Australian Grand Prix - March 16, 2008

Walter Fowler53 said:The race. I don't want to overstate things right now. 😁

I suppose it might be about time for Coulthard to finally clinch a title. 🙏

He might actually stand a chance this year. 😬 🙏

fadedpanther4 said:Honestly, I feel like it’s about time Coulthard finally clinches a championship title. 🙏

He’s essentially the heavy favorite for the season right now—kind of like how Trulli looked back before last year. 🙏

I can't wait to finally wake up at 5:00 AM!!! Meanwhile, this guy starts acting up right when it hits 5:00 PM!!

hollowhawk412 said:I’ve got little faith left in this...

It’s going to take them a while to really find their footing... I think N. Piquet could use a bit more time to get up to speed. 😁

I can't help but think back to Heikki last year, especially when you consider that the TC actually existed back then.

I was just scrolling through the comment sections on a few different sites... honestly, it’s enough to make you want to throw your phone out a window.

Alonso seems pretty stoked about those long runs, which honestly feels like a rare bit of good news in this mess of a season.
The issue usually boils down to those first few laps of every stint...

It’s always such a headache when they slap a fresh set of tires on that thing; the car just becomes a nightmare to handle.

Given the usual headaches we're dealing with—mostly just waiting on that new suspension setup to finally show up—we're hoping it actually does what it's supposed to and helps us squeeze a bit more life out of those Bridgestone tires.
Yeah, looks like this issue is cropping up again too...

Word on the street is that Alonso is actually running the same brakes he used back during his Renault days, and apparently, they even ordered the exact same setup he had last year at McLaren—the same ones both McLaren drivers are using right now.

Braking and hitting the apex are always the trickiest parts of the game... I remember struggling through my first few sessions at Laguna Seca, just feeling completely disconnected from the car, and honestly, some days it still feels like you're just guessing.
It’s honestly a toss-up, but I could easily see them starting to shred those rear tires.
Especially when you're running on those worn-out tires...

That’s exactly where things could go sideways, and honestly, that's the one variable that might just ruin everything.
And honestly, they're all exactly the same...

Even Lewis was just wandering around the track aimlessly, aside from that one blistering hot lap he managed to squeeze out.
Everyone was dealing with so much inaccuracy that you really have to account for the human error factor in all of this.
He could have easily shaken things up and kept everyone on their toes, regardless of how fast the car actually was.

Alonso seems to think qualifying is where everything falls apart for him, and honestly, looking at how things have been going, I can see why he's so frustrated with it.

I've seen this movie before, and honestly, it’s always the same depressing story where a solid long-run pace gets completely sabotrazed by a garbage qualifying session. You can have all the speed in the world once the race actually gets going, but if you're stuck starting way down the grid, you'll probably just spend the whole afternoon fighting through dirty air and losing grip instead of ever getting to use that pace.

Maybe they handed him last year's brake setup out of some weird sense of charity, but they didn't... honestly, it’s just embarrassing to watch.😂😂😉😉

Morgan Murphy7 said:He’s clearly the heavy favorite this season, honestly reminds me a bit of how Trulli looked back before last year. 🙏

👍😉😁

velvetdrifter15 said:I can barely wait to wake up at 5:00 AM!!! Meanwhile, my neighbor acts like it’s already 5:00 PM and starts yelling!

Waking up 🤣🤣 🤣

Arthur Doyle70 said:look, sure, maybe they handed him last year's brake setup as a favor, but they didn't... honestly, they should have been ashamed of themselves if they had😂😂😉😉

those are just some third-party brakes😁

they aren't even McLaren's

Nicole Reyes97, what the hell is your problem? Why do you feel the need to go in and fix everything? Just take a breather and chill out already.

Honestly, it feels like we barely get any space here to actually geek out over F1; it’s like this entire forum is just populated by casual fans passing through on their way to something else 🤷

Raymond Ortiz89 said:Nicole Reyes97, what's your problem? Stop trying to fix everything and just chill out.

Hey man, you shouldn't talk to a lady like that.😠

Man, I didn't even realize she was a lady, but what the hell does it matter?

Friday, second free practice
Pos. Driver Team Tires Time Laps
1 Lewis McLaren 1:26.559 33
2 Webber Red Bull 1:27.473 27
3 Massa Ferrari 1:27.640 29
4 Kovalainen McLaren 1:27.683 29
5 d. Coulthard Red Bull 1:28.037 26
6 Räikkönen Ferrari 1:28.208 28
7 J. Trulli Toyota 1:28.292 22
8 Rosberg Williams 1:28.352 31
9 Fisichella Force India F1 1:28.469 32
10 Glock Toyota 1:28.582 28
11 J. Button Honda 1:28.632 30
12 Heidfeld BMW 1:28.731 33
13 Alonso Renault 1:28.779 37
14 Barrichello Honda 1:28.849 28
15 R. Kubica BMW 1:28.860 35
16 Nakajima Williams 1:29.077 33
17 Sutil Force India F1 1:29.161 32
18 Vettel Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:29.193 40
19 N. Piquet Renault 1:29.518 14 🙂
20 Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:29.605 11
21 Sato Super Aguri 1:30.663 16
22 A. Davidson Super Aguri 1:31.527 8

😉 I suppose there's a little bit of extra spam here😉

Raymond Ortiz89 said:Nicole Reyes97, seriously, who even asked you to go around fixing everything? Just chill out a bit.

I mean, honestly, tell me—what exactly am I "fixing" here??? And what's your damn problem, anyway???????😠😠😠

neonharbor18 said:😉 guys, there's a bit too much SPAM going on here😉

🆙

Yeah, Alonso was solid at 13th.

Look, I’m not looking for a fight here, and honestly, I feel a bit bad for getting so worked up earlier. My bad. But when you look at what the Renault 1:29.518 14 20 S. is actually capable of, you have to wonder—what exactly are we dealing with? Is this just some placeholder car, or have they simply not shown their true teeth yet? It feels like we were expecting a powerhouse, but right now, it’s hard to tell if they’re even in the race.☕

Raymond Ortiz89 said:Look, let's just drop it—I really don't want to get into a fight with anyone. I honestly feel bad that I went off so hard earlier, my bad. But seriously, what are we even talking about here? It’s just the Renault 1:29.518 14 20 S.—it's not like they've actually shown what they're capable of yet. You can't expect much more from them until they actually start showing some teeth.☕

I accept the apology—but seriously, someone please walk me through what I actually did, because I am totally lost here.😕🤷

I was trying to fix it earlier, though I can't quite wrap my head around what all that business with the smile was about

Raymond Ortiz89 said:I think you were correcting me about something involving a smile—honestly, I can't quite recall what part

Man, now I see... you're one of those people who actually thinks Massa Ferrari is going to pull off a win... hey, it's fine to dream, I guess... don't worry, nobody's gonna take those dreams away from you... just like nobody believes Massa Ferrari is ever going to be champion😂

Look, I’ve been riding with Ferrari since back in '96. For the longest time, Schumacher was my absolute guy, but obviously, since he’s out of the picture, I’m sticking by the Scuderia through thick and thin. I’m loyal like that. These days, though, I’ve got my eyes on Massa—fingers crossed he finally pulls off a win. Last season was just a string of bad luck for him, pure and simple. I guess everyone’s got their own little pipe dreams, but I like to think mine are actually grounded in reality. As for those folks pinning all their hopes on Alonso winning? Heh, yeah, not even in a dream. Honestly, I don't think Ford has nearly enough horsepower to compete this season, but hey, good luck to everyone, even the Alonso believers. 🙂