2015 Bahrain Grand Prix - Sakhir

crimsonstag84 said:The top six drivers all have one unused set of Softs left for the race 😉

Everyone just burned through their Softs from the First Qualifying Session during their first attempt in the Third Qualifying Session.

Not quite. If I may observe the side profile, Nico Rosberg actually managed to preserve his tires significantly better during the Second Qualifying Session.

mellowtiger83 said:People forget Kimi Raikkonen actually had a better race pace than Sebastian Vettel in the last two races. His push against the German is what basically forced Max Verstappen into that mess and triggered the safety car.

There's a huge difference between catching someone and actually passing them.😁
Nico Rosberg knows that all too well from this specific race, and honestly, Sebastian Vettel does too...
even if he had slightly better race pace or top speed, he couldn't do squat to Nico Rosberg... his only shot was an undercut during the pit stop.

The reality is Kimi Raikkonen wouldn't have stood a chance against Sebastian Vettel in China, unless he could somehow find a second or two of pure magic on track...

stormybadger8 said:Nico Rosberg might have a shot—but I just can't see Lewis Hamilton pulling it off. 😍
Nico Rosberg explained why he struggled during the Second Qualifying Session—and honestly, his reasoning actually makes a lot of sense to me.
He claims he was saving his tires for the race—which, judging by how both Ferraris performed, clearly worked.
While Lewis Hamilton was running in the Second Qualifying Session, he clocked a time that was nearly identical to his pace in the Third Qualifying Session...
So, we should probably expect Hamilton's tires to be the first ones to give up once the dew sets in.

Nico Rosberg is at it again—complaining about something else. Now he’s claiming he was actually saving his tires during the Third Qualifying Session.🤣
Now, at this point—it’s probably just a random draw because of that whole mess with Sebastian Vettel—but there’s a chance Nico Rosberg (and then hopefully Lewis Hamilton) might actually plan on hitting the pits three times. 😁 SU, SU, SN, MN...
If that’s how things are going to work—well, then Kimi Raikkonen might as well just go ahead and drink everyone's blood too. 😁

At the post-qualifying press conference, Nico Rosberg admitted he'd messed up—honestly, he looked like he was right on the verge of tears.

It’s honestly a bit sad that Formula 1 has devolved into a game of tire management—it feels like that's going to be the deciding factor yet again this season. As a fan, I'd much rather focus on the cutting-edge racing tech being developed—you know, the actual engineering marvels—rather than all this tactical driving where you have to slow down just to make sure you don't shred your rubber. It feels a little counterintuitive, doesn't it?
In a sport where the whole point is racing, Lewis goes out and puts together this absolute masterclass of a lap—only to throw it all away with a silly mistake at the finish line. We all have those specific drivers we root for because we think they’re the fastest on the grid, but honestly? If they actually want to take the win, they need to learn how to dial it back just a little bit. 🙏

I’m putting my money on Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel both missing out on a points finish—honestly, I suspect he won't let him pass even if he has to run him off the track to keep him there.
Go Lewis Hamilton—let's keep this momentum going all the way to the finish line!

These betting sites are absolutely brain-dead

I’d bet a freaking tenner that Max Verstappen finishes in the top 8, and honestly, I’d put the exact same amount on Manor Racing 🤦

hey darkmarlin16, you even sure if Max Verstappen is gonna make it to the finish line 😍 (looking at you, Renault), so that's basically the first hurdle—which I guess makes this coefficient not that surprising

Man, I’m telling you, Ferrari is absolutely going to take this thing, the only question left is how exactly they pull it off. And honestly? I’ve got a gut feeling one of those Mercedes cars isn't even going to see the checkered flag.
Plus, don't count out Nico Hulkenberg—he might just blow everyone away right at the start. We are in for one hell of a race.

analogpilot16 said:By the way, isn't it truly tragic how Formula 1 has devolved into little more than a tire management exercise? It seems this will once again be the deciding factor this year. As a spectator, shouldn't my interest lie in the most cutting-edge racing technology available in Formula 1, rather than being forced to watch drivers drive slower just to ensure they don't destroy their rubber?
In a sport where the entire purpose is pure racing, Lewis Hamilton pushes himself to the limit to set a blistering lap, only to end up looking foolish because he overextended. We all have our preferred drivers whom we root for under the assumption they are the fastest, yet in reality, if they actually want to secure a victory, they must drive more conservatively. 🙏

So, one has to wonder, how much effort was actually required to push any Mercedes during the Second Qualifying Session, given the knowledge that those specific tires must carry them through the first stint of the race? During the Third Qualifying Session, they could push as hard as they desired. While it is possible that Lewis Hamilton perhaps exhausted his tires a bit more, he also gained valuable data for the Third Qualifying Session, which ultimately led him to claim pole position. Perhaps the Mercedes cars won't struggle quite as much with degradation, which might explain why Lewis Hamilton was pushing even during the Second Qualifying Session. We shall see later today, though I find myself anticipating a win for Ferrari.

Fortibas,

I hear where you're coming from, but one has to remain realistic. Lewis Hamilton is the heavy favorite here, and I don't see tire degradation being an issue for him. If his tires hold up, Ferrari simply doesn't stand a chance. It isn't just that Ferrari lacks a car as fast as Mercedes; they don't even have a driver who can outmatch Lewis Hamilton, so there really isn't an advantage to be found on their side either.

Still, I would dearly love to witness a direct, head-to-head battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton. We haven't actually seen that yet.

Kim Kardashian is taking this today ☕

Frank Turner72 said:Kim is totally grabbing this today ☕

:fortinbras:

😂

Looks like it’ll most likely be a showdown between Ferrari and the rest... Sebastian Vettel might actually pull ahead since he’s hitting the pits earlier, which could give him just enough of an edge over Kim... should be interesting to watch.

mellowtiger83 said:Fortis,

I certainly grasp where you're coming from, but one must maintain a sense of realism here. Lewis Hamilton remains the overwhelming favorite, and I find it highly unlikely that tire degradation will become an issue for him; if his tires hold up, then Mercedes simply won't stand a chance. It isn't just that Ferrari lacks a car as fast as the Mercedes, but quite frankly, they don't even have a driver superior to Lewis Hamilton, so there is no advantage to be found on their side either.

That said, I would truly relish seeing a head-to-head battle between Sebastian Vettel and Lewis; a direct confrontation like that is something we have yet to witness.

Have you perhaps fallen from Mars? I am genuinely unsure who holds more championships, though I see you've already started throwing tantrums over a couple of gold medals.🍿

As for today, my prediction is a victory for Sebastian, followed by a heated struggle between Kim Kardashian and Nico Rosberg for third place.

Brian Campbell36 said:You clearly haven't been paying attention. I’m not sure who holds more titles, but it seems you're getting a bit too worked up over two gold medals.🍿

Today, I'm anticipating a win for Sebastian and a scrap between Kim and Nico for third place.

What does his four championships even have to do with this?

Ayrton Senna had three. So what? What's your point there?

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel drove identical cars back in F3000. By the way, Hamilton absolutely dominated Vettel during that time. Beyond that, they all had different cars under varying conditions with entirely different teammates.

mellowtiger83 said:Look, let's be real—there isn't a single driver out there better than Lewis Hamilton, so Ferrari doesn't have an edge on that front either.

Actually, they've got two drivers better than Lewis Hamilton, just like McLaren does.😁>

stormybadger8 said:Actually, there are two drivers better than Lewis Hamilton, just as much as there is McLaren😁

👍, whatever goes!!🥱

mellowtiger83 said:Hamilton and Vettel drove identical cars back in Formula 3000. Hamilton absolutely smoked him during that time, though. Beyond that, they had totally different cars, different conditions, and different teammates.

Just like what they were running in F1.🤣
They’re basically twins. Think Mercedes 2014 and McLaren 2014 levels of identical.😁

Where on earth did you get the idea that Vettel and Hamilton were teammates in Formula 3000?🤦

stormybadger8 said:Just as identical as what they had in F1🤣
Identical, much like the Mercedes 2014 and the McLaren 2014😁

Where on earth did you get the idea that Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton were teammates in F3000?🤦

They weren't teammates. Both drove for top-tier teams. Or are you suggesting Lewis Hamilton had a better car back in F3???

mellowtiger83 said:His F3000 peers weren't exactly amateurs—both cars were running in top-tier teams. Or are you actually trying to suggest Lewis Hamilton had a better car back in F3?

And honestly, a two-year age gap? Given how much those formative years matter in any sport, I guess it doesn't really make a massive difference, does it?

http://m.gpupdate.net/en/standings/7...ies-standings/

Here is a look at how things actually stand.

mellowtiger83 said:http://m.gpupdate.net/en/standings/7...ies-standings/

Just thought I'd drop this here so you can see how things actually look.

What exactly is the "real situation" here? Like, is Adrian Sutil really such a superior driver that he outscored Sebastian Vettel and his entire teammate combined? I guess both you and Tibi might be overstating things just a little bit.