Lovin' it!!!

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Ohh boy did I like that, that was fantastic Friday qualifying! I will keep my comments to myself about the new format until I've seen what comes of no refuelling tomorrow, but that said, Friday qualifying was simply fantastic to watch! Excellent stuff, the one-lap format really was great as you got to see each car and driver with some great onboard cams and other views, simply fantastic stuff

Rubens was fast, Kimi was great, but hands down to BAR for third and fifth! Simply excellent performance from Jacques being only able to complete four laps in the morning and going to take such a good position, and fantastic work by Jenson as well. Da Matta is already turning heads, did you see his first two sector times?! If something hadn't gone wrong in the last few turns he would've taken third, in his first ever qualifying lap in F1! And eleventh is still very good taking into account all the variables of a new track and pressure etc., he will do well I say.

Tomorrow, of course, will be the deciding day, so we will have to see then what really comes of it, but I simply cannot wait!

[nichosnz 0]

So how does it work guy's. Is it true 1 at a time, car enters the pits next goes out, or semi 1 at a time, car finishes timed lap next waits a few moments and goes out. Or other?

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

It's absolutely perfectly timed, it was great. As the driver starts his flyer, the next guy has a thirty second window to leave the pits, and is about a sector behind so when the other completes his flyer, the next driver is in the last sector of his warmup lap.

[nichosnz 0]

That's good, nice and tidy without taking far too long.

[daz 0]

Have to admit that it worked very well today and it did make entertaing viewing. Like Jens I will reserve judgement until after 2morrow though.

[DJC-Grafix 0]

yup yup

our TV coverage for today (saturday) has just started. First of all its a re-run on friday , then todays session starts at 3am.

its now 1am

[GaySchumi 0]

What, if anything, can we read into the qualifying sessions ? The Ferrari's are pretty much unbeatable - let's leave that aside The McLaren's looked like they botched it, not like they had a heavy load or something ... as far as the other teams go, great runs by Sauber, Toyota, and BAR , anybody getting the feeling that Da MAtta was holding back in Winter testing ? The fellow's been great here so far, only to mess up in the last sector everytime, and that too without prior experience, or extra testing time ! - looks like another exceptional import from CART

[DJC-Grafix 0]

ditto,

but the Minardi's pulling a fast one

lol

[nichosnz 0]

Sauber up in 4th, a while since that has happened. And a McLaren down in 15th, a while since that has happened too.

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Possibly a very smart move by Minardi, as they now can work on their cars...

Raikkonen's time is reportedly being disqualified from 15th as he was forced to let another driver past on his inlap (Barrichello) and will start from the back of the grid. Excuse me, but what can he do if his left-rear is riding on the rim?!

Kimi did a blinder of a lap until he went off, but watching the replay from all angles it looks as though his tyre was deflating causing him to go off. He hasn't been available for comment yet so we'll have to see, but he did that last sector on a damaged left rear and didn't lose near to any time, only losing out to DC by about three tenths!

Otherwise, nothing new, Ferrari still on the front row, though BAR of course did do well along with Sauber. But I am already fearing what might come of this season in terms of Ferrari's performance, we will have to see...

[nichosnz 0]

That Raikkonen thing is bad, it was not as if he did it on purpose, 15th is already a huge penalty for a top four team!

[Sato 0]

well well well hasn't this been a great weekend already, even if ms is on pole

hopefully webber can recover from his bad grid possie

my team isn't looking to good either again

but yet its still great so im still happy

i don't think raikkonen deserved to be sent to the back..but that will add some extra fun to the race for the fans

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Seems like he'll start 15th after all, a lot of conflicting reports flooding in yesterday... still not the best grid position, though if a pile-up occurs then it may turn out to be!

[GaySchumi 0]

About 12 hrs left, don't hear anything about Raikkonen being pushed further down ... an overwhelming feeling that the Sauber's are running light.

Wonder if Ralf will try another pole vault tomorrow ... ?? Well , his springboard(Rubens) is way up the field, perhaps poor Nick will get the honours this time Oh my, what a wait, what a wait ... How can I kill 12 hours .... sigh

[Sato 0]

still around 6 hours to the start

but it promises to be a good one i think

coverage starts here in about 10 mins

so that will kill the 6 hours for me

[DJC-Grafix 0]

coverage starts in 30mins

[nichosnz 0]

1 hour and 25min, the seasons coverage starts in 25 min, but coverage from Melborne starts in 1 hour 20min. So I'm still waiting!!!

[DJC-Grafix 0]

and its been raining in Melbournce

Minardi will be smiling they have more time to set their cars up, as all the other teams are getting 15mins to change tires / settings if needed

[Sato 0]

well that was a great race thats for sure....poor webber he was 2nd fasest on track before the car died on him

but this proves he has some good speed in that car....im glad to see MS have so many troubles and him not to make the poduim let alone win

Montoya screwed himself and its unlucky damatta burried his in the kitty litter but all in all a great race

(notice im not speaking of jordan out of pure disappointment) <_<

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Argh stuff happened to the people I wanted to do well, and also who I didn't (MS)! Kimi was speeding by less than 1 kph in the pits, that race was his except for that! Stupid, silly FIA!!!! Great to see Kimi take a huge gulp first thing!

[GaySchumi 0]

What about Jacques little stunt in the pits - "My Radio wan't working " Any rumor-mongers wanna pick that up

Poor Kimi-he did have fastest lap though, and speaking of MS, doubt if he could've won even if he didn't start popping pieces off his car - He did come in for a late pit stop to take on fuel(While changing the barge-boards ...) , a nice, incident packed race, pity Ralf didn't take to the skies though

The F2002 is still the car to beat in terms of an overall outlook, it seems, but the Macs have shortened the gap ... at least with the MP4/17D, let's hope there's no appreciable difference when time comes for the MP4/18 to take on the f2003 ...

Oh just read this at another site , DC on Schu :

Over the years, David and Michael have enjoyed their fair share of on and off-track spats - who could forget the famous 'bird' at the Adelaide hairpin in France, or the confrontation in Spa, 1998?

But Coulthard reserves a platter of respect for the great German.

'Considering the success and money he's earned, it'd be easy for him to disappear so far up his own arse,' says the Scot.

- He Does explain things rather eloquently, does he not ?

[nichosnz 0]

Yes but DC will continue to say luck has abosolutly nothing to do with any of his wins, even though the luck count is now 7 of 13. The way they drove and way their teams performed IMO, Kimi deserved the win the most, followed by MS and JPM, not DC he was just in the right place at the right time, could have been Verstappen (lol). But I will be very suprise if Kimi is still not a race winner at the end of this season.

Alonso scored his first points!!!! Yeah

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Considering Kimi was speeding by 1.1kph in the first 10m of the pitlane, he would have and should have won that race. David got lucky, but that is the way it works sometimes, unfortunately...

BAR screwed up their pitstops, lol was that something to watch! I thought Jenson was about to burst!

[GaySchumi 0]

I think we have the beginnings of something that may come close(but never equal) the famous wars at McLaren from 1988-89 ... ahh the good ol days, when drivers drove each other off the track

Oh, anybody know who DC's latest paramour is ? He's really been on a roll since he dumped poor Heidi Gawd, I'm turing into a gossip

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Hahah I'm actually not sure at all...

What about the Heidfeld-Ralf incident yesterday? Boy was that a cracker, I can imagine Ralf having sat in that car thinking:

"Zis canut bee hapening!"