stormybadger8 As I have noted before, there is a certain weight to these observations that often goes unacknowledged. One must wonder, truly, if we are simply witnessing the inevitable progression of events, or if there is something more profound at play here? It is a question worth pondering, perhaps, while one waits for the next development to unfold. It seems unlikely that we’ll see just one or two... though I suppose nothing is ever truly impossible. When you actually sit back and look at last year's standings, what do you see? In those top two spots, we have McLaren's number one driver and Sergio Perez.🤣
Jenson Button was holding second place quite comfortably until his car gave out on him. It’s a shame, really; they truly could have secured a 1-2-3 finish if things had gone differently. 🙏
Amanda Kelly said:Honestly, a win for Ferrari would hit the spot for me and my crew. I’m talking about the location, the timing, the standings... everything. In my book, Fernando Alonso would be the perfect pick to pull it off, though I suppose I could stomach a victory from Massin too—mostly because I'm not used to seeing that happen, and I'd rather not be blindsided by a miracle. If the power dynamic stays the same as it was in Belgium and we don't run into some sudden technical setback, it’s actually a pretty realistic possibility.
I honestly believe a Ferrari victory isn't just a possibility; it’s looking increasingly likely. Alonso has always been sharp at Indianapolis, and Ferrari tends to excel on these high-speed tracks without the heavy tire degradation issues that Mercedes struggles with...👍
You can even pick up some Beer at the local convenience store, and coffee was going for about $1.20, which is pretty much what you'd pay back home in the States. Actually, I think I’ve figured out a clever way to save some cash at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and I’m planning to test it out next year: just grab a single-day ticket for Saturday for around 60 bucks or whatever the rate is, then head into the track carrying a sleeping bag, some snacks, and plenty of booze. From there, we can just camp out illegally somewhere in the woods within the circuit perimeter. Last year, there was a massive crowd of people camping out in the trees like that when I showed up the next morning.
darkmarlin16 said:So, I mean, are we talking like, two or three thousand bucks should be set aside if you're planning to make the trip out to Indianapolis?
Last year, I managed to get by on about two thousand, and there were only two of us splitting the expenses. ☕ If I hadn't spent money on memorabilia, that total would have been significantly lower.
Rebecca Fox4 said:Was that blonde girl with the Finnish flag with you?🙂
I went with Compass, boarding at the Adriatic gates... all in all, last year was incomparable to the 09 season, whoever was there knows... ☕
No, he was just a friend with a massive nose. 😁 Well, to be honest, we had quite a few people joining us from around here. We also had the incredible misfortune of having a parking lot emptied right near us in the middle of the night. Naturally, that attracted a group of festival-goers who were clearly in high spirits, looking to head out and cause a bit of trouble around town. They ended up disrupting our sleep for about an hour while they were busy getting themselves ready. 🙂
urbangardener7 said:Greetings, everyone—since I realized far too late that I hadn't booked a travel package for the trip to Indianapolis, I’ve decided to just drive myself. I’ll be hitting the road this Saturday around midnight, leaving from Niagara Falls, which means I can pick someone up in Cleveland or somewhere nearby along the route. I have 3 seats available, so if anyone is interested, please do reach out. Also, I was wondering if anyone who has made this trek before might be able to weigh in—I’m planning on bringing about $200 for the ticket and some spending money, plus another $200 for gas and tolls. I suppose you’d say that should be enough? And I assume it’s probably best to bring a GPS just to make sure I actually find my way to Indianapolis. Thanks.
I drove from Cleveland last year. Generally speaking, you don't even really need satellite navigation to get to Indianapolis, unless you are like me and enjoy seeing exactly how much more driving remains before you hit your destination. You just follow the route toward Padova and then toward Chicago, as Raymond Anderson4 explained above. However, once you actually arrive in Indianapolis, a GPS might come in handy if you decide—as I did last year—to park relatively close to the track, perhaps somewhere in town where parking is free. Also, finding a pizzeria or a supermarket on Saturday afternoon might be a wise move.
As for the finances... $200 should cover your travel, and the other $200 should be plenty for two days, provided you aren't buying memorabilia and you eat from the grocery stores. A word of advice: at the racetrack, you can bring whatever you like (camping chairs, sleeping bags, stools, miracles...) so bring plenty of food and drinks, and definitely bring coffee in a thermos.
Regarding anything else, the two of us rented that device with the audio and video feed (it looks somewhat like a video game console) last year, and it was a total success. Only a few people in our section of the stands actually knew what was happening on the track since we weren't positioned near the big screens. One more thing: if you are buying the cheapest ticket but want a spot right by the fence where you can see clearly, plan to be in position by around 9:00 or 9:30 in the morning. 😁
Since we're discussing this particular image, those wooden armchairs positioned behind the girl holding the flag strike me as quite peculiar. I suppose she’s slightly obstructing the view, but even so, you can tell they are rustic pieces made from solid wood—the kind of furniture often crafted in East Asia. Honestly, who would ever think to place something like that on a sleek, modern yacht? And much less likely to sit in such chairs while watching Formula 1 at Indianapolis... It is a strange composition; I am not entirely sure why darkmarlin16 chose this specific one. 🤷
Jožek, I believe the yacht might be mounted on a trailer over at the RV park, just past the outer edge of the starting straight. 😁
As it happens, I won't be attending any races this year. 😢 Hopefully, I can make up for it next season, as I am planning trips to both Austria and Indianapolis. 🙂
Jason Campbell70 said:This was already brought up yesterday. And if you ask me, it sounds like the most standard excuse in the book.
Something was off with the brakes on Raikkonen's car from the very beginning. You could see smoke coming from his front brakes right at the start, and they were shedding an unusually large amount of carbon dust from the first lap. And we know they showed up to Indianapolis Motor Speedway with modified front brake cooling.
PS - There is no such thing as a "brake duct radiator." 😁
Go ahead, call that hole through which air flows to cool the disc whatever you want... 🤣
Amanda Kelly said:You mean TBF!? Because I can't think of anyone else in that circle.
What was I getting at? I’m actually pretty happy with how Ferrari is looking. The car was fast in every condition—really fast. As for qualifying, I think that was just a lucky break. To pull off a Red Bull Vettel combination today, you basically needed Alonso starting on pole to have any chance. The Ferrari was powerful (almost like it was back in Barcelona) and Alonso was excellent, but unfortunately, it just wasn't enough.
The guy won the race with one lightning-fast move (one I didn't even see coming). I'm sure there was some kind of mistake by Lewis, but regardless, Sebastian Vettel's performance was flawless. I was watching the race on German TV and couldn't make heads or tails of the commentary. All I saw was that there wasn't even a hint of anyone closing in on the leader. Maybe the kid could have even been faster.
The only way things significantly change is if the cows die.
I am in complete agreement with these observations. 👍 Alonso was brilliant, and Ferrari was quick; had they qualified higher up the grid, who knows what might have happened? But Vettel was simply on another planet yesterday. 🙏 Hamilton certainly didn't have his day... and frankly, neither did the Renault or McLaren crews.
shadowstag10 said:Just try explaining to me how you're supposed to know if you need a 1:55 or a 2:10 for a lap in those final frantic minutes. Even their fancy, high-tech, state-of-the-art weather sensors can't predict that stuff. The fact that the track dried out just enough? Yeah, that's definitely luck.
But hey, if Alonso hadn't been sitting on that +10 second gap with two laps to go, there's a massive chance he could've squeezed into that last timed lap.
It is, after all, their job to know. They are sitting on a mountain of telemetry data, backed by an entire department of strategists tasked with crunching numbers in real-time. It isn't just about analyzing the final qualifying lap, either. They have to juggle much more complex variables—tire degradation strategies, pit window timing, fuel consumption calculations, and a thousand other moving parts. To my mind, this is nothing short of pure guesswork disguised as science. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if even Fernando Alonso brought it up himself.
You can say whatever you want, but let’s be honest: Ferrari absolutely botched the strategy here. Reaching one more timed lap isn't some matter of luck; it's pure math. We've seen plenty of instances where someone miscalculates and fails to complete that extra lap, yet I have never once heard anyone claim it was a stroke of bad luck. 🤷
As for how Hamilton is doing (🙏 🙏 🙏), damn, I have to admit—the guy went from being someone I couldn't stand to being incredibly likable. Now, he's actually one of those drivers whose results I genuinely find myself rooting for. 🙏
I’m not sure if anyone caught the news on the other thread: the Embassy of Belgium isn't being broadcast on ESPN. 😢
If any reliable streams happen to surface, would those in the know be so kind as to drop a link here? It would be greatly appreciated so those of us without satellite service can still follow qualifying and the race.
This is what the Facebook revolution has done to us... Not only does a massive portion of the population suffer from a genuine addiction to such an empty substitute for actual friendship and communication, but even here on this forum—which serves as a sanctuary for old-school, hardcore internet interaction where words and text actually matter more than visual distractions—users are constantly hunting for validation through "like" buttons. If Anderlon ever decides to permit that kind of thing, I’m walking away from this community for good.
Jason Campbell70 said:If luck isn't on our side, at least let someone else have a run of bad luck! 👋
Why on earth would you wish for that? Are you really calling for total chaos at the start—the kind where both Red Bull Racing cars, both Mercedes-AMG Petronas cars, and at least one Renault engine blow up just so Ferrari can sweep the podium with both cars?🤣 🤣
This track is easily the best on the calendar, and quite often, the most thrilling race we see all year. My expectations are sky-high. 🙏 I’m looking specifically at Kimi Räikkönen; he has a knack for showing everyone exactly why he belongs among the legends when he’s at his best. I also find myself wondering if Romain Grosjean might finally show why he was always considered far superior to this current crop of F1 youngsters, perhaps by leaning into those trademark aggressive moves of his. That said, my heart—as it almost always does—is set on the Red Bull Racing drivers. 😍
If that doesn't pan out, I suppose I'll settle for a Lewis Hamilton victory, or at the very least, a disappointing finish for Sebastian Vettel. 🙏 🙏
My roommate and I shared a single computer for the forum for quite some time. She would manage her own threads, I’d handle mine, and we never ran into a single issue. To be safe and avoid accidentally posting under the wrong username, we simply used different browsers. Real trouble only starts when roommates begin backing each other up in discussions; at that point, it becomes nearly impossible to tell them apart from clone accounts.