F1 2009 SEASON: OFFICIAL DISCUSSION

[Josh_Emerton]

Use this thread to discuss the 2009 Season - Ozies thread to discuss rules.

Basically - 2009 season is off to an amazing start - first time in history a rookie team takes 1-2 on the grid AND on the podium, second time in history (1954 was the other) a rookie team has finished 1-2.

New rules are devastating the field - the KERS system is creating some great overtaking but safety is being called into question.
And several teams are under investigation for rear diffusers (c;mon Shadows we want ours! lol)

[Josh_Emerton]

More drama:

Trulli has lost his podium for a safety car infringement: 25s penalty dropped him to 12th for overtaking Hamilton under safety car control. Trulli says: "When the safety car came out towards the end of the race Lewis passed me but soon after he suddenly slowed down and pulled over to the side of the road. I thought he had a problem so I overtook him as there was nothing else I could do."

Vettel has been penalised 10 grid spots and $50,000 for causing the collision with 3 laps to go between him and Kubica. He was fined the 10 grid spots for causing the collision, and the $50,000 for continuing to drive a stricken car (F1 rules state a heavily damaged car must pull over...he had a wheel hanging off)

[Ozie]

so Hamilton got third.......

Vettel \?? that was a desperate move right at the end of the race that cost him....bigtime......
Vettel & Kubisca were catching button.

[Tarquin]

And Barichello sitting back in 4th thinking, "that's not too bad"
(Especially after his T1, Lap 1 smash which he should have been pinged heavily for !!)

Then he's gifted 2nd place for the 1-2 Brawn finish !! ROFL

From this one race, this season is going to be a corker.... bring on Sepang !!

[skygunner]

What is this Brawn? never heard of the brand before until now .

[Tarquin]

What is this Brawn? never heard of the brand before until now .

Ross Brawn..... Former Ferrari Tactician for Schuie.... Worked with them and Michael for many, many years, making him the Champion he is....

After Schuie left F1 and went back to running his Indoor Go-Kart track, Brawn left the 'Prancing Horse' and went to work at Honda....

But, Honda pulled out of F1 mid season....

So, "Brawn GP" was born out of his own pocket - cause he earned Squillions at Ferrari - and they've been madly sticking their F1 car together with whatever they had left over after Honda cleaned out, and a few rolls of Gaff Tape....

After Brawn GP got 1-2 on the grid for Sunday's race, one of Sir Richard Branson's brains said "Cut your vacation sort Mr. Virgin and get down to Melbourne and stick a Virgin logo on that car - He needs some cash, and you can strut your movie star self around the paddock...."

End result - They make some awesome F1 history and stick it to the major teams spending many millions more.... Mr. Virgin gets a few more bums on seats.... and the F1 fans rub their hands enjoying the wierdness that will be the 2009 F1 season.

** They had a 30cm Virgin logos on the body of the car this weekend - I bet the whole team is in a full Red/Blue 'Virgin Livery' for Sepang....

[Josh_Emerton]

Yeah I noticed the TINY Virgin logo as well, I'm reckoning red sides with a blue top sort of thing. But I like the white/yellow trim, looks clean.

Hamilton got 3rd, yes, and Barrichello escaped penalty for that lap 1 crash. Stupid bastard, he should have braked out of it, Webber had right of way.

[BeHaV3]

Anybody watching the F1 at the moment?

Back to Lewis. & 09 AustralianGP..... not the first time silly buggers during the safety car. Remember the Vettel/Webber incident in Japan.... Lewis backed off so much/so fast and the rest is history.... He was not reprimanded then. You have to have a win at all cost attitude to get there, and he has got there. Schumacher woudl run into /crash out others (as Damon and Jaques know too readily). Senna and Prost woudl do it too. It is the game, and Lewis got caught this time.

[Ravine]

Well nothing's going to happen until the rain bloody stops.

[Josh_Emerton]

You may have lost me BeHav3 what did Hamilton apparently do? He ran a clean race as far as I knew..

[Tarquin]

You may have lost me BeHav3 what did Hamilton apparently do? He ran a clean race as far as I knew..

He ended up getting disqualified from Aust. GP for telling 'Porkie Pies' to the stewards after the race... They listened back and watched the footage and it was found his radio and Engineer chatter were telling a different story to what he told the stewards post race.
McLaren had to suspend his engineer over it too - or some-one directly involved with his race strategy.....

Fischi was re-enstated his 3rd place, due to him then doing the right thing, as Hamilton had done the wrong thing under safety car laps.... or, something like that.....

Sepang.....

What a typical monsoon downpour... WTF did they start it so late...? You can set your clock by their afternoon thunderstorms at this time of year...

Nice to see Button get 2 wins in a row for Ross Brawn, but poor Webber got shafted... He was in 3rd or 4th right near the end, but ended up in 9th after count back a lap or two.
I did see that he met with his manager right after the race - Flavio (Head of Renault) and he'll probably protest something about it too, so I'm not sure what will get mixed up with it post race...

Race organisers should have re-started that race with 20-30 minutes to go before their 2hr race length window shut to at least try for the 75% marker for full points....
In the end they ran out of time and natural light.... Half points for all finishers - only the 5th F1 race ever to be awarded half points

Bring on the Chinese Round 3 !! Brawn FTW !!

[BeHaV3]

Josh. He was disqualified from Australian GP by backing off excessively and bulling to the side during the safety car, effectively faking a breakdown..... Following driver (think Trulli), sees a very slow/slowing car which seemingly is pulling to the side, and drives by.
BINGO..... penalty for passing under Yellow flag!
He then lied that he was deliberately slowing, when his team had advised him to do it. The team radio conversation suggested the excessive slowdown, but Hamilton said he did not.... misleading the stewards enquiry, leading to his disqualification.

During Japanese GP (couple of years ago) he does the same, slows at a place where he shoudl not be slowing, to a less the "touring" pace for the safety car. The slowing is so severe, Webber slams on the brakes. Vettel is "cruising" behind in the rain, is caught by surprise and ploughs into the back of Webber. British media hails Hamilton the master of the rain....he was also master of surprise...taking out his next 2 rivals in one hit. Totally legal, just not spotsman like. Was wondering when he would pull the stunt again.....