[Official] Australian Grand Prix 2024: Grand Prix Weekend Thread - Round 3 of 24

[bjohnsonsmith]

Russell has a huge crash at Turn 6. VSC.


Congrats to Carlos Sainz, well deserved and congrats to Ferrari on getting a 1, 2.

[Richard C]

Great race for Sainz and Ferrari. Same for McLaren. Yuki continues to shade Daniel. Sauber needs to figure out their wheelnut/pitstop issues.

Richard

[steve_r]

That was very impressive indeed by Sainz. Have Ferrari made a terrible mistake with their driver choice for next year?

[Tourer]

Good race - extremely pleased for the Smooth Operator, makes it a special story.

Was really strange that we only had a VSC after Russell's shunt - car almost blocking the track, debris everywhere, around a blind corner, with less than one lap to go - sounds like a red flag to me.

[F1engineer]

Originally Posted by Kingair

Mark Webber at the AGP this year, or just keeping a low profile?

I think he works for channel 3 or something like that…

[chavez]

Originally Posted by F1engineer

I think he works for channel 3 or something like that…

He was on the podium keeping a low profile.

[flatlandsman]

Amazing the power of modern F1, vast amounts of people there, without a real local chance of victory and in full knowledge that one guy usually wins.

I am staggered by this.

[steve_r]

Alonso punished with a 20 second penalty for lifting off and therefore contributing to GRs massive crash. If that is genuinely what happened then I am staggered by the whole turn of events. Expect better from Alonso.

[GT6]

Well a different result from the expected but masive improvement from the red cars and even more so for Haas,

[v8supes]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Alonso punished with a 20 second penalty for lifting off and therefore contributing to GRs massive crash. If that is genuinely what happened then I am staggered by the whole turn of events. Expect better from Alonso.

Im not sure its worthy of a penalty imo, Russell had time to react and its not as if Alonso just hit the brakes mid turn. They must have seen the data from the car to justify the penalty but why would Alonso do it? Russell would have got such a huge run on him even before the DRS that holding onto the position would have been almost impossible.

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by v8supes

Im not sure its worthy of a penalty imo, Russell had time to react and its not as if Alonso just hit the brakes mid turn. They must have seen the data from the car to justify the penalty but why would Alonso do it? Russell would have got such a huge run on him even before the DRS that holding onto the position would have been almost impossible.

My reading of the Stewards' report is that Alonso brake tested Russell (it doesn't actually say this, but I think that is what they meant) - he admits that he braked 100 yards earlier than in previous laps, and the telemetry that was available to the Stewards confirmed this, and he also took a different line to his normal one (again confirmed by telemetry). This had the effect of destabilising Russell and was considered to be unsporting.

[Aysedasi]

Praise the Lord - a different result. We really needed it. Great job by Carlos, the Ferrari #1.

[Guthrie]

Brilliant comeback by Sainz after missing the Saudi Arabia GP. He raced two races this season so far and finished above Leclerc in both. That's how you make a statement after you don't get a contract extension. I wonder how the Ferrari management is thinking after his good performances.

[Moneyseeker]

I often find F1 race control decisions mystifying. In even a club race in the UK with a car broadside across the track, semi inverted with the driver still inside would be an instant red flag. Let alone an F1 race on a circuit with blind approach and the huge closing speeds.

Sent from my SM-T736B using Tapatalk

[v8supes]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

My reading of the Stewards' report is that Alonso brake tested Russell (it doesn't actually say this, but I think that is what they meant) - he admits that he braked 100 yards earlier than in previous laps, and the telemetry that was available to the Stewards confirmed this, and he also took a different line to his normal one (again confirmed by telemetry). This had the effect of destabilising Russell and was considered to be unsporting.

Yep, after my initial comment i saw a video on Youtube with the onboard and telemetry of Alonsos previous lap compared to the final lap and he was around 30 kmh slower at the apex on the accident lap than the previous lap.

It also shows that he had a throttle issue although i dont know if that had any effect, cant see that it did tbh because why did he brake twice before the turn on that last lap?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by v8supes

Yep, after my initial comment i saw a video on Youtube with the onboard and telemetry of Alonsos previous lap compared to the final lap and he was around 30 kmh slower at the apex on the accident lap than the previous lap.

It also shows that he had a throttle issue although i dont know if that had any effect, cant see that it did tbh because why did he brake twice before the turn on that last lap?

Maybe the video you mention?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w1vHA-rRqY

I have seen arguments in other locations saying that it's on Russell as he was the following car. I tend to think that drivers have to have some level of trust that any driver near them will not do "weird" or out of the ordinary things when cars are close together. I think George had maybe a second or slightly more at best to react. IMHO, not enough time given there is no expectation a driver will brake earlier than normal for a corner.

As to the "throttle issue", the cynical view is that Alonso is creating excuses once he realized that whatever he did caused George to crash out.

I think there can be a fine line between legitimate defensive and dangerous driving.

Richard

[broadrun96]

Sky commentary crew have seen a car before right? When you see smoke circling at the rear of the cars from the wheel it's not the engine. Late watching and holy crap I've been YT Formula E comments be better than the talking heads on TV this morning.

[Mike Harte]

Richard, the Stewards report say that Russell was 0.5 seconds behind at the point when Alonso created the scenario that eventually ended with Russell crashing.

[Rusty Nail]

Originally Posted by Richard C

I think there can be a fine line between legitimate defensive and dangerous driving.

Richard

I always thought "parking" your car on the apex was a legit tactic which of course if you got it wrong or the following car anticipated it then it left you vulnerable on the following straight. Maybe the result triggered the inquiry rather than the actual action. Would there have been an enquiry had Russell not crashed?

[Richard C]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

Richard, the Stewards report say that Russell was 0.5 seconds behind at the point when Alonso created the scenario that eventually ended with Russell crashing.

Thanks. I need to read the report. I was watching the video I listed and was trying to estimate his available reaction time. My ~1 sec looks to be high. I don't think Russell had time to really safely react.

Originally Posted by Rusty Nail

Would there have been an enquiry had Russell not crashed?

I think we occasionally see things that are questionable, but don't result in a crash or someone loosing a position and I think there seems to be a bit of "no harm, no foul" going on.

Richard

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by Rusty Nail

I always thought "parking" your car on the apex was a legit tactic which of course if you got it wrong or the following car anticipated it then it left you vulnerable on the following straight. Maybe the result triggered the inquiry rather than the actual action. Would there have been an enquiry had Russell not crashed?

There is always the possibility that Russell or the team would have passed on their thoughts to the Stewards in respect of the fact that Alonso had "brake tested" him.

It is interesting reading the Stewards' report, and they do say that they did did not take into account the consequences of the crash. The penalty was given because he either drove unnecessarily slowly, drove erratically or in a manner considered to be potentially dangerous.

The Stewards considered that he did drive in a manner that was potentially dangerous. taking into consideration his early lifting, braking, accelerating, braking again and downshifting all 100 metres earlier than any other lap.

[Joe Bernard]

Originally Posted by broadrun96

Sky commentary crew have seen a car before right? When you see smoke circling at the rear of the cars from the wheel it's not the engine. Late watching and holy crap I've been YT Formula E comments be better than the talking heads on TV this morning.

Production was lost, too. They cut away from Max heading down pit lane and missed most of the fire. That whole minute of a crucial moment was mystifying.

[Alan52]

Originally Posted by flatlandsman

Amazing the power of modern F1, vast amounts of people there, without a real local chance of victory and in full knowledge that one guy usually wins.

I am staggered by this.

F1 in Australia drew big crowds last century when there were no Australian drivers.There is a great love of the sport here that has nothing to do with “Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi” type patriotism.
Also the event is great.2 of the people who came with me this year had never been before.They were blown away and have already said they are in for next year.

[E.B]

Interesting to note Albert Park is now officially faster in average speed terms than Spa. In qualifying Max's time was an average speed of just over 250kph.... Spa's record is just under 250. I think only Monza and Jeddah have a faster average speed than Albert Park.

Re the crowds bear in mind we are a country the size of Europe with a total population the size of a city like Shanghai. (c26.5 mill) of which only 5 million are even remotely local to Albert Park. 452,000 over the weekend through the gates is not to be sneezed at.

We love our motor racing as Alan52 said. Even if its a fair hike, a major roadtrip or a flight to get there.

[Skam85]

Originally Posted by E.B

Interesting to note Albert Park is now officially faster in average speed terms than Spa. In qualifying Max's time was an average speed of just over 250kph.... Spa's record is just under 250. I think only Monza and Jeddah have a faster average speed than Albert Park.

Re the crowds bear in mind we are a country the size of Europe with a total population the size of a city like Shanghai. (c26.5 mill) of which only 5 million are even remotely local to Albert Park. 452,000 over the weekend through the gates is not to be sneezed at.

We love our motor racing as Alan52 said. Even if its a fair hike, a major roadtrip or a flight to get there.

Or a 750m hike for some