The leaders just cleared the field out. Lewis Hamilton & Nico Rosberg pulled ahead. Sebastian Vettel & Kimi Raikkonen were left in the dust. Jenson Button & Fernando Alonso couldn't keep up either. I guess nothing really caught me by surprise there.
It wasn't exactly what we were aiming for, I guess, but it’s not like it was a disaster either. If Sebastian Vettel had just had a slightly better day, we probably would've walked away with a 2-3 finish. But hey, mistakes happen, for goodness sake, so we just move on. I caught that interview with Sebastian Vettel over on ABC, and he seems pretty happy for Kimi and the rest of the crew, thinking this momentum is really going to pick up once we hit the European leg of the season. No sense in crying about it... no whining, no complaining. If Kimi had that win in his sights, he kind of let it slip during those last few laps of the second stint, but I suppose it's easy to be a smart aleck after the fact... Lewis Hamilton was honestly driving a hell of a race. It wasn't terrible, but I guess only the absolute best is good enough for us. Now we just wait for the heat to kick in and for the racing to head back to Europe.
Not great... honestly, not great at all. Tomorrow’s looking like the first two steps on a red carpet, probably with Kimi leading the way, so that's pretty clear... 🎉
Roger Wright94 said::klap: Nah, I don't know if that’s really enough to justify a massive contract extension. (if you ask me, those compliments from Kimi Räikkönen aren't much to go on)
Honestly, I feel like Kimi actually owes Ferrari a little something at this point. This year, the team seems to be acting like some kind of therapy session for him. He’s constantly talking, laughing... he's even starting to actually drive again...
And get this... he even became a dad now... which I guess means he finally realized that there's more to life than just getting wasted on vodka... 😁
stormybadger8 said:Explanation of Kimi's form from last yearread below 😁
Of course it's down to Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, Maurizio Arrivabene, Alison, and everyone else on the crew... And honestly, Sebastian Vettel is a huge part of it, because the vibe in the garage finally shifted once he showed up...
It's really Fernando Alonso who bears the brunt of Ferrari's failure. He was incredibly selfish, constantly digging at people and trying to pull them to his side against his own teammates, no matter where they stood... It's not like Ferrari replaced 1,000 people overnight—maybe 50 top execs left at most—but even those who joined haven't quite found their footing within the team yet... The main thing is that the team is suddenly breathing as one unit. There's no more "I am the Maestro, there is no other Maestro, I take credit for everything good and blame everyone else for everything bad."
And look, a whole crowd of Ferrari employees is suddenly talking to reporters from NBC, Sky UK, and so on. When was the last time you saw smiling Ferrari mechanics chatting with American journalists? Back then, only Alonso would talk to them, and I'm telling you, occasionally Stefano or Maurizio Arrivabene might say a word, but it was always just to throw shade at Alonso...
Meanwhile, Arrivabene is acting like a real Team Principal. Even after this win, he isn't sucking up to Sebastian Vettel; instead, he's praising the entire crew and doesn't act like the second driver doesn't exist... And Sebastian Vettel is acting like a true team player, praising the car and the crew rather than just himself... There's none of that nonsense like "it's the engine department's fault" or "the tunnel design is bad"... or "the engine department deserves the credit." Suddenly, everyone is credited as a package deal, and everything is mentioned properly.😉 That is the massive difference right there.😳
Every single employee works way harder and adds more value when they actually feel respected and appreciated. That's when they give their absolute maximum... If someone's hard work and effort are constantly being belittled, they're naturally going to stop giving it their all.☕
You could probably troll a bit better than that, 😁 But seriously, though, this shift is actually great for F1. Provided it sticks, I mean. As stubborn as he is, Kimi keeps insisting that this isn't the "real" Ferrari yet and that they'll be even faster soon. And I have to agree, things definitely look different since Alonso left. That old Scuderia spirit is back. 👍
stormybadger8 said:Back in 2007, STR was a total junker that spent the whole season praying for even a single point. Then Vettel jumps in mid-season, and by the very next year, he’s already winning races with that exact same STR. Ever since Vettel left, STR has basically become a total joke again. ☕
Back in 2009, Red Bull Racing was just a mid-field squad dreaming they might snag a top five finish if things got messy enough. Then Vettel shows up in 2009, and suddenly they’re title contenders—eventually crushing it with four straight championships right after. They started messing with his head as far back as Malaysia 2013, and the kid already knew he had to get out of that dump. So, he pulls the trigger at the end of 2014, and wouldn't you know it? Red Bull Racing is right back to being a mid-field squad just dreaming of a top 5 finish in a chaotic race. ☕
Back in 2015, that Ferrari was basically a dumpster fire dreaming of a podium finish. They spent their Sundays practically praying to the heavens just to get a sniff of a trophy. Then Sebastian Vettel rolls up to Ferrari and—presto—suddenly they’re magic. Two races in and suddenly there's a win and a podium on the table. What a joke.🙏 So, you're just flat-out against the team that’s absolutely dominated everything for the last 20-plus years... classic.
Honestly, at the end of the day, it all just comes down to the car. 😍
I get the excitement and the hype, I really do, but maybe don't go too overboard with it.... Vettel drove both those races incredibly well, sure, but his actual contribution to making the car this fast is probably pretty negligible.
The first two steps of this podium should've definitely been draped in red. But hey, I guess we can't expect the trophy to follow us around every single time. this is really just the opening move toward where we actually want to be. :klap:
graniteharbor502 said:It appears Alonso has been quite thoroughly outmaneuvered, wouldn't you agree? :check:
I wouldn't say he got played, I mean, he basically pulled off a miracle finishing 18th while running on like 15% capacity... it was actually pretty wild how he managed to outmaneuver Manore like that. 🙏
I mean, if you think about it, if Alonso had been sitting in that Ferrari seat today, I guess we might actually be questioning whether Mercedes could dominate like this.
Man, what a total disaster. Just when it looked like they were about to absolutely wreck Mass and Vettel... just bad luck, I guess. Kids are just having a rough day. 😁
Jason Campbell70 said:We've got Massa ahead of us in that Williams. Smart enough, I guess.
He’ll probably just get eaten alive right at the start. It wouldn't even be the first time Massa fumbles a launch, honestly. Or maybe he’ll just end up tangling with one of those Mercedes cars in the first turn. Whatever, man... stuff happens.
A bit of a curveball, honestly. It feels like Mercedes is operating on a completely different planet right now. If Ferrari can actually get their tire management act together, I wouldn't be surprised to see them duking it out with Williams. As for McLaren-Honda, well, they did what we expected. All that optimism they were trying to sell us? Total soap bubble, really, because those tests screamed that they have a mountain of issues to climb if they ever want to catch the top three. But hey, maybe we'll give them the benefit of the doubt for a couple of races and see if they can actually pull it together. Though, if things don't change, they might just get absolutely smoked by the heavy hitters tomorrow 🤦. I wouldn't be shocked if the fallout from that concussion ends up dragging on through the whole season, too. 😬
Matthew Fisher7 said:Are you actually suggesting your buddy thinks paramedics, firefighters, or people from different minority groups and races are somehow fundamentally different from everyone else? Is that what you're getting at? Are you saying the same thing? Does this mean we just get a free pass to go ahead and insult ambulance drivers and firefighters whenever we feel like it? Or maybe you and your friend just happen to view those specific jobs and races as being distinct categories?
Look, I'm just gonna say, I think you totally misread the situation here... 🤷
Matthew Fisher7 said:Look, I’m not exactly some big-time civil rights activist or anything, I guess. I just tend to lean on what the U.S. Constitution actually guarantees me, you know? Like, freedom of speech and the right to express my own opinions and values. If you feel like certain groups, minorities, or specific professions should have their rights stripped away, then I suppose you really ought to speak up and lay those views out there where people can actually see them. Because, if you don't say anything, well, everything just stays unsaid, I guess.
Matthew, I think you might have missed the point here. You're getting all caught up in legalities and politics... maybe a bit too much, honestly. Around here, being vague or dodging the question is totally fine, if you ask me. 😁