Posts by Raymond Anderson4

In my view, both Sebastian Vettel's penalty and Maxov's move in the Suzuki were mistakes.

wiredfalcon2 said:Lewis mentioned they're losing about 4 or 5 tenths in the final sector compared to the Ferrari. I'm really crossing my fingers for a wild start from Ricciardo tomorrow.

If the Ferrari hits 205 mph, they still have enough time to maintain that pace.
With the Mercedes hitting 202 mph, they're having to brake incredibly hard right before the chicane just a second later.
I need to dig up a comparison lap to be sure, but it looks to me like the Ferrari spends twice as much time at speeds over 200 mph. That’s clearly why they're closing the gap so fast.

Jerry Moore61 said:The Ferrari fans here in Montreal are going absolutely wild. I’m standing here in my Mercedes-Benz shirt, surrounded by nothing but a sea of red.

A great lap from Seba. Ricciardo finally looks like he's woken up. Tomorrow should be an interesting one. I have a nagging feeling that Ferrari just doesn't have the long-run pace to match Mercedes-Benz.

Sebastian Vettel is a different beast when he's out front.
If the pit wall doesn't mess things up, I think he could take the win, even if his race pace isn't quite there. That Ferrari top speed might just be the deciding factor.

From what I can see, Lewis Hamilton is hitting 325, while Vettel is at 335.
That should be enough for Vettel to hold his own.

Brian Campbell36 said:Total nonsense.
It’s not like we haven't seen this before.

Sebastian Vettel shaved off two tenths to beat Luja, clocking in at 1.10.240. 🎉
That new PU spec didn't do much for Mercedes-Benz, but it finally helped Ferrari.
A lot of people on this thread are in shock because Vettel actually outpaced Charles Leclerc.

It’s funny how you always show up acting like you have all the answers.

As for Mercedes-Benz, if they just dial back the effort during the weekend so they can unleash everything in Q3 and sweep the field, who really cares?

George White52 said:11. consecutive DNFs 🙏

EDIT: and counting 🤣

Stroll just seems completely hollow behind the wheel. Honestly, I have no idea why he’s even in the cockpit. It’s always the same monotone delivery—just totally flat and unbothered, no matter how bad the result is.

The producers are really overthinking this, trying to capture every single angle with 28 different cameras.
Booooring.

stormybadger8 said:Another conspiracy theory 😬
If nobody else is going to say it, I will. 🤣

Maybe the issue is just that Binotto misfired a cylinder—basically, they just messed up the fuel delivery...
That’s why the kid wouldn't follow team orders. It was like the team saying, "Hey kid, just tuck in a little bit." 🙂

As crazy as it sounds, it isn't entirely impossible...

Regardless of how things look at Ferrari, and even if Leclerc is probably more popular there than Vettel, if the kid actually went against team orders, he went against the crew. And in a place like Ferrari, that is an absolute, hard no. 😉

Exactly. They sabotaged the one driver who actually has a shot at beating Hamilton this year. 😁

fadedpanther51 said:@Tibi Just a layman's question here: is it actually possible to design a car or engine components so they can stay in high mode for longer? Sure, it's very likely the driver pushed too hard, but would everything be fine if he had just dialed back the power mode 2 or 3 laps before the issue even popped up?

Only at Ferrari would they use telemetry to claim exactly how hard he was pushing.
If that's the case, what are we supposed to say about Valtteri Bottas winning by such a massive margin in Australia? What was that then—just running the engine at absolute maximum capacity the whole time?

It was a hard-fought battle, but honestly, Carlos Sainz could have taken a wider line there. He had a massive exit coming out of the corner and really should have capitalized on it.

Hamilton's move past Vettel was pure class. He drifted wide just enough to maintain control through the entire corner. 🙏
He was definitely the one taking ten times more risk of spinning out there.

Daniel Ricciardo owes his luck to the other drivers for avoiding a double Did Not Finish today.
Nickname is the only reason this didn't turn into a disaster for both of them. He took that corner way too wide, but his mistake actually saved them. It feels like Ricciardo dives into a turn and just assumes everyone else will adjust their line to make room for him.

Gary Palmer8 said:Watch out, mamaFia, you might run out of steam...

Daniel Ricciardo's car couldn't be moved due to safety protocols, which is why the Safety Car had to come out.

It’s frustrating how you constantly jump between unrelated points from one race to the next.

Robert Cox46 said:I just don't get how both Fords ended up sidelined at the exact same time. It's hard to buy the engine excuse when they both gave out after covering the same number of miles.
Maybe they were both given the same fuel load and they just ran dry?

Daniel Ricciardo's Internal Combustion Engine gave up, and the Nickname's engine blew.

Red Bull is nowhere to be seen, yet they somehow maintain an incredible race pace.
Ferrari looks the fastest right now, especially with how well they manage their tires, while everyone else seems to be absolutely shredding theirs.

Beyond that, McLaren has built a really quick mid-field car, but having a rookie like Lando Norris and an overrated driver like Carlos Sainz is really masking the car's true potential.

Timothy Castillo6 said:https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...port-lvmrlv2dm
Sebastian Vettel: Formula 1 is now more a show and a business than a sport

Sebastian Vettel could walk away from the sport after his Ferrari contract ends amid growing concerns with the Formula 1 regulations

Coming from a guy who signed a $50 million a year deal based on the idea that Formula 1 is just a massive show designed to collect sponsors like Pokémon cards.

stormybadger8 said:Not quite...
In the first lap, Max was only about 0.2 to 0.3 seconds behind Ferrari. By the second lap, he was 0.4 seconds faster, and by the third, he was a full second ahead.
That explains why Max’s times stayed consistent or even improved slightly, while Ferrari dropped off by half a second or more per lap. By lap five or six, they were in serious trouble, falling way behind Red Bull Racing, McLaren, Haas, and Renault...🤦

It isn't surprising that Red Bull Racing wasn't on Ferrari's level during qualifying. They usually perform much better during the actual race, and I expect we'll see that gap widen even more this season.
Honda is clearly doing great work; you could really see it in the Red Bull Racing race pace.

Red Bull Racing doesn't have a raw speed problem; their issue is tire warming.
That’s exactly why they struggle in a single qualifying lap, but they excel in race pace because they manage their tires so much better over a long stint.

Red Bull Racing having better race pace than Ferrari? Sure, maybe in the final third of the season, but Ferrari has been faster up until now. Honestly, I'm not sure where you got the idea that Red Bull Racing is typically faster in race pace.

The race simulations from Friday clearly showed Charles Leclerc was the fastest, so I still don't see why you're bringing Red Bull Racing into this.

You seem to think Red Bull Racing was significantly better than Mercedes in Australia. You're acting like Valtteri Bottas was the benchmark proving how much Mercedes was outclassed by Red Bull Racing during the race.
Plus, the simulations from Friday show Red Bull Racing is slower than Ferrari on average lap time. I have no idea where you found that claim about them being a second faster by the third lap.

Richard Walker38 said:You really played both sides of the fence there. You claim the kid is smart, but we all know he’s just playing the role Ferrari needs right now—acting as a loyal soldier in a desperate attempt to keep fooling a washed-up driver like Sebastian Vettel.

Think about a hypothetical scenario where a rookie Lewis Hamilton was in Charles Leclerc's shoes instead. He would have followed team orders to the letter and overtaken Sebastian Vettel on track; I am 100% certain of that. It would have signaled the beginning of the end for Vettel's status as a top-tier driver. We’re going to see more drivers riding on the coattails of team orders and favoritism for a while. Eventually, little Charles will evolve from this obedient subordinate into a frustrated nutcase, much like Valtteri Bottas at Mercedes, and then we'll be stuck listening to his cryptic radio messages too.

The Charles Leclerc we saw in Australia is exactly the kind of driver Ferrari wants. Honestly, him trailing behind Sebastian doesn't matter when you look at the big picture.
Once Sebastian moves on, Charles will be the one left standing. This whole thing is just training for the operating procedure they used back during the Michael Schumacher era: having a clear number one driver and a dedicated wingman.
Charles has already seen exactly what awaits a number two driver once he takes full control of the Ferrari seat.
The version of Sebastian Vettel we saw in Australia is essentially what Charles Leclerc will become in a few years. 🙂

Aside from maybe one or two things regarding Mercedes during qualifying and the race, I’m honestly surprised by how everything unfolded.
After seeing how they performed in Australia, I just can't see myself betting against them.

Something strange is going on here. It’s possible they didn't have enough time to pin down what was actually wrong with the engine during testing, so they decided to baby it just to get through the race.

Gary Palmer8 said:Well, that explains why he hasn't managed to rack up five titles like Lewis. It’s hard to perform when the guys in the garage are constantly messing with you. 🤣🤣🤦

I didn't say that.
It was pretty clear to see that Valtteri Bottas’s strategy was being used to support Lewis Hamilton. That part is undeniable.
That’s exactly what you’ve been saying all along—that having a tactical approach isn't just acceptable, it's completely normal.