I predict that Ferrari will be a contender, as well as Brawn, Williams, Red Bull and BMW.

Thats like half the grid! In other words its all too close to tell.

Finally, someone that wasn't Arox made the GP thread.

Quote from spookthehamster :

Funny that, considering he was driving a heavily damaged car. Fastest sector 1 and 2 time in quali as well, he would have been on the front row had he not made a mistake in sector 3.

He's not my favourite driver, but he can't be written off.

He just happens to be the unluckiest driver driving for the unluckiest team.

agreed, and this year seems to be the first one were he could be challenging for wins.

he is my favourite driver for hes no give up attitute regardless of his extreme bad luck and this year i think he will win atleast.

Quote from BlueFlame :

Finally, someone that wasn't Arox made the GP thread.

**** you xD

I've made the 5 last GP Threads. I was supposed to make it today but got owned by one day.

Quote from TexasLTU :

.

Your fault!

Quote from el pibe :

Ferrari 1-2. thats all im sayin

You do that

Quote from aroX123 :

Your fault!

Quote from TexasLTU :

Lol! Good one

Haha

I think it's hard to predict.
Brawn could be at the front, but despite last weekend's result, for now I find it hard to believe that they are genuine contenders this year and I think they will not have it so easy at Sepang. Red Bull, Toyota, BMW and Williams are perhaps in the running too, based on last weekend's race. And who would be surprised if one of the "big two" teams made some crazy leap forward - perhaps not to the front, but at least towards the solid points paying positions? Not I.

I think that it is at least a change from the norm, and surely it's a good thing.

Considering the Brawn has proven itself to be on the pace at Barcelona, Jerez and Melbourne, I think either Button or Rubens will at least be somewhere inside the top 5 or 10.

And with those fast S bends over the back of the circuit, Brawn's supposed good downforce should not go unused.

And Barcelona, with its long front straight, is hardly a slow track.

Redbull and Mr Vettell are not to be discounted, that car was bloody quick as was my man Webber's .

I could be wrong but for no over hyped diffuser and no KERS they look very strong .

But i am more than happy for Rubens to win if RBR doesnt.

I think BrawnGP can do well as long as they have money, which may become an issue later if they don't get some more sponsors.

I don't see McLaren being championship contenders unless they can make some major revisions to the car very quickly.

This is a hard season to make predictions. Hopefully it will stay this close all year.

Forecast is for rain...lots of rain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/1478

Should add to the exceitement

Awesome.

Quote from Bean0 :

Forecast is for rain...lots of rain.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/1478

Should add to the exceitement

Good for Brawn then if they do have more downforce and especially Barrichello as he's a bit of a rain specialist.

Bad for Mclaren I would say if they really do have rear grip issues.

Quote from Bean0 :

Forecast is for rain...lots of rain.

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSs

Bear in mind that despite the aero haircut the wet tyres are still the same. Things could be slidy, and KERS will be a matter of if anyone has the balls to use it. Muhahahaha!

From James Allen's blog: Hamilton could be trouble in Malaysia

edit: and now on Autosport too: http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74137

Don't know if we can take that thing seriously TODAY.

It's for real

Lol imagine anyone presses the KERS on a straight and spins out :P. He would look like such a noob! You just see a car going straight and then randomly spinning :P. Anyways, a lot of drivers seemed to have trouble in the rain last year so with lower downforce this year, it's going to be mayhem lol.

Quote from Intrepid :

It's for real

yep, it's even on the official f1 site, dated April 2nd:http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2009/4/9111.html. They don't give any details, though.

Having a different view / opinion on a crash or incident (as all drivers tend to do) is one thing, lying about facts to get a competitor punished is cheating, plain and simple.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

BBC Ticker is now reporting that Hamilton has been disqualified from the Aussie GP.

Edit: Story on Autosport - http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/74146

Quote :

Lewis Hamilton has been stripped of his third place finish in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix after the world champion and his team were judged to have provided 'misleading' evidence during a post-race stewards' hearing.

The British driver had finished fourth on the road, but was moved up a position when original third place finisher Jarno Trulli was handed a 25-second penalty for having overtaking Hamilton behind the safety car.

However, following the discovery of new evidence, believed to be radio transmissions from the Toyota and McLaren teams, the race stewards convened a fresh hearing in Malaysia this afternoon to discuss the matter.

It is believed the radio transmissions contradicted the original statements presented to the stewards by Hamilton and McLaren.

A statement issued by the stewards said: "The Stewards having considered the new elements presented to them from the 2009 Australian Formula One Grand Prix, consider that driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes acted in a manner prejudicial to the conduct of the event by providing evidence deliberately misleading to the Stewards at the hearing on Sunday 29th March 2009, a breach of Article 151c of the International Sporting Code.

"Under Article 158 of the International Sporting Code the driver No 1 Lewis Hamilton and the competitor Vodafone McLaren Mercedes are excluded from the race classification for the 2009 Australian Grand Prix and the classification is amended accordingly."

Further to the Hamilton decision, the race stewards have scrapped the penalty against Trulli and he has now been awarded third place for the Australian Grand Prix.