Spanish GP (Circuit of the Americas) – May 15, 2016

The latest soft compounds seem to have much better longevity

Now even Sebastian Vettel is going in for a tire change

Max Verstappen is absolutely crushing it in sectors two and three.

Ferrari is playing it safe with the tires

Sebastian Vettel is just going to cruise right past them without breaking a sweat...

Did Ferrari just flip their entire strategy on its head?

Kimi was a full second faster than Sebastian Vettel

One less pit stop

Third

Michael Diaz4 said:Third

oh my god

Comparing Lujo and Nico.

Drew Bennett68 Asks:
When one considers the relative standing of Lujo and Nico, does it not invite a certain degree of contemplation?

Haha, he was certainly wrestling with that steering wheel, but like I mentioned before, couldn't Hamus have just pulled a move and tried to overtake from the other side? They had at least a 200 to 300-meter gap between them and the rest of the field, wouldn't you agree? 🙂

I don't quite follow the comparison footage... it seems to me he started messing around right after he slowed down—almost as if he shifted into some other mode for some entirely different reason altogether. 🤔

Taylor Watson15 said:I completely agree. Hamilton made a legitimate attempt to make the pass, and Rosberg had every right to defend his line. That said, we could argue Hamilton should have given him a bit more room, and Rosberg shouldn't have been closing the door quite so aggressively at the end. Ultimately, both drivers took risks, and both of them blinked first.

No.

Lewis Hamilton managed to wedge his front wing between Rosberg's rear right tire and the edge of the track before going off. Once you're off, the blocking rule no longer applies. However, Rosberg continued to block, which essentially constitutes pushing—an offense that carries a penalty.

Then again, Rosberg had certain "extenuating circumstances," as he wasn't fully on the track at that exact moment. It was easier for him to "park" the car on the side to block rather than tracking where Hamilton was positioned. We all know the consequences.

Michael Diaz4 said:Yeah, he defended masterfully and proved he's the most complete driver on the grid right now. Even the folks over at SK1 were saying something similar.

He had to watch out for Ricciardo because he’s just as aggressive as Hamus. He’s simply too reckless, especially toward the guy who clearly gets under his skin.

Alonso hasn't shown anything yet, and I'm not sure what anyone is basing their claim on that he belongs in the top tier. But that's a conversation for another time...

Quote: The Best F1 driver

I didn't realize everyone else was lagging that far behind. Honestly, the guy just proved he lacks any real tactical sense. You can only absolutely wreck your tires and abuse the car like that if you're nowhere near the level of the elite drivers. He’s just not there. Max made that crystal clear.

Quote: The Best F1 driver

Alright, alright. That was quite a race, all thanks to Lewis. If he hadn't made that clumsy move on Nico, we’d be looking at a completely different story right now...

Quote: The Best F1 driver

I’ve never really taken them seriously...

Quote: The Best F1 driver

They were good...

Quote: The Best F1 driver

Just haters...🍿

Love really does blind a guy, doesn't it?🙂

Someone should actually bother reading the motorsports review regarding the collision instead of just spouting mindless opinions. It provides a detailed analysis. Lewis Hamilton simply had no options left; he was forced onto the grass. At that exact moment, there wasn't a better move to make. A few seconds prior, the right side was chosen because the lane was completely clear, followed immediately by an aggressive move to close the door on Nico Rosberg.

He has nothing left to defend; Lewis Hamilton has already caught up to him.

I don’t really get why everyone is hyping up Max Verstappen so much right now.
The car feels dialed in and the handling was just spot on for this race... those last couple of turns before the finish line were fast enough to get the job done, I guess.
Honestly, I think Charles Leclerc is going to eat him alive by the end of the season... plus, my money is on at least 5 or 6 crashes happening before the year is out.
Just my two cents...
Nobody seems to be talking about my favorite veteran driver sitting in second place, though...
Such a shame for Sebastian Vettel, they basically snatched that win right out from under him.

mellowtiger83 said:Someone should actually bother reading the motorsports review regarding the collision instead of just spouting mindless opinions. It provides a detailed analysis. Lewis Hamilton simply had no options left; he was forced onto the grass. At that exact moment, there wasn't a better move to make. A few seconds prior, the right side was chosen because the lane was completely clear, followed immediately by an aggressive move to close the door on Nico Rosberg.

It seems a significant number of people in this discussion have already reached a consensus that Rosberg was being overly aggressive. In my own estimation, we are looking at a rather dirty move that sits right on the edge of what might be considered "legal." However, should we perhaps not recall that last season, Lewis Hamilton was also pushing Nico Rosberg off the track during the US Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix? Perhaps this is simply the moment where those previous actions are finally coming back to haunt him.

Samuel Ruiz4 said:I don’t really get why everyone is hyping up Max Verstappen so much right now.
The car feels dialed in and the handling was just spot on for this race... those last couple of turns before the finish line were fast enough to get the job done, I guess.
Honestly, I think Charles Leclerc is going to eat him alive by the end of the season... plus, my money is on at least 5 or 6 crashes happening before the year is out.
Just my two cents...
Nobody seems to be talking about my favorite veteran driver sitting in second place, though...
Such a shame for Sebastian Vettel, they basically snatched that win right out from under him.

Since it seems no one is commenting:

Samuel Ruiz4 said:I don’t really get why everyone is hyping up Max Verstappen so much right now.
The car feels dialed in and the handling was just spot on for this race... those last couple of turns before the finish line were fast enough to get the job done, I guess.
Honestly, I think Charles Leclerc is going to eat him alive by the end of the season... plus, my money is on at least 5 or 6 crashes happening before the year is out.
Just my two cents...
Nobody seems to be talking about my favorite veteran driver sitting in second place, though...
Such a shame for Sebastian Vettel, they basically snatched that win right out from under him.

He earned the praise today, didn't he? He managed to record his first win and drove a flawless race while under massive pressure from Ferrari. That alone should be reason enough for the haters to just shut up and enjoy the moment.😁

The kid isn't going to cause five or six wrecks before the season ends; he's young, sure, but he's not an idiot. I actually agree that Charles Leclerc will probably end up higher in the standings by the end of the year. We saw two different strategies today, and in both scenarios, Red Bull Racing had the edge—it was really just a matter of which driver got the better outcome, and today it was Max Verstappen.

The veteran keeps beating Sebastian Vettel, which is a shock, but what’s even more surprising is seeing how badly Red Bull Racing is beating them all.