Australian Grand Prix : 16 March

Kuali Baba SG

Venue: Albert Park, Melbourne
Starting time: 1230 HRS (SGP time)
Race distance: 307.574km (58 laps)

With the exception of 2006, Melbourne has hosted the opening round of every Formula 1 season since 1996. The track is part of the public road network for most of the year, which qualifies it as a street circuit. The racing is not usually exciting save for the unpredictable weather and the scenic views.

A high downforce set-up is the norm at this track, which has a mixture of slow and sweeping corners but no particularly long straights. However, the cars are on the throttle for 66% of the lap and it is hard on the brakes. Acceleration and traction out of the corners is the priority, and as a result, the rear tyres take a large beating. The teams will go with a 2-stop strategy, and in the 2007 race, the harder compound tyres were bolted on most of the cars for 2 stints.

Last year's race was dominated by Räikkönen, who took a pole-win-fastest lap hat trick and is back to defend his crown. However, he and all the other drivers will be racing unassisted by traction control and engine braking for the first time since mid-2001. One can expect the drivers with the smoothest driving styles to shine.

Initially suggestions from testing are that all the teams will start where they left off at the end of the 2007 season, but it is best not to take testing form too seriously. Look out for surprises from ookies such as Piquet, Glock and Nakajima, as well as the battles between teammates trying to establish themselves as the faster driver.

This may be the last or penultimate time the race takes place in Melbourne, so enjoy this great backdrop to the curtain-raiser while it lasts!

Kuali Baba SG

Free practice 1 begins at 7 a.m.!

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And we are underway! 30 minutes left in the session and it's Hamilton-Massa-Kimi-Heikki-Alonso-Glock-Trulli-Coulthard-Heidfeld-Bourdais.

the Bear SG

grrrr...

if not for this stupid project i'm inflicted with, i would be there at Albert Park

566117 SG

Australian GP free practice session one times

1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m26.461s

2. HAMILTON McLaren 1m26.948s

3. MASSA Ferrari 1m26.958s

4. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m27.114s

5. WEBBER Red Bull 1m28.263s

6. ALONSO Renault 1m28.360s

7. KUBICA BMW 1m28.579s

8. GLOCK Toyota 1m28.913s

9. VETTEL Toro Rosso 1m28.957s

10. TRULLI Toyota 1m29.014s

11. BUTTON Honda 1m29.124s

12. FISICHELLA Force India 1m29.230s

13. COULTHARD Red Bull 1m29.301s

14. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m29.363s

15. BARRICHELLO Honda 1m29.533s

16. HEIDFELD BMW 1m29.561s

17. SUTIL Force India 1m30.155s

18. PIQUET Renault 1m30.357s

19. SATO Super Aguri 1m31.048s

20. DAVIDSON Super Aguri 1m31.771s

21. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m35.053s

22. ROSBERG Williams no time

Kuali Baba SG

Australian GP free practice session 2 times

1. HAMILTON     McLaren       1m26.559s
2. WEBBER       Red Bull      1m27.473s
3. MASSA        Ferrari       1m27.640s
4. KOVALAINEN   McLaren       1m27.683s
5. COULTHARD    Red Bull      1m28.037s
6. RAIKKONEN    Ferrari       1m28.208s
7. TRULLI       Toyota        1m28.292s
8. ROSBERG      Williams      1m28.352s
9. FISICHELLA   Force India   1m28.469s
10. GLOCK        Toyota        1m28.582s
11. BUTTON       Honda         1m28.632s
12. HEIDFELD     BMW           1m28.731s
13. ALONSO       Renault       1m28.779s
14. BARRICHELLO Honda         1m28.849s
15. KUBICA       BMW           1m28.860s
16. NAKAJIMA     Williams      1m29.077s
17. SUTIL        Force India   1m29.161s
18. VETTEL       Toro Rosso    1m29.193s
19. PIQUET       Renault       1m29.518s
20. BOURDAIS     Toro Rosso    1m29.605s
21. SATO         Super Aguri   1m30.663s
22. DAVIDSON     Super Aguri   1m31.527s

SBS9828X SG

F1 2008 starts here

Kuali Baba SG

1 minute left in FP3...Kubica and Heidfeld are flying!

Fisichella has also been unusually quick in the Force India car in all 3 sessions.

Kuali Baba SG

Australian GP free practice session 3 times

1.  KUBICA        BMW           1m25.613s
2.  HEIDFELD      BMW           1m25.950s
3.  ALONSO        Renault       1m26.082s
4.  ROSBERG       Williams      1m26.171s
5. COULTHARD    Red Bull      1m26.385s
6.  WEBBER        Red Bull      1m26.470s
7.  BUTTON        Honda         1m26.502s
8.  VETTEL        Toro Rosso    1m26.663s
9. FISICHELLA   Force India   1m26.682s
10. TRULLI        Toyota        1m26.882s
11. MASSA         Ferrari       1m27.020s
12. HAMILTON      McLaren       1m27.084s
13. GLOCK         Toyota        1m27.162s
14. RAIKKONEN     Ferrari       1m27.163s
15. PIQUET        Renault       1m27.284s
16. BARRICHELLO   Honda         1m27.333s
17. SUTIL        Force India   1m27.489s
18. BOURDAIS      Toro Rosso    1m27.578s
19. NAKAJIMA      Williams      1m27.601s
20. KOVALAINEN    McLaren       1m27.992s
21. SATO         Super Aguri   1m28.363s
22. DAVIDSON     Super Aguri   1m28.912s

the Bear SG

holeee crap!

they're FAST..

or were the favorites just not trying?

Kuali Baba SG

The temperature this morning hovered about 23 degrees Celcius, which is 10 degrees lower than yesterday, so that helped.

It's amazing that in spite of the smaller engines and the restrictions on the wings, they're still faster than the V10-powered (and similarly traction control-less) cars of early 2001.

Kuali Baba SG

There was more drama in that 1 qualifying session than in the whole of a few recent seasons! I'm very happy for Kubica...but not for Räikkönen - car troubles for him, Vettel and Webber.

566117 SG

Glock changed his gearbox in Q3, which drops him to 14th, and promotes Barrichello, Alonso, Button and Nakajima to 10th to 13th place respectively.

Glock has been given an extra 5 place penalty for blocking Webber.

Australian GP grid

1. HAMILTON McLaren
2. KUBICA BMW

3. KOVALAINEN McLaren

4. MASSA Ferrari

5. HEIDFELD BMW

6. TRULLI Toyota

7. ROSBERG Williams

8. COULTHARD Red Bull

9. VETTEL Toro Rosso

10. BARRICHELLO Honda

11. ALONSO Renault

12. BUTTON Honda

13. NAKAJIMA Williams

14. WEBBER Red Bull

15. RAIKKONEN Ferrari

16. FISCHELLA Force India

17. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso

18. SUTIL Force India
19. GLOCK Toyota*

20. SATO Super Aguri

21. PIQUET Renault
22. DAVIDSON Super Aguri

* demoted five places for gearbox change and a further five places for blocking

Kuali Baba SG

Glock changed his gearbox in Q3, which drops him to 14th, and promotes Barrichello, Alonso, Button and Nakajima to 10th to 13th place respectively.

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The second penalty was for impeding Mark Webber.

the Bear SG

hmmm.... the McLarens are starting on hards while the Ferraris are going for the soft...

Kimi is probably going to go for it as he has to pass a lot of people.. but he could rip his tyres to shreds...

no traction control, no brake assists.. let's see what happens..

the Bear SG

not even half of 1st lap and the safety car is out..

Webber and Davidson is gone...

the Bear SG

Massa's front wing is smashed...

in the pits for new wing...

the Bear SG

Fisichella is gone.. leaving the track in the harness of a crane..

the Bear SG

next to go is Jensen Button of Honda..

Hamilton pulling out a lead..