Round 1 - Melbourne
Race Summary
After so much build up and waiting finally the 2007 F1 season has started with a very entertaining Melbourne Grand Prix.
At Fantasy F1 HQ, we were so excited in the build up and the hours before the GP. Whether it was because we were looking forward to watching the GP and the start of the new season, or if it was the much anticipated launch of the F1 Fantasy League, it was a strange feeling.
They say Grand Prix are an endurance test on the drivers, well the Melbourne GP is always a test for the spectator. It was a tough physical challenge to stay up and watch the GP that started live at 2am GMT. However the physical challenge was supported by our GP Beer Australia’s own Coopers Pale Ale.
The Grand Prix was very entertaining, day 1 of the season there’s always a nervous tension and a sense of uncertainty of what lies ahead. This start of F1 PS (post Schumacher) was always going to be intriguing with so many driver changes.
The Grand Prix was won quite easily by Kimi Raikkonan in his first drive for his new Ferrari team, seeming to slip into Schumacher’s shoes, with Ferrari setting the pace n F1 once again.
Fernando Alonso followed Kimi home in a steady drive for his new McLaren team, but the day belonged to Alonso rooky team mate Lewis Hamilton, finishing on the podium in his first Grand Prix.
Constructor Summeries
Ferrari (9pts)
The new car is setting the pace in F1, easily the fastest car in the field. The technical glitches that haunted Massa this weekend might be something to worry about, losing them Fantasy F1 points due to the engine change, finish the GP with 9pts.
K Raikkonan (22pts)
Had an easy drive, pretty much leading the GP from lights to flag, apart from the during the pit stop formalities, also thanks to starting on pole and setting the fastest lap finished the GP with 22 Fantasy F1 points.
F Massa (25pts)
He had a frustrating weekend, the pre race favourite had a gear box failure in qualifying, and decided to take an engine change and start from the back of the grid. During the race he drove consistently, dealing with the frustrations of being caught behind slower driver with a maturity, that wasn’t seen in the Massa of old. He finished the race in 6th place, and now sets the pace in the F1 Fantasy League, finishing the race on 25pts, thanks to carving his way through the field.
McLaren (22pts)
A good Grand Prix for the new look McLaren team, starting the season with two new drivers, both of whom finished on the podium and leading the way in the F1 Fantasy constructors league with 22Pts. However the amount of time they lost in the race to Ferrari has got to be a concern.
F Alonso (14pts)
A consistent drive by the current champion, however the race must have been frustrating for Fernando, having been overtaking by his rooky team mate in the first corner and then spending the majority of the race starring at Hamilton’s gear box. Fernando finished the race in 2nd place after his F1 experience showed when he managed to get ahead of his team mate during the second pit stop.
L Hamilton (16pts)
The 22 year old British rooky was easily driver of the day, finishing on the podium in his first ever grand prix. He spent most the race in second place after overtaking his much more experienced team mate in the first corner and even leading the race at some points. A great start to his F1 career.
Renault (10pts)
G Fischella (11pts)
Finished in 5th place, but generally a very nothing Grand Prix by the perennial under achiever. The only positive to take from the race is he was able to hold off the much faster Massa in the closing laps of the grand prix
H Kovalainen (9pts)
The rooky didn’t start his career with the impact of Lewis Hamilton, however he had an eventful race, managing to spin off the track twice, but still managed to finish 10.
BMW Sauber (10pts)
The surprise package of the season this car has great pace, finishing only 20secs behind the McLarens, slight concern of technical problems with Kubica retiring with a gear box failure.
R Kubica (-14pts)
The lowest F1 Fantasy league scorer of the weekend after been forced into retirement due to the failure of the BMW gear box, before that showing good pace and circulating in the top 8.
N Heidfeild (10pts)
The most nonchalant driver of the weekend, qualifying on the second row of the grid, was second in the early phase of the race, but after starting on the soft compound tires pitted early, but drove the remainder of the grand prix at good pace to finish 4th.
Honda (6 pts)
As their new non sponsorship livery suggest Honda are a team with the weight of the world on their shoulders. The car is slow supposedly due to a poor aerodynamic package, but to really rub salt in the wounds they where out performed by the Super Aguri team who are using a customised version of last seasons Honda. The only positive to take from the race was some of the speed shown by Barrichello and he in fact finished the race hot on the tails of the Toyotas.
J Button (5pt)
JB’s grand prix woes look set to continue this season, he was dramatically slower than his team mate holding Barrichello up in the early stages of the GP and his troubles where added to during to grand prix after serving a drive through penalty for speeding in the pit lane.
R Barrichello (11pts)
Now the most experienced driver in F1, although not having a spectacular GP he certainly had the pace over his team mate and did manage to finish on the tails of the Toyotas.
Toyota (7pts)
Not a great GP for the team R Shumacher (8 pts) and J Trulli (5 pts) circulated close to each other, starting 9th and 8th respectively and just swapped places during the race. In post race statements the drivers said they where pleased as they showed more pace than they expected.
Red Bull (6pts)
The team circulated in mid field obscurity, with no great pace. Driver Mark Webber (0 pts) didn’t enjoy his home GP losing 6 places in the race, however he did provide us with the comedy moment of the race when he spun his car when entering the pit lane. David Coulthard (3pts) showed the frustration of his teams performance when he obviously got bored of being in 13th place when he tried a ridiculous move on the Williams of Wurz and they both crashed out the race on lap 36.
Toro Rosso (5 pts)
After pre-season hype of their Ferrari engine given them the edge of there sister Red Bull team. The hype wasn’t quite lived up to with the team falling in the category of unspectacular. Drivers V Liuzzi (12pts) finished 14th and was helped in F1 Fantasy Points by climbing 5 places in the race. S Speed (0pts) retired on lap 36 with a puncher.
Williams
N Rosberg (14pts) was the pick of the second tier F1 teams managing to climb from 12th to finish 7th in the points. A Wurz (1 pt) race was ruined when David Coulthard took him out the race. However for the Williams team hopefully the technical gremlins that bugged them last year seemed to be solved and they have real pace.
Super Aguri (6 pts)
The most suprising turn around of the weekend, after being last seasons laughing stock, the team now using a customer version of last years Honda completely out performed the works team. Driver T Sato (4pts) even managed to make the top 10 shoot out in qualifying for the first time in the teams history, before that it was the first time they made it into the second round of qualifying, which even A Davidson (0pts) managed to make it into starting 11th, unfortunately slipping down to 16th during the GP after incidents involving Spyker’s A Sutil on lap 2. However this is the first full GP distance he’s completed competitively and after the race said he was “very tired”.
Spyker (4pts)
The Dutch team look set to be the whipping boys of F1 this year. Driver C Albers (-4pts) retired on lap 10 after putting his car in the hedge whilst driving around on his own. A Sutil (9pts) spent most of the race being a mobile road block, and got punished with drive through penalties for holding up front runners.