Posts by stormybadger8

Brian Campbell36 said:And who actually knows when Red Bull Racing ran their tests...
You really think Red Bull Racing didn't pull something? I don't buy it. They’d be making a massive scene about Ferrari right now if they had any reason to, given how things have been going between them lately.

Red Bull Racing definitely didn't.☕
If they were certain, they would've filed an official protest. They wouldn't just sit there and bite their own tails like that.
Now the FIA is stuck. They either have to penalize Mercedes and Pirelli, or basically admit that Mercedes gets special treatment compared to everyone else.
As for what Ferrari is doing—Niki Lauda is probably lying through his teeth, or nobody truly knew what was happening. If it were real, someone would've leaked it already, and you can bet other teams would've been filing complaints left and right.

darkmarlin16 said:Nick told them the FIA cleared it and everything was strictly by the book 🤣

And that’s not even the best part.😳
Apparently—or at least that's what they're claiming on Sky Sports—Ferrari ran the exact same test back in Bahrain.🤣

Great. Just wonderful. All we need now is Lotus and FI to chime in, and then it'll be crystal clear why everyone is running the same damn tires.😁

Jerry Rogers6, I thought we agreed no fighting...🙂😁
Behave yourself, or I’m calling Marko to bring his toolkit over and have some fun with Webber's KERS 😬

Roger Wright94 said:It’s about time we killed off yet another tradition.
She thinks someone from the top three in qualifying is actually going to win Monaco. Give me a break.

If you actually look at the stats, the odds are basically zero. And once you see who’s sitting in those top three spots? Yeah, forget about it. It's looking pretty grim.
Nico Rosberg.
Winning would be a massive stretch even if Mercedes wasn't absolutely destroying their tires.
Nico Rosberg’s stats are actually pretty brutal—he’s dropping about 12 positions from his starting spot to the finish line, plus he’s already got two DNFs under his belt. He was solid last year and he's looking sharp right now, so I wouldn't rule out a podium finish, but let's be real: catching a win? Yeah, probably not happening.

2. - Lewis Hamilton
Yeah, right. As if!
He was incredible in Monaco, especially when things got messy with the weather. As far as track position goes, he only really lost ground back in 2012—dropped just two spots there—but looking at the big picture, he’s sitting at a net +11 positions in Monaco.
The only thing that actually makes sense to me is whatever's going on with the car at Virginia.

3. - Sebastian Vettel
He never actually lost his starting position in Monaco... though, okay, he did DNF once, so I guess you could technically count that as a loss too.
Compared to his other races there, he’s gained over 20 spots from his starting position on the grid. Honestly, that’s pretty impressive. Plus, he absolutely crushed it during that last rainy race.
Started 19th on the grid and fought all the way up to 5th—which is actually his worst finish in Monaco—and he even managed to lap Alonso in that Aston Martin. Honestly? It was freaking incredible watching that race again.😍
And he did all that on a track with constantly changing conditions, too. Considering yesterday's qualifying session was basically flawless, and it was his very first time racing in Monaco? Pretty impressive.
He’s got a shot if he can jump Hamilton right at the start. If he doesn't clear him in those first couple of laps, he's basically cooked.

4. - Webber's
His track record... he’s just always been a beast in Monaco.👍
Actually pretty interesting—he’s always hovering near the front when he actually finishes a race. Back in the day, he had a nasty habit of dropping out, but if he stays on track, he’s consistently gaining about 19 positions. Plus, he's already got two wins under his belt.
In the last five seasons plus seven, we’ve only lost one position, and even then, it was just by a single spot.
Honestly, if they could just nail the start for once, we might actually stand a chance.

If anyone besides those top three actually stands a chance, it’s Mark Webber—not that I expect any of you to be thrilled about that.😁

5. - Kimi Räikkönen
Well, that’s some pretty pathetic stats right there. Not exactly what anyone was expecting, I guess.😕
Looking at his entire career, he’s actually done alright... but over the last five seasons (well, technically just three races), he hasn't managed to hold onto a single position. He's sitting at a net loss of 9 positions. Not exactly winning much there.
Tires aside, I don't see him even standing a chance on the podium, let alone taking the win—even if he is one of my absolute favorites on the grid.
Since Red Bull and Mercedes are almost certainly going to pit twice, and given how he's been performing this season, it might actually be possible.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Anyone trying to gamble on a one-stop strategy is going to get absolutely wrecked. It could look pretty ugly once those final few laps roll around.
If anyone can pull off a one-stop strategy, it’s Kimi Räikkönen.👍

6. - Fernando Alonso
The Brits would probably call this a Dark Horse Race...
If things go sideways up front or if we get some total SC chaos because of the rain, he’s the one walking away with the Monaco win. Period.😳
He's been absolutely crushing it over the last five races—one massive win and only one where he actually lost ground, and honestly, that was just because the track conditions went sideways. If you look at the last four seasons, the guy's been on another level. 😳
I'm expecting him to jump ahead of Kimi Räikkönen right off the line, and if he manages to slice past Mark Webber immediately, he’s going to be a serious threat.
Now the real question: can Ferrari actually pull off a one-stop strategy in Monaco?🤷
My gut says no.😳 At least not at full race pace. If he somehow finds himself ahead of his teammate, he might hold them off—though we all saw what happened with Webber last year—but getting into that position is the hard part.
Bottom line: the start is everything here.

William Bennett53 said:I honestly think Lewis has built some real character during these dry years. There’s zero trace of that arrogant, unlikeable kid from 2007. (Sebastian Vettel is still stuck in that phase so clearly a few years of results drought would do him some good for his personality too). Nowadays, Hamilton is actually one of the most likable guys on the grid. 🙏 🙏

😕
Arrogant? And he’s claiming it wasn't his fault he missed pole... kind of weird for an arrogant guy.
If he were truly arrogant, he’d be whining like, "blah blah, our car is a bucket, we aren't fast enough, they're miles ahead of us, their car is 3 seconds faster than ours, even though I drove a masterclass at 180%" and all that crap.☕

In fact, if anyone was being arrogant at the press conference, it was exclusively Hamilton.
He struggled with the car, blah blah... he didn't say "Nico Rosberg was better than me," he said the car is to blame, the setup is wrong, etc.
Pure garbage, nothing else.☕
And I'm just sitting here waiting for the British media to start bashing Rosberg because he keeps slapping around their "best" British driver in Formula 1...
Just waiting for those brilliant takes about how Mercedes is this German outfit and how they favor the German driver while sabotaging their golden boy, all while we watch a very concerned-looking Nico play along.

Meanwhile, arrogant Vettel didn't even try to make excuses, even though he could have easily blabbered about how Red Bull is too slow or how they had no chance.

darkmarlin16 said:Back in '96 when Olivier Panis pulled off that win.

I'm pretty sure only four cars actually finished all the laps.

Actually, just three...
If my memory serves, Heinz-el-Frentzen dropped out just one lap before the end, so he was technically a lap down...

Michael Jackson10 said:Yeah, okay. So if he actually fixes just one part of the problem... then if he fixes the whole damn thing... and then, if the stars finally decide to align... are they just going to sit there and bitch while Mercedes is actually running? 🥳

Even on this Forum, these hypothetical scenarios where you isolate one person's progress from everyone else just don't fly.

Look, it’s all true and honestly kind of stings to admit, but Mercedes is absolutely killing their rear tires. That's their Achilles' heel right now. If they can actually fix that tire deg, it’s going to be a massive win for them—basically a total game changer.

They’ve got gears to spare, sure, but let's be real—that's a pretty questionable claim. Red Bull (and probably Ferrari too, if we're being honest) is basically throwing their qualifying setup out the window just to stop the tires from falling apart during the race.
Look, if they only swap out the rear tires during a pit stop, Red Bull isn't gaining a damn thing. Their whole struggle is that front tire degradation—it eats them alive. Meanwhile, Mercedes is going to walk away with a massive advantage over them.
Lotus and Ferrari aren't going to gain much from this either. They don't even struggle with rear tire degradation like the others do, so any potential advantage is basically negligible. Honestly, I highly doubt that even after they fix up those rear tires, it’ll actually result in saving a pit stop over the course of a race.

Bottom line? If they swap out all four tires, nobody actually gains an advantage. Everyone’s basically looking at the exact same level of improvement.
If they just swap out those rear tires, Mercedes becomes the big winner and Red Bull takes the hit. Period.
If they had only swapped the front tires, the whole script would've flipped. Mercedes would've been screwed, and Red Bull would’ve walked away with everything.

Michael Jackson10 said:Pirelli basically flushed their entire "exclusive supplier" marketing strategy down the toilet with how they're handling this. It’s a total waste. Everyone knows they're just doing whatever they're told, but honestly, the constant jokes about their logo are starting to cost them more than they realize.

I’d love to trick them into thinking the tire sets were programmed for a 50% race distance. That way, the teams that force pit stops just for show could cruise through the rest of the lap, while everyone else is busy messing around in the pits. I'd just slice right through the field with some aggressive driving.

Okay, this is officially ridiculous. You drive cautiously for ten laps, only to have the tires delaminate so badly that the entire tread just peels off in massive chunks. Then you're left bouncing around on nothing but air, limping your way back to the pits like an absolute joke. 🤦
What's next: a trip back in time where the driver hauls his own mechanics out with a jack and a wrench, runs on a set of Tiger tires, and just swaps them out whenever they blow?

These are supposed to be races for the fastest drivers in the best cars, but they’ve basically just neutered every aggressive driver on the grid. It’s all the same routine now: launch as hard as you can at the start, burn through a set of tires, and then just let the telemetry and the engineer run the show. Everything is calculated—the cheapest window for a pit stop, the exit order, the star alignment, even your zodiac sign. Every time a driver tries to make a move, they have to check with the pit wall to see if it's even allowed. Where's the actual racing in any of that?
It’s turned into an all-out strategy war between teams. Honestly, they might as well just run a simulation in some video game and broadcast the replay... or just install scooter brakes since they aren't allowed to touch the actual ones anyway. What difference does it make?

Complete decadence. It’s the twilight of Formula 1. The leaders aren't necessarily the best drivers anymore; they're just the guys who managed to baby their tires for a few extra laps....

Spot on...
Martin Brundle nailed it today: "This doesn't look like Formula 1 anymore; it looks more like the Pirelli formula."
And that's the core of the problem. When you think of Formula 1, your mind should go to the fastest drivers and cars, the most powerful engines, and elite aerodynamics... not just whatever car happens to eat its tires the least.

Beyond that, the whole thing is just pathetic.🤦
You've got a driver starting on pole in Monaco praying his tires don't fall apart just to have a fighting chance. You've got a Team Principal from a squad sitting in P1 or P2 in Monaco who won't even promise a win, let alone a double podium—he's barely confident in a top-three finish because he's too busy obsessing over tire degradation. And this is Monaco, where overtaking is basically a myth to begin with.🤦

Brian Campbell36 said:🤦

It’s not Pirelli's fault if Bernie demanded those specific tires... even Bernie admitted it himself at some point...

So what kind of rubber are they prepping for 2014? 🤷

Well, based on what Bernie actually said, that isn't quite right...
Bernie claimed he wanted tires capable of lasting 50% of the race (halfway through, obviously) and no more than that...
Pirelli tires at best last about 33% of the race, and in some cases, they barely hit 25%... and that’s definitely not what Bernie allegedly* asked for.😳

*I'm assuming the old man is lying about his "size" and that Pirelli was just following his orders... but from the outside looking in, Pirelli looks absolutely pathetic...

Also, that press conference was pretty interesting.😁
Paul made it crystal clear that his directors are pissed because the tires are falling apart during races, and it's making our little company look terrible.😁

Roger Wright94 said:No, you're dead wrong. TBF is right. I shouldn't have jumped in.

If Mercedes fixed even half of their rear tire wear issues, they'd be on the podium every single time.
If they actually sorted it out, the championship would be theirs.

Sure, there's a gap in the points right now, but we've only finished a quarter of the season. There's plenty of racing left. Don't forget they’ve got two fast, powerhouse drivers. And they're already top-tier in qualifying.

Exactly.☕

And since Rosberg is clearly in better shape, manages his tires way better than Hamilton, and is even faster in qualifying... there isn't much to debate.
That massive 67-point deficit to Rosberg? Totally recoverable. Even if Vettel stays glued to the podium behind him—basically constant 1-2 finishes—that's ten races right there. And that's assuming Hamilton doesn't snatch a win from Vettel every now and then.

It would be pretty wild if the title fight boils down to just a few points between Rosberg and Vettel... and then Rosberg loses it by a single point.😍
Imagine if he ends up losing the whole thing just because Ros told him not to overtake Hamilton.😬🤣

Brian Campbell36 said:But there’s one massive issue—catching up from a gap like that is brutal!
Lewis Hamilton has a better shot even being 39 points down than Nico does.
Apparently, someone's having a rough time; at least that's what the drivers on track are hinting at.

Total nonsense.😁
Sebastian Vettel was pulling great times during those long runs...
Sure, he's lagging by about 1.2 seconds on single-lap pace... but honestly, that's debatable.😁
That time was set on soft tires (not supersofts), and on top of that, he had KERS issues. Who knows if his KERS was even working.🤷

Anyone have a clue who this kid at Lotus ???


Are those some kind of pipes for tire cooling or just some kid messing around?😕

Brian Campbell36 said:Looking at those sector times, Felipe Massa is losing +0.341 in the third sector—he's only sitting seventh there—even though he's in the top 5 for the first two sectors.

Red Bull Racing is acting like a sleeping beauty here... clearly they're just waiting for the rear tire change for the Canadian Grand Prix (I'm dying to see who gains ground and who loses out against Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Lotus, McLaren, and Red Bull Racing) ☕

God, the lack of info is killing me.🤦
With the rear tire change, Mercedes-Benz is the only one actually gaining anything.😳
Nobody loses anything... except everyone else compared to Mercedes-Benz.

That change does absolutely nothing for Red Bull Racing. Zero. It's irrelevant.☕
Red Bull Racing's issue is strictly with the front tires; they aren't having any real trouble with the rears.

If they seriously overhaul those rear tires and they actually last longer through the end of the season, we'll be looking at a German championship contender again. Only instead of Sebastian Vettel, it'll be Nico Rosberg.😳

Solid base and some cool logos🤣
Pirelli burn 😬🙏🤣

redheron12 said:Doping....that's the only explanation....so he's right 😁

Aeee😁
Even if nobody is as doped up as Kimi Räikkönen🤣
he still wins☕

Anyway, regarding the visuals, we need a pretty interesting montage here...🤣




Comments...
Nico Rosberg - Hmm, Monaco Grand Prix is my scene... look at me, I'm gorgeous, just stunning... come here, baby😁
Fernando Alonso - I'm a little shy... I'll cover it up so it looks even bigger...
Mark Webber - Hmm, wonder if I should sneak up on them or ask Pitwall first?
Newey - Solid aerodynamics, though I'm dying to see where they hid that blown diffuser...🤔

Brian Campbell36 said:I’m just praying that if it rains, Vettel doesn't pull that same stunt again where he finds an extra second over everyone else during the Third Qualifying Session. He's been doing it all season whenever the weather turns.

Interesting...
Isn't that the whole cliché? That rain is the great equalizer, where the car matters less and you finally get to see who the actual drivers are? It’s supposed to strip away the technical advantage and just leave us with raw talent.😍
Plus, we’ve got Monaco in the game... just another street circuit.😁

So how on earth did Vettel manage to grab pole position with a full second lead? 🍿
Shouldn't the Maestro be running at least three seconds ahead of whoever's in second place?😬🤣

Tyler Bennett5 said:What kind of pose is Rosberg striking in this photo during the anthems?
Like he just finished walking a runway, stopped for the paparazzi at the end, and was about to head back to his dressing room to change. Alonso is using his cap to strategically hide how much Adrian Newey's presence behind him is actually thrilling him.

Expert right here. 🙏🤣🤣🤣

Jason Campbell70 said:But how? Wasn't the start actually great from a clean position, especially in that incredibly fast Ferrari at the beginning? 😍

At least, that's how it looked this morning. 😍

He’s got a beast of a car this season, but he's just a specialist for bottom-feeders... the poor guy looks completely lost in a machine this good.🙂

Amanda Kelly said:Of course there is. Though, I didn't even bring up Fernando Alonso. Or Sebastian Vettel. You did.

So, Sebastian Vettel goes for his left side right at the start. Is that actually true?
At that exact moment, with both of them ahead and moving faster, Fernando Alonso dives toward his right side just as the gap starts to open up. That’s how it happened, right?

Then comes the shove. Rosberg pushes a faster Sebastian Vettel just to lock in a better line for turn one. Vettel swerves toward his right, completely abandoning his original trajectory. He cuts hard to the right, getting forced wide by Rosberg. By veering so sharply, they end up squeezing Fernando Alonso, who actually had the perfect line to pass them both.

Oh, really?

Amanda Kelly said:If it hadn't been for that nasty squeeze and being forced wide, Fernando Alonso would have taken the lead into Turn 1 in Bahrain.

😁

If Rosberg hadn't been shoving and closing the door on Vettel, Vettel probably would've been the one leading into turn one... actually, that's exactly why he lost ground to Alonso.

Alonso might have overtaken him after that first turn, but there's no way he pulls it off before him.🤷

Nathan Jones98 said:You're the only one here being biased
I'm telling you again—just go watch it back

Noup, dear Nacko, someone else is being biased here...
Because if anyone is playing favorites, it's clearly Rosberg and Vettel.☕

Everything happening behind the scenes is just the fallout, but you can't seriously claim Rosberg or Vettel were actively shoving or blocking Alonso...
Sure, their switching sides definitely impacted him... but by that logic, Alonso was the one pushing and blocking Massu and then Rest... and so on and so forth all the way down to Gutierrez.😁

Nathan Jones98 said:Pretty interesting stuff—really catches the eye.
As soon as Alonso gets going, he shuts Vettel down instantly.
Take another look—you won't see it until you really look.
Give it a shot in slow motion.

Give it a rest with those fanboy goggles already.🤦
Look at where Fernando Alonso actually is compared to Sebastian Vettel and then try telling me how someone who's several feet behind you can "squeeze" you.🙄

Nico Rosberg is the one closing the gap on Sebastian Vettel, who initially pulled to the right and then swerved left once he realized there was no room...
here's a clip from a different angle...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW9d2Ot3uFw&t=0m20s

Unfortunately, we don't have the full start from an aerial view, but you can clearly see Fernando Alonso is nowhere near them...

if you can't see here that Rosberg is blocking Sebastian Vettel, rather than Sebastian Vettel being blocked by Fernando Alonso...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPZHtQdKkBw
then I'm done. No amount of high-end eyewear is going to help you, let alone me trying to explain it.🤣