Melbourne Grand Prix - March 17, 2019

mellowtiger83 · 2019-03-17T10:53:50+00:00

What are you all arguing about? Even if they had put Ayrton Senna behind the wheel during his absolute prime, Ferrari wouldn't have even come close to the podi…

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#41 · Mar 17, 2019

mellowtiger83 said:@Tibi "accidentally" forgot to mention that Leclerc ran himself into the grass. Right after that little excursion, Vettel’s lead shot up to 17 seconds—even though he’d been sitting pretty with a comfortable gap just moments before!

Do some homework... it won't cost you a dime. 😁
The FIA just dropped the latest update on Formula 1 regulations. It’s the usual bureaucratic dance, really. Just more paperwork and fine print to sift through while we wait for the cars to actually show up on track. Honestly, half the time I can't tell if they're trying to make racing better or just making it more complicated for the sake of having something to do. Stay tuned, I guess.

Leclerc went off into the grass on lap 9 and just threw away three seconds. Great.
If he hadn't flown off, the gap wouldn't have been 17 seconds—it would've been 14.
Massive gap. 🤔
I honestly don't get it. What exactly are you trying to prove with that whole Leclerc grass excursion? 😕

mellowtiger83 said:Looking at the pure race pace, Leclerc was clearly faster than Vettel. If they had actually let him through, he would've cruised to a finish about 5 or 6 seconds ahead of Vettel without breaking a sweat.

In the second half of the race, Leclerc’s pace was clearly miles ahead. Vettel’s performance was just pathetic once he switched from the mediums to the harder tires.
Only 29 laps to go and God help us. After that, it’s just going to be a slow, painful crawl to the finish.
Well, you can tell everything you need to know when Vettel's fastest lap happens back on lap 16. 🤦

mellowtiger83 said:And let's not forget how Vettel completely forgot that he’s aggressively squeezed his own teammate at the start more times than I can count. He nearly sent him straight into a disaster, especially since Leclerc had a way better launch and definitely knew exactly where he was by Turn 1.

So, what exactly do you think Vettel should have done at the start?
So, what, you just swerve right and slam into Max? Is that the plan? 😁
Damn, Leclerc really went off the rails there. He pushed way too hard where he shouldn't have, and honestly, that could have ended in a total disaster.
Look, at least the kid kept his cool enough to not completely screw things up...

mellowtiger83 said:It’s going to be pretty wild watching Vettel's season fall apart.

Hardly seems likely this season, though. It looks like Ferrari actually sorted out their priorities for once...
But if Vettel doesn't snag the title this year, expect some serious bloodletting at Ferrari in 2020...

Seems pretty obvious that Ferrari told Leclerc this is his learning year—basically telling him to watch his step and just be the ultimate wingman...
His real run starts in 2020, when he'll finally have total freedom.

And let's be real, the kid is definitely going to be a top-tier driver and a tough nut to crack...

Eric Perez58 Member

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joined Mar 2019

#42 · Mar 17, 2019

Nicholas Newman2 said:But did you actually put any money on those predictions of yours?

To be honest, I actually placed a bet at a local sportsbook $3.25 thinking Kimi Räikkönen would snag the fastest lap, though maybe I should've stayed in Germany instead.😉

I didn't even watch the race, but the stats say Kimi Räikkönen was running laps three seconds slower than Valtteri Bottas and ended up a full lap down, so clearly the booze was doing its job keeping him chill..

What was he even doing out there, did he overtake anyone or just get overtaken by everyone?🤔

Elizabeth Mendoza Regular

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#43 · Mar 17, 2019

And just how much did Vettel gain by shoving his teammate out of the way? You don't seem to care at all about that little excursion onto the grass, do you? No, you clearly don't. You're just a biased fanboy who shuts his eyes to every nonsense move his favorite driver makes, which pretty much disqualifies you from having any real conversation.

There was plenty of room to maneuver, but senior Vettel decided to dive left and shove his teammate aside just to defend his position.

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#44 · Mar 17, 2019

neonfox65 said:Heh, nothing’s actually changed—you're just flipping your opinion faster than a kid finishes a box of cookies. 🙂

Based on what?
If you ask me, Max is easily the worst driver Red Bull has ever had.
I don't see what changed on that front. 🤷

Just because I think Marko and Christian Horner are going to dump Pierre Gasly incredibly fast doesn't mean I think Max is better than him. It just means he’s probably going to get booted out just as quickly as Kvyat was.

bluepuma9 Active Member

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#45 · Mar 17, 2019

Alonso had a decent car back in 2012. Honestly, it was more than enough to snatch a title if it weren't for all those unlucky breaks and questionable calls from the pit wall. He spent most of that season leading the charge, too.

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#46 · Mar 17, 2019

mellowtiger83 said:Back when Rubens Barrichello and Eddie Irvine were running the show in the season opener, they didn't have these kinds of team orders!

Everyone’s screaming bloody murder about how Lewis Hamilton gets special treatment while Valtteri Bottas gets shafted! At least Mercedes lets them actually race until a certain point in the championship.

What planet are you living on? 🤣
If Ferrari had what Mercedes has, you know exactly what Leclerc would do. 🙂

Right after Vettel and Lewis pit, Leclerc would suddenly start braking mid-track just to leave Lewis sitting right on his bumper...
Then Lewis would get blocked by every trick in the book, giving Vettel a clear shot to overtake him.

And then Leclerc would head straight to the pits, and whatever happens, happens. ☕

Honestly, I half expected this nonsense. They aren't even capable of coming up with their own ideas; they just poorly copy Mercedes and those "world-class" Bottas strategies...

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#47 · Mar 17, 2019

Richard Walker38 said:And how much did Vettel actually gain by shoving his teammate? You aren't worried about the guy going off into the grass? Yeah, right. You're just a biased fanboy closing your eyes to your favorite driver's nonsense, which basically disqualifies you from any actual conversation.

There was plenty of room, but senior Vettel decided to dive left and shove his teammate just to defend his spot.

Hello Leclerc🙂
Leclerc went off into the grass all on his own in lap 9, totally unprovoked...☕

Go find Maria so you can finally watch the race together...
Maybe then you'd actually know what you're talking about. 🙂

Don't look at the distractions, don't look at the distractions...

If you can actually see Vettel in this clip, then I'll give you props. 🙏

neonfox65 Regular

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#48 · Mar 17, 2019

stormybadger8 said:On what grounds?
I honestly think Max is by far the weakest driver at Red Bull...
I don't see how anything has changed regarding that issue 🤷

Just because I think Marko and Christian Horner are going to dump Pierre Gasly incredibly fast doesn't mean I think Max is actually better than him—it just means he'll likely be kicked out just as quickly as Kvyat was...

Elizabeth Mendoza Regular

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#49 · Mar 17, 2019

What do you think about that clip from the first lap where Vettel defends his line so aggressively he actually pushes his teammate right off the track?

You’re totally missing the point. You're trying to argue against him by bringing up someone driving onto the grass just because they're pushing the limits to make up ground. That's hilarious. lol🙏

mellowtiger83 RegularOP

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#50 · Mar 17, 2019

Tibi, you’re missing the point again! Leclerc lost all his momentum right after the qualifying session. I seriously doubt he would have had that kind of pace if Nine hadn't made that blunder. We wouldn't even be talking about a gap of 17 or 14 seconds; we'd be looking at a much smaller margin.

Besides, he basically sabotaged himself here.

We can all agree Leclerc was a bit too optimistic heading into that first corner, but honestly, Vettel went a little too far into that turn as well.

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#51 · Mar 17, 2019

Regarding the start, check this out:

This was a massive blunder from Leclerc, way more than just a mediocre attempt...
Slow the footage down to 0.25x and just watch how Leclerc handles it...
He takes this totally unnatural line into the corner, risking a slide off track and losing his front wing just like Ric did—and he didn't even have anyone next to him,
let alone a pack of cars flying past him.

Plus, he actually had a much better start than Vettel, not even close...
Vettel lost momentum because he got blocked by Max Verstappen.
Instead of capitalizing on that, Leclerc just charged into the turn like an absolute idiot...

If he’d aimed straight for Max Verstappen, he would've cleared him easily.

But nope, he tried too hard in the first lap and completely choked...

Also, Mario, he wasn't even on the grass there, nor did he lose anything significant...
And at the end of the day, this was his fault anyway, just like when he went off into the grass.

Whatever, the kid is still plenty good for now.
Ferrari clearly wasn't up to par this weekend, and I'm pretty sure Kimi Räikkönen would've been just as bad, if not worse, under these same conditions...
So yeah, the kid is doing just fine.

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#52 · Mar 17, 2019

neonfox65 said:

Look, I know Max Verstappen loves me. It’s more than love—he absolutely adores me. 😁

Raymond Anderson4 Regular

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#53 · Mar 17, 2019

stormybadger8 said:It’s the same old story; nothing has actually changed...
If Pierre Gasly gets the boot before Monaco and Daniil Kvyat steps into his seat, the odds of that scenario playing out increase exponentially. 😉

Gasly will end up causing trouble for Max once he's kicked out of the team in a few months.
You'll be saying the exact same thing about Kvyat soon enough. 😁

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#54 · Mar 17, 2019

So, what’s the verdict on that radio message from Valtteri Bottas at the end of the race:

To whom it may concern, fuck you.

😁
Was he aiming that at Toto Wolff, Lewis Hamilton, or just shouting into the void? 🤔

stormybadger8 Veteran

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#55 · Mar 17, 2019

Raymond Anderson4 said:Pierre Gasly is going to be a massive headache for Max Verstappen. He'll probably be kicked off the team within a few months anyway.
That’s exactly how you’re going to talk about Daniil Kvyat, too. 😁

Alexander Albon is always there. 😁
If TickTock isn't the place for this, then I don't know where else to go...🤣

Raymond Anderson4 Regular

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#56 · Mar 17, 2019

mellowtiger83 said:Tibi "accidentally" forgets certain details. Like how he conveniently forgot the team protected Sebastian Vettel from losing his position, or how he ignored how many times Vettel aggressively squeezed his teammate at the start, nearly putting him in a terrible spot because Charles Leclerc had a much better launch and clearly knew exactly where Charles Leclerc was by Turn 1.

It’ll be interesting to watch Sebastian Vettel's season fall apart.

Charles Leclerc put himself in an awkward spot here.
That’s a tight corner, and you can't really expect to make a move from the outside.
Sebastian Vettel has to slow down significantly to give the other driver enough room. That's just the nature of that turn.

Raymond Anderson4 Regular

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#57 · Mar 17, 2019

Ferrari is making a huge mistake by playing protector for Sebastian Vettel. He’s lost that edge; he just can't find that consistent rhythm of rapid laps anymore. I honestly worry about how many races Charles Leclerc is going to waste by being stuck behind him, never actually getting a fair shot at overtaking.
Leclerc looks desperate. It’s only the first race of the season, and he's already questioning if he's even allowed to pass Sebastian. 😁

Raymond Anderson4 Regular

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#58 · Mar 17, 2019

https://streamable.com/jhor3
You can clearly see how Charles Leclerc dove into the corner too late while trying to pull alongside Sebastian Vettel. He didn't really establish his position next to him until they were already deep in the turn, right where the chicanes begin.
I honestly don't see why anyone would pin this on Vettel.
Leclerc just missed his window to set up the overtake properly.

Elizabeth Mendoza Regular

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#59 · Mar 17, 2019

stormybadger8 said:What do you think Sebastian Vettel should have done at the start?
So, what’s the plan? Just drift hard to the right and slam right into Max Verstappen? Is that the big strategy? 😁
Man, Leclerc really went off the rails there. He drove like he had absolutely nothing to lose, heading straight into a situation that could have ended in a total disaster. Seriously, it was terrifying to watch.
Look, all good. At least the kid kept his cool enough to avoid making a total mess of things.

Those photos you posted are great, especially because they catch everything right as the cars are approaching the turn. They don't show any of the mess that happened later on. You’re trying to defend Sebastian Vettel by claiming he was boxed in or that Max Verstappen was right on his tail, but let's be real—the track next to him was wide open. All he did was shut the door on his own teammate and cause a massive blockage. Max was a full car length behind him, and there was absolutely nothing stopping Sebastian from giving him space. There was plenty of room!

Kazes, should he have just veered right into Max Verstappen? And where exactly was Max at the moment Sebastian Vettel cuts in on his teammate and shoves him off the track? Walk me through that again.

As he hits the apex of that turn, Max—who absolutely should have taken the corner differently—is right on his tail. 🤷

Nicholas Newman2 Member

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#60 · Mar 17, 2019

Raymond Anderson4 said:Ferrari is making a mistake by protecting Vettel like this. He’s lost his edge; he just can't put those fast laps together anymore. Who knows how many races Leclerc will spend stuck behind him without ever getting a real shot at overtaking?
Leclerc looks desperate. It's only the first race and he's already wondering if he's even allowed to pass Vettel. 😁

Give me a break. He's the first young talent in ages to get a shot at a seat in a Ferrari, and you're saying he should bite the hand that feeds him during his very first race?
You're blaming a kid for Ferrari's own massive blunder. Seriously?

Melbourne Grand Prix - March 17, 2019

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