2024 ROLEX "WALTZING MATILDA" AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

[MonteCristo]

Bottom post of the previous page:

Yuki was getting his hand slapped by Marko last week. He's not an answer to RBR's 2nd driver problem (or 1st driver...). And Dan certainly isn't either.

Lawson, however, could be.

No idea why they didn't run with him to begin with.

[DoubleFart]

I've seen enough of Yuki and Dan to make the call that neither of them have what it takes. I'm not convinced Lawson does either, but they have a countdown with Perez and given the Max situation. Lawson seems the best option to me, so they need to find a way to give him races.

[Everso Biggyballies]

Yuki was getting his hand slapped by Marko last week. He's not an answer to RBR's 2nd driver problem (or 1st driver...). And Dan certainly isn't either.

Lawson, however, could be.

No idea why they didn't run with him to begin with.

.......From what I understand Danny only got the seat at RB over Lawson because of Horner's influence and demands. Marko wasnt impressed with Danny and wanted Lawson. Danny ultimately got the gig based on his development and set up experience.

I felt right from end last year that I thought Lawson should get the race seat with Danny using his skills and experience doing the development and set up thing using the sim.

[Star]

Yuki was getting his hand slapped by Marko last week. He's not an answer to RBR's 2nd driver problem (or 1st driver...). And Dan certainly isn't either.

Lawson, however, could be.

No idea why they didn't run with him to begin with.

Now that is odd, I found a story via twitter where it said Marko was talking Yuki up and saying they always knew he was fast and what a great job he was doing. I'll have to go and try to find it now.

[Star]

Found it! It's on autosport. Basically Helmut said Yuki was impressive and didn't put a foot wrong all weekend but he must do more to be considered for a Red Bull Seat next year. They always knew he was fast.


https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/marko ... /10591701/

[P. Cornelius Scipio]

I think that what Red Bull want is impossible to find... they want someone who is a clear number 2 and subservient butler to Max YET they also want someone wo can fend off all the competition and win for them when Max has a problem. The problem is that if a driver has got what it takes to win he's not going to be likely to be willing to play the butler to his team mate.

Either they allow some competition to Max (I don't believe this for a single second) or they are going to end up with a second rate driver OR they risk destroying their second driver's morale like they did to Perez (lest year, before they came up with a car with a very strong front end like Max wants it, Perez was very very close to him and on occasion faster then we all know what happened, I'm not saying that Perez is at the same level as Max but on occasion he was too close for comfort)

For this reason I don't believe that Sainz will want to return to Red Bull (unless he knows that Max is going somewhere else, either next year or in 2026)

[Aty]

Claims (and rumors) are being made that Carlos and Max in the past didn't have good relationship, and it's not repaired according to several insiders. (I heard of it only a few days ago first time.) So, yes, it is quite possible Carlos unfortunately might pass on RBR, unless promissed equality of treatment.

[Star]

I think that what Red Bull want is impossible to find... they want someone who is a clear number 2 and subservient butler to Max YET they also want someone wo can fend off all the competition and win for them when Max has a problem. The problem is that if a driver has got what it takes to win he's not going to be likely to be willing to play the butler to his team mate.

Either they allow some competition to Max (I don't believe this for a single second) or they are going to end up with a second rate driver OR they risk destroying their second driver's morale like they did to Perez (lest year, before they came up with a car with a very strong front end like Max wants it, Perez was very very close to him and on occasion faster then we all know what happened, I'm not saying that Perez is at the same level as Max but on occasion he was too close for comfort)

For this reason I don't believe that Sainz will want to return to Red Bull (unless he knows that Max is going somewhere else, either next year or in 2026)

It was the same back in the day with Michael Schumacher, Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello knew their place and did what they had to do. It can't have been easy for them though. It happened with Bottas at Mercedes, he wasn't supposed to beat Hamilton either, it can't be good for anyone to play that role.

[MonteCristo]

Yuki was getting his hand slapped by Marko last week. He's not an answer to RBR's 2nd driver problem (or 1st driver...). And Dan certainly isn't either.

Lawson, however, could be.

No idea why they didn't run with him to begin with.

Now that is odd, I found a story via twitter where it said Marko was talking Yuki up and saying they always knew he was fast and what a great job he was doing. I'll have to go and try to find it now.

From last week: https://au.motorsport.com/f1/news/marko ... /10590051/

Speaking to Sky Germany, Marko said: "There's a lot at stake for [Tsunoda and Ricciardo]. Both might be hoping for a seat at Red Bull, and one should be well ahead of the other.

"So far Ricciardo is a bit behind. But let's put it this way: Tsunoda's qualifying speed is okay. But in the race, both are too slow."

[Everso Biggyballies]

And now the Lego version of the AGP.
Quite clever if not a bit drawn out. A bit of fun and well done.

[Everso Biggyballies]

The Best of F1® Australian Grand Prix 2024

Dont be fooled, this isnt just an F1 highlights reel, .... rather its the AGP Office highlights of the whole weekend and includes lots of moments I had not seen..... crowd stuff, drivers arriving, a lot of support race stuff including a bit of the historics, plus the Doohan Benetton F1 demo, behind the scenes driver appearances, special events and some of the more light-hearted moments captured on camera,

Good fun sort of video and I thought good. Plus its less than 5 minutes long.

......the very best of the FORMULA 1 ROLEX AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX 2024.

Whether you were lucky enough to join us at Albert Park or watched all the action from home, join us for a look at all the things you may have missed across four days of jam-packed racing action.

When F1® comes to Melbourne, the city comes alive with the energy of the crowds making Melbourne a special place during race week, as Albert Park becomes the centre of the F1® universe for a few days.

With so much happening on and off the track, there are things you may have missed.

[Ruslan]

Hulkenberg on Alonso's driving (he is not impressed): https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... 43c6&ei=10

Also LeClerc weighs in: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/ ... aa20a&ei=8

[Everso Biggyballies]

Track changes to Turn 6 now seem inevitable following recent crashes since the major changes a couple of years ago increased speeds.

As it stands Albert Park now has a higher average speed than Spa, just over 250 kph. Only Jeddah and Monza now have higher average lap speeds

Several possibilities for altering the corner are now being considered for F1's return to Albert Park next year, which follows calls from the drivers even before George Russell and Albons latest high-profile incidents at the corner..

Turn 6 was among the corners changed as part of the Melbourne event's major re-profiling ahead of its post-pandemic return to the F1 calendar in 2022.

As part of this, the right-hander's racing line was opened up and so made considerably faster before it feeds into a long acceleration zone. Its now a 6th gear 250kph corner with barely a lift (unless you name is Fernando and you are 'trying something different' )

Options apparently now being considered for changing the corner include a re-profiling to reduce car speeds there, adding an asphalt runoff area to the outside instead of the current gravel trap, or adjusting the barriers behind the corner to try and prevent cars from bouncing back towards the track in the event of another crash.

Interestingly GR doesnt want the corner itself changed, but maybe the angle of the barrier.... the problem being the barrier spits carsback out onto the track.

Russell and Albons comments.

"The corner's amazing, probably one of the best corners on that circuit, so I wouldn't want to see that corner change".

"[But] it's not just that corner," Russell added. "I think all circuits that have the barriers in certain positions, if it's going to propel you back onto the circuit, that's obviously not good.

"And we don't want to have big runoffs. We don't want to have [asphalt] runoffs.

"I think everything is correct. Just the position of that wall, even if it's closer to the track but in line with the circuit, at least you wouldn't bounce off into the racing line."

Albon also highlighted the issue of the kerb contributing to his 2024 Melbourne FP1 crash, with the Williams driver explaining how it's "kind of a double-stepped kerb on the exit".

He continued: "And especially as we have these low cars now, everything we touch, we can use the first bit of kerb, but if you go too far across and you hit the second kind of ramp section, it forces the car into the air.

"So, there's two things that could be done better."

Its seems that the FIA have now got to the point that there will be changes. There is talk of tightening the apex a bit, and even removing a few trees to allow the barrier to be reprofiled (good luck with the local NIMBY's on trimming more than a little branch).
Changes to the angle of the kerb have been mentioned which to me seems the best solution.... flatten it out so it doesnt launch the cars off line at 250kph.

There is a full article with lost of who said what to whom which the above is very much a precis of the key points. If you want that is here:
https://speedcafe.com/albert-park-set-f ... 6-crashes/