So it is rainy this afternoon(Melbourne local time) down under, and these "best in the world" drivers are out there putting their million dollar machines one after the other off the course and into the walls. These are good times.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

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So there are three stages to Formula 1 qualifying. The 22 cars go out and run laps for 20 minutes, yes all at the same time. The slowest six cars are parked and the remaining 16 go out for round 2. Then the slowest 6 of the second round are parked and the remaining 10 go out for the final round and battle for the pole and set the front of the grid. It has been wild to see all these guys cutting through the grass and one driver smashed off the nose piece twice.

Round one has ended.

Where the fuck are the jet driers??

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Race control has delayed the start of round 2 for 10 minutes to clean up the carnage on the course.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

And this is what holds F1 back from being the "best racing series in the world".

Qualifying is everything. Along with the engineering teams. Racing is secondary in this circuit. I love it, you and I are probably the only ones in the SW burbs that wake up to watch it, but it's fundamentally flawed.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

There are only two hours of daylight left in Melbourne. I can't understand why qualifying can't be delayed until tomorrow morning local time. To ask those guys to go on the course in a rainstorm is dangeroos.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Damn. They just called another 20 minute delay.

here is the Melbourne radar.
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radbl ... 20Victoria

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Nobody knows if they can count just round or or if they have to finish the other two rounds of qualifying later.

This is great. Everyone is heading to the loo and taking a burrito break.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

They tried to "listen in" on Felipe Massa talking in the paddock. Does anybody here speak Portuguese??

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

Yeah.

Not squeegees, brooms.

Damn another 20 minute delay until round 2. We running out of daylight.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

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Qualifying rounds 2+3 have been postponed until 11am local time. I think that is in 16 hours.

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

That was good.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Semi-related, if any of you haven't had a chance to catch John Frankenheimer's Grand Prix, (1966) I highly recommend it. One of the best racing movies ever.

You can stream it here and it's not hard to find via whatever other avenues one might d/l such a thing.
https://vimeo.com/50461909

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Good Jeebus Vettel is seriously ridiculously good. He's approaching an Ol' Seven-Time level of dominance.

I will say the Mercedes cars actually look pretty decent from what I've seen so far. I've always been a Hamilton guy, and I certainly questioned the move in the Silly Season. I came to terms with it and can say I do understand why Lewis switched teams... he has been with McLaren since he was 11 and I think he needed something new to really grow as a driver. I know it's early days but while there seems to be a lot of talking up of more parity amonsts the top teams, I fully anticipate Red Bull can pull in their fourth consecutive championship. Looks entirely possible from where I'm sitting. What I'm really liking forward to is next year when we'll get complete redesigns due to the engine changes.

Don, you're probably the only other person on this board that has any idea what I'm on about...

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

There is also another F1 film coming out in September directed by Ron Howard. It's called Rush and it's about the 1976 Formula 1 championship battle between a Nikki Lauda and James Hunt.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

and away we go...

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

NBC Sports network.

I'll try to look for a stream during commercials.



Local boy Webber absolutely blows on starts.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

If you didn't know.. the race starts immediately after qualifying.

Vettel leading from ploe after 5 laps

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

http://www.wiziwig.tv/broadcast.php?matchid=193185&part=sports

Try one of these if you don't get that channel. Another F1 convert

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Vettel has already pitted and is now in 6th.

What's fascinating about this system is, these guys have to pick the right compound tire for the conditions, go out and burn tires up qualifying, and start the race on the same tire. Don may be able to correct me, but I think the only corrections between they can make in the paddock is wing adjustments.

Hamilton is incredible at nursing tires. There are circuits where he may make 1 or 2 fewer stops than most of the other top drivers.

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Sutil in his Ferrari is leading Vettel.

If Ferrarri wins, it would be a minor upset. They haven't really been dominant since Schumaker (probably.. the greatest F1 driver by record... ever) left.

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Vettel may not be sandbagging here. According to his radio, he has lost his telemetry.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

Kinda like your.....



Nah forget It.

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The life insurance on the guy who stands in front and props up the front tires has to be outrageous.
Maybe 4-5 seconds, yeah..

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Apologist is drinky and possibly giving false info. Sutil is driving for Force India (perrenial 2nd-division team, similar to the Bucks) powered by Ferrari. Massa and Alonso are driving for the Prancing Horse.

Ferrari probably sends their engines from last year.. just think of it like the "backup" engines that Hendrick contrcts out to other teams.

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I am too drunk and tired to care.

Lap 28 of 58.

This one is almost official Keeping Score, what did you see with the Nico Rossburg spinout?

Also what can you see with the possible rain in the area of the course?

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded

28/58 and I'll just say right now... this race is going to come down to Hamilton and Vettel. Vettel may have lost his electronics but he is just that good.

I'm unsure if Don is Irish, but he may be out drinking.


*edit-- HAI DONS PIRACY!!

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

I am not Irish, but drank too much Guinness, Smithwicks, and other fancy shit at CIJ's late tonight watching the UFC PPV. I met a sinicalypse doppelganger at Brehon Pub in River North today. I swear it was him. How many cats are running around the city in Expos hats??

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CSFMB: Home of the small minded