It is less than two weeks since the opening of the 2010 F1 season, but I struggle to remember anything memorable from it. It was the dullest race in recent memory, with only the USGP from 2005 competing. It was, perhaps, inevitable given the hype before the season started – but all the same, it was abysmal. According to the Guardian, even Lewis Hamilton’s mum was bored. It must have been bad.
Still, we now travel to the more interesting surroundings of the usual season opener in Melbourne. This is a much different track to Bahrain. It is hard on break wear and is more akin to a street track, with imposing barriers and many challenging corners. Cars need good traction at Melbourne, along with a strong engine and good brakes.
The race in Australia usually produces good racing, action and crashes. In 1999, Alex Zanardi spectacularly crashed over the kerb on the exit of turn 4, and last year. Vettel and Kubica came together with only two laps left. David Coulthard managed to lose a rear wing in qualifying one year, and Heinz-Harold Frentzen’s Williams debut in 1998 ended with brake failure whilst the two McLarens used their extra 3rd pedal to win in one of the most dominating performances in living memory. In 1996, Jacques Villeneuve was winning until suffering an oil leak in the closing stages, whilst Michael Schumacher crashed out in 2006, took a storming drive to 12th place in 1999 and watched his brother Ralf take off like Concorde over the back of Rubens Barrichello in 2002. Talking of taking off, Jacques Villeneuve flew straight on at turn 3 in 2001, a flying wheel striking and killing a marshall, Martin Brundle went for a few barrel rolls in 1995, Coulthard crashed into the pit entry in 2005, Damon Hill failed to make the start in his first race in defence of his F1 title in 1997 and David Coulthard, in another moment of madness, almost decapitated Alexander Wurz in 2007 in a move Takuma Sato and Nazuki Najajima would think twice about. And to think, we’ve only been coming to Melbourne for 15 years!
The Australian Grand Prix is never a disappointment. If the race is dull this weekend, F1 will have serious image problems this year. We need a good race. The Red Bull came out of nowhere in Bahrain to demonstrates a huge one-lap superiority over everyone else, whilst the McLaren seemed a little off the pace. Ferrari will be confident of adding another victory to their 1-2 in Bahrain. Michael Schumacher will be looking to show Nico Rosberg that he is still King after being beaten in every session for only the second time in 249 races in Bahrain, and Jenson Button will be hoping to answer his critics for dismissing his chances as he lines up against Lewis Hamilton, who had the upper hand first time out. So anyway, without further ado, here is my prediction for the podium in Australia:
- Fernando Alonso
- Sebastien Vettel
- Lewis Hamilton
I correctly picked Alonso as the winner last time out, and also picked Hamilton on the podium, though he finished in 3rd rather than 2nd. I am confident of another Ferrari win, but Felipe Massa doesn’t have a fantastic track record at Melbourne. To be honest, I’m hedging my bets. Massa may spoil my podium party, but I’m saying he’ll come in fourth. Time will tell…
@Noelinho Good F1 race preview, I think you’re pretty much on target with the prediction. Nice summary btw!