Posts by Amanda Kelly

cosmicridge5 said:True—it’s underperforming compared to last year's Mercedes, but it still eats a 🤷Williams
for breakfast.
No, let me be crystal clear: this season, I've decided to be completely biased and unapologetically defend Luja. I’ll probably end up posting more irritatingly shameless takes than even graniteharbor502, so don't act surprised when it happens 😍 because all my hate for that unique guy evaporated during the final race last year, replaced by nothing but pure, unadulterated protective instincts. Especially seeing how all his loud, passionate fans vanished into thin air like morning mist. 🙄😁

Anyway, whatever. There's no point trying to debate Luja with me anymore because I've officially decided to embrace him. 😉😁

I'm with you. 👍 All the way.
And as for the (so-called) Hamilton fans? It honestly hurts me how few there are left, how many just disappeared.
🙂 Alright, moving on. At least I'll have someone to talk to about LH.

graniteharbor502 said:He just pulled off a Grand Slam, that's all.🙄
He was untouchable. He would’ve had a gap of over a second in qualifying if he hadn't had to lift off in the final sector. During the race, his lead was never even in question, and he crossed the line more than 16 seconds ahead of his teammate in second.

It was spectacular, seeing him pull it off with that effortless grace you only see from the greats.

The facts are brilliant, 👍 if we're being honest.
Qualifying had its own luck factor. If the car were any different, those laps would have been even faster. I'm not saying he wouldn't have been the fastest anyway, but there was definitely a slice of luck involved.
Beating Perez isn't much of a benchmark; he's a constant. It’s never a matter of if he'll be caught, just when.

Given that Red Bull locked out P1 and P2, plus the Sprint with P1 and P3, this probably stands as the best result in Red Bull history.

stormybadger8 said:You make it sound easy, but they hit the pits only to come out right behind Norris. 🙂
What was even the point of all this, besides chasing that FL money? 🤔 I honestly don't see it.

Honestly, their decision to jump into boxing was completely pointless. It was a total waste of time, especially since the race could have been handled perfectly on a medium tire—which, by the way, plenty of other drivers proved they could do without breaking a sweat.

It was an easy call because Norris wasn't the issue—he had the pace and the fresh tires to back it up.

That move wasn't some fluke or a waste of time. Giving Norris a single point isn't exactly going to change my life, but I'm not losing sleep over it either.
Overtaking Perez was definitely a move worth making, even if it didn't pan out.
They messed up in two different ways, like I said before. First, they should have pulled him in earlier—maybe by 0.3 to 0.5 seconds. Second, that pit stop was way too slow. It looked like it took about 3.7 seconds, which means they bled out an extra 0.7 to 1.0 seconds right there. So, when you do the math, Leclerc lost at least a full second or more just sitting in the box, and that’s on the crew, not him. If they had actually nailed the stop, getting past Perez—or even just staying close enough to try—would have been a much easier call.

Whether Leclerc would have actually cleared Perez, or if he could have kept that momentum going for the rest of the race, honestly, it doesn't even matter. Not really.
He made an effort, and I'm behind him on that one. 👍
Honestly, between Mada, the pit wall, and the guys in the pits, I’m just done. They've officially pushed me over the edge.

graniteharbor502 said:Besides, today's greatest driver managed to snag 34 points in a single race at Imola, something nobody else in history has pulled off. Haters gonna hate 🙂

Using the term "greatest" on a daily basis isn't really working for me, IMO.
First, there's the whole issue of how you even define "greatest," and then there's the question of who actually deserves the title.

I get being hyped about someone, but what exactly did Max do that was so spectacular at Imola?
He won a race in a dominant car. Basically, he just had to beat his own teammate.

What’s actually driving that Red Bull acceleration?
Did they roll out some kind of upgrade package, or did they finally ditch those 8 kg they were complaining about?
The pace we saw in Indianapolis was definitely a step up. I just can't tell if it's just the local conditions—track layout, weather, whatever—or if they actually tweaked the car. It feels like more than a minor fix, though, since they're always tinkering with something.

cosmicstag16 said:Judging by what he’s wearing, the guy looks like he might take up clowning after his F1 career ends😁

That’s just how it looks to those of us who don't get it.
We need to hear from someone who actually does.

Anyway, my take is that Lewis has to drag a massive amount of resources along with him just to pull this off. Both people and gear.

cosmicridge5 said:...So Lujo is basically having some kind of identity crisis, which isn't even surprising anymore...

I wouldn't say that. He actually seems to enjoy being the Fashion King.

cosmicridge5 said:And then, once he finally got back, he went off and crashed. Just absolutely shocking. Just another day of watching them fail to meet even the lowest expectations. It’s getting exhausting. I don't even know where to start with this one. Just total nonsense.So what's so weird about it? Of course the guy is stunned. You can practically see him wondering if it would have been better if he’d just stayed put.

Then you've got George Smorz, who apparently flew in on some budget Uber ride from Williams. Top-tier machine. I...

It’s the same damn car—simultaneously an absolute disaster and a total beast. One minute it's underperforming, the next it's superior. It makes zero sense.
The car isn't going to challenge for the top spots, but it’s definitely competitive enough to fight for whatever is left over. Still, that won't just happen by magic. You actually have to work for it.

cosmicridge5 said:George Russell isn't even the main issue here.

Maybe it’s smaller for now, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a problem. And honestly? It could just as easily get even bigger.

James Allen9 said:..AM isn't such a total disaster either. Lance Stroll picked up points in two races, and you can actually see some progress.
Current car hierarchy: Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, McLaren-Alfa, and Mercedes, followed by Alpine, AT, and Haas, then AM, and finally Williams.

AM only scored points at Imola, and both drivers did it. Usually, Lance Stroll is just finishing 12th or 13th, and Sebastian Vettel has barely finished in the points, which isn't enough to make a real judgment call. They aren't bottom-feeders for sure, but whether they can consistently scrap for those tiny points remains to be seen.

As for the order of the cars, I'd say Mercedes is clearly sitting in 3rd.

darkmarlin16 said:Daniel Ricciardo messed up big time. I hope he gets the penalty he deserves.

+1
I was hoping for that too. I guess the stewards decided Daniel Ricciardo just lost control, especially with the track being so slick.
I can't get behind that reasoning. Carlos Sainz had the line, and there was absolutely no room to move right. It was a complete squeeze.
And look, it’s not like this is a one-off for Daniel Ricciardo; he’s got a history of these kinds of reckless moves. Ruining someone else's race should carry a penalty.

Regarding Leclerc's mistake, yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about it. But,

- honestly, Ferrari's pit crew was too slow. They needed to nail that transition faster, at least by half a second if not more. That delay cost us dearly.

- as for the driving error, it's what happens when you push too hard and start overcooking the curbs. Eventually, you pay the price.

Am I happy? No. But I don't have much to throw at Leclerc. I'd much rather see him and the team go for it and miss, than just sit there dragging behind Sergio Perez.

stormybadger8 said:Leclerc's move—actually, Ferrari's move—was just pure stupidity...
Why try to be a genius on a wet track using softs just to hunt down one measly point for Ferrari?
In the end, you just screw it all up and throw away points. All they needed to do was manage the race and take the podium.☕

Ha, it actually made sense to me during the race. I don't think it was ever about a single point. But why not attempt an undercut?
I was already getting twitchy a few laps in because nobody had tried it yet. They lost precious time there, especially since Leclerc was losing ground slightly before hitting the pits. It wasn't huge, but he was fading, not gaining.

That tire change felt pretty pointless given that Lando Norris finished fourth; the gap was at least 22-23 seconds, maybe even more.

And looking at how things played out after the pit stop, they really should have gone for the softs. Once the tires warmed up a lap or two later, Leclerc actually started closing in on Sergio Perez.

It’s just basic racing logic—you take the shot and try everything available to get past Perez.

Will Mercedes actually fix anything before the race starts?
Or are the other teams just going to run circles around them with their superior power units?

I’m just hoping Alonso’s engine holds up long enough for us to see what that BMW can really do from a decent starting spot.
I'm also holding out hope for Bottas to grab some points, maybe even McLaren. And who knows how far Zhou might get.

cosmicmoose2 said:It’s going to be a rough one for Ferrari tomorrow... Red Bull just has better race pace on this track.

I’d agree, but anything can happen.
Even Max was sliding all over the gravel yesterday, and he messed up during qualifying too. Plus, their setup in Saudi Arabia was a disaster, at least if you ask me. They aren't exactly perfect.
I'm looking for Leclerc to go for the win, and I'll settle for Sainz actually finishing the race.

ruggedhawk20 said:It’s on him. Izija just tosses tires around without a second thought about what—or who—is right behind him.
I'm pretty disappointed in Charles today. We already knew Sainz was basically acting like Trump, but Charles being this bad is a genuine shock.
The supposed most dominant car on the grid can't even manage to pull off a win in a sprint race...

Dominant compared to who?
Sure, against Mercedes, maybe. But compared to Red Bull, they don't have a single cent of an advantage.
If you actually have some convincing arguments to support that, lay them on me.

It was always the same old hype: "They're bringing a new floor to the Miami Grand Prix..." and suddenly we're all expected to believe Mercedes—because they're just so perfect at everything—will magically fix their issues in a week or two and be fighting for wins again.

The reality? We're still staring at being a full second off the pace per lap. Just stating the facts as they stand.

During the first stint, Mercedes was trailing Leclerc by a full second.
Medium tires, some congestion, a bit of wheel-to-wheel action.

In the second stint, the gap to Leclerc shrank slightly, averaging about 0.85 seconds per lap.
Not exactly seeing much progress here compared to what we saw in Austin. Leclerc was fighting a little while Max was out there, but I doubt he was pushing his absolute limit after that. He cruised to the finish with a comfortable 20-second cushion.

The Verdict
If there’s any actual improvement, it’s marginal at best. Honestly, I’d say there isn't any, regardless of what Mercedes claims.

It looks like this race won't be getting much attention once the dust settles.

Honestly, that was Ferrari's best start to a season since 2004—and that was a pretty solid year if you ask me.
Leclerc is sitting on more points than the guys in second and third combined right now. 🙏
Sure, the sample size is tiny with only three races down, but seeing things look this good is a nice change of pace.
My only real wish at this point is that the second driver could find a bit more pace.

I have to give a nod to Alex Albon for stretching those tires all the way to the final lap. 👍
The Williams crew was celebrating that single point like they’d just won the championship. Whatever, they earned it.

McLaren bounced back fast. After that disaster in the first race, they’re already sitting at P5 and P6 by the third.

Valtteri Bottas is back in the points again. Ocon too. 👍

Still waiting to see what the deal is with Mercedes. Have they actually fixed anything yet?
Worth noting that the head-to-head stands at 2:1 in favor of George Russell.

Edit: Almost forgot about Vettel's whole scooter situation (with the Ukraine flag on his helmet). 👍 Pure genius.

Here’s the official word on why Red Bull had those issues in Bahrain:

“Both cars suffered from a lack of fuel pressure last weekend,” a Red Bull spokesperson said. “The correct amount of fuel was in both cars, but a vacuum prevented the pumps from drawing fuel and delivering it to the engine. We’ve taken the necessary steps to correct this issue and we expect no problems this weekend.”

As for what happened during the Miami Grand Prix, we'll just have to wait and see what they tell us.

mellowtiger83 said:...Mercedes showed during this race that they're making steady progress. Once they pin down the root cause of their issues—which should be soon—they'll start moving forward fast...

When was the last time a team with such a massive deficit at the start actually caught or passed the leader!?

As for how much they've actually improved (if they even have), I'll run the numbers tomorrow or the day after. Right now, I'm still riding the high from the race. Plus, I've got engines to work on tonight.