2014 Australian Grand Prix - Melbourne

[iotar__]

No wet/dry set up these days (I'm just repeating). If it's about the engine only - some small difference between Rosberg-Hamilton. The rest is up to Merc - Ferrari - Renault differences.

Vettel: "Once it started to rain, I was struggling with drivability ... it made life pretty difficult," Vettel said.
"Vettel was at a loss to explain why Ricciardo's car was apparently so much easier to drive."
But it was before he learned that water affected his [or Horner's made up ] "hmm...engine.. power...modes?"

Lotus instead of blindly praising engine manufacturer should start complaining about sub-par equipment glorious Red
Bull-Renault partnership is providing them with. That's what you get when you give engine power to three teams that can affect their competition. That's hardly a talking point but double points - tragedy.

[piast9]

It was nice qualy in my opinion. Well done for Mercedes. And Ricciardo showed that the Red Bull is not bad at all. Let's wait and see their race pace but I think that once they overcome the power unit issues they'll be close to the top again.

[mclaren_mircea]

I think that tomorow Ferrari will not be in a strong position at the start of the race, because their engine has very nervous torque under acceleration, and it may wheel spin more than the other cars. What do you think? This theory may be proved when the driver accelerate when he is leaving the corner.

[NathanOlder]

Ok Guys, so in Q1 Mercedes were pretty level with the other teams despite running on the harder tyre. Lewis was Quickest in sector 1, 2nd fastest in sector 2, buit never got sector 3 together. And over the whole weekend sector 3 was Mercedes strongest sector. So if Lewis hooked up sector 3 he would have been quickest on the harder tyre. All I've heard from the commentators and media, is the harder tyre is getting on for around 2 seconds a lap slower. If this is the case, The Mercedes would be over 2 seconds a lap quicker in Qualy trim!!

[Juzh]

No wet/dry set up these days (I'm just repeating). If it's about the engine only - some small difference between Rosberg-Hamilton. The rest is up to Merc - Ferrari - Renault differences.

Vettel: "Once it started to rain, I was struggling with drivability ... it made life pretty difficult," Vettel said.
"Vettel was at a loss to explain why Ricciardo's car was apparently so much easier to drive."
But it was before he learned that water affected his [or Horner's made up ] "hmm...engine.. power...modes?"

Lotus instead of blindly praising engine manufacturer should start complaining about sub-par equipment glorious Red
Bull-Renault partnership is providing them with. That's what you get when you give engine power to three teams that can affect their competition. That's hardly a talking point but double points - tragedy.

Stop bickering already. Not everything is a conspiracy.

[heidenreich27]

We all know that mercedes are ahead, maybe 1 or maybe less

[mnmracer]

It was Renault who confirmed Vettel's engine was not working correctly, not Horner.
If you truly believe Daniel is 2 seconds faster than Sebastian...

[mnmracer]

It was a shame to see Williams didn't have the pace in the wet. Still, if it's dry tomorrow I can see them finish much further forward.

[Neno]

This is just sad for Lotus. I expected solid midfield, maybe low midfield. But the end of grid with few laps and car's drivebility lower then Marrusija and Caterham. That's just sad for team who last season finished with 2nd best car...

[Just_a_fan]

Merc drivers concern for tomorrow race will be fuel. I think Ric has got a good chance if he doesnt lose to many positions at the start.

I think they'll "do a Vettel" - push hard for the first 5 laps to get a gap and then go in to fuel save mode as required and manage the gap. If they can break the 2s gap before the DRS is enabled then they'll have a good chance because inevitably everyone behind will be tripping over each other trying to overtake and thus will be slower.

If, as you say, Ric can stay out of trouble in the first lap then he's in a good position for a podium. I'm not sure the RB is fast enough just yet to stay with the Merc if it does the "break the 2s gap" trick early on. Hamilton was 3/10th quicker and he had a big slide on that last lap too so there's probably another 1/10 there too.

[basti313]

I think they'll "do a Vettel" - push hard for the first 5 laps to get a gap and then go in to fuel save mode as required and manage the gap. If they can break the 2s gap before the DRS is enabled then they'll have a good chance because inevitably everyone behind will be tripping over each other trying to overtake and thus will be slower.

If, as you say, Ric can stay out of trouble in the first lap then he's in a good position for a podium. I'm not sure the RB is fast enough just yet to stay with the Merc if it does the "break the 2s gap" trick early on. Hamilton was 3/10th quicker and he had a big slide on that last lap too so there's probably another 1/10 there too.

Yes, probably they will easily pull away from the fighting pack. They will build up a 10 to 20sec lead for the first pitstop. But if the Mercs are on 1-2 after the start I wonder if they will push each other or just do a "McLaren". Because Ros being behind Ham only comes down to the wrong timing in Q3, so I do not expect him to respect a number 2 status.

Behind...well...the RedBull is so bad on topspeed, that Ric will suffer if he can not maintain the P1 of the non Mercs. Once behind another car he can not use his advantage in the corners anymore and even with DRS it will be very har, maybe impossible to overtake with the RB.

[mantaque]

Mercedes 1st and 3rd position is not a suprise taking a look back at testing sessions. I think if Vettel didn't have engine problems, than he would be close with Ricciardo. That puts RBR a 2nd or 3rd team on the grid. Interesting, how fast they can improve their car and workout problems they had with it.
Ferrari is a great question mark for me. Alonso did great in training, but in qual it was not so great. Raikkonen did crash.
Magnussen crushed Button, hope it will be team fight all season long
Lotus surely is in deep hole (to put it nicely), it seems they won't get better fast. With that kind of pace (or lack of it whatsoever) it can take a few races to work it out just to get going, and then others would be far ahead. Sad scenario, but it is going to be more and more real.

[Unc1eM0nty]

The wet is a great leveler, I don't think a RB car could have gotten on the front row otherwise, if it's a dry start I don't think Ricardo has the HP to maintain position, I expect him to be swamped off the line.

Massa & Bottas look well out of position back in 9th & 10th, if it's dry they should move up throughout the race, will be interesting to see their fight with Maggnasun & Alonso.

[iotar__]

Mercedes don't need to do anything fancy, just be patient, they have so much pace advantage they can do whatever they want. Don't make it sound as if there's some competition tomorrow, Ricciardo will be concentrating on himself and 6 other cars rather than Ham/Rosb when he survives the start. Do you think he can get 0,5-... s per lap out of the blue?

Software problems, Red Bull finally agreed on line of explanation excuses. You might say that "this software worked well for Ricciardo", argument used always by Vettel supporters when Webber had problems. So maybe it's driver's adjustment problem.
Alonso: "Today was not fun", "it was the first time in wet conditions in these 2014 cars, with zero practice, so not fun at all. When we made changes we thought we needed, [the car] was a little bit more difficult to drive, to get everything right." See, no special power/software problems needed. "There wasn’t supposed to be a difference" that's what M.W. used to say

Ferrari still sandbagging for bigger effect. When they unleash their full power they will blow everyone's socks off. Maybe they are already the best but only when they measure times in their own way, like two-third of a lap or something. What a nonsense that was.

[Just_a_fan]

Because Ros being behind Ham only comes down to the wrong timing in Q3, so I do not expect him to respect a number 2 status.

Rosberg isn't Vettel - if the team tells him to hold position then he'll do it. He might moan about it afterwards but he knows that when the positions are reversed that he'll get the same treatment and Hamilton will do what he's told. It's a long season and Rosberg and Hamilton are team players.