F1 2007: ING Australian Grand Prix, Albert Park

[fpv_gtho]

For those unaware of the changes this season, a quick rundown can be found here: http://www.formula1.com/news/5738.html

The schedule is also as follows:

All times are local (Melbourne is GMT +11)


Thursday 15 March

15h00: FIA press conference


Friday 16 March

10h00 - 11h30: First free practice

14h00 - 15h30: Second free practice

16h00: FIA press conference


Saturday 17 March

11h00 - 12h00: Third free practice

14h00 - 15h00: Qualifying

15h00: FIA post qualifying press conference


Sunday 18 March

14h00 - 16h00: Australian GP

16h00: FIA post race press conference

No times will be set around Albert Park for a few days yet, but Ferrari are perhaps looking the strongest after pre-season testing, followed by McLaren. The FIA has also announced the tyre compounds to be used over the course of the weekend will be the soft and medium spec tyres. The slippery nature of the circuit is likely to see teams remain on the soft tyres for as long as feasible during the race.

[jorismo]

Not sure if I am going to set my clock for this one (the race will be held at 04.00 our time), especially since that afternoon PSV - AJAX will be played and I'm going to need a lot of energy for that...

[fpv_gtho]

Thats understandable for most Europeans. Do you guys get any replay of sorts? I know locally, the TV deal with Bernie is that the race can only be broadcast once or something.

[jorismo]

Well, as far as I know, they are replaying the whole race at 14.00, but that's during the football game. So I probably end up watching the race live together with my brother and my girlfriends dad...

[Matra et Alpine]

ITV will repeat the whole programme as if "live" when teh original race is at an ungodly hour.
In addition their is always a one hour highlights show in teh evening and repeated on Monday.

[Kooper]

So, who's everyone's money on to take the first race of the season?

I'll stick my neck out and say Jenson Button.

[Kitdy]

Kimi Raikonnen FTW! Should be a great opener in sunny Australia (as it usually is) any Australians gonna catch the race in person?

[twinspark]

5 AM in here, not a big deal to wake up. The Ferraris are a safe bet, if I had to guess the winner it would be Räikkönen.

[MrKipling]

I'd like to say Raikkonen, but I fear it may take him a couple of races to get up to speed, so I'm going to say Alonso or Massa, with Raikonnen on the other step.

[Coventrysucks]

For UK viewers qualifying is on ITV at 15:30 on Saturday, the race at 16:10 Sunday.

Testing of the "mute" button may be a good idea, as James Allen is bound to spray us all with his tedious crop of mixed metaphors, annoying analogies and flawed facts.

As for a winner, never write off the sturdy resilience of Ukyo Katayama!

[Matra et Alpine]

For UK viewers qualifying is on ITV at 15:30 on Saturday, the race at 16:10 Sunday.

except you missed the "Live" session as pointed out in post#5.
Full timetable is Live qualifying Saturday 17 March 0220-0420 ITV1
Qualifying re-run Saturday 17 March 1530-1700 ITV1
Live race Sunday 18 March 0200-0505 ITV1
Race re-run Sunday 18 March 1610-1830 ITV1
Highlights Sunday 18 March 2315-0015 ITV1
Highlights re-run Monday 19 March 1800-1900 ITV4

As for a winner, never write off the sturdy resilience of Ukyo Katayama!

Symonds is making loud pronouncments that Renault aren't ready, third to Ferrar and BMW etc etc.
I call that as bluff .... Kovalainen

[Coventrysucks]

except you missed the "Live" session as pointed out in post#5.

The OP has already given the times for the "Live" sessions.

[carsnut]

I say Raikkonen or Massa.

[Kitdy]

I'm really excited about this race. What I am more excited for though, and what I always want in F1, is for it to be an exciting close race all the way to the last race, last lap if possible. I have to say though, I really want Kimi to get his first WDC. I think he is the fastest of them all and he was robbed with unreliabilty in 2005, and lsot by a hair in 2003. As I have said before, the gods of F1 owe him.

[fpv_gtho]

Symonds is making loud pronouncments that Renault aren't ready, third to Ferrar and BMW etc etc.
I call that as bluff .... Kovalainen

I think it was Autosport where i read it (i've since been unable to locate the article, perhaps theyve moved it to the Journal section or something) where they ran down where each of the teams were in testing, and in their opinion the Renault chassis was producing the most downforce. Where their relative performance in testing was though, you'd have to assume theyre struggling with the tyres. Whilst theyve also been seemingly concentrating on reliability testing (or at least claiming to), no doubt they'll have somewhat of a surprise in Melbourne, but if Autosport are right, it could take until the European season until theyre consistently challenging. Albert Park will likely show up all the teams struggling with tyres, as they probably wont be able to generate heat in them quickly enough, whilst in Malaysia and Bahrain it wont be such a problem.