Roger Wright94 said:There is one specific detail in some of your arguments that I find a little bit troubling. And that would be the fuel load. I notice that some people here tend to constantly attribute certain successes or failures to having just a bit more or less fuel in the tank. I suppose I wouldn't mind if we were talking about just a few liters—say, maybe 4 or 5. Wouldn't you agree? Or am I perhaps overthinking this?
So, I would really appreciate it if we could clear this up a little bit.
It honestly bothers me when people try to explain why a driver ended up ahead or behind in qualifying by citing a difference of 5 kg of fuel. Couldn't that just as easily be the result of hitting the throttle a fraction later, or perhaps just a slight variation in driving style? After all, drivers aren't programmed robots, right?
What percentage of the total weight does that 5 kg actually represent, and how much of an impact could it truly have on a single lap time?
The gap in qualifying between Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton was 0.283 seconds, whereas the gap between third and fifth place was only 0.038 seconds, so I suspect the fuel load might actually matter quite a bit depending on where you are in the standings.😉
I think you’re spot on there; once someone pulls away and builds a massive lead, the rest of the season can feel incredibly dull👎, though I suppose if we wanted to spice things up, maybe they could award points based on qualifying results—perhaps a split like 30% for qualifying and 70% for the race itself. Then, to make it even more unpredictable, they could have the grid start in reverse order of the qualifying times. I imagine that would certainly make for some pretty gripping television🙏🙏🙏
I suppose it was a bit of a dull race, though I don't think I drifted off for even a single second 😬, and if my memory serves me right, there were Alonso, Kimi, Massa, and for a brief moment, Nick Heidfeld all running ahead of Lewis Hamilton—though I suspect that difficult car really cost Nick his position, given how things unfolded unexpectedly. As far as I can recall, Robert Kubica was only ahead of him during the initial start 🤷, but I wonder, did anyone else manage to stay in front of him? 🤷
Bradley Nelson2 said:the ones leading the race aren't necessarily the drivers who cross the line in first, second, or third place 😉
But I suppose you might have a different idea about who actually held the lead, because if you ask me, it seems like Takuma Sato was the one running the show 🤷 Takuma Sato 😬
I suppose if we imagine that BMW and McLaren had managed to make it into Q3 alongside Fernando Alonso, Kimi, and Felipe Massa, they probably would have ended up starting somewhere around fifth or sixth, at best. In my view, even with that kind of positioning, I suspect it would have been quite a struggle for them to actually fight for the win by the end of the race; that’s just how it seems to me when I look at the situation.☕ Regarding the overall approach to race strategy, Ferrari and Renault👍 McLaren and BMW👎
Bradley Nelson2 said:I mean, how could you possibly think Lewis Hamilton was the last one pitting from the lead when he actually pulled into the pits at the exact same time as Robert Kubica both times? Or are you just choosing not to count Kubica as being in the lead group, even though he was consistently within three seconds of Lewis Hamilton?
🙄Well, I suppose it’s true that both Robert Kubica and Lewis Hamilton were among the last to pit, but they were still behind Fernando Alonso, Felipe Massa, and Kimia.😉But wait, did Robert Kubica actually finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton, or am I perhaps remembering a completely different race altogether?🙄
It seems like everyone is incredibly close right now, which honestly makes me think McLaren made a bit of a strategic blunder. If they had managed to enter qualifying with two or three more laps in the bank, they might have secured pole position, and who knows, maybe even pulled off the win at the end of it all. I suspect 😉 that Hamilton was actually trailing the leaders during his final pit stop, 🤷 and I also feel like he was only faster than Felipe Massa when he was running on those harder compounds; he actually went out on the softer tires twice 🤷, so it looks like the winning strategy really belonged to Ferrari and Renault (though it's a shame about that engine failure). It feels like this entire season might just boil down to that, as it’s been so difficult to overtake on this track, and regardless of whether you have a faster or slower car, it seems almost impossible to make a move unless your opponent makes a massive mistake.
hollowhawk412 said:I suppose those people who claimed the Barcelona track was just plain boring were actually onto something...
The cars seemed to be pretty close in terms of raw performance, yet somehow nobody even attempted an overtake...
It just doesn't seem possible, I guess.
Well, you saw how much they struggled—Nick Heidfeld with Giancarlo Fisichella and Alexander Wurz with Saturday's driver—even though he was about three or four seconds faster per lap before he finally caught up.
It seems like whoever I decide to root for ends up dropping out of the race; I even found myself pulling for Fernando Alonso during this one, but he didn't make it through. I guess I've always had a soft spot for 👍 Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen, and Nick Heidfeld, but lately, they haven't really been 😢 . From here on out, I think I'll put my support behind Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen, and by extension, the whole Ferrari team. Forza Ferrari! 😈
It really is quite staggering, isn't it? To see such an overwhelming collection of trophies... it honestly feels almost surreal at times.😠 I suppose it’s just my luck, though—it looks like Sebastian Vettel is out once again.😢
It’s just pouring rain out there, absolutely soaking wet I don't think anyone is actually expecting a Ferrari win today The crew is just standing around waiting for Massa in the pits while he's basically just driving through the grass and if he doesn't end up crashing into Kubica, Hamilton, and Kovalainen we might actually finish the race without a massive hole in the car Poor Kimi is just wandering around the wrong way on the track I heard a rumor that some guy from Spain is carrying vodka around the circuit He only had 54 laps left to go but then his front left tire just completely gave up on him Poor Lewis is gripping the steering wheel so tight his knuckles are white he keeps looking around for an umbrella but there aren't any umbrellas to be found, just some gravel traps even the Spanish drivers aren't looking all that strong today it seems like none of the cars can really find any grip the tow truck is probably going to be kept busy with Massa leaving poor Lewis with nothing but zero points Who says this, and who is lying? They say Fernando Alonso doesn't know how to smash through the barriers near the track and in the end, everything settles back into its rightful place He wiped off his sweaty old self and the veteran winner, Rubens Barrichello, takes it all
by neonharbor18 tm☕
🤣But in all seriousness, it would honestly be the shock of the century if old Rubens managed to climb onto that top step of the podium one more time😬
Alonso is going to drive like a total bull and all the fans will probably be praying that Massa messes up another corner like a complete amateur Alonso’s going to be soaked in champagne since Hamilton just doesn't seem to know how to push his car to the limit Kimi, oh Kimi, there's smoke coming off your car again just take a breath and try to stay cool and I haven't even caught a glimpse of Kovalainen anywhere Alonso is back at it, leading the pack once more I suppose it's just in his DNA
by neonharbor18 tm
That's just how fan chants go, I guess😬, and honestly, it's coming from people who don't even support Renault🙄
Bradley Nelson2 said:I have my doubts about that; I suspect they might head into the pits maybe three or four laps earlier than the rest of the field.
Are you suggesting that Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen 😬 might be running lighter than everyone else? I suppose that is technically possible, though I'm not entirely sure.☕
👍Regarding Fernando Alonso 🙏🙏 🙏 regardless of how much fuel they have left, I suppose it wouldn't even surprise me if Lewis Hamilton 🙂 pulled into the pits ahead of him; if that actually happened, Lewis Hamilton would probably lose his mind 🤣, especially since Heikki Kovalainen is always there to clean up after him 😂 😂 and in a cramped pit lane like that 😬 everything just gets so chaotic 😁
hollowhawk412 said:I think I know why you’re such a fan of his specifically 👍
Well, it isn't actually for that reason; I just find him to be a truly excellent driver. Honestly, he seems to be improving even more this year—he just stays quiet and focuses on driving 👍, without all that constant media chatter, and look at where we are now. Everything is going smoothly, provided that once he joins Ferrari, they don't end up with a 1-2 finish, even if Sebastian Vettel is the one behind the wheel 😬
I also have this nagging feeling that Sebastian Vettel might be looking for an exit from STR 😬. I suppose I just can't quite wrap my head around how it's possible for him to be performing this poorly during the current season 🤷
