Posts by Amanda Kelly

stormybadger8 said:Don't panic, dear Amanda Kelly, don't panic.😁
The whole point is that Fernando is probably going to end up without titles or a winning streak again...
As for the penalty for that lowlife at LDM, Kimi is going to absolutely tear him apart all season long. So, think about how smart it was to trade a diamond for cheap costume jewelry.😬

Regarding why everyone is stressing over the vet—the kid could drive 96 races purely as a tourist in a Marussia just sightseeing the crowd... but even then, based on total titles in his first 200 races/first 11 seasons, he’s still better than Fernando.😍

No panic here. Just sitting back with a little bit of genuine interest, waiting to see how this plays out.
Last race was a total blowout. Honestly, I'm feeling pretty good about it.

stormybadger8 Asks:
As for that mess LDM made, Kimi is going to spend the entire season tearing him apart. Honestly, he really should have thought twice before trading a diamond for cheap costume jewelry.😬

Kimi deserved to be kicked out of Ferrari. I’m fully behind that move, and seeing Alonso come in just makes it feel even more right. Alonso is exactly the kind of driver we need, whereas Kimi frankly dropped the ball. He’s doing great for himself lately, though—it’s like they say, when you're winning this much, you can afford to be picky.
Look, I'm telling you again: if you're planning on hating on Alonso all season long, you've got my respect. Honestly. Especially if he ends up in a car that actually stands a chance. And based on what I'm seeing, there are some pretty solid signs that this season might actually deliver that.

stormybadger8 said:Don't panic, dear Amanda Kelly, don't panic.😁
The whole point is that Fernando is probably going to end up without titles or a winning streak again...
As for the penalty for that lowlife at LDM, Kimi is going to absolutely tear him apart all season long. So, think about how smart it was to trade a diamond for cheap costume jewelry.😬

Regarding why everyone is stressing over the vet—the kid could drive 96 races purely as a tourist in a Marussia just sightseeing the crowd... but even then, based on total titles in his first 200 races/first 11 seasons, he’s still better than Fernando.😍

I couldn't care less about the stats between Alonso and Vettel. Honestly, my only focus right now is the title fight in the NFL 2013.

stormybadger8 said:Panic, anyone? 🤣
There’s no way Fernando won't crack the top ten... hopefully. 😬😈🤣

Panic? Really?
Fernando's either taking first or second.
A vet? Now that’s the real question. I honestly don't know what's going to happen if the poor guy doesn't snag a spot on the front row. Who's even going to be pulling him into the pits this time?

Sebastian Vettel gained one spot in FP2.
If he keeps this up, we might actually be in trouble.
Actually, scratch that. He’s got two absolute masters of the long run standing in his way. He'll be lucky if he even snags a podium. And even then, he'll be sitting at the very bottom of it.

Oh, wait. I forgot about Mark Webber. In that case, he might not even touch the podium. 😂

I’m actually feeling okay about Ferrari’s current form.
We might just pull off another win.

stormybadger8 said:Holy crap... Bottas actually beat Hamilton 🙂🤣

If you're keeping track, the only thing that matters is that Massa finished ahead of his "star" teammate, who's honestly just riding his coattails😁
And yeah, Vettel stayed right where he belongs—firmly ahead of Webber☕

Great. So the team rules don't even apply during the FP's. Typical. 😂
I’m going to file a formal complaint against Ferrari.
This is exactly how they tank the first driver's confidence and focus. It’s dangerous stuff, too—it can mess everything up for qualifying, the race, and everything else down the line.

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.

Rebecca Fox4 said:Of course, this whole thing has been nothing more than a complete circus run by an 82-year-old man for quite some time now...

Even if Lauda had managed to pull off that same feat two years after winning the title—which he absolutely didn't—he would have still done more than Fernando, despite how much you all seem to worship him... I don't even want to imagine who people would have blamed if Alonso had been behind the wheel of a Ferrari like Kimi's was back in 2009...

Man, just explain it...

I'm not buying it.
That logic only works if you're counting trophies and nothing else.
But that’s not how I see things.
I'll write up a longer response later.

Only one DRS zone!?
After getting spoiled by all that extra DRS in China, how on earth are we going to survive this?

Rebecca Fox4 said:Don't you worry, we're going to steamroll this joke of a competition☕

It’s not exactly a cakewalk (if you even win), and calling this competition a joke is a stretch.
If Kimi actually pulls this off, I’ll personally bow down and offer my sincerest congratulations.

But let's be real, he won't.
Based on what I've seen lately, Alonso and Vettel are basically neck and neck, while Kimi is a notch below them. In my opinion, those three should be the ones fighting for the title.
Lewis is another step down from that group.

Besides, Kimi's being a total brat. He didn't want to drive like this back when he was at Ferrari. He just played the part of the lazy guy.

I was pretty much certain Fernando Alonso was taking the win—about 99% sure—right after that second pit stop.
It came down to two things: first, Alonso was absolutely dominating Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton under the exact same conditions. Second, it was already obvious that Vettel would be forced into a three-stop strategy. Given the delays we saw and the lap times he was hitting, catching up to Alonso seemed like a long shot.

Olivia Martin12 said:Look, he explicitly stated they had to stick to that strategy or face an absolute disaster. At one point, he actually asked if he was cleared to race, they told him yes, and then—just two messages later—they backtrack and tell him no, stay on the old plan. It's obvious the junker just eats through tires and there's no fixing it. They better come up with something for the next race because watching this is pure torture.

It was honestly a pathetic scene to watch. One minute it's "Yeah, you're in a battle, go for it," and a few minutes later, two cars just breeze right past him.
We aren't used to seeing a defensive McLaren. Their whole philosophy in Formula 1 is built on attacking and fighting for the lead. I wouldn't exactly laugh, but I'm not crying over it either.
With a driver lineup like this, they're going to need some massive upgrades if they ever want to see a podium again.

William Bennett53 said:As far as I am concerned, this race featured several drivers who were nothing short of fantastic.

Primarily, it was Fernando Alonso, who drove with such composure and tactical maturity that his victory felt truly impressive; even toward the end, while maintaining a significant gap over his pursuers, he didn't claim he wasn't pushing or that he could go even faster. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Also brilliant were Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen (assuming we view the poor start not as Kimi's fault, but rather a Renault error), as they both performed superbly under difficult circumstances. Kimi spent much of the race wrestling an aerodynamically compromised machine—and one might argue handling was a struggle too—while Lewis showed real grit to secure a podium ahead of the approaching Sebastian Vettel. 🙏 🙏

Respect to Ricciardo and Jenson Button, who both seem to have achieved results that exceed what their current machinery should allow. 🙏

On the other hand, Massa, Perez, Romain Grosjean, and Vergne look quite poor, as they appear significantly weaker than their teammates. It is hard to say exactly how much was due to their own mistakes versus how much they suffered because of strategy. This is particularly evident with Massa, who was practically invisible today despite having such a strong season otherwise.

My tweaks:

Alonso.
Hard to find a single thing to complain about here. He hunted down that win like a bulldog on a scent—not that he doesn't always drive like that. If you give him a decent car, like the one he had in China, beating Fernando Alonso is a tall order.

Kimi.
What an unbelievable guy. That Lotus look suits him so well that I’m actually getting worried about their pace. And with Kimi playing like this? Yeah, we're in trouble.

3. Vettel
I'm mostly on the same page as stormybadger8 here. Honestly, those pit wall calls probably cost him at least one position, if not two. To add to what stormybadger8 said, there's a good chance he could've jumped Lewis Hamilton if they'd just pulled him in for that final stop a lap earlier. It was likely right there for the taking.

Daniel Ricciardo.
Total shocker. They absolutely crushed it, from qualifying all the way to the checkered flag.

Looking at how things actually played out on the track, I honestly don't think it would be wrong to put Kimi or Ricciardo at the top of that list. Heck, they might as well just split the championship title between everyone.

stormybadger8 said:Winning comes down to an incredible start, as usual. Honestly, I’ve had this gut feeling for ages that Ferrari is using some kind of traction control system for their launches.😁

Also, we can't ignore how solid Fernando Alonso's driving was during that first stint while he was fighting his way through the field...
It definitely helped that most people ended up opting for softs, allowing them to bolt off the line quickly.
If they’d gone with mediums, I’m not even sure how that would have played out, though Ferrari looked incredibly strong on the straights even without DRS.
Overall, Ferrari looks great, but the big question remains: how is this going to look in Bahrain or during the rest of the European work?

On another note, it’s actually pretty weird seeing such massive gaps between the No. 1 and No. 2 drivers across almost every single team...
It’s honestly wild how Felipe Massa just vanishes mid-race, and don't even get me started on how invisible Rosberg and Romain Grosjean were.
Plus, it's super strange that, just like last year, we're seeing these huge fluctuations in car pace on the exact same tire compound at different stages of the race.😳

And the most interesting part? That conversation Bernie Ecclestone was having on the grid. I'm dying to know what kind of tire changes they're cooking up for Barcelona.🍿

That driver gap between No. 1 and No. 2 has been stuck in my head all afternoon.
And if you ask me, it's most glaring at Ferrari (the biggest headache, at least in my book).

Once again, I think the main issue is Massa. The guy just doesn't function—well enough, anyway—when things get chaotic. And it isn't just about traffic. He lacks consistency. You can't bank on him for anything.

Overtaking wasn't even the issue today. Alonso sliced through the top 3 or 4 like they weren't even there—clearly the best and the fastest. Plenty of spots to move, two DRS zones. Everyone was passing anyone they could catch.
That 40-second gap? For me, it's unbearable, and I'm putting it squarely on the driver. It's too wide. Unacceptable.
And I can't view Massino grabbing 6th place as some kind of success or an "OK" result. Rosberg and Webber dropped out, and if they had finished, they probably would've been ahead of him anyway.

I get the feeling Felipe is pretty disappointed and frustrated himself. He was flying during the FP's and expected more from qualifying—he said so himself. So what happens to him during the race? I wish I knew that too.

Raymond Anderson4 said:I think Fernando Alonso will be solid in Spain and Monaco; Germany and the GP Bahrain should suit him too. Bahrain is a good fit for Ferrari.
The real trouble starts after Canada, especially during the Asian tour. Red Bull Racing is always tough in Asia because those tracks just suit their style perfectly.
If Alonso doesn't have a car capable of winning (winning, not just podiums ) in Asia, he's going to lose the title again.

I went to go count them up—there are 8 races in Asia. Who would've thought!?
Alright, you were probably talking about that specific stretch in Asia right after Monza.

Drew Bennett68 said:Things might be looking up just a little bit... Word on the street is that Webber managed to dodge that three-place penalty following the collision with JEV.

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

Fernando Alonso was absolutely clinical out there. Just incredible. Pure class.🙏
Honestly, I don't think people realize how much of a different breed Kimi Räikkönen was. Respect.🙏

Sebastian Vettel squeezed every single ounce of performance out of that car. Solid drive.

A little tribute to Jim Clark. 🙏
Nice one, Blažičko. 👍

ruggedfox28 said:Is there ever a time when you guys think Ferrari *doesn't* have a shot? 🤣

These guys just chew through tires and fall behind... Lotus can't stay consistent so they drop off... McLaren is basically in a tailspin right now, so they're out... Everyone hates on Red Bull, so they automatically lose out to something bigger... the rest are just too much for Lazari to handle, so they're gone... Honestly, Ferrari is the only one with a real fighting chance at winning in Vietnam 🤣

I mean, seriously, what have they even been doing for the last four years then? 🤣>

And what about you?
Does it bother you that they might actually be in a good position?

Ferrari isn't messing around with their tire choices this year.
Lotus pulled off a win in Australia thanks to a clever strategy, but this time they’re playing it safe by sticking to the standard plan. On top of that, Kimi Räikkönen is looking at his best starting position yet.
Out of the top three teams—and those occupying the first six spots on the grid—Mercedes-Benz is the biggest tire eater, especially Lewis Hamilton.
That gives Ferrari a real shot here. A very good shot.
I just hope Romain Grosjean doesn't do anything reckless at the start. He needs a solid result, and honestly, Kimi could be in the exact same boat.

What I'm actually wondering about is what kind of tire strategy everyone sitting behind 10th place is going to pull.
Are we going to see just the top seven running on softs while the rest of the grid settles for hards? Or will things actually get interesting?

Qualifying sessions like this aren't even worth watching anymore. Everyone just does one single lap and calls it a day. That old tension—the thrill of seeing who can shave off a hundredth of a second over two or three laps—is dead. To make matters worse, by the final round, half the grid seems more focused on not driving at all than actually competing.
It feels like that hour or hour and a half would be better spent doing literally anything else, whether that's something actually fun, exciting, or just useful.

And someone needs to tell Bernie Ecclestone that we’re done tuning in for qualifying, and his viewership numbers are going to tank because of it. He’s the only one who can deal with these people over at Pirelli. This nonsense with the tires is definitely being done on purpose, dictated by someone behind the scenes.