[Steve]

Well Button starts the Australian F1 from pole position while Barrachello starts from 16 place in exactly the same car. Button has been on the pace much of the year while Barrachello has been anywhere but. The Honda test driver Anthony Davis has been fastest through all the practice sessions, all the testing both at official F1 weekends and on the many test sessions throughout winter, mostly outpacing Button.

I understand that Barrachello has come form a different team with a car that handles differently but even at Ferrari Schumacher regularly out paced him and he was left out of the points on many occasions while Schumy was taking poles and F1 wins. How long do you think it will take for Honda to seriously look at the situation, I firmly believe that Davidson should be given the drive for a full F1 weekend to see what he can do in the race. If Honda really want to win races, and more importantly for them the constructor’s title, then they need two cars at the top or at least in the points every race weekend.


Starting grid for the Australian GP

1. BUTTON Honda
2. FISICHELLA Renault
3. ALONSO Renault
4. RAIKKONEN McLaren
5. MONTOYA McLaren
6. R.SCHUMACHER Toyota
7. WEBBER Williams
8. HEIDFELD BMW Sauber
9. TRULLI Toyota
10. M.SCHUMACHER Ferrari
11. COULTHARD Red Bull
12. LIUZZI Toro Rosso
13. KLIEN Red Bull
14. ROSBERG Williams
15. MASSA Ferrari
16. BARRICHELLO Honda
17. ALBERS Midland
18. SPEED Toro Rosso
19. VILLENEUVE BMW Sauber*
20. MONTEIRO Midland
21. SATO Super Aguri
22. IDE Super Aguri

* demoted due to engine change

[nilagin]

I like Barrichello, but you may have a point. I read somewhere this morning, teletext or ITV site, that Button has said cars are built / set up for his style of driving so it will take Rubens a while to get the car sorted to his liking. Perhaps Davidson has similar driving style and likes to Jenson. I can't help but think Rubens has a bit of bad luck, but he also seems to lack a certain edge. Coulthard has been like this for most of his F1 career, I feel, He gained that 'edge' after he was in a helicopter crash where the pilot died several years back. Then he slipped back again. Last year he was getting that 'edge' back again, not sure about this year as yet.
I hope JB gets his first win of many tomorrow.
Don't think MS and the Ferrari team will be too happy with the crew member that left the brake cover on the car when it went out to qualify.

[whitewash]

IDE is a bloody joke, he spun his car 3 times on the same lap, caused a red flag because he couldnt find reverse gear, and then was allowed to carry on to act as a moving road block

[Steve]

I think thats half the problem, Barrichello is such a nice guy and liked by almost everyone. He is always smiling, never heard complaining even when everything is going against him (which he has had his fair share of too) and generally just gets on with the job. I think he gets a fair bit of space due to this but when other people are proving that the car is capible of much more when a different driver is in the seat, there has to come a time when the team begins to question that?

[nilagin]

I'd like to see Davidson given a chance too. Problem is some test drivers then seem to under perform when they get into a race. I'd like to see Davidson prove himself but one weekend may not be enough. Rubens has the ability to drive an F1 car but sometimes more than the ability to drive is needed, alot of the time that just isn't enough. Perhaps being no.2 to MS for so long hasn't done Rubens any favours. I do wonder about BAR Hondas ability to build two good successful reliable cars.
Massa is fast but way too unpredictable. He should be finding a cars limits on testing not when racing matters.

[Steve]

Thing is with Davidson, he bangs in the fast laps time and time again during testing, often covering more than race distances. As you say, it would be interesting to see if he could do that in race conditions with the added pressure and other drivers racing against him. He definately deserves a chance IMO

[nilagin]

Do you think Button will come good tomorrow. It's gotta come soon surely. Alonso does think he could have taken pole but was baulked by traffic in qualifying.

It's a shame BAR Honda can't run three cars in a race weekend much as I think Davidson deserves his chance as you already said Rubens is a nice guy and I wouldn't want to take away his drive.

[Steve]

See I am not sure that Button will come good to the extent of winning if it is a struggle. Hes a good driver but seems to miss that edge when in a close battle and is leading, if he is chasing though he seems to manage that all the way to the finish.

He will certainly need a good start tomorrow and to come out of the first lap ahead of everyone else if he has a chance, I hate to say it though, but I think he will lose at least one spot on the start (to a Renault) and then have a battle with possibly the other Renault and the two Mclaren's. After the first lot of pit stops I would not be suprised to see him sitting at about 4th place but hopefully I will be completely wrong and he will get his first win.

[whitewash]

i think montoya could have put it on pole had he not spun and lost his rhythm 2 laps from the end, he certainly had the car underneath him and the outright pace. and probably would have poled it had he not made 2 errors coming upto the line after the chequers had been thrown.

i look forwards to seeing him show some good pace during the early stint of the race!

[Steve]

Ron Denis believes that both McLaren's are also very heavily fueled for the race comparred to the other teams infront. Also they (McLaren) are running the full areo package this weekend without the need to hack holes in the bodywork to allow for cooling like they were forced to do in Malaysia. They could be very strong indeed and Kimi deserves a bit of better luck.

[markgray]

What time does the race start in the morning?

Would be nice to see Button do well in the race

[whitewash]

program starts at 4am, race at 5, according to itv channel listings

[markgray]

oh, that early, might have to set the alarm

[Steve]

I think it is re-run in the afternoon though...on ITV in full.

In Germany they are re-running it at 09.30 so its a reasonible time for me

[nilagin]

I'm going to have to tape it, I start work at 6:30 am and don't finish till 2:30 so I'll miss the start of the rerun too.
I think Button has 90% of the edge to be a winner but has been let down by machinery or luck in the past. As has been said many times on TV, He just needs to break that duck and He should see many more. As to whether BAR Honda can supply him with a World Championship is another matter.

[kamion]

www.itv-f1.com is your friend for UK TV schedule.

More than Button winning, I'd like to see Alonso not finishing in the points so at least there could be a contention for the championship this year. If Alonso wins or finishes near the top again, his lead will increase.
Kimi! I want Kimi to win. He's had tremendous bad luck!

[whitewash]

id far rather alonso won the championship than kimi, atleast alonso has some sort of personality, clearly kimi buggered off to a strip club when they were dishing out personas

they say you make your own luck, so really im not bothered by kimis inability to have a faultless race weekend