Australia GP - "That's the way to do it"

Ricciardo put a new spin on the phrase "out lap" to start our season, well with Hulkenberg we had to wait one more lap for the season to start..  It wasn't a bad start and there was overtaking, which is positive.  I just wonder how long I will take to stop thinking the McLarens are Force Indias.
When I came to look at the results to type this up, I was surprised by how long the list of retirees was.  All I've noted is that it was a shame for Grosjean and Palmer.  And to think the FIA wanted to improve reliability!
What does the season hold for us?  Vettel seems to have taken some extra Italian language tuition over the break and can now say more than "Forza Ferrari".  I think it will be a while before anyone who speaks Italian as well as Rosberg will show him up on the podium though.  We also have the phrase "overcut" to hear more of...

Australia GP - Results

1. Bernie is a Hobbit - 68
2= The Pitstop Princess - 60
2= Evel Marque - 60
4. Two World Champions, two future World Champions and, um, two other guys - 53
5. Slightly Slower Racing - 50
6. BOT-RAI-PER - 48
7. No Vices Now - 46
8. Moneyball - 43
9= Beauty & the F1 Geek - 35
9= Hippy F1 - 35
11= Jenson's Whinging Legacy - 32
11= Even more hopeful - 32
13=Hoping for an Indian Summer - 17
13= Torque of the Devil - 17
13= Burn After Racing - 17

*I am doing the sums in my head this year, so please send all maths corrections to the usual address.

2017 Teams

Entrant:  Team name: Driver 1 : Driver 2: Chassis: Engine: Total cost: Home track
Gareth: Jenson's Whinging Legacy: Bottas, Stroll, Red Bull, Force India, £50m, Singapore
David: Hoping for an Indian Summer: Perez, Hulkenberg, Mercedes, Force India, £48m, Belgium
John: No Vices Now: Hamilton, Stroll, Force India, Force India, £48m, GB
Susan: Slightly Slower Racing: Verstappen, Raikkonen, Force India, Toro Rosso, £49m, Brazil
Stephen: Two World Champions, two future World Champions and, um, two other guys: Perez, Stroll, Red Bull, Ferrari, £50m, Hungary
Claire: The Pitstop Princess: Raikkonen, Stroll, Mercedes, Haas, £49m, USA
Adam: Bernie is a Hobbit: Raikkonen, Kvyat, Toro Rosso, Mercedes, £50m, GB
Tom: BOT-RAI-PER: Bottas, Raikkonen, Toro Rosso, Haas, £49m, Canada
Ben: Torque of the Devil: Perez, Hulkenberg, Force India, Mercedes, £48m, Italy
Brendan: Burn After Racing: Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Red Bull, Force India, £49m, Belgium
Phil: Even more hopeful: Bottas, Stroll, Red Bull, Force India, £50m, GB
Chris: Moneyball: Palmer, Stroll, Mercedes, Red Bull, £49m, Malaysia
Laura: Beauty & the F1 Geek: Vettel, Magnussen, Sauber, Red Bull, £50m, Italy
Mark: Evil Marque: Raikkonen, Stroll, Mercedes, Haas, £49m, Bahrain
Joe: Hippy F1: Bottas, Perez, Williams, Toro Rosso, £49m, GB

1. PICKING A TEAM

First you must choose a team name.   Anyone who submits a nameless team will not only be allocated a name by me but will score no points for the first race.

The budget this year remains £50million.  With this budget you must choose a team comprising of the following:

2 x Drivers
1 x Constructor/Chassis
1 x Engine

Each driver, constructor and engine is given a value based on previous performances and their potential for success during the 2017 season (i.e. the most expensive drivers, cars and engines will be those predicted to be the most successful).

There are no points for coming in under budget.

Deadline for submitting teams is Thursday 23 March 2017.  Different teams can be made up of identical drivers and constructors but must have a different home track.  If you submit a team and home track that has already been chosen you will be invited to pick again (the bonus of entering early is to get the team you wish).

In the event that a constructor withdraws from the 2017 championship, any FF1 team with their chassis or engine will not be reallocated a different constructor and will score no more points for that chassis/engine.  If a constructor is bought out (even after a withdrawal or break from competing) then any FF1 team with that chassis/engine will receive the points scored by the new constructor.  A driver picked by a FF1 team will score points for the team with whichever constructor they drive for or no points if they are not competing, i.e. if they are dropped or their constructor withdraws from the championship.

Only one team may be submitted per human being.

Submission should be by email to the usual address.

1.2 Prizes
To make the league “more interesting” entry is £10, which will be put into a prize money pot.  If fewer than twenty teams are entered, the winner will win 60% of the prize, 2^nd place 30% and 3^rd place 10%. If twenty or more teams enter then the winner will receive 40%, 2^nd place 30%, 3^rd place 15%, 4^th place 10% and 5^th place 5%.

2. HOW TO SCORE POINTS

Scoring starts from the Australian GP onwards. Fantasy points are allocated based on the performance of your drivers, constructor’s cars and engine.

2.1 Drivers
:: The driver who completes the fastest lap in the final qualifying round will receive +15 points.
If a driver receives an engine penalty he will receive points based on his qualifying lap time i.e. we will not penalise FF1 teams for engine changes.

Example, Fernando Alonso sets the fastest time in the 3rd qualifying session but has a ten place grid penalty for changing his engine he will still get +15 points.

:: The driver who completes the fastest lap during the race will receive +15 points.

:: The driver who makes up the most positions from their place on the grid (after penalties) to their finishing place will receive +15 points.

In the event of this being tied the driver finishing in the highest position will receive the points.

:: Drivers that finish the race in the top 10 positions will score points as follows;

1^st - 25 points
2^nd - 18 points
3^rd - 15 points
4^th - 12 points
5^th - 10 points
6^th - 8 points
7^th  - 6 points
8^th - 4 points

9^th – 2 points

10^th – 1 point

2.2 Constructors/Chassis
Each Constructor has 2 cars in the race - you will be awarded points based on the performance of both cars, as follows:

1^st - 25 points
2^nd - 18 points
3^rd - 15 points
4^th - 12 points
5^th - 10 points
6^th - 8 points
7^th  - 6 points
8^th - 4 points

9^th – 2 points

10^th – 1 point

2.3 Engines
Each Engine supplier has 2 cars in the race - you will be awarded points based on the performance of both cars, as follows:

1^st - 25 points
2^nd - 18 points
3^rd - 15 points
4^th - 12 points
5^th - 10 points
6^th - 8 points
7^th  - 6 points
8^th - 4 points

9^th – 2 points

10^th – 1 point

2.4 Home Track

Each team should pick one circuit as their Home Track (see 5. CALENDAR).  The points scored by their team at this race will be doubled.  

3. COMMUNICATIONS

A bulletin containing the scores and possibly a little light-hearted banter will be posted on the website as soon as possible after each race.  The blog address is http://thepitstopprincess.blogspot.com

Team listings will be posted on the website.

Notification of results updates by email can be requested.

The website will also contain caption competitions and competitors are invited to post their punditry on the season.

4. PRICES

4. PRICES

4.1 Drivers

5 Stars – A little bit lost without Rosberg?
Hamilton - £26m (driving for Mercedes)

Vettel – £22m (driving for Ferrari)

Bottas - £20m (driving for Mercedes)

4 Stars – Proving a point
Verstappen - £18m (driving for Red Bull)

Ricciardo - £15m (driving for Red Bull)

Raikkonen - £13m (driving for Ferrari)

Alonso - £12m (driving for McLaren)

3 Stars – A sense of desperation

Massa - £9m (driving for Williams)

Vandoorne - £8m (driving for McLaren)

2 Stars – Peddling Hard

Perez - £6m (driving for Force India)

Hulkenberg - £6m (driving for Renault)

Sainz Jr. - £6m (driving for Toro Rosso)

Grosjean - £6m (driving for Haas)

Magnussen - £5m (driving for Haas)

Ocon - £5m (driving for Force India)

1 Star – A Sense of Making Do

Kvyat - £3m (driving for Toro Rosso)

Palmer - £3m (driving for Renault)

Ericsson - £2m (driving for Sauber)

Wehrlein - £2m (driving for Sauber)

Stroll - £2m (driving for Williams)

4.2 Chassis

5 Stars – Big budget
Mercedes - £26m

Ferrari - £24m

Red Bull – £18m

4 Stars – Plucky independents
McLaren - £15m

Williams - £15m

Renault - £15m

3 Stars - Middle Field
Force India - £10m

2 Stars – Battle of the lower field

Toro Rosso - £8m

Haas - £8m

1 Star – Congratulations for not going into administration

Sauber - £5m

4.3 Engines

5 Stars – Upper Class
Mercedes - £26m

Ferrari - £24m

TAG Heuer (Red Bull) – £18m

4 Stars – Business Class
Honda (McLaren) - £15m

Mercedes (Williams) - £15m

Renault - £15m

3 Stars - Standard
Mercedes (Force India) - £10m

2 Stars – Economy Plus

Renault (Taureau Rouge, surely?) - £8m

Ferrari (Haas) - £8m

1 Star – Economy

Ferrari (Sauber) - £5m

5. CALENDAR 2017

26^th March – Australia

9^th April – China

16^th April - Bahrain

30^th April - Russia

14^th May – Spain

28^th May – Monaco

11^th June – Canada

25^th June - Azerbaijan

9^th July – Austria

16^th July – Great Britain

30^th July - Hungary

27^th August – Belgium

3^rd September – Italy

17^th September – Singapore

1^st October - Malaysia

8^th October – Japan

22^nd October - USA

29^th October - Mexico

12^th November – Brazil

26^th November – Abu Dhabi