2006 F1 Australian GP

[vhenok]

Honda’s Jenson Button will start the Australian Grand Prix from pole position after a tense qualifying session which saw Michael Schumacher eliminated before he could push Ferrari into the top 10 by just .004s

Pos No Driver Team First Second Third

1 12 Jenson Button Honda 1:28.081 1:26.337 1:25.229

2 2 Giancarlo Fisichella Renault 1:27.765 1:26.196 1:25.635

3 1 Fernando Alonso Renault 1:28.569 1:25.729 1:25.778

4 3 Kimi Räikkönen McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.193 1:26.161 1:25.822

5 4 Juan Pablo Montoya McLaren-Mercedes 1:27.079 1:25.902 1:25.976

6 7 Ralf Schumacher Toyota 1:28.007 1:26.596 1:26.612

7 9 Mark Webber Williams-Cosworth 1:27.669 1:26.075 1:26.937

8 16 Nick Heidfeld Sauber-BMW 1:27.796 1:26.014 1:27.579

9 17 Jacques Villeneuve Sauber-BMW 1:28.460 1:26.714 1:29.239

10 8 Jarno Trulli Toyota 1:27.748 1:26.327

11 5 Michael Schumacher Ferrari 1:28.228 1:26.718

12 14 David Coulthard RBR-Ferrari 1:28.408 1:27.023

13 20 Vitantonio Liuzzi STR-Cosworth 1:28.999 1:27.219

14 15 Christian Klien RBR-Ferrari 1:28.757 1:27.591

15 10 Nico Rosberg Williams-Cosworth 1:28.351 1:29.422

16 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:28.868

17 11 Rubens Barrichello Honda 1:29.943

18 19 Christijan Albers MF1-Toyota 1:30.226

19 21 Scott Speed STR-Cosworth 1:30.426

20 18 Tiago Monteiro MF1-Toyota 1:30.709

21 22 Takuma Sato Super Aguri-Honda 1:32.279

22 23 Yuji Ide Super Aguri-Honda 1:36.164

So that’s the grid, and as usual it’s anyone’s guess what fuel loads each driver was running. The times are so close at the front, however, that a great race seems in prospect.

Raceday is * 11:00AM Manila time.....

Bakbakan na naman 'toh!!!

[number001]

Only got to watch the last five laps of the race. I pity Button! Having worked so hard to fend off Fisichella then his honda gives up ghost right in the last corner of the race (before the checkered flag). Button was only a few meters away to score some points in 5th place. tsk..tsk..tsk..

[BoyFerrari]

Jenson Button must be the unluckiest guy on the grid. If Raikkonen was barely 1 mile from the checked flag when his McLaren blew up in Nurburgring back in 2005, Button was merely a few yards to the finish line when his Honda was engulfed in flames like a rocket gone haywire. So near, yet so far.

Anyway, his team radioed Button not to cross the finish line to avoid engine change penalty in the next race. But again, it was disappointing for a pole position start. Always the best man, never the groom.

This Australian GP compensated for the boring Malaysian GP the other week. With a lot of retirement due to high-speed crashes into the wall, it became a showcase parade for the Mercedes-Benz V8 safety car. Back in 2001 i think, a race official was killed here when an F1 car crashed into the wall and a tire flew into the air and hit a race official that killed him.

Some other highlights of this year's Australian GP:

1) Michael Schumacher overtaken by a Torro Rosso.

2) Head-to-head battle between Button and Alonso. The Renault said: "Eat my dust". The worst part was, Raikonnen went past Button just a few seconds later too.

3) Tiago Monteiro holding up the entire traffic behind him earning him a lot of curses from Toyota and Honda.

[the_wildthing]

It's shaping up to be Alonso-Renault Driver's and Constructor's crowns again.

Come Europe I wonder what the other teams have in store. It looks like only Renault got the formula right.

[vhenok]

It's shaping up to be Alonso-Renault Driver's and Constructor's crowns again.

Come Europe I wonder what the other teams have in store. It looks like only Renault got the formula right.

This early on, it smells like a back-to-back...nah! too early, I guess....

Kawawa nga si Button, as in ilang dipa na lang finish line na....kapyos ika nga....but still, strategic move pa din para iwas penalty next race...

Ganun din si JPM, few laps na lang bigla namatay car, naalog ata nung lumampas sa last curve kaya tirik...

Update ko lang po!

2006 Drivers Championship

Pos Driver Nationality Team Points


1 Fernando Alonso Spanish Renault 28

2 Giancarlo Fisichella Italian Renault 14

2= Kimi Räikkönen Finnish McLaren-Mercedes 14

4 Michael Schumacher German Ferrari 11

4= Jenson Button British Honda 11

6 Juan Pablo Montoya Colombian McLaren-Mercedes 9

7 Ralf Schumacher German Toyota 7

8 Nick Heidfeld German Sauber-BMW 5

8= Jacques Villeneuve Canadian Sauber-BMW 5

10 Felipe Massa Brazilian Ferrari 4

11 Mark Webber Australian Williams-Cosworth 3

12 Rubens Barrichello Brazilian Honda 2

12= Nico Rosberg German Williams-Cosworth 2

14 David Coulthard British RBR-Ferrari 1

14= Christian Klien Austrian RBR-Ferrari 1


2006 Constructors Championship

Pos Constructor Points

1 Renault 42

2 McLaren-Mercedes 23

3 Ferrari 15

4 Honda 13

5 Sauber-BMW 10

6 Toyota 7

7 Williams-Cosworth 5

8 RBR-Ferrari 2


NEXT RACE:

April 23 in Imola for the SAN MARINO GP (home of the tifosi and known as Ferrari Country)

[mazdamazda]

sayang talaga si button!!! akala ko aabot pa siya sa finish line...

parang naka afterburners yung kotse nya... hehehe...

[118designs]

Tiago Monteiro holding up the entire traffic behind him earning him a lot of curses from Toyota and Honda.

it was a nice scuffle between 6 cars. the midland cas also cost mclaren a potential challenge for the win. In both restarts toward the end the race two midland cars were in between race leader alonso and kimi.

One thing im looking forward to is unpredictable weather conditions during race weekends.back in 98,99,00 if i remeber it right. Lots of races got decided by right pit strategy and wet driving. Back then i think there were at least 4 wert races a season. For the past few years mejo wala na ata wet race mashado.What makes it more exciting is rain then track will dry up then rain again.

The oz gp was exciting as compared to the malaysian gp.Lots of wheel to wheel action and a couple of spectacular crashes.

Its funny that rubens was being warned by the pit to stay clear of the erratic rosberg who the pit crew said tried to take out team mate webber during previous gp.Unfortunately Felipe massa was the one who was at rhe recieving end

[BoyFerrari]

For the past few years mejo wala na ata wet race mashado.What makes it more exciting is rain then track will dry up then rain again.

Last year's Belgian Grand Prix at SPA was wet. It was almost like zero visibility. In fact Schumacher started his qualifying run then it rained like cats and dogs. Fisichella later crashed into the wall. Wet race is fun.

Its funny that rubens was being warned by the pit to stay clear of the erratic rosberg who the pit crew said tried to take out team mate webber during previous gp.Unfortunately Felipe massa was the one who was at rhe recieving end

I have a strong feeling Nico Rosberg has some kind of psychopathic dark side. Just a hunch.

[biboy28]

saynag tlga si schumy... humahabol na sana kaso ....malaamng babwi na sa nxt race..

[CVT]

Another sad day for Ferrari. Malas talaga...

And, it goes to demonstrate that Alonso-Renault is indeed championship caliber (Saw him overtake Button-Honda?)