Bahrain GP (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) March 29-31, 2019

Toto claims he isn't worried and that they are right there on the heels of Ferrari, which means they are currently holding a lead of a few tenths.

Honestly, Ferrari might actually hold their own against America for once...

But let’s be real, I wouldn’t be shocked if Mercedes just completely washes them away, even worse than they did in the USA, and laps them entirely. 🤦

Ferrari looks great warming up those tires and pulling decent single-lap speed, but their race pace? Absolute disaster. They shred through tires in maybe three or four laps, and the worst part is they’re killing both the softs and the mediums at the same rate...
It feels like nothing is going to work unless they're on hards, but of course, they only have one set of those available. 🤦😵

Toto Wolff put it quite elegantly—his level of concern today, I suppose. I suppose there’s some truth to what James Roberts87 was saying—it seems the pace might be a bit more complicated than we initially thought. Maybe.

It feels like we're seeing this all over again—Ferrari dominates almost every practice session, only to have Mercedes-Benz absolutely tear them apart during qualifying. It’s been the same pattern for three seasons now, I guess.

I told you guys Sebastian Vettel's odds would drop to 2.5. Ferrari is the favorite right now, but since the gap wasn't that huge last year, we could see a similar situation unfolding this season...

Honestly, just bet on Red Bull Racing instead of Ferrari...
especially during race day, even if RB might pull an upset in qualifying...

If you want proof of how much Mercedes-Benz and Red Bull Racing were hiding their true qualifying pace, just look at Nico Hulkenberg...
You can try to tell yourself that Renault suddenly became a tiny bit faster than Red Bull Racing and only a tenth behind Mercedes-Benz, but come on. 🙂

There’s a better chance of Williams Racing getting both cars into the Third Qualifying Session than there is of Renault being anywhere near Mercedes-Benz or Red Bull Racing...☕

Regardless, I placed my bets on Sebastian Vettel taking pole and predicted Charles Leclerc would outperform Valtteri Bottas—all before FP1 even started. They’ll likely miss the mark, but it matters little to me. Additionally, I have Nico Hulkenberg slotted in the top 8 for qualifying.

mellowtiger83 said:Look, I put my money on Vettel for pole and figured Charles Leclerc would outpace Valtteri Bottas—all before FP1 even started. Probably gonna miss, but whatever. Also, I've got Nico Hulkenberg in the top 8 for qualifying.

The Vettel call isn't impossible, but I'm really not buying the Leclerc over Bottas thing.
It’s looking like a straight fight for pole between Bottas and Vettel...
If Leclerc actually shows up to that battle, it's a massive "if."

Also, you totally missed on Hulkenberg...
Renault probably won't even make it into Third Qualifying Session, let alone the top 8.
Nori and Torpedo are the ones taking those top 8 spots. ☕

stormybadger8 said:The situation regarding Sebastian Vettel seems entirely plausible, though I find myself somewhat skeptical about the rumors involving Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas.
It’s basically a showdown for pole position between Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel.
It’s truly a shame. It seems highly unlikely that Charles Leclerc will be there.

Besides that, you completely missed the mark regarding Hulk.
Renault likely won't even make it into the third quarter, let alone crack the top eight.
Lando Norris and Torpedo have managed to secure spots in the top eight. ☕

Do you honestly think Lando Norris will outperform that fraud Sainz again?
Lando Norris is a genuinely pleasant surprise, according to iRacing.

stormybadger8 said:The situation regarding Sebastian Vettel isn't entirely out of the question, though I find myself somewhat skeptical about this business involving Charles Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas.
It’s essentially a showdown for pole position between Valtteri Bottas and Sebastian Vettel.
It’s a shame, really. It looks like Charles Leclerc probably won't be there.

Besides that, you completely missed the mark regarding Hulk.
Renault won't even make it into the third quarter, let alone crack the top eight.
Lando Norris and Torpedo have managed to secure spots in the top eight. ☕

Do you honestly think Lando Norris will outshine that fraud Sainz again?
Lando Norris is a genuine, pleasant surprise! That’s what iRacing says.

Hulk is an incredibly talented driver, and honestly, seeing him perform like that gives me a bit of hope.

mellowtiger83 said:You think Norris is actually better than that Sainz fraud?
That Norris guy is a total pleasant surprise! A real iRacing talent.

Hulk is damn good, and that gives me hope.

Look, I don't doubt Hulk is a solid driver, but I have zero faith in Renault...
Renault actually pulled off a decent "best lap" during Practice Session 2, which looked great, but their race pace? Nowhere near.
Which is expected, I guess. But what *isn't* expected is Hulk having a race pace that’s absolute garbage compared to Kvyat, Norris, Gröźny, Magnussen, or even Sainz...

And let's not forget Alfa, which we basically haven't seen at all...
What on earth happened to Alfa? 🤷

Is anyone actually watching Practice Session 3?

Zachary Vaughn92 said:Is anyone else tuning in to Practice Session 3?

I suppose so!

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/s...port-lvmrlv2dm
Sebastian Vettel: F1 has turned into more of a circus and a money grab than an actual sport

Sebastian Vettel might actually end up leaving the sport after his Ferrari contract wraps up because he’s getting seriously fed up with how these regulations are being handled

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Yeah

yeah, but does the damn thing actually have any teeth?

Look, everyone I’ve been keeping tabs on is saying the same thing.
I just hope we don't see some engine blowing up tomorrow.
As far as I can remember, they didn't deal with a single engine failure all last year.

McLaren actually looks like they might pull off having both drivers sitting pretty in the top 10.

Daniil Kvyat is basically slapping Pierre Gasly around at this point, and honestly, things aren't looking too bright for the veteran over at RB.

Can someone give me a quick rundown on all those massive walls of text floating around online about the changing regulations? I want to know what's actually going to hit us the hardest.

So... Ferrari is looking lightning fast compared to everyone else right now—but I doubt we’ll see any of those Mercedes fans throwing a tantrum like they did during the last race when the Scuderia crew was dominating

Timothy Castillo6 said:They do. Everyone I’m following right now is saying it.
Just hoping an engine doesn't blow tomorrow.
Last year, if I recall correctly, they didn't have a single engine failure.

Is unknown Kimi? 🤔

Nah. Kimi grabbed a mechanic yesterday and they completely missed the rear left one.