Posts by stormybadger8

Taylor Watson15 said:Give me a break. Ferrari absolutely crushed them, both tactically and on pure pace. Such a shame about Kimi's tires; maybe he could've scraped more points out of it. Ferrari is BACK...

True, huge bummer.
I think Kimi almost certainly would've taken down Nico Rosberg if it wasn't for that tire bullshit...
Hard to say if he would've caught Lewis Hamilton since he started way back there, but he likely would've cleared Rosberg...
Though maybe Hamilton too, who knows... everything depends.
Kimi was right on Sainz's tail before the blowout, and Sainz was ahead of Pérez, who was ahead of Hamilton at the restart.
So it all comes down to how fast Kimi could have picked off Sainz, Hülkenberg, and Grosjean before Hamilton ended up breathing down his neck....

But yeah, he definitely could've had Rosberg, and maybe Hamilton if he was lucky...

gentlemoose57 said:Lewis Hamilton was struggling on 20 laps of old tires, and then he got blown past when he was on 13 laps of much fresher, faster rubber.

So?
Did he actually pass him in the end or what?

Samuel Ruiz4 said:So yeah, starting at the back meant he was about 15 seconds down after half a lap, and since Merhi couldn't even catch the pack before the restart, he was realistically looking at a 20-second deficit after that first lap...

I'm not buying this idea that Merhi had anything to do with Kimi being stuck behind him. 🤷
Just click the link and look at the data. 😉
Merhi was actually a headache for Jenson Button, who couldn't even get past him before the restart (lap 6), so he was just stuck right on his tail and wiped him out immediately when they went again. Pretty sure Button said something to that effect too. 🤔
Meanwhile, Kimi needed an entire extra lap just to reach Merhi. 😉
At the restart, he was 5 seconds back, so Kimi was actually trailing more than Merhi was.

Kimi's issue wasn't getting blocked; it was just that his pit stop timing meant he couldn't catch the back of the pack in time. Just compare Kimi's times under the SC to everyone else's and you'll see. 😁

If Merhi was really the bottleneck, how do you explain this?
Lap 5: Merhi 2:24.906, Kimi 1:49.747
Lap 6 (restart at end of lap): Merhi 2:23.195, Kimi 1:57.757... Kimi was about 5.7 seconds behind Merhi at the end of that lap. 🤔
Lap 7: Merhi 1:52.666, Kimi 1:46.534—Kimi's already 0.400 ahead of Merhi...

gentlemoose57 said:Clean air? Are you kidding me? Look at how much clean air Kimi had once he changed tires!

The real MVP here were the temperatures. Then, of course, you have the Safety Car, which completely wrecked Mercedes' entire pit strategy. It wasn't like he drove some legendary, earth-shattering lap; he just took advantage of the situation handed to him. The Safety Car gave him that clean air, and that's pretty much the whole story. It's not like we didn't already know he's a beast in conditions like those.

That SC was almost tailor-made for Mercedes, rather than ruining their plans. 🤣
Seriously guys, stop being ridiculous. They would've had to pit one way or another by lap 7 or 8 at the latest, but instead, they got a free pit stop...

There isn't a single theory where Germany could have even managed 7 or 8 laps on used mediums for that first stint, so maybe use your brains before coming up with these theories. 🤣

If they actually had the pace to go longer, they would've stayed out after the SC. Instead, Hamilton's longest stint on fresh mediums was only 14 laps in the second half of the race (and Rosberg's last stint was 15), which means at the start, they were looking at a super optimistic 9-10 laps on fresh mediums or a wildly hopeful 7-8 on used ones...
At the end of the day, during Friday practice, their ceiling was barely 7 laps on new mediums with full tanks...

And imagine trying to explain to Hamilton over the team radio after that medium stint that he couldn't make it to the end on one more set of mediums (18 laps) and actually needed a fourth pit stop. 🙂
Bottom line: if they actually had the capability to finish with just two stops, they would've done it right after the SC (only needing one more stop), but let's be real—both drivers were forced to change tires again...

Besides, if that SC hadn't happened, Hamilton probably would've spun out in the DRS zone within two or three laps...

Plus, Vettel wasn't exactly cruising in clean air the whole time; he was constantly stuck behind someone for a lap.

mellowtiger83 said:Kimi performed on a completely different level. It seems certain that Vettel will face significant struggles against the Finns this season.

Duh, obviously...

I wasn't even expecting him to struggle, but now I'm pretty sure any win Vettel manages to snag won't be easy at all.
Kimi is a weird one—when he’s not feeling it, he just straight up doesn't care. 🤣
But when he sees an opening, he grabs it.

William Bennett53 said:Kimi did a fantastic job, truly fantastic. The entire race was overshadowed by Sebastian Vettel’s massive victory over the dominant Mecam, so his performance kind of flew under the radar, but the man started in 11th, got caught up in some contact right at the start, and had to pit for fresh rubber (not to mention he spent a good portion of a lap limping along on three wheels, losing precious time), yet he fought his way back to finish fourth. I was genuinely impressed with what he delivered. 🙏

Kimi put on an incredible show 👍
So what? He had a puncture or went to the pits—it doesn't matter because the SC just reset everything and put him right back in the mix...
Sure, he started near the back of the pack, but he wasn't actually trailing the leaders; he was just stuck behind a massive traffic jam...
http://www.fia.com/sites/default/fil...ry_chart_0.pdf
Besides, after that, he ended up sitting in 16th place behind Manor, which basically means he was 15th... 😉

darkmarlin16 said:He didn't pass Hamilton because he ducked into the pits instead 😁

Bogdan was struggling too, it's just a matter of how fast he bailed... but honestly, he was already getting gapped before he even headed in.😁

gentlemoose57 said:Yeah, yeah—facts are facts. The guy basically just leaned on the fact that track temperature hit 140 degrees and claimed his car was handling better than the Mercedes because of it—as if that wasn't just pure luck and not his own doing, of course. Honestly? He didn't exactly pull off anything spectacular there.

Regarding that rain—it was a mess! Lewis Hamilton managed to nail his pole lap right at the start of the session, whereas Sebastian Vettel had to wait until the very end when there was significantly more standing water flying off the track.

Sure, except I have zero clue why Kimi couldn't match Vettel's lap count on the Mediums, especially since Kimi was on fresh rubber while Vettel was nursing his used ones from qualifying.😳

Kimi's first stint on the new Mediums (after that puncture fix) lasted 12 laps. Vettel managed 17 on those used Mediums from Q2...
And honestly, that opening stint and those times are exactly why he won. That's where he built that 10-second gap over Hamilton, and he held onto it until the checkered flag.

neonfox65 said:Cut the crap, man—you're reaching. In those three wins, Sebastian Vettel didn't have a single breakdown; he was just absolutely smoking Sebastian on pure pace. 👋

...plus, the car just wasn't clicking for him. I mean, comparing a four-time consecutive champ to some rookie is just... hmm, misplaced and honestly pretty dumb. Without Michael Schumacher, Formula 1 is basically only worth watching because of Vettel. He proved today he's the GOAT... he just completely dismantled them in those head-to-head battles...👋

He won because of a solid pit strategy—he didn't actually overtake anyone on track for the lead 👋 not even Mass in the last race 👋

Don't give me that 🤦
Vettel passed both Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton right out there on the asphalt, pure and simple 😳
Seriously, what race were you even watching if you missed that? 🤦

coastalwolf6 said:At the end of the day, both cars were clearly ahead of Force India. It was enough to push for the win, yet they chose to play it safe like cowards.

And who exactly was supposed to back off?
Dammit, Perez held his line perfectly. He wasn't forcing anyone or moving under braking...
Grosjean is the one who shoved himself into Perez's line like a complete amateur off-track.🤦

It's the exact same story with Hulk and Kvijat; if you take him out early, somehow Kvijat gets the blame instead of Hulk...
Personally, I actually like Kvijat, but let's be real—Kvijat was the one being reckless here.

goldenpuma86 said:I agree that most penalties are pointless, but today they weren't punishing people for overtaking; they were punishing anyone who couldn't stomach being passed (especially looking at Perez). His move today was pure desperation—just shoving a car trying to overtake him off the track. And it's not even his first time... sometimes he really overdoes it with those defensive moves.

Though I do agree, those extra penalties were a bit much.👎

Not really feeling that...
It looked more like legitimate attempts to pass rather than aggressive defense.
Both Sergio Perez and Nick Hulme didn't have much of a choice here. 😉
There’s zero logic in saying a driver has to slam on the brakes the exact second someone pulls alongside them just to let them through. I don't see what else they could have possibly done. 🤷

Just for you, my friend, Jason Campbell70...

Seriously, what kind of photo is 🙏🤣


What a joke 😍


😂

Drew Bennett68 said:Exactly. It’s such a struggle listening to them when the race isn't unfolding exactly the way they imagined it would.

So I guess I need to find the replay. 🤣
This was an NBC race, so I was watching on NBC 🙏🙏🙏

They're way more realistic and objective. When the pit wall sent those messages to Hamilton about catching and passing Vettel in the last five laps, the commentary was basically, "What is wrong with these people? Are they drunk?" 🤣

Usually, nobody ever comments on the officiating...
But today, it was clearly some absolute amateurs and morons calling the shots. 🤦
The Penalties for Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were straight-up insane, but it gets worse—they actually slapped them with extra points loss too. 🤦
David Coulthard was right to say they aren't sane. He called them standard racing incidents and said this kind of officiating makes zero sense because it just discourages drivers from making actual overtakes...

Amanda Kelly said:One race, but it mattered.
A real track with actual racing conditions.
That's the kind of environment we can expect for at least half the races this season.

And you don't have to. You've got your opinion.
I don't think anyone actually expected a Vettel win, but when I saw Mercedes in the pits during the SC while Vettel and the others stayed out, I thought, "There it is." I was certain.
With every lap that passed, I became more convinced it was going to be an SV victory.
The start of the race told us everything we needed to know.

I was hoping for it, sure, but I was dead certain he’d finish ahead of Nico—and way before qualifying even started.
And I was damn sure about it, too. It happened in the first three laps, even before the SC....
Vettel was glued to Hamilton’s gearbox—I mean, he was right there. Meanwhile, Rosberg was already two full seconds behind and falling even further back. Before the SC even came out, Vettel had closed the gap to within 0.7 seconds via DRS. Honestly? I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just hunted him down on track right then and there.
I’ve actually been cursing that damn SC myself. 🤣

steelmaker83 said:You’ve earned the right to enjoy yourselves today, but don't get too comfortable... things are going to change soon enough.

In what sense? 😁
Mercedes will probably still be ahead, but since they're this close, I’d say there's a real shot they get caught during the season...
And honestly, I have a feeling Nico Rosberg is going to catch fire. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the podium is just a constant rotation of Hamilton, Vettel, and Kimi, just swapping steps.

But I’ve got a hunch Rosberg is going to seriously regret saying he wanted Ferrari to push them harder.😁

Hamilton is good enough to stay ahead of Ferrari even with a tiny advantage, but Rosberg? Not likely.
So, it wouldn't be impossible for Ferrari to snatch the constructors' title if everything falls right.

neonfox65 said:Then explain to me how he got absolutely smoked by Ricardo in the exact same car last year... 👋>

He’s got plenty of excuses, but the bottom line is he never felt like he truly belonged in that squad. Honestly, he didn't even feel wanted. The beginning of the end was really Malaysia 2013. 😉
Ricciardo and that whole 2014 season? They’re just the fallout from all of that...

Basically, Malaysia 2013 marked the end of an era, while Malaysia 2015 was the start of a whole new one. 🙂

neonfox65 said:The absolute dumbest argument out there is the idea that a driver is the one actually developing the car🤣🤣🤣

That’s probably why he’s your favorite idiot in this whole mess...😁
Honestly, just looking back at how much some teams fell apart right after he left, everything becomes pretty obvious.

I really want to see if some random rookie can actually jump into his seat at McLaren and start grabbing podiums and wins in their very first season.😁

shadowstag10 said:🤣🤣
man, if you actually wrote it like this the first time, I’d give you a thumbs up👍 (and I mean the actual content, not just the trolling) 🙂

Honestly, it's high time Vettel hits him back on Twitter right when Ferrari is having their team briefing 👏

Who said it was a joke? 😬
Did you see me knowing everything back in September last year? These are some serious "insider tips" right here. 🤣
There’s nothing funny about it. 😬 🤣

Even in Australia, it looked like they made massive strides, though the gap was pretty much unrealistic 😉

But today's race revealed two huge new things...
Ferrari has nailed the cooling on this car—way better than Mercedes—so any high-temp races are going to be dangerous.
Ferrari is being incredibly gentle on the tires and works beautifully on mediums, which is most likely thanks to Alison... it’s not a coincidence that Lotus used to be the king of tire management not too long ago...

The big question is how they'll fare in cold races and if they can stay close there too 🤷

What surprises me most isn't even that Ferrari beat Mercedes; it's how much they absolutely crushed Williams and Red Bull...
Because honestly, I didn't think it was possible for Red Bull to lap anyone, let alone for someone at the back of the pack to fight their way to the front by slicing right through both Williams cars during the race 😳