Posts by stormybadger8

1. Lewis Hamilton
2. Daniel Ricciardo
3. Sebastian Vettel

4. Valtteri Bottas
5. Max Verstappen
6. Kimi Raikkonen
7. Romain Grosjean
8. Nico Hulkenberg
9. Carlos Sainz
10. Kevin Magnussen

11. Fernando Alonso
12. Esteban Ocon
13. Stoffel Vandoorne
14. Charles Leclerc
15. Sergio Perez
16. Brendon Hartley
17. Pierre Gasly NOP

NOP: Sergey Sirotkin
NOP: Marcus Ericsson NOP
NOP: Lance Stroll

PP: Lewis Hamilton
FL: Daniel Ricciardo

I saw Rosberg's take about pitting normally around lap 28 and just shut the video off.😁
It's pretty obvious there's zero logic behind that whole idea. Calling that "lap 28" theory anything other than complete nonsense is a stretch...

Let me ask you this: when was the last time you saw a race where it actually made sense to run a first stint on Ultrasofts for 29 laps, or basically half the race? 🤔
From what I recall, at the US Grand Prix, people usually pitted ten laps before the halfway mark, or more reliably around lap 15 or 20... I don't remember anyone ever stretching a first stint to 30 laps at the US Grand Prix...

By that logic, if the car could handle qualifying, the start, and a 30-lap first stint while heavy, it should have easily cruised through 40+ laps in the second stint...
Which makes it extremely weird that Red Bull went with Softs for the second stint instead of the US, which is clearly faster and, theoretically, would have lasted all the way to the end without an issue...
They started on SS, so they could have easily switched to US, which would have given them the chance for an undercut or even skipping ahead of others during a restart/overtake thanks to the better grip...

Also, it's strange why the rest of the team didn't opt for the faster SS; almost everyone went for the more durable Soft...

It’s clear Kimi was aiming for an undercut to pull Lewis Hamilton into the pits. Maybe they even could've jumped him if the Bear had a slow pit stop and those opening laps on Softs were fast enough...
But there was definitely nothing about "pitting 10 laps early." It was just a standard start to the pit window and a totally normal undercut strategy.
You can clearly see all the other teams were hitting their pit windows within 2 to 5 laps of each other, and they certainly weren't just following Kimi and Lewis...

It's just as normal for Vettel to try something completely different or attempt an overcut. He wasn't under any pressure from behind, and it was crystal clear he had zero chance of catching Lewis with an undercut...
So, a 1% chance with an overcut is better than a 0% chance with an undercut...

EDIT:
http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?p...stian%20Vettel

Just look at Vettel's lap times...
They make it obvious he should have pitted around lap 20 or 21. After that, his times start dropping instead of getting faster, even though he's sitting in clean air in P1...
20 1:28.245[1]
21 1:28.561[1]
22 1:28.515[1]
23 1:28.954[1]
24 1:29.030[1]
25 1:28.787[1]

Sure, a minor detail is that the VSC/SC popped up and someone benefited, but the times show his tires were already absolutely shot...

jadeseal7 said:I'm positive Vettel would have let Kimi Räikkönen through 🤦

Not a chance.😁

But look at this...


Instead of Kimi trying to hunt down Lewis Hamilton—where they could have squeezed him from both sides until he couldn't defend himself—Kimi spends the entire start just focusing on blocking Vettel...

It makes zero sense for Ferrari. Sure, blocking him makes sense if they're sitting in 1st and 2nd, or if they have no shot at anyone ahead...
but it’s just wrong for his only thought at the start to be shutting Vettel out, without even considering attacking Lewis Hamilton for the lead.🤦
At the end of the day, Kimi had better pace than Lewis Hamilton. If he hadn't wasted his energy messing around with Vettel at the start, he definitely would've had a shot at passing him. He probably would've been right on his tail and might have even overtaken him by turn 3 because he would've been glued to his bumper.

Richard Ross11 said:And what exactly is Ferrari doing? They call Kimi in for a pit stop 10 laps too early—estimates say his window should have been between laps 25 and 29—knowing full well that Mercedes will jump on it immediately just to dodge an undercut, even if that was a long shot to begin with.

Your theory about the pit window is absolute nonsense. Where on earth are you even getting that from? 🤦
And what kind of insane theory led you to think an ultrasoft tire is actually good for qualifying AND pulling off thirty laps during a race???
Fan loyalty is a hell of a drug. It really blinds people. 😁

The FIA just dropped the latest updates on Formula 1 technical info. Check it out if you actually care about the nitty-gritty details.

Based on your theory, even Vettel pitted way too early. 🙏
Jerry, Vettel was already in the pits by lap 26. Way too early. 🙂

Good grief... what is wrong with everyone else?
Don't try to sell me on that. You really think they managed to intimidate everyone else on the grid just by getting into a boxing ring with Kimi? Please.

If I remember correctly, Vettel was the first one to dive into the pits under the VSC. Everyone else seemed to pit during the yellow flags before the VSC actually kicked in. 🤔
Even if Vettel took first, it doesn't matter. You’ve still got a massive pack of drivers right behind Kimi in the pits, so that whole theory about him being ten laps ahead just doesn't hold water.

Kimi hit the pits right at the start of his window. Nothing special, nothing early... just your run-of-the-mill, classic undercut. That's all there was to it.
It’s obvious. Right behind him, Hamilton and the others started making standard pit stops like everyone else—nothing fancy or suspicious about them. 😉

Vettel's strategy was nothing more than a desperate Hail Mary. That's it.
Look, there’s nothing left for us to do. We’ve got zero leverage here, so we might as well roll the dice and pray for a miracle.

Kimi’s strategy was solid, but his execution? Absolute garbage right from the jump.
Take a look at that start. 😉 Instead of Kimi actually going for Hamilton and that P1 spot, he’s busy blocking Vettel just to babysit second place...
God, I hate cheapskates. And honestly? I can’t stand the team principal either. He’s completely useless—can't even find the backbone to tell his drivers, "Hey, stop fighting each other and start attacking everyone else from both sides."

Right before the pit box, instead of pushing, Kimi just throttles back and lets Hamilton pull even further ahead. Slow in-lap, an even slower out-lap, and then he just falls off a cliff with those sluggish laps afterward...
Bottom line? An undercut would’ve worked perfectly, but they pulled it off like a bunch of retirees. 🤦
Then we get a restart after the SC and they’ll probably have to wake up Kimi too, since he’s fallen asleep for the millionth time...
So, what was that? Was it just a pathetic attempt at an undercut by Ferrari and their questionable strategy, some total breakdown in communication with Kimi, or do I honestly have no clue?
That botched start and the restart? That's all on Kimi, not the pit wall.

Richard Ross11 said:So they basically had two cars on track... 🙂
First with Magnussen, which was a bust, then that experienced Frenchman rolls in and parks the car exactly where and when he needs to... 🙂

P.S.
Just kidding... 🙂

Look, I get it for Haas, totally fine. But what actually trips me out is how those guys at Ferrari nailed exactly which lap Vettel needed to pit.😬🤣

Honestly, I’d actually be thrilled if this Haas conspiracy theory turned out to be true...
Because regardless of the penalties and all that nonsense, it would mean Ferrari suddenly has the best strategists and tacticians on the planet. 🙏

But sadly, I know that isn't even remotely close to the truth. 😬
And let's be real—the odds of them pulling something like that off without screwing it up themselves are basically zero. 🤣

If Bernie Ecclestone were still running the show and the theory was that he pulled all the strings, maybe I’d buy it...
But for those puppets in Maranello to actually execute it? No way. They’ll definitely end up calling Vettel into the pits a lap too early or a lap too late just to mess it up.

coastalwolf6 said:Like Sebastian Vettel just picked something up off the track or some part fell off his car.

If you slow down the footage, you can see Sebastian Vettel basically ran over his own pit board.
It’s clearly some sign with yellow lettering on it—pretty sure it said VET.🤔

And no, it doesn't look like someone chucked it from the fence; it was already sitting right there on the asphalt.😕

Richard Ross11 said:Edit:
Actually, let’s make a bet, if you're up for it:

I’m betting that by the end of the season, looking at all the races where they both actually finish:
A) Even if Kimi manages to out-qualify Vettel once in a while, he won't always finish ahead of him in the race (maybe it'll happen once in five tries, or maybe never).
B) Kimi won't finish ahead of Vettel even once if Vettel qualifies better.

If I'm wrong, lunch is on me—ribs and beer... 🙂 (I pass through Chicago quite often).

If I'm right? Nothing. Just the satisfaction of being right will be enough... 🙂

Why would I even bother betting when I already know how this plays out? What exactly am I trying to prove? 🤔
Just because he doesn't finish ahead doesn't mean it's solely because Ferrari cooks up some insane strategy or triggers a SC/VSC to put Kimi behind Vettel. 🙂

Good grief, even a toddler knows Kimi isn't going to consistently finish ahead—maybe once or twice a season at most. Kimi knows it too, and frankly, he couldn't care less about any of this.
And honestly, it's been this way since he won his title; you haven't exactly uncovered some deep conspiracy here...
If he couldn't consistently beat Massu, what makes you think he's taking on Alonso, Vettel, or Lewis Hamilton?
All he's got left is making excuses, playing the victim, and acting like the team is sabotaging him just to cover his tracks.

Richard Ross11 said:I’m not just talking about the US Grand Prix 2018 here... I mean generally. 🙂
It sounds tempting, but I’m still not brave enough to believe Haas did that on purpose... 🙂 And if you're right, then hats off to you. 🙂
I still think there's some kind of unspoken agreement in play—one that everyone follows, including Kimi. It seems like whenever Kimi ends up ahead of Sebastian Vettel, suddenly a "situation" arises that needs fixing. I say "I think," because that’s just how it looks from where I'm sitting, watching the races and listening to the commentators. You can keep trying to prove me wrong if you want, but that's my take. 🙂
And honestly? It’s all just noise and speculation. Nothing more. It’s actually pretty funny watching you kill yourself trying to prove a point that isn't even there. 🙂

So the deal is set. Everyone’s playing by the rules now—even Kimi. 👏🤣

So, Kimi decides to drive like he’s got nowhere to be, Vettel gets stuck with some brainless strategy, and Haas just parks both cars out of the way. Honestly, wouldn't Kimi still end up right behind Vettel anyway?😵

Seriously, what are you drinking?
I could go for that too. 🤣

Richard Ross11 said:Jebote, you have to overexplain everything here down to the last damn detail, otherwise people just interpret whatever they want. 🙂

So, here it is:
Look at the current situation: Vettel is just faster right now. If you look at the last 10 races and 10 qualifying sessions, he’s outperforming Kimi 7 or 8 times. It's an easy call. And honestly? That's fine. He's fast, he's snatching up every single opportunity he gets, and he's actually fighting for positions.
I’m just saying that sometimes, when Kimi actually shows some decent pace, the Ferrari strategists pull some stunt just to keep Vettel ahead. It’s never an explicit "team order," but rather these subtle, nonsensical calls that everyone laughs off with a "just go, man," while Tibi sits there refusing to admit, "Yeah, okay, maybe they have a point." 🙂

Look, this is just how I see things. I'm not out here trying to convince anyone I'm right. 🙂

Cheers, everyone... 🙂

You seeing those white mice over there? Yeah, exactly where they aren't.

If Ferrari actually wanted Kimi Räikkönen behind Sebastian Vettel those few times, they would have ordered it loud and clear. He’d have done it without question, too. I'm sure his contract says the team comes first—probably says the same thing about Vettel, and I bet it definitely says it about Kimi. ☕
And let’s be real, Kimi would jump at the chance. He’s getting paid an absolute fortune by Ferrari, and he knows damn well he wouldn't see even 30% of that kind of cash anywhere else.

Or if they’re actually trying to hide something from us—who knows what—they could just keep him in the pits during the tire change. Just long enough to let Sebastian Vettel pass him, and then there you go. Problem solved.
You really don't want to risk Kimi's position against the rest of the field just to force some "God help us" tactic on Vettel. It only works if someone else screws up and triggers a Safety Car anyway.

I’m just waiting for some wild Theory to pop up claiming they ordered Haas F1 Team to screw over their own drivers just so they could shove Sebastian Vettel ahead of Kimi Räikkönen—assuming Kimi wouldn't even notice. 🙂

Your Theory is absolute garbage. 🤦
Let's be real: given that strategy, Vettel had basically zero chance of jumping Kimi if we hadn't had the VSC and Kimi pulling off the track. Without those two things, it wasn't happening.
So, you want me to explain how they "planned" all of this? Between the Haas F1 Team pitting, that Virtual Safety Car, and then the actual Safety Car... it’s almost like they coordinated everything just to make sure Sebastian Vettel didn't finish ahead of Kimi Räikkönen. Pure coincidence, right? 🙂

Vettel only beat Kimi at the 2018 US Grand Prix because he got incredibly lucky with that VSC timing. It was pure luck.
Look, this has absolutely nothing to do with his or Kimi's race strategy. You just can't predict stuff like this ahead of time.
You can pray and hope for a Safety Car to pop up at the exact moment it suits you, but let’s be real—you just know there's zero chance that's actually happening.

If Ferrari's strategists actually had the guts to predict a scenario like this and pull it off, we'd have to admit they're officially the smartest tacticians on the planet.
As if they were tactical geniuses with magic powers on par with Merlin... but they aren't. If they actually were, they’d be winning every single race instead of messing this up. 🙂

I I'm not buying into those ridiculous theories about how Ferrari's strategy meant Vettel should've let Kimi through. If anyone told me "yeah, maybe that makes sense," I'd tell them they're dead wrong. It definitely didn't happen like that...

Yeah, obviously...
Kimi is just naive and clueless, like a wide-eyed intern who doesn't realize they're getting played by the strategy team. But hey, at least the fans get the picture, right? 🙂

I mean, what else can you call Kimi besides clueless when Ferrari keeps screwing him over in the pits during every single race where he fails to beat Vettel? They basically pit him just to let Vettel pass him, and it's happened enough times that he's lost positions to Vettel and everyone else behind him too...

At the same time, you can't really blame the guys at Ferrari either. They aren't exactly in a position to tell their employee, "Hey, move aside so the No. 1 driver can pass," while keeping the No. 2 driver in the best possible spot...
And honestly, you can't call Kimi anything else if he can't grasp that he needs to move. Instead, he just sits there halfway through the race waiting for the pit wall to screw him over. 😵

It's a total miracle if he were smart enough to move right at the start. If he had, Vettel would have been the one hunting down Hamilton, and he would've been the first one in for the undercut—which has always been the primary strategy anyway.
Kimi would’ve stayed behind him on an overcut strategy (which is basically a desperate move where you just hope for the best, maybe praying for an SC 🙂...), and then maybe, just maybe, Kimi would've won thanks to a VSC. 🙂

But of course, if that actually worked, you'd just have the same crowd of people popping up with the same tired theories about how Ferrari intentionally sabotaged Kimi with a stupid overcut strategy...
And the dumbest part? They'd probably even be right that it was a stupid strategy...

Whatever Vettel pulled doesn't matter at all. Even without the VSC, there was absolutely zero chance of passing Hamilton with that strategy. In the end, he wouldn't have passed Kimi either, unless someone just stepped aside or let him through at the end of the race using some excuse about worn-out tires.
Think about it: if Hamilton couldn't pass Vettel in a much faster car, how on earth was Vettel going to pass Kimi in the exact same car? 🤔

The logic here is just broken...
So basically, if Kimi is ahead, there’s zero point in either him or Vettel even trying to overtake Hamilton, right???
The plan is just to cruise behind Hamilton the whole race and settle for P2 and P3. In what world does it make sense to try and pass Hamilton with one driver, let alone both of them at once...

And you're claiming Vettel's third-place spot wasn't under threat? Well, we saw that Kimi's P2 was actually looking pretty shaky from the moment the SC came out until the end, thanks to Ricco. 🙂
Honestly, it looked more likely that Ricco would take out Kimi than Hamilton taking out Vettel...

And of course, it's clearly in Ferrari's interest to have Kimi lose ground to Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Ricco, and whoever else, just so Vettel can move up. They won't even tell Kimi to move out of the way...
Because then Kimi might actually realize they aren't being treated equally and that Ferrari wants Vettel ahead of him. 🙂

It's like they're cutting his throttle for him so he can't go faster, or constantly screwing him over with tactics by not telling him to push harder.
They don't tell him the SC is clearing the track, so the poor guy loses focus, or they don't tell him to hammer it on the in-laps and out-laps—all just to tuck him in behind Vettel without him noticing.

Seriously, what kid 🙄
Is Kimi drunk, high, slow, or what? Because if everyone else has seen this coming for years, I have no clue how he still hasn't figured it out. 🤦

Richard Ross11 said:In this setup, Vettel was basically looking at a guaranteed third place. The only way he loses that is if he hits a punctured tire or his engine gives up...
There was zero chance of him threatening Hamilton, let alone catching him, and everyone knows that...
Vettel could have jumped into the pits after just two or three laps, right behind Kimi... then I’d say the plan made sense...

From an aerial view, it looks like they attempted an overcut, but not against Hamilton—against Kimi. That’s fine too...
But if they don't tell him where Vettel is or what he's doing, well, that's a bit of a problem, if you ask me. 🙂

And yeah, Kimi fell asleep at the wheel, and it's not even the first time. That's just facts...

If Vettel had pitted immediately after Kimi after just a few laps, I'd be calling them idiots and saying their strategy was total garbage...
It would be the exact same thing if the roles were reversed and Vettel was trying to undercut Hamilton while Kimi sat behind him...
That kind of tactic is pure stupidity; it makes zero sense for the crew. The only logical move in this situation is an undercut or overcut strategy that covers both bases. Anything else is just nonsense...

We can all sit here acting like geniuses about this, but there's another massive factor at play...

The reality is, Ferrari wants Vettel to finish ahead, but surely not at any cost...
What always happens in these scenarios is that Kimi doesn't just lose ground to Vettel, but inevitably to others too. 😉
This time it didn't happen, but he was definitely on the verge of losing out to Ricco again...

And nobody is going to convince me that it was in Ferrari's interest to make sure Kimi didn't attack Hamilton—whether during the race, the undercut, or the restart...
It wasn't in their interest for Kimi to pass Hamilton, nor to get into a scrap with Ricco and potentially lose his own position...
Oh sure, because it's totally in Ferrari's interest to throw away their Constructors' Championship chances just so they can push Vettel ahead of Kimi at any cost, all while making sure the fans don't hear them telling Kimi to back off...

Ferrari's goal was to have Vettel finish ahead of Kimi at worst, taking 2nd and 3rd...
A better outcome would be Vettel finishing ahead of Hamilton, with Kimi in 3rd...
The best case scenario? They take 1st and 2nd, with Vettel leading...

But there was absolutely no way they wanted Vettel to finish 2nd ahead of Kimi, while Kimi ends up 4th behind Ricco...
And all that just so Kimi's fans wouldn't throw a fit. 🙂

You could try to argue they were messing with the strategy just to please the fans (who are usually smart enough to see through it), suggesting they'd sacrifice Constructors' points just for optics...
Instead of playing it tactically to get both cars up front and then simply telling Kimi to move when the time comes...

It makes five hundred times more sense that their goal was to get both drivers ahead of Hamilton, and then later instruct Kimi to yield to Vettel...
It might not be "popular," but it's effective. They’d much rather do that—even if Kimi only moves in the final lap—than pull this kind of stunt and risk losing championship points and putting both cars off the podium. 🤦

Ferrari's strategy was completely and utterly logical...
There’s nothing weird about a driver sitting in P2 and chasing down first place being the first one to pit for an undercut. If you think that's strange, you clearly don't know the first thing about F1...
Likewise, if you've got a driver right on your tail in P3, it makes total sense to go for an overcut instead. When you're running two different strategies, one of them has to hit to have a shot at something...
And trying to pull the exact same move on both drivers is just plain stupid. It kills your chances immediately because if Hamilton covers one, he covers both, and then you can just pack it up—it's over...

Now, it would’ve been a truly bizarre tactic if they’d called Vettel in first and let him try to undercut Kimi. That would’ve been blatant favoritism and a weird call, but this wasn't that. ☕

As for Kimi, regarding those times he dropped back after being ahead, I’d say he simply isn't capable of pulling off that whole "staying consistent" thing...
It feels like he doesn't even bother hashing out the strategy with his engineers before the race, and then he won't even talk to them during the race either. He just mumbles something and then throws a fit when things go sideways...
One of the most vital things for an F1 driver is having solid communication with their engineer. There needs to be mutual respect and understanding, and acting like a jerk doesn't really help much...
And Kimi is famous for being a jerk to his engineers and ignoring whatever they tell him. Honestly, he’s a legend when it comes to ignoring people on the team radio. 🙏

But me, I’m still not entirely following his logic here...
http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?p...mi%20Raikkonen

He didn't speed up at all before the pits (fine, let's play devil's advocate and say they didn't notify him in time), but his lap was actually slower, not faster, right before heading in...
Instead, Hamilton is the one extending his lead by nearly half a second right before Kimi hits the pits, rather than the other way around where Kimi should be closing the gap...

And wouldn't you know it, he didn't pick up the pace after the pits on fresh rubber either (maybe the pit wall told him to hold back?), but hey, we're all just waiting for that undercut to work, right? 😵
Even though he lost 2.2 seconds to Hamilton during that undercut attempt, which is anything but normal...

Honestly, I don't know what kid he is, but I get the feeling he "falls asleep" at the wheel during every single race. Because how else do you explain this nonsense—being slower on fresh tires than you were on old ones before pitting? 🤷
How do you explain the fact that he practically "naps" during almost every restart following an SC... and yet, there he goes, sleeping through this race too...
I have no clue why. Maybe he just couldn't be bothered with all this crap about saving tires, the engine, fuel, and blah blah blah, and he just gets too relaxed...
I mean, he's primarily a driver from an era where you just pinned the throttle to the floor, not an era where you constantly have to slow down to save some random part...

And then, at the end of the day, it's the team's fault because you didn't set fast laps before pitting or maximize the tires. The team is to blame if your in-lap and out-lap are slow, and the team is to blame when you fall asleep during a restart...

Vettel definitely wasn't at his best this weekend, that's for sure, but even so, he didn't sleep. As soon as an opening appeared, he pushed hard and took advantage of it...
Hell if he would've finished ahead of Hamilton and Kimi, he hadn't put in those fast laps on old tires before the pits, and his in-lap and out-lap weren't fast enough...
But hey, blame the strategy again. 🙂

It’s always the same old story...
If Kimi goes for an undercut, suddenly it's a terrible strategy...
But if Vettel pulls an undercut, oh man, it's the greatest strategic masterstroke ever...

If Kimi tries to overcut, everyone loses their minds about how bad it is...
Yet when Vettel attempts an overcut, it's hailed as absolute genius...

Richard Ross11 said:Yeah, he's fast for the most part, which isn't exactly a shocker, right?
But seriously, when he actually ends up being slower—which has happened before—watching Ferrari scramble is pure comedy. They’ll be sweating bullets trying to figure out how to put him ahead without it looking like blatant team orders. 🙂

I used to think it was just hilarious watching fans go looking for conspiracy theories where absolutely none exist.
People are constantly nitpicking why Kimi pits after Sebastian Vettel, or why he goes in before him. It’s always the same old story: apparently, Ferrari is just too "shy" to actually use their team orders. 🙂
So, it never even crosses their minds? Or maybe they just "fail" to notice that every single team follows the exact same playbook: the lead driver pits first to hunt for the undercut, while the second driver stays out on a counter-strategy to either cover them or pull off an overcut if there’s no one breathing down their neck. Real geniuses, those guys.

I mean, if Ferrari actually had any sense left, they’d realize how much they're messing up. It would be a miracle if they finally used their heads and just put Vettel out front. 🤣
I mean, come on. We’re talking about a crew that, back when team orders were strictly banned, just casually dropped an "Fernando is faster than you" right in the middle of a race without even blinking. They didn't just say it, either—they actually had the nerve to ask, "Do you understand this message?" Pure audacity. 🤣

And out of everyone on the grid, it’s always those exact same guys—the ones who act all shy about this stuff and would never dream of telling a driver to get out of the way, no matter what. 🙂
If they actually wanted Vettel ahead of Kimi, they wouldn't have played games. They would’ve told Kimi to clear out right at the start, or just barked the order over the team radio to get him out of the way. It wouldn't be that complicated.
You really think Ferrari is that terrified of what some random internet troll might say, or even what Kimi might eventually have to say?
Even if they ordered it, they’d have to kick Sebastian Vettel out just to make things work, let alone force Kimi Räikkönen to move.

If they used Kimi Räikkönen as bait for Lewis Hamilton, they absolutely did. And honestly? They played it perfectly during that VSC. Masterful execution.

To think their only goal was to tuck him in behind Sebastian Vettel and somehow mask the fact that Lewis Hamilton wasn't even part of the plan—that he just showed up by pure accident? Yeah, right. No way that’s the truth.
If that were actually how things worked, they would've told Kimi to get out of the way or called him in for another pit stop. They definitely wouldn't have let his pit stop run five or six seconds longer just to mess around. They certainly wouldn't be pulling this kind of stunt.

Man, Luja is straight up trolling the F1 official account 🤣

https://www.instagram.com/p/BgvnOLYh...hr&taken-by=f1

🙏 🤣 🤣 🤣

The three strongest drivers on the grid right now 🙏
https://twitter.com/gvandergarde

https://twitter.com/GvanderGarde/sta...49872439365632 😂

copperdrifter26 said:Qualifying. It’s hard to draw any real conclusions when Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas are just coasting in the DRS zone and Sebastian Vettel has clear air, so he isn't even pushing the engine to its absolute limit.

The speed trap gap between Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton is 12 miles/h in favor of Hamilton...
Sure, part of that is definitely down to DRS, but it's still hard to believe DRS alone accounts for 12 miles/h...
And yet, regardless of how much I remember, nobody actually overtook anyone else in that DRS zone, even considering you get an extra 12 miles/h... which is honestly pretty weird because 12 miles/h is a massive amount...

The gap at the start line between Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton is 6.2 miles/h...
Again, some of that difference comes from the DRS effect...

Still, I don't get how some people here manage to read this and conclude that Ferrari is damn faster than The Bear in the speed trap, let alone faster in every single sector. 🤔

Qualifying is one thing, but a race is something else entirely...
It’s totally possible for a car to behave differently during a race when it's heavy with fuel and its top speed shifts... which is exactly what we see with Ferrari and Mercedes swapping roles in that regard...
Looking at it, you'd almost think Ferrari has a "party mode" they can trigger for qualifying but not for the race, while The Bear has it available for both...

Alright 😁

Since I didn't even get a chance to check the Formula 1 practice results, if I'd written my prediction while stuck in a blizzard in the Rocky Mountains, this would be more than enough. 🙏🤣

mellowtiger83 said:Mercedes clearly has the pace, but it isn't the engine. Ferrari had faster top speeds across all three sectors at the US Grand Prix; Mercedes just has an insane chassis!

Where the hell are you getting that from???
https://www.fia.com/events/fia-formu...ng-information



Ferrari was barely faster in one sector—and we're talking tiny margins—but in the others, they were absolute garbage compared to Mercedes...

Nathan Vaughn20 said:That doesn't add up. The gap between Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen was 17.3s at lap 19 (when Lewis Hamilton pitted). Then, six laps later, right before Vettel hit the pits, the gap was 18s. So he didn't even gain a full second over those six laps, so I don't see how he could have built up an even bigger lead. Fine, there was one lap of VSC, but still—how on earth was he supposed to stretch that gap to 23 or 24s on old tires? It makes zero sense.

If this analysis actually holds water—which, let's hope it does 🤷
https://www.racefans.net/2018/03/25/...in-melbourne/?

says:

Pitting while the track was green cost him around 18 seconds.

So according to this, Kimi lost 18 seconds to Lewis during his pit stop...
which would mean that 17.2s gap was just barely enough to put Sebastian Vettel somewhere in Kimi's rearview mirror...