Posts by mellowtiger83

http://www.gptoday.com/full_story/vi...s_good_for_F1/

Here is an analysis regarding Vettel's driving capabilities.

Your previous post was nothing more than pure fanboyism.

And I have no idea where you got the notion that Hamilton was destroying his Power Unit; perhaps it was simply because he was fast.

By the way, Schumacher and those legendary years have absolutely no connection to Vettel or this current Ferrari era.

There is a massive difference: Schumacher could still perform even when the car was failing him.

jadeseal7 said:A championship like this is essentially a marathon. Burning through your Power Unit unnecessarily when the rules limit you to four per season—especially when it was blindingly obvious you wouldn't even catch Vettel—was just a massive tactical blunder.

But honestly, I don't think Hamilton will truly wrap his head around that mistake until much later.

At its core, this title fight is a showdown between a reckless driver who risks everything just to snag a single fast lap, and a strategist who knows exactly when to push and when to be calculated in the other segments—it really brings to mind one of those legendary Formula 1 rivalries we all love to talk about.

😲No comment. I hope you actually understand what you just wrote.

William Bennett53 said:mellowtiger83, you seem to be getting a bit lost in your allegiances here... It’s funny how the logic works, isn't it? When Hamilton is out there managing his engine and tires while maintaining total control over the race, suddenly he’s a tactical genius. But when Vettel does the exact same thing, we’re expected to act like Hamilton is some kind of alien just because he managed to close the gap, even if he didn't actually overtake him. ☕

Well, whether Vettel is a genius or an alien, it doesn't change the reality of the situation.

In certain aspects, he's better than Hamilton; in others, he's worse. It's all quite close, really.

When you look at raw pace on track—when there's no need to baby the tires or conserve fuel—he might be slightly behind.

I think you've misread the situation. It would be wise to watch those final 20 laps Hamilton drives. Just because Vettel didn't have to manage things on a particular day doesn't mean he hasn't done it before or won't do it again.

If you look closely enough, the two of them are actually quite similar. Both are immense talents, and both possess massive egos.

You claim Vettel hasn't performed miracles. Go check the history at Spa-Francorchamps and try to guess which year I'm talking about. He didn't win that one, yet he put on one of the most impressive drives out there during a day where he didn't beat Hamilton.

I never claimed Hamilton was a genius simply because he saved his engine and tires. If anything, he used to be rather tedious. He seems to have lost that edge, almost as if he's matured, which isn't necessarily an improvement.

stormybadger8 said:Actually, once he hit that 6-second gap and Vettel stepped on it, Vettel was half a second faster. They definitely didn't have matching times.😉

The reason is simple: Ham was stuck in traffic during the lap you're referencing. He backed off early because he saw there was no point. If this race had gone five laps longer, we could have looked at comparable split times, and I wouldn't be surprised if he left Vettel sitting right in his diffuser.

Someone mentioned that Ham had fresher tires. Sure, but they weren't significantly newer by lap count. The man carved twenty seconds out of Vettel and Bottas in a single stint. If we set aside Vettel—who likely wasn't even pushing to the limit—we're looking at Bottas, whom Hamilton didn't just beat by ten seconds, but pulled fourteen seconds ahead of by the finish.

Aside from the rubber, someone brought up clear track conditions. He had just as much open air as the two drivers ahead of him.

You all want to watch a spectacle, a full-tilt sprint without worrying about tire degradation or fuel loads. I am telling you, when Hamilton doesn't have to manage his resources, he is the premier driver in Formula 1. In those raw, uncalculated conditions, he is peerless.

Then there is the mention of Rosberg. Of course he’s in a different league compared to Bottas or that erratic Raikkonen. At the very least, he would have secured Pole position without compromising his race setup. I have said this repeatedly: Rosberg was a qualifying alien throughout his entire career. That is precisely where his dominance over Bottas lies, even if they did possess equal race pace—which, let's be honest, they don't.

ruggedhawk20 said:Don't forget—if Antonio Giovinazzi hadn't pulled that stupid stunt in China and caused a safety car, Vettel probably would've walked away with 3 wins in 3 races

And that's something nobody saw coming.

Mercedes-Benz still has the fastest car, but they aren't used to anyone actually breathing down their necks. Once someone starts pressing them, they clearly start tripping over themselves. It's no wonder they've just been coasting for the last 3 years. Get it? They aren't used to the pressure.

We'll see how it all plays out this season.

It's a good thing they have Hamilton. He doesn't necessarily need a lightning-fast car to beat Vettel; he just needs a reliable machine that actually allows him to push.

You all spent the last 20 laps watching a miracle, and yet you still seem confused about what you witnessed. The only issue was that he switched into that "click mode" far too late.

You're going to witness miracles this season. You truly are a privileged generation.

vividlynx68 said:Autoweek is reporting they won't be racing in China—and likely skipping Bahrain too.

Who? Pascal or Gio

swifttiger75 said:... so you figured you'd jump right in. 😵 🤣

😁, look, I am always here whenever stupidity is involved. Always.🎉

People are talking nonsense here, so I feel compelled to weigh in.

First off, Hamilton didn't burn through his tires; he actually started the race on rubber that was already four or five laps old.

Once he dropped behind Max, the race was essentially decided. Given the layout of the Los Angeles track, overtaking is nearly impossible.

Vettel drove a masterclass to take the win, so let's end the debate right there.

It’s like Kimi is driving a completely different car. Simply embarrassing.

Raymond Ortiz89 said:There's just nothing left from the old Alonso days.

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Put him in a Mercedes-Benz or a Ferrari, maybe even a Red Bull, and you will see. You are talking about a man who pulled off the greatest miracle in Formula 1 over the last decade. He fought for the championship twice in a car that wasn't even competitive against a dominant Red Bull Racing.

Raymond Ortiz89 said:After that overtake, Fernando Alonso didn't head back to the garage because of a technical failure; he went there to hide from the sheer embarrassment 😁

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Alonso didn't disgrace himself; on the contrary, he performed a miracle!

It is akin to racing an Aprilia RS250 against a GSX-R 1000 at Daytona International Speedway🙂. It isn't exactly simple, even if the RS250 holds its own in the corners.

Jack Kelly5 said:What's not true?
And what kind of pace did Lewis actually have once they both ended up on the SS?
If Lewis could've actually maintained that rhythm on the SS, he definitely wouldn't have pitted when Sebastian went in for the DRS.
Sebastian was just faster than Lewis today.

As far as I can tell, Hamilton started on tires that were five laps older than Vettel's, so it’s hardly surprising he had to pit earlier.

Furthermore, it wasn't just Hamilton struggling with tire degradation; Valtteri Bottas dealt with it during the first stint too, or at least that's what he claimed.

Regardless, it was a damn victory for Vettel and entirely deserved. He was masterful today; the Ferrari wasn't nearly as good as the man driving it was.

This season is going to be interesting.

William Bennett53 said:From my perspective, the situation looks like this: he was driving the weakest car on the grid—running last year's engine, lagging behind in development, and generally underpowered—during his first ever F1 race. He didn't even get a chance to practice, since Pascal Wehrlein was still in the seat during Friday's sessions, before he ultimately decided he wasn't in peak form. Yet, during the race, he was remarkably steady. No mistakes, no openings given...

But tell me, Mario Andretti, you’re a seasoned veteran of the track; in your estimation, was what Wehrlein achieved something worthy of praise, or should it be dismissed entirely?

Pussy cat, that isn't how it works. Real drivers push through regardless. Michael Schumacher drove with a fever, and Ayrton Senna won in Brazil despite being so physically exhausted he could barely climb out of the car.

So, unlike last year, did Mercedes actually mess up their strategy this time? Interesting.🙂

stormybadger8 said:

Good grief, why is neonfox65 rooting for me? Why??? 🙂

Isn't mocking neonfox65 and Ricco a bit much?

Dammit, things just didn't go their way this weekend!

William Bennett53 said:You really messed up by changing the clock, didn't you? It seemed like a reasonable call yesterday evening when you announced the race was starting at 8.

8. Nevermind, just take a look at that start—specifically those first pit stops for Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton, and then that double overtake on Fernando Alonso at the end. Aside from that, little guy was absolutely legendary, and even Valtteri Bottas performed better than anyone expected him to.

It has nothing to do with the clock; I simply fell asleep.🙂.

How excellent that little Nazi was; from what I noticed in the standings, he's down two laps!!

Bottas is better than anticipated, though his gap to Lewis Hamilton is being masked, or so I heard, because Max Verstappen stayed right on his tail.

All I can say is I fell asleep. Missed the race entirely. Huge congrats to Sebastian Vettel—absolute masterclass.

Since I wasn't watching, I can't really weigh in on Kimi.

This is great news for the championship. It’s about time someone actually beat Mercedes in a straight fight. Plus, we're heading into those high downforce tracks soon, which should play right into Ferrari's hands.

wanderingharbor492 said:What time does the race kick off in the morning?🤔

It’s at 8:00 AM. Just don't forget to set your clocks forward.

What does it matter if Daniel Ricciardo crashed? It isn't because he's performing poorly. Everyone crashes eventually. Honestly, these guys are driving right on the edge of what's possible.

Ayrton Senna had accidents, Michael Schumacher had accidents, Lewis Hamilton has had them, and Sebastian Vettel too. So what?

neonfox65 said:😂 😂 😂

I failed to account for the unique nature of this street circuit—one that happens to suit Hamilton perfectly—but I was close. Extremely close.

By the way, this marks Hamilton's sixth win on this track. If my memory serves me, I believe Schumacher hit that number as well, though I can't be entirely certain.

neonfox65 said:It’s about how you develop through the season, not just how you nail that first race. And right now, Ferrari isn't exactly thriving—they lost ground to Red Bull Racing last year and ended up in third... which means they've actually slipped behind where they were back in 2015.

They didn't actually regress during the season. It's more that certain variables—unrelated to the car itself—just didn't align. They essentially threw away a massive amount of points through pure incompetence and questionable decisions from the pit wall.