Australia vs. USA - March 25, 2018

Jason Campbell70, you can clearly see neonfox65 is getting played here. Honestly, I’m kind of baffled that you’re actually falling for this 😁

neonfox65 said:... 6th place and he's only 10 points behind Ham, who I honestly think will be his main title contender...

I’m bowing down to you for suggesting Hamilton is actually Max's biggest threat in this title fight.🙏
Look, I don't agree with you at all, but I'll give you two little pieces of advice to chew on.

1. Max's biggest rival is Max himself.
2. His second biggest problem is Ric, your former favorite.

Only after he clears them out (if he even can) does Hamilton—your likely next obsession—actually enter the equation.

Jason Campbell70 said:So, here’s what Kimi thinks about that "brilliant" strategy the geniuses over at Ferrari cooked up for him:

Man, what a total mess at Ferrari... seriously one of the most incompetent teams I've ever seen—it feels like they're sabotaging their own driver from day one just to make sure their "golden boy" doesn't lose his spot.

What's my future if Max is the future? 🙂

I don't know—maybe I'm wrong about the standings, we'll just have to wait and see in two weeks...

dustyskipper77 said:Right now, that Mercedes-Hamilton + party mode combo is basically untouchable. Honestly, Ferrari is the only one with enough brains and resources to even stand a chance at threatening them.

The thing is, that whole setup isn't going to last very long.
Well, the little secret—which nobody was actually surprised by—finally came out in just one race. It’s a handy tool for Mercedes to have in their pocket, sure, but it's good to remember that even they have their limits.
If someone says "it's only Ferrari...", I’m nodding along. No questions asked.

neonfox65 said:What's my future if Max is the future?🙂

Yeah, and there will probably be a line out the door for him in the future just like there is today.

Jason Campbell70 said:So this is how Raikkonen feels about that brilliant little master plan cooked up by the geniuses over at Ferrari:

Well, what now?
Was he supposed to pit again just waiting for Vettel to show up?

silverviper44 said:Yeah, and honestly, there's probably going to be just as much of a mess there in the future as there is today...

Bahrain is a totally different kind of track—should be better there.

Roger Wright94 said:So, what now?
Was he supposed to pit again, and then just wait for Vettel to show up?

Yeah, that’s exactly my point.

😵

Lewis Hamilton lost his position and the win because they told him there was no need to rush.
Supposedly a software glitch, according to Toto Wolff.

Why on earth would Ferrari's pit wall tell Raikkonen not to hurry?

Honestly, I was just messing around earlier when I suggested there might be a "coincidence" where Sebastian Vettel pulls ahead of Kimi Raikkonen, but now it looks like they were being intentionally subtle... he didn't even realize where Vettel was positioned... 🙂
Luckily, the VSC saved the day 🙂

I see some real romantics in here still believing in tooth fairies and the Easter Bunny.
Kimi is basically just there to play backup for Vettel one way or another. He’s like a secondary apostle who occasionally pulls a fast one on him, leaving the big shots to scramble, invent excuses about hot water, and screw him over with all those idiotic decisions.
I mean, whatever, that's why he gets the big bucks.

What struck me most was how little changed after those first few corners. Aside from Magnussen getting past Max Verstappen and that drop for Brendon Hartley toward the end, everyone else just held their ground. 🤦

Roger Wright94 said:

The highs and the lows... (edit: Sky)

Lujo having a Facebook page before this? I must be dreaming. Someone pinch me, because this can't be real. Honestly, you'd probably just end up getting hit over the head...

Above all else, this season has kicked off with some incredible scripting. First off, Mercedes-Benz has such a dominant car that they're a full second faster per lap than the next best trio, and a massive 2-3 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. Then, during this race, just when the Haas F1 Team managed to completely blow it, suddenly Sebastian Vettel is stuck in the pits ahead of Lewis Hamilton. A software issue... sure, right.

And what makes it even more hilarious is how Lujo loses it on the radio; "I’m going for it!" And then immediately after saying that, he flies right off the track. Maybe if he hadn't been trying to make up ground to pass Vettel, he wouldn't have ended up there.

This smells like a classic Sergio-Toto arrangement. After all, who benefits from us watching Mercedes-Benz dominate the podium every single week? Mercedes-Benz will be first regardless because their car is simply too powerful, but Ferrari can snatch a few wins here and there just so Sergio Pérez can keep his bosses happy—giving them the illusion that we've tried everything, but hey, Mercedes-Benz is just untouchable.

Mercedes-Benz is in Formula 1 until 2020 when the Concorde Agreement expires, and then it's goodbye. All they care about is constant wins and championships. Once that stops being a guarantee, they're gone for good.

The Best F1 driver said:It’s really not the same thing...
Haas's drivers retired because of a mechanical failure—basically a pit crew blunder. Max just messed up during a standard wheel-to-wheel battle due to his own lack of skill...
How that relates to a car retiring because someone forgot to tighten a wheel? Only you would think that makes sense.🤦

It's exactly the same thing. In a normal race, they’d just be staring at each other's exhaust pipes, which is exactly what those faster cars ahead were doing the whole time.

You're the one who started this nonsense by trying to count every single little detail in an overtake.

We all know why, just like we know why you didn't include Alonso's "overtake" on Carlos Sainz Jr. using that same logic.🙂

It’s worth noting that Charles Leclerc managed to finish ahead of Stroll and Hartley—all thanks to a double pit stop.

Jerry Moore61 said:First off, this season is starting out brilliantly scripted. Mercedes has such an absolute beast of a car that they're lapping the top three teams by a full second, and they're basically two to three seconds clear of everyone else. Then, in this race, just when the Haas F1 Team completely botched things, suddenly Vettel is ahead of Hamilton because of a pit stop crisis. A software issue... yeah, right. Like we're all buying that.

And what's even funnier is how Lujo loses his mind on the radio; "I’m going for it!" And then immediately after saying that, he flies right off the track. Maybe if he actually made a difference, he wouldn't have had to fight to pass Vettel.

This is definitely some backroom deal between Sergio-Toto, because who benefits more from watching Mercedes dominate every single race? Mercedes is going to be first anyway because their car is just too fast. Ferrari will snag a couple of wins just so Sergio can keep his board of directors happy—you know, the whole "we tried everything, but Mercedes is just unbeatable" excuse.

Mercedes is in Formula 1 until the Concorde Agreement expires in 2020, and after that? Bye-bye. All they care about is constant wins and championships. Once that stops being a given, they're gone for good.

Yeah, sure, like there's a massive conspiracy to make the season more exciting and Lewis Hamilton just "let" Vettel through on purpose. 🙏

Where’s that idiot who was talking so much smack after qualifying now? 👏
Karma really is a bitch!

I don't get how some people still don't grasp how this works with the VSC? Like, seriously? It’s not the same thing as pinning it at full throttle versus being stuck under a speed limit.😵
And honestly, what on earth was Red Bull thinking starting the race on Soft tires? They basically sabotaged their own start and completely killed their momentum during the first half of the race.
Either they were just slow in the US, or they absolutely botched the strategy and let the Haas F1 Team crew block them as much as possible.

There is nothing more satisfying than watching those sour faces, whether they're sitting in the Mercedes-Benz garage or tucked inside the cockpits. 👏👏👏

And finally, FORZA FERRARI !!!!!!

Jerry Moore61 said:Mercedes-Benz is sticking with Formula 1 until the Concorde Agreement expires in 2020—after that, it's basically bye-bye. All they care about is stacking up wins and championships... once that stops happening, they're definitely out.

Well, they didn't just walk away when they were losing with McLaren. How many titles have they actually snagged since joining back in '95? Only 3 drivers' titles and 1 constructors'...

Casey Hill57 said:Where’s that idiot now who was acting so tough after qualifying? 👏
Karma really bites!

I don't get how some people still aren't grasping the whole VSC situation—seriously? It's a completely different game driving at full tilt versus being stuck under speed limits.😵
And man, what was Red Bull Racing thinking starting on Soft tires? They basically sabotaged their own start and totally killed their momentum in the first half.
Either they were just slow in the US, or they completely botched the strategy and let the Haas F1 Team hang all over them.

Watching those sour faces—both in the Mercedes-Benz garage and inside the cars—is honestly priceless. 👏👏:clap

Anyway, at the end of the day, FORZA FERRARI !!!!!!

I'm definitely saving this quote for the rest of the season...