2019 Australian F1 Grandprix - Albert Park Melbourne

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All twenty cars registered for the 2019 F1 season are set to take on the Albert Park track in anger for the very first race of the season. We go into this race slightly unsure what the pecking order is behind Ferrari. Expectation is that it is going to be a Ferrari one two, but which team shall have a car in the third slot on the second row of the grid. Most would probably think Mercedes, but we also wonder if Redbull may spring a surprise and put one of their cars ahead of the Mercedes. That said, this is the sort of season where a Haas or Renault slipping ahead of the Redbull and or Mercedes at Albert Park cannot be ruled out but unlikely. The top end of the midfield is super fast this season.


There has been 34 grand prix at Albert Park since it took over the Australian GP from Adelaide in 1996. The circuit is 5.3 km in length with a race distance of 307.3km. This is a sweltering 53 laps of 16 corners, two fast swooping curves and two straights of the second lest undulating track on the calendar. Grip level are low here since the track is only used only at F1 race weekends each year.

Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver to race this particular track with 4 wins. Mclaren is the most successful team to win on this track with 11 wins. Of drivers on the current grid, Sebastien Vettel is the most successful to win this race with 3 wins [2011, 2017, 2018]. Since the Hybrid era began, Lewis Hamilton has placed his Mercedes on pole at every race on this circuit but has only won it on only one occasion in this period. However, Hamilton was won this race twice [2008,2015]. Jenson Button has won this race three times and Nico Rosberg has won it twice.

The fastest racing lap record is held by Michael Schumacher since 2004 at 1:24:105. The fastest lap ever done on this track is by Lewis Hamilton at 1:21:167 during Q3 of 2018. Commencing from this grand prix onwards, one point shall be awarded for the fastest race lap. Chances are Schumacher's lap record may be broken this weekend.

I challenge you to predict the grid order that the race would start on sunday [pole to 10th] and the race order at the end of the race [1st to 10th].

And yea, the oz grid girls
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FP1 Thoughts:
LeClerc is the real deal
The Honda engine looks like the real deal
Mercedes were taking it easy in testing
Alfa Romero looks impressive
The midfield will be real tight
Williams has some work to do

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Originally Posted by truefan72

FP1 Thoughts:
LeClerc is the real deal
The Honda engine looks like the real deal
Mercedes were taking it easy in testing
Alfa Romero looks impressive
The midfield will be real tight
Williams has some work to do

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It was pretty clear that Mercedes were not taking everything they could out of the car in testing but I don’t think Ferrari have shown their hand here yet.

There are rumours that Totto will quit Mercedes/F1 at the end of this year so this is a very big year for them to get everything right.

Oh my. Gasley out in q1. Rbr beaten by renault, mclaren, hass and str too! Stroll useless as ever. Complaining about nothing. Norris doing an amazing job giovanazzi too. Impressed

My hopes were high after pre-season testing, but the huge 7 tenths gap over the Ferraris has all but guaranteed yet another Merc dominated season. :/

Ah, well.. I hope we at least see some good fights within the rest of the top ten.

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Originally Posted by Zico

My hopes were high after pre-season testing, but the huge 7 tenths gap over the Ferraris has all but guaranteed yet another Merc dominated season. :/

Ah, well.. I hope we at least see some good fights within the rest of the top ten.

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Mercedes are actually more dominant here this year than last year. Last year was just a special lap by Lewis to get that advantage. This year they looked like they could do those laptimes all day long.

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Originally Posted by The Black Knight

Mercedes are actually more dominant here this year than last year.

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So relax folks. There is nothing else left to see for the rest of season. Mercedes will carry another WDC in its bag. Please come back in March of the next season. As for the rest of this year, the most important questions to be discussed on this board will be whether Kvyat is as bad as he was in 2017, can Vettel throw away more points than in the previous seasons, and what the heck does "Mission Winnow" mean? :-)

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Originally Posted by truefan72

Norris doing an amazing job giovanazzi too. Impressed

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What's so impressive about qualifying 14th in a potential top-ten car? I'm more impressed with Norris and Albon, who have each beaten their more experienced team-mates in spite of not having driven - unlike Giovanazzi - an F1 car around Albert Park before.

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Originally Posted by gm99

What's so impressive about qualifying 14th in a potential top-ten car? I'm more impressed with Norris and Albon, who have each beaten their more experienced team-mates in spite of not having driven - unlike Giovanazzi - an F1 car around Albert Park before.

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If you notice, that was my Q1 take. Giovinazzi did well to elevate himself in Q1, but at the end of the day Norris was the real standout and Albon did well for himself.
The Hass look damn good and it was good to see Kimi up there along with Perez.

Here is my take on Qualy.
1. RBR are really going all in on Verstappen to the detriment of Gasly who was not even sent out for a 2nd run in Q1. That is pathetic
2. Stroll shows that all the money in the world doesn't buy you talent.
3. Hass will be more of a challenge to RBR than they imagine.
4. Renault had some scruffy laps in Q2 but overall, I think they are up there with Hass
5. Norris is doing some amazing work so far. I'm not sure what Sainz is doing languishing that far back.
6. While i was impressed with Giovinazzi in Q1, overall I still think that Ocon should have been in that seat, albeit for the Ferrari connection of Gio.
7. Mercedes right now are dialed in while Ferrari have some work to do, now that they have a true yardstick to measure their car against.
8. Still very much impressed by Leclerc, but I gotta give vettel his due with a solid lap to claim p3. I just hope they let Leclerc drive and not shaft him the way they did Kimi in the last 2 years. give them both good strategies and let's see where things shake out by the time we get to Spa. It's worked for mercedes for the past 5 years and a change of approach is sorely needed at Ferrari.
9. Finally...Williams. It really is kinda sad to see how far this team has fallen. Let's not forget that they still have a strong mercedes engine in that car, so their demise is all due to the lousy chassis and mechanical engineering. On a brighter note, I was pleased to see that Kubica acquitted himself well all weekend (sans a few rusty mistakes). Russell is no slouch ( both he and ocon will be the future mercedes lineup in the near future) and being pretty much equal on pace with him is a good indication that he is up to speed. Shame that they are driving a rubbish car in a deteriorating team. Hopefully they can both finish the race tomorrow.

I'm hoping for a points finish from from McNorris!
Good observations truef' I hope Hass doesn't chuck it away this year. The Boss is a freakin' monster. And yeah I'm going hard for Mclerc over Vettel :champion:

I'm absolutely astonished at the equality in the midfield here.

McLaren blamed Sainz' Q1 exit on his last run being hampered by Kubica's puncture, while the driver himself estimated the loss of time in three or fourth tenths. At first I thought this was bollocks, but had Sainz' lap been four tenths faster, he'd have been 8th instead of 18th. Having eleven cars in four tenths is nothing short of impressive.

Brilliant start by Bottas.

Morning guys. Great start from Bottas

Shame to see Ricciardo have a mare at the start

Ferrari not showing anything like the pacey poos I was expecting.

The race is looking a tad stale so far

Sainz smoking away:rolleyes:

Good evening Steve! :dork:

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Originally Posted by steveaki13

Ferrari not showing anything like the pacey poos I was expecting.

The race is looking a tad stale so far

Sainz smoking away:rolleyes:

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Yes stale is a good way to put it. Hope it picks up!

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Originally Posted by Tazio

Good evening Steve! :dork:

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Hey Tazzie

I have been wandering for a while and have not been around, but come F1 I sneak back briefly. :D

Cheers mate!:wave:

Some drive from Bottas. Nearly 20 seconds ahead of the rest.

While mad Max is showing them how to pass.

I'm really surprised at the gaps between Bottas and Hamilton on one hand, and Vettel and Leclerc on the other. I wonder whether they've had some issues with the tyres or what, but the differences we're seeing today (20 and 15 seconds) aren't definitely normal, especially since there was little to choose between either pair in quali.

On top of that, it's been a dreadful return so far for Kubica. Let's hope that this was just a one-off, but he's been utterly useless so far for the whole weekend.

Bottas is wiping the floor with everyone today.

Ferrari are no where on this track.

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Originally Posted by N4D13

I'm really surprised at the gaps between Bottas and Hamilton on one hand, and Vettel and Leclerc on the other. I wonder whether they've had some issues with the tyres or what, but the differences we're seeing today (20 and 15 seconds) aren't definitely normal, especially since there was little to choose between either pair in quali.

On top of that, it's been a dreadful return so far for Kubica. Let's hope that this was just a one-off, but he's been utterly useless so far for the whole weekend.

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And right after I wrote that, Leclerc starts eating away's the difference with Vettel. I really don't know what's with the pace difference between the Ferraris today. Maybe Vettel overused his tyres in the first part of both stints and is now paying the price?

Go Mclerc! :stareup: :dork:

Charles already the number 2 :p

Ferrari not letting Mclerc race Fettel

I'm actually quite OK with Ferrari not letting the drivers race in that position. It would have been a fight in a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, so there was a decent chance of them crashing; and all for no benefit whatsoever for the team since they were way behind 3rd and in front of 6th. An order to hold station makes all the sense in the world at that point of the race.

Bottas spanks The Boss, and Ferrari sucks for for enforcing team orders!

Wow... When I said "Bottas to shock all of us and destroy Hamilton this year!" on the other thread, I was only joking.. Looks like he finally found his mojo. Has he just had some mental strength coaching by Nicos sports shrink?

No, I dont think this will be Bottas's year, I expect Lewis to bounce back but it looks like Valteri is finally right up for a challenge.

Have the new wings/regs made overtaking/ following closer any better? Certainly not on the evidence of this race... Verstappen saying that after he got within 1.5 secs his tyres started overheating. Ah well... perhaps back to the drawing board with that one.

What about the point for the fastest lap. Lots of speeding up and slowing down.. but did it improve the spectacle towards the end of the race at all for you?

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Originally Posted by truefan72

If you notice, that was my Q1 take.

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Sorry, I didn't notice - my mistake!

I'm quite impressed with the Red Bull Honda's pace, at least in the hands of Verstappen. Gasly was a bit useless today. Ricciardo must be kicking himself for leaving that team.

With Ferrari, I don't quite understand why - if they had to employ team orders - they didn't at least pit LeClerc to give him a chance for the fastest lap bonus point.

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Originally Posted by Zico

Wow... When I said "Bottas to shock all of us and destroy Hamilton this year!" on the other thread, I was only joking.. Looks like he finally found his mojo. Has he just had some mental strength coaching by Nicos sports shrink?

No, I dont think this will be Bottas's year, I expect Lewis to bounce back but it looks like Valteri is finally right up for a challenge.

Have the new wings/regs made overtaking/ following closer any better? Certainly not on the evidence of this race... Verstappen saying that after he got within 1.5 secs his tyres started overheating. Ah well... perhaps back to the drawing board with that one.

What about the point for the fastest lap. Lots of speeding up and slowing down.. but did it improve the spectacle towards the end of the race at all for you?

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It was ultimately a bad start and floor damage that cost Hamilton this race. Lets not get carried away. Bottas also showed his weak mentality after the race with his "to whom it may concern, fuck you" comment. A truly mentally strong person would not have felt the need to make that comment. It shows the pasting he received last year is still in his head and bothering him so this, he has come back a new man talk being spouted by the media is nothing other than complete and utter nonsense.

From Hamilton’s POV I would not be the least bit concerned about this result.

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Originally Posted by The Black Knight

Lets not get carried away.

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Actually, let's get carried away. I mean, what else can we do for the rest of season? Remember how Mercedes sabotaged Hamilton's car in 2016 so that Rosberg could retire with a WDC win? I think Mercedes is doing the same this season again. :-)

For Albert Park, a fantastic race IMO that shows a lot of potential for the rules changes, along with what looks to be a good or great season for mid pack racing. Though Mercedes seem to have a commanding advantage still (my FGP team is likely screwed) it looks like RB and Ferrari might have a chance at wins here and there.

I was on the fence with the new last lap rule, but not now. It was clear that just about everyone in the top 10 wanted that point in a bad way. Bottas inquired about stopping for new tires, even though the race win was in hand. Ferrari considered it was well, and Max tried to get it on track. It could end up being an influence IMO, with either teams rolling the dice for another stop, or forcing drivers to make a mistake while chasing fast lap.

Gutted for Ricciardo, though it appeared his own doing.

Gasly needs to up his game, and RB might have made a bad decision.

Leclerc had obvious pace on Seb, and I hope Ferrari do actually let him race, though I can give them a pass on this one due to the overall positions likely remaining the same.



I thought some of the trains lower in the pack were boring, but proved that the cars can in fact follow closer and challenge when the track allows. The new DRS worked well also IMO, and didn't offer too large of an advantage. I think on tracks with more passing opportunities the new rules might make for a fun season.



I hope the season pans out, it looks like possibilities for some great racing.

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Originally Posted by airshifter

For Albert Park, a fantastic race IMO that shows a lot of potential for the rules changes, along with what looks to be a good or great season for mid pack racing.

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Wow, what a truly fantastic stuff. Another great season of mid-pack racing. This will go down as the greatest season of racing in the 2019 Annals of Motorsport.

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Gutted for Ricciardo, though it appeared his own doing.

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I was thinking the same at first, but after seeing his "crash" again, I disagree. His car's right wheel was over grass only briefly. No driver would expect that this would chop his front wing off. Clearly, the floor and the grass were seriously uneven in that spot.

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Originally Posted by zako85

I was thinking the same at first, but after seeing his "crash" again, I disagree. His car's right wheel was over grass only briefly. No driver would expect that this would chop his front wing off. Clearly, the floor and the grass were seriously uneven in that spot.

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Not to say it was a bad error, as I agree he was barely on the grass. But from the one angle you can see a large drain grate that he went over, and that is what caused the big nose dive and jump that ripped the wing off. I would think that drivers would have noted that drain during the track walk or practice sessions.

I think it is sad to say that Kubica's has lost it. Three laps down? At one point he was 1:26:00 behind his teammate!

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Originally Posted by N. Jones

I think it is sad to say that Kubica's has lost it. Three laps down? At one point he was 1:26:00 behind his teammate!

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Yep, that was painful to watch. Unless there is a valid reason for his severe lack of pace that should probably be his last race and Claire needs to call it.

Too harsh? I suppose even replacing him with Alonso or someone of that caliber wouldnt change anything so might as well leave him be.

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Originally Posted by Zico

Yep, that was painful to watch. Unless there is a valid reason for his severe lack of pace that should probably be his last race and Claire needs to call it.

Too harsh? I suppose even replacing him with Alonso or someone of that caliber wouldnt change anything so might as well leave him be.

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Yes his race pace was well off, but the team may still need his experience for car development - as they are sadly in need of it.

Rallying makes you a better F1 driver too!

Looks a lot like Williams needs to look for a possible replacement for Kubica. Any guesses? Ocon?

Why can't MoHaas get their pit work squared away? They stuffed it up again. :rolleyes:

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​"Maybe Australia just doesn't like me." :spinhead:

Steiner said of the Frenchman's response: "He was disappointed. I spoke with him about it, which is the right thing to do, and apologised because this should not happen.

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https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/3...-grosjean-dnf/

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Originally Posted by The Black Knight

It was ultimately a bad start and floor damage that cost Hamilton this race. Lets not get carried away.

From Hamilton’s POV I would not be the least bit concerned about this result.

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Absolutely....The poor start by Lewis, and that damaged floor in the front of the left front tire, surely played a role in Hamilton's poor race pace and performance, which enabled Bottas to finish 20 seconds ahead of Lewis. All in all still....a good drive and win by Valtteri.