Posts by Amanda Kelly

cosmichawk12 said:Man, they really went all out trying to hype up Mark Webber over at Red Bull Racing 😂

It’s just so naive... honestly, so incredibly naive

Man, you hit the nail on the head there. They really did a number on him. It was so bad, honestly, someone deserves a good smack upside the head for it.
Just look at what the crew is doing to their own driver. Two races in a row now, and this is happening to the guy who was actually supposed to be leading the championship right now.
Either they’re pure villains or just total frauds. It’s honestly hard to believe they’ve managed to pull off three championships in a row.

cosmichawk12 said:They really ought to be handing out more soft tires—these ones just feel way too hard...

If we aren't seeing at least six pit stops per race, then it’s just not quite hitting the mark for me...

😂
Man. I don't even know what's funnier—your avatar or this nonsense about the tires. 🙏

stormybadger8 said:I mean, Massine had an incredible qualifying session, giving us some real hope he can keep this momentum going through race five.😁
I put some money on Massu, and if he keeps playing like this, I might actually make a decent profit.😍

Count me in. Seriously.
If Massu pulls off a win, my luck would be pretty incredible.
And if you end up making some cash on top of that? Even better.

stormybadger8 said:Are you kidding me???
Look, if you've been watching NASCAR for 12 years, then you saw 2002 and 2004. Those were actually interesting, whereas 2011 was just boring.😕

If you're saying that because Red Bull Racing was dominating, then fine, but you seriously can't claim 2002 or 2004 was more exciting.😕
Good grief, that Ford car was practically twice as dominant compared to the competition as the Red Bull Racing car was.😳
I honestly don't recall a single Red Bull Racing car lapping those near-podium guys, or races where it was just two Red Bull Racing cars and maybe one other driver in the same lap...

Back in 2002, Ford had a 1-2 finish nine times. About three-quarters of the races that season, they finished a full lap ahead of the pack, and there were even races where they were the only ones on the podium in the same lap...

And in 2004, they had eight 1-2 finishes, and again, about three-quarters of the races that year, they were finishing a lap ahead of everyone else...

Meanwhile, the Red Bull RB7 only had three 1-2 finishes, and including Malaysia, that's only 13 total...

Which two years were those again? '02 and '04. 😍.
Good grief, every single Sunday used to feel like a holiday. 😂

Jason Campbell70 said:

Jenson Button admits McLaren is struggling to wrap their heads around the new car

Jenson Button has admitted that McLaren is having a hard time understanding their 2013 machine and finding any kind of consistent pace.
.....

"It's been very tricky to understand where the car is," he said.

"At times the car feels good, at other times it doesn't.
......

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/105661

And the actual racing hasn't even kicked off yet. 😂

Young Sergio is also noting some unexpectedly high tire wear.

"It's extreme. It's very, very difficult the degradation - it's a big surprise," Perez told reporters.

"Normally we see in winter testing a lot of degradation, but never this much. We are going to have sometimes cold races like here, so it's a bit of a worry, but we are still learning about the tyres and once we go racing I hope things can change with the tyres."

http://www1.skysports.com/formula-1/...ona-unexpected

Is it the new Pirellis, or the new MP4-28?
Maybe it's both.

So, Button’s probably looking at another repeat of that first half of 2012. Sure, if you say so. Let him grab a win in Australia just to throw everyone off their game.
Man, that actually gave me a good laugh. 😂

shadowtrucker said:...and Grosjean is going to tear up the track 😍

Don't even mess around with this team. 🙂

Honestly, Grosjean is just missing that tiny bit of mental composure needed to really dominate. In my opinion, he’s just one step away from greatness, but that last little piece of the puzzle isn't there yet.
He’s definitely got the speed, but he’s missing the reliability and the stability to actually back it up. Everyone else is making strides right now, so I don't see why he couldn't catch up too.
Honestly, I’m starting to fear the Lotus more than the McLaren.

William Bennett53 said:shadowstag10 said:
"Lotus is a true racing outfit. Their focus remains strictly on the track rather than getting bogged down by external distractions, which is a rarity in this sport. There is significantly less internal politics here compared to other teams, and that is precisely why I find being part of this organization so rewarding. Our only real hurdle is that our budget isn't quite as massive as some of the powerhouse teams. Ultimately, though, what matters most is that everyone is giving their absolute best and making the most of the resources we have at our disposal."

🙏 🙏 🙏

http://www.formula1.com/en/latest/news/raikkonen-we-can-fight-for-the-title/

Well, who wouldn't want him on their side? 🤷

Think they'll pull it off and beat both McLarens again?

shadowhawk24 said:Stormybadger8 hit the nail on the head regarding my own point. It's the truth. If you look at the Ferrari or the Lotus cars, they might show fewer changes compared to last year, but let's be clear—it's definitely not just last year's car rebranded.
They completely overhauled the front suspension, redesigning it specifically to widen the setup window. They had to fix the mess from last season when Kimi was constantly fighting the car's handling right out of the gate.
The hump remains, and the rear end is an evolution of last year's diffuser. This makes perfect sense because, by the end of the season, the entire Lotus concept proved itself to be stellar. From its debut in India—where it struggled with top speed—all the way through to Brazil, the exhaust setup showed progressively better results race after race. Obviously, there is still plenty of room to push further and find more gains.
And here is the crux of what worked for Lotus: stick to evolving 😬 a proven concept that already delivers great results, rather than gambling on radical redesigns that might fail to meet expectations entirely.

As for these testing times? They likely mean absolutely nothing. We won't see the real situation until we hit the track in Australia.

The weather doesn't tell us much, though I'm sure it matters to someone else.
The teams know exactly what they were testing—which parts, which assemblies, under what specific conditions...
Not to mention reliability issues.

Besides, we all obsess over official practice lap times, dissecting them and celebrating small wins, but this data is on a completely different level.
Still, it has to mean something. It can't just be random.

Paul Hall25 said:But Vettel is better than Raikkonen, Kobayashi, and Kubica combined.

Look, it's not his fault if he grabs pole and then disappears into the distance, making the race for first place boring. But if we complain about that, we shouldn't be wishing for the next Clark or Senna either, because that's exactly how they won: pole position and pure blitzkrieg style.

If Vettel has a weakness, it's his personality; he lacks charisma. But once he puts on one of those million helmets over that blank expression and climbs into an Adrian Newey masterpiece, he becomes a mix of Clark, Senna, Fangio, Andretti, and Mario all rolled into one.

And let's be real, Kobayashi and Kubica aren't even in the same zip code as that. Kimi is close, but Vettel is still the superior driver. Period. Most importantly, Vettel never loses his edge.

Wow, thanks. A "new me." That’s just great. 😍.

Nathan Jones98 said:And what about how things wrapped up at the end of last season?

I’ve been running on zero sleep lately. Remind me again.
But should he have shut him down? 🤷 Honestly, I wouldn't have missed a moment like that.

Tyler Bennett5 said:For teams like Haas or Williams, the real game-changer is going to be resource management.
It all boils down to how they kick off the season and whether they have the bandwidth to keep pace with the technical evolution
of the rest of the field. There’s also the massive question of whether they can secure enough funding.
And ultimately, we have to look at when they decide to pull the plug on current upgrades and pivot entirely toward developing the 2014 car.

Williams showed last year they have the pedigree. Engineering-wise, at least, and I suspect elsewhere too. That's why I'm keeping an eye on them.

Of course, Kimi needs to find that 2012 form again. Some will say that's a given, a total no-brainer. But things don't always work out that way, so I'll believe it when I see it.
2012 was his standout year. To me, he seems to find more inspiration—maybe even his only real spark—when he isn't stuck in one of those top-tier cars.
Looking back, the top three from 2012 all drove their absolute best races. Though, Kimi being in that mix still feels a bit like a surprise to me. I guess I'm just still thinking about that messy exit from Ferrari.

Nathan Jones98 said:You took the words right out of my mouth—

This is likely Massi's last ride, so he'll probably be driving like a man possessed—assuming they don't bench him first.

😁
God forbid Ferrari actually performs well enough to make Massi redundant. That would be too much luck for me.

stormybadger8 said:- Expecting title fights from: Alonso, Button, Vettel, and Kimi... maybe even Hamilton if you count that "maybe" (which all depends on the car, not him)
- Just regular points scoring and the occasional podium, with any win feeling like a total jackpot: Rosberg, Perez, Webber, Grosjean, Massa (though honestly, I don't think anyone expects much from Massa)

That’s why there's way more pressure on Button than on Perez. Nobody actually expects Perez to outshine Button, let alone snatch a title...

Whereas, for example...
People expect Hamilton to absolutely crush Rosberg regardless of whether they're looking at the title race; he's expected to win. And that's assuming Hamilton doesn't screw things up first.🤣
Seriously, what Formula 1 are we watching? Do we just have zero memory?😁
Hamić has caused way more chaos in his career than Perez, Maldonado, and half the grid combined.😁

Alonso, on the other hand, is basically in the twilight of his career.☕
No one in Formula 1 has ever won a second title after such a long break. He could equal that record this season, otherwise 2014 would have made him the record holder...
All in all, I expect him to fight harder than ever. But when you're that aggressive and forcing situations, you're asking for a crash—especially now with so many rookies on the grid, including some inexperienced guys in great cars.😳

Perez has less than a year to prove he deserves a seat at McLaren—well, at McLaren specifically.
Right now, Button is their golden boy. It’s going to be an uphill battle for Perez, honestly, probably impossible. Unless there's some hidden superstar talent in him that we haven't seen yet.
They likely picked Perez because he was the best option available or showed the most promise. But hiring is always about chasing the future, hoping you actually found your next big thing.
It's a total mess when you're essentially gambling on a mid-tier driver from day one.

stormybadger8 said:I don't really see it that way...
McLaren looks like they have the best car right now, so they won't feel the need to pull any stunts since they're basically constantly improving, maybe sitting 2 or 3 cars behind the leaders...
My money is actually on Hamilton; he's naturally aggressive... and by all accounts, that car is good enough for the front row, maybe even third. I think he’ll be the one biting the hardest, which usually means some kind of disaster happens down the line...
Same goes for Alonso. He’s been waiting for a title forever, and it's obvious that playing it safe without any aggression doesn't work. If the car isn't at the very top—meaning the absolute best—then I expect him to drive way more aggressively than before. And once you start driving like that, mistakes are inevitable...

Perez doesn't really have much motivation for that kind of chaos. His results will definitely be better than when he was at Sauber, and honestly, nobody is expecting miracles from him.🤷
Getting 4 or 5 podiums this season is plenty for a start, and he can pull that off even with a conservative driving style...
To me, it feels like Button is the one under pressure to deliver a solid result, not Perez.🤷

Hmm... I wouldn't go betting on that if I were you.

stormybadger8 said:I don't really see it that way...
McLaren looks like they have the best car right now, so they won't feel the need to pull any stunts since they're basically constantly improving, maybe sitting 2 or 3 cars behind the leaders...
My money is actually on Hamilton; he's naturally aggressive... and by all accounts, that car is good enough for the front row, maybe even third. I think he’ll be the one biting the hardest, which usually means some kind of disaster happens down the line...
Same goes for Alonso. He’s been waiting for a title forever, and it's obvious that playing it safe without any aggression doesn't work. If the car isn't at the very top—meaning the absolute best—then I expect him to drive way more aggressively than before. And once you start driving like that, mistakes are inevitable...

Perez doesn't really have much motivation for that kind of chaos. His results will definitely be better than when he was at Sauber, and honestly, nobody is expecting miracles from him.🤷
Getting 4 or 5 podiums this season is plenty for a start, and he can pull that off even with a conservative driving style...
To me, it feels like Button is the one under pressure to deliver a solid result, not Perez.🤷

How much of a mess did Alonso and Hamilton actually make of things last season?
How much of a driver's retirement is actually their own fault?
Zero. Or, well, pretty close to it.

Professors make mistakes. But it’s a rare thing to see.

stormybadger8 said:I don't really see it that way...
McLaren looks like they have the best car right now, so they won't feel the need to pull any stunts since they're basically constantly improving, maybe sitting 2 or 3 cars behind the leaders...
My money is actually on Hamilton; he's naturally aggressive... and by all accounts, that car is good enough for the front row, maybe even third. I think he’ll be the one biting the hardest, which usually means some kind of disaster happens down the line...
Same goes for Alonso. He’s been waiting for a title forever, and it's obvious that playing it safe without any aggression doesn't work. If the car isn't at the very top—meaning the absolute best—then I expect him to drive way more aggressively than before. And once you start driving like that, mistakes are inevitable...

Perez doesn't really have much motivation for that kind of chaos. His results will definitely be better than when he was at Sauber, and honestly, nobody is expecting miracles from him.🤷
Getting 4 or 5 podiums this season is plenty for a start, and he can pull that off even with a conservative driving style...
To me, it feels like Button is the one under pressure to deliver a solid result, not Perez.🤷

Don't expect any miracles. Where on earth did you get that idea?
That’s exactly what I’m expecting from him. It’s either going to be a miracle or I'm going to be disappointed.
Now that there’s a beast running the show, the criteria have shifted completely. It’s a whole different game than what we used to see.
There’s no more room for error. The pressure is becoming unbearable.
To quote T. Židak, he’s going to need "balls of steel." Or maybe "brains with balls," if you want to be fancy about it.

How many points did Perez throw away with his mistakes last year? A ton. Honestly, way too many if you ask me.

ruggedhawk20 said:The beer was flowing, and I just couldn't help myself.

But look, since I'm a proud recovering alcoholic now, let me apologize to the community (even the ones I used to call by much different names) and even to the seven-time world champion—comparing him to a malicious disease was a stretch, even if the booze started it.

God bless!

Peace out! 😁😁😁

Look, I appreciate the mods looking out for us, but I wasn't offended or angry at all by what Josip Presvetlog wrote. If anything, we need a little distraction from this absolute swamp of nothing happening lately.
Plus, I've always had a soft spot for MSC and the color red.

There's plenty of humor to be found in blunt language. Not everything is inherently evil.
But since that line is thin and we all have different tastes, I respect the mod's decision and think they handled it correctly.

William Bennett53 said:But does the car even need to be dominant? Not necessarily. Last year, McLaren was arguably the fastest on the grid most of the time, yet it wasn't Button's car, and the team was too busy tripping over their own feet with internal politics. If they could just manage their own egos—and assuming they aren't complete idiots, which I hope is true—and if the car were actually tuned to suit his driving style, Button could be a much more serious title contender than he was last season, even without total dominance. At least, that's my take.

No chance. Or, to put it more politely, I personally don't buy it.
I think the 2012 standings were more a result of Jenson's luck than anything McLaren did.

Jenson needs speed, sure, but he also needs a car that actually behaves itself.
The 2012 McLaren was fast, but it was temperamental. The performance swings were massive. To me, that came down to how they dialed in the setup for specific tracks and conditions. By the time spring rolled around, you’d constantly hear Jenson complaining over the radio about how the car was handling. Some might say he was whining, but he had a point.

Lewis, on the other hand, is a much tougher driver. He could wrestle a difficult car and still make it work.
That two-point gap at the end of the season is a complete illusion. In reality, Lewis should have been fighting for the championship until the final race, whereas Jenson ended up exactly where he belonged. Lewis just got hit by bad luck and external factors. Those DNFs killed his chances. But look at the qualifying results: Lewis was consistently in the top three, while Jenson was often stuck mid-pack.

Jenson needs a scalpel; Lewis can win with any sharp knife you put in his hand.

For Jenson to win a title, he absolutely needs a car capable of pole position.
He wouldn't have won the 2012 title in Vettel’s car, and he would’ve been worse off in Alonso’s. "Just my opinion."
Does he have a shot at 2013? Sure, he does. He just needs a car that’s both fast and predictable.
When it comes to drivers, whether it’s Vettel, Alonso, or Kimi, they’re all only going to win if the car is significantly faster than the rest.

Regardless, I like the guy. He’s easily one of the top three drivers on the grid.

stormybadger8 said:Where on earth did you get the idea that anyone is underestimating Alonso?
In this whole mess, Alonso is the least likely person to be blamed for why he wasn't a serious threat... that's squarely on Ferrari's shoulders.☕

Sure, that Ferrari was incredibly reliable, which let them scoop up everything everyone else messed up... but in my book, that's not exactly top-tier strategy, especially when the team's whole vibe is basically "let's just hope someone else's engine blows up."
You're supposed to work hard and be fast enough to win when your team actually has a good day, not sit around praying for everyone else to screw up...
And God help us when that's the actual driver's mindset. When the bosses and engineers start relying on luck instead of doing their jobs, I don't even know what to call it.

Championships aren't won by collective whining, chanting, and playing nice within the garage. They're won through the grind of the entire team and brilliant ideas from elite individuals...

Edit:
Has any testing stream or satellite broadcast popped up this season?
Or are we still stuck with zero track footage?😢

🤦 It’s a bit much, honestly.

Reliability isn't just a feature; it's a strategy.
Ferrari’s whole strategy seems to be nothing more than finding new ways to screw everyone else over. 😱

A little preaching, a lot of yelling... looks like the election campaign season has officially kicked in.

Who's actually to blame here? 🤷

shadowstag10 said:honestly, the bear isn't half bad 🙏

They ran a BlackBerry ad. 😁
I know you aren't supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth,
but you could easily read into this as them saying they won't last much longer.

First off, greetings to everyone here.

The new Ferrari looks like a piece of candy. Mostly just because of how much better it looks than last year's model.

I see AMD and Acer have vanished from the list. They might as well have tossed Kaspersky out too while they were at it.
And now we’ve got this Chinese diesel sponsor stepping up. Just lovely.
Getting my hands on a Hublot might be a slightly harder sell, though.😁.

The DTM finale kicks off this weekend.
Audi’s basically out of the running. BMW still has a shot, though Mercedes—with Paffet—is sitting on a slim lead.