USA/Central Park 03.17.2019

I missed the first 20 minutes of the race—what on earth happened with Robert Kubica to have him fall that far behind?

stormybadger8 said:It could mean anything.😁

Maybe they just had some nasty tire issues, or perhaps they're playing games with battery settings, fuel, or oil—those "party modes"—and they don't want to go public about what actually broke...

Honestly, I don't put much stock in those post-race statements. Drivers rarely tell you what really happened out there...
If they mess up, they might offer an apology, but if they stay dead silent, it usually means the team screwed up something they aren't supposed to mention.

Sebastian Vettel seemed pretty sincere during his interview. During the broadcast, the commentators also mentioned a drop in power, but who knows if Sebastian realized it himself🤔. It's a shame nobody caught anyone in the paddock to ask them directly.

Jason Campbell70 said:It’s only going to start happening once you actually start rooting for him. 😂 😂 😂 😂 😂

Well, the momentum has already shifted, considering those 26 points he’s banked. 🍿

Since the season opener, my allegiance has been firmly with Max Verstappen and Bottas 2.0, and I intend to maintain that through the final race.

I am calculating the trajectory here: if Tot decides to pivot and install Bottas 2.0 as the primary support for Luja—an inevitable move given the salary implications and everything else tied to the Luxury Mercedes team—then we have Max Verstappen paired with that absolutely lethal Honda Power Unit.

Let’s go, Max; let's see you secure the MVP this season. 🎉

Just the usual boredom from Australia...

Mercedes looks impressive. 👍
Even if they messed with Lewis Hamilton today by keeping him glued to Sebastian Vettel's pit box, he would have had a hell of a time passing Valtteri Bottas anyway.
Bottas’s performance this weekend was actually pretty refreshing. Honestly, if things had gone differently, he could have easily padded a 40-second lead over Lewis Hamilton.
His biggest issue is that in previous seasons, Mercedes always prioritized Lewis Hamilton when it came to car development, which meant the car just kept getting worse and worse for him as the year went on.
Since Mercedes is basically back to where they were in 2015 or 2016 this year, maybe they’ll actually give him a fair shot.

Ferrari is in deep trouble. It’s obvious their chassis is a mess, and they don't even seem to know why.
A 40-second deficit—even accounting for the fact that this track isn't exactly like Australia—is impossible to close. They really need to take a hard look in the mirror and start worrying about 2021...

RB is solid, but nothing special. Honda is never going to be anywhere near the level of Mercedes-Benz or Ferrari when it comes to engine power.
Max Verstappen had a good race.👍

Renault is the same story every single season; the engine is roughly on par with Honda, and the chassis is mediocre as usual.
I feel for Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo, because they were probably expecting much more than this.

Haas is the only team running a Ferrari engine that actually managed to pull off a decent race.
Alfa Romeo seems to be suffering from the exact same issues as Ferrari.

Brian Campbell36 said:It’s already starting with those 26 points in the bag. 🍿

This season, after the first race, I'm pulling for Max Verstappen and Bottas 2.0, and I'll stay with them until the end.

I'm thinking, if they actually make Bottas 2.0 the lead driver at Luja—given Tot's decisions regarding salary and everything else tied to the Luxury Mercedes—then we have Max with that Honda Power Unit, which is absolutely lethal.

Let's go Max, go get that MVP this season. 🎉

Whoops, ridiculous mode activated right from the first race.
Expected, yet commendable. 👍

Richard Walker38 said:

Let’s be realistic. Charles Leclerc was being a bit too optimistic here, and we all know Sebastian Vettel has a habit of missing those blind spots.🙂

They managed to get through, I suppose, though things might have been better for PR if they had just started with a double DNF. It would have given the higher-ups at the headquarters something to actually do—maybe finally find a way to cool down those two hotheads.

Jason Campbell70 said:Well, there goes the absurdity right from the very first race.
It was predictable, yet somehow commendable. 👍

I am certainly not the first to notice this, nor will I be the last. 👍
I find myself simply giving up on the entire Ferrari philosophy; their strategy seems to be developing a car that looks spectacular during testing just to lure in sponsors and new fans, only to coast until the next season rolls around.

Charles Leclerc actually asked the pit wall if he should let Sebastian Vettel through, and their response was essentially telling him to get out of the way as quickly as possible. 🤣
One can tell immediately from the opening race who the No. 2 driver is.

Intriguingly, Leclerc dropped off Sebastian Vettel as soon as he entered DRS range. The radio messages were:

Leclerc: "Should I stay behind Sebastian? Yes or no?"
Ferrari: "Yes and back off to have some margin."
Leclerc: "Ok."

Kyle Edwards5 said:Renault is the same story every single year; the engine is roughly on par with Honda, and the chassis is just mediocre as usual.
I feel bad for Nico Hulkenberg and Daniel Ricciardo, because they probably expected way more out of this.

The car is basically a death trap...
So far, we’ve seen the DRS/rear wing just snap off for no reason, and now the front wing is falling apart just from standard vibrations...

Pretty alarming stuff... and they aren't even fast yet.

mellowtiger83 said:Let's be real here—Charles Leclerc was being a bit too optimistic, and we all know Sebastian Vettel has always struggled to spot those blind spots.🙂

It went okay, I guess. Honestly, though, it would’ve been better for the PR if they had kicked things off with a double DNF. That would have given the folks over at West Coast some actual work to do—maybe then they could finally find a way to cool down those two hotheads.

Charles Leclerc would’ve cruised right through if he hadn't been shoved practically onto the grass. Both guys actually did a decent job explaining how that potential collision could have gone down during that chaotic start. Honestly, I’m pretty disappointed in the kid. First, he was pulling those awkward moves just to avoid "threatening" his teammate, and then he was waving his hands about team orders after letting his teammate pass, even though he was clearly the faster driver. For a debut race, they showed some real promise, but there are already so many people wishing Sebastian Vettel would just dominate the whole season. Ferrari isn't going to let that happen, and frankly, the kid is acting like a total coward.

Sebastian Vettel is still in a total freefall. Aside from any potential technical glitches with the car, those team orders were basically a mercy kill to save him from even more embarrassment. Honestly, Ferrari’s biggest headache this season isn't even on the track—it's deciding whether they want to keep babysitting a lost cause or finally let a young talent loose to run the show.

mellowtiger83 said:Let’s be real here. Leclerc was being a bit too optimistic, and we all know Vettel struggles when it comes to spotting those tricky blind corners.🙂

That’s exactly what I was thinking too.

Richard Walker38 said:Charles Leclerc might have pulled it off if he hadn't been shoved practically onto the grass. It was a fair assessment of how both drivers could have collided in the opening chaos. Honestly, I’m a bit disappointed in him. First, he backed off like a coward to avoid "endangering" his teammate, then he played along with team orders and let the other guy pass despite being clearly faster. For a debut race, they showed promise, but we all know how many people want to see Sebastian Vettel dominate. Ferrari won't allow that, and the kid just doesn't have the backbone.

Sebastian Vettel is still in a freefall. Aside from potential technical issues with the car, those team orders basically saved him from even more embarrassment.

A bit extreme, but I see your point.

They could have handled the Leclerc-Vettel situation much better in the heat of the moment instead of immediately crushing his spirit. They should have just called him in for fresh tires and had him hunt down the fastest lap. That would have avoided the awkwardness and likely secured an extra point for FL.

Richard Walker38 said:Charles Leclerc might have pulled it off if he hadn't been shoved practically onto the grass; honestly, both drivers had a pretty valid argument about a potential collision in that opening pack. I’m a bit disappointed in the kid. First, he plays it safe by pulling back so he doesn't "endanger" his teammate, then he waves the flag on team orders and lets his buddy pass even though he was clearly faster. For a debut race, they looked decent, but given how many people are praying for Sebastian Vettel to dominate, there's no way Ferrari lets that happen. The kid's clearly playing it too safe.

Based on what we saw today, I'd say Ferrari is struggling hard with cooling. It looks like their power unit can barely breathe whenever they get stuck behind someone...
So, it’s no shocker they told him to move out and build a gap. They’re probably just trying to save whatever they can so...
instead of dealing with the car dying on them or, even worse, getting a double DNF because they were fighting each other...

Even during testing, it was obvious Ferrari had major issues following other cars closely. 😉
Looks like they really screwed the pooch on this one...

They might be fine in clean air, but in traffic? They look completely screwed...

Richard Walker38 said:Charles Leclerc might have actually pulled it off if he hadn't been shoved practically onto the grass; both drivers made a rather convincing case for how a collision could have easily occurred during that chaotic opening lap. I must admit, the kid disappointed me today—first, he clumsily backed off just to avoid "endangering" his teammate, and then he was waving flags at team orders, letting his colleague pass despite being clearly faster. For a debut race, they showed promise, yet there are so many people out there dreaming that Sebastian Vettel will dominate this season. Ferrari simply won't allow that to happen, and frankly, the boy is acting like a coward.

What exactly is the rule supposed to be, that drivers aren't allowed to insult one another or use derogatory names? 🤔

My take? Leclerc was absolutely flying in that car without a single issue, while Vettel was just dragging himself around the track. Honestly, Vettel pulled a couple of dirty moves against his own teammate; if he’d actually used his brain and just let him through, they could have actually fought for the podium. Who says Leclerc couldn't have caught Max if they hadn't kept him on a leash? Ferrari is putting everything on Vettel again, and if you ask me, it's a massive mistake. Their race management is totally off base.

Leclerc wasted so much time stuck behind Vettel, even though he had the pace to be right in the thick of that podium battle. If they’d just let him overtake earlier in the race, things would have looked a lot different. Instead, it just went from bad to worse.

There’s zero chance Leclerc was ever catching Max. By the time he finally caught up to Vettel, Verstappen was already sitting about 10 seconds ahead of him.

On this particular track, Ferrari just didn't have the pace to even dream about a podium.

Nicholas Newman2 said:They could've handled the Leclerc-Vettel situation way better in the chaos, just so they didn't completely screw him over right away. Just call him in for fresh tires and hunt down a fastest lap. It would’ve smoothed over that awkward mess and probably even snagged an extra point for Ferrari.

That was really the only logical move...
Why they didn't? God only knows. 🤷
It feels like they were dodging something because it’s bizarre they didn't push for the win at Ferrari when they were sitting in the perfect spot to take it. Plus, they wouldn't have had to deal with the media grilling them afterward...

So there’s zero logic behind it, unless they were dealing with some massive issues with the Mercedes-AMG power units in both cars...

Richard Walker38 said:My take? Leclerc was flying and didn't have any issues, while Vettel was just dragging himself around the track. Honestly, Vettel made a couple of dirty moves against his own teammate—if he had any brains, he would’ve just let him through to actually fight for the podium. Who says Leclerc couldn't have caught Max if they'd just unchained him? Ferrari is pinning everything on Vettel again, which is a massive mistake. Total race management fail.

Leclerc wasted so much time stuck behind Vettel. He definitely had the pace to be in that podium battle if they'd just let him overtake earlier in the race. Things only got worse later on.

What are you even talking about, 🤦
Leclerc was trailing Vettel by about 12 seconds before Vettel pitted, and once Leclerc pitted, that gap grew even wider...

By the time he closed in on Vettel at the end of the race, Max was still sitting about 15 seconds ahead...
and that was Max running laps roughly half a second faster than Leclerc the entire time he was chasing Vettel...
So, unless Leclerc suddenly finds a way to drive two seconds per lap faster than Valtteri Bottas right after passing Vettel,
there's no way he was catching Max, let alone sniffing a podium finish. 🤦

Just let Leclerc drive—this current strategy is absolutely wrecking Ferrari... but whatever, I don't really care since I'm not even a fan anyway.😍