2022 Australian Grand Prix: Melbourne - April 10th

Which idiots am I forced to quote this early on a Sunday morning?
Where do these bottom-feeders even come from after eight years?
Hamilton was top-tier today—nothing more, nothing less.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:Why on earth am I having to read this nonsense so early on a Sunday morning?
Where do these losers even come from after eight years?
Lewis Hamilton was incredible today, nothing more and nothing less.

Who even are you?
Just quote the post directly and tell the guy he's being a clown.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Who even are you?
Quote the post and just tell this guy he's a total jerk.

This guy is just a die-hard Hamilton fan who can't stop attacking anyone with a different opinion. So yeah, I guess I'm the idiot—he doesn't even need to quote me to make it obvious who he's talking about.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:Where did these losers come from after 8 years?
Hamilton was top-tier today, nothing more, nothing less.

Cry more 😢 You're clearly more frustrated by Lewis Hamilton's performance than he is himself. 😁 And fine, sure, he was great today, whatever. But George Russell still finished ahead of him because he's just a better, sharper driver. Cope.

James Collins said:What are you even talking about?
I mean, Lewis Hamilton was honestly incredible today. He basically treated everyone like they were kids on a playground right at the start, and then he just kept this intense pressure on those top two drivers like neither of their cars could even touch him. Later on, he managed to eat away at that massive gap with Sergio Perez just by being smart with his tires, and then he caught up through the pits too. I guess if it hadn't been for bad luck during the Safety Car, he would've been the undisputed driver of the day.
We should probably mention he beat George Russell in qualifying, too.
Anyway, let's not get carried away...

I suppose we’re still waiting on some observations regarding Alonso's masterful 17th place finish to really complete the picture.

😬

Is he actually the better driver? He’s already 9 points ahead after just three races.
Today was the season finale.

Kudos to George Russell; you could already tell back at Williams Racing that he was going to be someone special.

Sergio Perez told Sky that they likely went with the wrong setup. He was speaking in the plural, so he probably meant that both he and Max were running pretty much the same configuration.

They were running a higher downforce setup today, which might be the culprit. They definitely looked more comfortable when they had less downforce...

Lawrence Garcia5 said:Yeah, he's clearly the better driver since he’s already 9 points ahead after just 3 races.

I mean, look at the facts: the guy isn't making any mistakes (not that Lewis Hamilton hasn't been dropping them all season long), and he's only been at Mercedes-AMG for a few months, yet he's already routinely outclassing a teammate who's been there for years... But hey, whatever helps you sleep at night, right? 🙂

anyone know what actually broke on Max's car and what leaked out

Anthony Baker84 said:they knew exactly what failed on Max Verstappen's car and what leaked out

iber zokna 🤣

ruggedcyclist56 said:I mean, look at him—hardly making any mistakes (not that Lewis Hamilton hasn't been dropping plenty this season anyway), and he's only been at Mercedes-AMG for a few months, yet he’s already routinely outclassing a teammate who’s been there for years... But hey, whatever, keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better, 🙂

You're claiming he’s constantly squeezing more out of the car, but like, what does that even actually mean?
Yesterday, Lujo was just better in qualifying, and today, after a killer start, he had a really solid race.
It’s great for young George Russell to grab a podium, sure, but he didn't get on it today because he's magically pulling extra performance out of the machine; it was mostly just things going his way...
Using words like "routinely" and stuff just to try and back up your point... I don't know, it kind of just shows how much you're struggling to make your own argument sound believable...

ruggedcyclist56 said:I mean, look at him—he’s hardly making any mistakes (not that Lewis Hamilton hasn't had plenty this season), and he’s only been at Mercedes-AMG for a few months, yet he's already routinely outclassing a teammate who's been there for years... But hey, sure, keep telling yourself that if it helps you sleep. 🙂

What "big mistakes" is Hamilton even making?
It's a new era with new cars; there are a hundred different variables at play here.
Some drivers adapt to the car faster than others.
Calling it routine dominance after just three races and a nine-point gap? Let's not get ahead of ourselves and manufacture drama where there isn't any.
I'm not going to go back and forth over such trivial nonsense.

A total Grand Slam for Charles Leclerc—Pole Position, the win, and fastest lap. He led every single lap of the race, too.

And yet, there are still those who persist in their claim that Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are on equal footing...

To race was honestly quite tedious, wasn't it? It actually reminded me somewhat of those old Trulli-like processions we used to see.

Speaking of which, regarding that internal Mercedes-AMG skirmish, there weren't any glaring driving errors to speak of, and I suppose George Russell ultimately emerged as the winner merely because the track conditions happened to favor his specific setup. Yet, one has to wonder, was there really any meaningful difference in raw pace between him and Lewis Hamilton?

Does anyone know how to secure tickets for Monaco? I am feeling quite euphoric about the idea and would really love to attend. However, looking at the official websites, Sunday appears to be completely sold out, specifically the general admission.

Charles Leclerc, just tell me what kind of message you want sent.

Tibac, I already told you what I thought about Leclerc.🙂

Max is trailing by 46 points now. With Lewis Hamilton and George Russell sitting ahead of him in the standings... well, my dear Max.

Alexander Albon finally snagged a point for Williams Racing.🙂

graniteharbor502 said:And yet people still have the nerve to claim Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are on equal footing...

Right now, the Ferrari is way more reliable. Speed-wise? They're basically neck and neck.
Max had that wreck, so it’s tough to call, but the reality is he absolutely trashed his front left tire with that mistake in lap 13. Left him in a total mess where Charles was just pulling away, and Max didn't even have a decent pit window compared to the rest of the pack.
Even before the issues started, he didn't have the pace to touch Charles on the hard tires.

You can't just blame everything on the car. Charles is mentally dialed in this season—he's being super consistent. That's how you build a championship run. If the car stays reliable and keeps keeping up with the upgrades, Charles actually has a real shot at the title.

A Mercedes... man, it is absolutely wild how much that crew is dragging their feet lately. At this rate, they might actually end up being serious contenders for the constructors'
title.
And Lewis? He drove a hell of a race today, honestly. If it wasn't for that nightmare pit stop, he’d be in a different spot entirely. I know, I know—he can be a total pain when he starts complaining, but let's be real, his team isn't even the one at fault here.

It is honestly mind-boggling that hardcore Formula 1 fans—some of whom have been posting here for over a decade—are still churning out such absolute garbage. I’m speaking generally, of course.

You’ve got the Ferrari haters who resort to low-effort trolling, trying to paint Ferrari as this untouchable, dominant force—presumably as some twisted way to justify those seasons where Mercedes had a car that was a full second and a half faster than anyone else on the grid.

Then, on the flip side, you have the Ferrari loyalists and the endless legions of Hamilton haters who, after a mere three races, have already decided that Ham is a total disaster of a driver whom George Russell is just bullying. (That’s my caricature, not a direct quote).

All that’s missing is for those two geniuses to conclude that Mick is only in Formula 1 because of his last name and that he should just go grab a burger at a local drive-thru instead.

Let’s try dealing with reality for a second.

Based on everything WE HAVE SEEN SO FAR, Ferrari and Red Bull Racing are right there in the mix. Or rather, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen are right there in the mix. Ferrari looked quicker in Bahrain, Red Bull Racing held their own in SA and now in Australia, and then Ferrari again. The only real differentiator right now is reliability, which, so far, sits heavily in Ferrari's favor.

Secondly—Lewis drove well today, just as he did in Bahrain. He messed up in SA, but it is what it is. He leads 2-1 in qualifying, yet loses 1-2 in the actual races. Ultimately, we are barely three races into the season, and it's actually Russell who still needs to prove what he's truly made of.

God help us all... ☕