Predicting the 2009 Formula One Season: Albert Park

29th Mar. 2009

The cars line up on the Melbourne circuit. Hamilton sits on the pole for the 14th time in his career. Alonso sits next to him just two tenths slower in his qualifying lap. Massa is third and there in fourth sits Kovalainen.

Fifth on the grid is Kimi Raikkonen, and next to him is Nick Heidfield, after out-qualifying his teammate,  Robert Kubica, who sits in a disappointing ninth place. In seventh and eighth, respectively, sits Nelson Piquet Jnr and Timo Glock. Bringing up the top 10, with an impressive qualifying, is Nico Rosberg in his yellow and blue helmet.

Martin Brundle has done his pit walk and can't figure out who is on hard or soft tyres because the stripe has gone now; slick tyres are the order of the day.

One light...two lights...three lights...four lights...and five lights go on. The engines scream and the 2009 Formula One season is a go.

Hamilton gets a good start with Alonso putting down too much wheel spin. Raikkonen gets an amazing start and flies into second place, tucking up behind Hamilton. Massa turns into the first corner in third place, with Kovalainen trying to push up the inside of him.

Massa clips Kovalainen's front wing, and the snow plough-like wing flies off. Kovalainen is going to have to go in the pits, after he has struggled around the rest of the circuit...

Lap 10

Hamilton leads the field, with Raikkonen 1.235 seconds behind and pressuring Hamilton. He took two tenths out of him in the final sector of the last lap. Three seconds behind is a gaggle of four cars being held up by Alonso who is struggling on the slick tyres.

Behind him is Massa followed by Kubica and Heidfeld all in a stern line. A further 4.376 seconds behind is Piquet Jnr and Glock. After pitting on the first lap, Kovalainen slipped to the back of the field but has made his way back to 14th place.

Lap 16

Hamilton comes in for his first of two scheduled pit stops. Raikkonen takes the lead, after being 0.425 seconds behind Hamilton. Raikkonen knows he has to put the hammer down to get past Lewis in the pit stops.

Lap 19

Kimi comes in the pits for his first stop. He will not take on as much fuel as Hamilton did to ensure he comes out still in the lead. Kimi is the last of the top eight to come in. Hamilton is in second place as Kimi comes in.

Kimi pulls into his pit box perfectly—fuel hose goes in and tyres come off, new tyres are on and fuel hose is off. Raikkenen has been stationary for 7.1 seconds, compared to Hamilton's 8.4 second stop.

Hamilton is already screaming down the pit straight, as Kimi is exiting the rather dodgy pit lane exit. Raikkonen has done enough, and Hamilton now finds himself 2.685 seconds behind the new leader—Raikkonen.

Lap 27

Hamilton is tucked right underneath the rear wing of Raikkonen and has already had a few goes at him on the 3.295 mile circuit. It's obvious Hamilton is faster, but he is finding it hard to pass Raikkonen who has an F1 car the size of a 44 ton wagon.

Lap 28

Hamilton passes Raikkonen going into turn 13. It's a 90 degree right hand-er that has to be taken inch-perfect. Raikkonen was under so much pressure, he ran wide allowing Hamilton to pass on the inside.

Lap 30

Raikkonen is piling the pressure back onto Lewis. Ahead is turn three—a 65mph right hander. After Lewis got a bad exit in turn two, Raikkonen is slowly reeling Hamilton in, and it looks like he is going for the pass.

Raikkonen takes the inside line, before Lewis can shut the door, and he takes the lead yet again. This unsettles Lewis. He now sits 2.147 seconds behind Raikkonen, after turn four.

Lap 39

Raikkonen enters the pits before Hamilton with a 1.869 second lead over him. His second stop goes well, and he gets back on the circuit after a 6.8 second stop.

Hamilton now knows he has to put the throttle to the metal. He is light on fuel and is due for a stop.

Lap 40

One lap later, Hamilton enters the pits. He has just put in the fastest first and second sector of the race and needs a good stop, if he is to have any chance of winning. He hits his marks and the engineers go to work—7.1 seconds later Hamilton is on his way.

Raikkonen is on the pit straight and passing the garages, as Hamilton exits the pit lane. They arrive in the first corner at the same time. Hamilton has the inside line going into turn one, but Raikkonen has the forward motion and warm tyres.

Raikkonen, now, has the inside line going into turn two. He takes the lead back from Hamilton by half a car on the run down to turn three. Hamilton is the last of the late breakers into turn three and retakes the lead by a nose.

Turn four is a fast left-hander and Raikkonen has the line. He pulls in front of Hamilton and is leading the Australian Grand Prix.

Final lap

Raikkonen still leads over Hamilton who is 0.364 behind him. They are a full pit straight behind third place man, Alonso, 4.976 behind Alonso in fourth is Massa, and in fifth is Kovalainen who has had an impressive race, scraping back to where he is.

In sixth is Kubica and in seventh lies Glock. In the lasy points-paying position is Buemi who has had an impressive first race—scoring the first of what would be many points. At the front, Hamilton is pushing Raikkonen. He wants this win, but Raikkonen doesn't want to give it to him.

In turns 11 and 12, they are coming up to the 150 mph chicane Hamilton tucked up behind him and following his every move. In turn 13, Raikkonen gets it right, and Lewis can't find a way through. In turn 14, a fast right-hander, Hamilton is positioning himself on the left of Raikkonen on the run down to the penultimate corner.

Hamilton has the inside on turn 15 and is alongside Raikkonen. Raikkonen has the inside line as they exit 16. Raikkonen can't put the hammer down, because Hamilton is on the outside of him. They exit the corner together, and it's a drag race to the line.

Who has the most grunt to get them over the line?

Hamilton's Mclaren shows its pure class, as they cross the line with Raikkonen a full car's length behind. The Ferrari just did not have what it took to out power Hamilton's car. Alonso takes third place.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed that this is what we're in for all season.