Monaco GP - May 29, 2022 @ 3:00 PM

stormybadger8 said:Who exactly should be embarrassed and why?
The people claiming Perez was faster than Max in Monaco 🤔

Since when did quoting a stat sheet and stating undeniable facts become something to be ashamed of?🤦

Whether it is people insisting Perez will be the primary title contender, or the idea that because he spent half a lap trailing behind Williams Racing, it somehow explains why Charles Leclerc and the others ended up driving slower laps than Max during those decisive final rounds.

swiftmaker12 said:Poets are a true wonder in this world.
This is my little way of trolling—watching a ten-page debate unfold about what might have happened if three drivers hadn't triggered that red flag during Q3... it’s basically a scientific seminar at this point.
That’s peak trolling right there—when certain folks on this forum start projecting their own wishes onto undeniable facts.

But what actually went down? That's where we naive souls sit around wondering how things could even work this way. Now *that* is the real trolling.

Just a slight misalignment of values, I suppose.

This forum exists as a space for the exchange of ideas, which naturally includes presenting one's own vision of alternative scenarios that could have occurred. If you truly believe someone is trolling, please feel free to report such posts.

graniteharbor502 said:Whether it is people insisting Perez will be the primary title contender, or the idea that because he spent half a lap trailing behind Williams Racing, it somehow explains why Charles Leclerc and the others ended up driving slower laps than Max during those decisive final rounds.

This forum exists as a space for the exchange of ideas, which naturally includes presenting one's own vision of alternative scenarios that could have occurred. If you truly believe someone is trolling, please feel free to report such posts.

Honestly, being stuck behind Alexander Albon for even half a lap is enough to cost you a position.
The rest was just Ferrari's pit crew messing things up.

Same goes for Perez compared to Carlos Sainz. Maybe just less obvious than what happened to Leclerc.

I wouldn't say Perez won unfairly, but he definitely relied more on luck than actual skill. After the pit stops, he ended up behind Lando Norris. He probably wouldn't have passed him if Lando hadn't pitted and cleared the way.

Amanda Kelly said:Honestly, being stuck behind Alexander Albon for even half a lap is enough to cost you a position.
The rest was just Ferrari's pit crew messing things up.

Same goes for Perez compared to Carlos Sainz. Maybe just less obvious than what happened to Leclerc.

I wouldn't say Perez won unfairly, but he definitely relied more on luck than actual skill. After the pit stops, he ended up behind Lando Norris. He probably wouldn't have passed him if Lando hadn't pitted and cleared the way.

But what about those other laps where he had nothing but open track ahead of him? What kind of disadvantage does that actually pose to the rest of the field? 🍿

graniteharbor502 said:But what about those other laps where he had nothing but open track ahead of him? What kind of disadvantage does that actually pose to the rest of the field? 🍿

No complaints here. I honestly couldn't care less about those two or three laps you keep bringing up.
If someone was clearly the fastest driver all weekend, I don't think they need to offer any excuses or apologies.
Not a single major mistake, and zero instances of slamming into a wall like you were hoping for—or praying for, really.

IMO, Ferrari absolutely fell apart in Monaco.
There are plenty of people to blame here, but I can tell you one thing for sure: it definitely isn't the drivers.

Ferrari's pit wall completely misread the tire situation. They totally underestimated how much of an advantage fresh rubber would have over the wets.
Second off, that double pit stop they pulled with Charles Leclerc was just pure stupidity. Total blunder.
Then you've got those two idiots from Williams Racing. At least one of them—Alexander Albon—actually deserved to be called out and penalized. He just did whatever he felt like instead of following the rules regarding letting someone pass for a full lap.

And finally, there’s the luck factor.
Red Bull messed up the pit window and dropped Sergio Perez behind Lando Norris. Fine. At least they actually tried something.
If you ask me, they only brought Perez in for testing to see how things would shake out with Max. Big mistake. They just got lucky at the end of the lap because Lando was heading into the pits, which finally gave Perez some breathing room.
If Lando Norris had managed to squeeze out just one more lap before that pit window opened, or if Nicholas Latifi hadn't gotten in the way of Carlos Sainz, it’s pretty much a given that Sergio Perez wouldn't be standing on top of the podium.

Look, there were plenty of outside factors at play here, but if you ask me, his driving was the least of them.

If you actually believe Leclerc reached this point solely because of his driving, hey, that’s your prerogative. But based on everything I've read so far, you might be the only person here who thinks that.

graniteharbor502 said:Whether it is people insisting Perez will be the primary title contender, or the idea that because he spent half a lap trailing behind Williams Racing, it somehow explains why Charles Leclerc and the others ended up driving slower laps than Max during those decisive final rounds.

This forum exists as a space for the exchange of ideas, which naturally includes presenting one's own vision of alternative scenarios that could have occurred. If you truly believe someone is trolling, please feel free to report such posts.

You're talking to the wrong person...
I don't really have an issue with trolling... personally.
That was actually meant for someone else on the forum.

Things are already heating up in Italy...
Ferrari completely botched the strategy—but as usual, they sent out their little lapdogs to convince everyone that the team is filled with nothing but tactical geniuses and gods, just so they can pin everything on the drivers.
Right after the race, an Autosprint reporter blamed Carlos Sainz for the disaster, and the rest of the media just swallowed it whole. Sainz shot back yesterday, making it clear he isn't at fault and pointing out his contract doesn't include a clause stating he’s just the second driver.
Charles Leclerc had two certain wins snatched away in the last two races, yet the media—those absolute sycophants—are writing that he needs to watch his mouth because Ferrari is bigger than any single driver, even throwing Alain Prost's legacy in his face...
Ferrari is trying to sweep this under the rug to avoid admitting they need to overhaul their decision-making process—they're clearly terrified of taking any actual risks.
Add in the constant mocking from the Red Bull crew, and you've got pure panic inside Ferrari.
And that's despite the fact they finally managed to build a fast car after several years...
Clearly, after Australia, they thought the championship was a done deal—assuming other teams would just roll over once they saw Ferkan in their rearview mirror.
Word is everyone in Monaco blocked them, and nobody even bothered to pay the penalty.

Look, I'm a bit older—I remember what the FIA actually stood for back between 2000 and 2004.
Karma is a bitch.

swiftmaker12 said:Things are already heating up in Italy...
Ferrari completely botched the strategy—but as usual, they sent out their little lapdogs to convince everyone that the team is filled with nothing but tactical geniuses and gods, just so they can pin everything on the drivers.
Right after the race, an Autosprint reporter blamed Carlos Sainz for the disaster, and the rest of the media just swallowed it whole. Sainz shot back yesterday, making it clear he isn't at fault and pointing out his contract doesn't include a clause stating he’s just the second driver.
Charles Leclerc had two certain wins snatched away in the last two races, yet the media—those absolute sycophants—are writing that he needs to watch his mouth because Ferrari is bigger than any single driver, even throwing Alain Prost's legacy in his face...
Ferrari is trying to sweep this under the rug to avoid admitting they need to overhaul their decision-making process—they're clearly terrified of taking any actual risks.
Add in the constant mocking from the Red Bull crew, and you've got pure panic inside Ferrari.
And that's despite the fact they finally managed to build a fast car after several years...
Clearly, after Australia, they thought the championship was a done deal—assuming other teams would just roll over once they saw Ferkan in their rearview mirror.
Word is everyone in Monaco blocked them, and nobody even bothered to pay the penalty.

Look, I'm a bit older—I remember what the FIA actually stood for back between 2000 and 2004.
Karma is a bitch.

If that's how it works, fine! Why don't they just win the championship without drivers at all? Problem solved, right?

swiftmaker12 said:Things are already heating up in Italy...
Ferrari completely botched the strategy—but as usual, they sent out their little lapdogs to convince everyone that the team is filled with nothing but tactical geniuses and gods, just so they can pin everything on the drivers.
Right after the race, an Autosprint reporter blamed Carlos Sainz for the disaster, and the rest of the media just swallowed it whole. Sainz shot back yesterday, making it clear he isn't at fault and pointing out his contract doesn't include a clause stating he’s just the second driver.
Charles Leclerc had two certain wins snatched away in the last two races, yet the media—those absolute sycophants—are writing that he needs to watch his mouth because Ferrari is bigger than any single driver, even throwing Alain Prost's legacy in his face...
Ferrari is trying to sweep this under the rug to avoid admitting they need to overhaul their decision-making process—they're clearly terrified of taking any actual risks.
Add in the constant mocking from the Red Bull crew, and you've got pure panic inside Ferrari.
And that's despite the fact they finally managed to build a fast car after several years...
Clearly, after Australia, they thought the championship was a done deal—assuming other teams would just roll over once they saw Ferkan in their rearview mirror.
Word is everyone in Monaco blocked them, and nobody even bothered to pay the penalty.

Look, I'm a bit older—I remember what the FIA actually stood for back between 2000 and 2004.
Karma is a bitch.

👍

I can't believe how worked up people are getting just because Sky put Hamilton on the race cover.
I was just scrolling through and reading the comments, and man, it’s a mess.

It's probably just clickbait, plus he's one of their own drivers anyway.
But honestly, I doubt that's even the main reason. Even with his recent results, Ham is still hands down the most popular driver on the grid and remains the face of Formula 1.
If it weren't for him, I bet Massi would still be in F1; the guy owes a lot to Hamilton.

People are clearly hurting, but hey, that's life.
I find it hard to wrap my head around why people are so incredibly jealous and hateful toward those at the top.
Lionel Messi went through this, LeBron James dealt with it, and even my old man told me that people didn't exactly shower Michael Schumacher with love either.

That specific side of human nature just baffles me.
Look, I get it—there are millions of us out there, and nobody is going to be liked 100% of the time, but the sheer amount of hate being thrown around is just overkill.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:I can't believe how worked up people are getting just because Sky put Hamilton on the race cover.
I was just scrolling through and reading the comments, and man, it’s a mess.

It's probably just clickbait, plus he's one of their own drivers anyway.
But honestly, I doubt that's even the main reason. Even with his recent results, Ham is still hands down the most popular driver on the grid and remains the face of Formula 1.
If it weren't for him, I bet Massi would still be in F1; the guy owes a lot to Hamilton.

People are clearly hurting, but hey, that's life.
I find it hard to wrap my head around why people are so incredibly jealous and hateful toward those at the top.
Lionel Messi went through this, LeBron James dealt with it, and even my old man told me that people didn't exactly shower Michael Schumacher with love either.

That specific side of human nature just baffles me.
Look, I get it—there are millions of us out there, and nobody is going to be liked 100% of the time, but the sheer amount of hate being thrown around is just overkill.

Take him home then, if you think you could do a better job... 🙂

Lawrence Garcia5 said:I can't believe how worked up people are getting just because Sky put Hamilton on the race cover.
I was just scrolling through and reading the comments, and man, it’s a mess.

It's probably just clickbait, plus he's one of their own drivers anyway.
But honestly, I doubt that's even the main reason. Even with his recent results, Ham is still hands down the most popular driver on the grid and remains the face of Formula 1.
If it weren't for him, I bet Massi would still be in F1; the guy owes a lot to Hamilton.

People are clearly hurting, but hey, that's life.
I find it hard to wrap my head around why people are so incredibly jealous and hateful toward those at the top.
Lionel Messi went through this, LeBron James dealt with it, and even my old man told me that people didn't exactly shower Michael Schumacher with love either.

That specific side of human nature just baffles me.
Look, I get it—there are millions of us out there, and nobody is going to be liked 100% of the time, but the sheer amount of hate being thrown around is just overkill.

There’s definitely an action-reaction dynamic happening here.
The British media built up this massive hype machine around Hamilton, and honestly, they're largely responsible for why he's so obsessed with the spotlight now.
So yeah, it shouldn't be a surprise when a huge chunk of people starts pushing back.

As for where things stand right now, I can see everything heading south for Hamilton.
If you ask me, the blame for that lies almost entirely on his own shoulders.

I just don't see enough raw dedication to racing or Formula 1 anymore.
When you see how much he loves the photo shoots and the media circus, it's obvious that Formula 1 is just one of many things he does to stay busy or entertained.

Amanda Kelly said:There’s definitely an action-reaction dynamic happening here.
The British media built up this massive hype machine around Hamilton, and honestly, they're largely responsible for why he's so obsessed with the spotlight now.
So yeah, it shouldn't be a surprise when a huge chunk of people starts pushing back.

As for where things stand right now, I can see everything heading south for Hamilton.
If you ask me, the blame for that lies almost entirely on his own shoulders.

I just don't see enough raw dedication to racing or Formula 1 anymore.
When you see how much he loves the photo shoots and the media circus, it's obvious that Formula 1 is just one of many things he does to stay busy or entertained.

And what’s the issue there? Should every driver be identical and share the exact same level of obsession?
Nobody complained about Kimi Räikkönen when he spent the last couple of seasons basically just showing up to drive.
Or look at Alonso, who spends most of his time messing around and trolling us, acting like he's the greatest ever right when he's sitting on two decent points.

People need to remember Hamilton is 37; he’s at the tail end of his career. He can't maintain that same fire or drive forever.
Especially when the car isn't competitive, flipping that mental switch isn't easy.
And please, don't bring up George Russell. They are in two completely different stages of their lives.
Hamilton could walk away tomorrow and still be a legend based on everything he's achieved, whereas Russell is just starting out, so of course he's hungry.

Besides, any driver with seven titles would generate this kind of hype, even if they were driving a glorified lawnmower.
At the end of the day, he's their guy. That's just how it works.

It's like how we'd hype up LeBron James back in the States—we have our reasons, and they have theirs. Every country does this with their athletes, especially when they're all-time greats.

I'm with you there, though I’d just add that Americans absolutely love hyping up their own... I mean, just look at how they act about their national soccer team...

All the hate directed at Lewis is mostly because Mercedes dominated for so long—which, let's be real, basically killed the excitement in the sport. Lewis was just a guy who happened to land in the perfect seat at the perfect time, and honestly, anyone else would’ve done the exact same thing if they were him. Throw in his political views—which definitely aren't for everyone, especially if you don't want that stuff in your sports—plus his interest in fashion, which doesn't exactly fit the "alpha male" vibe Formula 1 tries to push, and you've got a recipe for constant backlash.

If I have anything to nitpick about him, it’s mainly how much he leans into religion. Most of the other stuff he says or does actually resonates with me. As a driver, he could retire tomorrow or in five years, and frankly, I doubt anyone can take away what he’s already won—let alone pull off another title. If he actually managed that, it would be a bigger shock than all seven of his previous championships combined.

Sam Clark75 said:All the hate directed at Lewis is mostly because Mercedes dominated for so long—which, let's be real, basically killed the excitement in the sport. Lewis was just a guy who happened to land in the perfect seat at the perfect time, and honestly, anyone else would’ve done the exact same thing if they were him. Throw in his political views—which definitely aren't for everyone, especially if you don't want that stuff in your sports—plus his interest in fashion, which doesn't exactly fit the "alpha male" vibe Formula 1 tries to push, and you've got a recipe for constant backlash.

If I have anything to nitpick about him, it’s mainly how much he leans into religion. Most of the other stuff he says or does actually resonates with me. As a driver, he could retire tomorrow or in five years, and frankly, I doubt anyone can take away what he’s already won—let alone pull off another title. If he actually managed that, it would be a bigger shock than all seven of his previous championships combined.

"Happened to be in the right place"? How many times do I have to read this nonsense?
Everyone acted shocked and claimed he made a mistake by jumping from McLaren to Mercedes.
The guy believed in them back when they weren't even remotely close to that level.

I think he only had one win in his first season.
Then the hybrid era hit and they started growing together.
You don't just stumble into winning in the best car unless you're actually that caliber.
You can't just drop Benteke into Real Madrid and expect magic, it fucking doesn't work like that.

Lawrence Garcia5 said:"Happened to be in the right place"? How many times do I have to read this nonsense?
Everyone acted shocked and claimed he made a mistake by jumping from McLaren to Mercedes.
The guy believed in them back when they weren't even remotely close to that level.

I think he only had one win in his first season.
Then the hybrid era hit and they started growing together.
You don't just stumble into winning in the best car unless you're actually that caliber.
You can't just drop Benteke into Real Madrid and expect magic, it fucking doesn't work like that.

Yeah, he got lucky. Whether it was pure grind, a stroke of luck, or just a fluke—whatever—he caught a break. How exactly it happened doesn't really matter. He definitely didn't have a crystal ball or any divine intervention.

Sam Clark75 said:Yeah, he got lucky. Whether it was pure grind, a stroke of luck, or just a fluke—whatever—he caught a break. How exactly it happened doesn't really matter. He definitely didn't have a crystal ball or any divine intervention.

Exactly. He ended up there simply because there was nowhere else left to go...☕

We all know the story. Lando Norris finally snapped at McLaren after dealing with a mountain of tactical blunders, sloppy execution, and sheer laziness. He decided to bail...
And his season? It was basically what happens when you take Max Verstappen's bad luck this year, add Charles Leclerc's nightmare with Ferrari's strategy, and square the whole mess 😬—all while driving the fastest car on the grid 🤦😵

Anyone even half as calm as he is would have lost their mind by then...

So, he aimed for Red Bull, which made sense since they were the powerhouse at the time...
But Christian Horner and Helmut Marko blew him off and then had the nerve to suggest Mercedes and recommend him to Lauda 🙏
Horner actually admitted later that they completely screwed themselves over with that move 😁

Maybe he was talking to Ferrari too, but there wasn't an opening there either. After the top teams, Mercedes was really his only shot...