Posts by Amanda Kelly

stormybadger8 said:Seriously, if someone pulls an idiot move like that, they should lose 25 points, get slapped with a 2-lap penalty, pay a million bucks, and be forced to sit in the middle of the Paddock while Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso laugh at them.
Nobody would complain about a penalty like that, but this incident doesn't warrant a penalty 🙂

No, you don't get it. By any damn logic, it shouldn't be. This is just the FIA making fools of themselves, nothing more. 🙂

God, what kind of twisted logic is this? Mark Webber didn't get punished for doing something twice as stupid at the last race when he slammed into Massa. And why didn't Massa act tough toward Webber? You know why—because he's a coward. He knows if he tried to push Webber, Webber would break his nose, and not even his own mother could save him from that.☕

A middle finger to the FIA deserves a drive-through penalty.
That absolute trash needs a multi-race suspension. Maybe that would be enough to cool down his lizard brain for a second. At least he'd try.

Repeat offenders are the worst kind of people. Standard penalties don't work on them. You need to isolate those types from society.

stormybadger8 said:First, Vettel’s gonna jump ahead of Webber, so Red Bull Racing can just grab that 1-2 finish in the drivers' championship.☕

Finally, Mark Webber might actually get a decent start for once.

That boyish-looking current champ might look nice, but he’s an alpha male through and through. I’m betting any kind of tactical letting-through isn't happening. Besides, most of his competition has been swept aside lately, and frankly, not even the best talent. He won't climb higher than the podium even if he tries, so he'll just take whatever he gets and call it a win.

In this setup, a win is really the only trophy that matters to anyone else—it's the only way to soothe the ego. Anyone claiming second place is a success is lying to themselves. And don't forget, the McLaren drivers are fighting each other too (at least, that's how it looks to me, which is pretty significant).

My money is on Lewis Hamilton. He's crazy and ambitious enough to take massive risks on that concrete and asphalt combo, all while driving incredibly fast and precise. For him, this is the one that matters most.

Chris Ortiz said:Look, Lewis has definitely been over-penalized in the past, but this one? He’s 100% at fault here. If he’s admitting it himself, I don't see what the big deal is.

When he admits it, it just means he's relieved with how things landed.
If he's okay with the penalty, it means he thinks he dodged a bullet. In his mind, he probably thinks he could have walked away with something much worse—both in terms of the penalty and the damage to the track.

mistybear87 said:Goodyear is bracing for some serious heat

I certainly hope so. A little heat wouldn't hurt in the middle of summer. Let's see if it actually changes anything.

hollowgull5 said:Alonso is a jerk, sure, but I highly doubt he’d actually bring on more competition for himself within his own team. Like, yeah, right. 😁

How did you manage to pack so much contradiction into just half a sentence?

Joshua Rivera56 said:By picking Alonso, Ferrari basically walked straight into a trap because they built everything around him. The team let his personal agenda carry as much weight as the team's own goals, which was a massive mistake. Honestly, trying to pin this on Massa is just a pathetic excuse for why both Alonso and Ferrari have failed so hard.

I think you're overthinking this—both with the whole "magic circle" thing and the drivers' interests.
Who’s actually to blame for Ferrari’s mess? You? How did you even come up with that?
If you want to know why Massin failed—and let’s be real, he did—it all comes down to Massa. That's the whole story. Period.

Joshua Rivera56 said:Regarding that second seat at Ferrari... honestly, it feels pretty obvious that by signing Alonso, they’ve basically backed themselves into a corner when it comes to picking a teammate. I don't think Massa is sticking around just because Alonso wants him there. It's more likely he's staying because Alonso isn't exactly thrilled about anyone else sitting in that other cockpit. There's a massive difference between those two scenarios.

You might be right, and I’ll give you that much, but personally? I'm not buying it.
People are overestimating how much Ferrari bends the knee to Alonso. Sure, some things have definitely been pivoted to favor him—it would be pretty idiotic if they weren't—but it’s nowhere near as extreme as you're making it out to be.
Michael Schumacher was the only true king of the track and everything else at Ferrari—and honestly, everywhere else too. What he did was one of a kind. You just can't replicate that.
Alonso’s got the talent, he just needs to actually find his way back to the podium.
But look, Vettel is actually finding his rhythm again. He's on a serious roll.

Austin Evans said:Honestly, Mika Salo stepped in to cover for Michael Schumacher after that broken leg, and he actually looked better in that Ferrari seat during those few races than Eddie Irvine did during his entire tenure there.

Sure, he probably fared better than Luca Badoer or Giancarlo Fisichella, but it’s a small sample size. We're talking about a handful of points over maybe five or six races. All I know is he almost finished ahead of Eddie Irvine once.😁.

They had likely already signed Rubens Barrichello by then. I can't quite recall the exact timing. Because if the kid really had that much potential, why wasn't he in the lineup back in 2000?

wiredtiger8 said:Yeah, in the thirty years I've been following NASCAR, nothing hits harder than that whole Mess with Mass and that lost championship.

Then you’ll probably remember how Max Mosley also lost his title in the final race. Only difference is his performance was a total roller coaster.

Joshua Rivera56 said:So that "damage" you’re talking about is just cosmetic stuff—surface level impressions that don't change the reality for Ford or Alonso. I mean, look, when you sign a driver you claim is the best on the planet, while also paying tens of millions to some guy who won you championships but isn't even driving anymore... I don't think Ford has much room left to make excuses about driver issues. They got exactly what they paid for.

We're drifting off topic here. I'm not trying to justify bad results. I'm looking at how things could actually improve.
The car definitely needs work if it's ever going to stand a chance against Red Bull.
As for Alonso, he's been a home run. I'm convinced nobody else in his shoes would have pulled off the results he has—not last year, not this year. That's just my take.

Mass needs (or needed) the best, or at least an equal, car on the grid to make anything happen. So why bother with a driver like him?
I like the guy personally, but this string of bad results is getting too long. He's pushed past my limit of patience. This business is too expensive to tolerate this kind of performance indefinitely.

Joshua Rivera56 said:My theory? Stefano Domenicali gets the boot by the end of the season, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mass stays put through 2012. It works for General Motors since the USA is such a vital market, and it works for Alonso because he gets to be the undisputed boss of the team. The only thing that seems even remotely logical is if Ford decides they have a shot at signing a rookie with future world champion potential—in that case, I can see Mass being shown the door.

That's rational, managerial thinking. Sure, it makes sense on paper.
Personally, I'd prefer a more balanced lineup where the drivers actually push each other (meaning someone closer to Alonso's level). Racing is unpredictable; the best guy doesn't always win. A lot of outside factors, both on and off the track, play a huge role.
That's where my frustration with Mass comes in. I honestly don't see any realistic scenario where he capitalizes on an opportunity and actually wins. In fact, it's usually the opposite. No matter the setup, he consistently messes up and loses. Too consistently. Calling it pessimism would be an understatement.
How does Jenson Button win a race?

If Mass sticks around for 2012, it'll be solely because that's what Alonso wants. I won't like it, but frankly, he's earned that kind of special treatment.

mistybear87 said:You guys are a small bunch, but I guess that just makes us closer. 😍 😉 😛😛😛

Crawlers!
And you're actually contradicting yourself here. 😁

Quote: The Best F1

stormybadger8 said:I think it’s about time they gave that seat to someone who actually knows what they're doing.😳
As far as mistakes go in a scenario like that, there are plenty of subtle ways to tuck someone behind Lewis Hamilton. It’s not exactly rocket science. 😬

I called Matt Damon's exit a long time ago, and my mind hasn't changed. Every day that passes without it happening just makes it more of a shame.
Felipe's a good guy, but he's just way too small for a role like this.

If Ferrari is willing to cut checks like that for a second driver, they can pretty much pick anyone they want. The only people actually off the table are the absolute elite.
What we still don't know is the reality of those driver contracts—what they actually allow them to do, what kind of protections they have, and all that other stuff.

It was a pretty dull race, though I guess it had enough tension for me—Alonso actually managed to scrap past a Red Bull at one point. Just a few drivers stood out to me from this one.

1. Alonso - He took down Webber and spent the whole race fighting tooth and nail. He made the most of that powerful Ferrari to beat a faster car, at least for a moment. His start was solid too, especially with a little help from Massina.

2. Vettel - Flawless. Everything about his performance was perfect, from qualifying to the getaway at the start and his pace during the race. It felt like he was in total control the entire time; he wasn't under pressure for even a second. In this Red Bull, and any Red Bull for that matter, Vettel is untouchable.

3. Alguersari - Started 18th and finished 8th in a car that was basically a backmarker during qualifying. You have to give him credit; those two pit stops definitely helped his strong drive.

The comedian of the day was definitely Hamilton. That spontaneous grin and his blunt reaction to being slow—"I can't go any slower!"—was gold.👍

A massive letdown for Massu: finishing 4th should have been a win, but 5th feels like a failure. Given how strong the Ferrari is compared to a clearly slower McLaren, he really needed to finish ahead of Lewis. Blaming a pit error doesn't fly here—that's only a four or five-second difference. It’s honestly incredible how easily he’s dropping positions and points this year, even with all the effort the crew is putting in to help him.

darkmarlin16 said:Brundle mentioned that gearboxes were supposed to last five races, and any change meant a five-place grid penalty.

Yeah, losing five spots on the starting grid would definitely sting.
But these days? It’s practically nothing.

Michael Lee4 said:Look, Roger Wright94, I respect you, but stop being ridiculous. This is a damn forum. Calling a driver a lightweight or a crybaby isn't some massive insult—it's just banter. Seriously, back when everyone was calling Louis all sorts of names without getting flagged, nobody said a word. Now, apparently, calling someone a crybaby is a federal crime ☕
.

Did you realize there’s basically nothing left in your post that you haven't already insulted? 🤷

It seems like everything always circles back to Alonso and Lewis. That’s not really my issue.
I disagree with your point about the bold text. It feels too frequent, which makes it feel deeper. Real banter is sporadic and surface-level, but this feels permanent, like it's baked in.
Does it really have to be like this?
But whatever. Maybe I'm just taking something relatively trivial in life div> way too seriously.

redheron12 said:Lol, nothing beats those Ferrari fans and the former Schumacher fans. They used to love calling Lojzek a crybaby, and now they’re suddenly acting all offended. 🤣

Do "former" Schumacher fans even exist? 🤷
History doesn't change. From what I've seen, the rule is basically "Once a Schumacher fan, always a Schumacher fan."

redheron12 said:Who cares about the amateurs from Maranello anyway? They're just second-tier Formula 1. 🙂

Stupid and primitive, but at least I see you've actually read some Šegrt Hlapić.

Who they’re actually going to handicap and who they aren't is all just guesswork right now. Let's see what actually happens before we start making big claims.

McLaren, Digic, the Brits, the tech guys, and whatever else—they all have actual names. Is it really that hard to just call the drivers and teams by their names? Are they really such terrible people that you all feel the need to use these insults and nicknames?

I'd also like to ask the moderators to keep a closer eye on the language being used here!

stormybadger8 said:Nah, Alonso just completely wrecked Red Bull's strategy, and that's what dictated the whole race.😳

Since Red Bull couldn't pass him on track, they went into the pits early. Everyone, including Alonso, ended up following them into the pits to cover the move. That happened twice within the first 30% of the race!

Around lap 20-25, everyone was running on their last set of softs (one from the start, set two around lap 10, set three around lap 20). Naturally, those hard tires had to last about 40-45 laps (two sets of 20+), so everyone's tires just gave up at the end. That’s why Button did so well—he was the only one not busy covering those early pit stops. It's also why Alonso was screwed, because his final set of softs were used ones (he trashed his softs in qualifying). Same for Webber, who put on new ones during the first stop, while Vettel and Hamilton went on new softs during their second stops. That's where the massive gap came from.

When you think about it, if he hadn't been overtaken at the start, he might have finished better. Or, if he’d just stayed out on track and ignored the Red Bulls, would Hamilton have passed him? Hamilton had to pit, and his tires were garbage in the first stint, so getting rid of them worked perfectly for him. Plus, the pace was relatively slow. 😉 But Button definitely wouldn't have caught him.

You talk about strategy in your intro, but the rest of your post is really just about tire degradation.
Ferrari is completely incompatible with hard tires. On top of that, they haven't made any meaningful progress with their downforce.
That’s why I’d say yesterday's race scenario for Alonso was actually pretty predictable, especially with that massive one-lap deficit. If he was neck-and-neck at lap 20 but a full lap down by lap 40, it means he was consistently losing about 2 seconds per lap. That’s a terrifying stat to face.

So, the final result was pretty much business as usual for him (except for the very end).
Alonso constantly loses ground compared to where he starts. Which basically means for him, starting 5th is already a success because holding onto it until the checkered flag is a struggle.
Still, based on those first 20 laps, I’d go as far as saying Alonso was the third-best driver in this race, right behind Vettel and Hamilton.

"Hard times, my friend..."

Awards and accolades:

Vettel was incredible today. Seriously, even better than expected. He’s proving he isn't just some fast kid anymore. That move to pull away from an aggressive Hamilton? That wasn't luck. It was pure strategy—making the most of exactly what he had on track. He won that one with his head and his hands, not just by stepping on the gas.

Hamilton was absolutely clinical today. Honestly, if the circumstances had been even slightly different, he probably would've walked away with the win. But between his rival, the car setup, and the track itself, everything just seemed to be stacked against him today.

Button did alright. Getting that spot ahead of Webber is a win, I guess, but let’s be real—with the way this McLaren is running, he’s still miles behind the top two.

Alonso gave us twenty laps of pure, unadulterated bliss. A flawless, uncompromising start that actually looked promising for once. Then, reality hit him like a freight train. It was brutal to watch. And honestly? I’m still looking for those people who were all over the news before the season started, whispering about some secret alliance between Pirelli and Ferrari. Where'd they go?

McLaren is doing damn well. Really, really well.
Mercedes—one small win, just to keep things tidy and make sure both cars finish on decent terms. If we’re talking about actually making a dent, they’d need to be at least fifth.
Renault is actually outperforming Mercedes right now. I don’t have much to say about them, though—maybe just that tiny bit of credit they earned with Heidfeld.

Joshua Doyle11 said:Total powerhouse... WOW

Landing fifth place? Honestly, that’s some legendary stuff that only someone like Alonso could pull off!

You're not wrong.
If qualifying is the true measure of raw speed, Red Bull was at least a full second faster per lap than Ferrari (comparing their best single lap against what Alonso could squeeze out).
As for Ferrari's performance on hard tires, let's not even go there. It wasn't worth thinking about.

Like Joshua Doyle11 said, only a legend can sit behind someone for 20 laps—keeping them under constant pressure while driving a significantly faster car—and still hold their own.

Anyway, enough joking around. Ferrari's mess is Ferrari's mess, along with their fans. The real issue is this entire system and how these races are run. It's too predictable. Honestly, it's exhausting.

swiftjackal3 said:But honestly, what does that even mean for Alonso? If third place is his absolute ceiling today, who cares? If he were sitting in a McLaren-Mercedes, he’d be fighting Vettel for the win every single Sunday. Like, seriously. In this current setup, that +0.6 second advantage doesn't even matter because Vettel is already miles ahead. Tomorrow, if he finishes fourth, I'd call that a massive win. Why? Because Vettel, Weber, Hamilton, and Button are all in rockets, while Ferrari isn't even in the same zip code yet.

😱
By the way, do you even know how long a mile actually is? Or how much distance a car covers in just ten seconds on average?

And nice call by steelmaker83 calling them "haters".
People are spending way too much energy obsessing over Alonso finishing fourth, mocking him instead of acknowledging any actual progress. It's like they think his position is some massive catastrophe. Instead of worrying about Alonso, maybe focus on the Red Bull dominance.
And why isn't anyone talking about Webber's number one status? Who's actually going to take the lead into the first turn tomorrow?

First off, let's talk about Alonso squeezing himself between those McLarens.
You have to realize we're talking about thousandths of a second here—both in front and behind. In terms of time, it's negligible, but for track position, it's huge.
In recent races, Alonso hasn't really gained anything from his starts; he tends to play it safe, which I'm totally fine with.
That's why a better starting position matters for a single spot. Especially on a track like this.
The Ferrari looks strong and capable in the early stages. We've seen both McLaren and Ferrari pull off overtakes on the Red Bulls before, even under this year's conditions. So, there's no reason to be a total pessimist right out of the gate.

What I’d really love to see is someone from the second row dive in and wedge themselves among the Red Bulls. Since Webber has a habit of messing up his starts, a lucky break could theoretically put someone right into the fight for the lead. I don't think that's a pipe dream. That's when we'll see the real hierarchy.

Save the doom and gloom for the last quarter of the race—or for after the podium ceremony, assuming Red Bull predictably cruises to another win.

Edit: One important thing—how much distance is there to the first corner? I just hope it's not some tiny 100-meter stretch like we saw in Turkey.