Nico#F1Rispic.twitter.com/guAE3K4URK 4.41am GMTWhat chance the home victory Aussie fans enjoy been pining for ever since Mark Webber piloted a Minardi into the points in 2002? Daniel Ricciardo will start from 8th,and he’ll certainly battle for points whether not the podium but unless there’s some meaningful storylines at the front of the field it doesnt look likely.
Meanwhile Jensen Button has just said that last year “racing” was his team’s weakness, which goes without saying based on results. They’re bang in the midfield this time, or so it will be an interesting trial to see how far they’ve reach in the off-season. 4.34am GMTThe teams are undergoing test starts from the pit lane to test the single-clutch starting method which has been enforced this year. They’ll enjoy done hundreds,whether not thousands, of similar trials during testing but it’s a last chance to make certain everything’s ok before it really becomes vital. The F1 website has details of what the change means.
The cars are now on the track, and this is the point where cars started dropping out last year so don’t blink or you might miss an afternoon ending prematurely. We’re about 25 minutes absent from the race. 4.31am GMTThis is the 21st running of the race in Melbourne,and though its future remains one of those ‘break in case of emergency’ news stories the community passions which moved thousands of people to protest during the mid 90s enjoy all but disappeared.
My abiding memory of the first race, 14-years-old and tall on F1 passion after years of being forced to watch on television, and was changing spots shortly before the start of the race from the spot where Martin Brundle tipped his Jordan on the first lap. They say never meet your heroes,but as a Jordan fan it would enjoy been quite a way to gain close to that pleasing shiny yellow car. I’ll be going for Renault today because of the delighted memories evoked by their livery.
Some other ‘fun’ Albert Park facts to fill the time:
1) South Melbourne Football Club, briefly famous for taking on Manchester United in the first FIFA World Club Championship in 2000, or play at a ground inside the circuit. They’re forced to play a series of absent games while the park is occupied.
2) For the rest of the year while there’s no racing the pit buildings are used as a five-a-side football centre. I once saw the worst refereeing decision in history there - apply within for details. 4.23am GMTThe traditional driver line-up shot is live,and it’s all... err... looks of steely determination. Who will discontinuance the afternoon shaking his fist in infuriate at a colleague?"Ladies and gentlemen...we present F1's lesson Of 2016"#AusGP #F1IsBack pic.twitter.com/oTgwIZRPpg 4.10am GMTWelcome to a Melbourne for the first main event of what will be the longest Formula One season in history. With 20 more races to follow before the year wraps in Abu Dhabi on 27 November there is much water to pass under the bridge but the title contenders will be keen to land vital psychological blows on the streets of Albert Park. 1.47am GMTAdam will be with you shortly but in the meantime, check out our video guide to the Albert Park circuit.
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Source: theguardian.com