Canadian Grand Prix (Circuit of the Americas) June 7-9, 2019

It seems highly unlikely that Red Bull Racing will emerge as a truly formidable contender here...

I’m telling you, Ferkan is going to mess things up tomorrow—it’s 125% certain at this point.

So, after 7 races, here’s how the qualifying stats are looking over at Ferrari;
Sebastian Vettel 6 - 1 Charles Leclerc

After 21 races, this is probably how it'll look:
Seb 19 - 2 Charles

Man, honestly—Ferrari really deserves a win this season at this point... besides, the championship is pretty much wrapped up anyway...

Let’s finally see a race where it isn't a Mercedes 1-2 finish!

Hamilton has been looking really unconvincing this season, and honestly, so has Mercedes. To me, those results don't even reflect how good they actually are. They just don't look nearly as dominant as the standings suggest.

Kmag has totally messed with half the crew, so the start is going to be wild to watch.

Biggest question on my mind today is how long those soft tires are actually going to last for the top ten starters—excluding Ferrari and Mercedes, obviously. If they fall off a cliff early, Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen are basically just gonna be cleaning themselves right off the track, along with Daniel Ricciardo, Pierre Gasly, and whatever other randoms follow them. But, if they actually find some decent grip at the start and manage to hang on for about 15 laps because the track surface gets all gummy over the weekend, we might actually see a decent race. We could even see Gasly playing hero during that opening stint. We'll see what happens.

Comparing Sebastian Vettel's lap against Lujo. Ferrari actually pulled it together at the end there.. looks good.

(It’s not working, I just can't get this text to format right)

Starting Grid:

https://i.redd.it/19za5fb5va331.jpg

A little breakdown of the start:

Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, and Charles Leclerc might be able to hold onto those spots, though honestly, it all comes down to the timing of the launch. Valtteri Bottas and Pierre Gasly look like they'll pull away from Daniel Ricciardo pretty quickly. Max Verstappen finds himself stuck in a group of really aggressive drivers—there might be some contact there, but hopefully nothing serious—but I think Bottas and Gasly will break free within 10 or 15 laps.

GRO was clearly pretty disappointed after qualifying, so I wouldn't be surprised if he goes out way too aggressive and ends up bumping into someone. Kmag should be able to clear the Williams cars within 3 or 4 laps and will likely be ahead of RP by lap 8 or 9.

wiredfalcon2 said:

Comparing the lap times for Sebastian Vettel and Lujo. Ferrari really pulled it together at the end there..

Liberty Media is on a completely different level compared to anything we've seen before.
Those Americans certainly know what they're doing.

Missed qualifying...

Last time things went south like this was the Monza Grand Prix 2008 🙏🤣
Maybe it’d be smarter if I just kept staying pessimistic 😁

wiredfalcon2 said:

Comparing Sebastian Vettel and Lujo's laps. Typical Ferrari performance at the end there..

Hmm...
It’s not just the finish. Looks like Mercedes-Benz is way better on braking and hitting those slow corners compared to Ferrari, while Ferrari clearly has much better acceleration and hits top speed way faster—and probably has a higher top end, too.
You can see exactly where they're losing ground and where they're making up time throughout the whole lap...

Guys, can I ask a total newbie question? It’s pretty obvious that Ferrari is faster on the straights than Germany is at this track. So how do they not just cruise to an easy win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where the straights seem even longer?

fadedpanther51 said:Can I ask a total rookie question here? It’s pretty obvious that Ferrari has more straight-line speed than Germany on this track. So how is it that they aren't easily cruising to a win at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, where the straights seem even longer?

Because of the sheer number of slow corners that demand traction. Baku has those long straights, sure, but it also has a massive amount of turns that simply don't suit the current Ferrari setup at all.

You're spot on, Mario. It makes sense because some of those turns in Baku have these sharp 90-degree angles. Oh well, I guess they should just start bulking up the drivers 😁 more weight equals better traction, right? haha

On a different note, here’s my prediction for today's race:

1. Hamilton overtakes Sebastian right at the start, and then the rest of the race is just a total formality.
2. If that doesn't happen, Vettel will pull some dramatic stunt like a prima ballerina.
3. If that fails too, "Fix It Again Tony" will find a way to screw him over through the pits or some questionable strategy.
4. A complete fluke win for Vettel.

fadedpanther51 said:You make a fair point, Mario, because those corners in Baku have some sharp 90-degree turns. Whatever. They should just tell the drivers to pack on some extra weight. 😁More kilos equals better traction, I suppose. Haha.

Setting that aside, my predictions for today's race:

1. Hamilton overtakes Sebastian Vettel right at the start, making the rest of the race a mere formality.
2. If that doesn't happen, Vettel will pull some sort of acrobatic maneuver reminiscent of the finest Russian ballerinas.
3. Should that also fail, "Fix It Again Tony" will find a way to ruin him through pit stops or questionable strategy.
4. A completely accidental victory for Sebastian Vettel.

Even if that happens, Hamilton has to break out of the DRS zone, because even without DRS, Vettel is going to blow past him on the straightaway.

Daniel Ricciardo only climbed that high because they absolutely wrecked Max Verstappen during qualifying. There is zero chance he stays up there once the race starts.

Wait, I’m a little confused about how the tire rules actually work here. Max got knocked out in Q2, but he's still starting in the top 10, right? Does that mean he's forced to use the exact set of tires he used to set his time in Q2, or can he just pick whatever he wants? It’s honestly a bit baffling—is it only the drivers who make it into Q3 who are stuck with their qualifying tires, or does that rule apply to anyone from Q2 who ends up in the top 10 if someone from the Q3 shebe happens to move up? I'm trying to wrap my head around the specifics. Based on what I've read, Max was eliminated in Q2 but is starting 9th. -.- If he starts 9th and gets to choose any tires he likes, he could be seriously dangerous out there.

Good afternoon, gentlemen.

Sent from my iPhone using Reddit

stormybadger8 said:I missed qualifying...

The last time things went down like this was during the US Grand Prix 2008 🙏🤣
Maybe I should just stick to this kind of vibe from now on 😁

If you don't stop commenting, where is this even going...