USA/Central Park 03.17.2019

A boring season?
Yeah, I’m going to enjoy every single second of it. 😍

mellowtiger83 said:Actually, Leclerc is dangerously close to Vettel. At times he even looked faster, and let’s not forget he’s still just getting used to the new team and all that!

It’ll be fun to watch because it’s already obvious he’s going to be way quicker than Raikkonen.

That gives Vettel at least a tiny shred of hope for a theoretical title shot, since the kid might actually snatch some points from Bottas here and there and swipe a few from Hamilton...
If Hamilton gets desperate again like he did in the first half of last season, and if Max Verstappen decides to start hammering the Mercedes-Benz, then maybe there's a slim chance...

I’m pretty sure the folks at Ferrari changed the car color on purpose, just so Max Verstappen stops picking them off solo on track and crashing into them constantly.😬

On another note, is there any sportsbook offering odds on Pierre Gasly stalling out in STR and Daniil Kvyat making a comeback to Red Bull Racing?
Feels like a safe bet for this season to me.😁

Look, we saw this exact same thing happen last year. Sebastian Vettel managed to snag pole position three races in a row, beating Lewis Hamilton by a few tenths or even half a second. This particular track is tricky and doesn't really give us the full picture yet, but once we hit Bahrain and China, things will get real. If Ferrari isn't showing more pace there, then it's game over for them...

wanderingpilot13 said:Another dead season. F1 is looking pretty pathetic right now.

Why would it be boring?
Sure, Mercedes is miles ahead, but so what...

Who knows, maybe even Haas will grab some random podium finishes, and we might actually get some decent racing for the win...

But the fight for constructors' positions from 2nd all the way down to 7th or 9th? That’s gonna be brutal...
Everyone is so close right now that I wouldn't be shocked to see Ferrari, Red Bull Racing, Haas, Renault, Alfa Romeo, RP, and even STR and McLaren on the podium this season...
Anything could happen. One of them is bound to hit their sweet spot on a specific track...

Huge props to The Bear, you guys are the best—enjoy it!
Overall, they have the top-tier engineers, management, and PR (people really underestimate how vital that is in today's world), not to mention the driver.
Feel free to start dreaming about smashing all those Ferrari and Schumacher records.

Around 2021, Ferrari might actually stand a chance at grabbing a title (wasn't that when the regulations changed? 🤔). With Charles Leclerc as their lead driver, of course, assuming that German fraud finally retires or at least switches teams.

By the way, who on earth was shouting that Ferrari would be half a second faster than Mercedes based on those early testing predictions? Either they slept through the last five years, are incredibly naive, or are just straight-up trolling us.

James Harris34 said:Well, things were pretty much the same last year...

No way. Wasn't Ferrari totally dominating last year?😁

Though the gap isn't actually that massive...
Last year they were down by 674, this season it's 704...

Except this year we also have Valtteri Bottas, unlike last year...

The years keep flying by while we just sit here idling ☕

Even this season, those rules regarding penalties for excessive insults toward drivers and using derogatory nicknames still apply...👍

Is wearing earrings allowed? 🤔

Moving on to other news...

Check out this highlight of Claire’s face looking absolutely miserable when she realized the lap times her cars were actually putting up...

Also, is the Williams really that impossible to drive, or is Kubica just having issues with his hand? 🤔
He slammed into the wall twice today, which doesn't exactly look like the "old" Kubica we know...

stormybadger8 said:On a different note...

The broadcast highlights really captured Claire's look of pure heartbreak when she saw those lap times from her cars...

And another thing, I can't quite tell if the Williams is truly that impossible to drive or if Kubica is just struggling with his arm.🤔
He hit the wall twice today, which isn't exactly reminiscent of the "old" Kubica we used to know...

Does anyone happen to have a shot of a miserable Claire?

If you’re in the mood to watch people looking absolutely miserable, just take a look at Sebastian Vettel, the Ferrari pit wall, and the Ferrari fans. 😍

Can't record it, unfortunately...
Even if I could probably pull something off using the F1 TV feed if it were actually working.😬

Kyle Edwards5 said:Using derogatory nicknames is just wrong....👍

If you're talking about that whole German scam, then yeah, I’m with you. I won't be using that "German" label anymore. 😁

Linda Bailey17 said:Years go by, and we’re still just hanging out. ☕

Look, things will look up—keep your chin up. There’s no need to be bitter, but let’s be real: being a fan of Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes is just a massive flex. If I were pulling for them, I wouldn't be feeling this season's results at all. Just imagine having that kind of dominance, where you're basically slapping the competition left and right and setting your own pace. 🍿
For the rest of us, watching the midfield battle is going to be a blast. Everyone is insanely close right now.

stormybadger8 said:Unfortunately, I can't record it myself...
Though it might be possible to grab a clip from F1 TV if she were actually working😬

Well, just send it to my DMs if you manage to find it

Sophia Barrett3 said:then shoot me a DM if you actually manage to find it

Does seeing sad faces turn you on? Perhaps some sort of masochistic streak at play here?

stormybadger8 said:Moving away from the other headlines for a moment...

In the broadcast highlights, you can see the look of pure disappointment on Claire's face when she realized just how slow her cars were running...

On another note, is that Williams truly that difficult to handle, or is Kubica struggling with his hand?🤔

He hit the wall twice today, which doesn't exactly seem like the "old" Kubica we know...

Yeah, I was actually thinking the same thing regarding Kubica.
I really hope it’s an issue with the car rather than him...

fadedpanther51 said:What can you do? Things will improve eventually, just keep your head up. There’s no need to be bitter, but let’s be honest—being a fan of Mercedes-Benz and Lewis Hamilton is pretty great right now. If I were pulling for them, I certainly wouldn't be complaining about this season; I mean, imagine just walking through the field and knocking everyone down one by one. 🍿
For the rest of us, watching the battle for the midfield is going to be interesting, since everyone seems to be neck-and-neck.

How much longer are we going to have to settle for fighting in the middle of the pack? This is heading into its seventh season, which is a long time. Then again, it's rare to have seasons where one team isn't dominant; it’s just boring when that team isn't yours. This is likely the biggest era of dominance we've seen yet, so credit to Mercedes-Benz for that. They make all the other teams feel like they're in a lower division. Great job.

New season is here. Aside from a few driver swaps, it’s basically more of the same.

Maybe the mods could run a poll on what the biggest letdown was during the first qualifying session. For me, it's definitely Sainz. He was brought into McLaren to fill Alonso's shoes, but right now he just looks like a cheap knockoff. Then again, others might think the real disappointment is how competitive Ferrari is looking against Mercedes—who is proving to be way better than everyone predicted. Or maybe it's Williams being even worse than last year, or Kubica looking like he's nowhere near ready.

Let's just hope the actual race gives us a bit more drama.

wanderingpilot13 said:Just another dead season. This NASCAR is pure misery.

I have my doubts. Ferrari will surely bounce back during the next standard race; Central Park, NYC isn't exactly a definitive benchmark.

It is quite obvious their front wing setup, much like what Alfa is running, simply isn't performing up to par. This particular track lacks high-speed corners aside from the S-bend; it's mostly a stop-and-go circuit filled with medium-speed turns.

While Mercedes might be leading, the reality isn't a massive seven-tenths gap. In truth, it’s likely closer to ten or twenty hundredths compared to the rest of the field.

Red Bull could prove to be extremely dangerous. We all know how aggressive their development pace is and just how capable they can be.