2021 Bahrain Grand Prix Race Thread

silenttrucker said:I've got the Arena, but no SK... anyone got a link for the race stream?

Check this out—just head over there and pick one. Worked perfectly for me yesterday, didn't cut out once...

https://sportsurge.net/#/groups/0

Richard Walker38 said:I think I totally missed that Gasly was starting P5, just barely a tenth behind Leclerc. Tsunoda looked solid yesterday too, though clearly that lack of experience cost him the Q3 spot—he really should've been there.

Don't forget Gasly moved on with mediums, which just shows how much they've actually improved. Honestly, I’m looking forward to today's race. Looking at the race pace, everyone seems to be right in the mix. It won't be anyone pulling away into the distance, except maybe Max. Not even Mercedes.

I find myself most surprised by Ferrari. They were written off early on, especially considering they were absolutely buried on this specific track last year. Yet, looking at the data, they’ve made the most significant strides of any team. From what I can gather, they’ve only lost about half a second compared to last season, whereas the home favorites have dropped by as much as two seconds. Ferrari is closing in on the frontrunners quite aggressively. While Red Bull Racing and Mercedes-Benz remain the pace-setters, the battle for third place is shaping up to be a genuine fight between McLaren and Ferrari.

Fernando Alonso didn't surprise me one bit. He remains quite clearly the finest driver to sit in a cockpit over the last two or three decades. Once again, he has driven well beyond the actual capabilities of his car; it’s plain to see. He has manufactured a gap where there shouldn't be one.

I am looking forward to the race.

neonfox65 said:Go ahead and check it out. For me, it didn't cut out once yesterday.

https://sportsurge.net/#/groups/0

Appreciate it, neighbor. This will be helpful; my usual site keeps buffering on me constantly, so hopefully this is more reliable.

mellowtiger83 said:Thanks neighbor—that means a lot to me too. My stream on ESPN+ keeps cutting out lately, so hopefully this works out better...

What kind of internet speed are you running?

silenttrucker said:I've got Madison Square Garden, but no SK—can anyone drop a link to the race stream?

http://freestreams-live1.com/skysformula1-tv/ 👍

Sergio Perez has two fresh red tires ready to go. He might be able to pull off something clever with those.
Ver has a new set of yellows plus some old ones, while Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton are stuck with two used yellow tires.

wiredseal7 said:It is undeniably true that Lewis Hamilton lost about a tenth and a half when he was being chased through turn 10, yet even if his lap had been executed flawlessly, it simply wouldn't have sufficed. A gap of four tenths during qualifying is quite significant, isn't it? Though, I suppose we grew accustomed to such margins with Mercedes back in 2020.

One must consider the entire package, from the driver's skill to how perfectly the car's setup adaptations are hit, right down to the sheer "rocket propulsion" provided by Honda—it is worth noting that Mercedes itself admits to a slight power deficit regarding the ERS. It seems to me that no one else possessed such an advantage during this era, except perhaps when Ferrari exploited fuel flow loopholes.

I am certain Mercedes will stage a comeback, and I continue to view them as slight favorites for the championship title. This is especially true if Checo Perez does not find more pace very soon. There are whispers that Mercedes is bringing a new floor to Imola, and if that proves successful, Max Verstappen will certainly feel the heat on his neck.

But then again, their "rival" isn't a team that is standing still either. If you listen to AT, it sounds like Honda still has some untapped potential left in that engine. On the other hand, McLaren didn't exactly shine yesterday as many of us expected. Is it possible, then, that Mercedes is aiming for four power units just to ensure they remain competitive early on, preventing the midfield from threatening them and stealing points away from Valtteri Bottas?

There is no definitive proof that Ferrari was cheating; it is far more likely they were merely exploiting a loophole in the regulations, which the FIA subsequently closed to prevent further use.

It’s honestly ridiculous that this "agreement" hasn't been made public yet. Zan Tod was ready to go—but Ferrari shut him down. I can't think of any other sport where a single team gets to block such a massive announcement...

neonfox65 said:It’s just ridiculous that this whole "deal" hasn't been made public yet. Zan Tod wanted to pull the trigger, but Ferrari shut him down. I honestly can't think of any other sport where one team gets to veto such a massive announcement.

Ever heard of football? 🕺

BREAKING NEWS

So, apparently, Sebastian Vettel decided he’s too important for the rules because he just completely ignored those yellow flags during Q1, and now he’s getting slapped with a 5-place grid penalty plus 3 penalty points. Typical.

Gary Palmer8 said:Is this whole thing based on some guesswork sensor? 🤣

Who cares about the sensor...
Just watch the onboard footage from Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso. They catch up to Carlos Sainz, floor it, and bang—shifting up through the gears...

Some kid? No clue who or why.
But honestly, it’s pure insanity for a car to accelerate like that under a yellow flag. There wasn't even any actual danger since Sainz was tucked off the racing line and out of everyone's way.
If you ask me, there shouldn't have even been a yellow flag in the first place. But if there was, it’s definitely not normal for a driver to hammer it like that without anyone noticing...

darkmarlin16 said:BREAKING NEWS

Sebastian Vettel just got slapped with a five-place grid penalty along with three penalty points because he apparently decided to ignore those yellow flags during Q1.

I guess Sebastian Vettel is finally landing right where he belongs—starting at the very back of the grid.

wiredfalcon2 said:Can I introduce you to a little thing called football? 🕺

And?

neonfox65 said:And?

Look, I'm not trying to derail this whole thing by bringing up soccer, but even there, the big-name clubs just cut deals with CONCACAF behind closed doors and that’s the end of it.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, I don't want to derail this whole thing by talking soccer—but even there, the big clubs just cut deals with CONCACAF and that's that.

I honestly can't think of an example like that... truth be told, I barely follow soccer at all.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Sebastian Vettel is finally right where he belongs—at the back of the grid.

Wait, I thought it was Alonso who ignored the yellow flags?

What a total showman 🙂

We're live 👋

I’m honestly rooting for Maxx to take this one home. I’m so ready for Hamilton to finally call it quits—man, he’s just become incredibly tedious to watch at this point, seriously