Posts by stormybadger8

Alex Barnes93 said:On a track where you either want pole or P3 rather than being stuck in P2 (like California, for instance), they’re definitely going to be pulling their hair out.

Valtteri Bottas is completely washed.

Not even close. It won't happen...
Honestly, Sergio Perez could easily lead from the very first turn...
Perez is on softs, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are on mediums...

Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly are on softs too...
If Perez pulls a Lujo at the start and manages to get ahead of Max Verstappen—and heaven forbid, maybe even Gasly—we might actually see some Mad Max action. 😁

Raymond Anderson4 said:2 PM, should've been at 3.

What kind of idiot moves qualifying for this? Seriously, what does the rest of the world care about some random guy passing away.

I guess those geniuses over at Liberty think Sir Lewis Hamilton and the rest of the American crowd on the grid are dying to stare at a fallen Queen...
And if they don't let them, that activist Lewis will probably start some protest against them immediately...

https://www.skysports.com/watch/vide...ry-imola-crash

How on earth did Perez dodge a penalty for that? 🤔

1. Hamilton
2. Verstappen
3. Gasly

4. Bottas
5. Perez
6. Ricciardo
7. Leclerc
8. Sainz
9. Norris
10. Vettel
11. Tsunoda
12. Ocon
13. Stroll
14. Raikkonen
15. Russell
16. Giovinazzi
17. Lafiti

NOP Alonso
NOP Schumacher
NOP Mazepin

PP Bottas
FL Gasly

Let’s be real, Sergio Perez couldn't possibly be under this much pressure right now. He’s spent his whole career in cars where nobody expects even a podium finish, let alone an actual fight for wins...

As for Christian Horner, he’s always come off as a shady character to me. The guy seems ready to go to war with anyone and everyone—even his own drivers. He'll happily trip them up just to stay on top...
And honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if he pulls the same stunt on Max, let alone Perez...

If Pierre Gasly has even an ounce of sense, he needs to get out of there the second he gets the chance. He should follow the lead of Carlos Sainz and Ricciardo and run...

Hamilton pulls a 15-20 lap gap after telling the crew over the radio, "My tires are absolutely shot!"
Then, just for fun, an insulted teammate like Bottas or Rosberg manages to shave a thousandth off their time in the final lap if they get a fresh set of rubber. 😬
That’s basically been the script for the last seven seasons. Let's see how it plays out this year...

I don't really see the point of chasing an extra point for this.
Honestly, I'd rather bet on whether there's going to be a Safety Car or not...
Or maybe guess how many drivers actually finish the race versus how many just give up mid-way...
This whole thing about which lap the Safety Car comes out feels a bit weird to me.

That’s the whole joke right there...
The FIA—basically the refs—operate like this: if someone starts whining over the team radio, they start looking into penalties. If everyone stays quiet, nothing happens...
Sadly, a ton of these calls are purely political. They look at who's complaining and which team is doing the complaining.

The real issue is that the stewards are mostly just guys who lack the backbone to penalize media darlings or drivers from the ultra-wealthy teams.
They definitely don't have the guts to just shut down the whining immediately and say, "Cut the crap, that's legal," because they know the media will tear them apart for it...
In these situations, it unfortunately matters way more who said it than what was actually said...
That’s why so many decisions get pushed until after the race. You end up waiting hours or even days for Mass or Jean Todt or whoever else to make the call,
because the stewards don't have the balls to make a decision right then and there. Plus, the rules are overly complicated and can be interpreted any which way you want...

And all of this stems from these absolutely moronic phrasings like the one here about what's allowed...
It says it's fine, but it's not like it's always legal in every single scenario; it says "it's not punishable to go off track at Turn 4 unless you gain a significant advantage"
I mean, hello? What counts as significant? A thousandth, a hundredth, a tenth, or a full second per lap? 🙂
How are you supposed to measure that, and against what? How do you even define that famous line between a "significant" and an "insignificant" advantage? 🙄
It's pure stupidity when you're given instructions and rules like that. With a rule like this, you could easily penalize every accidental little slip, while simultaneously ignoring constant track limit violations...

Keep it simple: stay on the track or don't. Period.
Give them a five-second penalty and move on. All this talk about whether a "significant advantage" was gained makes zero sense...
If you actually wanted to forgive people who messed up and went wide without gaining anything, it would be incredibly easy to monitor.
Just look at the sector times. If a driver goes wide and clocks a 32:658 in that sector...
and their previous lap was a 33:657, they were slower, so no penalty. But if the lap before was a 32:659, they were faster, so boom—automatic penalty...
The dumbest part is that in this day and age, a computer could handle those calculations and hand out penalties instantly without anyone needing to ramble on about it...

mellowtiger83 said:Poor Sebastian Vettel gets slapped with a penalty because of Nikita Mazepin through no fault of his own—he couldn't even react in time.

I still don't get this whole nonsense situation, not even a little bit...
Not only did he take the penalty, but he also racked up 5—yes, 5 damn penalty points, which is basically halfway to a race ban.🤦

All because Mazepin spun out and suddenly Vettel's lap ended up being even slower than his previous one...

It’s funny how those same stewards failed to notice that Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso set the fastest laps in Q1 right when Mazepin spun, while they were simultaneously blowing past Carlos Sainz, who was stranded on track under yellow flags, with their pedals floored.😍

But hey, whose fault is it that Vettel isn't driving for Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, or Mercedes...
You can probably just assume none of those clowns calling themselves stewards would ever have the guts to penalize a driver from one of those top teams for some vague bullshit like this.

Richard Walker38 said:I just don't get this. First, people claim Mercedes is so dominant that Hamilton had it easy getting to the title, then two sentences later they act like anyone could have won it. 🤷

Generally me, I don't get downplaying someone's success just because they're driving a great car. If we go by that logic, we should wipe out all of Vettel's titles at Red Bull Racing, erase Alonso's wins in that dominant R25, and maybe even toss Michael's titles at Ferrari too? If we're talking about pure dominance, Mercedes pulled in 44% more points in the constructors' standings during their peak season than the runner-up. In 2002, Ferrari beat the field by 59%.

Comparing those eras is literally like comparing apples to oranges...
The hybrid era...
Mercedes 1-2 = 43 points
Red Bull Racing 3-4 = 27 points
Difference: 37.29%

The Ferrari era...
Ferrari 1-2 = 16 points
Williams 3-4 = 7 points
Difference: 56.25% 🙂

So that famous 44% for Mercedes is actually even bigger than Ferrari's 59% when you look at it this way. 😉
You're forgetting that the point gap was massive back then, and a win was worth way more relatively speaking than it is today. 😉

Just for comparison, a win was 10 points vs. 6th place being 1 point (so 10 times more, and 7th place didn't even score).
Nowadays, 6th place gets you 8 points, so the math would be the same as if a win today earned 80 points...
Just imagine how huge the gap would look if Lujo got 80 points for every win...

As for Hamilton and the "dominance" thing, he isn't the issue here.
If anything, he brought the whole team to his side; they're completely dialed in to him, from top to bottom.
What actually bugs me is all the nonsense about his battles with Bottas, that dangerous Alfa Romeo, and all that other rubbish...
It's obvious that on a good day, nobody could even get close to him.

The other issue is how the FIA often looks the other way regarding Mercedes. Honestly, there's no need for either—Hamilton is plenty skilled enough to beat Bottas without any of Toto's interference, and Mercedes is a strong enough crew to win without any special treatment.

darkmarlin16 said:How many overtakes did Perez actually make?
And did anyone even pass him?

Tsunoda overtook Vettel 3 times.😁

But people only have something to say when he passes Alonso—guess he actually knows who he's passing.

Kid's gonna be great.🙂

Weird logic here...
Vettel started 20th and Yuki was 13th.😍
So I guess Vettel passed Tsunoda first, then Tsunoda just took his spot back... right?

Richard Walker38 said:Sure, 2019 and 2020 were a breeze, he had zero competition, but claiming he had a superior car for MOST of his career is pure idiocy.

If Hamilton didn't have the best cars looking at his whole career, then who did?😍

Look, maybe he didn't have an absolute monster of a car for all 14 seasons, but he definitely had a top-tier machine every single year that was capable of hitting the podium, at the very least...
And for the vast majority of those 14 seasons, he had a car built to win titles.
Given his insane marketing pull and raw talent, it would be pretty stupid if he wasn't in those seats...

Technically, the only real outliers were 2009 and 2013 when he actually lacked a title contender, but even then, it's a stretch...
In every other season, with slightly better driving, smarter pit wall calls, and mechanics who weren't constantly breaking stuff—basically, fewer bizarre failures—he could’ve grabbed more titles...

As for the hybrid era years? It's almost laughable to even bring up, because we're talking about the most dominant outfit in history.
There isn't even another team you can compare them to.
It was quite literally the perfect marriage of driver, chassis, engine, and crew. 🙏

Honestly, I don't know what's more delusional in this fanboy nonsense. 🤣
Punching out nonsense like saying Germany hasn't been dominant in this hybrid era... 😍
Or rambling on about how anyone in that German car would've been winning titles left and right...
Hard to say which is more brainless...

Just look at this race as an example...
Okay, he didn't stroll to victory, and he didn't even have the fastest car.
But still, Germany was dominant compared to Red Bull Racing.
They absolutely crushed them tactically and intellectually, regardless of the fact that Red Bull Racing had a slightly faster car.
The team won that race, primarily the crew, and then Hamilton...
And they did it against Red Bull Racing, who have lightning-fast mechanics in the pits and are tactical heavyweights themselves, unlike those amateurs in red...

Raymond Anderson4 said:Red Bull basically tripped over their own feet.

First off, they didn't capitalize on turn 4.
Second, if they hadn't stayed quiet, there wouldn't have been a mid-race decision, and Max Verstappen's overtake would've stood.

Third, the strategy was a mess. Max Verstappen spent 15 or 16 laps just chasing down the Mercedes. That chase is exactly what cost him the win; by the time he actually went for Lewis Hamilton, his tires were shot. Zero traction left. Red Bull was killing it in high-speed corners where aero dominates, but they were falling apart in the slow and medium speed turns because the rubber just wasn't there anymore.
Max isn't just fighting Lewis Hamilton; he's fighting Mercedes and their entire massive operation. They're a brutal team—they watch everything, study everything, and always have an answer.

You're comparing apples to oranges here...
Someone spinning out of a corner on their own is one thing—fine, maybe they grab a penalty after a few misses...
But it’s a completely different story if you use that exact same move to overtake someone else...

mellowtiger83 said:My neutral take is that Lewis didn't gain any kind of advantage here. What "cutting corners" are you even talking about? Max got penalized because at the exact moment they were fighting for position, he was off at all four corners, and since the next sequence is just a mild left followed by a mild right, the left actually works in his favor.

It’s not just Hamilton "cutting corners" here; plenty of other drivers have been doing it lap after lap.

As far as I know, the pre-race briefing stated this wouldn't be sanctioned, so Red Bull basically shot themselves in the foot.

By the way, I would've preferred a Max Verstappen win too, but it wasn't primarily due to bad strategy.

Let’s be real: the FIA completely blew this one.
Whatever happened with Max is irrelevant—if it's against the rules, it's against the rules.
That’s exactly why Red Bull told him to give the position back, which was a totally logical move...

But this stuff with Hamilton is a joke. If it's legal, then it's legal for the whole race.
If it isn't, then it shouldn't be allowed in lap 7 or lap 38. You can't just decide it's fine for 30 laps and then suddenly claim it's a violation.😵

darkmarlin16 said:What car number are you driving if that's how many points you get under the new rules?🤣

Yeah, I guess that's about it.🤣

bluepuma9 said:There’s basically no reason to penalize anyone unless they’re actually gaining an advantage on track. Plenty of drivers used that tactic just to save their tires during the most technical sections, but clearly, Max Verstappen didn't think of it.

No logic in penalizing...
But there's plenty of logic in handing Sebastian Vettel 5 penalty points at Bahrain 🙏🤣
Man, even Pastor Maldonado couldn't rack up 5 points in a single race during his wildest starts. This has to be some kind of record.🤣

neonfox65 said:Didn't he have a fresh set of reds?

Honestly, I have no clue if he did or didn't. I wasn't really paying attention...
But the rule of thumb is that drivers running in Q3—especially those fighting for pole who burn through two laps—usually end up without a single fresh set of softs left for the race.

neonfox65 said:Before the FIA goes after Max

Look, I've been following F1 and other motorsports for 20 years now, and I have never seen a Theft quite like this. Honestly, I'd be embarrassed if my last name was Hamilton

Who robbed who? 😵 And what on earth does Hamilton have to do with any of this...
It’s not like Lewis Hamilton ordered Max Verstappen to give back the position. Even the FIA didn't step in—Red Bull Racing did it themselves as a precaution because they knew Max messed up during the overtake and was definitely going to get penalized...

The only real stain on Hamilton's win is how he kept cutting track half the race...
Half the race, those clowns acting as stewards were basically asleep at the wheel, ignoring Hamilton and a bunch of other drivers cutting corners.
They didn't notice anything until Red Bull gave Max a heads-up about him stepping off the track, and suddenly it's a massive issue. Apparently, it's only okay when it suits them. 🙂

Then there's that bizarre qualifying situation where the stewards decide not to penalize anyone—not even investigating Hamilton or Fernando Alonso, who clearly sped up under yellow flags right as Carlos Sainz Jr. was sitting on the track to set their fastest Q1 laps...
Yet, at the exact same time, they suddenly remember to punish the guy who passed Nikita Mazepin before the yellow flags were even out. 😁
The logic is just phenomenal: punish someone who wasn't even waved down by yellow flags because, hey, they "should have known" yellows were coming...
But you don't punish the guy who actually got waved down and somehow managed to set his fastest lap while the yellows were flying. 😁

neonfox65 said:I honestly thought they'd be on reds for the final stint, but there were still 16 laps left. I couldn't believe the red tires wouldn't last 16 laps—if those are garbage, what else is there? If Max had gotten the reds, he would've absolutely torn Lewis Hamilton apart.

What reds?
It’s highly likely Max and the rest of the crew didn't even have fresh softs; they probably just had whatever was left from qualifying. There's no way those could last 15 laps on a track like Bahrain...
The real question is whether even brand-new softs could handle it, let alone the used ones they've basically run into the ground during qualifying.

Frank Collins85 said:He basically masked his lack of talent; he’s ready for retirement.

Look, he wasn't even bad during that first stint...
He had a killer start, carved his way up 12 spots, and held a solid position later on—but let's be real, that was just because everyone else pitted at the right time...
He clearly shredded those tires completely. Once the rest of the field ducked into the pits, he dropped like a stone through the order. He clawed his way back up later, but only because they blindly stuck to a strategy that did way more harm than good.

It feels like they're trying to recycle those old-school long-stint strategies where you baby the tires, but clearly, that doesn't work with a car this mediocre.
Lance Stroll got burned by a nearly identical tactic.
He gained about 6 or 7 spots right off the launch 🤔, only to slide down to tenth because he stayed out far too long with a garbage strategy at the end...

Honestly, Vettel’s race was a complete disaster, mostly due to some absolute tactical stupidity...
Basically, he stayed out way too long on mediums that were basically gummy bears by the end. He was stuck behind Sergio Perez in that first stint, who pitted and then blew right past him in just a few laps. 🤦

They stretched that first stint way past the point of sanity. Then they went for the second one, and even before getting caught up with Esteban Ocon, he didn't stand a chance at scoring any points...
He managed to shave a little time off Kimi Räikkönen, and maybe—if we’re talking about a literal miracle—he could have forced a pass later on, but even then, there was no way he’d hit the top 10 because Jukica had already checked out far ahead...

And the dumbest part? They had plenty of tires to play with; they could have done anything...
It actually blows my mind that they didn't pit about 15 laps before the end.
They perfectly had a window where switching to Softs or Mediums would have only cost them three spots (Nicholas Latifi, Giovanni Russell, Esteban Ocon), allowing them to jump ahead of George Russell and then charge on fresh rubber...
That was the realistic move: either beat Esteban Ocon or maybe, if things went incredibly well, fight Kimi (who had much fresher tires).
I have no clue what kid they were waiting for, but realistically, scoring points on those ancient tires wasn't happening, even if a Safety Car popped up...

Seriously though, I don't get how on earth Vettel brought the Ferrari strategists along with him to America. 😱