Australian Formula 1 GP – Actual vs Predicted

Race at Australian circuit just got over. Time for a reality check:

My Predictions can be checked here

Sebastian Vettel:

We hoped he would, but he didn’t. No mistakes, whatsoever from Sebastian.

Finishes 1st

Lewis Hamilton:

Flat spotted his tires, we said so & he did.

Also lost his P2 spot to Webber, immediately at the race start. But for a fighter racer that he is, Lewis salvaged himself within 30 seconds of Webber’s move and then hung on to 2^nd spot for the race result.

Mark Webber:

Hamilton was slow off the start line & Webber was indeed unforgiving by jumping Lewis within 5 seconds of the red lights going out. Thankfully, Hamilton fought back and claimed the 2^nd spot back for my sake.

We predicted Webber would drop a place to 4th. Instead he decided to drop 2 spots & finish 5^th, although for some additional reasons.

Jenson Button:

Tyre master – He was on roll today. But the drive thru penalty after his shortcut overtake maneuver on Massa really screwed the race for him. Finishes 6^th – a place down to his qualifying P5.

Fernando Alonso:

He had some close shaves and gained from Button’s drive thru & Massa letting him thru. Finishes a place up at 4^th vs. the stagnant 5^th spot we predicted.

Nico Rosberg:

Poor fellow got rammed by Barrichello’s Williams for no fault of his.

Retires eventually – No race result to compare.

Rubens Barrichello:

Let’s tell you a story about Rubens’ race today:

Race starts: Into the gravel, drops positions P17 –P18 – P19 – P20

Pit crew gives Rubens a kick in his Cremaster muscles to wake him up. Barrichello realizes that he aint sitting on a mule but a better Williams F1 car.

Rubens goes crazy and starts overtaking the cars around like cattle ….

P20 –P19 – P18 – P17 – P16 – P15 –P14 – P13 – P12 – P11..

(Yes, there is more)

.. P10- P9 …. Bang.. Bang !

“Barrichello .. You son of a gun @$#^!”

Nico Rosberg: Retired & Barrichello in pits again. Had Rubens kept his cool, I would have had 2 more drivers’ predictions spot on.

Alas,Rubens took both of them out as he also retired a few laps later.

Vitaly Petrov:

Man of the hour.

I took a shot at him saying that he qualified P6 when his Renault was definitely worth at least a P4 on the grid. Petrov seemed to agree with me, goes a step beyond & finishes 3^rd in his Renault.

Atta boy!

Kamui Kobayaschi:

I did say he would finish higher than his qualifying P9 but I was a bit too optimistic. Kobayaschi managed to finish a spot above to get 8^th result vs. the closer 7^th spot predicted in the post.

Always, thoroughly enjoyed an incident packed race!

Lets come back to discuss the Malaysian GP prediction next weekend.Spicy Comments appreciated & contradictions welcome.