Didn't stay up to watch it, but luckily was up late enough to see that the dvr hadn't automatically started to record. Set it and then went into a beer, pizza, and ice cream induced coma.
FYI, I actually cast a vote in that ridiculous Driver of the Day competition...voted for Kvyat. Vote here, if you like: Driver of the Day
Poor Danni, when it comes to Australia if it wasn't for bad luck he wouldn't have no luck at all...... I voted for Romaine (Lettuce) Grosjean.........
Haas scoring points out of the box, Rosberg making it four in a row, and even though it was a MB 1-2, me thinks their gap on the field has been reduced! Overall a darn good race with lots of mixing it up, and Alonso is lucky not to have been hurt. And Lewis getting owned on the start was.!
Anyone trying to avoid spoilers shouldn't be here now. A 12-hour embargo is more than enough. There are plenty who will say Grosjean's points are down to the red flag and dumb luck. It's true, he did benefit greatly from the red flag and, more importantly, its timing, but so did most others. Well, not everyone. Ferrari were confident of a win before the flag... And after Gutierrez’s early issue he was lapping faster than at least half the field before Alonso came along. A good first outing from Haas; here's hoping it's not their last. Speaking of Alonso, wow! That was a big one. Yup, they just might have to write that one off. Alonso: FIA safety standards is only reason I’m still alive (grandprix.com)
Gutierrez was faster than Mr. Greenjeans all weekend, I think the Haas team is going to do even better than my original expectations. Their qually speeds would have had them starting 8th under the old format, we'll see how they do in Bahrain, but they have to be thoroughly chuffed about their first race. Vettel's Ferrari walking past the Hamster on the start was the highlight of the race for me! Rosbug slamming the door on him in the first turn was the second! Imagine how it feels to be Manor, still trundling around at the back after 4 years in the sport even with their new Mercedes power, or McHonda in their second year and finishing 8 spots behind the new guys in their first race......
I really enjoyed the race even if Rosberg did win. Nice move he made in turn one. Maybe he grew a set in the off season. Good racing front to back. Wow Alonso is one lucky guy, that could have been sooo bad for him. Free pit stops for all. Looking forward to the next race. I think Carlos & Max will come to blows before the season is over.
I wonder whether Merc's start line issues had anything to do with the new clutch and shift paddle restrictions. Maybe Ferrari's system works better?
I was amazed when Alonzo crawled out of the car on his own. I'm sure the medics told him never to do that again. It was a good race, even if Ferrari didn't win. It looks like we may actually have a season to watch.
Romain Grosjean has become the first man to win the new Driver of the Day vote introduced for the 2016 season. The initiative was introduced this year to increase engagement with the fans, who voted on a poll on the official F1 website after the race had ended. Grosjean scored a sensational sixth-place finish in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the first ever race for the American Haas team. The poll did not reveal the amount of votes for each driver. It said, however, that in the "interests of fairness, multiple votes identified as originating from the same source were not counted."
I'm was also amazed to see Alonzo out of there so quick. Can't blame him for his speedy exit. I'm sure he was worried it would combust at any moment. Damn safe car McLaren built him. I also think there was much good luck at play.
Agreed, the thought of being engulfed in flames would be a great motivator for getting away from the wreck.
What? No thoughts about Kimi getting his head cooked? And not caring? I admit, it's not as spectacular as Alonos's miracle Martin Brundle Flashback, but still. Why the heck would an air box be spitting fire the wrong direction? And yes, I just watched it and yes the beer is typing.
How did I forget that? And good question. I've seen no reports explaining the source/cause of the fire and Raikkonen shed very little light on the situation with his opinion. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDrPcqzD-7k"]F1 2016 Australia - Ferrari - Kimi Raikkonen on Fire - YouTube[/ame]