Posts by swifttiger75

shadowhawk24 said:I have to say, I can't exactly agree with everything Jason Campbell70 is throwing out there. He’s definitely not hitting the mark on every single point.
He actually went out on a limb there, claiming he wanted to see Kimi running the exact same strategy as Vettel just to give him a fair shot at applying some serious pressure.
If he’d actually played it smart and stuck to that strategy, he might have had a shot at third place. And honestly? That’s being generous. Given the absolute state of his tire sets, I wouldn't have bet a dime on him even getting close. ☕
Look, let’s get the facts straight regarding that gap. When Vettel was clocking those 1:39s, Kimi and Di Resta were lagging by a full two seconds. People love to speculate, but it’s simple math: it came down to the rubber. If I recall correctly, the latter two were basically riding on dead tires at the end of their stints, while Vettel was cruising on much fresher compounds. It wasn't magic; it was just a blatant difference in tire strategy.
Of course, that doesn't exactly take away from the sheer raw speed Vettel was pulling off out there.
It’s a complete no-brainer that Alonso and Vettel would have absolutely smoked them. They were starting from significantly better positions than Lotus ever had a chance of seeing. It wasn't even close.
What Kimi and Romain pulled off today was nothing short of a miracle. Seriously, given where they lined up on the grid and the absolute chaos of this race, that kind of performance is about as close to perfection as you're ever going to get. It was the absolute ceiling of what was possible.

Facts. Total beast mode. Kimi was clearly pushing them to bring him in early for that final pit stop, but the crew obviously knew exactly what they were doing.

There's no denying it—Lotus really stepped up after that disappointing qualifying session.

I still can't get over how much that race was orchestrated... 😂 🤣 🙂

Congrats to Vettel and RB—clean and well-deserved.
Kudos to Lotus too. 😁

My Ferrari is pulling a classic Joe Biden move... "everything is fine, nothing is wrong...!" 🙂

In my book, messing up the strategy with Alonso like that—and then trying to gamble again with another pit stop—is unacceptable. They should’ve triggered the move maybe two laps before the planned second stop, just in case they get stuck. No sense wasting precious time.

Not fixing Massa's nose... 🙂

Di Resta did a solid job. ☕

Perez was great; he actually made my afternoon. 🤣 McLaren is finally in the mix!

Mercedes is where they belong. It's just reality. 😉

The race production feels like some budget tourist trap in Florida. Overproduced and clunky.

Amanda Kelly said:Oh, so you're planning on being a total menace tomorrow, huh?
Mercedes has stepped up their game, while Lotus seems to be falling behind.
Which means we’re looking at a straight-up showdown between Red Bull and Ferrari, with plenty of extra drama thrown in for good measure. 🙂

Well, we're taking this with a massive grain of salt! 😁

Brian Campbell36 said:If they were to scrap all of it—strip away the DRS, the KERS, and all that artificial makeup used to dress up NASCAR—and return to the era of refueling, tires meant to last forty laps, reduced aerodynamic efficiency, higher RPM limits, and beefier HP engines, the entire grid would be completely shuffled. I truly believe even Red Bull Racing would find themselves stuck somewhere in the middle of the pack...

But, what if? At the end of the day, I am content as long as Ferrari is the one taking the checkered flag (even if they have to do it on three wheels):☕

Throughout this season, I find myself deeply curious to see how far Lotus can actually push against the upgrades coming from Red Bull Racing, Mercedes, and Ferrari, especially considering how much smaller their budget is compared to those powerhouse teams.

It’s going to be a total lottery. My guess? Halfway through the season, teams will pivot entirely toward developing cars for 2014 and adjusting to the new regulations.

So, the next few races are critical. If Lotus keeps staying competitive... anything could happen. I don't think the budget is going to be the deciding factor here—once sponsors see the exposure, the money flows, and Lotus is definitely a team people want to be associated with on the grid.

They just need to keep this momentum up!

Amanda Kelly said:Decisions about tires shouldn't be made—or changed on a whim—just three or four days before a race. I don't care who it helps or hurts.

Tires are an integral part of the car. They ought to be a significant factor in the outcome, whether people like it or not.
What really gets to me is that during this Pirelli era, the tire influence has become massive compared to everything else. Every strategy, every setup, every single preparation... even half the TV coverage is wasted just talking about rubber while the rest of the sport gets relegated to the background.

It’s obvious they played themselves a little, and now they're finally dealing with the fallout of all that manufactured drama. To me, it looks like pure improvisation after fans started losing their minds once the reality of those super softs' durability came to light.
Honestly, finding any kind of balance in this mess of rules—between KERS, tires, DRS, and whatever other nonsense they throw at us next—is going to be an uphill battle. 🙂

They're planning to run the Soft (yellow) and Hard (orange) tires in Bahrain, though there’s some chatter about swapping the Softs out for Mediums instead. The wind is still going to be pretty gnarly out there—plus, expect plenty of sand kicked up. 😁

Nathan Jones98 said:I’m expecting a beast of a Ferrari and Lotus—but an RB and Mercedes that look pretty thin—so honestly, the McLarens might actually have a shot at being good during the race

I doubt RB will be struggling. Their downforce is solid, and this track is brutal—both on the tires and the brakes. They'll likely adapt faster than anyone else. We might see 3 or 4 pit stops; I really don't see a 2-stop strategy working here. Because of that, I wouldn't count on Lotus repeating last year's run.

RB and Ferrari could easily sweep the podium. 😁

We'll just have to wait and see...

Drew Bennett68 said:Nice one, swifttiger75, but remind me—which series was that again?

I think it was some kind of intro from an HBO production or something...
Anyway...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_7zkK6XzmE

Amanda Kelly said:Only three?😬
Maybe if he hadn't been taken out, the guy might have actually scored some points.

Everything will work itself out within the family!
Just a little jab at the small-town crowd! 😁

Susan Alvarez94 said:Let’s bring some perspective to this discussion. By my own standards, Ferrari managed to preserve their tires quite effectively. As the legend Fernando Alonso once noted: "but I'm not squeezing them." Vettel, Kimi Räikkönen, and Lewis Hamilton all extracted the absolute maximum from both their cars and the unfolding circumstances. Meanwhile, Massa suffered simply because he had to sit there for an entire lap waiting for Alonso to pit; otherwise, his performance was equally impressive. Then there is the matter of Toro Rosso and Red Bull—one can only wonder what they did to Mark Webber. I won't speculate on whether any of this was intentional. Frankly, I don't care, because if they are intentionally sabotaging themselves just to secure a constructors' title, so be it. I am also quite pleasantly surprised by the fact that we cannot pin any involvement on Lewis Hamilton regarding the various "racing incidents" that, of course, took place. As for the DRS penalty, I find it hard to justify; why disable it under yellow flags on a straightway that is arguably questionable? If things were truly dangerous, they could have disabled it entirely. Furthermore, post-race penalties only make sense if they affect the grid for the next race rather than being applied to time penalties; time adjustments can be manipulated so that nobody actually suffers. In that regard, grid penalties in Bahrain would smell suspiciously like Bernie Ecclestone meddling to manufacture a specific outcome.

I think Mercedes pulled their first pit stops in the same lap! But Ferrari is a whole different story...

Who else ended up getting penalized in Bahrain?

Samuel Ruiz4 said:Kimi lost his shot at the win because of that mess at the start, but honestly, he still did alright. Lewis Hamilton really squeezed everything out of that car. Massa was just his usual disappointing self, and man, Romain really let me down... he actually managed to clear Nico Rosberg and looked like he might snag a top four finish, but then the pit stops happened and he just vanished. I definitely need to go back and watch the replay...

Check it out, maybe even a few times... ☕

stormybadger8 said:Not just today, but in the US too😳
Felipe Massa finally woke up and he's actually driving pretty well this season...

As if anyone gives a damn—they just kept pushing and pushing regardless! 🤣

Jason Campbell70 said:Will Sebastian Vettel extend his lead in the standings if he gets penalized? Now that's an interesting thought.

I'm pretty sure both Red Bull cars—and Daniel Ricciardo too—are under investigation. What kind of decision are they going to make behind closed doors now?! 🙂

Felipe Massa is doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing at Ferrari. Just follow orders, boss says! Sit, Buba, sit... good dog! Woof-woof!!! 😁

If you asked the Sad Owl or Mr. No about the race, they’d probably just go: "Pfft."
I'm with them on that one.

Congrats to Alonso and Ferrari—well deserved for both Kimi and Lewis Hamilton...

darkmarlin16 said:http://www.firstrow1.eu/watch/180803...na---race.html

I'm on that too—but the stream keeps crashing every five minutes.
Thanks for the effort!

Quote: Rain

stormybadger8 said:Webber is out of the pits...
The car is dialed in and ready to hunt. Honestly, I’m expecting Webber to absolutely tear up this track.🙂

Weber... just flying through the air... Valencia... 😁
Good luck to Mark.

Anyone got a link for the comp?
Thanks

Tensions are definitely ramping up—between the Red Bull drama, Alonso pulling out of Malaysia, the tire situation, and whatever else... it's just been one thing after another. Plus this three-week break makes it feel even longer...

God, am I really the only one here dying for tomorrow to get started?!

I'm actually watching the race with my wife tomorrow! 🙂
Last time we did that was back at Monaco, ages ago. She was rooting for Montoya.

Mind you, as an eco-conscious person, she thinks Formula 1 is the most disgusting sport on the planet. 😁

Let's just watch the race first—we’ll all be smarter for it. It might not be one for the history books, but it could actually get interesting.

The top 10 might have a shot at the podium thanks to the tire situation...
Tomorrow's gonna be... "killing me softly." 😁

Rise up, troops!!!😁
Morning...