Australian Grand Prix (Los Angeles - Central Park) 03.26.2017

jadeseal7 said:Hey Tib, how’s everything going with you? 😁

By the way, looking at those times you posted...

It’s actually pretty fascinating to me how Kimi handled that Formula 1 lap—he just breezed through it without any drama, totally nonchalant, and then just rolled right back into his rhythm for the next lap like it was nothing.

It’s clear he had the pace; it just seems like Ferrari wasn't particularly worried about Red Bull Racing, so they were likely just cruising and being extremely conservative with the engine.

Honestly, Ferrari—even Kimi's car—was in a completely different league compared to Red Bull Racing. I’d bet anything that both Ferraris were running at maybe 90% during that last third of the race, and if I'm not mistaken, they probably could have pushed way harder if they wanted to. But since you're only allowed four engines before you start getting hit with penalties, it seems like a pretty smart move not to push it to the limit.
I actually think Kimi could’ve closed the gap to Valtteri Bottas, though maybe he wouldn't have made a real move on him, so I suppose they just settled for a mediocre weekend, grabbed their points, and let the engine rest.
Especially since Sebastian Vettel ended up taking the win anyway.

Toro Rosso, this recent situation isn't even questionable; Kimi himself admitted he struggled during the first tire stint, but everything smoothed out after the pit stop. Therefore, he was simply driving as conservatively as possible to protect his position without compromising it.

William Bennett53 said:Toro Rosso, this recent situation isn't even questionable; Kimi himself admitted he struggled during the first tire stint, but everything smoothed out after the pit stop. Therefore, he was simply driving as conservatively as possible to protect his position without compromising it.

Right. The whole issue with the US thing popped up when they tried tweaking the suspension right before qualifying, but then he ended up dealing with massive understeer. Who knows what they were actually aiming for, but on the softs, it looked way better for him.
We probably just need to wait for ABC News China and see how Ferrari's looking then. Los Angeles is such a weird one, so it doesn't really show where the true form is. I’m secretly hoping both of them end up being even stronger.

William Bennett53 said:Toro Rosso, this recent situation isn't even questionable; Kimi himself admitted he struggled during the first tire stint, but everything smoothed out after the pit stop. Therefore, he was simply driving as conservatively as possible to protect his position without compromising it.

True, but based on some of the comments floating around here, people are acting like Kimi had a total disaster behind the wheel and needs to retire immediately 🙂

Linda Peterson43 As if I haven't heard this all before... it's just the same old cycle repeating itself over and over again, isn't it? Everyone thinks they have the answer, everyone thinks they can see through the fog, but in the end, we're all just staring at the same predictable patterns while the world keeps spinning blindly on...
Yeah, but judging by some of the comments floating around here, Kimi’s performance was an absolute disaster and he needs to hang it up and retire immediately... 🙂

He drove that like a total pro... honestly, there wasn't anyone else on the grid who could have pulled that off, and he managed to hold onto his position while keeping the car completely intact...

wanderingharbor492 said:

Linda Peterson43 As if I haven't heard this all before... it's just the same old cycle repeating itself over and over again, isn't it? Everyone thinks they have the answer, everyone thinks they can see through the fog, but in the end, we're all just staring at the same predictable patterns while the world keeps spinning blindly on...
Yeah, but judging by some of the comments floating around here, Kimi’s performance was an absolute disaster and he needs to hang it up and retire immediately... 🙂

He drove that like a total pro... honestly, there wasn't anyone else on the grid who could have pulled that off, and he managed to hold onto his position while keeping the car completely intact...

I mean, any mediocre driver could’ve pulled that off if they had half the luck, let's be real.

Kimi Räikkönen is basically the textbook definition of a number two driver, it's just that he costs way too much to actually hire.

darkmarlin16 said:I mean, any mediocre driver could’ve pulled that off if they had half the luck, let's be real.

Kimi Räikkönen is basically the textbook definition of a number two driver, it's just that he costs way too much to actually hire.

And how exactly would your golden boy have done better?
In qualifying, he probably wouldn't have—he might have actually been worse...
In the race, there’s no way he would've overtaken anyone; his best bet would be keeping Max behind him, and he definitely wouldn't have done a thing against Valtteri Bottas...

By the way, saying you couldn't overtake is just wrong...
Formula 1 wasn't even that easy.😳
Esteban Ocon took the scalp off Alonso. All this talk about suspension is a total fairy tale because there was zero sign of suspension issues—it was likely tires, power, or maybe even fuel...

Perez getting past Sainz was a masterstroke, executed with millimeter precision...
Red Bull didn't have any issues, and Sainz didn't make a single mistake...

We could set up a poll to gauge how everyone felt about the race. I’d suggest a scale from 1–6—unwatchable, tolerable, good, very good, great, and elite. That way, before the moderator locks the thread, they can just crunch the average and drop it as the final post. It’ll give us a clear ranking of the best races instead of us scratching our heads at the end of the season trying to remember which one was actually good.

Also, someone should get ABC News China to open a thread.

Just my personal take, but that race was a total letdown. Absolutely nothing happened out there, and if the rest of the season stays this dull, it’s going to be even worse than I anticipated.

northerncobra31 said:Just my personal take, but that race was a total letdown. Absolutely nothing happened out there, and if the rest of the season stays this dull, it’s going to be even worse than I anticipated.

It really was a dismal race—quite a departure from the last three seasons where we pretty much knew who the winner was going to be before the lights even went out.

The race was actually great when you look at the final standings. For once, we saw a non-Mercedes victory achieved through pure grit, rather than relying on rain gambles, safety cars, mechanical failures, or Mercedes crashing out. Even if we account for Hamilton's botched pit stop, the result offers some hope, as Vettel was clearly faster than the Mercedes drivers.

Setting that aside, I found absolutely nothing engaging about the race, save for that aggressive double-move on Alonso and the solid driving from that little brat. In terms of actual content and trackside drama, this was a far below-average Australian Grand Prix.

William Bennett53 said:The race was actually great when you look at the final standings. For once, we saw a non-Mercedes victory achieved through pure grit, rather than relying on rain gambles, safety cars, mechanical failures, or Mercedes crashing out. Even if we account for Hamilton's botched pit stop, the result offers some hope, as Vettel was clearly faster than the Mercedes drivers.

Setting that aside, I found absolutely nothing engaging about the race, save for that aggressive double-move on Alonso and the solid driving from that little brat. In terms of actual content and trackside drama, this was a far below-average Australian Grand Prix.

Honestly, even the race in Canada was more engaging than what we saw in Los Angeles.

When the rain starts falling.

Who’s taking the seat at Ferrari for China? 🤔
Someone get this thread started already! 🙄

Is this actually official? Giovinazzo set for Ferrari drive in China and Bahrain

Wehrlein just committed career suicide.

jadeseal7 said:Wehrlein just committed career suicide.

And now, following his stint under the boss at Ferrari, he’s being coddled by Wolff as well. Apparently, he’s displayed nothing but maturity and selflessness. One can't help but wonder if they were making the exact same claims about Kimi back when he refused to drive due to those "back injuries."

Hmm, you could say that McLaren has a longer history of signing drivers than they actually have available seats.😵

Autoweek is reporting they won't be racing in China—and likely skipping Bahrain too.

William Bennett53 said:The race was actually great when you look at the final standings. For once, we saw a non-Mercedes victory achieved through pure grit, rather than relying on rain gambles, safety cars, mechanical failures, or Mercedes crashing out. Even if we account for Hamilton's botched pit stop, the result offers some hope, as Vettel was clearly faster than the Mercedes drivers.

Setting that aside, I found absolutely nothing engaging about the race, save for that aggressive double-move on Alonso and the solid driving from that little brat. In terms of actual content and trackside drama, this was a far below-average Australian Grand Prix.

Whatever...
Personally, I actually found the race pretty engaging for a US GP...
Look, I don't give a damn about 168 chaotic DRS overtakes or cars behaving like someone threw a 200lb weight on their rear end the second the tires give up.

For me, watching that tactical battle for the win was genuinely cool. Not just that, but the whole first stint where Vettel was hounding Lewis Hamilton,
and then later seeing Bottas's pursuit of Lewis Hamilton, plus Max's chase of Kimi and all that tension wondering what would happen next...
And even the drama of whether Alonso could hold onto his points or if Esteban Ocon and Nico Hülkenberg would take him down—and then potentially Hülkenberg and Ocon taking each other out—and who ends up being the last man standing. 😁

I have no idea why, but I've always found those races much more interesting—where overtaking is a struggle and the fight lasts a long time—than those mindless ones where you just click a button and everyone zips past.

Drew Bennett68 said:Hmm, you could say that McLaren has a longer history of signing drivers than they actually have available seats.😵

There’s a good chance there's some truth to that. 🤔
😬🤣🤣🤣