On this track, Mercedes should be right up there with the leaders, especially Lewis, since Valtteri just isn't contributing much right now. Everything comes down to the launch and then how they manage until the pit stops. I have zero doubt Lewis will be driving like a man possessed... Sebastian Vettel struggled quite a bit during qualifying, which shows he’s clearly feeling the pressure, while Kimi Raikkonen couldn't care less and just goes out and clocks the fastest lap. Truly impressive... It’s honestly a shame that nobody is even in the same zip code as Mercedes and Ferrari. The gap to the rest of the field is just tragic...
stormybadger8 said:She’d bounce back quickly without any trouble... The Bear is a damn fast car... way faster than Ferrari, and the reality is that Lujo has practically secured the title already... Ferrari and RB are noticeably slower than the Bear, and Valtteri Bottas is just struggling, plus he's already facing serious penalties... They're allowed 3 PUs, but only 2x (CE) electronics and 2x (ES) batteries, and Bottas is already on his last set of electronics and batteries by the second race... So even if Bottas actually shows some talent, it's hard to see him being any kind of threat; he basically blew his season during qualifying...
It would be incredibly strange if they managed to screw Hamilton over that much, or if he messes up so badly that he loses the championship—it feels like an impossible mission to me...
Ferrari definitely won't have better development throughout the season than the Bear, so you can forget about that...
If the Bear gets sloppy, maybe RB will have a shot, because RB will surely keep getting better and better as the season progresses... And even now, that FL from Ricco was surprising 🤔 That would imply RB might be significantly faster, not just than Ferrari, but perhaps even than the Bear during the race phase...
Lujo was chasing Vettel, but he wasn't anywhere near that Riccov FL... And Kimi just couldn't shake Ricco...
Basically, if Max hadn't been acting like an idiot again, RB would have absolutely had a driver on the podium. Max had all the conditions today, maybe even for a win... Because with a decent start, he could have easily jumped Vettel, who didn't start great, and then he ended up with Kimi breathing down his neck, which slowed him down... Even without that, he could have easily stayed right behind Vettel until the VSC, which would have gained him at least 2 or 3 positions if he'd followed Vettel's tactic—which looked totally doable since the RBs were on SS... I'm pretty sure that if Ricc had started behind Ferrari, he likely would have been on the podium, if not won outright, given how he drove today. He would have certainly gained positions at the start or at least held them, rather than losing them to Haas like Max did...
Come on, don't talk nonsense. Max didn't stand a chance against Ferrari, and don't even get me started on Mercedes... The combination of Mercedes-Hamilton + party mode is currently the absolute peak, and only Ferrari has the knowledge and resources to challenge them...
Congrats to Ferrari, Sebastian Vettel, and Kimi Räikkönen. They capitalized on the chaos from the SC and earned that win.
One thing is certain: the Mercedes-AMG car is painfully fast—easily the quickest on the grid. Even on older tires, Lewis Hamilton was clearly faster than Sebastian Vettel; he just couldn't make the move because of the track layout and Ferrari's top speed. You can see from the aerial views that Mercedes-AMG and Red Bull Racing are dominant through the corners, while Ferrari is struggling there. They still have work to do... At least it's encouraging that Ferrari has a competitive engine, even if they lack that "party" mode 😁
Valtteri Bottas needs a serious kick in the rear and should be sent straight to a concentration camp. It’s embarrassing that a car that mediocre can't even outpace Renault 🤦 And I honestly feel for Fernando Alonso. It's sad watching him celebrate a 5th place finish that he only got because Haas pulled out and the SC came out... Red Bull Racing looks lifeless and completely underwhelming... there's no way to make progress with an engine that's this weak 😁
I feel worst for Haas. Such sloppy mistakes and wasted points. It's like they're rookies out there, just terrible 🙂
If Sebastian Vettel hadn't messed up in Singapore, they might have actually stood a chance last year... if the heat stays this intense this season, they aren't winning it regardless of the car...
Man, I love Kimi Räikkönen, but he always finds a way to mess things up. He’s solid in qualifying, then he completely blows the start and the restart after the SC... he just seems to drift through the race, and at best, he’s just there to help Sebastian Vettel since Valtteri Bottas has been doing that from the jump. That's why they praise him over at Mercedes-Benz...
Roger Wright94 said:We probably won't run out of drama. And Ferrari has the edge. Just look at how Lewis Hamilton is driving; it might actually hurt Sebastian Vettel during the race. Instead of just focusing on his own line...
Lewis Hamilton is really his own worst enemy here. He has all the cards, yet he could still blow it at the finish line. Sebastian Vettel isn't Nico Rosberg and he doesn't back down, but he can be pretty reckless too... I'm just worried the FIA might end up deciding the championship themselves...
Lewis Hamilton is an incredible driver, but he’s basically a child at heart. Just a spoiled kid through and through... Sebastian Vettel used to be so hot-headed, which was totally unlike him back when he was driving for Red Bull Racing... The real issue is that the FIA seems to be siding with Mercedes-Benz, since their car is just faster and more reliable. Vettel is teetering on the edge of disqualification, and they’ll probably face a turbo penalty in upcoming races too. Kimi Räikkönen is useless right now, so Vettel really needs to settle down if he wants that championship title... Basically, things are going to get wild, and Mercedes-AMG is the favorite. I feel for Lance Stroll, even though he lost it in those final meters. Esteban Ocon is a phenomenal driver, and Daniel Ricciardo showed he can truly squeeze the most out of any situation... If only we could have more races like this...
The setup was totally off, which caused those tire overheating issues, and with an aging engine on top of that, this result isn't exactly a shocker. Still, Sebastian Vettel was actually faster than Mercedes in Friday's simulations on both compounds... On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton absolutely smoked Valtteri Bottas today. Now I can see why people are backing him and calling for him to stay put next season...
Well, Sebastian Vettel is only 0.250s faster than the Force India. It’s clearly a setup issue. He was sliding the whole time and just doesn't have the pace for a single lap, plus there are rumors he's running an old engine... If Max Verstappen manages anything at the start, he'll blow past them on that straight near 1.2 miles... Basically, I’m expecting Vettel to take second tomorrow during the race because Valtteri Bottas is useless and will probably crash out just like Max Verstappen...
Sebastian Vettel's quotes after qualifying:
"We're starting from fourth. If I can move up just one spot, that’s a podium. We'll see. I think Mercedes will be fast tomorrow too, but I have no doubts that we can hold our own against them. Our long runs were great on Friday, but that doesn't mean much when you're starting a bit further back.“
Mercedes is sitting on the fastest car right now; they finally sorted out those tire issues and absolutely unleashed everything during qualifying... Ferrari looks solid for the race since Vettel was leading the simulations on the US and S compounds. It’ll just be tough to see them actually capitalize on that during the race...
Red Bull ended up trailing by 39 seconds in Shanghai, though that was mostly due to the safety car and Sebastian Vettel slowing down during that final stretch. It easily could have been a gap of over a minute... Since the soft tires just aren't working for them like the supersofts do, they might actually show some real competitiveness in Sochi...
Just let Red Bull do their thing as long as they have that devilish Adrian Newey... they're always dancing right on the edge of the regulations and then they start whining the second things don't go their way. They are just the worst... I wouldn't be surprised if they catch up and become true equals after Spain...
stormybadger8 said:How was he supposed to catch them when he was on the same tires and only two laps fresher than they were? On top of that, Ricciardo had noticeably fresher rubber.
Ferrari's tactics for Vettel were pure, unadulterated stupidity. 🤦 15 US, 15 NM, 8 US, 29 NM 😵
The only way to forgive them is if those US tires started falling apart in the third stint, forcing the pit stop, but otherwise, it’s madness squared... Though even that isn't an excuse because that second stint should never have been that short...
It’s easy to trash Ferrari just to defend your favorite driver who failed to deliver once again...👎 The only hero of this race was Verstappen, though the Red Bull pit wall also messed up regarding Ricciardo... Why didn't Vettel attack Red Bull Racing during the first stint when he was obviously faster? He just trailed them, waiting to pit... Ferrari tried to jump ahead of Ricciardo by switching tactics, which worked, but nobody expected Max to pull through on mediums for over 30 laps...
Things look pretty shaky over at Mercedes after this race, so feel free to share your thoughts. That era of total dominance is officially over. Toto isn't even smiling anymore, and even Niki Lauda looks visibly shaken... It’s not just Ferrari we have to worry about; Red Bull is going to be an even bigger threat during the second half of the season...😉never mind, never mind...
stormybadger8 said:If his grandma were a guy, she'd be called Duško... 🤣 Man, if Ferrari wasn't struggling with this or that, imagine how things would look if Mercedes hadn't had such a disastrous start...
Ferrari snatched a victory that should have gone to Mercedes, but let's be honest—if both teams had actually performed at their peak, the result would have looked just like last year... Let's be real, for goodness' sake... Lewis Hamilton was clearly faster than Nico Rosberg the entire time, and you could really feel it. He only ended up behind him because his starts were just worse than Rosberg's... If Hamilton had finished the first lap in the lead and Rosberg followed right behind him, Vettel would have ended up trailing Hamilton by at least 20 seconds... 😉
What are you even talking about? Lewis Hamilton couldn't get past Max Verstappen. He spent ten laps just trailing behind him... Before the crash, both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen were holding off Nico Rosberg without any issues... Honestly, Vettel would have overtaken Hamilton if he hadn't been stuck in the pits for that long... Even if Ferrari switched to the Medium tire, Rosberg would still pull ahead... though Hamilton would likely stay behind him...
Of course, if there hadn't been a safety car, they would have had a real shot. But on those medium tires and a track like this, Rosberg really should have taken the win... Mainly Mercedes... aside from the start, their tactics were absolutely flawless. A well-deserved win!...
Ferrari looks incredible. If they hadn't completely botched the strategy, Sebastian Vettel would have finished second... And Kimi Räikkönen could've grabbed a podium if his engine hadn't blown up. Even on a track that wasn't built for Ferrari, they were right there... Daniel Ricciardo was fantastic, and a solid result for Sergio Pérez and Williams....
I can't wait for the next race. Ferrari is going to crush Mercedes, provided they don't fire that idiot running the strategy department...