Posts by Amanda Kelly

Jason Campbell70 said:The drainage on this track is a complete disaster. They’re probably working on some new asphalt layers or whatever, but with that light rain during FP2, we ended up with standing puddles all over the place. At one point, water was literally just flowing across the track.

That’s the US Grand Prix for you. If it rains, it doesn't just get wet—it turns into a lake.

Those guys over in Detroit worry me. At this rate, even Our Lady of Grace won't be able to stop them.
Only a massive downpour could save us now.

The suspense over who takes the win is finally over. If you bet against the favorites, well, that's on you.
It’s basically going to be someone from Red Bull Racing, McLaren Racing, or Fernando Alonso.

As for everyone else? They aren't completely out of it, but don't hold your breath. It's a long shot. Maybe someone from Lotus F1 or Michael Schumacher if luck swings their way.

A little light rain wouldn't hurt things right about now.
That’s what most of those McLaren drivers are hoping for anyway, but I’m just looking at this from a purely pragmatic standpoint.

stormybadger8 said:You really should watch the post-race interviews. Domenicalli is actually turning into a decent team principal.
No fake euphoria, no mindless drama about god knows what, and none of that exhausting obsession with other teams or drivers.
(

That happens all the time in sports.
The main thing is you don't have someone like Zdravko Mamić running the show, because he wouldn't tolerate that kind of attitude for more than a month or two.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) was dominant right where it mattered most, from Turn 1 through Turn 6.

I'll dive deeper into the driver choices tomorrow—looking at Alonso, Jenson Button, and Sergio Perez.

Alonso had a great start, unlike Sebastian Vettel, who barely managed to stay ahead of Michael Schumacher.
The race pace for the top three was such that whoever grabbed the lead into the first corner would have easily won.
Alonso really capitalized on the mistakes made in previous races. If you try to overtake, you end up pushing harder and burning through your tires. It's easy enough to catch someone, but actually passing a fast car is a whole different beast. If you don't pull off the pass within four or five laps, you probably won't do it at all, because after that, the leader's tires just find their rhythm.

Martin Whitmarsh is weighing in on how things are looking at McLaren, the state of the Formula 1 championship, their ambitions...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/101453

That kind of positive, hungry attitude was actually on display during yesterday’s race with Jenson Button. It really highlights the massive philosophical gap between the heavy hitters and the smaller outfits, like Lotus.

I also caught a rumor somewhere that Lewis Hamilton wanted to call the race right then and there the moment he had to pit after that incident. If that gossip holds any water, the guy was clearly rattled.

Michael Lee4 said:To Obrvan, just pure nonsense 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣 😂

That one actually got me laughing. Hard. 😂

I guess it’s just easier to rely on cheap, random jokes when you can't call Alonso the championship leader anymore.

stormybadger8 said:Honestly, it looks like the main goal here is just to screw over Red Bull at any cost. It feels like they’re hellbent on killing off any chance of a single team actually dominating.

Even when I stop to think about it, the best move for Red Bull to actually get back into the title fight would be to convince the German authorities to throw Bernia behind bars.🤣

Honestly, this conspiracy theory doesn't sound half bad.
Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised at all if some greedy businessman decides they want a different winner on the podium after Red Bull dominates everything for two years straight.

Look, the fact remains that Red Bull has cleared a string of tests and complaints, even if they are constantly pushing the limits. They passed today, too. That pretty much dismantles this whole top-down conspiracy theory people keep pushing.

I should probably get back to what I was actually trying to say: that moment today when Lewis Hamilton pulled it off and overtook Sebastian Vettel.
I think any driver in that position would jump at the chance. If anyone's going to squeeze every bit of value out of a situation like this, it’s probably Lewis Hamilton. Asking him if he wants this opportunity is like asking a fish if it likes to swim. It's a no-brainer.
I can't say I blame Vettel for being on edge. That move came out of nowhere, totally unplanned, and it completely trashed his rhythm and focus. He’s got every right to be pissed off at how the whole situation unfolded and how much it threw him off his game, but honestly? I don't see anything Lewis Hamilton could have done differently. It was a clean move, plain and simple.

I’m with Lewis on this one. In that situation, there's no doubt he threw Sebastian Vettel off his rhythm. It doesn't mean he would have overtaken Fernando Alonso regardless, but he definitely cost him some serious time—we're talking a solid couple of seconds, 100%. If nothing else, he lost the chance to battle Button, and honestly, that’s the main reason Vettel walked away with fewer points today.

:klap:👋👋:klap:

Time to celebrate after a race spent walking on eggshells.
Honestly, I’m feeling pretty damn good right now. It was quite the show, especially considering how wet qualifying was, those recent tire nightmares, and everything that went down during today's race.

Fernando Alonso was absolutely flawless. 🙏
Sebastian Vettel put in a solid effort, but it just wasn't enough.
Jenson Button was brilliant, truly top-tier!

Someone owes a round of drinks to those two guys from Switzerland. 🙏

Mark Webber 🤷.

From what I can gather, they’re cheating—basically walking right on the edge or stepping straight into illegal territory—but they always manage to wiggle out of it using some legal loophole or technicality.
How long is this actually going to last?
When will it all end?

Can McLaren actually hold off Webber?
I’m hoping so, and I’d like to believe they can.

Who comes out on top in the Alonso-Vettel showdown?
It matters. It really matters, because that result basically dictates how the championship plays out.
If Alonso wins this, his title chances look solid. You get the points today, sure, but more importantly, you get proof that Red Bull isn't untouchable on track.
If Alonso loses that fight, the championship stays within reach, but it’ll be a clear sign he's fighting a losing battle against a technical disadvantage compared to Red Bull.

Obviously, who takes the lead into turn one is going to be huge too.
Let's just wait and see. We'll all feel a lot smarter once the race is over.

steelmaker83 said:it’s about time we saw one or two Ferraris on the podium

Man, what a celebration that would be! Even if Mass actually took first place—which is a massive stretch, even theoretically—I’d probably have to show proof just to get anyone to believe me.

I wouldn't mind seeing those podium finishes from the opening post, though one of them is definitely a step above the rest.
It’s the Red Bull guys that have me worried, though—both of them look pretty pissed off about being stuck in third.

Quick rundown of the Indy Motor Speedway podium:

1. Mark Webber
2. Fernando Alonso
3. Romain Grosjean

Vettel walked away empty-handed, Massa got nothing, and frankly, everyone else was just background noise.

Solid race.
Unfortunately, Ferrari paid the price again by messing up their tire strategy.
One thing still bugs me, though. Felipe Massa had already been running on them, so the pit wall should have had the data they needed. I guess they thought they were in the clear, but clearly, they weren't. It’s a shame about the win, though second place is a decent consolation prize. The bigger issue here is that losing out to a direct rival means double the damage to the standings.

Was Sebastian Vettel driving with some kind of damage for most of the race?

Anyone seen any tire reports lately?
Does anyone know how many wets everyone has left?

What’s the total count on intermediates available to them?

stormybadger8 said:Even during the First Qualifying Session, drivers were spinning out all over the track, yet nobody seemed to think twice about calling off qualifying...

How could you possibly know that, or how can you be so sure?
We’ll probably get more details in the coming days. I’m betting they were weighing the rain situation from the very start. I'm also pretty certain Alonso wasn't the only one complaining about the conditions on the team radio. But let's be real: Alonso is the star, he's driving for Ferrari, and at that moment he was out of position. Naturally, the broadcasters are going to air his complaints because that's what sells.
And who's to say there weren't five others complaining, or even more before that? Who can actually claim to know for sure?

stormybadger8 said:Of course there’s an issue when you’re dealing with a double scam.
The Second Qualifying Session was halted because of that same Alonso guy spinning out on track. There is zero chance he makes it into the Third Qualifying Session if Charlie wasn't playing favorites for Ferrari, and then we have that whole mess with the yellow flags.

So, the Second Qualifying Session gets stopped just because Alonso asks for it? He's pretty powerful then.

Was Alonso really the only one saying driving under those conditions was impossible?
How many times did Schumacher spin out during those couple of laps? I felt like we were just watching a replay of his mistakes. Was that even normal, or okay?

Did stopping the Second Qualifying Session—if you can even call it that given the irregular conditions—actually break any rules?

I get it, Alonso is a huge thorn in everyone's side, but being blinded by rivalry (or whatever animosity people have toward him) shouldn't stop you from seeing the forest for the trees.

So, the real kicker here is that Alonso actually made it into the Third Qualifying Session.
Everything else is manageable, but this? This is pushing it. How are we even supposed to survive an Alonso pole position? It’s looking like a total disaster, isn't it?

Don't let it get to you too much. If the forecasts are right and it stays wet during the race, we're looking at a total lottery—basically a circus where nobody knows what's going to happen. In those conditions, a pole position doesn't mean nearly as much as usual. Whoever takes the win is going to have to fight tooth and nail just to stay on the track. That's just how it is.

I don't even want to imagine what happens if, heaven forbid, Alonso actually wins. The odds are slim, though, since he's mostly been winning from deep in the pack this year. This whole anti-Ferrari-Alonso alliance would be in serious trouble, and honestly, I'm worried about my friends on this forum. Just think about it: we've got one driver with three wins, while six others are sitting there with just one.

So, it's going to be wet, and Alonso is starting on pole. The chances are slim. Really slim.
But, if there's any silver lining, it's that Alonso's slim chances are still way better than anyone else's—especially the Red Bull fans and the Mercedes crowd. 😁