Look, stormybadger8, your logic—which is basically our only shred of hope here—is that past performance at Suzuki is the ultimate predictor of future success at Suzuki. I mean, if the guy just happens to be a perfect fit for this specific track, sure, that makes sense.
But looking strictly at this season, Sebastian Vettel's chances of actually taking the win there are looking pretty slim. If you ask me, it all comes down to qualifying. If Sebastian Vettel manages to grab the PP, he could easily pull off a win, and honestly, I think he will. But without that PP, Red Bull doesn't stand a chance in Indianapolis.
I’d suggest my favorite team just lend those poor souls over at Red Bull their own flawless alternators for the rest of the season. It's pretty clear they can't fix the issue themselves, and I really don't want to hear them whining after Alonso clinches the title about how they lost everything because of faulty parts or some supposed Italian conspiracy. 😁
I'm actually in a decent mood for once. When is that race in Japan finally happening!? Watching these races from a horizontal position is doing wonders for my spirits (not that I watch the others any differently). Might even order some takeout straight to the couch or bed. 😂
William Bennett53 said:I’m anticipating the most stunning grid girls of the entire season once we hit 🙏 Singapore. ☕Quite sincerely, I am hoping for one of two outcomes: either a victory over Lewis Hamilton—which would be the superior result—or seeing Fernando Alonso extend his lead in the standings, which, while less ideal, remains a perfectly acceptable alternative. Of course, my ultimate wish would be to see a win for Kim-esque, while watching Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton all finish outside of the points, though I fear such a scenario is highly unlikely. 😁
I hope you realize those two options aren't actually mutually exclusive. In fact, they’d likely both happen at once if that alternator decided to pack it in again. 😬
William Bennett53 said:I’m anticipating the most stunning grid girls of the entire season once we hit 🙏 Singapore. ☕Quite sincerely, I am hoping for one of two outcomes: either a victory over Lewis Hamilton—which would be the superior result—or seeing Fernando Alonso extend his lead in the standings, which, while less ideal, remains a perfectly acceptable alternative. Of course, my ultimate wish would be to see a win for Kim-esque, while watching Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, and Lewis Hamilton all finish outside of the points, though I fear such a scenario is highly unlikely. 😁
It’s mostly a pipe dream, but we've seen enough wild swings and total meltdowns this year to know that anything can happen—even if it feels like a long shot.
stormybadger8 said:As far as Vettel and Alonso go, I hope the qualifying tradition at the US Grand Prix continues... If both Alonso and Vettel end up starting where they did in Singapore, then TBF I’ll be pretty damn happy about it.😍
Besides, the Red Bull cars were actually decent for Indianapolis. Do they still have that pace? And how exactly did Sebastian Vettel let that win slip away last year?
An Alonso-esque start in Singapore happens about once a year. Don't hold your breath for a repeat.
Honestly, I wouldn’t mind seeing last year's podium layout again. But let's be real: that only happens if Lewis Hamilton's car fails to make it to the finish line.
The big picture here is how the top two in the championship are looking. They aren't irrelevant, but they're definitely losing ground. Hamilton is still the biggest threat out there, sitting at 52 points back. So, if Sebastian Vettel fails to win at the US Grand Prix—which is what I'm betting on—and Fernando Alonso grabs a podium, it would be a massive leap toward securing the title for Ferrari.
Nathan Jones98 said:It would’ve been nice if he had—but hey, no point crying over spilled milk. Nature always finds a way to beat logic— 😁
Michael Schumacher is telling the truth, whether people like hearing it or not.
I was watching the race intro on German TV, and honestly, the guy was practically sprinting toward the cars. Kai Ebbel tried to flag him down to grab a quick word, but Michael didn't even slow down. He just kept heading straight for the cars and tossed something over his shoulder while walking by.
Edward Howard2 said:It's like they were using him as a crash test dummy or something...
Today we basically got the final proof that Red Bull has zero intention of letting Webber fight for the title.
Ricciardo was holding Webber back today and wouldn't let him pass, and honestly, over the last few races, you could see Toro Rosso drivers practically diving off the track the second they spotted him in their mirrors. It's pretty obvious that Alguersuari's orders don't apply to Webber at all. ☕
Yeah, spot on. We've been talking about this for a while now. My only sympathy goes to Webber.
Look, fine, it's their right as a team. But if that's the case, don't be hypocritical and act like the only problem in the sport is Alonso.
Because everyone—and I mean everyone—is stuck in the system of team orders! Hamilton, Vettel, Kimi! They're all part of it.
Maybe at Mercedes they aren't allowed to boss people around, but honestly, they don't even need to.
Man, it would be nice to see a win from either Webber or Jenson Button for once.
stormybadger8 said:Yeah, honestly, Button is more to blame here.😁 He basically admitted it indirectly. If he hadn't been so cautious, he wouldn't be whining about how it was all Vettel's fault. He wouldn't be hunting for a penalty just to snatch the win if he truly believed he was innocent and Vettel was in the wrong. That was just sloppy driving on Button's part. It’s obvious the guy in front dictates the pace. He's going to speed up, slow down, or weave left and right under the SC just to get those tires and brakes up to temperature—that's his prerogative. Besides, this isn't exactly news, so saying it caught him off guard is a stretch.😁
And how can the driver behind not know what the lead car is doing? They don't just start the race wherever the leader feels like it; everyone knows exactly which line the restart happens on and exactly when you're allowed to overtake the guy setting the pace. Take Fernando Alonso, for example—he knew exactly what was happening, so he had zero issues and didn't have to worry about sudden braking. Everyone else behind him knew it too.😉 I highly doubt you're going to tell me the guys trailing Vettel weren't busy warming up their tires and brakes.😁
So what's your take? Who actually filed the protest? Are you positive it wasn't Button and McLaren doing the suing?
Or do you think it was Alonso 😁 (who watched the whole thing from a safe distance, looking for any chance to knock out another rival)? Honestly, looking at it now, if that had worked, we might have ended the championship right then and there. 😂
There’s one thing that really gets under my skin regarding all this "luck and misfortune" talk whenever a competitor drops out. It’s a plain fact: when someone ahead of you pulls out due to a breakdown, those behind benefit. They move up, they gain positions, and they pick up more points. The biggest win, obviously, is watching your direct rivals bleed points.
People really ought to grasp—finally, at least—that Formula 1 is a team sport. If a car breaks down mid-race, that falls squarely on the shoulders of the team. It's their responsibility. Is Fernando Alonso somehow to blame because Red Bull Racing's alternators are failing, or because McLaren can't seem to tune both of their cars properly for two or three races in a row? Of course not. They're the ones at fault, not him. And if you want to score points, let alone win a championship, you actually have to finish the race first.
If it hadn't been for that opening lap incident at Spa-Francorchamps, Fernando Alonso would be sitting there today as the absolute record-holder for consecutive races with points. That’s something worth respecting. Deeply. He deserves credit for that, and so does Ferrari as a team. That isn't just pure luck.
Linda Vaughn said:By the end of this weekend, we will have completed five out of the six tracks that traditionally favor Red Bull Racing, along with this unpredictable variable here in the US. It is going to be an uphill battle; honestly, we are all just sitting here hoping they can manage to improve that absolute wreck of a car at Ferrari even just a little bit.
Are you talking "traditionally" based solely on last year's results? There isn't much "traditional" left to talk about, honestly—everything has changed, especially with the tire situation.
Ferrari performed better at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza, but a series of unfortunate events kept them from really capitalizing on that advantage. They struggle on tracks like Singapore, with all those tight turns and high downforce requirements. I doubt many of the remaining tracks will be any easier on them. Plus, the heat definitely doesn't help.
Any word yet on which tire compounds they'll be running for the next race?
Jerry Rogers6 said:It’s an all-or-nothing situation for both Mark and Hemu—and let’s be clear, neither of them is some amateur playing at this, far from it.
Maybe if they get too aggressive trying to cut each other off, they’ll end up wrecking one another🤣 but honestly, at least then we won't be able to claim they didn't leave everything on the track to make it happen.🤣
Then again, maybe Kimi was just playing it safe yesterday; it’s hard to say for sure.
Total wrecks are completely unacceptable. So, I’m expecting more caution and fewer reckless lunges, especially given what’s surrounding the track—all that concrete and those barriers. And yeah, I'm talking about the leaders.
As for qualifying, I expect Alonso to land in the top 3. That would basically guarantee him a podium finish and honestly, it's his only real shot at winning.
stormybadger8 said:Who's winning? Red Bull looks good.🤷 To me, it’s still our little slice of blue heaven...😁
Alright, alright. 😲 FP sessions feel way more intense this season, especially lately. There’s still a ton of testing going on, and some teams are playing it incredibly close to the chest, being super calculated about what they reveal. I'm not saying tomorrow's qualifying is just going to be a carbon copy of today's FP sessions. What I am saying is that these practice runs actually mean something now. They’re a much more reliable indicator of true pace than they used to be. I'm not a fan of how things are looking today (as Jerry Rogers6 put it).
What’s going on here? Is nobody going to comment on FP? 🤷 I honestly think it’s time we bring out the TBF-ov theory. When Red Bull looks this dominant during the FP sessions, it usually means they’re about to completely blow it during qualifying and the race!
Just another garbage track where the podium finishers will basically just be whoever started in the top four or five. You could pretty much call it what it is: "whoever nails qualifying wins the race."
So, (much to my disappointment) looks like McLaren is going to walk away with it.
Lewis Hamilton was the absolute winner of the trophy in Canada. His win this time wasn't just about being faster; it was more layered than that. He was on fire from the first lap to the last, from Friday all the way through Sunday. That, combined with some seriously tight teamwork, is what secured him this massive victory.
The pole position during qualifying and the flawless pit work made a huge difference. Without that, despite his raw speed, he might have ended up stuck in 2nd, 3rd, or even 4th. So, Lewis and McLaren were absolutely flawless! 🙏
In the next tier—basically in the same boat—you’ve got Kimi Räikkönen, Romain Grosjean, and Sebastian Vettel. They were good, they were fast, but I doubt any of them are actually happy with how things shook out, regardless of what they say in interviews.
steelmaker83 said:Anyway, the result isn't great. The main rival just shaved off 15 points, and the rest of the pack can sing whatever battle songs they want for all it matters.
It's a must watch, honestly. Though, looking at the big picture, maybe not quite. It could have been worse.
That crappy track in Canada helped some people yesterday (definitely Ferrari), while it definitely screwed over others. So, we'll probably have to wait for another day to see how the showdown between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel against the Lotus cars actually plays out. I'll say this: it would’ve been interesting to see how things wrapped up on a faster, more flowing circuit. I'm not saying Kimi Räikkönen would have definitely beaten Lewis Hamilton, but then again, neither would Sebastian Vettel and Romain Grosjean. 🤷
Jason Campbell70 said:After the German Grand Prix, he had a 34-point lead (Alonso 154, Webber 120). Now after the Canadian Grand Prix, that gap has grown to 40 points (Alonso 164, Webber 124). What a beast. 🙏🙏🙏
That was some impressive damage control today. And now we get to deal with a hot month where nobody’s even driving.
fadedwalker18 said:Anything can happen! Who’s actually going to gamble on qualifying this Saturday? Who's going to wreck their qualifying chances just to set up the car for a rainy Sunday? Mercedes? Ferrari? Caterham? 😁
I've got a feeling Sauber will be the ones pulling that stunt. Or maybe even Haas earlier on.
I don't see anyone doing much heavy math here. It just doesn't seem worth the headache. We're at the point where you have to go full throttle even during FP. When the field is this tight, qualifying is everything.
Maybe some tactical playing around, sure—but only if someone can guarantee you your race pace between 2:00 and 3:30 PM on Sunday.
