Posts by Nicholas Newman2

wiredfalcon2 said:Lewis Hamilton: I'd have done the same as Sebastian Vettel
https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14...same-as-vettel

So, basically everyone who matters agrees the penalty was uncalled for—even Lujo himself. Case closed.

Why twist the facts? It’s not like anyone won't click the link to see what it actually says. Lewis didn't say there shouldn't be a penalty; he just said he would have done the exact same thing if he were in that position.

What the German commentator said during and after the race on CBS.

In my opinion, he could have handled the reentry much better. Ferrari has a world-class driver on a massive double-digit million dollar contract, and a driver of that caliber should know how to rejoin the track properly. A pilot at that level always knows where his opponent is and is constantly looking for the right moment to make a move.
Sebastian Vettel prevented that from happening with this maneuver, which is something I can understand from a purely driving standpoint.

He messed up because he allowed himself to go off the track in the first place, and that’s why he paid the price. Anything else is just noise. Think about it—if you lose control in Turn 1 like that, what does a reentry even look like when everyone else is coming back in at full throttle? No one would be able to control their car; they’d all just plow straight ahead. When you go off onto the grass, you don't push it; you just get back on the track. You don't race on the grass; the track is for racing.

When asked by a colleague what he would do if he were the steward, personally, I wouldn't hand out a penalty this harsh. It feels extreme, and it's a shame that the officiating isn't more consistent. If I really have to judge the incident, the fault lies with Vettel; the rules are clear. But if I were calling the shots, I'd just give him a warning.

Richard Walker38 said:Those results don't seem right given the level of competition. It just doesn't feel like Mercedes-Benz is actually that dominant based on what we're seeing.

I have to disagree. Even last season, the championship wasn't really at its peak, and they only stayed ahead because of Ferkan's mistakes and Sebastian Vettel's struggles.

Jerry Moore61 said:I’ve got the inside scoop. Lewis Hamilton had a hydraulic leak in his car this morning. The crew is still working on it back in the garage.

Thanks, and have a great time. Enjoy yourself.🙂

Jerry Moore61 said:I'll be at the Canadian Grand Prix this year. I'll try to snap some photos to share.

Congratulations. You're lucky. Definitely share some moments with us. Good luck.🙂

👍Yeah, that's what I'm asking you—the critique wasn't meant to be malicious, just constructive.
It’s good to see there's a positive impact.👍

mellowtiger83 said:Who actually cares about comparing these F1 drivers anymore? Honestly, the top five are so far ahead of the pack that debating who's better feels pretty pointless. At this level, anyone can beat anyone. You could walk away with a win against any opponent, or you could lose to just about anybody.
And now you guys are just spreading nonsense.

I assume you need to shake that idiot out somewhere else—or maybe just somewhere different. If you’re planning on doing it in your usual spot, I’d say that might be a bit much.

When Nico Rosberg asked about the team orders for this race, the response was pretty blunt: don't crash, and whoever is faster takes the win. He wrapped it up by saying the main goal is just to maximize points for the team.

The commentators over at ABC aren't buying it, though. They seem convinced that Sebastian Vettel still holds the upper hand.

I assume some people won't agree with me here, and I want to be clear—I don't consider myself a nationalist. However, it really bothers me when the thread title itself uses that specific dialect. When you're just writing your own posts and comments, I don't mind at all; if it bothers someone else, they don't have to read it. But seeing the topic header written that way feels unnatural to me.

By the way, starting a new thread would have been a good move, but what happened to you? You missed adding the grid girls. Blaming the forum's limitations isn't a valid excuse.

crimsonhawk23 said:Lol! 🤣 Now someone needs to start a thread for Monza 😬

Besides, why isn't there any decent visual stuff in this thread? 🤨 Here’s a little something to help keep things going:

Nice work, man. Why is everyone else being so quiet?

stormybadger8 said:It’s not just the car, let alone the crew...

You could draw a direct comparison to the 2012 season...
Back then, the fastest car was the McLaren, no question about it... but it was chronically unreliable and the team was a complete mess.

If you look at the combination of raw pace and reliability, Ferrari actually had the better car than Red Bull Racing... But there is a massive "but" there!
Red Bull Racing was far better organized strategically, while the guys at Ferrari were typically disorganized and lost...

Basically, Ferrari has been totally lost since Jean Todt and Ross Brawn left, and they haven't recovered from that to this day...
They are completely scattered, constantly shuffling people around, running through the halls, and firing people in cycles of two or three years of disappointment...
But the main issue is that strategically, the team is a total fiasco in at least two or three races every season because they inevitably screw up—and they do it big time because nobody has the guts to make a call, let alone a quick one...
The bosses lack the backbone and authority required; under even the slightest pressure, the whole lot of them lose their heads together...
And the biggest headache is the American media, who start tearing them apart, and then the whole group collectively loses their nerve.

When they actually pull off a great strategic race, you can see from the stands that it was mostly just pure luck rather than any actual planning or intelligence...
Like what happened in the USA last year; they won a race with zero logical strategy, they basically had no plan and just got lucky...
But then the American media starts praising them, everyone celebrates "world-class strategy," and then they all sit around hoping they can win every race by either doing nothing or just doing the opposite of Mercedes—as if that's some perfect recipe for success, thinking if it worked once, it'll work twenty more times.

They have seasons where they might even have the best car, but it's still useless when the team is incompetent...
Take 2008, for example; most people remember it because Felipe Massa lost the title because of Gluck and whatever...
But the reality is he lost the title exclusively because of Ferrari and their absolute incompetence and chaos.
What they pulled off in the USA was quite literally a disaster when they managed to...

In a head-to-head duel between two drivers in two pretty evenly matched cars for the title, using a 10-8-6 points system...
Say you're a Ferrari driver with incredible talent, and you beat Lewis Hamilton in five races that he should have won based on the car—that's a +10 point advantage for you.
And then Ferrari screws up Singapore, and suddenly you're dead even with Hamilton if he wins that race.
The chances of winning a title with a team like this are practically zero if the car is equal, and even if the car is slightly better, it's still zero. It makes you wonder what would happen if you actually had a dominant car...

Personally, I am deeply convinced that if you took this hybrid era and handed the Ferrari cars over to the Bear's management, throwing whatever drivers you wanted into the seats...
The question is whether they would even manage to take a single title. Even if you forced it, I'm certain two titles would be the absolute maximum.

There's no way around it. If someone showed up here who hadn't watched a single race, reading your posts, they'd conclude that Vettel is an alien. In 2012, the McLaren was fast, and so was the Ferrari, but it didn't matter—Vettel ended up the champion. 😉

And here’s another side note: you keep casually claiming Ferrari was faster back when they weren't running Vettel, yet ever since he joined them, they've been hovering near the top of the standings—even if just occasionally. Not to mention how everyone there seemed to turn against him, regardless of the millions they pay him to be there.😂

If a woman is loved even a third as much as Vettel is, she’s incredibly lucky, and all her friends would be green with envy.🥳

ruggedhawk20 said:Just one, back in 2008.

In this hybrid era from 2014 onwards, nobody besides Mercedes-Benz actually had a championship-winning car. Absolutely nobody. Not even the Ferrari 2017-2018, regardless of how much Vettel haters tried to claim otherwise.

I’m not a Vettel hater; saying I don't like him would be an exaggeration. "Overrated" is probably the best way to describe my view.

So, are you saying Ferrari didn't have a title contender in 2018? Or did they just fail to unlock the car's true potential during the races?

stormybadger8 said:Where did you get that info, and how long have you known?🙂

From a psychic named Milan😛
About the same time you found out that they were intentionally sabotaging Nico Rosberg while Hamilton just had "unlucky" breakdowns.😒

Roger Wright94 said:That’s just wrong.
Finac isn't going to play nice... unless it becomes crystal clear very quickly that the championship is already decided.
And honestly, even then, they probably won't. It would be incredibly foolish—and the people running things there aren't exactly dim-witted. Actually, it would be beyond stupid.

I get the feeling you actually believe that. That’s what surprises me most. You’re practically a cultist. You try so hard to act like you aren't, but you can't really escape it.

A cultist?
Look, I don't feel the need to prove myself to anyone; I am who I am. Some people like me, others don't, and I'm perfectly fine with that. I think it's because I don't sugarcoat things or lecture people—I just say exactly what I think and what's on my mind, and most people just aren't ready to hear the truth.

Of course, that doesn't mean I'm always right. I make mistakes just like everyone else, but unlike the majority, I'm willing to admit it to myself and to others.

In reality, being narrow-minded or judging someone for something you do yourself is what's truly idiotic.

Your second point is a complete oxymoron. When Nico Rosberg was in the mix, people called him useless, a wingman, a lapdog, Roscoe... yet he still took the title. In what universe could Rubens Barrichello alongside Michael Schumacher or Mark Webber alongside Sebastian Vettel have ever won a championship? Don't make me laugh.

Good morning to those who think Mercedes is so brilliant that they'd never let a title slip away if their lead driver were sidelined or out of the race.

Yes, I believe Mercedes keeps their cards close to their chest up to a certain point, but that doesn't mean the leadership doesn't favor one driver over another. Narrow-minded people don't see nuance; for them, everything is black or white. And if they ever "pretend" to be fair, it's usually just a calculated move to keep the masses from complaining. How yes no.

Why would Mercedes wait for Lewis to pull himself together or find his drive? If you have to go looking for motivation when you're sitting on millions in salary and massive privileges, you've got bigger problems. There might be moments of crisis, but only moments. While you're busy searching for motivation, someone else (meaning the opposition) is busy sweeping up the trophies.

It’s like Mercedes has some kind of psychic connection or something, knowing ahead of time that those points wouldn't matter anyway. They knew Sebastian Vettel would pull more stunts after that crazy Singapore race that would knock him out of the title hunt, so they asked—and received—for Lewis to hand the position back to Valtteri Bottas in Canada.

To make it even more absurd, everyone seems to forget one crucial fact: Toto Wolff manages Finac. So, at one moment, Toto is the embodiment of pure evil and manipulation, and the next, he's as naive as a French maid. Ha. 😵

swifttiger75 said:I’m fine with Ferrari’s decision to put Vettel ahead of Leclerc. That’s their call to make, and they have every right to do so. They were clear about their hierarchy from the start, which should help prevent those messy teammate confrontations down the road. (Remember how Kimi was asking over the radio at the German GP last year if he should let Vettel through and all that?)

So, they’ve finally decided which card to play. They’ve picked their guy to build championship ambitions around, and honestly, I don't have any issues with that decision, regardless of how I personally feel about it. But we have to be realistic—we're talking massive amounts of money, reputation, sponsorships, and endless perks here. It’s an entire ecosystem of interconnected interests that turns this circus into a literal circus sometimes. The idea that this is all just some romantic premise where they just "go out there and fight" or "race for the sake of racing"? That's a nice thought, but I think those days are long gone.

I completely agree, man. I actually wrote a few pages about this just a little while ago. Besides, my username and signature pretty much say it all.

I just feel like the people on the pit wall lacked a bit of tact during that chaos. They could have been more polite when telling Leclerc to come in for fresher tires or suggesting he try to manage the FL to snag that single point. The gap to the guy behind him was more than enough to make it work.
That would be an elegant solution.

Even if I don't think Leclerc was making too much of a fuss about that rule, there's a bigger issue here. If they really plan on building the future around him, it’s not healthy for his spirit or his confidence to be openly held back like this right from the jump.

stormybadger8 said:The only people living in some kind of parallel universe are the Mercedes-Benz and Lewis Hamilton fans, along with anyone who blindly buys into the nonsense coming from the British media.
Nico Rosberg was never anything more than the No. 1 driver at Mercedes-Benz—absolutely never. ☕
And honestly, it has absolutely nothing to do with Barcelona, fighting for the championship, or any of that other nonsense...
Hamilton is the No. 1 guy every single season, starting from the very first moment of testing, not just once the first race rolls around. ☕

How did Rosberg somehow manage to snatch that title? Honestly, it had nothing to do with any supposed "equal treatment" or those other fair-play myths people keep pushing. It really just came down to Louis having a nightmare season and the sheer mountain of trophies sitting on his side of the garage.
Not once during that season did anyone in Russia think it would be okay for Rosberg to take the title. That’s exactly why he walked away the moment he won it—to leave with his dignity intact, rather than spending the next season playing second fiddle to Bottas.

It was clear as day that Rosberg was the better driver, ever since Malaysia 2013—specifically during the second race of that season. 🙂
It’s a pretty similar situation to what we're seeing right now with Ferrari in Australia, though not exactly the same. To be honest, what happened in Russia was a much worse example than this current mess with Ferrari.

It really just comes down to this: Rosberg was the veteran established in the team, while Louis was still the newcomer.
So, once again, it’s like Rosberg asking Leclerc, "Can I pass Hamilton? I'm way faster than him." 🙂
He caught as much heat as Leclerc did, but unlike Leclerc, Rosberg was actually out there begging on the team radio—pleading and praying even though he knew deep down he didn't stand a chance.

And all that, even though Rosberg definitely had a shot at mounting an attack, if not outright taking the lead...
Check out the results from the 2013 Malaysia GP.
Even if we look at Mark Webber, it took him 8 seconds over 12 laps to hit that mark—which wasn't exactly a walk in the park either. It certainly wasn't any closer or easier than Leclerc's 15 seconds over 8 laps... yet Rosberg still got absolutely roasted regardless.

Besides that, Mercedes wasn't even in the conversation for a title back then—not even close.
Nobody even considered them capable of pulling that off, so honestly, it doesn't matter—they gave Rosberg the exact same orders they gave Leclerc. 🙂

And you just know people will start talking about how there wasn't any equality at Mercedes between Hamilton and Rosberg, not to mention how terrible Ferrari was. 🙂
Honestly, what happened between Rosberg and Hamilton was even worse than this situation with Leclerc. 😁

What are you all doing, acting like you’re blind and deaf? How could you possibly miss something this small? You didn't see it, you didn't hear it, and you clearly had no idea. If you weren't actually watching the race, then you're looking at a completely different story. 🙂

I honestly have no idea what dimension you're coming from.

If that's really how it works, what was actually harder? Was it just hitting a button to force a DNF on Rosberg's car, or was it simply forgetting about tire strategy, like Eddie Irvine did back in his Ferrari days or Daniel Ricciardo recently at Red Bull Racing?

Since we’re on the subject, it would be a shame not to mention how they pulled a perfectly healthy gearbox just to shove the No. 2 driver behind the No. 1 at the start of the grid. Just take a guess as to who they were doing that to.

Now, go ahead and wash up, then sit back and wonder who here is actually blind, deaf, or just seeing things despite having perfectly good eyes. Let's get real.

crimsonhawk23 said:Throughout this entire hybrid era, Mercedes hasn't just said it—they've proven through their actions that the Constructors' Championship comes before anything else, even if it means they'll do whatever it takes to sweep both titles. If Valtteri Bottas pulls off another win, or even a third, why would they suddenly start forcing things on Lewis Hamilton when the driver has such a comfortable lead? 🤷 I mean, they haven't made moves like this in any of the previous hybrid seasons... 🤷

You hit the nail on the head. Yet, you still see people on here claiming that the driver will be relegated to being a mere wingman or running errands for Louis as early as the next race. Even after a victory like this, where nobody even thought about sabotaging him to favor Louis, some people aren't even ashamed to push those kinds of narratives.

Of course, they won't acknowledge Nico Rosberg's season; they'll act like that happened in some parallel universe. 🤦

https://www.f1puls.com/38302/bottas-...-jei-se-audio/
If I'm reading Valtteri Bottas correctly, he might have been taking a little swipe at some of the people on this subforum too.

Timothy Castillo6 said:Is Mattia lying to himself, the team, us, or everyone at once?

Binotto — Here is the explanation Team Principal Mattia Binotto gave regarding how they covered for the Monegasque driver: "As a team, we made the decision to secure those points. Leclerc performed well both as a driver and as a team player," says Binotto. "Regarding the race itself, we obviously didn't expect a result like this. It’s too early to draw any final conclusions, but it was a valuable lesson for the future. We’re going to dive deep into the data so we can make adjustments starting with the next GP, which will be on a very different type of track. What we saw today was that we struggled with setup and tire management, but we know the car's actual potential is much higher than what we showed in the USA".

?????????????????????

In my opinion, Binotto isn't lying to anyone. It’s just that the die-hard fans are getting restless—like a bride before her wedding—and combined with chronic exhaustion, it's leading to massive apathy.🤷

Richard Walker38 said:then Vettel cuts to the left while entering the corner, squeezing Charles Leclerc out. It’s just classic Vettel,

That was his big mistake right there. Instead of letting Charles deal with Max while he built up a gap and managed his tire temps, he messed it up.
There's no point in arguing about it; Vettel is going to pull this move again, and the comments on the forums will be exactly the same.