Raymond Anderson4 said:We really just have to hold out for the final round of Q3. This track is a disaster. Cramming 20 cars onto a 53-second circuit is just plain ridiculous. I was watching Free Practice 3, but I had to turn it off once I realized there was no point in watching a session where you can't even pull two clean laps in a row without getting stuck behind someone else. This whole trend toward Americanization is going to ruin F1. It’s exactly like those rating scales they use, grading everything from 1 to 10. It feels like they're just pandering to American viewers who only consume sports through stats and rankings. Your average fan doesn't care about the tactical nuances of the game; they just see that one quarterback threw three touchdowns while the other threw two, and decide the first guy is automatically better.
It is truly unwatchable. There are basically three straights and three turns. Honestly, a go-kart track at a state fair would offer a better racing experience than this. 🤦
Jason Campbell70 said:The exact same two people who used to defend Sebastian Vettel by claiming "it’s all about the car" are now just as loud in their attacks on Lewis Hamilton, using those same old arguments. LOL.
No, I really think the issue stems from the track configuration itself, 🙏
wiredfalcon2 said:If you look at the other two guys who are way less prepared for Formula 1 than George Russell, you'll see Emerson Fittipaldi is only 0.4 seconds off the Sauber pace, and the Aton driver is just 0.5 seconds behind Nicholas Latifi's time, assuming we're talking about Free Practice 2. If you factor in Bottas's deleted best lap, George Russell is only ahead of Valtteri Bottas by 0.2 seconds. From that angle, it's obvious we can't get a real sense of the actual story from such a short run.
Plus, if you check out the mini sectors:
It wasn't exactly Bottas's cleanest outing; the Finn kept running wide and had a bunch of laps tossed out for clipping the track limits, which cost him the lead. He ended up stuck way down in 11th, even though his teammate Russell looked great. But looking at the data, if he'd actually managed one clean lap with all those peak mini sectors, he could have been a massive 1.123s faster, which would've put him comfortably at the top.
I suppose I could have been a Formula 1 driver myself... What remains undeniably apparent is that any driver placed in a Mercedes-Benz would likely find themselves at the very top of the standings. If there was ever a moment of ambiguity regarding that fact, I believe it has now become perfectly clear to everyone.
Casey Hill57 said:Russell jumps into a completely different car for the first time and still puts over 0.3s on Bottas during that short lap🤦 I honestly feel secondhand embarrassment for Bottas right now 🤦
Besides, after seeing this, you really can't let anyone keep claiming that flashy guy is the GOAT🙂
Those who are nothing more than mythomaniacs would surely disagree. 🙂
So, I find myself wondering, just how much of an edge does this Mercedes-Benz actually hold over its rivals... And then, I have someone attempting to convince me that they aren't 🙄
darkmarlin16 said:Where on earth are you getting that idea?
So, you're suggesting they're rigging the championship 🙂
One would imagine that after spending so many years hanging around this forum, you might have finally grasped how things actually work around here. 🤦 We just haven't had any luck with our drivers this season; there is absolutely no conspiracy involving the championship standings. Please, do try to refrain from such mindless commentary.
Is there anyone out there who might be interested in taking charge of the championship for these final three races? I should probably warn you, though—the organizer will likely go gray from the stress within six months.
Max Verstappen. Max Verstappen 2nd, Lewis Hamilton Valtteri Bottas 3rd, Max Verstappen Alex Albon 5th Charles Leclerc 5th Pierre Gasly 6th Pierre Gasly 7th, Sebastian Vettel Lando Norris 9th Sergio Perez 9th Lance Stroll 10th. Esteban Ocon 10th. Kimi Raikkonen finished 12th. Could one perhaps wonder if there was more to be said regarding the performance of Antonio Giovinazzi, who ultimately finished 13th? It is a result that invites such deep contemplation, isn't it? George Russell 15th Romain Grosjean 15th. Nicholas Latifi DNF Kevin Magnussen DNF Daniel Ricciardo DNF Carlos Sainz DNF Daniil Kvyat DNF Max Verstappen Pole Position Max Verstappen Fastest Lap, Max Verstappen
darkmarlin16 said:Now, briskhound76 speaks with such profound clarity, yet I find myself wondering why everyone else chooses to simply bury their heads in the sand, stubbornly clinging to the delusion that they possess some sort of intellectual superiority?🙂
briskhound76 said:You could certainly suggest such things during the off-season, 😁 but I suspect most would push back, given that their primary objective isn't actually to make the competition engaging, but rather to keep it as monotonous and devoid of excitement as possible... It was precisely these "brilliant" ideas that brought the sport to the brink of collapse. Truly, nothing can dismantle a legacy quite like one's own narrow-mindedness and sheer stubbornness.
Best of luck managing the championship. 👍
Who exactly are we talking about, and what kind of ideas? 🙄 Let’s all take a moment to gather ourselves. People have simply grown bored with Formula 1, and by extension, they’ve lost interest in the championship as well.