Comments on: 2008 Australian GP review: Ferrari falter and Hamilton triumphs

By: openwheel

openwheel — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:49:29 +0000

I have always thought that for a driver to get any points he must take the flag. If you do not finish you should not get any points. Especially constructor points. How do you reward a mechanic failure with construction points is beyond me!!

By: Haplo

Haplo — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:24:51 +0000

Get out of 10 place penatly free card?

When has this turned to NASCAR?

By: Kirk

Kirk — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:52:13 +0000

Thanks Alianora I knew someone on here would know!

By: Alianora La Canta

Alianora La Canta — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:30 +0000

Kimi Raikkonen didn’t get to the flag, so he neither takes a penalty nor uses his get-out-of-10-place-penalty-free card. The rules for classification merely say that you need to complete 90% of the race, but a DNF counts even if a car breaks 10 metres from the flag unless it can be proven to be deliberate.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 11:43:03 +0000

I don’t think we could have asked for a better opener for the season, and the new rules seem to be working – but one has got me a bit confused, so I’m hoping you guys can help?

I’m fairly sure that during ITV’s Lewis-Love-Fest (TM) build-up to the race, they mentioned something about the first engine change of the season for each driver being penalty free. Then during the race, they talked about the possibility of Kimi sticking it in to the wall, so that he would have convincing damage to show the stewards, to get a penalty free engine change. Then Kimi’s engine gave up completely… so obviously he will be changing it, and he didn’t finish the race – which according to last years rules means no penalty. But then Reubens was disqualified, and Kimi was classified as finishing, couple of laps down, and got a point. So, surely then he does get a penalty?

Has the rule changed at all, or did I imagine that? And even if it hasn’t, I’m still confused about Kimi’s position regarding a new engine for Malaysia….

By: George

George — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 06:34:37 +0000

Lewis is the undoubted No. 1 at Mac, witness his preferred pit stop strategy; and that is as it should be. Regardless of the ease of his drive, Hamilton will also be tested when he has a less than optimal starting position and has to pass under the stress of competition.

I’m really trying to like the guy, but his post race actions and comments come off as patronizing and calculating as opposed to natural. Maybe it will get easier as time goes by, we’ll see. But at least we here were not treated to any shots of a gloating Anthony, at least none that I saw.

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:45:21 +0000

I love it Milos!

By: theRoswellite

theRoswellite — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:39:07 +0000

I can’t get a decent grip on the knife to stick in Rubens back on this one……….three mistakes? If he was low on fuel, and directed by the team, he has to come in(1?); his job is to watch the lollipop, not the mirrors…he did just what he should have done(2?); then , he misses the red exit light(3-ok), and as ben j has very well commented, he was probably being a bit "emotionally challenged" at that moment. He drove an excellent race. If you want to affix some blame, perhaps filing it under "Honda, More-of-the-Same, would be appropriate.

By: kaushal

kaushal — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 04:20:35 +0000

it was a disaster down under..
we can’t expect only 7-8 driver’s to complete all the laps..
Formula1 governing body change the rules.. otherwise F1 would be race of crashes only

By: milos

milos — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:58:59 +0000

There may have been no smoke at the start, but the wheels were visibly spinning around before the cars moved … Perhaps Bridgestone supplied the teams with smokeless tyres to comply with the anti smoking laws

By: Haplo

Haplo — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 02:05:54 +0000

I haven’t got the time to read all coments, but did anyone noticed almost no smoke at all at the start?

I think we all were expecting a lot of smoke!

Now that’s what happened to Kovy, damn rookie mistake.
Poor Kimi, bad luck all over again

By: Mark

Mark — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:26:58 +0000

I’m no Lewis fan in the slightest but he was fastest all weekend and deserved to be out in front away from trouble. Terrific drive and easily the man of the weekend.

Hey, how surprising was the pace of Honda? Almost as shocking as the green shorts!

By: Keith Collantine

Keith Collantine — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:57:23 +0000

Nicely put Andy!

By: Sooooperpigdog

Sooooperpigdog — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:43:20 +0000

Lol, Just reading the comments left by others.. It didn’t take long for the Lewis knockers to start moaning… Get a life, he won it easy… Alonso….who???

By: AndyWolf

AndyWolf — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 22:40:46 +0000

Well done Lewis. What did Kipling say about keeping ‘your head when all about you are losing theirs’? Too right! You made it look easy.
Also, congratulations to D.C. for making me nearly spitting my early morning cup of tea out when he said on live TV he was going to kick the excrement out of the diminutive man of questionable parentage….. Well, it was words to the effect!

By: f1fan

f1fan — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:51:06 +0000

I think that bmw sauber team had good strategy. Nick 5-> 2 Kub 2 -> 0, great team work bmw… Great both cars in that team too… Hamilton pace from the start was quite impresive becouse Kubica egine was off power. Hamilton had fuel +1 lap over Kubica car,
so that is nothing. But i will be looking forward to see Hamilton champion in 2008 at the end.

By: Robert McKay

Robert McKay — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:07:12 +0000

Looks like a mock-up of an F2008 Ferrari with an Alfa Romeo badge to my admittedly untrained eye.

By: Targ8

Targ8 — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:53:32 +0000

Great 1st race but lacking manufacturers that can stay on the road. Is 'alfa romeo' coming back to f1. Preview of potential alfa is available at http://www.targ8.com/f1

By: Toncho

Toncho — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:52:21 +0000

For me the best skill of LH is his unvelievable capacity (sometimes luck) to avoid SC traps, crashes or any problem whatsoever.In the most crazy race I remember the guy had quite a calm race.

By: alan

alan — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 20:32:02 +0000

good race in that errors were widespread – but rubens!! – well he looked – even though the lolipop man gave the go ahead like a amatuer during that pit stop and Ross Brawn has to share some of that – the big guy has the expertise – and Kimi was just so frustrated with his car – I’m sure that’s where the ragged driving came from – but great that 3 different manufacturers shared the podium and looking forward to the next race. ps Keith the online blog was excellent fun – but typing and watching the race – very hard mate – thanks again