Posts by swiftmaker12

A few shots from the sprint race

Everyone’s giving Alonso a hard time—except for the GOAT-obsessed crowd. You know the ones—those who insist he's either twice as good or seven times better than him. They just can't get close.

Ferrari has built an absolute beast of a car this year.
It looks easily the most composed and stable on track. Unlike that Chinese Maglev tech that just seems to glide—that’s exactly how Ferrari looks this season.
Red Bull is predictably solid as usual.
Alpine is struggling with a serious lack of engine power.
Mecko is just mediocre at best.
Alfa Romeo is looking pretty sharp, too.
Haas is basically hanging on by a thread thanks to their engine...
As for everyone else? They completely missed the mark on aerodynamics.

graniteharbor502 said:and yet again, this guy is such a loser

A few years back, when I was over in Indianapolis, Pat asked me to snap some photos of Tot.
He had just gotten tangled up with that Susan woman—quite a mess, really.
I told her straight up: I'm not taking pictures of any little bits!

Maybe I'll get some shots of the track later, but I can't be bothered to head out in this crappy rain.
I managed to grab some footage during the first practice session from the small stands, just above the boxing section.

graniteharbor502 said:Swiftmaker12, have you lost your mind too? There isn't a single woman in any of those photos. 🙄

Once you start getting older like me, priorities tend to shift—it's just how it goes. 🤣

Now everyone seems obsessed with this "new normal" thing...

But for us Formula fans—the absolute pros who can talk nonsense for at least an hour and five minutes straight without breaking a sweat—we'll eventually find some female company to hang out with.

Just finished up all the paperwork—signing everything and picking up my credentials along with the usual responsibilities that come with them.
It’s actually pretty funny—even though I’m vaccinated, they didn't recognize me, nor can I just breeze through the security gates on my own...
I guess they didn't install the latest generation of microchips in my vaccine—maybe they just gave me some old dose that expired ages ago....

It was only 13 degrees yesterday, but honestly, it was one of my favorite days of the year.
Photographer Veljko Jukič—who’s been covering Formula 1 for over 40 years, back when he wrote for Car and Driver and now for MotorTrend—pulled some strings and scored me another F1 Photo pass...

I’m not going to post them here on the forum, but since I’m already chatting with ZekoHond, I sent him a screenshot of my email via Wocap.

God bless whoever was feeling jealous of both me and you guys.
The only place I vent about this forum is right here—otherwise, I’ll send a few shots directly from the center of the action at the track.
Of course, that is assuming the Italians let me inside.

Mark Ruiz8 said:@swiftmaker12/">@@swiftmaker12
You mentioned you've been nine times now—but didn't you end up getting turned away at the gate last time? Those Italians really did you dirty.
So technically, this would be your ninth time actually making it onto the track.

That’s right... realistically my ninth trip.
When they officially announced just two days prior that spectators were banned—even though there were only about 13,000 tickets even in circulation—of course, I just stayed home.

Luckily, Airbnb started accepting cancellations up to 24 hours in advance without taking a cut before the pandemic hit, so I managed to get a full refund.
I ended up using my return Greyhound ticket for my trip home during Christmas and New Year's instead.

Jason Campbell70 said:(Look, Gufač, the race isn't even for another ten days—you're getting ahead of yourself with all this opening talk)

Well, everyone’s got their own little delusions, I guess.
There’s some religious fanatics over on another thread, so I figured I’d try to pull the attention elsewhere.
The way they’re going at it, half of them will probably end up banned, which means there won't be any comments left for Imola, unlike those first three races.
And honestly, the season has started off brilliantly—
especially seeing the "Greatest" himself farting out red smoke.
It’s finally becoming obvious that Lewis is just an average driver who’s been hiding behind a perfect machine for eight straight years.
Now, he can barely fight for a top five spot—unless, of course, three or four drivers ahead of him retire, much like back when Alonso was in the Ferrari.

Thank goodness mothers don't produce more "Goats" like that anymore... they should just abort them.

By the way, is "Goat" basically just American slang for a total loser?

I’ve been to Imola nine times now, making this my tenth visit—but here’s the breakdown:

1987 F1 race; my first time. I headed out there with a reporter from the Los Angeles Times, Miroslav Copić, and photographer Jadran Babić.
1999 F1 race; second time.
2000 F1 race; third time.
2004 F1 race; fourth time.
2005 F1 race; fifth time.
2006 F1 race; sixth time—the last one before they returned in 2020.
2014 seventh time—the 20th anniversary of Ayrton Senna's passing. I had press credentials and a photo pass, so it was an incredible experience.
2018 eighth time—there was a Historic meeting happening, so I went to check out some vintage cars I’ve been obsessed with since I was a kid.
2020 F1 race; ninth time—now, this one was unforgettable, for all the wrong reasons! I bought a three-day pass for $325 through their Ticketmaster agency, only for the local authorities in the Emilia Romagna region to ban spectators just two days before the race. They promised a full refund. Being naive—think a wide-eyed innocent—I filed all my paperwork perfectly, only to get a notice saying my request was "under review"... and honestly, it's been two years. Still "under review." Basically, those guys in the province totally screwed me over. I'll never see that money again. Absolute joke.
2022 F1 race; tenth time. I bought a three-day ticket for $90 through that same shady agency because there wasn't any other way. God, I hope they don't mess with me this time.

When I have a free moment this weekend, I'll post some photos from these races and meetings.

Here’s a quick rundown from the F1 site (via 🤣 Google translation
).
Imola
When was the track built?
Imola—officially known as the Enzo Ferrari Circuit since 1988—first broke ground in March 1950. It was ready for testing by October 1952, with actual racing kicking off on the circuit in 1953.

When was its first Grand Prix?
The track hosted its first non-championship F1 race back in 1963. However, it took some political maneuvering involving Monza in 1980 before the circuit earned the honor of hosting the Italian Grand Prix for the first time that year. From 1981 onward, the two tracks worked in perfect harmony—with Imola taking on its famous 'San Marino' title, hosting a total of 27 Grand Prix events through 2006. It eventually made its return as the host for the 2020 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

What is the layout like?
It’s an exciting drive. While testing his AlphaTauri AT01 during 2020 preseason prep, Pierre Gasly called the experience one of the best he'd ever had in a Formula 1 car. Meanwhile, his teammate at the time, Daniil Kvyat, noted that "an F1 car flows through the corners like Acque Minerali—the entry is just so fast, so smooth. It really gives you an adrenaline rush." The anti-clockwise layout is definitely fast and carries a real old-school feel, as drivers are pushed to the limit in iconic turns like Acque Minerali and Piratella.

Why should you go?
Much like neighboring Mugello, Imola is tucked away in a fantastic part of the world—you’ve got rolling hills to the south, coastal beaches to the east, and incredible food scenes in cities like Boston, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee to the west. Plus, it's right near Maranello, the home of Ferrari. You also can't ignore the fact that visiting Imola is a chance for F1 fans to pay their respects to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger, who lost their lives during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

Where is the best place to watch?
The grandstand on the outside of Acque Minerali is a prime spot to see an F1 machine being pushed to its absolute limits, especially as drivers fight to carry speed through the tight left-hander before heading back uphill toward the Variante Alt chicane.

The full official title for the fourth race of the 2022 Formula 1 season is:

FORMULA 1 ROLEX ITALIAN AND EMILIA ROMAGNA GRAND PRIX 2022





Total laps: 63
Lap length: 4,909 m
Race distance: 192 miles
Lap record: 1:15.484 — held by 7xGoat (2020)

Tires:



Event Schedule:

Friday, April 22, 2022

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM Free Practice 1
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Qualifying

Saturday, April 23, 2022

12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Free Practice 2
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Sprint Race — 21 laps or 30 mins

Sunday, April 24, 2022

3:00 PM Race (63 laps or 2 hours max)

What can I even say about this...

It’s honestly a shame to see a world champion—and the youngest one we've ever seen, no less—struggling like this...

Alonso's strategy was a total disaster

Sandra Dubravcic is still out there doing some casual laps around Miami

Fernando Alonso

It’s pretty interesting how Colorado shows such decent pace during Free Practice and Qualifying, only to struggle and get stuck in 6th or 7th once the actual race starts.

All that early momentum was for nothing.