Posts by mellowtiger83

Hamilton is going to tear them apart like a cheap rag.

crimsonstag84 said:I guess we would have seen a real battle between Vettel and Hamilton at the end if they'd stuck with the Mercedes strategy and gone for three stops.

I suspect otherwise. If it weren't for the safety car, Mercedes would have absolutely shredded their tires. Without that intervention, Vettel likely would have overtaken Hamilton by lap 8 or 9 at the latest. Or, more realistically, Hamilton pits while Vettel stays out for another ten laps, ultimately winning by having one or two fewer pit stops under his belt.

One shouldn't overlook the fact that without the safety car, Mercedes might have been forced into four pit stops just to survive. The tire degradation was simply that severe.

Ashley Ramirez4 said:Look, even before the Safety Car, Vettel was within a second of Hamilton—probably would’ve made a move just a lap or two later. By that point, Hamilton's tires were already way more shot than Vettel's

My predictions for the upcoming races:

If track temps hit above 58-60, I don't see anyone having a chance during those long stints. The guys at Ferrari are just too good at managing their rubber... they can basically power through if they get stuck behind someone (just look at what happened to Kimi)
If track temps sit between 50-58, I think that’s where the real fight happens—assuming Kimi and Vettel don't end up stuck behind a Haas or something
If track temps drop below 50, I honestly don't think anyone can make anything happen during the races

Of course, this is all assuming current car and engine setups stay the same—especially since Ferrari keeps hinting they've got a better engine coming, though they aren't totally sure about its reliability yet. If they have an extra one ready to go, they might finally be able to push it

Track temperature isn't the only variable. Take Malaysia, for instance.
Certain tracks just eat through tires naturally, regardless of the temperature, and that is where Ferrari should gain their advantage.

Joshua Scott said:F1 is a lullaby, while MotoGP is pure adrenaline.

Naturally, this is how they're making headlines over in Italy today:

I believe that was about 105 wins for Rossi... one hundred and five, seriously. 👏🎉👍

stormybadger8 said:Kimi put on an incredible show 👍
So what? He had a puncture or went to the pits—it doesn't matter because the SC just reset everything and put him right back in the mix...
Sure, he started near the back of the pack, but he wasn't actually trailing the leaders; he was just stuck behind a massive traffic jam...
http://www.fia.com/sites/default/fil...ry_chart_0.pdf
Besides, after that, he ended up sitting in 16th place behind Manor, which basically means he was 15th... 😉

Kimi performed on a completely different level. It seems certain that Vettel will face significant struggles against the Finns this season.

stormybadger8 said:Sure, except I have zero clue why Kimi couldn't match Vettel's lap count on the Mediums, especially since Kimi was on fresh rubber while Vettel was nursing his used ones from qualifying.😳

Kimi's first stint on the new Mediums (after that puncture fix) lasted 12 laps. Vettel managed 17 on those used Mediums from Q2...
And honestly, that opening stint and those times are exactly why he won. That's where he built that 10-second gap over Hamilton, and he held onto it until the checkered flag.

The reason is simple: Kimi was stuck in traffic behind other cars. Being forced to overtake constantly just eats away at the rubber. You can't compare the two when one guy is running clean air and the other is fighting through a pack.

darkmarlin16 said:He didn't pass Hamilton because he ducked into the pits instead 😁

He overtook Lewis Hamilton by diving down the inside; the job was essentially done at that point. Before that, he was consistently shaving about 1.5 to 2 seconds off his lap times compared to him.

My compliments to Ferrari; they were truly operating at a high level today. Both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen performed admirably, though I don't believe they have actually overtaken Mercedes just yet. It seems more likely that the high track temperatures played right into Ferrari's hands while Mercedes struggled significantly with tire degradation. It was an excellent spectacle to witness, and Ferrari certainly earned this result—hats off to them. However, in two weeks, I expect reality to set back in. A Mercedes 1-2 finish is what's coming; expecting anything else would be foolish.

George Ramos15 said:http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/32100371

It looks like I was right all along...

Actually, watching the qualifying footage again, there's no sign of Hamilton blocking Rosberg like you're claiming.

Honestly, it seems much more likely that Rosberg just botched his lap. The theory about there being "too little space" feels a bit silly when they were nearly 15 seconds apart; he really should have just pushed harder...

Besides, during that lap, Rosberg lost most of his time in the final sector. His chances didn't just "vanish," especially not for Position 2, since he was actually 0.118 ahead of Vettel after Sector 2.
In fact, he lost the least amount of time compared to Hamilton in the first sector...
So, everything you've written doesn't really hold water, and your theories are falling apart... Maybe take a closer look at the timing? ☕

From what I could see, Rosberg didn't move out of Hamilton's ideal racing line during the lap when Hamilton was 1.5 seconds off his best time. Hamilton overtook Rosberg on the inside, which means it was actually Rosberg who needed to yield that line to give Hamilton the optimal path.
🤦
Which leads me to wonder what kind of "blocking" by Hamilton all you self-proclaimed experts are talking about here.

George Ramos15 said:I think Lotus might actually squeeze in ahead of Sauber, even if they didn't look great in the first race. With six teams looking solid (Williams, Mercedes-Benz, and Ferrari), plus Red Bull and Toro Rosso likely stepping up from their first showing, it feels like Nasr could land somewhere around 11th. But honestly, those 3.0 odds look pretty tempting.

Now look at this nonsense. The odds for Marcus Ericsson are sitting at 1.70. What on earth? 🤦

Who on earth is still using a Minardi avatar? You have to be a real character to do that. Honestly, Joe just doesn't get it, though I suppose you can't really blame the guy.

Anyway, what do you all think—what are the odds of Felipe Nasr cracking the top 10 in qualifying? That 3.0 payout at the local sportsbook is starting to itch.

Timothy Castillo6 said:http://www.gazzetta.it/Formula-1/26-...41722814.shtml
Lewis Hamilton is keeping a close eye on Ferrari: "They've made massive strides"
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/41212
Sebastian Vettel says Mercedes-Benz are the favorites, but they aren't untouchable, while Kimi Räikkönen claims they are Miglior in tutto

If these guys in red don't completely blow it, we're looking at a seriously interesting GP. 🍿

What am I supposed to get from these links if I don't speak Italian? Someone translate!!!!🙂.

From what I can gather, they’re being incredibly optimistic. It's nothing new. Pila and Jozek have known that for ages, kid.🙂

There’s an interesting proposition over at DraftKings: betting on whether Felipe Nasr finishes in the top 10 during qualifying at 3.0 odds🙂.

I'd take that money right now.

Finally, a sensible take. Bravo, tbh. This is what actual analysis looks like—following the flow with some genuine insight, rather than those people who just glance at the final standings and the gaps to draw their conclusions.

Tyler Bennett5 said:The season opener just wrapped up, and frankly, I’m quite pleased with Williams.
They aren't trailing Ferrari nearly as much as they were after the first race last year.
And we all saw where they ended up by the final race of the previous season.
Furthermore, Ferrari had Alonso last year, whereas this year they have Vettel.

Are we really talking about the same Alonso who was stuck behind Petrov with a championship title already in his pocket???

ruggedhawk20 said:Why everyone is attacking Hamilton. The man is an eccentric. An eccentric with valid reasons.

I approve of both being crude and being pretentious if there is a justification behind it. And Hamilton has two justifications.

Therefore, I see absolutely no issue here.

Mijail has seven justifications—and people actually notice that about him. It’s quite obvious.

They are just jealous. They saw the gold buyback prices at aura Domus and suddenly Hamilton becomes interesting to them. Some think Rosberg was a fraud to satisfy the fanboys, so now he’s a problem too. Not to mention the Alonso fans, who have been nursing complexes ever since he basically dismantled the Spanish Inquisition of his own legacy.

It was all very subtle during the press conference when they went after Nika. Everyone claims he tried everything to catch up and overtake, yet Ham claims he was merely maintaining the gap and could have vanished if he truly wanted to, adding that he felt threatened by Rosberg. Quite telling and quite amusing, really.

Anyway, I placed a bet $33 that neither McLaren driver finishes the race. I took the odds on Magnussen 1.5 and Button 1.7, plus I put money down on a Hamilton victory, a winner's margin of over six seconds, and predicted that Vettel would outpace Bottas.

Hopefully, it all works out. Heh.

William Bennett53 As specified by:
I am ready to see Kimi on the podium. 👋

It would be quite simple, really. If Sebastian Vettel manages to pull ahead at the start, the outcome is essentially decided right then and there. As for Felipe Massa, he shouldn't be an issue—at least, that is my assumption.

Regarding the situation at Ferkan, I would much prefer seeing Vettel ahead of Kimi. It seems more likely that he’ll be better equipped to challenge the Williams cars later in the season, which might allow him to secure a better position right from the starting grid.

It’s probably for the best that neither of them is sitting right on the bumper of that terrible driver or Pastor Maldonado at the start. That is, assuming Maldonado doesn't completely forget how to use his brakes again. He has a habit of doing that. 🙂🤣

Lewis Hamilton absolutely dismantled Nico Rosberg, much to my satisfaction. He’s the favorite for tomorrow; I honestly don't see how Nico can mount a challenge.

Ferrari should be ahead of both Williams cars tomorrow. Their race pace was simply superior, and even Massa noted that the Ferrari pace is nothing short of intimidating.

Daniel Ricciardo was excellent. It seems he squeezed every ounce of performance out of the Red Bull Racing car. Carlos Sainz did similarly well for Ferrari, and Lotus might actually pose a threat tomorrow—perhaps even securing a top six spot.

I suspect Sebastian Vettel had more speed during qualifying. I'm not entirely sure what went wrong during his final stint.

Kimi is also holding his own, which is pleasant to witness.

The standout performers from qualifying were definitely Lewis Hamilton, Daniel Ricciardo, and I must say, Massa surprised me as well.

ruggedhawk20 said:After watching FP1 and the first 15 minutes of FP2, I’m calling it now: Kimi takes the win at the F1 Australian Grand Prix 2015.

1) Kimi.
2) One of the Mercedes cars (the other will likely crash out during the start)
3) Daniel Ricciardo
4) One of the Williams cars

Then you noticed Kimi was running a long stint on softs while Vettel was on mediums; that explains the gap in Kimi's pace.

A fairly bold prediction, all things considered. Nothing else to say about it.