Prediction Pecking Order at Melbourne.

[andartop]

Don't forget we 're talking about the first race: traditionally Ferrari usually either dominates or DNFs!!! I'll go for the mayhem option just to spice things up.
1.Red Bull (Vettel)
2.Renault (Alonso)
3.BMW
4.McLaren
5.Torro Rosso
6.Toyota
7.Williams
8.FI
9.Ferrari (1xengine failure, 1xcrash)
10.Brawn Racing
11.Renault (Piquet)
12.Red Bull (Webber) - either a meteorite will crash in front of his car right before the start or he'll be leading the race when a bird will s#$t on his visor right as he enters the pitlane so he'll miss the spot where he's supposed to hit the speed limiter, get penalised with a drive through and as he comes in second time for the penalty an earthquake will throw him into the barrier.

[megz]

RBR
Ferrari
Toyota/BMW/Williams/STR/Renault (Alonso)
McLaren
Force India/Renault (Piquet)
Brawn Racing

For drivers.... I won't go there

[Deerfield805]

McLaren
RBR
Renault
Ferrari
Toyota
Williams
FI
STR
BMW
Penske Indy Car
Brawn Honda

Penske's have been really quick in winter testing.

[modbaraban]

Wow. So much variety here.

I'll play safe:

- Safety Car
- Ferrari / Red Bull
- WilliamsF1 / McLaren-Merc / BMW.Sauber / Toyota / F.Alonso
- FIF1 / Scuderia Torro Rosso / RenaultF1
- Scuderia Brawno Rosso

[pipex]

Hmmm...
My crystal ball says...

1. Ferrari/RBR/Alonso-Renault F1
3. BMW/Toyota
4. McLaren/Toro Rosso/Williams
5. FIF1/BS (Brawn Sport)/Piquet F1

[NaZzO]

On pure pace, here's my prediction:
McLaren
BMW/Ferrari
RBR/STR
Williams
FI
Toyota/Renault
Brawn Honda

Race Expectations:
McLaren/Ferrari
BMW/Toyota
Williams
FI
RBR/STR/Renault/Brawn Honda (for reliability issues)

[axle]

I think there will be a big difference between Quali pace and race pace for some. So who makes it to pole might not necessarily have the legs for a long run.

[Sawtooth-spike]

fair point, After the first Race shall we take Quali and Race results into account when we decide whos crystal ball is the best?

Lets face it even after the race none of us will agree, but i am pretty sure we can do the top 3 and bottom 3

[spaman]

My prediction:

1. Ferrari
2. Renault
3. Toyota | BMW | RBR
4. McLaren | Williams
5. STR | Force India
6. Brawn (Brackley) Racing

I think the Renault will be technically a step ahead of Toyota | BMW | RBR but worse than Ferrari. But I didn´t consider Piquet probably beeing somewhere around STR and FI.

[Clubber]

I have the feeling that Melbourne might be a poor reliability-fest with very different race results to qualifying UNLESS Ferrari or McLaren dominate qualy and lock out the front row since they generally seem to get the reliabilty pretty good at the first race of the season.

I suspect that the RBR will be quick but fragile so it's entirely possible that we could have an all RBR front row but with neither winning or even scoring signicant points. I still don't think that RBR sees itself as a championship winning team and as such, they'll be willing to risk unreliability if the payoff is occassional wins.

Alonso (Sorry, Piquet doesn't count) will be quick but probably not quick enough to win at the first race or without circumstances helping him out

BMW will be quick but essentially similar to Alonso



OR I could be totally wrong

[Roland Ehnström]

Reading all this, it would be kinda funny if Piquet dominates the event from start to finish. Not that it's going to happen...

[Belatti]

12.Red Bull (Webber) - either a meteorite will crash in front of his car right before the start or he'll be leading the race when a bird will s#$t on his visor right as he enters the pitlane so he'll miss the spot where he's supposed to hit the speed limiter, get penalised with a drive through and as he comes in second time for the penalty an earthquake will throw him into the barrier.

In reality, luck does not exist. The man that blames bad luck is the one who could not predict the facts that could happen. The man with experience may not have bad luck. Remember Murphy: all that may go wrong, will go wrong

Back on topic, I see much faith on RBR and Newey revolutionary car. I have faith too. He shows us that even if the rules are as tight as Max Mosleys thongs, you can still think different. Still we have too see if that means faster, but at least different.

[Spencifer_Murphy]

Remember Murphy: all that may go wrong, will go wrong

I never said that!

[Moanlower]

Unlike most others I don't believe Nelson will be that much slower than Alonso. He isn't anywhere near as good when it comes to setting up a car which is understandable. But if you look back a least year's quali pace, Nelson was one of the closest to his teammate compared to other teams. If you then consider him being a rookie against a double WDC and also what a difficult car it was to drive, especially at the first half of the season.. I wouldn't write him off just yet.

With the pecking order, I was mostly thinking at the potential of the cars during quali. I believe reliability will be an overriding factor this season.

On a side note: [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRUPgyk5njQ[/youtube]

[lkocev]

My prediction for outright pace;

1. Ferrari
2. McLaren-Mercedes
3. Red Bull-Renault
4. BMW
5. Renault
6. Toyota
7. Williams-Toyota
8. STR
9. Force India
10. Ross Brawn F1 team

Teams I predicit in order of agregate result;

1. McLaren-Mercedes
2. BMW
3. Ferrari
4. Renault
5. Toyota
6. Williams-Toyota
7. Red Bull-Renault
8. STR
9. Force India
10. Ross Brawn F1 team

I think that McLaren will get the best result because I think there car will be the most reliable, so I think both drivers will finish in high points positions. I think both BMW's will also finish in high points positions. I have a feeling that only 1 Ferrari will finish, perhaps win the race or close by to winning. I think Alonso will bring Renault a strong points result, piquet also scoring, but not as strongly as Alonso. I think it will be pretty even stevens between Toyota and Williams, perhaps both cars finishing, but I think if 1 point only is available between the 2 teams, I think Toyota will get it because of more driver expirience. I have a bad feeling about the reliability of the Red Bull cars, Adrian Newey cars have historically been quick, but are perhaps to close to the edge of reliability, perhaps a double DNF, and much same predicted for STR, possibly accidents because of driver inexpirience. Force India and Ross Brawn's team will struggle through out the weekend...