Just watched the complete race (iTV Coverage)
Was hiding from all the newspapers and websites etc, as i wanted to experience it as LIVE
Technical failures and mostly badluck for Ferrari..
- Kimi was out due to his mistakes, but atleast now he will get a fresh engine. Dunno he seemed uncomfortable while overtaking Heiki and Bourdais both. ECU effect maybe plus there was understeer in his Ferrari, Car setup problem may be (Although he drove spectacularly in patches)
- Massa was out due to bump with DC (But it was his mistake in the 1st corner that led him to the back of pack)
- Alonso did well to hang on with the pace. Nothing spectacular about him from that overtaking as it was Heiki's mistake as he accidently switched on Pitlane Limiter (50mph) after overtaking Alonso. Anyways he avoided any drama and drove with his car pace and was awarded. Besides his partner Piquet doesnt seem to be as impressive as he was thought to be.
Fernando Alonso isn't getting carried away with his fourth placed finish in Australia, conceding that he benefited greatly from the chaos around him.
And thats the truth.
- Tough luck for Kubica, He was pretty good in Qual, But graining might have caused a considerable drop in his race pace.
- The combo of Vettel and Bourdais for Torro Rosso is pretty perfect. As both the drivers are talented and capable of dominating in the middle.
- Badluck for Heiki, As SC was out just before his Pitstop so he was sent to back of the pack. He drove "Spectacularly" i must say with transition from Renault to Mclaren. Besides overtaking Kimi and Alonso and that too with style. Definitely deserved a podium.
- Mclaren looked pretty good and drivers were very comfortable with thier cars. Lewis seems flawless but its F1 so at times even when you drive without mistake somethings bound to happen to you
Overall BMW were indeed sandbagging. Thier Pace is pretty good but definitely not as fast as Mclaren and Ferrari's.
Although Kubica was 2nd in Qual. He was the lightest and Massa was 4th as he was heavy as compared to both Mclaren and BMW by considerable amount.
Fernando Alonso, Renault, 4th
Strange to think that this might be Alonso's best result for the first half of the season. Given the strength of BMW and their proximity to McLaren and Ferrari, plus the continuing pace of Williams, this is less likely to be the start of things to come and more likely to be the best a man can get.
Here was a World Champion who looked just as good without traction control as he did with it, but the fact that later in the race his Renault couldn't live with the pace of Sebastien Bourdais in a Toro Rosso must be worrying.
In his private moments he must wonder if he has done the right thing by moving back to Renault. He could have been alongside Lewis Hamilton on the front row of the grid in a McLaren. He might have been on pole. There is no way he is going to become World Champion in 2008 and it's all his own making.
Though the smile of a man who has just overtaken a McLaren on the final lap of a race was one of great contentment, it can surely not make up for a season on the sidelines, no matter how much he wants to spin the line that he's back with "his family".
The analysis here is pretty perfect and unbiased. A nice read
Re: Australian Grand Prix 2008
works team , torro rosso and afaik force india uses ferrari engines too
