[Snocioncilm]

It's that's time again. 23 days remaining until the first F1 race of the season. Lets prepare ourselves for what season 2009 will hold, the teams, the goss and pictures of random F1 girls. By the look of things we will be watching cars that look like they have been accidentally caught in a garbage compactor.

There are many of you on FM that are more in tune with what's going on in the F1 world than I am. Though I can give you a quick inside glimpse into the preparation of the Melbourne F1 in reverse!

At the end of pit straight with a bogey on my 6 I put pedal to the metal flying just under 60km/h!



Exit of pit lane. Those white and orange barricades ahead are there all year round to stop speed yobbos like myself from pretending they are Hamilton.



Catching up to some traffic ahead, and some homeless man runs across the track to cheer me on.



Albert Park is not only the home of Melbourne's F1, but also where I like to sharpen my skills on hole #19

[lrtoinbert]

Being a massive fan of F1 for nearly 30 years I've got say this is the first year I really cannot get excited about the sport. Its become nothing more than "the Bernie Ecclestone roadshow" and while there are some improvements for this new season when a team like Honda pull out you just know that there's yet again going to be only 2, possibly 3, teams to watch [thumbdown]

The only improvement I can see is that its now back on the BBC and I wont have to watch commercial breaks every 10 minutes [cursing]

p.s. nice photos!

[AnetTeilor]

I'm going to both Silverstone () and the German GP this year, bring it on.

[phenterminediett]

I actually think this season is going to be more interesting than 2008 because of more overtaking and the boost thingy.

[AnetTeilor]

I actually think this season is going to be more interesting than 2008 because of more overtaking and the boost thingy.

Or simply for watching mechanics getting huge kinetic energy shocks from badly implemented KERS systems.

[VastDrura]

I think this season will be interesting to watch. Nobody really has a real idea of who will be the most competitive, there could be quite a few teams in the mix for the podiums this season.

The first race will be brilliant, there is a sort of uncertainty surrounding what the changes will bring. I can't wait [thumbup]

[qzgCVHex]

One word best sums up this season "slicks" [thumbup]

[Snocioncilm]

One word best sums up this season "slicks" [thumbup]

But with aerodynamics that look like they can barely push enough air down for a toy car perhaps this really wont make as much difference as we think.

[TessUnsonia]

But with aerodynamics that look like they can barely push enough air down for a toy car perhaps this really wont make as much difference as we think.

The whole idea of reducing the cars' reliance on aerodynamics for grip was to stop the effect whereby a car's grip was buggered up by following another car close behind and therefore make overtaking easier.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how the changes work out.

[Heopretg2006]

exactly. we don't want more down force and a car that messes up the air it drives through.

[Snocioncilm]

The whole idea of reducing the cars' reliance on aerodynamics for grip was to stop the effect whereby a car's grip was buggered up by following another car close behind and therefore make overtaking easier.

Personally, I'm looking forward to seeing how the changes work out.

Ahh good point, the dirty air from the other cars really stopped overtaking with the whole aerodynamics game. However the teams do design the aero to actually disrupt the air and I can imagine it's still their goal to do so, unless the current changes really make it harder to do it.

[Heopretg2006]

Ahh good point, the dirty air from the other cars really stopped overtaking with the whole aerodynamics game. However the teams do design the aero to actually disrupt the air and I can imagine it's still their goal to do so, unless the current changes really make it harder to do it.

the majority of the car is designed to not disrupt the air, so it can travel through it with less resistance. the wings however disrupt the air because they are there for the down force.

[Bymnbypeten]

Great, can't wait certain person's panties go in a twist because Kimi --yet again-- walled his car

[Snocioncilm]

the majority of the car is designed to not disrupt the air, so it can travel through it with less resistance. the wings however disrupt the air because they are there for the down force.

I know the main focus of the car is make the car go faster, but I was sure I heard they also look at directing that air a certain direction as it comes off the wing or wherever to maximise the effect of disruption so another car can't get too close. While naturally a car will disrupt the air, I'm sure engineers can try and figure out how to maximise disruption and also maximise the cars aero all at the same time.

However I can't find anything in google to support my claims. [beta]

[AnetTeilor]

Great, can't wait certain person's panties go in a twist because Kimi --yet again-- walled his car

Who could you possibly mean?????

[quorceopporce]

Yeah Brawn seem to be great.

And lets hope McLaren are just sandbagging. [surrender]

Hey don't go including me in that hope! I'd like to see Mclaren down the back and struggling.

I hope team Brawn has a stellar season and takes both championships. Rubens first, but if it's Button it would almost be as sweet.

[AnetTeilor]

Hey don't go including me in that hope! I'd like to see Mclaren down the back and struggling.

I hope team Brawn has a stellar season and takes both championships. Rubens first, but if it's Button it would almost be as sweet.

That's why I quoted Bungle... meaning I'm talking to him, of course you haven't exactly come across as the biggest McLaren fan anyway, so what you say is hardly a surprise.

Yeah I hope Brawn do well too, another British team is always good in my book. I do love my Brits you see.

[Wheldcobchoto]

Grid for Melbourne:

[AnetTeilor]

Grid for Melbourne:

Strewth! Those Brits know what they are doing!

[tyclislavaify]

How is it even possible for a team which was struggling for survival just a few weeks ago to come towards the top of the grid? [surrender]

I hope they can do well this season.