Posts by Amanda Kelly

I’m expecting Ferrari to be right up there at the top.

Brian Campbell36 said:I’m honestly expecting Vettel to land in the top 3 and Alonso somewhere in the top 5. Ferrari has been a massive letdown this season; the car looks great on paper, but they just can't seem to pull the points needed to match that potential...

One good race followed by one disaster... 🤣

I’m actually expecting the exact opposite for Vettel and Alonso.

But hey, you aren't exactly far off. You could've just watched it live.

Rain is nothing but a pure luxury in Montreal.

Richard Vaughn62 said:What kind of losing streak is this? 🤷 🤔

It’s not a losing streak; it’s actually the opposite.
For the last three years, McLaren has been winning in Montreal.
Red Bull, meanwhile, has managed to snag three Sebastian Vettel titles in that same span, yet they haven't touched a win in Montreal once. Personally, I'm rooting for their dry spell to continue, because that McLaren winning streak is bound to snap sooner rather than later.

Just jumping in so this isn't just a one-sided conversation.

First off, McLaren’s winning streak is finally broken. Not that I’m rooting against them, but honestly, it doesn't change much for me right now.
Second, they're running supersoft tires again. God, I hate those things.
Third, the low downforce setup should hopefully give Red Bull a bit of a headache.
Fourth, a Safety Car feels pretty likely, which adds that usual dose of pure luck to the mix.
Fifth, overtaking looks easy here. At least it'll be decent TV.
Sixth, the track surface lacks grip, which is a shame since it won't help punish the Mercedes tires. Plus, there aren't many long corners to work with.

Between all that—partly because of it and partly despite it—I'm expecting a brutal, cutthroat fight, another aggressive performance from Fernando Alonso, and a win for Ferrari.

stormybadger8 said:Qinghua is leading by a tiny margin, followed by Karun Chandhok...😬
Looking at the current grid, Perez is leading convincingly, then there's Maldonado, and Grosjean is third, though he’s fighting tooth and nail to move up despite the obstacles.😬

Yeah, the Chinese and the Indians. Honestly, just don't go there. It gives me a headache.

Anyway, back to my question. I was watching Monaco at this local dive bar—mostly filled with guys from my hometown. I rolled in about ten minutes before 2 PM and scrambled to get the TV and remote sorted (dealing with the usual "you can't do that right now" from the wife and kids, obviously). As soon as the waiter got everything set up, five or six of them wandered over, sat down, and we started talking. Most of them I know; decent guys, mostly work in construction or heavy machinery...
So I ask the oldest guy there, "Hey, Igor, let me guess who you're rooting for?"
He looks me dead in the eye and says, "You know, I'm a Mercedes guy..."
I replied, "I didn't think you'd be a Ferrari fan."
He goes, "Man, I watch every single race. Even when my guys are struggling, we usually watch together. But I'm the only one here backing Mercedes, everyone else is for Ferrari so things get pretty heated..."

So, I decided I'll head up north to catch the race in person sometime. My bad, what kind of small town am I living in?

Mods, feel free to move this to the chat if it's out of place.

stormybadger8 said:I don't have an issue with that, but then you have to ask where Ferrari actually fits into this whole story...
Brawn No1, RBR No2... it looks more like McLaren, then Williams, then Renault, then🤣

All things considered, Ferrari is probably just the 6th or 7th team on that list.😁

The only thing that’s totally skewed is holding onto some idea of being at the top based solely on who was there from the start...

Were you maybe counting based on fan numbers?

stormybadger8 said:It’s honestly mind-blowing that Mercedes even thought they could pull off an extra lap when it was blindingly obvious a Safety Car was coming. There was zero point in waiting...
They had two laps where they could have pitted, but instead, they tried to cram both drivers into that later, much riskier window...

Not exactly my brightest moment. Can someone give me a quick rundown?

Who, when, and how—and what are the actual consequences—of pitting once the Safety Car hits the track?

stormybadger8 said:It’s honestly a damn shame he didn't pull it off, and Kimi too.😁
It would have been pretty wild to see what happened if he actually set his sights on Hamilton.😬

He didn't just fail to overtake him.
He actually managed to get under his skin.
And then he forced him into those ridiculous press conferences...
Kimi, emotions, all those statements... wtf?
Seriously, tell me when anyone else has pulled that off. Not even when they were winning championships.

Emily Patel64 said:😲😲😲😱

Honestly, I don't think anyone’s ever actually insulted me on this forum before.
But this one actually stung.🙂

Man, what would you even have to complain about?

No point getting worked up. Someone calling themselves a loudmouth clearly doesn't hang around here much.

Sergio Perez is an idiot who doesn't have an ounce of respect for anyone.
It’s pathetic seeing someone like that driving for McLaren, who, by the way, keeps encouraging him on track even after watching his usual dirty tricks.
Why "dirty tricks," you ask? The Fernando Alonso and Ferrari haters will probably chime in.

It's simple.
In my book, overtaking Jenson Button was barely passable.
But what he did to Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen was straight-up pure, unadulterated savagery.

First off, just dive in like a coward and brake incredibly late. So late that you leave zero room for the driver you're passing, practically forcing them off the track. That isn't skill, bravery, or even being gutsy—it’s just being a thug. Any idiot can do that.

Second, both Fernando Alonso and Kimi Räikkönen are fighting for the title. Driving like that—essentially inviting a collision or at least some kind of incident—is a massive insult to them. He's just exploiting their situation, knowing they have to be careful and can't afford to take unnecessary risks. By what right does he think he gets to interfere with the championship fight like that?
By some stroke of luck, Fernando Alonso actually ended up profiting from it. Coincidence, sure. But how many points did he steal from Kimi Räikkönen? And what's your point in that?

Like I said, an idiot.

Sebastian Vettel is a different breed entirely.
Look, I like the guy, but I have to call him out for that nonsense regarding the fastest lap right at the end.

Both he and the crew spend the whole time whining and complaining about the tires, only for him to suddenly drop a two-second faster lap right before the finish. That tells me those tires still had plenty of life left in them.
Why didn't he just step on it earlier and actually go toe-to-toe with Nico Rosberg? Instead, he just prefers to grumble, only to finish the race looking dominant on the very same tires he was just bellyaching about.

Nico Rosberg was absolutely clinical. Honestly, just masterful. Hats off to him! 🙏
Congrats to all the Mercedes fans out there!

steelmaker83 said:Alonso was a disaster, and Ferrari was a disaster too.

Whatever. Given this erratic rhythm we've been stuck in, I’m actually expecting a win in Canada.

Yeah, it was a total horror show for Ferrari. It's not on Alonso. Honestly, I think those soft tires just don't suit this car at all. Not to mention the cold track.

I haven't really stressed about it, despite the miserable luck drivers in red always seem to have. There's no point in beating myself up over it.
It's high time someone else had a reason to celebrate. One person's gloom is another's sunshine. So, cheers to Sukki, and honestly, to all the haters too. Who cares who McLaren decides to put in their first driver seat—some of them clearly need a psychiatrist.
And I almost forgot—it’s practically unheard of, but apparently, a McLaren driver actually complained to the FIA about his teammate (or rather, his rival). Maybe he should go complain to Queen Elizabeth next.

stormybadger8 said:If you go by the numbers, the odds are slim. And once you look at who’s actually sitting in those top three spots? They're practically non-existent.
Nico Rosberg.
Even if Mercedes weren't absolutely shredding their tires, a win would still be a massive stretch.
Look, Nico Rosberg has the absolute worst record when it comes to grid position versus where he actually finishes—we're talking a drop of 12 spots on average, plus two DNFs to boot. He was holding his own pretty well last year and he’s clearly in great form right now, so I can see him potentially grabbing a podium. But a win? Yeah, that’s a long shot.

Lewis Hamilton.
Not a chance.
He was great in Monaco, especially when things got unpredictable. If we’re talking about lost ground, he only slipped back twice in 2012—just by two spots. Looking at the big picture, he’s actually gained 11 positions in Monaco.
The only thing that actually looks like an issue is whatever's going on with the car at Virginia.

Mercedes needs to find more pace. They’re losing ground somewhere, and they need to figure out where those positions are slipping away.
Even if they try that double-stack strategy, they’re going to be the first ones stuck in a bottleneck at the pit lane. And then what? Where exactly are they supposed to go once they've lost their window?

I just hope it stays dry.🙂
Honestly, they aren't even in the same league as Ferrari. It’s really just those two guys close to Alonso who pose any kind of threat. Look, Monaco isn't exactly the place where you can go out there acting entitled or getting carried away with blind optimism. Everything is going to depend on how things actually play out on the track.

I’m not digging how close Perez got at the start either.

Bradley Nelson2 said:So, we’re looking at another penalty from the race again ☕

I'd much rather see a legitimate, deserved penalty than some total lottery, IMO.
Luck is what people rely on when they're incompetent.

It’s about time we broke one more tradition.
That whole idea that the Monaco Grand Prix always belongs to someone from the top three in qualifying.

Sure, the conditions are totally different from any other track, but then again, so is the vibe this season.
If someone outside the top three doesn't snatch it now, they never will.
The Mercedes drivers need to absolutely burn rubber; there's no other way.
My main concern, as usual, is how strong Red Bull Racing tends to be here in Monaco.
You don't see many major upgrades being rolled out at the start of the season.
So, if Fernando Alonso manages to jump Kimi Räikkönen right away, I'll eat my hat. If he doesn't, he's probably stuck.
As for the Red Bulls, we'll just have to wait and see if they can catch a lucky break.

Brian Campbell36 said:But there’s one massive issue—catching up from a deficit like that is brutal!
Lewis Hamilton has a better shot even being 39 points down than Nico does.
Apparently, someone is having a rough time out there, or at least that's what the drivers are hinting at on track.

No, you're dead wrong. stormybadger8 is spot on here. I shouldn't have poked my nose in.

If Mercedes-Benz could just fix even a fraction of those rear tire change issues, they'd be on the podium every single weekend.
Fix it more substantially, and the championship is basically theirs.

Sure, the points gap looks significant right now, but we've only finished a quarter of the season. There's still plenty of road left. Don't forget they've got two fast, powerhouse drivers. When it comes to a single lap, they're already at the top.

It’s time for Fernando Alonso to grab his third win here in Monaco. Though, honestly, I wouldn't complain if he just settled for a podium again this year.

stormybadger8 said:Oh, really?

😁

If Rosberg hadn't been shoving and closing the door on Vettel, Vettel probably would've been the one leading into turn one... actually, that's exactly why he lost ground to Alonso.

Alonso might have overtaken him after that first turn, but there's no way he pulls it off before him.🤷

Let the Barcelonians deal with the fallout. 😂

You always nitpick every little detail just to spin some perfect fairy tale for the vet.
I brought up Alonso, but he was secondary. I didn't even say Vettel was pushing. But you jumped straight into lawyer mode, trying to play devil's advocate just so you don't have to admit anything uncomfortable.

Alonso had so much raw speed that he overtook Vettel on the outside with a massive swerve.
If he could have just stayed on his original line, he would've cruised into that first turn in first place.

But hey, no hard feelings. Everything was within the rules. Vettel played it perfectly. And Rosberg was the one causing all the chaos.