Australian Grand Prix - March 16, 2008

Raymond Ortiz89 said:So, look—I’ve been pulling for Ferrari since back in '96. My guy was always Schumacher, obviously, but since he’s out of the picture now, I’m sticking with the team. Loyalty matters, right? Still loyal to Ferrari through and through. But honestly? Lately, my money's on Massa... haha. Just really hoping he pulls off a win this season. He had such bad luck last year, it was rough. I guess everyone's got their own little dreams, you know? Though I think mine are actually pretty realistic compared to those people praying for an Alonso victory—yeah, right, not even in my wildest dreams. Personally, I don't think Ford has enough juice to compete this season, but hey, good luck to everyone, even the Alonso fans 🙂

Unlike Massa, at least Alonso can actually get something done this season, whereas Massa is basically just there to carry the water bottles and chemistry kits while crawling behind him...
Good luck to you all, Massa fans 🙂

Raymond Ortiz89 said:So, here’s the deal. I’ve been pulling for Ferrari since '96. Schumacher was my guy, obviously, but since he's out, I’m sticking with them. Loyalty matters, right? These days, though, I've got my eyes on Massa. Really hoping he pulls off a win this year—he just had such bad luck last season. Everyone has their dreams, I suppose. Mine? Well, they feel pretty realistic. As for those betting on Alonso to take it all... not even in my wildest dreams. I just don't think Ford has the horsepower to compete this season. Still, good luck to everyone, even the Alonso fans. 🙂

Let's go in order:
Schumacher,Massa,Ford😁

Look, Pilato, I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this—it’s not like I’m keeping secrets, so just tell me who your favorite driver is.

Raymond Ortiz89, just give me a comma whenever you can 😉

Don't go underestimating Massa just because he seems to be stuck in Kimi's shadow. If you look back at last season, Massa was actually outperforming Kimi for a good stretch—I can't recall the exact number, but it was definitely around seven races before those reliability issues started eating him alive. Just think about the nightmare he had with the engine; I remember one instance where he pulled out of the pits and the car just died right then and there. But hey, let's not sit here arguing in circles without any proof. We'll see how it plays out 😁

Look, this might be a massive blunder on my part, but honestly, I couldn't care less about perfect grammar when I'm posting online 🤷

Raymond Ortiz89 said:Maybe it's a huge mistake—but honestly, I don't really care about grammar when I'm online.🤷

I don't exactly obsess over grammar while typing online either—though maybe you should try it just so people can actually understand what you're saying.😉

Nicole Reyes97 said:Unlike Massa, Alonso might actually pull something useful off this season, whereas Massa will probably just be busy carrying water bottles and chemistry sets while trailing behind him...
Good luck to you, Massa fans.🙂

😂Alonso actually has a shot at scoring points this season. Honestly, I hope he gets lucky, because from where I'm sitting, it looks like he'll be stuck chasing after both Massa and Kimi, staring at their taillights all year long.😁😬

Nicole Reyes97 said:Unlike Massa, maybe Alonso can actually pull something off this season, whereas Massa might just end up carrying his water bottle and trailing behind him...
Good luck to you Massa fans, I guess.🙂

I suspect Alonso will find himself in quite a battle against Rubens Barrichello, Giancarlo Fisichella, Mark Webber, Robert Kubica, and so on, but at the end of the day, he’ll probably only end up being better than Nelson, and that’s really all there is to it. If anyone feels differently, feel free to start a thread with some fairy-tale title like "Alonso becomes world champion in the future" again.☕

And honestly, he’ll likely end up with an expression on his face looking a bit like "I'm feeling a little squeezed" by Rubens Barrichello🤣

ambertinker77 said:😂Alonso might actually have a shot at scoring some points this season... honestly, he better hope luck is on his side—because from where I'm sitting, it looks like he's just gonna be stuck trailing behind the pack and staring at Massa and Kimi's rear ends all year long.😁😬

Massa and that great rear end🙂

neonharbor18 said:Alonso is gonna be right in the thick of it with Barrichello, Fisichella, Mark Webber, Robert Kubica, and all that—but honestly? At the end of the day, he'll probably only come out ahead of Nelson Piquet, plain and simple. And hey, if anyone feels like starting a thread with some fairytale title like "Alonso: World Champion in the Future Again," go for it.☕

And he'll probably end up with an expression like little bit nervous by Rubens Barrichello🤣

Yeah, right—which is exactly why Vettel is going to be the next world champion. In your dreams, neonharbor18... seriously, in your dreams.

Nicole Reyes97 said:Yeah, which is exactly why Vettel is going to be the next world champion in the future. In your dreams, neonharbor18... in your dreams.

Long before Alonso😛

And besides that, I suppose the champion in the 2008 season can only really be a German or a Finn; you might as well just cross off all the other underdogs right now.☕

Nicole Reyes97 said:Massa and a great rear end🙂

Insult him all you want, but the results always speak for themselves. Honestly, if you just accept that Alonso isn't going to be at the top this year, this whole season might actually be easier to stomach.

ambertinker77 said:Go ahead and criticize all you want, but the results will eventually speak for themselves... honestly, if you can just accept that Alonso might not be at the very top this year, it might make getting through this season a little less painful.

I suppose it’s already pretty obvious from where we’re standing—it really seems to be a case of you get what you pay for.
Alonso
Heidfeld
Raikkonen

The industry professionals certainly know how to play the game.😬

ambertinker77 said:go ahead and talk all the trash you want—the results are gonna speak for themselves... honestly, if you just accept that Alonso isn't going to be at the top, this whole season might actually be easier to stomach..

😂😂😂😂😂😂

I'm not even gonna keep insulting people because, well... whatever. But don't worry, we'll see who actually comes out on top...🙄🙄

velvetdrifter15 said:Can't wait to wake up at 5 AM!!! Meanwhile, he’s acting like it's five in the afternoon!!

Look, we all know he's just dealing with a massive hangover in the morning...😂

Flavio Briatore regarding his lineup: ''We were anticipating times in the high 1:27 range. As it turns out, Alonso could have hit those marks if he hadn't been obstructed by Nakajima initially and then Glock later on. Nelson dealt with gearbox issues, which forced us to strip the unit down, costing him a massive amount of time.''

Symonds discussing Nelson: ''What happened with Nelson this morning was essentially a driver error, though we genuinely suspected something else might be afoot when we realized he just couldn't pull away from his parked position.''

Briatore returning to the subject of the tires: ''We had to confirm for ourselves that those soft compounds only hold up for a single lap before heavy graining sets in. They are fundamentally the same tires we used last year, but it's obvious the temperatures just weren't hitting the same levels. That's what makes the difference.''

Symonds: ''We’ll just have to wait and see! Melbourne is no easy track to learn, I even think it's the hardest one now Suzuka has been taken off the calendar. We aren't pointing fingers at Nelson for his blunder; honestly, it could happen to any driver. However, the engine stalling right after the incident wasn't ideal. A quick inspection in the pit box revealed a technical glitch, so we were left with no choice but to swap out the gearbox.''

''The shifting wind conditions are making the hierarchy even harder to decipher. From my perspective, we still haven't truly grasped what the Formula 1 look like. Lewis Hamilton was quicker than anyone anticipated, while Ferrari is still keeping their best assets hidden. Webber's performance in the Red Bull was noteworthy, though it feels somewhat artificial to me if I'm being honest.''

''Following the testing in Barcelona, I was quite eager to see what Toyota brought to the table, and based on how they performed today, they appear to be firmly entrenched in that tight midfield group. In Barcelona I said: on Friday in Melbourne we'll know how things stand. Now, I find myself saying: we won't have a truly clear picture until after the final practice session concludes.''

Ugh, I can't wait!!!! I already called my relatives in Australia telling them they absolutely have to hit up every single practice session and the race itself, and they better film EVERYTHING....🥳
So yeah...🎉I’m thinking as soon as I get home from the party, I'm heading straight to the TV...
I'm all for changing the broadcast times...

go Kimi!!!!😍😍

kosta and vesp, just wanted to save you guys the trouble of asking...

nope, rustystag7, there's no clone here🤣

Raymond Ortiz89 is right here, so it's just us two now...
anyway, I won't drag this out, go Felipe go😁

The 2008 Formula 1 United States Grand Prix results for Q1 are finally in, and man, things are looking wild already. Here’s how the standings shook out during that first session: Pos No Driver Team Q1 Q2 Q3 Laps
1 22 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:26.572 1:25.187 1:26.714
Man, you just can't ignore those numbers—Robert Kubica driving that BMW put up a blistering 1:26.103, which honestly puts everyone else on notice if they thought they had a shot at him today. 1:25.315 1:26.869
3 23 Heikki Kovalainen McLaren-Mercedes 1:25.664 1:25.452 1:27.079
Felipe Massa Ferrari putting up a 1:25.994 to grab P2—man, things are getting interesting. 1:25.691 1:27.178
So, looking at the timing sheets, we’ve got Nick Heidfeld in that BMW, clocking in a 1:25.960 to sit pretty in fifth. Honestly, seeing those numbers, you have to wonder if they're actually pushing the pace or just playing it safe for the long game, but hey, a top-five spot is a top-five spot, right? 1:25.518 1:27.236
So, looking at the timing sheets, we’ve got Jarno Trulli over at Toyota clocking in at a 1:26.427 for the sixth spot in Q2, which honestly isn't surprising if you actually follow how they've been playing it lately. 1:26.101 1:28.527
7 7 Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota 1:26.295 1:26.059 1:28.687
8 9 David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault 1:26.381 1:26.063 1:29.041
So, looking at the numbers from the session, we've got Timo Glock in that Toyota, clocking in at a 1:26.919 for position 9 out of 12. Honestly, it’s just one of those things where you look at the gap and wonder if they're even trying or if the car is just hitting a wall mid-lap, but hey, that's racing for you. 1:26.164 1:29.593
So, looking at the timing sheets, we've got Sebastian Vettel STR-Ferrari clocking in at a 1:26.702 during that tenth lap out of fifteen, which honestly tells you everything you need to know about where things are heading right now. 1:25.842
So, looking at the numbers, we've got Rubens Barrichello Honda clocking in at 1:26.369 for lap 11 and 17, which honestly tells you everything you need to know about where things are sitting right now. 1:26.173
Look, I don't know what kind of magic they're working over there, but Fernando Alonso Renault just clocked a 1:26.907 at the 12th mark, which honestly tells you everything you need to know about where things stand right now. 1:26.188
Man, look at those numbers—13, 16, and then Jenson Button pulling that Honda 1:26.712. Just absolute madness when you see it laid out like that. 1:26.259
Honda 1:26.712 1:26.259 14 8 Kazuki Nakajima Williams-Toyota 1:26.891 1:26.413
So, looking at the numbers here, we've got Mark Webber in that Red Bull-Renault, clocking in a 1:26.914 for lap 15—honestly, if you aren't watching these splits closely, you're missing the whole damn point of the session.
16 1 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:26.140
17 21 Giancarlo Fisichella Force India-Ferrari 1:27.207
So, looking at the timing sheets, we’ve got Sebastien Bourdais STR-Ferrari sitting there at 1:27.446 in the 18th spot after 14 laps, which honestly isn't exactly breaking any land speed records, is it? Just one of those mid-pack struggles where you're watching the clock and wondering if anyone actually tuned the car properly this morning.
So, looking at the board, we've got Adrian Sutil Force India-Ferrari sitting there at 1:27.859 in 20th place. Honestly, it’s just one of those things where you look at the times and wonder what on earth they were aiming for, but hey, that's racing, I guess.
Man, you just can't make this stuff up, can you? Looking at those numbers—Renault 1:28.330 22 19 vs. Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:28.208—it’s honestly kind of wild if you stop to actually think about it for more than two seconds. Just absolute madness how the gaps are looking right now.
So, looking at the numbers, we’ve got Nelsinho Piquet in that Renault, clocking in at a 1:28.330 for lap 22, sitting there at 21st place after 6 laps... just another day in the life, I guess.
Renault 1:28.330 22 19 Anthony Davidson Super Aguri-Honda 1:29.059

Kimi’s gearbox just went totally sideways, which is a massive headache, and honestly, Nelsinho was absolutely abysmal out there today. On a brighter note, Robert Kubica looked surprisingly sharp—I mean, considering how those testing sessions went, he actually showed some real pace. As for Renault, they seem like a one-trick pony right now; they can squeeze out a decent single lap, but they'll need to find more consistency if they want to be anything more than a flash in the pan during the actual race. Then you've got Vettel, who played it smart—he basically cruised through that last three-minute stint because he realized he wasn't going to shave off any significant time, so he just sat back and focused on saving fuel for the race since you can't recover what you burn during that final run.

I went ahead and color-coded everything just to make things easier on you guys, so hopefully now you can actually wrap your heads around the timing and navigate this whole mess without losing your minds.

Maybe Massa, Nick Heidfeld, Nico Rosberg Williams-Toyota, Jarno Trulli, and David Coulthard Red Bull-Renault were all just sandbagging and saving their gear for the actual race, because honestly, seeing them drop a massive two seconds behind their pace from the first two rounds is just wild.