Posts by Joshua Newman2

Seriously?

Just take the photo and post it already. 🙂

Look, this isn't the Japanese Grand Prix or Singapore where every face you see is a supermodel waiting to be chased down. I just Googled them; they were easy enough to find, and that was pretty much my only requirement. 😁

United States Grand Prix beauties!
Delicious 😍

Mark Ruiz8 said:Given the sheer volume of testing done at this circuit throughout the year, both the drivers and the mechanics know every single one of its quirks and secrets inside out.

🤣 Good grief, looks like ruggedfox28 is finally feeling a bit of spring fever. 🤣

Nice one, ruggedfox28! 🙏

I’m anticipating some serious heat from McLaren and Red Bull. I expect Hamilton and Vettel to be locked in a fight for Pole Position, though my money is on Vettel trailing behind Button by the finish line.

I'm really hoping Renault shows some teeth again; I'd love to feel that same sense of pride in the team that I felt after China.
With any luck, that might mean seeing Kubica back on the podium.

It would also be great if we saw some rain in Barcelona. If it stays dry, we’re likely just looking at a glorified parade from the starting lights to the checkered flag.

silvergull10 said:Did you actually watch the race? Mass was positioned on the outside; if he’d just held his line, he would have cleared it and there wouldn't have been a collision. Alonso placed himself perfectly, while Mass was late to react. Sure, we can debate the ethics of playing dirty against a teammate, but tactical brilliance is tactical brilliance.
A few races back, Alonso was catching Mass quite rapidly. When Alonso made his move, Mass shut the door so aggressively it practically invited a crash. Up until then, everyone had been passing him easily—it was a legitimate defensive move, yet people argued he shouldn't squeeze a faster teammate halfway through a race. But back then, everyone was calling Mass's maneuver "genius."
At this point, Hamilton is at the press conference acting clueless about what happened in the pits, playing the victim. Vettel is crying because he claims someone tried to puncture his tires, even though he was the one intentionally forcing his way toward the mechanics. Schumi sent both Mass and Hamilton straight into the grass, and Webber is busy suing Hamilton for simple overtaking, despite being involved in some of the most reckless maneuvers on the track. The bottom line? Most of them are nothing but crybabies (with the exception of Kubica and Kimi), but at least Hamilton and Alonso show some fight. I’ll give them a massive 🙏 for that.

Well put! 🙏

rustystag7 said:Everyone claims it regularly, but Massa has shown significantly more than the other mid-fielders. I honestly think he’s better than Jenson Button or Robert Kubica... just my two cents.

Sure, he doesn't have that aggressive edge that Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton possess—which is usually what separates the elite from the rest—but generally speaking, he isn't bad either...

Two seasons ago, people were arguing that he couldn't overtake anyone. To be honest, I don't recall anyone actually passing him unless they resorted to some dirty tactics, like what we saw from Alonso...

Of course, he had his own share of nonsense, like those incidents in the rain...

But that whole situation with Alonso was anything but fair... Look, I don't like Alonso, but I respect him. That level of aggression can occasionally be brilliant, and other times, it just looks foolish...

It's all just a matter of driving style...

And now they're talking about how after two races, Alonso is stuck behind Massa, acting as if he could have done more if he weren't such a saint...

What are we even discussing? Even today, he proved that if he had even the slightest opening, he would have made the move. The issue is that he simply can't, and it's not as if he's significantly better than the rest of the Ferrari lineup...

And we all know Massa's pattern: he only seems to wake up around the fifth race of the season.🙄

Speaking of which, what was the point of bringing Robert Kubica into Ferrari anyway? He's essentially the same caliber as Massa...

I realize I might be unfairly underrating Massa, but I truly believe you can't put him and Robert Kubica in the same category. Maybe you could compare him to Mark Webber or Nick Heidfeld... I am convinced that Alonso and Kubica would be very similarly talented if given the same car.

hollowhawk412 said:You make more mistakes than Horner himself🤣 😂

Damn, that’s so sharp and spot-on it might just become a local staple, right up there with "broke as a joke" or "hungry as a wolf."

🤣🤣🤣

Jason Campbell70 said:What’s everyone else’s take on that last Safety Car deployment?

I can't help but feel this could have been handled much more cleanly by simply closing the pit lane—maybe throwing some yellow flags at the problematic section—rather than calling out the Safety Car, which ended up doing a massive amount of damage to the leaders' race positions.

It felt a bit excessive to shut down the whole track over that one incident.
Then again, I'm not entirely sure what their standard protocol is for shutting down pit stops or how they communicate those calls to the drivers in real-time...

stormybadger8 said:btw, Robert Kubica, Vitali Petrov, and Jenson Button spent a full minute longer in the pits than the rest of the field. Without that specific strategic blunder, they wouldn't just be fighting for points—they'd be at the front. Honestly, even Michael Schumacher would have been faster than Nico Rosberg in this race given that kind of pit lane deficit.😲

This was quite clearly a race defined by poor strategic calls.

That argument is doubly flawed. First off, you’re cherry-picking a single strategic decision to support your point while completely ignoring the safety car, which wiped out everyone's advantages and essentially hit the reset button on the entire race.

Second, when a driver builds a lead, they don't drive like reckless amateurs; they drive to minimize risk. They slow down, manage their tires, preserve the engine, and simply maintain the gap. There is absolutely no logical reason for someone with a comfortable lead to charge blindly like someone desperately trying to close a gap. Risk is a tool used only by those who stand to gain from it. I’m certain even Sebastian Vettel wasn't driving at absolute limit during the last race once he secured the lead; he was simply managing the situation.

Therefore, comparing total race time against total pit stop time is a fundamentally misguided way to analyze the outcome.

stormybadger8 said:There is absolutely no way they’ll penalize Lewis, so why is everyone acting so anxious?🤣

At most, they might hit McLaren or Red Bull with a fine for releasing a driver unsafely from the pit lane.☕

The drivers themselves aren't liable here. If the stewards don't hand out penalties for the Massa-Alonso pit lane mess, then handing one out for the Vettel-Hamilton collision would be pure incompetence.🙄

Honestly, even debating this feels trivial. The only thing that actually warrants scrutiny is Hamilton shoving Webber off the track or overtaking under the SC right before it cleared—though even that is debatable. This pit lane situation is a completely different animal.☕

Alonso deserves a penalty 🙂 specifically by being forced to start behind Massa for every remaining race this season, with a mandatory requirement to let him through on track every single time. 😬

Bradley Nelson2 said:And what about forcing Webber off the track? Or the overtaking just before the SC pulls in?

Hamilton shouldn't be penalized for what's currently under investigation, which is exiting the pits alongside Vettel. I'm in complete agreement with TBFD; there really isn't much to discuss here.

The Webber incident is an entirely separate matter. Even if it were under investigation, I wouldn't dwell on it, but that specific incident isn't even being looked at right now.

Ultimately, I find post-race penalties to be fundamentally flawed. Perhaps if an incident occurs on the final lap and officials can't react in time, it makes sense. But for anything else, sanctions should be issued and carried out before the checkered flag. Penalizing people after the fact just creates unnecessary drama and controversy that serves no one.

Honestly, all this talk about penalties is pure nonsense. Especially that bit from TBFD claiming Alonso should’ve been disqualified for his start—as if we can't just give him a pass because he needs some breathing room after watching Red Bull's pathetic performance. 😁

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not exactly a Hamilton sympathizer, but slapping a time penalty on him for that tight squeeze in the pits would be a genuine injustice. If they want to hit him with a fine, fine. If they wanted to penalize him on the spot, they could have handed him a drive-through. But trying to retroactively punish him now is just absurd.

Last time, they let certain things slide, and maybe they shouldn't have. But they can't just manufacture a penalty now just to balance the books.

Joshua Newman2 said:I’m hoping for a strong showing from General Motors. Plenty of points for Robert Kubica and, fingers crossed, at least one for Vitaly Petrov.

I expect McLaren to deliver a heavy hitter here, pushing Red Bull for the win. Somewhere in that mix, there will be a Ferrari (Alonso's).

My only fear is that if the rain doesn't hold off, the race might turn out to be a snooze fest.

Since I clearly have zero luck predicting qualifying results, I might as well lean into my knack for calling the actual race outcome.

General Motors was more than just competitive today—they actually looked formidable.
Both drivers were harvesting points and generally operating among the elite.
To be honest, I haven't felt this much pride in this team since Alonso's last championship run with them. 👍
Kubica! 🙏
Petrov! 🙏

McLaren looks terrifyingly fast, and Jenson Button is once again making life difficult for everyone who dismissed him as a mid-tier driver on par with Andreas Massa or Mark Webber. And let's not even get started on those who predicted Lewis Hamilton would eat him alive this season. I'm genuinely excited to watch him; his elegance and composure behind the wheel actually remind me quite a bit of Alain Prost.

Button! 🙏

Kudos to Alonso as well. He once again demonstrated the massive gap between the absolute best and merely "very good." I also have to tip my hat to Nico Rosberg, whom I've clearly been unfairly underrating for years now. And of course, credit to Lewis Hamilton, who is working incredibly hard to make these races actually worth watching. That was a top-tier drive.

Alonso! 🙏
Rosberg! 🙏
Hamilton! 🙏

Shout out to Adrian Sutil too; even though he didn't snag a great result in the end, he showed most of the race that he's a hell of a driver. Same goes for Jaime Alguersuari. I couldn't wrap my head around why they kept him in the Toro Rosso this season, but after watching this race and the last, it makes perfect sense.

Sutil! 🙏
Alguersuari! 🙏

Red Bull and their drivers proved once again today that they are true team players, prioritizing the sport's success over individual glory. They're doing everything necessary to ensure the championship stays interesting. 😁

Roger Wright94 said:Honestly, Lewis completely blew that final flying lap. It was just a poor showing.
He pushed way too hard and overextended himself. He was sliding halfway through the turn, and he even locked up his wheels.

I was trying to point out that there’s at least a few tenths of a second of breathing room compared to that Q3 pace; we just need to see some cleaner, more precise driving to actually tap into it.

Massa is sitting right on the tail of those two McLarens—and don't forget Alonso's Red Bull is right there, too. I’m genuinely curious to see if we'll see any real movement during the opening laps.

Hamilton claims he drove the best race possible. Honestly, you might be onto something there—it wouldn't exactly be the first time we've heard him spin a tall tale. 😁

I’ve been sitting here thinking about it, and honestly, the weather reports are calling for a 90% chance of rain during tomorrow's race. It makes me wonder if McLaren already dialed in a wet-weather setup behind the scenes, only to play dumb now and hope they strike gold when the clouds finally break.

Adam King said:I honestly don't get it. What exactly are they supposed to be locking in during the Q3 setup—some kind of sacred configuration that becomes untouchable once the race starts? Is there some rule saying they can't touch it, or am I just missing the point?

Once Q3 wraps up, the rules are pretty strict: you’re only allowed to top off the fuel tank and tweak the front wing height. Beyond that, the car has to remain exactly as it was during the qualifying session. The only real loophole is if the skies open up right before the start; in that case, teams are permitted to switch over to wet-weather tires.

cosmicridge5 said:Sebastian Vettel just lost his way 😁 😁

I’ve been listening to both Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, and honestly, they don't seem to have a clue either...

I'm reading Lewis Hamilton's statement now too...
It’s a shame. I wouldn't call myself a Lewis Hamilton fan, but I’d love to see a powerhouse McLaren this season. Since Robert Kubica is stuck in a car that isn't even in the title hunt, my bets are on a three-way championship battle between McLaren, Ferrari, and Red Bull Racing. Ideally, we're looking at a combination of Jenson Button, Fernando Alonso, and Mark Webber, though I'm open to other possibilities.😁

Peter Adams6 said:Sebastian Vettel is just too dominant. If he doesn't clinch the title this year, he never will.

Both Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull Racing look more than ready to secure the championship. Unless McLaren and/or Ferrari can pull off a massive turnaround following Barcelona, or if Renault starts having reliability issues with Sebastian Vettel's car again, the title is likely theirs for the taking. 👍

I’m trying to wrap my head around what exactly went wrong with McLaren during the Third Qualifying Session. They looked absolutely dominant all weekend, they clocked the best time in the Second Qualifying Session, and then—out of nowhere—they just fall off a cliff...

Kudos to Jenson Button for outperforming Lewis Hamilton, and props to Robert Kubica for pulling a better grid position than we ever expected! 👍

And then there's Schumacher... 🤦

stormybadger8 said:The Ferrari engine went up in smoke, and not even the one they swapped out back in Bahrain—it was the unit that had already completed a full race.

So, they’re down to six engines, one of which is clearly compromised along with that replacement from Bahrain. Practically speaking, this ruins Alonso's season; it’s a long shot for him to have any meaningful chance left. Honestly, I wouldn't believe it if he pulled it off, but I can't help feeling for him.😢

With Red Bull Racing falling apart and Ferrari stumbling, and Hamilton tearing through the field, there's still a slim hope that Button defends the title.🤦

It would be a massive thrill to see Button defend his title. Of course, my true wish would be to see Kubica, Petrov, or Kobayashi take it instead, but Button is my favorite right after them.👍 And frankly, part of it would just be pure spite against those who still dismiss him as a mid-tier driver even after he won the championship.😲

I can't say I'm surprised by the Chinese government's stance. They’ve historically been willing to crack down on their own students during protests, so it's hardly a shock that they wouldn't scrap a Formula 1 race over 500 deaths. To them, the bottom line always wins.
What is actually unsettling, though, is the silence from the major Formula 1 news outlets I follow. Not a single one has even mentioned the earthquake in China. It feels like the industry has collectively decided that holding the race isn't just acceptable, but perfectly normal. I suppose when the world feels like it's spinning out of control, people would rather look at fast cars than face a tragedy.

That’s quite a distance...
The earthquake hit the Qinghai province in northern Tibet, while Shanghai is sitting way out on the eastern coast (assuming we don't count Taiwan as Chinese 😁 ).
To me, though, this isn't really about geography. It's about the fact that one part of the country is dealing with hundreds of deaths and a massive humanitarian crisis, while the other part is busy hosting The Great Circus. If this were any other nation, people would be seriously questioning whether holding the race there was even ethical.

Earthquakes strike China. Hundreds dead, thousands injured:

While this disaster didn't hit right near Shanghai, if they end up declaring a state of emergency or official days of mourning, we could see the race canceled altogether.