Australia vs. USA - March 25, 2018

stormybadger8 said:The top speed gap between Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton is about 12 miles/h in favor of Lewis Hamilton...
Now, part of that is definitely down to the DRS, but even then, it’s hard to believe DRS alone accounts for 12 miles/h...
And honestly, regardless of how much I try to remember, nobody actually manages to overtake anyone in that DRS zone, no matter if you're gaining 12 miles/h... which is pretty weird when you think about it, since 12 miles/h is a massive amount...

Looking at the start-finish line, the difference between Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton is again about 6.2 miles/h...
Once again, a chunk of that gap comes from the DRS...

But I really don't get how some people here can read these stats and conclude that Ferrari is freaking faster than The Bear in a straight line, let alone faster in every single sector. 🤔

Qualifying is one thing, but a race is a completely different beast altogether...
It is totally possible for a car to behave differently during a race when it's heavy with fuel, where its top speed might not be quite the same... you can see this clearly with Ferrari and Mercedes-AMG, who basically swapped roles in that regard...
If you look closely, you'd almost think Ferrari has a "party mode" they can pull out for qualifying but can't use during the race, whereas The Bear has it available for both...

Qualifying essentially means:

1) Using the absolute strongest engine mode possible
2) Flooring it the whole way
3) Running with minimal fuel

The fact that Lewis Hamilton was chasing Sebastian Vettel using DRS while Kimi Räikkönen was struggling a bit, making Lewis faster on the straight, doesn't mean anything. Even STR was faster than Ferrari and The Bear in top speed, so does anyone with half a brain actually think Honda is more powerful than the Mercedes-AMG or Ferrari engines? The only, absolute only time you can really see how much the engine strength shows is during qualifying. There's actually an interesting chart showing that the Ferrari crews lost by far the least amount of speed on the straights compared to all the other teams (everyone else was about 6-7km/h slower per sector because of the Halo and higher drag).

Anyway, Ferrari can absolutely use that high-power mode during a race, but what's the point when they need those Power Units to last through seven races plus practice sessions, and there's no real reason to go chasing anyone?

Richard Ross11 said:Yeah, he's fast for the most part, which isn't exactly a shocker, right?
But seriously, when he actually ends up being slower—which has happened before—watching Ferrari scramble is pure comedy. They’ll be sweating bullets trying to figure out how to put him ahead without it looking like blatant team orders. 🙂

I used to think it was just hilarious watching fans go looking for conspiracy theories where absolutely none exist.
People are constantly nitpicking why Kimi pits after Sebastian Vettel, or why he goes in before him. It’s always the same old story: apparently, Ferrari is just too "shy" to actually use their team orders. 🙂
So, it never even crosses their minds? Or maybe they just "fail" to notice that every single team follows the exact same playbook: the lead driver pits first to hunt for the undercut, while the second driver stays out on a counter-strategy to either cover them or pull off an overcut if there’s no one breathing down their neck. Real geniuses, those guys.

I mean, if Ferrari actually had any sense left, they’d realize how much they're messing up. It would be a miracle if they finally used their heads and just put Vettel out front. 🤣
I mean, come on. We’re talking about a crew that, back when team orders were strictly banned, just casually dropped an "Fernando is faster than you" right in the middle of a race without even blinking. They didn't just say it, either—they actually had the nerve to ask, "Do you understand this message?" Pure audacity. 🤣

And out of everyone on the grid, it’s always those exact same guys—the ones who act all shy about this stuff and would never dream of telling a driver to get out of the way, no matter what. 🙂
If they actually wanted Vettel ahead of Kimi, they wouldn't have played games. They would’ve told Kimi to clear out right at the start, or just barked the order over the team radio to get him out of the way. It wouldn't be that complicated.
You really think Ferrari is that terrified of what some random internet troll might say, or even what Kimi might eventually have to say?
Even if they ordered it, they’d have to kick Sebastian Vettel out just to make things work, let alone force Kimi Räikkönen to move.

If they used Kimi Räikkönen as bait for Lewis Hamilton, they absolutely did. And honestly? They played it perfectly during that VSC. Masterful execution.

To think their only goal was to tuck him in behind Sebastian Vettel and somehow mask the fact that Lewis Hamilton wasn't even part of the plan—that he just showed up by pure accident? Yeah, right. No way that’s the truth.
If that were actually how things worked, they would've told Kimi to get out of the way or called him in for another pit stop. They definitely wouldn't have let his pit stop run five or six seconds longer just to mess around. They certainly wouldn't be pulling this kind of stunt.

I only gave it a GOOD rating because it was the first race of the season, but honestly? I’d say it was just OK

darkmarlin16 said:I only gave it a GOOD rating because it was the season opener. Honestly? It was barely TOLERABLE.

I felt the exact same way. 🙏

swifttiger75 said:Yeah. It would’ve been nice. And maybe my guy too. This whole thing between these two is going to be a total circus. But hey... Mr. Moderator, I noticed you didn't cast a vote in the poll. Probably can't decide which way to lean, huh? 😁

I've only watched the highlights, so that's not enough info to actually vote. Besides, the moderators on this sub have the highest moral standards. 😁

Kyle Edwards5 said:I only watched the highlights, which isn't nearly enough to cast a vote. The moderators on this sub supposedly hold the highest moral standards. 😁

Their sense of morality is about as reliable as a Gypsy's😁. If you were to ask one what morality even means, they'd just shrug and say, "Well, I had to do it."👍

On a different note, has anyone else caught the streak of bad luck hitting Max Verstappen lately? I find myself wondering what on earth is causing this run.🙂

http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?p...stian%20Vettel

stormybadger8 said:I would have said that certain fans are just plain ridiculous, constantly hunting for conspiracy theories where absolutely none exist...
It is quite interesting to observe the subtle maneuvering regarding why Kimi enters the pits just behind Vettel, or conversely, why he pulls in just before him. It seems to happen repeatedly, and if you ask me, it is all because Ferrari is just so incredibly shy when it comes to issuing any kind of permitted team orders... 🙂
It’s honestly baffling that it hasn't crossed their minds yet, or that they haven't even bothered to notice the standard playbook. In any top-tier team, the lead driver should be the one pitting first to attempt an undercut, while the second driver stays out on a counter-strategy to either cover the move or attempt an overcut if there isn't any immediate threat from behind...

I honestly think if that kid has even an ounce of sense left in him, he’ll realize that working with Ferrari isn't worth the headache. It would be such a massive blunder... wouldn't it be much smarter for them to just bring Vettel out front instead... 🤣
Well, that’s the thing about them. Even back when team orders were strictly forbidden, they didn't just casually drop a "Fernando is faster than you" right in the middle of a race without an ounce of shame... they actually had the nerve to follow it up by asking, "Do you understand this message?"... 🤣

And honestly, out of everyone on the grid, it’s always those specific individuals who have always been so incredibly shy about such things... you know, the types who wouldn't even dream of telling a driver to move out of their way, no matter what the circumstances might be... 🙂
If they truly intended to put Vettel ahead of Kimi, they would have made it crystal clear to him—either by telling him to move out of the way right at the start or by issuing a direct order over the team radio during the final laps to get out of the way immediately...
You can almost sense how much Ferrari is sweating over what some random internet troll might say, or even what Kimi might eventually have to voice himself...
Even if they gave Sebastian Vettel the order, he would still need to be pulled out of the way to make room, let alone the situation with Kimi...

If Ferrari used Kimi as bait to draw Lewis Hamilton out, they absolutely did... and honestly, between that and the way they handled the VSC, they played it brilliantly...

It seems highly unlikely that their sole intention was to tuck him behind Vettel just to mask the situation; I doubt even Hamilton could have imagined that was the plan, let alone stumbled into it by pure accident...
If things had actually played out that way, they would have ordered Kimi to pull off the track immediately, or they might have brought him in for another pit stop altogether. You can bet his pit stop would have dragged on for an extra five or six seconds, too. There is simply no way they would have executed the strategy quite like this...

I wasn't specifically referring to the last race, I was speaking more generally...
They paid quite a premium for Vettel, so he really needs to justify that investment... and usually, when he’s showing his pace, everything seems to be fine... 🙂
Actually, I can't seem to think of a single race where Kimi qualified ahead of Vettel and actually managed to hold that position through to the checkered flag... 🙂

I forgot to mention: why was Kimi so frustrated on the radio regarding the strategy? 🙂 If there hadn't been a VSC (let's just say nobody knew if a VSC would happen 🙂), how else could you explain Ferrari's strategy concerning Vettel?

Vettel attempted an overcut to get ahead of Kimi, and catching Hamilton was clearly out of the question anyway, wasn't it? Yet, "by pure coincidence," the pit wall seemed to forget to update Kimi on where Vettel was and what he was doing... 🙂
And, had the VSC not occurred, it's entirely possible Vettel would have emerged ahead of him, leaving us with a HAM-VET-RAI finish at the end. 🙂
Or, if he didn't manage to pass, he would have ended up with tires about ten laps fresher, which likely would have allowed him to overtake Kimi in those final two or three laps... honestly, the strategy was questionable... 🙂

Then again, I suppose it all makes sense. Vettel is the No. 1 driver at Ferrari, and his job is to secure the WDC. Kimi is the veteran, there to collect points. But whenever he actually shows some brilliance, it "accidentally"—yet consistently—seems like his strategy gets botched, causing him to lose even more than he should... 🙂
Since this is only the first race of the season, it feels a bit unfair to screw him over right out of the gate... 🙂

just sayin'... 🙂

Ferrari's strategy was completely and utterly logical...
There’s nothing weird about a driver sitting in P2 and chasing down first place being the first one to pit for an undercut. If you think that's strange, you clearly don't know the first thing about F1...
Likewise, if you've got a driver right on your tail in P3, it makes total sense to go for an overcut instead. When you're running two different strategies, one of them has to hit to have a shot at something...
And trying to pull the exact same move on both drivers is just plain stupid. It kills your chances immediately because if Hamilton covers one, he covers both, and then you can just pack it up—it's over...

Now, it would’ve been a truly bizarre tactic if they’d called Vettel in first and let him try to undercut Kimi. That would’ve been blatant favoritism and a weird call, but this wasn't that. ☕

As for Kimi, regarding those times he dropped back after being ahead, I’d say he simply isn't capable of pulling off that whole "staying consistent" thing...
It feels like he doesn't even bother hashing out the strategy with his engineers before the race, and then he won't even talk to them during the race either. He just mumbles something and then throws a fit when things go sideways...
One of the most vital things for an F1 driver is having solid communication with their engineer. There needs to be mutual respect and understanding, and acting like a jerk doesn't really help much...
And Kimi is famous for being a jerk to his engineers and ignoring whatever they tell him. Honestly, he’s a legend when it comes to ignoring people on the team radio. 🙏

But me, I’m still not entirely following his logic here...
http://en.mclarenf-1.com/index.php?p...mi%20Raikkonen

He didn't speed up at all before the pits (fine, let's play devil's advocate and say they didn't notify him in time), but his lap was actually slower, not faster, right before heading in...
Instead, Hamilton is the one extending his lead by nearly half a second right before Kimi hits the pits, rather than the other way around where Kimi should be closing the gap...

And wouldn't you know it, he didn't pick up the pace after the pits on fresh rubber either (maybe the pit wall told him to hold back?), but hey, we're all just waiting for that undercut to work, right? 😵
Even though he lost 2.2 seconds to Hamilton during that undercut attempt, which is anything but normal...

Honestly, I don't know what kid he is, but I get the feeling he "falls asleep" at the wheel during every single race. Because how else do you explain this nonsense—being slower on fresh tires than you were on old ones before pitting? 🤷
How do you explain the fact that he practically "naps" during almost every restart following an SC... and yet, there he goes, sleeping through this race too...
I have no clue why. Maybe he just couldn't be bothered with all this crap about saving tires, the engine, fuel, and blah blah blah, and he just gets too relaxed...
I mean, he's primarily a driver from an era where you just pinned the throttle to the floor, not an era where you constantly have to slow down to save some random part...

And then, at the end of the day, it's the team's fault because you didn't set fast laps before pitting or maximize the tires. The team is to blame if your in-lap and out-lap are slow, and the team is to blame when you fall asleep during a restart...

Vettel definitely wasn't at his best this weekend, that's for sure, but even so, he didn't sleep. As soon as an opening appeared, he pushed hard and took advantage of it...
Hell if he would've finished ahead of Hamilton and Kimi, he hadn't put in those fast laps on old tires before the pits, and his in-lap and out-lap weren't fast enough...
But hey, blame the strategy again. 🙂

It’s always the same old story...
If Kimi goes for an undercut, suddenly it's a terrible strategy...
But if Vettel pulls an undercut, oh man, it's the greatest strategic masterstroke ever...

If Kimi tries to overcut, everyone loses their minds about how bad it is...
Yet when Vettel attempts an overcut, it's hailed as absolute genius...

In this particular scenario, Vettel was sitting pretty with a guaranteed third-place finish; the only things that could have realistically jeopardized that spot were a punctured tire or some sudden engine failure...
Hamilton, on the other hand, wasn't under any threat whatsoever—not even close, and I think we can all agree on that...
Vettel could have easily ducked into the pits after just two or three laps, right behind Kimi... and if they had played it that way, I’d say everything would have been perfectly fine...

Looking at the telemetry from the air, it's clear they were attempting an overcut, though it was aimed at Kimi rather than Hamilton... which is also a perfectly valid strategy...
But if they don't communicate where Vettel is and what he's doing, then we run into a bit of a situation, in my opinion... 🙂

As for Kimi, he definitely fell asleep at the wheel, and let's be honest, it isn't exactly the first time either...

Anyone who doesn't see that they intentionally hold Kimi back whenever he's outperforming Vettel clearly doesn't get F1... I mean, look at what they put Webber through at Red Bull—once they actually gave him equal footing, Ric absolutely smoked him on track. Honestly, those four titles Vettel won feel like one of the biggest scams in the sport, but whatever—he isn't winning anything else anyway.

Richard Ross11 said:In this setup, Vettel was basically looking at a guaranteed third place. The only way he loses that is if he hits a punctured tire or his engine gives up...
There was zero chance of him threatening Hamilton, let alone catching him, and everyone knows that...
Vettel could have jumped into the pits after just two or three laps, right behind Kimi... then I’d say the plan made sense...

From an aerial view, it looks like they attempted an overcut, but not against Hamilton—against Kimi. That’s fine too...
But if they don't tell him where Vettel is or what he's doing, well, that's a bit of a problem, if you ask me. 🙂

And yeah, Kimi fell asleep at the wheel, and it's not even the first time. That's just facts...

If Vettel had pitted immediately after Kimi after just a few laps, I'd be calling them idiots and saying their strategy was total garbage...
It would be the exact same thing if the roles were reversed and Vettel was trying to undercut Hamilton while Kimi sat behind him...
That kind of tactic is pure stupidity; it makes zero sense for the crew. The only logical move in this situation is an undercut or overcut strategy that covers both bases. Anything else is just nonsense...

We can all sit here acting like geniuses about this, but there's another massive factor at play...

The reality is, Ferrari wants Vettel to finish ahead, but surely not at any cost...
What always happens in these scenarios is that Kimi doesn't just lose ground to Vettel, but inevitably to others too. 😉
This time it didn't happen, but he was definitely on the verge of losing out to Ricco again...

And nobody is going to convince me that it was in Ferrari's interest to make sure Kimi didn't attack Hamilton—whether during the race, the undercut, or the restart...
It wasn't in their interest for Kimi to pass Hamilton, nor to get into a scrap with Ricco and potentially lose his own position...
Oh sure, because it's totally in Ferrari's interest to throw away their Constructors' Championship chances just so they can push Vettel ahead of Kimi at any cost, all while making sure the fans don't hear them telling Kimi to back off...

Ferrari's goal was to have Vettel finish ahead of Kimi at worst, taking 2nd and 3rd...
A better outcome would be Vettel finishing ahead of Hamilton, with Kimi in 3rd...
The best case scenario? They take 1st and 2nd, with Vettel leading...

But there was absolutely no way they wanted Vettel to finish 2nd ahead of Kimi, while Kimi ends up 4th behind Ricco...
And all that just so Kimi's fans wouldn't throw a fit. 🙂

You could try to argue they were messing with the strategy just to please the fans (who are usually smart enough to see through it), suggesting they'd sacrifice Constructors' points just for optics...
Instead of playing it tactically to get both cars up front and then simply telling Kimi to move when the time comes...

It makes five hundred times more sense that their goal was to get both drivers ahead of Hamilton, and then later instruct Kimi to yield to Vettel...
It might not be "popular," but it's effective. They’d much rather do that—even if Kimi only moves in the final lap—than pull this kind of stunt and risk losing championship points and putting both cars off the podium. 🤦

You're a long way from home now, where did Ric come from all of a sudden? 🙂

Let's just be perfectly clear on one thing: Ferrari generally prefers the VET-RAI order, and they occasionally—often, actually—employ tactics to ensure that happens. There is nothing wrong with that; we have seen it before, and it isn't controversial. Even when the pit wall tells him to move aside, that is perfectly acceptable. However, it is simply not right to deceive him through negligence, such as intentionally withholding vital information... 🙂 It feels as though they are lying to him, treating him like a small child by saying, "you are both equal drivers, there is no first or second driver, blah blah," and Kimi actually believes it... 🙂

As for this specific race, I will say it again: Vettel's third-place position was never under threat; he could have pitted earlier without any issue at all. An overcut would never have worked against Hamilton, do I really need to repeat myself? 🙂 So, why even attempt an overcut? 🙂

The logic here is just broken...
So basically, if Kimi is ahead, there’s zero point in either him or Vettel even trying to overtake Hamilton, right???
The plan is just to cruise behind Hamilton the whole race and settle for P2 and P3. In what world does it make sense to try and pass Hamilton with one driver, let alone both of them at once...

And you're claiming Vettel's third-place spot wasn't under threat? Well, we saw that Kimi's P2 was actually looking pretty shaky from the moment the SC came out until the end, thanks to Ricco. 🙂
Honestly, it looked more likely that Ricco would take out Kimi than Hamilton taking out Vettel...

And of course, it's clearly in Ferrari's interest to have Kimi lose ground to Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Ricco, and whoever else, just so Vettel can move up. They won't even tell Kimi to move out of the way...
Because then Kimi might actually realize they aren't being treated equally and that Ferrari wants Vettel ahead of him. 🙂

It's like they're cutting his throttle for him so he can't go faster, or constantly screwing him over with tactics by not telling him to push harder.
They don't tell him the SC is clearing the track, so the poor guy loses focus, or they don't tell him to hammer it on the in-laps and out-laps—all just to tuck him in behind Vettel without him noticing.

Seriously, what kid 🙄
Is Kimi drunk, high, slow, or what? Because if everyone else has seen this coming for years, I have no clue how he still hasn't figured it out. 🤦

mellowtiger83 said:So, I don't know if anyone else caught this, but has anyone actually noticed the streak of bad luck Max Verstappen seems to be riding lately? Seriously, I’m sitting here wondering what on earth is the reason behind it all.🙂

🤣

stormybadger8 said:It's just completely nonsensical...
So, if Kimi is leading the pack, there’s absolutely no point in even attempting to chase down Hamilton—not him, and certainly not Vettel, either...

I could certainly attempt to overtake a BMW 550 in my Yugo 45... though it would likely remain nothing more than a distant dream... 🙂
In that last race, Lewis Hamilton was absolutely flying compared to everyone else on the grid... Is that really that difficult for people to see?... 🙂

stormybadger8 said:The goal here should be to just cruise steadily behind Lewis Hamilton for the duration of the race and settle for those second and third-place podium spots. Honestly, even in the wildest scenarios, there is absolutely no logic in trying to overtake Hamilton by using one driver, let alone attempting it with both...

You can floor it all you want, but that obstacle ahead of you is coming at you faster than you think... 🙂

stormybadger8 said:You claim that Vettel's third-place position wasn't under any threat at all, yet in the end, we saw that Kimi Räikkönen's previous runner-up spot was indeed compromised by Ricco from the moment the SC came out until the finish line... 🙂
It actually seemed to me that there was a much higher probability of Ricco taking out Kimi than seeing Hamilton go after Vettel...

I maintain that his position was never truly under threat. Honestly, Ricco wouldn't have managed to overtake Kimi even if they had stayed out on track for another twenty laps. That’s just the nature of this circuit...

stormybadger8 said:It is quite obvious that Ferrari's true priority is having Kimi Räikkönen sacrifice his position to Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Ricco, and the rest, all just to ensure Sebastian Vettel stays ahead. It seems they won't even dream of ordering Kimi to move out of the way for anyone else...
Well, that's when Kimi would finally realize they aren't on equal footing, and that the folks over at Ferrari actually want Vettel ahead of him... 🙂

You’ve really cooked something up here, though I have no idea how you even managed to reach that conclusion...

stormybadger8 said:They basically shorten his throttle cable so he can't go faster, then they tactically screw him over constantly because they don't tell him he needs to pick up the pace,
they don't tell him the SC needs to clear the track so he just ends up nodding off, and they don't tell him to hammer the gas on his in-laps and out-laps—all just so they can sneak him behind Vettel without him even realizing it...

I mean, seriously, what kind of kid
Is Kimi drunk, high, slow, or what? Because it seems like you all have seen this coming for years, yet he still hasn't caught on... 🤦

And in the end, it was all for nothing... 🙂

I make one simple statement, agreeing with you in principle, and then you go and build an entire conspiracy theory around it... 🙂

I'm done with this. Not against Vettel (I'm not a fan, but I don't have anything against him, he's fine), but I'm definitely staying away from this topic. You just catch fire like a cheap lighter, honestly... 🙂

stormybadger8 said:Logic just isn't there, I guess....
So, if Kimi is in front, it makes zero sense—absolutely zero—to even attempt passing Hamilton, right? Not for him, and certainly not for Vettel. > The plan, then, is apparently to just cruise behind Hamilton for the whole race and settle for second and third. In any sane universe, trying to overtake Hamilton with either driver—let alone both at once—is just... well, it's pointless.>
And you claim Vettel’s third-place spot wasn't under threat at all, but we saw it clearly enough: Kimi's previous run at P2 was definitely under fire from Ricco from the moment the SC came out until the checkered flag.
Actually, if I'm being honest, it looked more likely that Ricco would take out Kimi than Hamilton taking out Vettel...
And oh, naturally, it's in Ferrari's best interest for Kimi to just yield positions to Valtteri Bottas, Max Verstappen, Ricco, and whoever else, just so Vettel can move up. They won't ever explicitly order Kimi to move, of course. Because if they did, Kimi might actually realize they aren't playing fair and that Ferrari wants Vettel ahead of him.

Instead, they just sort of throttle his momentum, maybe? They mess with him tactically by not telling him when to push, or forgetting to mention the SC is clearing the track, so he gets caught napping. They don't tell him to hammer the throttle on his in-laps or out-laps, all just to slide him behind Vettel without him catching on.

I mean, seriously, what kid
Is Kimi drunk, high, slow, or what? Because if everyone else has been seeing this pattern for years, I don't get how he still hasn't put two and two together.

It’s honestly comical how you ignore the facts here... you're lying to yourself, you know you're lying to yourself, and you think you can lie to us too. But we see through it, and deep down, you know we see through it.
God... it's just...
...this level of mental decline is something else. It's rare. Rarer than a snow leopard in the desert.div>

Yeah, obviously...
Kimi is just naive and clueless, like a wide-eyed intern who doesn't realize they're getting played by the strategy team. But hey, at least the fans get the picture, right? 🙂

I mean, what else can you call Kimi besides clueless when Ferrari keeps screwing him over in the pits during every single race where he fails to beat Vettel? They basically pit him just to let Vettel pass him, and it's happened enough times that he's lost positions to Vettel and everyone else behind him too...

At the same time, you can't really blame the guys at Ferrari either. They aren't exactly in a position to tell their employee, "Hey, move aside so the No. 1 driver can pass," while keeping the No. 2 driver in the best possible spot...
And honestly, you can't call Kimi anything else if he can't grasp that he needs to move. Instead, he just sits there halfway through the race waiting for the pit wall to screw him over. 😵

It's a total miracle if he were smart enough to move right at the start. If he had, Vettel would have been the one hunting down Hamilton, and he would've been the first one in for the undercut—which has always been the primary strategy anyway.
Kimi would’ve stayed behind him on an overcut strategy (which is basically a desperate move where you just hope for the best, maybe praying for an SC 🙂...), and then maybe, just maybe, Kimi would've won thanks to a VSC. 🙂

But of course, if that actually worked, you'd just have the same crowd of people popping up with the same tired theories about how Ferrari intentionally sabotaged Kimi with a stupid overcut strategy...
And the dumbest part? They'd probably even be right that it was a stupid strategy...

Whatever Vettel pulled doesn't matter at all. Even without the VSC, there was absolutely zero chance of passing Hamilton with that strategy. In the end, he wouldn't have passed Kimi either, unless someone just stepped aside or let him through at the end of the race using some excuse about worn-out tires.
Think about it: if Hamilton couldn't pass Vettel in a much faster car, how on earth was Vettel going to pass Kimi in the exact same car? 🤔