Posts by stormybadger8

The RB9 is clearly a beast...
Yesterday’s pace on hards at Austin was insane—about 0.300 faster than Button's best.😁
Seems reliable too; from what I can tell, zero issues so far...
I just find Vettel's face a little weird. He's out there saying the car is "a step forward, amazing, blah blah," but looking at him, he didn't exactly look thrilled about it.🤷

Here’s the lap count per car:
1 Sauber 430
2 Red Bull 372
3 Force India 357
4 Williams 332
5 Toro Rosso 330
6 Mercedes 319
7 Caterham 318
8 McLaren 298
9 Ferrari 277
10 Lotus 271
11 Marussia 219
Sauber looks like a solid bet—fast and apparently bulletproof...
Gutiérrez clocked the most laps here, hitting 252. 😳

And here are the combined best times from all four days at Austin:
1. Felipe Massa Ferrari / 1.17.879 / 227 laps / Soft
2. Kimi Räikkönen Lotus / 1.18.148 / 123 laps / Soft
3. Jules Bianchi Force India / 1.18.175 / 56 laps / Soft
4. Romain Grosjean Lotus / 1.18.218 / 149 laps / Soft
5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull / 1.18.565 / 198 laps / Hard
6. Esteban Gutiérrez Sauber / 1.18.669 / 252 laps / Soft
7. Jean-Éric Vergne Toro Rosso / 1.18.760 / 177 laps / Soft
8. Nico Rosberg Mercedes / 1.18.766 / 162 laps / Medium
9. Jenson Button McLaren / 1.18.861 / 120 laps / Hard
10. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes / 1.18.905 160 laps / Medium
11. Sergio Pérez McLaren / 1.18.944 / 179 laps / Medium
12. Paul di Resta Force India / 1.19.003 / 240 laps / Soft
13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso / 1.19.134 / 153 laps / Medium
14. James Rossiter Force India / 1.19.303 / 61 laps / Soft
15. Mark Webber Red Bull / 1.19.338 / 174 laps / Medium
16. Nico Hülkenberg Sauber / 1.19.502 / 178 laps / Medium
17. Valtteri Bottas Williams / 1.19.851 / 178 laps / Soft
18. Pedro de la Rosa Ferrari / 1.20.316 / 51 laps / Medium
19. Pastor Maldonado Williams / 1.20.693 / 155 laps / Medium
20. Charles Pic Caterham / 1.21.105 / 166 laps / Soft
21. Luiz Razia Marussia / 1.21.226 / 113 laps / Medium
22. Max Chilton Marussia / 1.21.269 / 107 laps / Soft
23. Giedo van der Garde Caterham / 1.21.311 / 152 laps / Medium

Transmission😕

How much abuse does a gearbox have to take before it just gives up on life like that?

😕

Frank Collins85 said:That’s an interesting thought... if Massa is showing that kind of pace, does that mean Alonso could be even faster?

Well, that went south fast.😬
It’s like Massa installed some kind of logic bomb in the engine that triggers self-destruct the second the Spaniard sits in the cockpit.😬
Pedro's currently walking back to the pits...

darkmarlin16 said:To be fair, I know there was some chatter going around about those orange tires, but they’re basically just the replacement for those silver ones that were barely visible before.

I know, I know, this sounds totally ridiculous now that everything’s been laid out, but seriously... 😁

Who gave you permission to use my handle?😳
Shoot me a DM so I can permanently ban whoever thinks it's funny messing with my username.☕

Nathan Jones98 said:It’s pretty obvious—last year Button was constantly fighting the car's balance while Hamilton was just absolutely tearing it up. He's always complaining about how the car handles.
This season the car should be dialed in for him, but honestly, the whole setup feels a bit lackluster to me.
It would be legendary if Kimi actually snatched a title. That would be the dream. But yeah, looking at this Lotus, I don't see it happening. Though, hey, if Perez and Button totally blow it this year, maybe McLaren will reconsider bringing Kimi back into the fold. 😁

I’m not totally sure, honestly. Last year, whenever Button actually nailed his car setup, he was noticeably faster than Hamilton. I still vividly remember that whole "Twitter meltdown" too—Hamilton was pretty pissed after Button absolutely smoked him in qualifying at Spa.
If he can pull something like this off consistently, he’s going to be a serious threat. The best part about Button is that he doesn't crack under pressure—at least, I've never seen him fold when things get intense.

Nathan Jones98 said:It’s pretty obvious—last year Button was constantly fighting the car's balance while Hamilton was just absolutely tearing it up. He's always complaining about how the car handles.
This season the car should be dialed in for him, but honestly, the whole setup feels a bit lackluster to me.
It would be legendary if Kimi actually snatched a title. That would be the dream. But yeah, looking at this Lotus, I don't see it happening. Though, hey, if Perez and Button totally blow it this year, maybe McLaren will reconsider bringing Kimi back into the fold. 😁

It’s hard to say anything smart after only two days of testing, but honestly? It looks like the Lotus could actually be a serious contender.😳

Look, testing times don't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you can't ignore the numbers. Grosjean clocked the third-fastest lap yesterday—his best performance in the last four sessions at Barber Motorsports Park since 2010. On top of that, the Lotus looks like it’s already about two-tenths faster than last year's car. Not bad.
All things considered, this Lotus looks like a legitimate contender. Honestly, seeing Kimi take a title with them isn't some wild pipe dream—he's actually one of the frontrunners for it.😳

Maybe those glory days were just an optical illusion. Maybe they only won because of fancy tire compounds, fuel loads, or whatever other nonsense they throw at us. Whatever. It looks like they managed to build a damn good car again anyway.

Everything checks out, Amanda Kelly, absolutely everything...
But honestly, what’s actually bugging me is just how fast and aggressive this car feels...
I think this might be the first time they've built a car strictly tailored to Button's specific preferences. There's zero doubt it's fast, but that's exactly why it could go either way...

Tire choices for the first test got you scratching your head? Pirelli is more than happy to walk us through it:
...
"Yesterday's fastest lap belonged to Jenson Button on the new orange hard compound. He clocked in at 1m18.861s. For comparison, the fastest time from day one last year was 1m19.670s, which was done on a medium tire.

"Essentially, the initial trend suggests this year's hard compound is outperforming last year's medium—exactly what we were aiming for."

Bottom line: they're faster, but they'll probably shred even quicker.😁
Great. Just what we need—ultra-exciting races right at the start of the season. My heart can barely take it.😬
If these testing times actually mean something, maybe it's finally time for STR to grab another win this season.👋
Man, if I could just nail which driver wins which race, I’d be sitting on a mountain of cash right about now.🤣
It's been ages since an American stood on the top step of the podium... might be time to put some money on Vergne.😳
Anyone know what the odds are on a long shot like that?

It looks like even though Grandpa's gone, the gremlins are still running the show.😬

steelmaker83 said:McLaren started and finished last season with the fastest car, which also meant they had the "fastest" driver on the grid. The result? Zero.

Facts.☕
But look, their number one guy is Button now... and unlike certain other drivers, once he grabs the lead in the championship, he doesn't just let it slip away.
People love to underestimate him, but Button is the only driver who actually beat Vettel and Red Bull.

As far as I'm concerned, he's threat number one. The only thing that might tip the scales in our favor is Perez.😁
I’ve got this nagging feeling he might end up taking out his own teammate while trying to make a pass.😬

Jason Campbell70 said:If we were discussing the weather conditions from the third quarter of 2013 in the States, I’d be right there with you. 😁

Autosport reported that Button set his fastest lap using the hard compound.
But aren't those orange and red tires basically the same thing? 😁
Plus, Button had DRS active for the entire lap.

Besides, we’re just talking about day one of testing. Some drivers were out there on wets as recently as yesterday. 😁

Doesn't matter how similar they look... that photo was snapped right at the end of day one, immediately after Button clocked that time while heading back to the pits. Those tires were definitely the orange ones, not red.

Look, I know these times don't mean much, maybe nothing at all... but it's still a massive gap even before you factor in the tire difference.
And since McLaren ended the season as the fastest car on the grid, it looks like they're the ones everyone's going to be chasing.

And another thing...
2012 Season:
7 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes MP4-27 1:19.464
18 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes MP4-27 1:20.688

2013 Season:
1. Jenson Button McLaren 1m18.861s

If that lap was set on hard tires while everyone else was struggling on mediums—which, honestly, looks like the case—and he’s still that much faster 😲
Then we're all pretty much screwed... Perez for World Champion, I guess 😬

shadowstag10 said:Journalism at its absolute peak 🤦

thank God that wasn't the actual headline—"McLaren absolutely smoked the competition" would've been more accurate 🙄

So, what’s the deal with those orange tires?😕
Saw Button put in a time on some kind of new orange compound🤷

No clue what anyone else was running... but looking at the photos it looks like Lotus, Red Bull, and Ferrari were mostly sticking to the whites or those hard compounds

Here come the new rides:

steelmaker83 said:I'm not stirring the pot, nor did I claim Vettel wasn't a deserved champion. I was simply pointing out how consistently he underestimates Alonso.

He's the only driver who actually applied pressure and kept the championship interesting during those last three dominant Red Bull seasons.

As for the idea that you can't win three titles by accident? Go ask Nelson Piquet Sr...

Where on earth did you get the idea that anyone is underestimating Alonso?
In this whole mess, Alonso is the least likely person to be blamed for why he wasn't a serious threat... that's squarely on Ferrari's shoulders.☕

Sure, that Ferrari was incredibly reliable, which let them scoop up everything everyone else messed up... but in my book, that's not exactly top-tier strategy, especially when the team's whole vibe is basically "let's just hope someone else's engine blows up."
You're supposed to work hard and be fast enough to win when your team actually has a good day, not sit around praying for everyone else to screw up...
And God help us when that's the actual driver's mindset. When the bosses and engineers start relying on luck instead of doing their jobs, I don't even know what to call it.

Championships aren't won by collective whining, chanting, and playing nice within the garage. They're won through the grind of the entire team and brilliant ideas from elite individuals...

Edit:
Has any testing stream or satellite broadcast popped up this season?
Or are we still stuck with zero track footage?😢

From what I can tell, he didn't cause any real trouble during his time on the mod team. He was actually pretty respectful when asking to come back and agreed to all the new moderator terms...
Basically, I think we should give him another shot.🤷

He isn't one of those guys who makes empty promises just to get back in, only to go right back to his old ways the second he gets the power...
In fact, if my memory serves, it’s actually hard to get a straight promise out of him, but once he gives you his word, he actually sticks to it...
So, if we give him a chance, I'm fairly certain there won't be any issues for quite a long time...

If I were still a moderator for Formula 1, I’d give him a chance.🙂

But look, the decision about removing his part-time status is entirely up to the new moderator crew and administration...
So, my opinion isn't exactly a heavy hitter here, but I just wanted to say that I think he deserves an opportunity.🙂

Look, even if the RB9 doesn't look drastically different from the RB8, I can see something special under the hood here—something that’s going to be a nightmare for anyone else to replicate...
Honestly, this car looks more dominant than any Red Bull we've seen yet. If my gut is right, we're looking at an incredibly boring season ahead... just another fourth title handed to them solely because their car is on another level. 😢

steelmaker83 said:lol, Alonso just happened to be inches away from the title twice due to pure luck, and the third time he actually posed a serious threat.

That guy is something else.

As for Sebastian, I’ll just say enjoy it while it lasts. It won't be much longer, and whether he ever does it again is a different question entirely.

Alonso’s a beast behind the wheel, and let’s be real—Ferrari is always right up there in that top three or five. Always have been.🤷
It’s not exactly shocking that they ended up picking up whatever scraps everyone else left behind. But let’s be real—Ferrari and Alonso weren't actually a threat in terms of raw pace. They just weren't.
Forget the threats. It’s hard to take anyone seriously when you’re starting P3 or P4 in a championship decider, especially when you still have to muscle your own teammate out of the way just to stand a chance.
You can only win if you're in some insane race against a sea of excuses. Your whole strategy for grabbing a title basically boils down to: "I just hope Sebastian and everyone ahead of me blow an engine."
That’s not the real threat. The real threat is when you’re absolutely dominating practice, qualifying, and the race itself—right up until the engine blows. It’s about having the faster car exactly when it matters most, especially during those championship-deciding rounds.

One thing is absolutely certain about Sebastian: he’s going to be stuck in F1 way longer than Alonso.😁

I didn't even need to watch the rest. Newey did exactly what I thought he would.😍

steelmaker83 said:Lol, you say the exact same thing every single season, yet when Alonso is actually the only threat on the grid, you suddenly go quiet.

And every single year, Vettel takes the title again.😁

The only legitimate threat lately has been McLaren—specifically Hamilton and Button.
The rest of them? Just a bunch of underachievers who couldn't squeeze the potential out of their cars for one reason or another. That’s why Alonso ended up fighting for scraps.

By the way, looks like Red Bull is a total beast. A scary one, too.😁

darkmarlin16 said:Red Bull is absolutely disgusting 🙂

Is Bernie Ecclestone handsome? 😬
Then again, who knows... maybe he’s just efficient. 😍🤣

Let everyone else obsess over looks. Looks like the title fight is gonna be Vettel vs. Webber vs. Kimi vs. Hamilton anyway...
Honestly, I couldn't care less. 😍