Posts by Amanda Kelly

Jason Campbell70 said:Then again, Wolff and Mercedes-Benz aren't exactly sentimental about letting Bottas go if they decide it's what's best for the team.

Where exactly are they letting him run? Off the leash? Are they even letting him drive if he’s not getting in Lewis's way?
What’s even the point of deciding whether to let him run or not when he won't even let himself go? They basically stripped him of everything.

Jason Campbell70 said:Ferrari's pit wall got lucky there. If it hadn't been for the breakdown on Vettel's car, they would have faced an even bigger embarrassment.

Since there hasn't been a single disaster yet, there's really nowhere left to go but up. It can't get any worse than this.

Jerry Moore61 said:https://www.instagram.com/p/B3CTf36o...=1dgime79yyimv

No offense, but this is just nonsense. At least regarding this race.
You can't really predict a mechanical failure (usually).
If it wasn't for the breakdown in Sebastian Vettel's car, Ferrari would have walked away with a 1st-2nd finish.
They didn't exactly mess up the strategy either, since not swapping driver positions would have led to that same 1st-2nd result.

If they had shown a little more backbone, Charles Leclerc probably would've taken the win. Clearly, it's a lesson they haven't learned yet. IMO, they care more about team harmony than actually winning.

mellowtiger83 said:It happened again—the classic "multi-21" mess. If Sebastian Vettel had just let Charles Leclerc through right when they agreed, we wouldn't be looking at this disaster.

If he had, Charles Leclerc would have had clean air to hammer out a pace fast enough to build a gap over Lewis Hamilton before the pit stops, even with the VSC.
...
Instead, they completely botched the strategy for both Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at once.
Clearly, they haven't learned that giving Lewis Hamilton even a tiny opening can shift the entire race dynamic.

Absolute geniuses.

Calling them idiots might actually be too generous, even for this race.
My issue is that they failed to stick to the plan. After asking Sebastian Vettel to let Charles Leclerc ahead (honoring the agreement), all they got was hesitation and compromise—basically trying to play it safe in murky waters.
In a spot like that, you have to hold them to the deal. It seems the race engineer couldn't enforce it, though someone higher up surely should have.

Team trust and chemistry are built on mutual respect and acknowledging everyone's role in the hierarchy.
One race doesn't change much in the standings—especially for Ferrari right now—but it can leave long-lasting scars on the internal team culture.

If the race engineer (or the big boss) had pushed Sebastian Vettel to honor the agreement early on, they would have put him in a tough spot. Let him refuse if his ego is that big. At least then they'd know exactly where they stood and could move forward with a clean slate for the next races.
Even if he ended up being faster than Charles Leclerc while holding P2 instead of P1, you can always swap positions again later.

But look, I get that it wasn't an easy call. Sebastian Vettel absolutely tore through the field at the start and kept pulling away. As time went on, the decision became harder. From a Team Principal's view, they had a solid 1st-2nd and a likely win in the bag.
I can understand why things played out the way they did—they didn't abandon the swap entirely—and I’d say they played it decently. Still, I wish they’d shown a bit more backbone.

mellowtiger83 said:Right answer or wrong, it's happening at once. Rosberg used to beat Hamilton pretty often in qualifying, but he wasn't even close to what Leclerc does!

So why is the answer considered right? You nailed Rosberg, but you completely misjudged his teammate. The last time someone did that was Rosberg to Schumacher, and before that, nobody really touched that kind of dynamic until we went back to 1988.

Since it seems everyone’s memory is failing them here, let's remind you: it was Alonso and Vettel and Raikkonen who pulled those moves.

And what about Kimi being a multi-time world champion? How's your memory doing now?

George White52 said:It’s not a 1-2 finish, which is honestly hilarious. 🤣

It'll happen right after the first turn, don't sweat it.
Hamilton will make it look easy compared to Vettel.

Richard Ross11 said:Lewis Hamilton is thrilled with second place...
I didn't think he'd actually stay quiet about it...

He might as well get used to it.

stormybadger8 said:... And Bottas just seems stuck in this "one day you're in, the next you're out" cycle. They won't give him a decent long-term deal, which makes me think he isn't even getting full access to everything...

Bottas is locked in for 2020, but it's just a one-year extension.
I don't buy the idea that he lacks access. Why would Mercedes-Benz sabotage their own driver's potential? It doesn't make sense.
Even if he was being left out of the loop before, he’ll definitely have what he needs now. Their title is on the line—or at least that's how Lewis Hamilton makes it sound.
Now the poor guy is just going to get slammed after every single race.
It was easy when a dominant car could mask all the mistakes. Now, they might actually find themselves missing someone like Esteban Ocon.

mellowtiger83 said:We barely even caught a glimpse of Mercedes' actual race pace. All we saw was Lewis Hamilton's full pace once his tires were already shot in the first stint, and that was about it...
...Basically, your algorithms for calculating race pace are absolute garbage.

Who are you actually trying to explain this to, Jason Campbell70 or someone else?
If it's Jason Campbell70, then this is just a complete slap in the face to his stats.

Because how could Lewis have lost if his race pace wasn't worse!?
His pace was slower than Valtteri Bottas, and in the last two races, he only managed to scrape ahead in Singapore.

Look, sometimes the reasons for failure are just incredibly stupid and unexpected.
Maybe it was the new haircut? 🤔



Or maybe a new girlfriend? 🤔



View on instagram

ruggedhawk20 said:Someone please just post a picture of a decent Russian girl.

They were around once, but the Inquisition wiped them out.

Nicholas Newman2 I can't even begin to process this. It's like looking at a blank wall. There's nothing here. Just empty space. Give me something actual to work with next time.
Let me just step in here and completely dismantle this whole argument. I’m going back to that incident between Sebastian Vettel and Luja.🎉

You complain about the chains, then you go and suffocate us with them.

Nicholas Newman2 said:It’s pretty obvious that Sebastian Vettel went off track on purpose.

Is it even worth asking? How many people actually think like this? Are we talking a handful of people, or is it an entire crowd?

Sometimes it’s a genuine driving error, other times it looks pretty damn intentional. 🤔 Can we please just get to the point? It’s time to decide what we're actually dealing with here.

wiredfalcon2 said:I’m dropping some excerpts from a column by the legendary Gary Anderson here. Normally you'd have to shell out for an Autosport subscription just to read this stuff, so I figured I'd share it to get the conversation moving..

👍

mellowtiger83 said:I doubt locking up under braking at the hairpin is quite as fatal a mistake as cutting the chicane.

Where did I actually say anything about it being fatal?
Are you talking about the let? 🙏

I’ve watched the replay a few more times and I don't see any "flying" anywhere. Not even a hint. No takeoff, no landing. Just Vettel Montreal 2019.

Are you trying to stick up for Mercedes-Benz now? (given how much you've flipped your stance)
Look, I respect a change of opinion, but maybe try focusing a bit more on what you're actually betting on.

Nicholas Newman2 said:... What everyone is missing here is the big picture: Sebastian Vettel is just making mistakes on purpose. For those of you who loved mocking Lujo, it seems like the "Team Vettel" or "Ferrari" crowd came swinging back at you like heavy equipment hitting a boomerang ...

Clearly that logic isn't working. The Mercedes camp and the endless parade of Vettel haters are watching this stuff like hawks. Sometimes I get the feeling they just can't catch a break ...

Now, let's look at New York City 2019.
Sebastian Vettel made a driving error, sure, and he was under pressure. A braking mistake—nothing groundbreaking, no actual damage done.
But Lewis Hamilton absolutely smoked them. He made at least three identical, nearly identical mistakes. And that’s not even counting the mess on Friday.

And somehow, that's the "main thing" to you? Sebastian Vettel's mistake? Fine, whatever...
To me, it's much weirder that someone can walk away with a win after making that many mistakes.

Gary Palmer8 said:And where exactly did he push Ricciardo off the track?

The barrier is right there; there’s no way he could have pushed him off.
He just caught him, though. And Ricciardo gave him a nice little wave for the trouble.

It's a good thing Ricciardo didn't get penalized, considering he basically baited Lewis Hamilton into making a mistake.
I just wonder how long the statute of limitations lasts for stuff like this. Ricciardo shouldn't get too comfortable; the FIA can always show up at his door asking, "Are you the guy who messed with Lewis Hamilton once?" or even worse, "Were you the one trying to overtake Lewis Hamilton in Monaco?"

Gary Palmer8 said:it doesn't matter what my range is or yours...

For me, it matters. I need to know who I'm actually talking to.

Gary Palmer8 said:Oh sure, all 78 wins were just thanks to his car... hilarious Hamilton haters...

No, he didn't benefit at all. Hamilton was driving twice as fast, but then suddenly Sebastian Vettel just catapulted ahead without Hamilton even needing to slow down or change his line, right?

And as for those "give to the poor" types, maybe save that for some charity event... this is still a sport...

Is this really the best you can do? Is this your peak intellectual capacity when you're trying to sound smart? I hope not.

I was talking about yesterday's race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If that's too much for you to wrap your head around, feel free to ask and I'll happily explain it to you.
Which part isn't clicking? Or is it just unacceptable to you that Hamilton could ever make more mistakes than Sebastian Vettel?

Hamilton messed up in Canada; it was obvious. But there were no consequences. That's the reality.
Even after several "overtakes" and losing a second or two here and there, he managed to recover quickly and catch up to Sebastian Vettel, putting him under serious pressure.
In my view, the car made that possible (or the Mercedes-Benz, whatever). The car was faster and more capable than the Ferrari yesterday, at least in the second stint. If the order had been reversed, I highly doubt Sebastian Vettel would have even been sniffing Lewis Hamilton's exhaust.

Now, if someone wants to believe that Hamilton's quick recoveries after mistakes and his repeated attacks on Sebastian Vettel are primarily due to his driving skill, hey, I'll let them think that. It's fine by me, I just like knowing who I'm listening to.
I said I'll let you think it, but I disagree. He's a great driver, sure, but he's not an alien.

Raymond Anderson4 said:🤣
It doesn't matter if he was already driving at his absolute limit without knowing. Still, withholding that info from the driver right behind him who’s hunting them down? That’s a low blow. 😁

I don't see it as a low blow. It's clean.
Actually, it's probably better they kept him in the dark. He could just drive without getting bogged down in math and split-second calculations.

The real question is whether they would have told him if he'd closed the gap to within five seconds of catching Vettel. I bet they would've reacted then, which isn't something I'd appreciate.

Personally, I find it more intriguing to wonder if they told Vettel that Leclerc was closing in on that five-second lead. Honestly, I doubt it. As my fellow forum member put it, doing so would create too many complications.

All things considered, I'd say I'm pretty satisfied.
Ferrari lost the race, sure, but they put up a hell of a fight against an untouchable Mercedes.
I really wish they had swapped Leclerc's tires right after Vettel so he could have actually stayed in the hunt and chased down Lewis Hamilton.
This race was basically a blueprint for how you beat Mercedes. You have to execute everything flawlessly. Every single detail. And some parts were even brilliant.

Lewis made more mistakes than Vettel, from Free Practice all the way through the race. Somehow, he still got away with it. The race car just made up for it, IMO.
Vettel paid a heavy price for his error. But he also proved he’s still got it.

Nicholas Newman2 said:Why twist the facts? It’s not like people won't just click the link and see what's actually written. Nowhere does Hamilton say this isn't about the penalty; he’s just saying he would've done the exact same thing if he were in that position.

I guess he didn't bother reading past the headline either.

Sebastian Vettel earned that win today.
He managed to pull away from a faster car quite nicely. That final qualifying lap was nothing short of brilliant.
He did make one mistake during the race, but I’m pretty sure he wasn't trying to block anyone. Honestly, the penalty they handed out for it is highly debatable.

Lewis Hamilton tried everything to overtake him on track, desperate to prove he was the better driver or could win regardless of the penalty. He didn't need to take those risks.
I actually enjoyed watching that part.
But at the end of the day, Lewis just looks pathetic to me. He doesn't need this. He doesn't need a win like this. He’ll have hundreds more anyway. If he had just conceded the five seconds, he would have been a legend in my eyes. A true icon. It’s cheap to hide behind your own crowd. Almost everyone does it. The real class is when you earn the respect of the opposing side. Those people are rare.

So, unfortunately, Lewis remains a spoiled brat in my book. He acted like a characterless hypocrite today, and he had the chance—a massive one—to be better.