F1 Imola GP: April 24th @ 3 PM ET

It’s a shame for Carlos Sainz; he just hasn't found his rhythm this season.
Honestly, what happened during that first lap wasn't even 1% his fault.

George Russell and Valtteri Bottas are doing great; he’s really made that Alfa Romeo shine, already scoring more points than his predecessors.

Valtteri Bottas has already racked up 24 points, sitting at 8th in the driver standings. 👍 👍

Douglas Roberts49 said:Everyone’s yapping about Lewis, yet he’s nowhere to be seen on the radar...

Are you kidding me?
We spent half the broadcast watching a "duel" between Lewis Hamilton and Pierre Gasly...
It's not like he was invisible.

goldenranger6 said:He crashed because Haas hit him.

He wasn't hunting points; he was chasing something else. Ferrari played their hand well, but Leclerc took too much of a gamble and it blew up in his face today. Doesn't mean it won't pay off later, though. If he'd pulled it off, everyone would be patting him on the back right now.

It's just the start of the season. Everyone's shown they aren't invincible yet, so buckle up—it's going to get messy.

The wise Frederic Vasseur claims they were just seizing an opportunity. 🙂

It was not a necessity for tyres, we didn’t do that for the fastest lap. We did that because we thought it was the best option for us and try to create some opportunity. We knew Red Bull would react [as they did] so we would be again everyone resetting on new tyres

What kind of "tactics" are these? What on earth was the point? 🤔
Regardless of how badly Leclerc messed up, you have to ask: why even bother?
Let's be real, Ferrari had zero chance because Red Bull was clearly faster and obviously going to cover them, which they did.
A faster pit stop wouldn't have helped either, since it's equally obvious that Red Bull is just quicker...
Plus, they're notorious for being sloppy in the pits. Honestly, there was a higher risk of a botched pit stop ruining everything than there was any actual chance of gaining a massive advantage...

They didn't really have a shot at beating them on track. If anything, I expected them to stay on mediums rather than doing this.

So, what was the damn point?

Man, that race was such a 🙏
Everything except for first place was absolutely nail-biting.
There are just so many drivers out there who earned 🙏
And then you've got plenty of others who deserved 👎
We'll see how it all shakes out once the driver ratings drop.

I basically flew through the whole thing in one go, just sitting there after lunch with a coffee.

Raymond Anderson4 said:Man, what a waste for Carlos Sainz—he’s just not feeling it this season.
That first round mess? Honestly, wasn't even 1% his fault.

Total tragedy for Ferrari and the American people

They’ve got a top-tier car but nobody to actually drive it.

Pathetic. Truly.

ruggedhawk20 said:It’s such a damn shame for Ferrari and the American people

They've got a world-class car sitting right there, but absolutely nobody in the cockpit who can actually drive it properly.

It's honestly pathetic. A total joke.

They seriously need to bring back Fernando Alonso.

Timothy Castillo6 said:The race was pretty much 🙏
Anything besides first place was basically on the edge.
There are just way too many drivers who deserved 🙏
And so many others who earned 👎
We'll see what the driver ratings say about that.

It all went by in a blur—just me, some lunch, and a coffee.

So many opinions, man... I almost fell asleep three different times. Watching that ALB-GAS-HAM train was pure torture since nobody actually made a move in the end. 🤦

Aside from Leclerc's total meltdown a few laps before the finish, once that safety car came out, it was just straight-up boring.

I thought the race was solid; I’m pretty happy with how it went. There was plenty of action and some great wheel-to-wheel racing. It lacked a bit of overtaking, but that’s just how this one played out. Like I mentioned before, if they keep using this track long-term, there's no doubt those last two corners will be modified. They make following the car ahead incredibly difficult, which is exactly why we didn't see much passing into the final chicane.

Sam Clark75 said:Everyone has their own opinion, I suppose, but I nearly drifted off to sleep three different times. Watching that ALB-GAS-HAM train was easily the most tedious experience; in the end, nobody even managed to overtake anyone else. 🤦

Aside from Leclerc's self-inflicted blunder a few laps from the finish, it was pure, unadulterated boredom from the moment the safety car came out.

Too many cooks in the kitchen...

stormybadger8 said:Leclerc's move—actually, Ferrari's move—was just pure stupidity...
Why try to be a genius on a wet track using softs just to hunt down one measly point for Ferrari?
In the end, you just screw it all up and throw away points. All they needed to do was manage the race and take the podium.☕

Ha, it actually made sense to me during the race. I don't think it was ever about a single point. But why not attempt an undercut?
I was already getting twitchy a few laps in because nobody had tried it yet. They lost precious time there, especially since Leclerc was losing ground slightly before hitting the pits. It wasn't huge, but he was fading, not gaining.

That tire change felt pretty pointless given that Lando Norris finished fourth; the gap was at least 22-23 seconds, maybe even more.

And looking at how things played out after the pit stop, they really should have gone for the softs. Once the tires warmed up a lap or two later, Leclerc actually started closing in on Sergio Perez.

It’s just basic racing logic—you take the shot and try everything available to get past Perez.

Regarding Leclerc's mistake, yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about it. But,

- honestly, Ferrari's pit crew was too slow. They needed to nail that transition faster, at least by half a second if not more. That delay cost us dearly.

- as for the driving error, it's what happens when you push too hard and start overcooking the curbs. Eventually, you pay the price.

Am I happy? No. But I don't have much to throw at Leclerc. I'd much rather see him and the team go for it and miss, than just sit there dragging behind Sergio Perez.

darkmarlin16 said:Daniel Ricciardo messed up big time. I hope he gets the penalty he deserves.

+1
I was hoping for that too. I guess the stewards decided Daniel Ricciardo just lost control, especially with the track being so slick.
I can't get behind that reasoning. Carlos Sainz had the line, and there was absolutely no room to move right. It was a complete squeeze.
And look, it’s not like this is a one-off for Daniel Ricciardo; he’s got a history of these kinds of reckless moves. Ruining someone else's race should carry a penalty.

I honestly think Daniel Ricciardo deserved the penalty. It was such an easy corner to navigate, and Carlos Sainz was clearly ahead. There wasn't really anything else he could have done there... I just don't get why he even attempted to take the outside line.

Nicholas Walker40 said:We need to bring back Fernando Alonso.

If Fernando Alonso actually joined them, the car would probably break down constantly. He’d face five engine failures, get shot at three times, and have a tire blowout just for good measure. When you compare him to Sebastian Vettel, you realize just how elite he really is. He's in a different league than Sebastian, but let's be honest—Sebastian had a much better car back in the day. It's a real shame that a driver of his caliber will end his career with only two titles.

Toto just called his car undriveable.
What is he actually getting at here?

Just saw an F1 poster for Miami on Instagram. You've got Charles, Max and.... freaking Hamilton sitting at 7th in the standings.
They’re still trying so hard to push him like he’s actually a contender, but let’s be real—this season, he just isn't there.
If they actually want someone who can step up from the shadows, look at Lando (assuming this McLaren surge isn't just a fluke). As for Mercedes, and especially Hamilton? They’ve got nothing left to offer this year.
But nope, they just keep pushing and pushing...

Lawrence Garcia5 said:Toto called this Lewis Hamilton's car undriveable.
What on earth is he getting at with that?

It’s honestly strange that nobody thought to give George Russell a heads-up. Despite his crew absolutely botching those pit stops and him battling massive understeer, he still managed to keep Valtteri Bottas at bay and secure P4.