Heroes and Zeroes Melbourne

[Wats-on]

Here's why Heidfeld didn't really go forward in the race:
http://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/110930477/AF

[stealthhaggis]

Heroes:

Red Bull - For producing a car that quick without even running KERS!
Vettel -  A true Champions weekend, faultless.
Hamilton - Got the car home and drove around the problem brilliantly. Qualification was impressive too considering he did not have KERS either due to a fault.
Petrov - Have to say was very impressed, steady confident race, now lets see if he can be consistent as well.
Perez - Very impressive début, 1 stop never seemed likely according to the reports on the tyres so very impressive.
Buemi - Good aggressive drive and good solid points, lets see if it is a one of for TR or if they really have designed a good car..
Paul Di Resta - Solid début, ahead of team-mate until told to move out of the way.
BBC - HD TV and Martin and David commentating. Best. Coverage. Ever.

Zeros:

Button - For doing the old head in the sand approach!
McLaren - For letting him!
Sauber - For not checking the regulations properly.
Ferrari - For messing with Massa's head again so early, anyone else think Alonso caught and passed him without the team telling Massa to let him through?
Webber - Just didn't turn up, outclassed by his teammate. He'd better up his game in the next race or he may never recover.
Rubens - For showing experience does not necessarily mean you know what you are doing all of the time!
HRT - What the hell are they even doing in F1?!
FIA - Your wings don't work like that, let the chasing car use it whenever they like not when you think it would be best!

[Monty]

Heroes:

Vettel- There is still something that makes him difficult to like but the combination of him and a Red Bull (which I'm guessing has been built around him) was unbeatable at this track.

Hamilton- did a fantastic job in Qualifying and in the race and you feel that without the damage to his car he could have made life a little more difficult for Vettel.

Petrov- Great drive and from the end of last season it really looks like he is maturing into a good driver. 

Perez- Despite the DQ he did a great job.

Di Resta- what a great debut. Let's hope the car gets better very quickly.

Button - contentious I know but he was driving brilliantly and definitely provided most of the thrills in the race. He clearly broke the letter of the rules (although he was in front of Massa when he was forced off the track) but considering the sport wants more overtaking it still seems stupid to penalise someone for avoiding an accident when anyone could see that he was so much faster than Massa.

Zeroes:

Schumacher - when is this cheat going to retire 

Barrichello- when is the most experienced F1 driver going to retire 

HRT - when will this useless, underfunded team retire 

[Cam]

I have a slightly take on the Button/Massa incident in that it should be called the Button/Massa/Alonso incident.  It all happened right in front of me, but it happened pretty quick, and Im still not entirely convinced that I've got it right but here's what I think happened.

For the laps previous Button had been on Massa's tail doing enverything but get past him.  Meanwhile Alonso was catching them both rapidly. Alonso had just caught them when Button got alongside Massa exiting turn 10.  We could see them on the screen side by side screaming down to turns 11-12 where we were sitting, and I started salivating as to what was going to happen when they got there.

They got through 11 ok still side by side, and it looked like it was definitely going to end in tears at 12 when Button suddenly ducked up the escape road.

What didnt seem to be noticed at the time was that Massa was so busy defending that even though Button had gone he only just managed to get through 12 but lost a lot of speed in doing so.  Alonso, who had caught them both by now took advantage and passed Massa exiting turn 12.  

So in the space of two corners the order has gone from Massa-Button-Alonso to Button-Alonso-Massa.  I think Buttons problem was that if wanted to give the place back to Massa he was going to have to let Alonso past as well, and this was either too confusing or he just plain didnt want to.

Heroes
Alonso gets a hero rating from me cos he was on the limit all afternoon, and seemed to spend the whole day hunting down someone or other.  A crap start seemed to help motivate him.

Vettel was awesome to watch, and it was clear that he has an awesome set of wheels under him.  Quite frankly Webber doesnt look as good.

Lewis deserves a mention.  He was never going to catch Vettel but neither was anyone going to catch him.

Petrov gets a mention too, hope he keeps it up.

Im not rating anyone a zero cos its too early in the season, but Webber, Button and Massa have all been served notice by their teammates, and its going to be a very long season for all three if they don't lift their game considerably.

[cosworth151]

Heroes:

Vettel - A good start for the defending champ.

Perez - Impressive debut, had fastest lap for a while.

Sauber - Much improved from last year.

Hamilton - He got the most out of a damaged car.

Wizzo - For giving us a place to hang around together during the races. Thanks again!

Zeroes:

Red Bull - For scuttling Webber's race with an obviously idiotic tire strategy. Now we know for sure who the #2 driver is at RBR.

The FIA - They don't scrutineer before the race?

Barrichello - You're supposed to drive on the paved parts.


Thanks to Wats-on for posting the pix of Nick's car. That helps explain why he didn't have a better showing.

[sprite]

My first attempt at this

Heroes:
Vettel - drove the nuts of the thing
McLaren - Where did the improvement come from, keep it up makes the year interesting
Perez / DiResta (if I got it right) prove they can run in the big time.

Zeroes
RBR - WTF happened with Webber, both cars in pre season within a bees. Then this race kapow
Ferrari - not hte end of the world but preseason indicated better than this.
FIA - ummm what happened with the passing etc

[Canada Darrell™]

Late to the party and everyone has said it pretty well so short and sweet for me....

Hero's

- F1 in HD!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO!!! IT looked SO good I've watched the race twice!

- Brundel and Coulthard: has there ever been an F1 broadcasting duo with a better pedigree? I think not.

Zero's

- Flappy wing thingie but as has been pointed out, lets wait for a track with longer straights. Could the Tilke tracks benefit from such a relatively cheap solution? 

- Rubens....get some glasses dude. You purposely rammed the wrong Merc!!!!