Look, you can see the whole disaster unfold in the first six seconds.
Seriously, I don't think any other driver on this grid could manage to line up like that—only to immediately launch off and absolutely wreck their own wing.
It takes a special kind of "calm" from Lujin to pull off a move that spectacularly stupid. 😵
stormybadger8 said:It’s not even about Hamilton... Let’s be real—after a spin-out like that, 99% of these guys would’ve just sat there in the gravel, smashing their steering wheels and cursing at the top of their lungs, maybe even jumping out of the car to kick a tire or something... And hardly anyone would’ve had the presence of mind to stop hitting the gas and actually throw it into reverse... Anything else people try to argue is just noise—blaming the car, the DRS, or some nonsense about the red flag and rolling starts... blah blah blah...
But man, pulling that car out of the gravel after a mistake like that? You actually need a level head to pull that off. 😉 The Lewis Hamilton from the 2007-2013 era definitely would’ve just stayed stuck in the dirt. But the Lewis Hamilton from 2021? He didn't stay in the gravel—he rolled right back up into second place... That’s exactly why Lewis Hamilton didn't snag a massive mountain of titles between 2007 and 2013, even though he was mostly driving the best cars on the grid. And it's the same reason he’s going to take the title in 2021—he’s got the best car again, but unlike back in the day, he’s got a hell of a lot more chill in his head...
Who do you think was behind the wheel when Lewis Hamilton pulled up right against the barrier, and instead of hitting reverse, he floored it and smashed the wing?
If that red flag hadn't come out, he would’ve barely limped back to the pits, lost another 30 seconds, then another 5-10 during the wing change, and everyone would’ve been talking about how Lewis Hamilton spun out and completely trashed his race.
Instead, he looks like some kind of wizard, digging himself out of the same mess he created.
I’m sitting here chewing on this, and honestly? Red Bull might actually have the better car this year compared to Mercedes.
My whole theory is based on the fact that Racing Point—you know, that blatant Mercedes carbon copy—looks pretty rough right now, and they probably took the biggest hit coming off last season.
Meanwhile, you've got Mercedes using all that massive experience and bottomless budget to squeeze every ounce of performance out of these new regulations, but I just don't think it's enough to keep them holding onto the best package on track.
Right now, it feels like the rule changes are just leaning heavily in Red Bull's favor—it's hard to pin it down to just the rake, though; it's likely a combination of everything.
But hey, we'll be a lot smarter about this tomorrow once the race is actually over. 🍿
1. Max Verstappen 2. Lewis Hamilton 3. Bottas 4. Norris 5. Perez 6. Leclerc 7. Ricciardo 8. Sainz 9. Gasly 10. Stroll 11. Vettel 12. Alonso 13. Giovinazzi 14. Kimi Raikkonen 15. George Russell 16. Latifi NOP 17. Schumacher 17th
Pole Positions: Yuki Tsunoda NOP, Nikita Mazepin Pole Position, Ocon Pole Position
Pole Position: Max Verstappen Fastest Lap: Max Verstappen
It honestly feels like switching from that pink look to green was the biggest mistake Mercedes-AMG could have made—they've basically thrown away their edge.
Now we're looking at a situation where McLaren Racing and Scuderia Ferrari might actually be fighting for relevance again, though let's be real—it's probably not even for 1st place, just a scrap for 3rd.
Jason Parker2 said:Is anyone else free to let me jump in? Honestly, I can't afford to tackle this season alone without a teammate by my side.
It’s been 8 years since I took my big win—kind of like Vettel over there—so since Vettel decided to go try his luck at Aston Martin, I figured I might as well try to reclaim some of that old glory too. You still taking applicants, or should I start looking elsewhere?
copperdrifter26 said:Don't worry, both Mercedes and Red Bull knew exactly where the limit was. It's pretty obvious you can't just "bank" energy to suddenly drop the car's ride height on the straights to cut drag, only to have it snap back to a high rake setup for more downforce in the corners. They know the rules all too well.
I wasn't defending them or anything; I'm just saying they're clearly out there trying to cheat the system any way they can.
ruggedhawk20 said:In this sport, if you aren't cheating, you aren't competitive. Period. Everyone's doing it. Some are pros at it, some are just amateurs. Occasionally someone actually gets caught, and then the regulators just tweak the rulebook. Meanwhile, the cheaters—sorry, "competitors"—just keep right on pushing the limits, just in a different way. It’s an endless loop. Always will be. For as long as this sport exists.
Exactly. The FIA is in such a pathetic spot right now—they try to screw you over in every possible way, leaving you totally lost, wondering where the actual limit is and where they should finally draw the line.
And here we go again—that restless, twitchy feeling right before the season opener kicks off. Honestly, I’m just praying this sudden burst of optimism coming from the Ferrari camp isn't another massive delusion. I really don't have the heart to sit through two more years of absolutely nothing happening, just total mediocrity. But hey, whatever—I'll be watching the first race regardless, and then we'll see where the dust settles. When does practice start? Around 2?
The "tank" Ferrari actually pulled ahead, leaving those skinny little cars trailing by a full lap—man, the way things have flipped this year is wild 🤔
And yeah, I’m right there with you on the penalties, especially regarding Hulk. Look, Perez still had plenty of room to give him space, but in my book, Hulk barely even had a split second to react before he was slamming into the car in front.
stormybadger8 said:Explanation of Kimi's form from last yearread below 😁
Of course it's down to Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, Maurizio Arrivabene, Alison, and everyone else on the crew... And honestly, Sebastian Vettel is a huge part of it, because the vibe in the garage finally shifted once he showed up...
It's really Fernando Alonso who bears the brunt of Ferrari's failure. He was incredibly selfish, constantly digging at people and trying to pull them to his side against his own teammates, no matter where they stood... It's not like Ferrari replaced 1,000 people overnight—maybe 50 top execs left at most—but even those who joined haven't quite found their footing within the team yet... The main thing is that the team is suddenly breathing as one unit. There's no more "I am the Maestro, there is no other Maestro, I take credit for everything good and blame everyone else for everything bad."
And look, a whole crowd of Ferrari employees is suddenly talking to reporters from NBC, Sky UK, and so on. When was the last time you saw smiling Ferrari mechanics chatting with American journalists? Back then, only Alonso would talk to them, and I'm telling you, occasionally Stefano or Maurizio Arrivabene might say a word, but it was always just to throw shade at Alonso...
Meanwhile, Arrivabene is acting like a real Team Principal. Even after this win, he isn't sucking up to Sebastian Vettel; instead, he's praising the entire crew and doesn't act like the second driver doesn't exist... And Sebastian Vettel is acting like a true team player, praising the car and the crew rather than just himself... There's none of that nonsense like "it's the engine department's fault" or "the tunnel design is bad"... or "the engine department deserves the credit." Suddenly, everyone is credited as a package deal, and everything is mentioned properly.😉 That is the massive difference right there.😳
Every single employee works way harder and adds more value when they actually feel respected and appreciated. That's when they give their absolute maximum... If someone's hard work and effort are constantly being belittled, they're naturally going to stop giving it their all.☕
🤣🤣 man, if you actually wrote it like this the first time, I’d give you a thumbs up👍 (and I mean the actual content, not just the trolling) 🙂
Amanda Kelly said:I’m still thinking about that call from Nico Rosberg to Sebastian Vettel, inviting him over to the Mercedes garage. No, everything just flipped on its head in only two weeks.
Now he might actually be tempted to go pay a visit to the red garage.
Honestly, it's high time Vettel hits him back on Twitter right when Ferrari is having their team briefing 👏
Alright, let's not go overboard here—I already gave props to everyone, including Ferrari and Vettel up above, but you can't just take last season's races and compare them to this one to prove it’s all about the car. It's just not how it works.
Look, let me clarify something right off the bat—maybe Vettel's experience and his "feel" for the machine actually helped shape this thing, sure, but saying this win isn't because of the car? That's just nonsense. I mean, if he wasn't driving it, neither would Kimi, and they'd both be sitting in the same car.
In that absolute mess of a season last year, Vettel wouldn't have won regardless of who you put behind the wheel.