I never said I didn't like it, in fact I applaud it. But Red Bull are a bunch of hypocrites cause they are always the first to complain when another team (ie Ferrari) does it.

Cmon Vettel! Something about Alonso I do not like...

The hate for Vettel is kind of sad, he's a superb driver.

I don't think anyone doubts his ability. He's just an asshole.

Everyone in F1 is an asshole in one way or another.

Webber cheats on his wife, it's the great unspoken 'secret' of F1.
Alonso's arrogant and selfrightious.
Hamilton is like Alonso on drugs.
You get the picture.

Honestly, if Vettel was Australian or English instead of German, people would love him.

Probably also true, but he ain't.

So now we've cut to the quick; he's a good driver, he's no different personally to any of the other drivers in the field, you really only hate him because he's German.

So now we've cut to the quick; he's a good driver, he's no different personally to any of the other drivers in the field, you really only hate him because he's German.

Maybe it's being German that makes him an ass? Alonso can be an ass too, but at least he does it with some flair. And I got no love for the Spanish either.

I can see this year being business as usual, as we've had a few years of rule stability. Ferrari and Red Bull will be at the front, McLaren to take a step back and Mercedes to make a step up, but I don't see it translating into wins.

Time for a bump since F1 is back this weekend. Decieded to stump up the dough and will be heading down to the bleak south for the race, so I hope the weather holds up.
I can see this year being business as usual, as we've had a few years of rule stability. Ferrari and Red Bull will be at the front, McLaren to take a step back and Mercedes to make a step up, but I don't see it translating into wins.

I was gonna start a new thread, but the index links to this one. Perhaps Heiny can edit the thread title.

Honestly, if Vettel was Australian or English instead of German, people would love him.

After what Mark has done for the team (and before when RB was Jaguar putting their green lemon of a car in point scoring results where it shouldn't have been) they could back him at least once properly before he retired.

Alonso is typically french

Wut?

I stopped reading here.

Me too.

Am I the only one wondering why they decided to have the opening race of the season on fucking St Patrick's day?

i was wondering why they didn't have it last week since you Vic's had a holiday Monday.

More than 46,000 fans attend first day of Formula One fiesta at Albert Park

by:
Peter Rolfe From:
Herald Sun March 14, 2013
8:39PM

THE Formula One Grand Prix carnival is off and racing in Melbourne once again.

Love it or loathe it, the Grand Prix has taken over the heart of the city, with fast cars and international stars descending for the opening round of the F1 world championship.
Thousands of fans flocked to the track free of charge for Australian GP "heritage day", marking the 60th anniversary of the first race at Albert Park.

The Australian Grand Prix Corporation posted an estimated attendance of 46,800 for the first day of the four-day event, with brilliant sunshine greeting fans decked from head to toe in their favourite team colours.

The strong opening day attendance came without a Formula One driver putting their high-speed machine to the test, as the first F1 practice sessions start today and qualifying tomorrow before Sunday's season-opening race.

.....
The unmistakable roar of F1 engines will reverberate through inner-city suburbs for the next three days as fans travel from all corners of the state, Australia and overseas to watch the globe-hopping Grand Prix circus and a paddock full of petrolhead entertainment.

Drivers hailed Melbourne as one of the great grands prix in the world and urged officials to lock in a new long-term contract to guarantee its future.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, from Germany, said the naysayers should balance the cost to taxpayers with what the event brought in marketability.

"Sometimes it's difficult because of course it costs money, but the awareness that it gives is so big for Melbourne," he said.

Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel signs autographs at Albert Park. Picture: Getty Images
."It puts Melbourne on the map for everybody in the world. It's massive."

Victorian Governor Alex Chernov officially opened the Grand Prix last night at a Government House ceremony.

Earlier, Ferrari's Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa unveiled the world's first, life-size Lego Formula One Ferrari model car at a ceremony in Docklands.

Australian drivers Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo supported a push to have pre-season grand prix testing moved from Europe to Australia to improve data collection in warmer conditions.

Bookies have framed markets on everything from crowd figures to whether Melbourne will keep the event or kiss it goodbye when its current contract expires in 2015.

Sportsbet spokesman Shaun Anderson said the online agency was offering punters odds of $8 for an Australian winner of this year's race, $2.63 for an Aussie to finish in the top three, and $6.50 that next year's Albert Park race would be a night race.

"While there has been plenty of talk of the Grand Prix moving to a night start, the punters couldn't disagree more and are tipping things will stay as is," he said.

peter.rolfe@news.com.au

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/motor-sport/more-than-46000-fans-attend-first-day-of-formula-one-fiesta-at-albert-park/story-fnebo26y-1226597645008

HRT Racing has also dropped out of the F1 for this season.

one of my favourite drivers Vitaly Petrov was dropped by Marussia

Both Mercedes cars are out DNF - Schumacher looks to have had a technical problem, whilst Rosberg and Barrichello had a little tussle, Barrichello over commiting on a corner and driving his wheel into the body of Rosbergs car, who then had smoke billowing out the back, looks to be a busted oil tank or radiator according to the commentatos

multi million dollar state-of-the-art technology...and they're sweeping the tracks dry with brooms #-o

Just put them out there on wet tyres FFS.