BUTTON WINS, MELBOURNE MEDIA LOSES

The sensational win by Jenson Button of the Australian Grand Prix has reinvigorated the sport. The team formally known as Honda faced extinction only six weeks ago and yesterday in front of over 105'000 people the new Brawn GP team dominated as Button led team-mate Rubens Barrichello home in a Brawn Mercedes 1-2. Toyota's Timo Glock crossed the line in third but was later penalised for passing under a yellow flag giving reigning World Champion Lewis Hamilton the final podium spot. Local hero Mark Webber again had a dire home GP after tangling with Barrichello into turn one forcing him into the pits and well out of contention. After the race an emotional Webber couldn't hide his intense disappointment. "For all the fans to come and watch today, I wanted a good result for many reasons today." Drivers were critical of the race's new start time with glare from the setting sun causing problems for several drivers including the winner.  It was really difficult, you know a few of the corners, it's strange for such an open circuit you could not see the exit of the corners at all," he said. "I used a visor that was slightly tinted and that was the correct thing to do, but with the glare from the sun and the change in light from the trees it was so, so difficult - so easy to put a wheel wrong." Toro Roso driver Sebastian Bourdais was one of the most vocal critics "We do half of a lap with the sun in your eyes," he said. "It's not the most enjoyable racing. Visibility is quite poor. Turn one is difficult, turn three is difficult. The shade from the trees makes it tough to get your eyes accustomed." Despite the current economic crisis and a clash with the local AFL football ( a regional curiosity much loved by the simple folk) crowds were down only about 16'000 overall. The race day crowd of 105'000 was only 3000 down on last year yet the Melbourne mainstream media have seized upon the downturn as a clear sign that the GP has passed it's use by date and that it should be shut down. Led by the taxpayer funded ABC, who launched into a tirade of the evils of taxpayer funding, and the inner-city broadsheet The Age, the football dominated Melbourne media spent most of the weekend trying to find any reason real or imagined to attack the race. Well known and respected football journalist Caroline Wilson was totally dismissive of the event when it came to discussion on the myopic ABC gabfest "The Outsiders"

SPEED TV AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX WRAP-UP

SENSATIONAL SEBRING FROM SPEED

AUDI ON TOP AT SEBRING

Audi continued their incredible sportscar record with a first up win in the annual Sebring 12 hour race, the first round of the 2009 American Le Mans Series. In another thrilling race the new Audi R15 driven by Alan McNish, Tom Kristensen and Dindo Cappello crossed the line only 22.279 ahead of the Peugeot of Franck Montagny, Sebastian Bourdais and Stephane Sarrazin. Diesel powered cars took the first three places with the number two Audi of Lucas Luhr, Mike Rockenfeller and Marco Werner in third. Acura finished fourth but it was the P2 car of Adrian Fernandez and Luis Diaz and not the new P1 car with both the ARX-02a's retiring late in the race with mechanical failures. Corvette was always going to win GT1 with the two factory backed Corvettes the only cars in the class.

WHY I WONT BE AT THIS YEARS AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX

Every year since 1996 when the Australian Grand Prix first came to Melbourne, I’ve always looked forward to it as the highlight of the year.  The opportunity to watch my favorite sport live in person without exuberant travel expenses is always a good opportunity. To live that “chasing the dream” lifestyle if only for one week of the year.  However, 2009 will set another precedent for me as I chose to shun the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park and Formula 1 as a whole.       To my friends that I have made over the years at Albert Park especially wonderful fellow fans and former members of the Super Aguri F1 team who have found employment elsewhere and are traveling to Melbourne, I apologize for not being able to see you at the AGP this year.     For those of you who know me well, your first reaction to my statement above would be: “Is it only because Takuma Sato lost his ride?” That is partially correct.  Amongst other arguments, for a sport to encourage and changing rules to suit overtaking then deny a competitor who doesn’t need rule changes to be able to overtake on track is well beyond me.  However, that is not the entire story.   I estimated I’ve spent over AUD$10,000 over the last 13 AGPs I’ve attended, and that is not including the souvenirs that I have purchased.  However, I’ve found other than making friends at autograph alley and being given some very special privileges by Takuma Sato and his management as well as my friends at SAF1; my memories of the AGP are almost always of working like a slave for meager student wages to save up to fund my one big splurge each year at the AGP.  However, for where the money has gone, I’ve learnt the hard way that trackside F1 fans are still very much being given a raw deal by F1, the  FIA, race organizers and certain local businesses.

MOSLER MONSTERS STREETS OF ADELAIDE

  A winning debut for the controversial Mosler MT900 as New Zealand driver Craig Baird wins race one of the Australian GT Championship on the streets of Adelaide. Starting from pole Baird jumped to an immediate lead and was never headed despite close attention from David Wall in the Porsche 997 GT3 Cup S. Klark Quinn showed his potential as a professional driver with a strong third place in his Porsche 996 GT3 also taking the win in the Challenge class. 24 cars finished the race with the tight confines of the Adelaide street circuit testing even the best drivers. Jim Richard's retired early after contact with another car, John Tuelan spun his Mosler late in the race and John Briggs was out early in the Dodge Viper. The second race for the Australian GT Championship will be held tomorrow (Sunday)  

SENSATIONAL SEBRING QUALIFYING

ACURA ON POLE IN SEBRING THRILLER

New Zealand driver Scott Dixon gave Acura/Honda a dream LMP1 debut with a stunning final-lap dash to take pole position for Saturday’s 57th annual 12 Hours of Sebring.   Dixon, the defending Indy 500 and IndyCar Series champion, made his first Sebring race appearance quite notable by driving the all-new No. 66 de Ferran XM Radio Acura ARX-02a prototype sports car to the top position in Saturday’s grid over European challengers Audi and Peugeot.  It was a big day for the Japanese manufacturer with veteran Adrian Fernandez taking his Acura to the pole in the LMP2 class.  It is the first time since 2005 that a manufacturer has captured both the LMP1 and LMP2 pole positions in the same event.  This weekend marks Acura’s debut in the LMP1 class in the American Le Mans Series, after two years of competition in the LMP2 category.  Acura won the LMP2 division in its initial Sebring event in 2007.  Audi's new diesel powered challenger the R15 also made an impressive debut with multiple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Tom Kristensen in the No. 2 Audi taking second place on the grid to edge out arch rival Peugeot. Nicolas Minnasian was the fastest of the Peugeot coupes just ahead of Mike Rockenfeller's Audi and David Brabham in another of the new Acuras.

FOTA’S F1 FUTURE, CRYSTAL BALL OR 8 BALL ?

The long awaited FOTA statement was finally released on 5th of March detailing technical, commercial and regulations that have been agreed and will be implemented into future seasons of Formula 1 racing.   While it is encouraging to see all team principals participating and agreeing to cement their vision of the future of the sport, the current economic situation and the unsustainable use of resources provided have now forced their hands on the teams to agree to many technical regulation changes.  Most of which involve homologating and producing long life or single make components; thus reducing the fascination of and image of technical advancement of Formula 1 racing.   This however does indeed take Formula 1 back to its roots before regulations of major components being required to self manufactured became applicable.  However, it does not go as far back as off the shelf chassis as was the controversies over the last few years with the so-called customer cars.  This does indeed cut down costs associated with the running of the cars however I don’t believe the cost cutting measures have gone far enough.

BRABHAM SNUBBED BY HOME GRAND PRIX

  Next weekend at Sebring in the USA the achivements of Australia's own three times World Champion Sir Jack Brabham will be honoured on the 50th anniversary of his first title win. No such fuss in his home country as Australia's most celebrated racer hasn't even been invited to this year's Australian Grand Prix. According to Ian Tate of the Victorian Historic Racing Register, of which Sir Jack is Patron,  as of Monday night Sir Jack had not received any invitation to the event. Brabham is Australia's most famous and successful international racing driver with three World Titles including two in cars of his own manufacture. His legendary status though is celebrated more outside of his home nation than it is in it. At Sebring, Sir Jack's son David, a champion international driver in his own right will drive his Father's winning Cooper Climax to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of his first World Title. One would hope that Sir Jacks snub is  an unfortunate oversight on the part of Grand Prix organisers and one which we have no doubt will be fixed very soon.