Posts by Nathan Jones98

Still got plenty of time before we hit China...

What even is this?
Is it just me, or is this thing way too big for my screen?

Douglas Patel32 said:I am in complete agreement with this scoring structure, as I believe it introduces a much higher level of fairness to the competition.
As the season unfolds, I am confident that most observers will come to realize just how much more equitable and superior this system truly is; furthermore, I have no doubt that winning the presvetao Cup will carry far greater prestige and weight by the end of the year than simply claiming the championship title itself.

Common sense tells us this matters more because of the case of beer at stake, but this scoring doesn't really align with the overall forecast.
If we've got five top teams, then under this rule, it feels like only they'll even sniff the top 10, making everyone else's results basically irrelevant.
But everyone counts—just look at what happened with Jules Bianchi—which is exactly why this scoring is the fairer way to go.

Honestly, now that I've actually wrapped my head around the current rules, I think they're pretty solid

doesn't matter to me—I'm stuck in the same spot regardless of which ranking you look at😁

It’s basically like designing a preschool curriculum just to launch four-year-olds straight into Formula 1

shadowtrucker said:...and Grosjean is going to tear up the track 😍

Honestly, if Grosjean could just stay consistent, he’d be eating Kimi's lunch out there. Kimi was definitely playing second fiddle early this season—but yeah, if Grosjean keeps killing it in qualifying like he does against Kimi, then starts pulling those moves on the track, he'll basically be clearing the way for Kimi to take the win...

Jason Campbell70 said:Are you talking about the lap times they just clocked in Austin?

Isn't that basically the only benchmark we've got so far?

Jason Campbell70 said:In what way exactly is Renault the star of this test?

Is it because they tried to pass off last year's car as a "brand new" model?

nah, mostly because even their old junker from last season was clearly fast.

Amanda Kelly said:I’ve been running on zero sleep lately. Remind me again.
But should he have shut him down? 🤷 Honestly, I wouldn't have missed a moment like that.

What about those races in Austin and Brazil?
He practically ate Alonso alive for breakfast. No idea where he found that kind of momentum all of a sudden, but man, you gotta respect it.

Amanda Kelly said:😁
God forbid Ferrari actually performs well enough to make Massi redundant. That would be too much luck for me.

And what about how things wrapped up at the end of last season?

Amanda Kelly said:Perez has less than a year to prove he deserves a seat at McLaren—well, at McLaren specifically.
Right now, Button is their golden boy. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Perez, honestly, probably impossible. Unless there's some hidden superstar talent in him that we haven't seen yet.
They likely picked Perez because he was the best option available or showed the most promise. But hiring is always about chasing the future, hoping you actually found your next big thing.
It's a total mess when you're essentially gambling on a mid-tier driver from day one.

You took the words right out of my mouth—

This is likely Massi's last ride, so he'll probably be driving like a man possessed—assuming they don't bench him first.

stormybadger8 said:Against all odds, I’d say it could easily be Alonso or Hamilton.
I’ve got a gut feeling that one or two drivers are going to completely crack this year if their car isn't top-tier. They'll start driving like absolute maniacs, trying to force it when the machinery just isn't there.😳
All in all, I’m expecting a killer season packed with brilliant overtakes and absolute masterclasses.👋 And even more coastline.😬

When is it finally going to happen?🙂 I can't wait. I've got a gut feeling this is going to be the best season ever.😁

Wrong.
Both of them are pretty seasoned drivers at this point—they know exactly how to squeeze out every bit of performance. Honestly, Hamilton tends to be a bit more hot-headed, so I’d give the edge to Alonso in that department.

I'm looking at Perez—he's under massive pressure right now, and he’s going to have to push way harder than anyone else just to prove he belongs. If he doesn't step up and match Button's level, he'll just start making sloppy mistakes on track trying too hard to force a result.
Maybe Maldonado finally learned his lesson—I’m actually expecting a solid season from him. Honestly, I think Williams is going to have an awesome year because they'll probably nail the car again, and this time they've actually got two quality drivers.

Tyler Bennett5 said:Was _ylv = 3 jel Maldonado actually sitting in the car during the crash test?
With an attitude like that, they ought to run a crash test on him too.
Just to see if he's actually ready for the upcoming season.

Don't sleep on Maldonado. ☕
I'm calling it now—Perez is gonna be a total wrecking ball this year.

Raymond Anderson4 said:An expert from the racing world made a sharp observation regarding the air inlet located beneath the Ferrari nose.
http://f1grandprix.motorionline.com/...O_2013_057.jpg

On top of that, there was quite a bit of scrutiny on Ferrari during day three. Every time they pulled into the garage, they seemed to be hiding the diffuser behind those yellow panels.

So yeah—that diffuser must be absolute garbage if they’re trying to hide it from everyone.

I’m really curious to see what the columnist at ESPN writes—he usually drops some solid takes on the testing sessions right about now.
My gut feeling? It’s gonna be that same old shuffle between Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull—with Haas and maybe Mercedes popping in and out of the mix every now and then.

The only thing tripping me up is de la Rosa saying the simulator is the problem, rather than the actual car.

stormybadger8 said:I’m not totally sure, honestly. Last year, whenever Button actually nailed his car setup, he was noticeably faster than Hamilton. I still vividly remember that whole "Twitter meltdown" too—Hamilton was pretty pissed after Button absolutely smoked him in qualifying at Spa.
If he can pull something like this off consistently, he’s going to be a serious threat. The best part about Button is that he doesn't crack under pressure—at least, I've never seen him fold when things get intense.

It’s hard to say anything smart after only two days of testing, but honestly? It looks like the Lotus could actually be a serious contender.😳

Look, testing times don't mean much in the grand scheme of things, but you can't ignore the numbers. Grosjean clocked the third-fastest lap yesterday—his best performance in the last four sessions at Barber Motorsports Park since 2010. On top of that, the Lotus looks like it’s already about two-tenths faster than last year's car. Not bad.
All things considered, this Lotus looks like a legitimate contender. Honestly, seeing Kimi take a title with them isn't some wild pipe dream—he's actually one of the frontrunners for it.😳

Maybe those glory days were just an optical illusion. Maybe they only won because of fancy tire compounds, fuel loads, or whatever other nonsense they throw at us. Whatever. It looks like they managed to build a damn good car again anyway.

The competition is just too fierce. Yeah, they had that consistency last year—mostly thanks to Kimi—but I don't see them fighting for the top spot. They'll probably end up hovering around 3rd or 4th place again.

It’s pretty obvious—last year Button was constantly fighting the car's balance while Hamilton was just absolutely tearing it up. He's always complaining about how the car handles.
This season the car should be dialed in for him, but honestly, the whole setup feels a bit lackluster to me.
It would be legendary if Kimi actually snatched a title. That would be the dream. But yeah, looking at this Lotus, I don't see it happening. Though, hey, if Perez and Button totally blow it this year, maybe McLaren will reconsider bringing Kimi back into the fold. 😁

Kimberly Cruz said:What on earth happened with Marussia today? 😕

link

It’s pretty telling that none of the major news outlets even picked this up 😁

just some kids playing around 😁

Raymond Anderson4 said:I’ve been scrolling through a rival forum, and apparently, Ferrari is gearing up to roll out a new exhaust system and redesigned sidepods, though they haven't hit the track for testing just yet...
It’s a bit unsettling, honestly. I can't help but worry we’ll show up to the season opener with a car that fails to deliver on its race simulations—exactly the kind of headache we dealt with last year.

Man, I'd love it if they actually finished those upgrades by the time we hit the first test in Austin...
because if they start blowing floors or whatever else goes sideways again...