Posts by stormybadger8

Kyle Edwards5 said:Alright, let’s talk about Kimi. Yeah, he was slow, and being 30 seconds off is a massive gap, but look—he still managed to claw his way up to 4th instead of sliding down to 7th or 8th. So, it’s really not that catastrophic. It’s just the first race of the season...

It’s not a crime, but man, it was bad...
Not the result itself, but the gap 😉

The issue is that if the other Ferrari doesn't start beating the other Mercedes, there's zero chance at the Constructors' title. And now we have to worry about him losing 4th place to a tricky RB...
Dammit, he could've easily finished 6th if RB didn't have so many lucky breaks this weekend, especially since they aren't even limited by the MGU-K and suspension yet. Imagine what happens if Kimi keeps driving like this and RB tightens things up to match Barca...

I can only hope he had a few drinks yesterday and was driving buzzed, because if this is his absolute best, I'm worried he won't last long at Ferrari...

William Bennett53 said:We really owe Pascal for discovering this kid. Now that he’s put him on the map, he can just hand over his seat. 🙏

Ericsson is basically expendable anyway...
Pascal is fast, and he's proven he's a top-tier team player...

If there's any actual intelligence left at Sauber, they'll ditch Ericsson and put the kid in his place...
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Ferrari makes it a condition after today. They clearly need a replacement for Kimi, and if they can snag a talented, fast Italian driver in the process, that's basically a dream scenario for them...

William Bennett53 said:Look, let's be reasonable here. It's obvious Kimi had a rough weekend, but we don't judge an entire season based on the US Grand Prix, so why should we judge him by this one race? This gap is simply too wide to pin solely on his individual form. The pre-season testing clearly showed he was in peak condition.

I wouldn't say he was "fit"...
Kimi definitely had the raw speed in that car—I mean, he set an FL after all...
But what he didn't have was consistency. Something's off. Maybe he's just not physically ready to push the limit constantly, or maybe he can't manage the tires, which is why he couldn't stay fast.🤔

On the other hand, Vettel looked pissed. I'm pretty sure they didn't tell him that FL wasn't his. 🤣
Man, his driving was all about controlling the pace. Then, right after Kimi's FL, he puts down a much faster time and grabs a new FL himself. They obviously gave him the signal. 😁
But after that? They probably didn't, because he stopped even trying to chase an FL...

Kyle Edwards5 said:For the entire race, Ferrari looked just as fast as the Mercedes.
I have to admit, I started questioning Sebastian Vettel a few times last season, but this was an incredible showing from him—absolutely flawless, reminiscent of his old days at Red Bull Racing...
Kimi Räikkönen struggled today; it’s not that he lacked pace, considering he clocked the fastest lap at the end, but his sector times felt incredibly inconsistent.
As for Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, it was painfully obvious they weren't used to being in a position where they were actually fighting against an equal car. It’s easy to pull off a perfect strategy when you have a superior machine...My favorite part was when they started talking about "Plan B"😁. They were almost cute with that little setup...
On the flip side, I can't remember the last time I watched such a pathetic display of overtaking maneuvers...

Sure, the quantity was there, but the quality of passing? Absolute garbage. 🙏
Man, that Alonso-Ocon-Hulk trio is the only thing providing decent highlights this season. 😉
Three cars fighting through a single corner—now *that* is real racing, not this fake DRS nonsense on the straights. 🙄

Aside from that, the most thrilling race that ever got me hooked on Formula 1 was the one where you basically had to wait the entire race for a single move. 😁
If you haven't seen it, go watch Monaco 1992 Senna vs Mansell. If they’d had DRS back then, the race would've sucked, but as it stands, it's a masterpiece. 😳

Jack Kelly5 said:I don't think there's much point in overhyping this.
The USA race didn't really show what's actually going on, and honestly, I'm kind of questioning if Seb could even put a dent in Lewis's lead if he hadn't gotten stuck behind Max.
Mercedes is just too dominant for them not to learn something from this.

Still, seeing them looking a bit more vulnerable is pretty nice, I guess.
😬

btw
Looks like Kimi is probably just looking for another massive severance package.
😬

True, but there is one damn good thing about this 😁
Vettel and Ferrari are killing it with tire management, even when they're glued to The Bear's bumper... and more importantly, the car wasn't twitchy at all. 👍
On the flip side, Mercedes (well, at least Hamilton's) is struggling whenever they need to shadow someone... and even Lujo isn't feeling the tires right now.

From what I can see, Vettel might actually have a harder time with Bottas than with Hamilton if they let him loose. Bottas seems way more comfortable with his car than Hamilton does.
Surprisingly, Bottas didn't have any issues with the tires, nor did he have trouble keeping pace with the guys ahead.

All in all, we've got an interesting season ahead. The only downside is that Kimi isn't even close to stepping up, so he likely won't be fighting for podiums or stealing points from Mercedes.

P.S. Seb has never lost a championship lead once he gets it. Once he's in first, he stays there.😁

darkmarlin16 said:GIOVINAZZI 🙏

He was absolutely phenomenal 🙏🙏🙏
Sauber 8 in the standings because of him—something they couldn't even dream of 😳

Pascal's call turned out to be a massive 🙏
Now it's Sauber's turn; kicking Ericsson and Antonio Giovinazzi out of the car for their season 🙏

neonfox65 said:🤦

Don't act like a genius when you already messed up by claiming Ford was faster than Red Bull...👋

I never said Rick would start in 10th—all I said was "we'll see."

Well, we saw 😁
Renault being faster than Ricciardo...

Though fine, I'll give you this: Max was faster than the Renault, but hey, that's just Max for you. 😳

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

neonfox65 said:ESPN just posted the grid too and he's listed at 10th, so we'll see. Either way, Renault is slower than them anyway.👋

What did we tell you, dear DMW? 🙂
Like I said, you clearly have zero clue how F1 works and you're just regurgitating journalist garbage...
Maybe try using your brain for once...

stormybadger8 said:Here you go again, acting like you actually know anything about Formula 1.🤦

Here’s your link...
http://www.fia.com/events/fia-formul...information-19

Until it shows up at 10th on the official starting grid, nothing is set in stone.
That thing you posted isn't even the official qualifying results, let alone the grid.

Chances are he trashed the gearbox. Given how loud that bang was, a replacement is almost a certainty...
Even if they can swap it out, I wonder if it's even worth the risk for this race and the ones coming up.

Or at least listen to what Tibi is telling you. ☕

https://www.formula1.com/en/results....ting-grid.html
Rick starts behind Hulk. ☕

neonjackal2 said:Race start time 4:00 PM local | 5:00 AM GMT | 6:00 AM BST

So that means 7:00 AM for us. But since we're dealing with Daylight Saving Time shifts overnight, it’ll actually be 6:00 AM by the old clock.

EDIT: What kind of timing is this? Absolute radio silence for fifty minutes, and then suddenly everyone starts talking at once. 😁

Something feels off here...
I just woke up out of nowhere without an alarm, which would be way earlier than my usual 5:00 AM routine. If I actually woke up at 3:00 AM, something's definitely up.🤔

neonfox65 said:That 👍

General Motors really screwed them over—it’s laid out clearly in the text, I don't know why you're digging your heels in. Just for once, stop hating on Red Bull...

It’s not that I hate them, it’s just that this article makes zero sense...
First there's this General Motors screw-up, then suddenly what the Red Bull is doing is making parts for everyone regarding the engine component? Why wouldn't they just install the old one? Like, if Red Bull is busy making mechanical parts instead of their own engine component right now 😵it's just weird. 🤷

Plus, it’s totally wild to me that Mark and Christian Horner aren't saying anything about this. I get they might be barred from trash-talking General Motors, but man, Mark and Christian must be absolutely losing it in the paddock today. 😬

mellowtiger83 said:It’s at 8:00 AM. Just don't forget to set your clocks forward.

Dammit, I thought we were setting it back three hours.😬

neonfox65 said:So here’s why Red Bull was struggling so much

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...-for-australia

And no, Tibi—it's not Tibi, the engine is actually perfect 🙂

The more I chew on this, the more I'm convinced that whole engine component issue is on Red Bull, not General Motors.

If it’s actually true that the old guy is carrying an extra 10 pounds and is even weaker than before, I don't get why there isn't a massive media circus blowing this out of proportion. Seriously, where is the outrage? 🤔
Dammit, F1 actually forces their drivers to drop two kilos just because they're struggling with the weight limits.
Red Bull is sitting on an extra 5kg, their engine component is underperforming, and they’re stuck like this for at least five more races. Suddenly, everyone is pointing fingers at General Motors, yet nobody from the Red Bull camp is saying a damn word about it.
And even if everything regarding that engine component is actually fine, let’s be real: they basically blew a quarter of the season. At this point, they might as well have thrown the whole thing away, no matter how good the upgrade looks after those first five races.
And nothing from those Red Bull Racing vultures. Not even a hint. It’s not like they’re actually going to screw over everyone at General Motors like they usually do whenever one of their typical messes happens.
And even for every single loss where General Motors wasn't necessarily the only one to blame...

Something feels seriously off here. 🤔
It sounds insane that Mark isn't out there tearing into General Motors, and even Christian Horner isn't badmouthing them. It’s like the drivers are just totally sworn to secrecy when it comes to the engines.
Honestly, it’s starting to look more like a Red Bull mess than a General Motors issue, especially since they've gone so quiet.

Unless this new contract—where they’re calling the engine a Brand—specifically says Red Bull can't dump their supplier if they say one bad word about General Motors, I don't see it happening. 🤔

coastalwolf6 said:Just to add:

NASCAR cars hitting high G-forces in Los Angeles

Let that "pussy" journalist sit in one of those cars for once. I’d love to see how long he lasts before he breaks.

Exactly...
And then you have a driver who knows he isn't physically up for it, but chooses to drive anyway because he doesn't want to screw over his team's tiny chance at scoring points—or worse, pass out from exhaustion and cause a massive wreck.

All this hype about how "brave" certain drivers are? It's mostly just pure stupidity, recklessness, and massive egos.

William Bennett53 said:Here is a detailed takedown of Pascal Wehrlein after he told the team following Friday's practice that he wouldn't be driving because his fitness levels weren't up to par—an unprecedented move in the long history of F1:
http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/vi...in_is_a_pussy/

In short, Wehrlein is a total coward.

Long story short, this just proves online journalists can be absolute morons sometimes...
Look, Pascal isn't some egomaniac who thinks he has to drive at any cost, nor is he the type to just ignore everyone and do whatever he wants, but by making that move, he showed he's the kind of team player you rarely see...
It wouldn't have even surprised me if this move cemented his future spot at Bear, though sadly, probably just as a No. 2 driver...

By doing this, Pascal is actually giving Mass a huge compliment...
He's the kind of driver who would die for the team if needed, rather than just being driven by his own ego...

Pascal clearly realizes that Sauber really only has one shot at a good result this season, and that's the Australian Grand Prix, which is traditionally a graveyard for DNFs. If what he told Ted is true—that he was so exhausted after practice he knew he wouldn't finish the race—then it was actually a move worthy of praise from the team's perspective...
It's not even impossible that the team pressured him into it, if they also saw after practice that he simply wasn't physically ready for the race...

Anyway, if Giovinazzi somehow manages to score points tomorrow, it's not out of the question that he effectively handed the kid a spot on the grid—and with better odds of keeping it than some other kid whose dad has a few hundred million in the bank. 😁

mellowtiger83 said:What does it matter if Daniel Ricciardo crashed? It isn't because he's performing poorly. Everyone crashes eventually. Honestly, these guys are driving right on the edge of what's possible.

Ayrton Senna had accidents, Michael Schumacher had accidents, Lewis Hamilton has had them, and Sebastian Vettel too. So what?

Look, I don't care what they fought about. What bothers me is why they even started fighting in the first place.
And the answer to why they started fighting? As far as I know, it's just because neonfox65 is such a huge fan of his. 😉😁

neonfox65 said:So here’s why Red Bull was struggling so much

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...-for-australia

And no, Tibi—it's not Tibi, the engine is actually perfect 🙂

Maybe Red Bull and STR just have that old MGU-K, while Renault is using a newer, fixed version...
How would anyone at Red Bull or STR even know what kind of MGU-K is inside the Renault car? They only know what they're told...

Besides, that isn't an issue with the engine itself, and probably not even an issue with Renault. 😳
It’s an electrical drive problem. Usually, those parts come from a different manufacturer rather than the engine makers themselves. If I remember correctly, that's pretty much how it works with Renault...

I'm not even sure if the MGU-K is actually a Red Bull product now instead of Renault's. 🤔
I know there used to be drama surrounding those electrical components in the Renault-powered cars. It seems like they were relying on Magneti Marelli back in 2016... then after things went south for Red Bull, they switched to someone else, though I can't recall who. Actually, I think Red Bull stepped up to develop that part themselves, which might be why everyone else eventually moved to their solution. 🤔
Why on earth would the article say Red Bull produced extra components for all the teams if they could just slap a 2016-spec MGU-K onto the cars?
Why would Red Bull bother manufacturing MGU-K parts if that component belongs to Renault? 😵

Does anyone actually know who supplies the KERS, the MGU, and all those hybrid bits for Renault?

William Bennett53 said:Tbf, Max Verstappen wasn't even driving for Red Bull during last week's Australian Grand Prix. 😉

Even worse for Ricciardo 😬

I totally forgot about that... currently throwing ashes over my shoulder. 😁

brunejz said:Red Bull was a disaster in Australia last year, so we already know how that season ended up.

If I remember right, Ricciardo was sitting somewhere around 8th, and the gap was even wider.

Where on earth are you getting that from...
https://www.formula1.com/en/results....ualifying.html
https://www.formula1.com/en/results....australia.html

Los Angeles 2016
Kimi Räikkönen 1:25.033
Max Verstappen 1:25.434

Los Angeles 2017
Kimi Räikkönen 1:23.033
Max Verstappen 1:23.485

The gap is basically identical. 🤣
The difference is slightly larger this season, but get this: Kimi is exactly 2 seconds faster than last year, down to the millisecond. 🙏
Max hit nearly the same mark too...

Look, the truth is Ricciardo was 8th last year, but that’s because his qualifying was absolute garbage, not because Red Bull was bad.
Max was 5th right behind Kimi last year anyway.😉

The only real change in terms of power is that instead of Nico Rosberg and Valtteri Bottas, it's just Bottas, and Vettel finished ahead of one Mercedes this season.

Amy Castillo4 said:Maybe Adrian miscalculated things this season—just didn't quite manage to cough up an absolute rocket of a car when it mattered most.

Red Bull definitely got caught red-handed with that suspension issue...
Losing that system is no small deal, and ditching the whole setup probably set them back quite a bit...
Since Mercedes ditched it too, they probably took a hit, but they had enough of a lead to afford it. On the flip side, Red Bull definitely couldn't, and that’s likely their headache right now...

Plus, their entire concept was built around having that specific suspension. They didn't realize they had to scrap it until they hit Barcelona, so they haven't had much time to refine everything and make it work properly. Now, the car's suspension is basically just slapped together to meet the rules rather than being finely tuned...