Posts by stormybadger8

Regarding Australia...
Footage of the Vettel vs Leclerc situation and their contact.
https://streamable.com/o/r85cw#?secret=uCOCT4plhS

Whoa, look at that, there was actually contact between Vettel and Leclerc!!!
Honestly, this could have easily ended with a blown tire for Vettel and a wrecked front wing for Leclerc!

For those who don't believe me, you can clearly see here that Vettel was definitely braking hard and locking up, and he pretty much lost control of the car...
Because right before the contact, you can totally see his rear end dancing around...
If he had gone deeper like some people suggested, or if he hadn't braked, the chances of him spinning out would've been about 99%...

Second thing—Vettel was following the exact same line as Bottas/Hamilton... maybe even staying further off the curbs than Hamilton/Bottas did.

Third thing—huge surprise for me personally!
Max was incredibly cautious and careful; you have to hand it to him, he acted maturely without being aggressive, which isn't like him at all.
He obviously realized he’d lost ground to Vettel and even Leclerc, and he didn't try to force his way back at all.
Instead, you see this serious approach where he's basically thinking, "Okay, I messed up the first round, let's just nail this corner without crashing (at least not my own car) and then I'll squeeze them."
With an attitude like this, he could be seriously competitive and a real threat in the title hunt this season. 😳

Fourth thing—I still have no clue what kid Leclerc is and why he was lunging in like that. 🤦
He was forcing it right next to Vettel, aiming straight for him the whole time, and didn't back off for a second; he just kept crowding Vettel. 😵

Click the image to see it in higher resolution...

And that's even though it's obvious from the aerial view that he had zero chance of getting ahead of Vettel, unless Vettel decided to brake like an idiot and let him through...

The dumbest part is the kid actually had plenty of room to just ease off and slip in ahead of Max. Max gave him the space to make the move. 😲
Max was clearly being careful and didn't want to risk a collision, so he left the gap for Leclerc to slide in front of him!







So much for the idea that Leclerc couldn't get past Max and it was somehow Vettel's fault...

I can hardly believe it, but in this whole mess, Max is actually the smartest and calmest one out there. 😲

James Roberts87 said:You must be married.😁😁

I’ve got more experience with this than most people here have years on their birth certificates. It's not even close. 😁

Roger Wright94 said:And how many times were they screwing with his head, and how many times did he blindly, submissively, and spinelessly just listen to them!?

Why does anyone consider that messing with his head or being spineless?

For God's sake, someone hands you 5, 10, or 20 million bucks to drive 21 races a year in the best car on the grid...
On top of that, they ask you to play second fiddle to a teammate who's faster than you at least 70% of the time...

And that's the problem? That's what's "messing with his head"?
Seriously?
I don't see it. 🤷

Messing with someone's head would be like when Sauber promises you a seat if you bring in enough sponsors, you pull it off, show up in Australia, and find some other guy sitting in "your" car wearing "your" suit...
That's getting screwed over, not this...

What Red Bull has been doing to Gasly for years could actually be called messing with his head—you're in, then you're out, then you're back, it's just a constant cycle...

And I'm pretty sure van der Graditi and Gasly would gladly take it if Mercedes were the ones screwing with their heads. 🙂

Gary Palmer8 said:lol such a massive brain... look, they didn't trust Honda, but they signed them anyway 🤣🤣🤣 just so I can watch some of you guys make business decisions haha

The fact that it's Honda, and they stuck to the plan to succeed, and that a top 3 team signed them, proves it's a world-class team with elite tech that'll eventually hit the top. Maybe not this year, but next year could be it, and then we're looking at championship glory.

Red Bull signing Honda for STR actually makes perfect sense from a business standpoint—it's brilliant logic...
They could have easily left Honda in STR this season and kept the RB crew on Renault if Renault turned out to be the better bet...

Then they could just switch to Honda later once Honda proves itself to be better than Renault—say, in 2020 or 2021, or maybe never if Renault stayed stronger and more reliable.

Basically, they just kept their options open for the main team or the RB squad...
In the meantime, they pulled the trigger on Honda and clearly made a damn good call. 👍

It’s also perfectly logical that they started car development for this season ages ago. If they started before making the final call between Renault or Honda, then obviously they built the car around what they knew they had—specifically the PU they were certain would deliver at least what they currently have...

So this whole theory actually holds water. Regardless of the nonsense Marko often blabs about regarding how this year's car was tuned specifically for the Renault PU, it's very likely true.

And it’s not just that—we’ve had Fast Lap and pole position plus those extra combo points for ages now...
Honestly, we're miles ahead of the FIA, FOM, and Liberty Media when it comes to actual innovation. 😁

Nicholas Newman2 said:From the psychic Milan 😛
Around the exact same time you claim they intentionally sabotaged Nico Rosberg while Lewis Hamilton just had "random" breakdowns 😒

You're working with ancient history here...
Just because Toto was managing Bottas back in the day doesn't mean much, because that ship sailed a long time ago...

Unless Bottas is paying him massive amounts of cash under the table—because let’s be real, there isn't usually some deep love between a driver and a manager (unless we're talking about a situation like Flavio and Alonso)—for most people, this is just a job and nothing more...

Think about it 😉
For Toto, Lewis Hamilton is lightyears ahead of Bottas, Rosberg, or Ocon in terms of value...
Bottas is basically just filling Rosberg's old seat. He's easily replaceable—driving-wise, marketing-wise, or whatever else you want to measure...

Hamilton, on the other hand? Replacing his talent might not be the biggest headache, but
marketing-wise, nobody on the grid even comes close to Hamilton's pull... not even close.
Especially not Vettel. Sure, he'd be the obvious choice to drive if Hamilton left, but marketing-wise, Vettel is practically useless. He stays out of the spotlight, doesn't do Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, doesn't have a massive fan army, or whatever else you need...
He doesn't show up at events, doesn't go grabbing drinks all over the world, and so on...
Then you've got Lewis, who is constantly everywhere, and the media is always buzzing about "Mercedes' driver Lewis Hamilton hanging out somewhere or other," and companies like Mercedes absolutely love seeing the name "Mercedes" in the headlines, regardless of the reason...

fadedpanther51 said:Everyone at the Italian Grand Prix acted like an absolute idiot in their own special way. You had one guy just talking total nonsense, then Vettel, who was clearly on edge and couldn't wait a second for Kimi Raikkonen to move out of the way. And then there's Kimi, who didn't exactly show much consideration for a teammate fighting for the championship—probably knowing full well how short his teammate's fuse is. Honestly, better to just forget the whole mess.

Unfortunately, that’s true—well, partially.
Drivers acting like idiots? That’s just a symptom of having a terrible boss and even worse management.

It’s pretty clear that unnamed is the one truly at fault here. That's exactly why he had to get the boot.
Look, unnamed is the one who actually needs to step up, get things organized, and start showing some real authority.
And he shouldn't be leaving those kinds of calls up to the driver's discretion, either. 🤦
What is Kimi Raikkonen supposed to do? Just lose his mind? Should he be sitting there overthinking what his boss ought to do versus what actually makes sense?
Sebastian Vettel really needs to stop losing his cool mid-race. It’s ridiculous. He should already know if they're going to tell Kimi Raikkonen to move out of the way or not.
Stop wondering if that unnamed guy is actually going to grow a pair today, or if Kimi Raikkonen will finally remember he needs to get out of the way.

Germany was way worse for me. We’re talking about two drivers on the same team running completely different strategies, and the boss couldn't figure out how to manage them for even thirteen laps. Absolute mess.
Now even Kimi has to ask the team if this kid is just shooting blanks and whether he should pack his bags or not...
Look, even two hotheads like Sergio Perez and Esteban Ocon knew exactly when to back off once they realized they were running completely different strategies.
If the boss doesn't have the guts to make a call right now, he’s just proving he’s a complete amateur.

fadedpanther51 said:It’s all the same story. Whether it's Ferrari back in the Michael Schumacher era or Red Bull Racing during the Vettel years, it's just different flavors of the exact same nonsense.

Not really...
If I remember correctly, back when Jean Todt was running things, Ferrari actually had a boss. They had clear priorities and everything was exactly where it needed to be. It was a team that ran like a Swiss watch.
It’s kind of like today’s Mercedes—everything is dialed in, everyone knows their job, and nobody is stepping on anyone else's toes.

Red Bull during the Vettel era wasn't even close to being that polished when it came to leadership. They definitely had their share of stupid mistakes—just like Ferrari did last year, and more than once at that.
Back then, they actually let drivers get away with total bullshit—messing with each other on the track and using all kinds of weird, shady tactics. Then it just turned into this collective circus where everyone, from the drivers to Helmut Marko and Christian Horner, would just go out and trash each other in the media.
So, were those weird tactics actually intentional? Honestly, I have no clue. But even if they were... who cares? It doesn't matter.
Look, if that wasn't intentional, then they're just incompetent. Their priorities are all over the place.
Even if they did it on purpose, it doesn't change much. It’s just a blatant display of a Team Principal who can't get his act together. He clearly hasn't got the guts to tell his drivers exactly who's the Number 1 and who's the Number 2. Total weakness.
So, they really have to cook up some transparent bullshit just to shove Driver B behind Driver A... unbelievable.
Then they spend weeks dragging it out in the media, making excuses and whatever else...
It’s just proof the boss lacks the backbone to actually command his own drivers...

And it was damn obvious that Horner didn't have the guts or the capacity to step up and get any of those drivers in line properly. He couldn't set things straight if he tried.

As far as I can tell, this Binotto guy is shaping up to be a real leader...
Not that I won't personally hate some of his calls down the road, purely because I'm biased...
But for now, Binotto has definitely shown he's the boss. 👍
No games, no PR nonsense, no finger-pointing... just "this is how it is, I'm in charge, listen to me, period." ☕
He told Leclerc exactly where things stood right out of the gate without any stalling or dodging, and the kid took it like a champ.

He laid it all out before the season even started without playing mind games, so there's really no point overanalyzing it.

Monza wasn't even that bad. I mean, it wasn't nearly as soul-crushing as Germany. Germany was just straight-up 😵

God, it’s pathetic when Kimi starts acting like he doesn't care after ten laps—just sitting there, basically pissing himself and shitting himself, waiting for someone to ask if his kid is okay or if he's finally going to take orders for once. 🤦🤣

At the end of the day, Ferrari got hammered because they didn't use team orders when they actually needed them.
Good grief, even British Sky or C4 were acting shocked, wondering what kind of kid they had that wouldn't follow orders, or if maybe there was some technical glitch with the team radio or something. 🤦
Seriously, British Sky/C4, who are die-hard Hamilton fans, couldn't wrap their heads around it. They were debating live on air about how Ferrari is totally losing it and what on earth they're even waiting for. 🤦🤣

And honestly, those same idiots would have been acting the exact same way in Germany last year if they hadn't used Valtteri Bottas the way they did...

People keep saying the Red Bull car was built specifically for the Renault engine, not the Honda one...
If that's actually true, then it’s not out of the question that the current chassis just isn't perfect right now...

Which basically means we could see a totally different RB car or a "B-spec" version around the time of Barcelona...

It would also pretty much explain Ricciardo's move, since it's obvious Red Bull didn't really trust Honda anyway—after all, they didn't design this car with them in mind to begin with...
Instead, it looks like the whole thing was designed with a backup plan in case things went south, letting them ditch Honda for 2019 and stick with Renault...
It's even possible that Ricciardo leaving for Renault was the final straw, providing the ultimate excuse to dump Renault and finally commit to Honda...

Nicholas Newman2 said:To make things even more ridiculous, everyone keeps forgetting one crucial fact: Toto Wolff is the boss at Mercedes.

Where on earth did you get that info, and how long have you been believing it?🙂

neonfox65 said:Power Unit observations:

Kimi’s RPM drops on the way to turn 11 in Q3 (between 3:20 and 3:23), and he’s complaining he probably ran out of ERS juice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipI7...youtu.be&t=195

Romain Grosjean on the radio during Q3 saying he "ran out of SOC twice":

Ferrari engines looking pretty fast through the speed traps:
View on imgur

Vettel doing a ton of lift and coast, looks like that green LED shows it:
https://streamable.com/seq60

Vettel’s RPM dropping while he asks about the PU:
https://streamable.com/s19in

Leclerc’s RPM dropping (?) right under the Rolex ad:
https://streamable.com/iro84

All this observation stuff is pointless if you're looking at it without context...

Obviously, Vettel was running in the weakest mode possible, and there's a simple reason: his tires were shot...
Why on earth would he push the engine when it was clear he had massive tire issues almost from the start of that medium stint?
Once it became obvious the undercut failed and there was zero chance of catching Lewis Hamilton regardless of what mode he was in...
Given how early they pitted, the only realistic goal was to hold position, not move up...

It was obvious he had no prayer attacking Hamilton ahead of him... he tried right at the start of that second stint and realized he wasn't even close...
He couldn't even get within DRS range even though Hamilton slowed to a 1:29... let alone anything else, so he just basically gave up...
He might have even cooked his tires during that first flying lap and then those few laps chasing Hamilton trying to stay within a second.🤷

Same goes for Max; there was no way he could hold him off given the pace. Max was a full second faster on fresh rubber while Vettel’s tires were already dead...
The only thing he'd gain by trying to defend aggressively was completely destroying his tires within a few laps (or worse, crashing and getting a free DNF), followed by an extra pit stop,
which would just leave him sliding down the order like a rock behind Pierre Gasly somewhere between laps 30 and 35.
http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?p...Pierre%20Gasly
And you tell me how long he could have stayed out on mediums and actually matched Vettel's pace...
Red Bull could have easily sacrificed Gasly just to clog up traffic and knock Vettel out of points; they weren't winning much with him anyway...
So, it’s highly debatable whether he would have even passed him or how long he would have lasted on track if Vettel had been the one behind him.

They probably even told him not to bother fighting Max. It’s smarter to just let him pass; otherwise, they risk finishing completely outside the points...
Because losing a spot when Max breezes past is only a 3-point hit, whereas the risk of losing way more if the tires totally fall off is massive...
And that's assuming Max passes Lewis Hamilton (which was expected anyway), in which case the gap to Hamilton isn't really a big deal either...

So, when you put it in context, it’s perfectly logical to save the engine and switch to "safe mode," especially since you're allowed three engines this season before getting penalized...
Just save what you can to protect those points. Reclaiming a position from Max is impossible, and losing one to anyone behind him is also impossible, no matter how much you baby the engine...

That’s called being rational—take what you can get...
Instead of picking fights you can't win, which clearly risks losing the whole war...

As for Leclerc, the question is when he started slowing down. If it was after he closed in on Vettel and was told not to overtake, then it's damn well obvious why he was saving the engine too...

Regarding Kimi Raikkonen and the rest, it's no surprise their speeds were what they were...
Kimi was stuck in a pack where there was zero chance to break through. Naturally, he was saving the engine, so his pace couldn't be anything special, especially since he was stuck behind David Coulthard and couldn't make a move...
It's a mystery why David Coulthard is the first one above him on the list... I wonder why.

The only thing that's truly bizarre is Magnussen and his lap times...
That would imply the Haas is a freaking rocket in slow corners—maybe even the best car in that segment...🤔
Because hell, Magnussen was the only one in a lap with the top 5 cars, well ahead of David Coulthard. He wasn't slowed down by anyone or under pressure from behind...
Yet his top speed and sector times are absolute garbage...🤔

Though it makes sense that he was also nursing the engine most of the race, given he had no competition from behind and zero chance to attack those in front...

Which would mean Haas is way ahead of the midfield, and we won't be fighting for 4th in the standings, but rather battling for 5th...
Or maybe it's just the result of that slow Renault trailing him...🤷

My overall takeaway from Melbourne is that following other cars is still the exact same mess as before...
I mean, maybe the tire situation is better for some (Ferrari doesn't look like they've figured it out), but as far as overtaking goes, nothing has changed...
Maybe it's just the Melbourne race, though we didn't see much DRS action either. Most overtakes were just cars passing others because of technical issues or just a massive difference in pace...
So, in my opinion, these new rule changes haven't actually improved anything significant...

Nicholas Newman2 said:I honestly have no clue what dimension you're living in.

If that’s how it works, was it just a simple button press to cause a DNF for Rosberg's car? Or maybe they just "forgot" about tires, like they did to Eddie Irvine back at Ferrari or recently to Ricciardo at Red Bull Racing.

And what if they didn't?
Rosberg never had random mechanical failures, weird spins into the woods, or bizarre tactical calls. 🙂
The only reason they let Rosberg grab a title was partly because of Hamilton's struggles, and partly because he got way too cocky and needed to be knocked down a peg...
Honestly, I wouldn't even be shocked if Russia staged the whole thing just to boost their car's reputation, especially since the American media and Hamilton himself don't talk up Hamilton's "out of this world" efforts in a mediocre car nearly as much anymore...

Nicholas Newman2 said:And while we're on the subject, it would be a shame not to mention pulling a perfectly good gearbox just to shove the No. 2 driver behind the No. 1 on the starting grid. We all know exactly who they were doing that to.

Now go wash your face and tell me who here is blind, deaf, or just hallucinating. Come on!

So what?
Of course Ferrari does that—they've always done it and they always will...
I'm fully aware of that, and I'm not lying to myself by pretending otherwise.
But I'm also just as aware that it's not just Ferrari; everyone does it.
For one very simple reason: they have every motive to.

At the end of the day, try finding anyone complaining about that time Massa had to let Alonso win with those "Alonso is faster than you" messages sent over the radio.
🙂 Everyone was talking trash about Alonso, Ferrari, and whatever else...
You know who wasn't???
Tibi, who's a Vettel fan.
Because that's what I expected, and that's why I think Ferrari's move was totally justified...☕ In fact, I'm probably one of the few people actually defending that decision from Ferrari...

Honestly, the only real difference between teams when it comes to team orders is the sheer amount of hypocrisy, brown-nosing, and lying involved...
That's it.

Anyway, regarding Hamilton in Australia...☕

So now we know why Bottas won and why it was such a blowout...
It wasn't because Mercedes allowed it or wanted it or whatever; it's because Hamilton clearly had a damaged car...

Richard Walker38 said:Personally, I think every team should just tell their drivers during the first few races to fight for their own positions. Don't mess with them, don't overthink the math—just let them race. Then, whoever manages to open up the best gap and gets the better result can enjoy being the "favorite" when the situation calls for someone to grab those crucial points later on.

Sure, that sounds like a dream scenario for us fans and the drivers...

But the reality is that every single Formula 1 team operates with a priority driver. Basically, teams in this sport are built on being masters of compromise.
Compromising between aero and engine power, compromising between reliability and raw output, and so on.
The goal is always finding that perfect middle ground to squeeze out the fastest possible lap time.
It’s the exact same story when it comes to race strategy.
And yeah, it's the same deal with the drivers. ☕

Two drivers in the same car will never, ever have the exact same strategy. Never. ☕
One driver is going to get the better hand, and that better hand is inevitably handed to the lead driver...

Look at Australia. The first successful undercut strategy went to—ta-da!—Vettel (who was actually ahead, but let's be real, it would've been the same result even if he were behind...).
But at the same time, Hamilton also got that superior undercut strategy, even though he was behind Bottas...
Now, we can all lie to ourselves and say Mercedes reacted to Vettel because they were terrified Ferrari might suddenly become lightning fast (sure, keep dreaming...), but realistically, Hamilton got that call primarily to give him a shot at undercutting Bottas.
And honestly? That's totally normal.

Because if you're being realistic, you have to ask:
- If we hit a tight championship battle lasting until the final race against Red Bull Racing and Ferrari, who is the smarter bet: Hamilton or Bottas?
If you answer that logically rather than as a fan, the answer is clearly Hamilton. ☕
Even Bottas's ghost would agree.

Same thing with Ferrari. Sure, Leclerc is our golden boy, our future, and all that jazz...
But realistically, there's still zero proof he can consistently deliver titles and podiums, so there isn't much to debate there (for now...).

It's a completely different story when one team has a totally dominant car and nobody stands a chance of catching them, even in a fever dream...
Only then can a team say, "Fine, screw it, just race, we don't care who wins the title."

Though, let's be honest, even that won't happen if one driver is a massive marketing powerhouse compared to the other, or if one guy is simply getting paid a mountain more.
Otherwise, the team bosses look ridiculous for paying someone 4 or 5 times more, and the marketing departments funding the whole operation aren't exactly thrilled either...

So, it's obvious why Mercedes preferred Hamilton over Bottas or Rosberg. If I were running the show, I'd do the exact same thing. Even if I personally found Hamilton annoying and Rosberg actually quite likable—even if Kimi were sitting in his seat and I liked him even more than Vettel—Hamilton would still be my No. 1 whenever the championship was on the line. If the car is totally dominant and it's just about marketing, then sure, I'd pick Kimi just because he's my favorite.😁 al opet samo zato kaj je marketinški možda čak i jači...

Nicholas Newman2 said:Spot on. But then you get these forum trolls popping up, claiming Finac is just going to be a lapdog, a wingman, or some errand boy for Louis in the very next race. Honestly, even after a win like this from Finac—where nobody even thought about sabotaging him to help Louis—it’s embarrassing that people still come out with those kinds of takes.

Of course, he’s just going to ignore Nico Rosberg's season entirely, acting like it happened in some parallel universe.🤦

The only people living in some alternate reality are the Mercedes fans and the Hamilton loyalists, along with anyone who actually buys the absolute garbage being pumped out by the British press.
Nico Rosberg was never anything more than a number two driver for Mercedes-Benz. Absolutely never. ☕
Look, this has absolutely nothing to do with Barcelona, the championship fight, or any of that other nonsense.
Lewis Hamilton is the undisputed No. 1 from the very first testing lap through the end of every single season. It’s not just about the first race. ☕

How did Nico Rosberg even snag that title? It was pure luck. Forget all that nonsense about "equal treatment" or whatever fairy tale they were selling—it had nothing to do with parity. It was just one of those disastrous seasons for Louis and a garage stacked high with trophies.
Not once during that season did anyone in America think it would be okay for Rosberg to take the title. That’s exactly why he bailed immediately after winning it—to exit with some dignity instead of spending the next season playing second fiddle to Bottas.

It was obvious as day that Rosberg was the real deal way back in Malaysia 2013—specifically during that second race of the season. 🙂
It’s a pretty similar vibe to what we’re seeing with Ferrari right now at the Grand Prix Australia, though not exactly identical. Honestly, what happened back in Russia was a much worse example than anything this Ferrari team is pulling lately.

Look, it’s pretty simple. Rosberg was the veteran in the garage, while Louis was still the new guy trying to find his footing.
So, once again, we've got Rosberg acting just like Leclerc, asking, "Hey, can I pass Hamilton? I'm way faster than him." 🙂
He got roasted just as hard as Charles Leclerc did. But unlike Leclerc, Nico Rosberg actually spent the whole time whining over the team radio—begging, pleading, and practically praying—even though he knew damn well he had zero chance.

And all that, even though Rosberg definitely had enough pace to at least throw an attack his way, if not outright snatch the lead...
Check out the results from Malaysia 2013.
Even if we're talking about Mark Webber, it still took him 12 laps and 8 seconds to pull that off. That wasn't exactly a walk in the park either, and it certainly wasn't any closer or easier than Charles Leclerc's 15 seconds over 8 laps... so yeah, Rosberg still got absolutely roasted.

Besides that, Mercedes didn't have a prayer at winning the title back then. Not even close.
Nobody even thought they were capable of pulling that off, let alone having the guts to try. So yeah, whatever. They ended up giving Nico Rosberg the exact same orders they gave Charles Leclerc. 🙂

And you just know people will start whining about "equality" at Mercedes between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, not to mention how absolutely pathetic Ferrari has been. 🙂
Honestly, what happened between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton was way worse than this whole mess with Charles Leclerc. 😁

Are you guys seriously blind and deaf? How did you miss something this obvious? You didn't see it, you didn't hear it, you clearly had no clue—it’s like you weren't even watching the race. It was a whole different story entirely. 🙂

James Harris34 said:It’ll be interesting to see how things shake out in Bahrain and China on tracks that actually suit the Ferrari car better than this one. I don't buy any nonsense about Mercedes giving up, because when Toto Wolff slams his fist on the table, you know he isn't acting. And Lewis? Typical Lewis—there's always some conspiracy theory floating around whenever he loses. Honestly, looks like Ferrari decided who's number one and who's number two right from the jump. A solid long-term move, sure, but if they want to hit those insane targets, the car needs to perform way better than it did today. Ricciardo basically traded a stallion for a donkey; I bet if there was any mutual interest, he'd crawl back to Red Bull in a heartbeat. As for the rest, Kubica is clearly feeling that eight-year gap plus the injuries. McLaren and Renault were disappointing, but Haas and Alfa Romeo looked pretty damn good.

The look on Ricciardo's face when he saw Max on the podium after his own DNF said everything you need to know...



Even if he tries to hide it, man was just sitting there swallowing his pride with that expression...

Now it's obvious what a bad day to screw up...
He put more faith in Renault than Honda, and there's no way he expected this Honda unit to be this good...

But realistically, there's zero chance he goes back to Red Bull. He'd eat dirt just for the opportunity at this point...
Especially not after taking those cheap shots at the team leadership...

mellowtiger83 said:Stop trolling with that smoke. That lock-up didn't mess up his entry at all, and there was absolutely no reason for him to go that wide toward Charles Leclerc.

"A slight lock-up," you say...

Don't give me that crap. You can't tell me you don't see it—the tire is locking up, hard, and for a long time too...









Just tell me you don't see how Ricky brakes, too.😁

If I have time tomorrow, I'll swing by the Budweiser taproom and then drive you straight to Walmart just to buy you some glasses for $6.75...

Richard Walker38 said:I watched the video and totally missed that part.

Of course you missed it. It’s practically invisible. 🙂
Go see an eye doctor immediately.

If you didn't catch that, I'm surprised you even saw the cars on the track...

mellowtiger83 said:It’s crystal clear and obvious to everyone, no matter where you look. Vettel is playing like absolute garbage, and he’s going to end up exactly where he always does.

Chill. It’ll all work itself out eventually. Just take it easy.

Give me a break. 😳
Don't make me bring a wooden ruler to the waitress at the local pub.

Well, you’re gonna find out exactly what kind of beatdown you're in for. Once he measures you and realizes those five inches of yours aren't even close to twenty-two, he's gonna lay you out. You'll be feeling it in your spine.
Man, you absolutely wrecked her with that subway ride. Don't even bother trying to talk to her anymore—you're dead in the water. ☕

Richard Walker38 said:Oh, please. Here’s the footage. In this frozen frame, Vettel is clearly trying to cut off his own teammate. There was zero wheel lock-up and no late braking, lol. At this exact moment, he's driving straight toward the left side just to dive into Leclerc's line.

And this part?

Is that smoke coming out of the cameraman's ass or what? 🤷

Like I said, you're trolling hard and honestly, it's getting pretty boring...
Do your homework and come back for the next race. Until then, 👋

mellowtiger83 said:Vettel already cleared Max, but he went unnecessarily wide to the left to cover Leclerc. Because of that, Leclerc lost ground to Max. If he hadn't been forced to slow down on the curbs, he would've stayed ahead of Max and probably secured the podium since Max would've had to fight Leclerc instead.

Where exactly was Vettel going wider than everyone else?
And seriously, where did you get the idea that you can just change a car's trajectory by clicking a mouse on a screen...🙂

Richard Walker38 said:

The red line shows Vettel's movement totally cutting off his teammate. That right line could have been a smarter move where Leclerc ends up right behind him, giving Max some work to do.🤷, I’m telling you, that whole right side was wide open because Max was trailing him. He didn't need to defend at all, but he went straight for blocking his own teammate and cut him off.

Just watch the replay...
At the end of the day, look at your own footage.🤦
Is Vettel following the exact same line as Hamilton, Bottas, or Max?

Vettel was even blocking wheels before this, diving in front of Max at the last second and barely managing to keep the car under control through the turn...
There is no way he suddenly decided to snap his direction inward like that, and there's no way Leclerc was even thinking about it...
If anything, Max was definitely the one on his mind. If he was trying to block anyone and kill their chances, it was Max's, not Leclerc's...