This is the week F1

[peter]

Both Toyotas excluded from qualifying


The Toyotas of Jarno Trulli and Timo Glock have been stripped of their qualifying positions and will start the Australian GP from the back of the grid after being found guilty of a technical infringement.


Around three hours after Glock and Trulli finished qualifying in sixth and eighth positions respectively, the stewards deemed both cars to have broken the rules and excluded their times. The news is of the particular benefit to the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen who will now start the race from sixth and seventh.


The Toyotas were excluded from qualifying by race stewards following a report given to them by technical delegate Jo Bauer. Bauer noted the upper rear wing element of their cars was showing extreme flexibility in contravention of the technical regulations.


The rules specifically stipulate cars are not allowed flexible body parts as they offer a distinct advantage, and as such are illegal.

[Ian]

So much for slowing the cars down with the new regulations... pole today was quicker than last year's by half a second!

Only six cars were running at the end of last year's race, too.

Ian

[peter]

Massa is having a moan as well says if F1 ie the FIA does not do something the brawn team will win it by mid season. Must admit does not look good for massa or kimi with them being lighter then the jenson and rubens then again like you say only a few cars made it to the end last year so who knows what will happen ?

[JSR]

I bet Hamilton's pleased that, despite his gear change, he's not last - thanks to the Toyotas of Glock and Truli. Not the first time he's had to thank a Toyota driven by Glock, then.

I wonder if we're going to see a (I can't believe I'm going to say this) "back marker" fight between a MacLaren and the Toyotas..!

As for Massa's comment, I don't think the Brawn team will win it by mid-season and I certainly don't think the FIA should step in just because there are good drivers in good cars on the track. As soon as the rear diffuser is passed, everyone else will be using them. Then we'll have a right old fight for the championship. Who knows, Brawn GP might find themselves at the back again once it all evens out.

But that's the good thing about F1 - at the moment it's not predictable. If the season had started and it was all "MacLaren vs Ferrari" and everyone else at the back, then it'd feel just like every other year.

As it stands, this season is going to be a whole lot of fun. Personally, I can't wait. All this - and no adverts!