Australia GP - "nice work...excellently managed...solid race"

Bonza

Hope - Button thinks the McLaren Honda package "will challenge Mercedes".  Granted he said this before he didn't score points in a race where only 11 cars finished.
Blue and yellow - congrats Sauber and Banco de Brazil for a lovely looking car.
New graphics - cleaned up for the new season.  I am appreciating the clear pit stop times and removal of driver numbers
Penalties - where were they?  This feels like a bygone era.
Adrian Newey - back in the pitlane?  Must be desperate times for Red Bull.
Debuts - amazing rookie races by Sainz and Nasr (5th!)
Mamma mia! - Vettel sucks up to the tifosi with some bella Italian
Arnie's interview plan - spend a long time chatting with the eloquent Germans and no time at all with Hamilton

In the dunny

Engine failure - Kvyat changed one before qualifying had even started, that's failing before you've even written your name at the top of the paper.
Van der Farce - Guido came to his senses and realised that if he wanted a team manager to take him on board ever again, suing the lovely Monisha Kaltenborn for a drive was not the way forwards.   We saw why he took desperate measures once the race was over and the points were tallied.
Manor Marussia - staying put in the garage.  What happened to money-saving measures?
Too young for leg hair - Mehri
Return of Ron - hmmmmm
#44 - why would you not use #1 when you have earnt it?  Heritage too fuddy duddy for you?  You don't have a tattoo of it?  44 nets you more merch money?
Not making it to the grid - Bottas does his back in.  Magnussen and Kvyat's cars don't get them round their out laps.  Bring back reserve cars.
Poor starts - Raikkonen - come on, please, get it together.
Missing out on easy points - Lotus, I'm looking at you
Radio silence - how boring now all the team radio chat is tyre chat and fuel saving
Poor pitstops - never happen to the right person.  I think Sainz's was meant for Hamilton
Unlucky - Verstappen had a great inaugral race, marred only by some poor parking when his car failed
Unreliability - more pre-season testing is needed

Finally, who knew Arnie was so short!

Australian GP Results

1. Lots of Trouble Usually Serious - 110*
2= HamBerg from McCedes drive through please - 105
2= DC's Tighty Whiteys - 105
4= Sharks have no bones :) - 96
4= Teutonic Titans, Titanic Twits - 96
6. The F1 Flumps - 74
7. Hippy F1 - 65
8. Go Fast and Prosper - 65
9. Baby on Board - 62
10. Double Mercedes is Boring! - 61
11= Muppet Racing - 55
11= Mike and the Mechanics - 55
13. I blame Clarkson - 45
14. The Hopefuls - 43
15. The Pitstop Princess - 38
16= No Vices Now - 30
16= Beauty & the F1 Geek - 30
16= The Very Good Value - 30
19. Juan Angus Fangio C.I. - 26
20. Baby Pitstop's Change Crew - 23
21. I Monza Brink of Insanity - 17
22. 10CC - 12

*Home track

ps. please let me know if you notice any indescrepencies, it was a mammoth spreadsheet this year.

2015 Teams

We have a whopping 22 teams playing the Fantasy F1 game this season. Welcome to all the new managers. Enjoy!

Team Principal; Team Name; Driver 1; Driver 2; Chassis; Engine; Hometrack

Chris; Teutonic Titans, Titanic Twits; Nasr; Manor Marussia Driver #2; Mercedes; Mercedes; Bahrain
Gareth; Baby Pitstop's Change Crew; Ricciardo; Grosjean; Ferrari; Ferrari (Manor Marussia); Bahrain
Joe; Hippy F1; Ricciardo; Stevens; Sauber; Mercedes; Britain
David B; Sharks have no bones :); Nasr; Stevens; Mercedes; Mercedes; Japan
Adam; HamBerg from McCedes drive through please; Ericsson; Stevens; Mercedes x2; Spain
John; No Vices Now; Bottas; Hulkenberg; Williams; Mercedes (Williams); Belgium
Susan; Go Fast and Prosper; Kvyat; Nasr; Mercedes; Mercedes (Williams); Brazil
Malcolm; Juan Angus Fangio C.I.; Bottas; Massa; Williams; Renault (Toro Rosso); Abu Dhabi
Jennifer; DC's Tighty Whiteys; Ericsson; Stevens; Mercedes; Mercedes; China
Claire; The Pitstop Princess; Rosberg; Hulkenberg; Williams; Renault (Toro Rosso); Monaco
Phil; The Hopefuls; Button; Kvyat; Mercedes; Ferrari (Manor Marussia); GB
Lynn; I Monza Brink of Insanity; Bottas; Kvyat; Toro Rosso; Ferrari; Italy
Stephen; Double Mercedes is Boring!; Kvyat; Hulkenberg; Williams; Mercedes; Austria
Colin; The F1 Flumps; Hamilton; Stevens; Williams; Mercedes (Force India); China
Laura; Beauty & the F1 Geek; Rosberg; Grosjean; Williams; Ferrari (Manor Marussia); Monaco
Alistair; Muppet Racing; Grosjean; Verstappen; Williams; Mercedes; Russia
David W; Lots of Trouble Usually Serious; Grosjean; Maldonado; Williams; Mercedes; Australia
Cameron; 10CC; Bottas; Grosjean; Williams; Lotus (Mercedes); Monaco
Becca; I blame Clarkson; Button; Maldonado; Mercedes; Renault (Toro Rosso); GB
Mark; The Very Good Value; Bottas; Hulkenberg; Williams; Mercedes (Williams); Abu Dhabi
Mike; Mike and the Mechanics; Grosjean; Verstappen; Williams; Mercedes; Bahrain
Jennie; Baby on Board; Kvyat; Massa; Force India; Mercedes; Canada

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.

In this time of austerity, Formula 1 has introduced cost-cutting measures.  Your total budget this year has risen to £55million.  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 2015 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 12 March 2015.  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 2015 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.