Posts by stormybadger8

ruggedhawk20 said:Running like clockwork—dead on.

With the McLaren-Honda combo, the only real issue was Honda.

McLaren is basically heading straight for a total meltdown.

I mean, we're talking about a crew that hasn't even smelled a Constructors' Championship in twenty years.

Jordan’s got way more chance at the title than McLaren—and they aren't even in F1.

As for AlphaTauri—don't expect small gains, we're talking massive results here. I actually went out on a limb today and called Brandon Hartley a World champion—and honestly? I stand by it!

I've known that since day one...

The only thing I'm still wondering about is whether Honda will actually be the best engine on the grid or not...
And just how fast RB is going to ditch Renault to make the switch to Honda...

Joseph Flores15 said:Horner has already started whining about the engine. 😍

Talk about backwards...
RB could actually pull off a constructors' title this season, regardless of Horner's constant complaining...
Looks like Renault finally put together a seriously solid PU 👍

Which might be a massive headache for McLaren (and maybe RB too), since they don't really have anyone left to hide behind...

Interesting first day 😁

Honda clearly has some bite 👍
But the real shocker is Mercedes 🤔

If my math isn't totally off:
Renault - 224
Ferrari - 195
Mercedes - 172
Honda - 93

I honestly can't remember the last time Mercedes sat that low on the lap count, let alone seeing Renault sitting at the top...

At first glance, it looks like Renault absolutely crushed it over the winter 👍
And clearly, Honda wasn't sleeping either 🙏

It's Ford's fault 😬

Anyway, how's my AlphaTauri looking?
Haven't had a chance to suffer through anything today—did the engine blow up or is it actually running? 🤷

It’s pretty interesting how this whole section is actually its own modular piece you can swap out without much hassle...
The arrows point to the seams where the outer shell connects, meaning you could just pop it off and replace it...

Seems like a way simpler solution for mid-season upgrades. It might even be smart for them to have different aperture sizes depending on the track and how much cooling they need 🤔

This could turn out to be a super elegant, efficient setup—basically as easy to swap as changing front wing versions to suit the circuit requirements 😁
And logically speaking, manufacturing this part would be a hell of a lot easier than building a front wing...

Yep...
Couldn't sleep. Woke up around 1:30 AM with this nagging feeling that today is finally the first Practice Session of the season. 🤣

Anyone got a link for the testing stream? 😬
Man, I seriously can't wait. 🙂

mellowtiger83 said:@Tibi I called it. I predicted Ferkan would take the championship back in that DMW's poll long before testing even started.

Testing is, quite frankly, irrelevant in my view.

Oh, so you didn't predict Ferrari's speed during testing right after the tests happened?😵
In your previous posts, you were practically vibrating with excitement waiting for these tests...
and of course, you wrote—completely predictably—that Ferrari would be at the very top of the charts during testing...
If testing is "irrelevant," then how does that work? I'm genuinely lost here.😵 🤣

And as for your prediction in DMW's poll that Ferrari will be the fastest ever? That’s just classic you. It doesn't matter what the testing shows, how the car looks, or what happens in qualifying or the race. You'll say it regardless.😁

Looking back through your posts—probably all the way back to the 2015 or 2016 seasons, if I recall correctly—it’s easy to see your pattern. You always claim everyone is terrifyingly close to Mercedes...🤔 ...and that they're all basically faster than Mercedes. Right now, Ferrari is at the top of that list since they were the closest last year, and Red Bull is pretty much right there with them.
But soon, McLaren will become a serious threat too, along with whoever else needs to step up.
I honestly can't wait for Toto to start crying again about how terrified he is of a fast Force India, Williams, Alfa, Haas, Red Bull Racing, and Renault fighting for 4th place behind Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren...
Then I can't wait for you to start explaining how their cars are somehow significantly slower than everyone else's.
🙂 🤣

copperdrifter26 said:Honestly, you’re just turning the whole thing upside down. If Vettel has a bad race, suddenly everyone's going to be pointing fingers and claiming Ferrari doesn't know how to build a decent car.

It doesn't really matter if we're talking about Monaco, Budapest, Japan, or Singapore—Ferrari managed to qualify ahead of Red Bull in all of them. When you look at three out of those four races, the engine isn't even the deciding factor. It’s all about the tracks themselves; they're the kind of circuits that really reward a solid chassis and superior aerodynamics. Honestly, Malaysia is pretty much the same story too.

It’s funny how the narrative shifts so quickly, isn't it? Ferrari keeps coming up with these incredibly innovative solutions, and suddenly everyone starts claiming Newey is just copying them. After four seasons of struggling, we're all expected to believe that Red Bull is suddenly untouchable and is going to completely outclass Ferrari? Give me a break. If you listen to most of the expert analysts out there, they'll tell you that Ferrari has actually done a fantastic job lately. And honestly, the idea that having Cadille leading aero since last season instead of Newey makes a difference is just nonsense. It’s about the engineering work being done at the factory, plain and simple.

Why would anyone flip a burger upside down? 🤷
Any guy who follows even a shred of F1 knows exactly who the title favorite is. It's Mercedes. The one and only.
Ferrari is neck and neck with Red Bull right now, but honestly, who knows how long that's actually going to last?
They've been the big three for years now. Usually, the battle for second and third just comes down to whether Ferrari or Red Bull can hold their ground once Red Bull actually finds their pace in the second half of the season.

McLaren is definitely coming back. The real question is how far they'll actually go—will they crack the top three or just hover nearby?

Look, Ferrari brings the innovation, and then Newey just copies it. Suddenly, after four seasons of total failure, Red Bull is supposedly untouchable and ready to run circles around Ferrari. Give me a break. Most expert journalists agree that Ferrari’s actually done a fantastic job here. And honestly, the fact that Cadille has been heading up aero at Ferrari since last season instead of Newey? That’s got absolutely nothing to do with it.

As far as Newey goes, the man’s a genius—if you consider being a master at copying everyone else a talent. 😁
This guy just films the competition and copies them. And he doesn't just copy—he makes sure to "improve" their best ideas after stealing them.
I'm dead certain that whatever aero bits he copies from Ferrari, he’ll end up making even better than they did. The guy is just a straight-up genius when it comes to aerodynamics. 🙏
It’s such a massive waste that Vettel didn't pull off that move to Ferrari. If he had, they would've already been leaving Mercedes in the dust.☕

stormytiger4 said:I mean, honestly, looking at this clip again, he actually looks better than I first thought. By the time we get to Australia, he’s probably gonna look even better. 😁

No chance for me...
The livery is just plain ugly. That blue is loud as hell, seriously...
The papaya isn't bad (it just looks terrible being naked without any sponsors), but that specific combo of blue and papaya? Total yuck.

The car itself is fine, it's just the livery that's absolutely hideous...

mellowtiger83 said:I honestly can't wait for the first tests just to see that gorgeous McLaren and Alonso out on the track. In my estimation, they’re going to be the biggest surprises of the season, much like Leclerc over at Alfa Sauber.

Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull will predictably sit at the top, though I'm giving the edge to Ferkan after catching a glimpse of the car.

Let's get on with the testing already; what is the hold-up?

Just take a look at the sheer beauty of this car in the daylight.

https://www.f1puls.com/25035/alonso-...dobra-vremena/

Seriously, what do you actually need to see from Ferrari to know they'll be the fastest in the first tests?🙂
How long have you even been following F1?🤣

Ferrari is basically always either incredible or total garbage during testing...
It’s just how things work—otherwise, the Italian media and the big bosses wouldn't be happy.
Honestly, if I see them sitting in 2nd, 3rd, or 4th, I might actually believe the car is fast. If I see them in 1st? I'm skeptical.

Anyway, expect Ferrari to face some serious heat this year, specifically from McLaren. McLaren is going to be flying around the track and constantly fighting for the top spot...
They're desperate for sponsors—like, desperately lacking them—so they'll definitely be ripping through qualifying laps just to show the sponsors they've still got it.😉

https://www.racefans.net/2018/02/23/...mage-_31i7488/

Man, what is even going on with this Williams car? 🤣
It didn't look nearly this flashy with all those extra winglets during the launch. 🤔
And poor Leclerc is barely hanging on in that cockpit with all the chaos surrounding him. 🙂

copperdrifter26 said:Tbfd, you really are something else. Always going on about how Red Bull Racing does this or Mercedes does that, or claiming they’re just copying Ferrari while insisting Ferrari will be the last one standing. Give me a break... Where was Red Bull Racing during Monaco, Budapest, or Japan last year? And where were they in Singapore? On those high-downforce aero tracks? Please... they were trailing right behind Ferkan. You keep saying Ferrari comes up with solutions everyone else copies, but no... the "genius" Newey is just going to triple-copy them instead.🤦

Who exactly are you picking a fight with, and what's your problem? 🤷

Besides that...
Monaco - Ricciardo sits right on the podium, just behind Ferrari, and... Right in front of both Mercedes cars. 🙂
Budapest - Ricciardo's out (Max Verstappen ran him over) 🤣So they were all basically screwed from the jump...
Japan—Max takes 2nd, Ricciardo takes 3rd right behind the No1 Mercedes. Sitting right there in front of both the Ferrari and the No2 Mercedes.
Singapore — Ricciardo grabs second place on the podium, sandwiched between two Mercedes cars. Leading both Ferraris.

What exactly are you trying to pull with that post? 🤷

Honestly, I think the McLaren is easily the ugliest car they've ever made...
I just can't get behind these color schemes they're using. It just doesn't look right to me, 🙂

I’m honestly not buying the idea that the car is actually that much narrower...
At least based on those 2017/2018 side-by-side comparisons you see floating around online...

Before they bumped up the wheelbase by pushing the front axle forward, looking at the car from a head-on angle makes it look like it's been drastically slimmed down...
But if you check out an aerial comparison, there isn't really such a massive narrowing compared to what those front-view shots suggest...

https://www.racefans.net/2018/02/22/...mula+1+Blog%29

When you view it from the front, the impression is that the slimming is huge...
But once you switch to a bird's-eye view, the only truly significant narrowing is at the rear; there’s some at the front too, but it’s nowhere near as extreme as it looks at first glance...

Jason Campbell70 said:The same logic applied to the McLaren rear suspension back in the '14 season.
Or even the Ferrari front end from '12.

The Mercedes approach is primarily logical; at first glance, it looks smart. Still, I’ll wait through the first few races before making a final call.

My apologies—the driver is good. Just one.

The second one? A total joke and a complete laughingstock.

Look, it's a fair point whether this turns out to be a good or bad suspension setup...
If it sucks, nobody's going to bother copying it. But even if it ends up being great—maybe even incredible—nobody's likely to replicate it before the 2019 season anyway.

jadeseal7 said:Huge congrats to Ferrari on clinching the 2018 title! 🙏🎉

Based on what?
I don't see anything particularly different about the Ferrari compared to everyone else. Sure, it looks narrower than last year, but that could just be an optical illusion depending on the camera angle...
The only thing that looks truly unique is those fins, which probably act as some kind of air guide—looks like they follow the direction of the arrows in the photo...


though that's something other teams could probably copy pretty easily...

On the flip side, you've got the Mercedes suspension, which is absolutely one-of-a-kind and definitely isn't easy to replicate...
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWoubPyWkAA_EgM.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWovXXsX0AAaONQ.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWpErW5XkAAlOWw.jpg

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWovZC7WsAAAu6M.jpg:large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWotr2bXcAEXjWY.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWovAJZXUAADVaW.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DWpEqkiXcAAHOIq.jpg

At first glance, I'd say Mercedes is better even if their engines have the same power and reliability—let alone if they actually end up being stronger in that area too...

What on earth is this 🤔
It’s clearly something new, just no clue what it actually does 😁
Looks like air is just blowing straight through the window frames 🤔

If we're talking about anything actually revolutionary, it's gotta be Mercedes-Benz first...




What kind of suspension is this even supposed to be? What on earth are we looking at here? 🤔

https://www.thisisf1.com/2018/02/22/...f1-car-photos/

It’s pretty funny how Red Bull used Photoshop to hide certain details on the car 😁
God knows what they're actually trying to cover up 🤷