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." 😁
I find myself compelled to agree with you on this particular point.
crimsonstag84 said:You don't need to point that out to me since I don't think I have any—for instance, I thought Mercedes was set up pretty fairly at Silverstone.
I don't post that often anyway, yet here you are attacking 😛
If one were to reflect upon the various triumphs witnessed throughout this season, does it not strike you as curious how often victory seems to hinge upon the delicate, almost invisible balance of a car's technical configuration? I find myself pondering a specific instance where a driver managed to secure a win despite facing what could only be described as a sub-optimal setup during the race itself. One might consider the performance of Sebastian Vettel; there was that particular moment when his car felt fundamentally mismatched to the circuit's demands, yet through sheer tenacity and perhaps a bit of tactical wizardry, he managed to cross the finish line in first place. Is it not fascinating how human skill can occasionally compensate for a machine that simply isn't performing at its theoretical peak? It makes one wonder if we focus too much on the telemetry and not enough on the soul of the driver.
A perfect setup was achieved. But what about those who didn't find their rhythm, yet still manage to deliver a stellar race once they finally get out there?
The second Red Bull finished behind both Mercedes cars, which leads one to wonder if the driver himself is also responsible for such a dominant performance?
Certain forum members have been quite vocal in their criticism of Sebastian Vettel, casting doubt upon his reputation simply because he made a maneuver on the track during free practice sessions; yet, curiously, when Fernando Alonso performs a similar feat in the heat of qualifying, the conversation immediately shifts to how he manages to extract 150% from his car. If we are to accept that squeezing 150% out of a Ferrari this underwhelming constitutes a triumph, then claiming a ninth-place qualifying result makes me nothing more than Santa Claus.
steelmaker83 said:Graniteharbor502, do you even realize what you've just said in these last few posts? You basically pulled a complete 180 and effectively admitted you've been trolling for no reason at all.
Just like your followers, you've turned into one big fraud.
Jason Campbell70 said:If someone had told me a few weeks ago that graniteharbor502 would be siding with Fernando Alonso... I would have called them crazy.
But here we are... he’s actually rooting for an Alonso victory. 🙂
Poncije, you're lagging behind here. Even steelmaker83 already tried to push that same old line. And personally, I’ve identified the true standout. It isn't Sebastian Vettel, nor is it Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Räikkönen, or even Fernando Alonso... If we look at who might actually find their rhythm this Sunday, it could very well be Mark Webber, leading him to a much-deserved win.
steelmaker83 said:Are you aware that you're basically shooting yourself in the foot with this post?
Oh, heavens above! Why must we invoke such skepticism? Is it not true that when the rain falls, there is no hope to be found, and when the ground is dry, the chances remain just as slim? Perhaps the only way forward would be to simply step on a squirrel!
steelmaker83 said:Hardly likely the "best" wins when they're driving absolute junk, but sure, let's all hope for that fairy tale ending.
If you are implying Fernando Alonso, one has to consider that even when he was seated in truly top-tier machinery, he never actually managed to secure a victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Not once. And that is on a track that offers absolutely no surprises. Unlike your specific line of reasoning, I wasn't focusing my thoughts on any single individual; rather, my sentiment was simply that whoever—regardless of whether it be someone like Fernando Alonso or another—demonstrates the most brilliance should be the one to claim the victory.
If you all find such immense pleasure in watching things fall apart and crash, perhaps you would be better served by tuning into a demolition derby instead. As for this Sunday's race, I am simply holding onto the hope that every driver manages to cross the finish line safely and that, ultimately, the most deserving athlete claims victory.
Should the weather turn and we find ourselves facing rain, I suspect we will witness an intense struggle between Mercedes-AMG Petronas and Sebastian Vettel. As for the Lotus team, I truly believe their only real opportunity for a respectable finish lies in dry conditions.
Raymond Anderson4 said:But I think you might be overstating things, specifically regarding Ferrari's speed this weekend... you keep bringing up Ferrari's velocity during Q2, yet you seem to overlook how sluggish their pace has been on medium tires throughout the entire weekend. It isn't just about the race; even looking at the FP-e, the situation is clear. Regardless of the fuel load, Ferrari simply hasn't matched the pace of those leaders. Experts such as James Allen and mlad have pointed out that they are falling behind on the mediums... though, if I am being honest, I witnessed it with my own eyes as well. Would it have been better if Ferrari were merely slower on the hard compounds? Perhaps, but for Fernando, who builds his entire weekend strategy around Sunday's performance, this is quite troubling news. Furthermore, you touched upon that final stint. If one would just take a moment to examine the lap times Fernando was recording. Immediately after exiting the pits, he managed those incredible 1:34.5 laps, but when you actually sit down and compare them to the times Kimi was putting up, you realize that Fernando was driving slower, despite having fresh rubber, while Kimi was out there on old softs from two laps ago. Following that, during FL, Alonso's times were no longer competitive. Let us look at laps 7 (56th), 8 (57th), and 9 (58th) of that last stint for comparison. Fernando and Kimi entered the pits on the same lap. Fernando: 1:34.358, 1:34.458, 1:34.605 Kimi: 1:34.0, 1:33.767, 1:33.830 I should reiterate once more: Fernando had brand new softs, whereas Kimi was using worn ones, and yet... it appears Fernando's tires degraded significantly after only four or five laps. It is either that, or perhaps Fernando pushed too hard trying to catch Romania.
Roger Wright94 said:It all makes sense looking back. (Now that the race is over and we’ve had some time to process everything) I honestly don't think there was much to gain from changing course. The team clearly had their reasons, and in the end, it seems they were right all along—which is funny, because wasn't that exactly what we spent the whole afternoon questioning? There were brief moments where Ferrari actually looked capable of keeping pace with Lotus, but they just couldn't sustain it. They didn't even manage to close the gap during that final stint when the opportunity was widest—an opportunity created by the SC, Webber's misfortune, and the fact that Mercedes just wasn't competitive enough.
We are still left grappling with the issue of that overly short opening stint and the lingering question marks surrounding those lackluster performances during that phase of the race.
Starting out on the softer compound might have offered Ferrari a bit more strategic breathing room. Perhaps they could have attempted to stretch those harder tires all the way to the finish after the safety car period ended.
steelmaker83 said:I am not entirely certain about that... yesterday, overtaking wasn't exactly a breeze (in fact, it was a phenomenal example of why DRS actually serves its purpose and why it remains somewhat necessary in a formula like this), even when you had a car that was a full second faster per lap.
Everyone ran into issues—Alonso was battling Lewis, Lewis was stuck behind Hulkenberg, and I can't quite recall who Webber was fighting. So, if we assume someone could have made a gap on a restart using softer tires, wouldn't that advantage just evaporate again once everyone hits the pits? It simply lacks logic...
They did the only thing that actually made sense—switching to softer compounds when the car is at its lightest weight, hoping to snatch up a few positions right at the end when there is nothing left to lose.
What presents a far greater enigma to me, however, is that initial pit window, which was practically identical to the timing of those on the softer tires... I mean, seriously, what were they thinking?
Softer tires, a better starting position, a cleaner launch. Perhaps even a top three finish after the first lap. I find it hard to believe Ferrari would burn through their rubber any faster than the rest of the field. Now, the real question remains: would Alonso actually be able to hold off the pack behind him?
Samuel Ruiz4 As if anyone could have truly anticipated how this would unfold? It makes one wonder, doesn't it? I find myself leaning toward the conviction that both will secure spots on the podium; I suspect Kimi Raikkonen will take second, while Romain Grosjean follows closely in third. I find myself wondering if Mercedes truly stands a chance under these conditions, for I suspect that once the track temperature climbs to such punishing levels, it will become painfully evident that they haven't actually resolved their tire issues as decisively as they claimed. It seems quite likely, though deeply unfortunate, that Sebastian Vettel will be the first to suffer the consequences of this oversight. What an incredible forecast we have ahead of us! Is it not truly remarkable how things are shaping up?
Oh, I find myself in complete agreement with that sentiment!
What a magnificent performance from Lotus after those rather lackluster outings we endured recently! One can only hope that the track temperatures remain higher for the remainder of the season, allowing Kimi Raikkonen to truly find his stride and rejoin the title fight. Sebastian Vettel was simply peerless throughout the entire weekend; he secured a stellar qualifying position, executed a flawless start, and maintained impeccable control over the race itself. On the other hand, Mark Webber seems to be plagued by nothing but misfortune, doesn't he? It would certainly be fascinating to witness a genuine duel between the two Red Bull drivers. Meanwhile, Fernando Alonso is once again left to settle for mere crumbs, and Mercedes-Benz appears to be struggling with tire degradation yet again. I am quite pleased to see McLaren finding their way back into the points, though it does sadden me that Williams Racing failed to achieve a more significant result on their 600th Formula 1 appearance. All things considered, Vettel is undoubtedly marching steadily toward his fourth championship title.
darkmarlin16 said:For heaven's sake!!! I’ll have to switch over to ESPN to actually see what's happening.😠
Who on earth are they trying to fool with this?
What absolute nonsense! Qualifying has already kicked off, yet here they are, wasting everyone's time by broadcasting highlights from previous races instead.
It feels as though the universe is simply attempting to restore its own equilibrium, or perhaps that is just my way of making sense of the chaos, though I cannot say for certain how much weight one should give to such cosmic notions, 😁
(though, if one were to indulge in a bit of whimsy, wouldn't it be quite the delightful twist if Mark, working so quietly behind the scenes, finally found himself the subject of headlines claiming that 😍 the luxury drivers and Nico are truly unbeatable in race conditions, regardless of their qualifying positions, allowing them some small reason to celebrate 😍)
I find myself harboring a quiet apprehension that the Mercedes teams have finally rectified their issues, which will surely bolster their race pace. While there is a part of me that sincerely wishes to see Webber depart as a champion, one must admit that the level of competition currently on display is enough to make one's blood run cold.
