the driver. Kimi looks like a Norse god or so with these horns

 

The pace car is faster in the wet than the F1 cars are.

 

My Explorer is faster in the wet than F1 cars are.

Which is also a lie.

Gentry on a skateboard is faster than my SuV around MP.

 

Not true in all conditions.. It depends on how wet it is. In monsoon conditions you would be right due to the deeper cut in tire threads in the pace car. But otherwise in light rain and damp conditions the F1 car should still be quicker if appropriately fitted with the right tire - Intermediates and Rain tires

 

Completely unqualified generalised nonsense.

The only way the Safety car (modified Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG) could be quicker than F1 cars is if the F1 cars were lapping on dry tyres in very wet conditions.
Even on intermediates during heavy rain, Formula One cars are faster than the Safety car.

 

When is the 2nd qualifying session??

 

Sunday morning 10am local time, 4 hrs before the start of the race.

TV coverage over here (Speed) is going to show it tape-delayed 1 hr before the start of the race. They'll go right from taped 2nd qualifying into the live race broadcast.

 

Wow. This is looking pretty good. Kind of crazy how the rain played havoc with the order, but such is racing. My feeling is that this year the cars truly will be more competitive with each other.

On that note, after watching the '95 Brazilian race, I realized what a lean time that was. You had Schumi vs. Hill and that was about it. The Ferraris were awesome to look at and listen to, but no more. And the rest of the grid pretty much sucked. DC wasn't a threat yet, and McLaren were still a good 1 1/2 years from getting it sorted.

 

Barring an event where a monsoon hit the last half of Qualifications today It will be interesting to see perhaps the most crazy grid i can ever recall in F1.

The first couple of corners at the start should be quite a yard sale with banzai suicide passes being made.

I cannot wait for tonight.

Rob

 

Wow, this qualifying session was more fun to watch than most races last year. I had a ball at the edge of my seat. And for now at least: Reversed grid. Off to a good start.

 

I would certainly bet that Ross has a good plan for Ferrari - afterall, he's the best of the best. I'll never forget sitting at the hairpin at Magny Cours last year and saying to John - isn't that Michael's fourth pit stop!?! Why would you want to go balls to the wall and run the risk of engine failure and first turn pile-ups - seems more intelligent to stay to the back and then make your move.

I got a chuckle out of "Beast's" comment about the first turn yard sale!!!

Qualifying starts in just over 8 hours - eyeballs will be glued to the computer screen with live timing.

Carol

 

We havent got TV coverage of the 2nd qualifying in the UK you guys will be my source of the results.

 

Our coverage will be tape delayed, so you're best off with the Internet.

 

Fine, I'll qualify my statement.

The safety car is quicker in the full wet, than an F1 car on dry tires. The gap has closed slightly since we have grooved tires compared to slicks.

But I'm pretty sure that the safety car was quicker and handled better in the conditions that Sato-san found himself in this morning.

 

Can someone explain the concept of 2 qualifying? I thought we had practices followed by 1 qualifying?

 

I really like this double-aggregated qualifying format... first in qualifying trim like before... second in race-trim... combined score decides order. It leads to some very interesting strategizing.

For example, given MS is doomed to start way back (barring another monsoon in qualifying), it would SEEM to be a safe bet that he'll start with a heavy fuel load... counting on the fact that he'll have no trouble passing the back-markers even with his heavy load... and then about the time he's catching up with the front runners, they'll be pitting... meaning he'll be light and they'll be heavy...

Then again, those teams know that also! Soooo, some of them may decide to do the same... start heavy... after all, there are several seconds between first and most of the pack... so (barring another monsoon), there's no chance of getting to pole anyway. Some, OTOH, will start light with the intent of sprinting by our fortunate pole sitter.

Sorting out all the strategies should be very interesting for the first half of the race.

Any predictions on the field's strategies?