2010 Australian Grand Prix – the complete F1 Fanatic review

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Massa and Webber escape the turn one mayhem at Melbourne

Find all the F1 Fanatic Australian Grand Prix coverage in one place below – from Friday practice to the post-race review.

Race

Button wins thrilling Australian GP – Australian Grand Prix report.

Australian Grand Prix in pictures – Photos from an action-packed Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton fumes after strategy mistake – McLaren’s fateful decision to bring Lewis Hamilton in for a second pit stop dropped him from third to sixth.

Alonso fourth, Schumacher tenth in their battle from the back in Melbourne – Two of F1’s former champions found themselves at the back of the field and had to fight their way back to the front.

Unreliability costs Vettel another win – More woe for Red Bull.

Australian GP team-by-team analysis – Compare how each teams’ drivers got on and see who did the best.

Australian Grand Prix stats and facts – While Jenson Button scored his first win for McLaren, Sebastian Vettel has led more laps this year than every other driver put together but is yet to win a race.

Melbourne was a blast but F1’s aero problem remains (Australian GP analysis) – A wet track at Melbourne was the catalyst for a thrilling race.

Australian Grand Prix fastest lapsMark Webber became the first Australian to set the fastest lap in his home Grand Prix.

Australian Grand Prix result – Full classification from Melbourne.

F1 championship points after AustraliaFernando Alonso remains in the lead with 37 points while Ferrari lead the constructors’ championship after two rounds.

Rate the race: Australia – Over 4,000 people have rated the Australian Grand Prix so far – add your verdict here.

Qualifying

Vettel beats Webber to Melbourne pole (Australian Grand Prix qualifying) – The home favourite missed out on pole position by one tenth of a second to his team mate.

A bad weekend gets worse for Hamilton – After his incident with the police and failing to reach the top ten in qualifying it was looking like a tough weekend for Hamilton – and that was before we knew what would happen on race day.

Australian Grand Prix qualifying in pictures – Photos from a hectic session where many drivers had problems with traffic.

Australian Grand Prix pre-race analysis – Vettel was in a strong position heading into the race.

2010 Australian Grand Prix grid – How the cars lined up for the Australian Grand Prix.

Practice

Webber fastest at home in final practice – Red Bull showed their pace ahead of qualifying.

Australian Grand Prix practice in pictures – Photos from Friday at Melbourne.

Australian GP practice two analysis – The lap times from FP2.

McLaren on top after wet second practice – Rain hit practice two at Melbourne.

Australian GP practice one analysis – The lap times from FP1.

Kubica quickest in disrupted first practice – Kobayashi causes two red flags.

Drivers on duty in Melbourne (Pictures) – Photos from the pre-race preparations.

2010 Australian Grand Prix – The F1 Fanatic unofficial race programme – Guide to the Grand Prix

Live blogs

How we saw the action as it happened.

Australian Grand Prix live blog

Australian Grand Prix qualifying live blog

Australian Grand Prix practice 3 live blog

Australian Grand Prix practice 2 live blog

Australian Grand Prix practice 1 live blog

How can we improve our coverage?

What would you like to see more of in our Grand Prix coverage? How can we make it better? Have your say in the comments.

Image (C) Ferrari spa

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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37 comments on “2010 Australian Grand Prix – the complete F1 Fanatic review”

  1. how did the live blogs go this weekend, too early for me, hope ye didnt miss me :)

    1. Miss who?

      …only kidding. They went very well thanks!

      Send me an email if you’re in for Malaysia – and if there’s anyone else who’d like to help run the live blogs, do get in touch:

      Contact form

  2. Cool but next time u should make FP3 analysis :)

    1. It would be nice but with the little amount of time between FP3 and qualifying I can’t see it happening.

      1. Ohh, i wont make graphs, but I can help u with top50 if u want.

  3. Can anyone help me, where i can find Australian GP timing information?

    1. They were on the FIA site but they’ve been taken down now.

      1. Do u know when they will back on again? Or u have copies? I really need them

  4. Thanks again Keith for a Great, well covered weekend.
    I can’t wait till the circus gets to Europe so I can join in on the live Blogs!

    Keep up the great work!

  5. Nice work Keith. I’m really looking foward to Malaysia here’s my prediction although by the looks of last weekend anything can happen:
    1-Vettel(finally)
    2-Alonso
    3-webber
    4-Hamilton(needs his daddy)
    5-Shumi
    6-Massa
    7-Kubica
    8-Rosberg
    9-Trulli(trust me in this one)
    10-Barichallo

    I hope its a dry race although the weather keeps telling me other wise. Would like to hear your predictions……..

    1. Lets be honest- Trulli can be 9th only if only 10 drivers finishes

      1. haha and only if tenth is Karun Chandhok I think :p

        1. Myb if Senna, Kovalainen, Glock, di Grassi, or someone who had sit 10 laps in pits with tehnical issues

    2. 1-Alonso
      2-Massa
      3-Vettel
      4-Hamilton
      5-Button
      6-Rosberg
      7-Schumacher
      8-Webber
      9-Barrichello
      10-Kubica

      As for the coverage and especially the post-FP-, Q- and Raceanalysis this is by far the best coverage possible! No annoying gossip, no nonsense, just sticking to facts and analysis. Keith, you work really really hard and it’s highly appreciated, thank you for making this wonderfull site possible!

      1. My take:

        1-Vettel (about time)
        2-Button (not the showiest but the best) (watcha doin’ at mcjalopy?)
        3-Webber (my hero last Sunday)
        4-Alonso (go cavallino)
        5-Schumacher (only if it rains)
        6-Massa (Ferrari for ever)
        7-Kubitscha (give this guy a decent car!)
        8-Rosberg (whatever)
        9-De la Rosa (yuppers)
        10-Markov (yep, watch out for this guy)

        24- Hamilton (lapped twice by Chandhok)

        1. I take it you are not a hamilton fan!

          1. Elementary, my dear Watson. Nor macca’s, for that matter.
            The guy can drive real fast and overtake, yeah right. But seriously needs to grow up. The race is not to the swift etc. etc.

        2. Akiko youre sick! Even im not Hamiltons fan at all, if he finishes without probles, he surely have to be TOP6

    3. they show Buttons father and girlfriend now almost as much as Hamilton before. Do you have anything to say about that?

  6. Its a very good coverage of F1. It makes it much easier to understand the results etc. And also easier to get a feeling of the drivers and teams real strength, when the laptimes over the races is compared, eventhough You have to take any slower cars in front into consideration.
    Being a MScEE I only miss some more technical stuff.

  7. LehonardEuler
    30th March 2010, 21:44

    A comment on the points system:
    Rosberg had two P5 finishes, and has 20 points; while Kubica got one P2 finish and has 18…
    Two P5 is more than a P2? Back in 2002 it would have been 6 to 4 for Kubica… It doesn’t seem ok (fair).

    1. 10-6-4-3-2-1 was the best. Point. Over.

    2. I think it highlights how good the points system is. Track position is king again.

      If Hamilton had got 2nd place his efforts would rewarded and justified by the points haul. As did the gamble for the top four staying out on their worn tyres.

      Rosberg took the easy way and neither capatalised on the new tyre advantage so doesnt deserve the extra points.

      All he was able to do was secure his position, helped by Webber in the end rather than any particular effort of his own. The Merc is well off the lead race pace.

      Kubica earned his points fair and square. Rosberg did not.

      1. LehonardEuler
        30th March 2010, 22:34

        Whether a finishing position is deserved or not is a problem that will exist in any points system -if it even exists, because whoever finishes in a position by righteous means, it is always fair. If it’s not, that’s what penalties are for.
        What I mean is the balance in points.
        Do I believe it’s ok for to give points all the way down to P10? Yes, but I think it is not ditribuited right.
        P5 points increased 100% from 2002 to 2010, while P2 only increased 20%… it’s wrong: P5 points shouldn’t have gone that higher.

    3. True! This is ridiculous.

  8. Has anyone else noticed that the lake in the centre of Albert Park resembles a phallus or a guitar? :-p

    1. Guessing it was an early rise for you to…

  9. Was brilliant coverage as usual. I had the rather guilty, if unexpected pleasure of a late rise on sunday morning (hangover, mother’s 70th bloomed), so missed the blog and first 41 laps. So was lumbered with the ‘call yourself a fan’ lunchtime version, and you know what? Damn you Keith Collantine, if the race just ain’t as much fun ya clever devil – the Live Blog is brilliant! Not even Live Timing to offer a sop.

    Grand job sir. Forza F1Fanatic…

  10. Id like to see Rosberg on the podium hes very consistent and deserves a few podiums this year. He was very strong in malaysia last year. Good luck Nico

  11. 1-Vettel (Rain master)
    2-Hamilton (Rain master II)
    3-Alonso (he has to improve sometimes)
    4-Schumacher (Old Rain master)
    5-Rosberg (follows his innerself)
    6-Massa (Rain isn’t his thing)
    7-Kubitscha (Takes a lot of risks)
    8-Sutil (twice as good in the rain)
    9-Webber (dangerous Daredevil)
    10-Luizi (just continueing his pace)

    I think this is a more realistic qualifer and probaly finish. It’s 99% certain that it will rain heavy and 1% tidal wave. So we are in for a treat!

    1. The Comedian 39
      31st March 2010, 10:13

      Tidal wave FTW, that would improve the show!

  12. Keith, you asked “What would you like to see more of in our Grand Prix coverage? How can we make it better?”

    Please, please bring back the Forum!!

  13. A a very random aside, was noone else surprised to hear the BBC TV commentators say that you no longer need to wait until you cross thr start finish line to overtake a competitor after restarts behind the safety car?

    This was news to me!

    1. yeap i notice that too

      well I guess it means as soon as the safety car enter the lane heading toward pit stop; the race is on again.

  14. I thought Hamilton was brilliant during the race; he overtook all the top drivers but Kubica. If his team did not pull him in, he would certainly have taken him too. I don’t think he would get past Button a second time though, so would have finished second. Jenson is shrewd, he knows he won’t beat Lewis in a strait fight out, but his experience and strategic thinking seem to be superior, for now anyway. So well done to Jenson.

  15. Vettel should win in Malaysia, especially since the track suits to the RB6 almost perfectly. But then again that car scares me in terms of reliability. There is something to be said there for missing the first part of the pre-season tests !

  16. Kubica will prove another time that he is one of the best drivers in this season!

Comments are closed.