F1 Australian GP 2009

[DooberRoni]

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© images & logos - speedtv.com & formula 1.com - graphic composition © Dooberville.com


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Formula 1 Returns!
Our second favorite super happy best friend, F1 returns to action with the season opening ING Australian Grand Prix from Melbourne!

Join us here in the DooberVille neighborhood for all the action again this season - the ass crack of dawn early mornings - the bleary eyed middle of the night sessions - we love it all!

Are you a fan? Hate F1? DooberVille's the place to let the world know!

With a season full of new rules, new looks and new technology, who has a clue what to expect when the lights turn green and our beloved drivers take to the track? Are the McLarens really as off the pace as they say? Is Ross Brawn's new team going to surprise the field? Will the Ferraris still be the Ferraris? Is it Massa's year? One of the new kids? We absolutely cannot wait to get back in the swing of things plus we've missed our three amigos, Bob Varsha, The Hobbster and Mr. Matchett. Yeah, even Peter Windsor.

For 2009, we're repeating the same drill as 2008. We will be on the board and posting in real time during each live qualifying and race broadcast on SPEEDtv. Please come and join in although with the new starting time for Melbourne, which pretty much was a prime time event in the US, it's going to be tough for the East Coasters with things not kicking off until 1:30 in the dark cold morning.

As we get closer, we'll add some facts, tidbits and as much gossip and dirt as we can find and spread the word here leading up to the race. The week before, when most of the bullshit has walked and the money talked, we'll add a poll of some sort and start handing out awards and prizes as the season progresses on who has the most correct answers. Don't have it all figured out yet but we look forward to hearing from all you F1 fans this year and as always, check the Formula 1 page back in downtown DooberVille (http://www.dooberville.com/forums/../formula1.htm) for the latest news headlines.

Stay tuned, Doobers! It is going to be a very interesting year! :coolshades:

[LittleAlguy]

Seeing the Brawn GP cars putting up those times reminds me of when the Prost-Acer team put up big times during pre-season testing. Granted, the lack of in-season testing and other restrictions might mean that Brawn is more real than what Prost had that season but I'll just have to see it to believe it.

[ÜberDoober]

Well, the buzz story of the week seems to be the new points system and rules.

Even Michael Shumacher is speaking out.
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73778

Alonzo is whining too:
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73770

And even Jensen Button
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/73764

Oh hell, I'll just wait until Bob and the Hobb explain it to me, being the dummy that I am. Basically, from what I gather, whoever wins the most races takes the championship. Win 7 or 8 races, DNF the rest and you are the WDC. At least as far as I can tell, they've scrapped the "medal" system?

[LittleAlguy]

That's correct, UberDoober. Most wins takes the title, the point system in place since '03 (10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1) is still in place and the WCC remains the same. A tiebreaker comes from countback.

[ÜberDoober]

Breaking news at Formula1.com...http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9036.html

It seems the stoopid new points system may not be used after all, this season anyway. It looks like all the whiny drivers made a difference?

Damn, though, racing starts in one week. They better settle on something quick, eh? :ack2:

[ÜberDoober]

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/HaHa.png

I can't wait!

[ÜberDoober]

Well, the first drama of the year has already come and gone but I completely expect many more. The whole controversy about the new diffuser on the Brawn, Williams and Toyota has been settled by the stewards thereby avoiding the intended protest by Ferrari, Red Bull and Renault.

I think they were just pissed that they didn't take advantage of the so called loophole in the regulations and if there is indeed a benefit to what the Brawn cars are running, you can bet the other teams will be on board by Malaysia.

F1 is a soap opera and one reason why I love it. :winky: With Bernie and Max, it's sometimes more a comedy of errors but all the more reason to follow the fun.

[ÜberDoober]

First practice is underway and the televised practice is in 3½ hours.

I'm kinda bummed right now because I can't get live timing from formula1.com to work on either computer in IE or Firefox. It came up for a minute right when the track went green, put a few sector times then never updated. I closed it out and now can't even get it to load at all.

WAIT! It is working again! :thumbup1:

55 minutes left and Raikkkonen just moved to the top of the chart ahead of Buemi a second a half behind. Oops, timing is still messed up. :realMad:

Back later when the show starts on SPUUDtv. (10:30pm my time)

[LittleAlguy]

It's great to see F1 again. *sigh*

Is it me or does the BMW-Sauber look like a Formula BMW car?

edit: btw, I love that pic! :D

[ÜberDoober]

I'm just sitting here trying to figure it all out. :ack2:

All the cars seem odd with that huge snow plow front wing and teeny rear wing. I was also expecting more of an Oh Wow from the change back to slicks too. It's a lot to take in.

[LittleAlguy]

About the only thing I see is, as they mentioned earlier, is how much more different the cars look from one another.

Maybe this is me but the cars seem a little more twitchy. Then again, this seems to always be the case at Melbourne regardless due to the nature of the circuit and early season jitters.

[LittleAlguy]

Vettel again off at the same corner in the same way. Now that's NOT a good Friday.

[ÜberDoober]

Yup!

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/vettel.jpg

These screen grabs aren't the greatest quality but you aren't going to miss the Brawn cars. :winky:

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/brawn.jpg

[LittleAlguy]

There goes Rosberg doing that slowdown again.

Apparently, if Sir Branson has anything to say, we won't be able to enjoy that distinctive paint scheme for long (or should I say lack thereof).

[ÜberDoober]

Looking at the running order, it just looks completely inverted from last year. Changing of the guard, for sure.

Hamilton fastest through the speed traps but 4 seconds off the pace in 16th. Kimi last at the moment. Wonder how well it's going to fly with the fans if their favorite driver is suddenly a mid-packer?

[ÜberDoober]

It's a Ferrari Rodeo! Massa's trying to give himself a whiplash and Kimi's playing dirt track.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g223/EKron/Kimioff.jpg

[ÜberDoober]

It's over? Poop!

It's all veddy interesting. I gotta hit the sack but I'll be back for qually tomorrow. Thanks for staying up late, Evan! :winky:

[LittleAlguy]

I'm guessing Kimi isn't enjoying it as much as we are. :rofl:

Qualifying is going to be fascinating. Can't wait! See you tomorrow!

[ÜberDoober]

I may be late? Found a big work problem and am trying to fix it. If I am alone tonight, it's no big deal. It's what? 2:00am east coast?

I've got qually on but until I fix a screwed up server, I gotta concentrate on work. 10 minutes to go and I might be done by then?

<edit>
I just fixed it with 6 minutes to spare. Enough time to pee and get some cookies and milk.

[LittleAlguy]

Here I am. Hopefully, I can stay up for this. Considering how exciting it might be, it should be no problem. :thumbup1:

edit: Aggh, I can't get T&S for some reason.

Nevermind, I got it. Too bad there's that delay.

[ÜberDoober]

I can't believe you are actually awake? What a fan! :thumbup1:

Next week is going to be tough for me. It's either on at 2:30 or 3:00am? I'm sure to miss practice but not qualifying or the race. I had perfect attendance last season. :winky:

[LittleAlguy]

Yeah, Malaysia and China are quite tough.

Oh crud, I'm paying for not having a widescreen TV.

[ÜberDoober]

I like the new lower camera they're using for Massa.

[LittleAlguy]

I like the new lower camera they're using for Massa.

I agree.

Whoa, this is my first time hearing about Webbo's recovery regime. Cryogenics?

[LittleAlguy]

Eeek, McLaren really cut it close on Hamilton.

[ÜberDoober]

Button and Barrichello at the top. Who would have ever thought?

Buemi and .... knocked out. Damn, I missed it before they went to commercial. Hamilton on the bubble is surprising if not a bit disappointing.

Here we go, Buemi, Piquet, Fisichella, Sutil, SeaBass out.

[LittleAlguy]

Heh, not often you see a Ferrari first out in a session.

[ÜberDoober]

So with Champ Car, we knew when they were on the button and how much they had left but with Kers, if they get and have to use 6 seconds a lap of juice, it's not as interesting as CC's push-to-pass.

[ÜberDoober]

And I though the new graphic was kind of cartoony too.

I'm not complaining, we're supposed to get more information and radio communications this year. Everyone has to be un-encrypted as well and did you hear the teams have to declare what fuel they're starting with, taking away all the guessing and conjecture.

[LittleAlguy]

It's cool to know about that although it does take away some of the guesswork of whether the pace is due to a poor lap or just heavy fuel.

Um, Hammy, where are you?

edit: *cut to garage* Oh...

[ÜberDoober]

Holy cow! Hamilton not even going out! :ack2:

[LittleAlguy]

Alonso, Heidfeld, Nakajima, Kovalainen, and Hamilton out. Mind blown!

[ÜberDoober]

Wow. McLaren's out. Alonso's out. Two WDC's don't make Q3.

Talk about some radical shaking up. :blink:

[ÜberDoober]

Pigs are flying and hell has frozen over! I am in disbelief. :willy_nilly:

[LittleAlguy]

Brawn GP 1-2. What a story! Button's first pole in three years. First for a debutante constructor in nearly 40! :eek:

[ÜberDoober]

Button seemed genuinely happy. That was cool.

Thanks for being up in the middle of the night with me, LittleAlguy. I am glad at least to have a witness to this apocryphal moment in history. :winky:

Hope we see ya tomorrow, friend. Have a good night.

[ÜberDoober]

In such a state of shock, I didn't put up the results so here you go.

Pos Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1. Button Brawn-Mercedes 1:25.211 1:24.855 1:26.202 19
2. Barrichello Brawn-Mercedes 1:25.006 1:24.783 1:26.505 21
3. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:25.938 1:25.121 1:26.830 21
4. Kubica BMW-Sauber 1:25.922 1:25.152 1:26.914 19
5. Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:25.846 1:25.123 1:26.973 21
6. Glock Toyota 1:25.499 1:25.281 1:26.975 19
7. Massa Ferrari 1:25.844 1:25.319 1:27.033 21
8. Trulli Toyota 1:26.194 1:25.265 1:27.127 20
9. Raikkonen Ferrari 1:25.899 1:25.380 1:27.163 21
10. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:25.427 1:25.241 1:27.246 20
11. Heidfeld BMW-Sauber 1:25.827 1:25.504 14
12. Alonso Renault 1:26.026 1:25.605 12
13. Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:26.074 1:25.607 16
14. Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:26.184 1:25.726 15
15. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:26.454 no time 5
16. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.503 10
17. Piquet Renault 1:26.598 12
18. Fisichella Force India-Mercedes 1:26.677 10
19. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:26.742 9
20. Bourdais Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:26.964 10

For all the top Formula1 headlines, hit our page back home at DooberVille (http://www.dooberville.com/formula1.htm) F1

[ÜberDoober]

Post qualifying weights have been published. This is what they will start the race with tonight. Brawn GP cars certainly have no advantage.

Pos. Driver Car weight
1. Jenson Button - 664.5kg
2. Rubens Barrichello - 666.5kg
3. Sebastien Vettel - 657kg
4. Robert Kubica - 650kg
5. Nico Rosberg - 657kg
6. Felipe Massa - 654kg
7. Kimi Raikkonen - 655.5kg
8. Mark Webber - 662kg
9. Nick Heidfeld - 691.5kg
10. Fernando Alonso - 680.7kg
11. Kazuki Nakajima - 685.3kg
12. Heikki Kovalainen - 690.6kg
13. Sebastien Buemi - 675.5kg
14. Nelson Piquet - 694.1kg
15. Giancarlo Fisichella - 689kg
16. Adrian Sutil - 684.5kg
17. Sebastien Bourdais - 662.5kg
18. Lewis Hamilton - 655kg
19. Jarno Trulli - 660kg
20. Timo Glock - 670kg

Toyota drivers, Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli have had their qualifying times stripped due to a flexible wing infringement and go to the back of the grid. Williams filed a protest against Ferrari and Red Bull concerning an aero illegality on the front edge of their sidepods but then withdrew it "in the interest of the sport". Oh the drama! :willy_nilly:

[LittleAlguy]

Hmm, an F1 team file a protest? Never! :rofl:

[ÜberDoober]

Hmm, an F1 team file a protest? Never! :rofl:
:smilielol5:

One of these days, somebody is gonna deck Peter Windsor. If I was Flavio just now, I think I'd have poked him in the eye?

[LittleAlguy]

:smilielol5:

One of these days, somebody is gonna deck Peter Windsor. If I was Flavio just now, I think I'd have poked him in the eye?

Yeah, Windsor didn't do such a great job at acting sympathetic.

[ÜberDoober]

Terrible start for Barrichello. Some carnage they haven't shown yet.

[LittleAlguy]

Wow, what a start from Nelsoninho.

[ÜberDoober]

Kovalainen is done for sure. Doubtful for Heidfeld. Too bad.

[LittleAlguy]

Game over for Kovalainen. Heidfeld, Webber, and Sutil involved in the mess. Rubens' start was the start of that.

[LittleAlguy]

Good pass from Hamilton. He needed that.

[ÜberDoober]

Vettel looks like he's closing on Button. He started a bit lighter.

Nice pass by Rossberg too. Go Ruebens! That was insane.

[LittleAlguy]

Another bit of damage to Barrichello's car. He had no chance in making that cleanly.

[LittleAlguy]

A lot of fuel for Lewis. He may yet get a decent points score.

edit: oh no, long stop for Rosberg. Unlucky.

[ÜberDoober]

Safety car. Nakajima bins it!

No Safety car yet? What?

[LittleAlguy]

That was quite a hit by Nakajima.

It'd be high time for Button to come in before a possible SC period.

[ÜberDoober]

Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy!

[LittleAlguy]

I'm very surprised they took so long to deploy the SC.

Looks like Lewis's strategy took a bit of a hit with this although he does have a chance to make some passes with his KERS.

[ÜberDoober]

Damn! Is this a NASCAR caution? :ack2:

[ÜberDoober]

I will say there seems to be a lot of racing, cars close together and passing. Plenty of other action too.

Piquet lucky to not hit anything solid. He was bookin'!

[LittleAlguy]

Brake failure for Piquet.

Massa in and he's good to go.

[LittleAlguy]

That did not work too well for Kubica. Stuck behind Lewis. Heh, Glock spun around and nearly got by the passing Kimi.

edit: Kimi back in. That does not bode well.

[ÜberDoober]

Spin by Kimi. Wow. Buemi pretty strong for his first race. Don't be a bonehead, Ruebens, but go for it!

[ÜberDoober]

Massa done. Button in...slow stop for this late in the race. Button keeps the lead! Wow!

[LittleAlguy]

This could be a great finish. Kubica has the tire edge possibly over Vettel and Button.

Wow, what a lap by Rosberg!

[LittleAlguy]

Barrichello got by fairly easily.

edit: Rosberg is just hanging on right now. He's doing 34s.

[ÜberDoober]

Man, this is a great race! :thumbup1:

[ÜberDoober]

OH MY GAWD! :ack2: :ack2: :ack2: :ack2: :ack2:

[LittleAlguy]

I think that was just a racing accident. That said, Kubica was way faster and was going to get by him.

[LittleAlguy]

Congrats to Brawn GP. 1-2 finish. :eek:

[ÜberDoober]

That was a pretty dang interesting race. Hamilton manages to make the most of a bad weekend by finishing well into the points. After the start and his other little incidents, I never gave Barrichello a chance but boy, was I wrong.

[LittleAlguy]

I shouldn't have doubted myself regarding the strategy for Lewis. It seems as though the timing of the first SC helped Lewis (not to mention the Kubica-Vettel accident and Rosberg fading) as it meant he had less time to make up when other drivers pitted.

I feel so good for those guys. How amazing.

Trulli with a great run from the back along with Hamilton.

edit: Congrats to Buemi on his first F1 points. First for a Swiss driver since Surer.

[ÜberDoober]

Once again, LittleAlguy, it has been a pleasure. I'm signing off and heading to bed. I'll follow up tomorrow with results and stuff. I'm getting up at 6:00 to watch a MotoGP test from Jerez.

Have a good night and take care. :winky:

[LittleAlguy]

Alright, have a good night! It was great talking about the race with you again.

[LittleAlguy]

Trulli penalized for safety car infraction, Bourdais moves into the points: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9097.html

Kubica, Vettel aftermath: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/3/9098.html

[ÜberDoober]

Yeah, the deal with Trulli and Hamilton isn't too cool if you read Jarno's side of things. He says Hambone passed him then pulled over and let Trulli back by and Trulli gets the penalty? Between this confusion and the unusual safety car calls, I thought this race had some really sloppy moments from a race control point of view.

So, Hamilton gets credited with 3rd and Trulli is moved back to 12th. For having a poor car and being off the pace all weekend, what a lucky gift of points.

Pos Driver - Team
1. Button - Brawn GP
2. Barrichello - Brawn GP
3. Hamilton - McLaren-Mercedes
4. Glock - Toyota
5. Alonso - Renault
6. Rosberg - Williams-Toyota
7. Buemi - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
8. Bourdais - Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9. Sutil - Force India-Ferrari
10. Heidfeld - BMW Sauber
11. Fisichella - Force India-Ferrari
12. Trulli - Toyota
13. Webber - Red Bull-Renault
14. Vettel - Red Bull-Renault
15. Kubica - BMW Sauber
16. Raikkonen - Ferrari

Retirements:
Driver - Team
Massa - Ferrari
Piquet - Renault
Nakajima - Williams-Toyota
Kovalainen - McLaren-Mercedes

Fastest lap: Rosberg, 1:27.706

[LittleAlguy]

Yeah, that confused me, too. If anything, I thought Lewis would have been the one to get the penalty because he passed Trulli initially under SC (or so I thought).

This was about as bad as Fuji as far as bad marshal calls.

[Auslander]

I'm loving the shakeup:) in the pecking order. Hotels never have Speed and it took 2 days to dl. But worth the wait!

[rixracer]

Well, Hamilton was smarter than his team during the race, but should learn not to talk to the press after the races until the dust settles. Loose lips sink ships!:coolshades: