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[sagi58]

Except for a few "good" moments, Alonso didn't look all that great, either in last year's car.
Here's hoping the playing field a little more level, even if it's still uphill for us!!

In fairness, last year's car was pretty horrible. Which is why I believe this years HAS to be a major improvement

Exactly! Kimi was driving last year's "pretty horrible" car, too!
Here's hoping this year is a better one all around!!

[LiamCatterson]

Except for a few "good" moments, Alonso didn't look all that great, either in last year's car.
Here's hoping the playing field a little more level, even if it's still uphill for us!!

In fairness, last year's car was pretty horrible. Which is why I believe this years HAS to be a major improvement

Exactly! Kimi was driving last year's "pretty horrible" car, too!
Here's hoping this year is a better one all around!!

But performance wise, I don't think he was on par with Fernando

[What's Burning?]

I couldn't agree more. With the exception of tripling his teammate's total, putting that dog on the podium and finishing in the top seven while Kimi was rounding out the dozen Alonso didn't do anything special last year.

[sagi58]

But performance wise, I don't think [Kimi] was on par with Fernando

Nope, Kimi is not Alonso's equal, I agree!!
Then again, most of us agree, Alonso's only equal on the grid is Hamilton.

[What's Burning?]

But performance wise, I don't think [Kimi] was on par with Fernando

Nope, Kimi is not Alonso's equal, I agree!!
Then again, most of us agree, Alonso's only equal on the grid is Hamilton.

I completely disagree. Except for a few "good" moments, Alonso didn't look all that great in last year's car.

[sagi58]

But performance wise, I don't think [Kimi] was on par with Fernando

Nope, Kimi is not Alonso's equal, I agree!!
Then again, most of us agree, Alonso's only equal on the grid is Hamilton.

I completely disagree. Except for a few "good" moments, Alonso didn't look all that great in last year's car.

I didn't say Alonso had a good year; but, we all know that winning races isn't just about have the best driver behind he wheel.
Or, are you now saying that Alonso isn't as good as Hamilton, just because he didn't have the right equipment last year?

[sagi58]

...Now that the playing field a little more level, it's still uphill for us.

I had to check to see who posted this!!

[sagi58]

Ferrari boss takes a provocative stance

Ferrari boss Maurizio Arrivabene has taken a provocative stance, before the Formula One season has even started, in response to rumours about a clampdown on access passes for teams.

Arrivabene, a marketing man who was appointed in November, sat with Ferrari's Mexican reserve driver Esteban Gutierrez and sporting director Massimo Rivola among spectators during testing in Barcelona.

"I heard that in Australia there will be more restrictions in terms of passes and I think this is not acceptable," he told reporters on Sunday, the final day of testing before the racing starts in Melbourne on March 15.

"So I said to the guys 'OK, if we are going to have a situation where the paddock is going to be empty, it's better if we start training to go to the people and we sit in the grandstands'."

"I have to say it was a good experience because the people were very well-educated, we were with our headphones following the test. They were respectful, asking for pictures. It was a good experience and I hope to have others like this."

The paddock, where teams have their lavish hospitality units and race engineers pore over data while journalists rub shoulders with mechanics and VIPs, is the sport's closely-guarded inner sanctum.

Access to the fenced-off enclosure is by electronic pass, issued by commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone's Formula One Management.

"It was a kind of provocation but I love to do this kind of provocation," said Arrivabene. "I said we need to take Formula One close to the people. We were sitting in the middle of the people. And I don't like to see now and in the future the paddock empty, it's not the right way."

Arrivabene, whose team have one of the biggest budgets in the sport, said he had wanted to make a statement.

"Nothing is decided yet but we have certain communication that the number of passes is going to be reduced. Normally when you have certain rumours in Formula One, they become reality. So I sit in the stands before it is becoming reality," he declared.

"Exclusivity doesn't mean having an empty paddock. This is my clear statement.

"I don't play golf but I watch it on television sometimes and it's one of the most exclusive sports. But when they play, you have thousands of people following the players. And this is not working against exclusivity of the sport."

[sagi58]

Williams expecting a 'good fight' with Ferrari

A close group of challengers is forming up behind dominant Mercedes ahead of the 2015 season. Ferrari president Sergio Marchionne this week revealed he thinks the team's new SF15-T is now "on par" with Red Bull, the 2014 runner-up.

But also in that battle, it seems, is Williams, who ended last season with arguably the best car behind the title-winning works Mercedes. Referring to Ferrari, senior Williams engineer Rod Nelson is quoted by Italy's Tuttosport: "We will fight with them, especially early in the season. It will be a good fight."

"At the moment we believe Mercedes is out of reach," he said after the final test in Barcelona last week. "They did a super time with the soft tyres, while we were using the super-soft, but surely we will fight for the podium," Nelson added.

[sagi58]

Feature: Why 2015 is a big year for...

In the fast-paced world of Formula 1, each race, and every season, counts. Ahead of this weekend's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, GPUpdate.net looks at why 2015 is important for those competing.

Ferrari

Ferrari is without a doubt the leading team with the most to prove, as it seeks to rebuild from a shocking 2014 campaign in which it failed to win a race, finished an uncompetitive fourth in the championship, changed presidents, lost two Team Principals and underwent a significant reshuffling of personnel at Maranello. All of that means that expecting Ferrari to make a leap in 2015 would be naïve, but this year's car is the first overseen by James Allison and the team knows it can amend the problems from 2014 – especially on the engine front.

There will be big pressure on Maurizio Arrivabene but his experience means that Ferrari is well placed to gain on the political side, with its role as the de facto voice of the paddock slipping in recent years. Sebastian Vettel has a long journey ahead after his exit from Red Bull but expectations will be high from the outset as inevitable comparisons will be drawn with Michael Schumacher. So far, the signs are good. Ferrari only carried out long runs towards the end of testing but trackside observers were impressed by the look of the SF15-T.

Not only that, but Vettel's enthusiasm and cheeky nature – often absent in 2014 – appears to have returned. For Kimi Räikkönen, this is a crucial year after his annus horribilis with the F14-T. Pre-season testing suggested that he's much happier; if he can build on the initial glimpses of promise then he'll return to the sharp end of the grid with aplomb.


the other teams on the grid

[sagi58]

It's almost that time, again!!

[CigarGuy]

When's first Q? Would that be Saturday there, which would be overnight Friday on east coast of USA?

[sagi58]

When's first Q? Would that be Saturday there, which would be overnight Friday on east coast of USA?

If you go to the official website: http://www.formula1.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You will always find a countdown (including days) and, the best part is that they even show your local time!!

[CigarGuy]

On my way.......thanks..........!

[sagi58]

I use it ALL the time!!