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Schumi and Button look like they're getting on, Seb looks like he wants to get in on their conversation, Alonso/Kimi and Hamilton look like they don't want to be there

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"An idea whose time has come cannot be stopped by any army or any government"


3x TBKL rFactor Hillclimb champion

Kimi's looking at Fernando and thinking, "Did I look that fat in red?"

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I've been siphoning through the data and results etc, and it's still so difficult to understand the pecking order in 2012. I know Albert Park is always a sketchy place on which to base judgements, but the midfield seems so close.

It seems to me to be:
- McLaren
- Red Bull
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- Lotus, Mercedes, Ferrari, Force India, STR, Sauber, Williams
- Caterham
- Marussia
- HRT

Lotus was unlucky in Melbourne, while Mercedes slipped back: Schumacher was dropping about 1s lap to Button and Vettel caught him with ease. One Ferrari is 5th, one is way down (go figure) but Alonso slipped back so much that Maldonado almost got him. The Ferrari is well over 1s lap slower than McLaren. I think that seven teams are separated by about 0.5s; driver talent will really show through.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

It's a shame the Mercedes isn't quick enough during the race.

No it's not. That team keeps hyping itself up massively before every season only to fall very short each time. One day they'll learn. Rosberg is the only one I feel sorry for in this situation.

I kind of do, but he always seems to blow big chances.

Anyway, the W03 is quick but has horrible tyre wear. So it'll be up there in qualifying but come race day on Sunday they'll slip back to where they were in 2011. Their only saving grace is that attention is on Ferrari, who have a slow qualifying and race car. Both of these teams have slipped into the midfield.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

So in reality it's not that quick then? In that case they may as well just go out for a qualifying run and not bother to show up for the race. You don't score points in qualifying. This isn't the WTCC.

Well yeah of course. But my point is that you can't call the HRT quick. The Mercedes is a quick car - in short stints; it will fight for pole. But put fuel in it and ask it to save tyres and it'll have a nervous breakdown. Schumacher and Rosberg were slow on Sunday until the gearbox packed up. Rosberg was going to be 7th but still, who cares? They want podiums not points.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

They want podiums but for the last few years have been confidently been predicting wins. Where are those? Building a quick car for qualifying only isn't going to get them podiums, let alone the wins they so believe they will get.

Based on Rosbergs performance on race distance, Mercedes could soon be in big trouble. Seems that the car itself is quite awful compared e.g. to Lotus and that only the DRS-related F-Duct thing is responsible for the good qualifying performance.

I expect that copying Mercedes' DRS-design might be easier than solving the extreme tyre wear so that Mercedes could drop in deepest midfield when the European season starts.

I think the Lotus is stronger than the Mercedes. Whilst the Sauber seems to have comparable race pace with less tyre wear. The saving grace for Mercedes is just like last year that the car is stupidly quick in a straight line so when their qualifying performances flatters them it'll be hard to pass.

Given Mercedes typical lack of development I don't think it'll be long before the Ferrari in Alonso's hands anyway is consistently ahead of them as well.

Given yesterday's performances I'd say Alonso'd Ferrari was already ahead of the Mercedes pair.

I wonder if the season will show that this is because of his driving skill rather than the car.

Of course it's his driving skill. As it has been in nearly every year of his career. That said it'd be nice to see an accurate comparison in the other car - like how even him and Lewis were in 2007.

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Dan Wheldon | 1978 - 2011

So what does that mean about yesterday and the current performance of Alonso versus Mercedes?

Thought Williams would be abit more higher up based on Pastor's efforts during the race. Let's see if it will happen again next weekend.

I don't. Imo after all these seasons he's got mentality of a loser :/

Great comment, thanks for the insightful input.

Tar! You got the 6 champions' picture in Hi-res?

Early forecast for Malaysia, 60% possibility of rain for all 3 days.