Malaysia Grand Prix (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) March 29, 2015

stormybadger8 said:That’s probably why he’s your favorite idiot in this whole mess...😁
Honestly, just looking back at how much some teams fell apart right after he left, everything becomes pretty obvious.

I really want to see if some random rookie can actually jump into his seat at McLaren and start grabbing podiums and wins in their very first season.😁

👍 Yeah, he stepped into a situation where everything was already dialed in. Back then, the foundation was there, but now? He’s been nowhere to be found for years. Look, McLaren isn't even a bad team, and the car is actually pretty solid, but Alonso just doesn't have the edge needed to make that car fly. Even now, he's out there complaining that things were fine right up until the engine gave out. It was a rough race for him. I'm not saying he's a bad driver, but he didn't show anything special today. Nothing at all.

neonfox65 said:Then explain to me how he got absolutely smoked by Ricardo in the exact same car last year... 👋>

He’s got plenty of excuses, but the bottom line is he never felt like he truly belonged in that squad. Honestly, he didn't even feel wanted. The beginning of the end was really Malaysia 2013. 😉
Ricciardo and that whole 2014 season? They’re just the fallout from all of that...

Basically, Malaysia 2013 marked the end of an era, while Malaysia 2015 was the start of a whole new one. 🙂

You’ve earned the right to enjoy yourselves today, but don't get too comfortable... things are going to change soon enough.

steelmaker83 said:You’ve earned the right to enjoy yourselves today, but don't get too comfortable... things are going to change soon enough.

Nobody is actually celebrating here. These are just the facts, and everything is finally settling into its rightful place. Last year, when things felt inconsistent, you lot used that to vent and write nonsense... Now, the situation feels a bit more organic. Whether it stays this way remains to be seen. We'll likely see some colder races where tire degradation won't matter nearly as much... But rain? Rain always changes the game.😁

Amanda Kelly said:One race, but it mattered.
A real track with actual racing conditions.
That's the kind of environment we can expect for at least half the races this season.

And you don't have to. You've got your opinion.
I don't think anyone actually expected a Vettel win, but when I saw Mercedes in the pits during the SC while Vettel and the others stayed out, I thought, "There it is." I was certain.
With every lap that passed, I became more convinced it was going to be an SV victory.
The start of the race told us everything we needed to know.

Absolutely; just a few laps after the SC, even as someone who doesn't typically root for Ferrari, I was certain they would take it, simply because they had the raw pace to dominate and everything seemed to fall perfectly in their favor.

steelmaker83 said:You’ve earned the right to enjoy yourselves today, but don't get too comfortable... things are going to change soon enough.

In what sense? 😁
Mercedes will probably still be ahead, but since they're this close, I’d say there's a real shot they get caught during the season...
And honestly, I have a feeling Nico Rosberg is going to catch fire. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the podium is just a constant rotation of Hamilton, Vettel, and Kimi, just swapping steps.

But I’ve got a hunch Rosberg is going to seriously regret saying he wanted Ferrari to push them harder.😁

Hamilton is good enough to stay ahead of Ferrari even with a tiny advantage, but Rosberg? Not likely.
So, it wouldn't be impossible for Ferrari to snatch the constructors' title if everything falls right.

stormybadger8 said:In what sense? 😁
Mercedes will probably still be ahead, but since they're this close, I’d say there's a real shot they get caught during the season...
And honestly, I have a feeling Nico Rosberg is going to catch fire. It wouldn't surprise me at all if the podium is just a constant rotation of Hamilton, Vettel, and Kimi, just swapping steps.

But I’ve got a hunch Rosberg is going to seriously regret saying he wanted Ferrari to push them harder.😁

Hamilton is good enough to stay ahead of Ferrari even with a tiny advantage, but Rosberg? Not likely.
So, it wouldn't be impossible for Ferrari to snatch the constructors' title if everything falls right.

It’s too early to call it... Mercedes is miles, miles ahead and they have the fastest car on the grid, which has been very reliable so far. But whether the drivers can actually handle the pressure remains to be seen—nobody ever truly shines when the heat is on. It’s possible that Rosberg, being less aggressive and more understated, might fare better than an arrogant Hamilton, who only seems to perform when everything is perfect. As soon as things go sideways, we see him crack... just like today...☕

Amanda Kelly said:One race, but it mattered.
A real track with actual racing conditions.
That's the kind of environment we can expect for at least half the races this season.

And you don't have to. You've got your opinion.
I don't think anyone actually expected a Vettel win, but when I saw Mercedes in the pits during the SC while Vettel and the others stayed out, I thought, "There it is." I was certain.
With every lap that passed, I became more convinced it was going to be an SV victory.
The start of the race told us everything we needed to know.

I was hoping for it, sure, but I was dead certain he’d finish ahead of Nico—and way before qualifying even started.
And I was damn sure about it, too. It happened in the first three laps, even before the SC....
Vettel was glued to Hamilton’s gearbox—I mean, he was right there. Meanwhile, Rosberg was already two full seconds behind and falling even further back. Before the SC even came out, Vettel had closed the gap to within 0.7 seconds via DRS. Honestly? I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd just hunted him down on track right then and there.
I’ve actually been cursing that damn SC myself. 🤣

Listening to the Sky Sports commentators today was honestly quite a trip. Even with just five laps left on the clock, they were still peddling this delusional hope that Lewis would suddenly find an extra three seconds per lap to hunt down Sebastian Vettel, despite everyone watching clearly seeing halfway through the race that he didn't have a prayer of catching him. Then they pivoted to that classic line about how the tires just weren't up to the standard required for Mercedes' pace... 😁

Looks like Allison found a way in the wind tunnel to cool the car down during high temps without absolutely shredding the tires. Based on this—I guess all the upcoming hot races might end up looking pretty much the same.

Things are really going to get interesting once the rain starts falling...

steelmaker83 said:You’ve earned the right to enjoy yourselves today, but don't get too comfortable... things are going to change soon enough.

But wait, are you really not thrilled that someone finally broke the Mercedes stranglehold!?

Honestly, if anyone other than Lewis or Nico had taken the win today, I’d be just as stoked. It’s about time!

Drew Bennett68 said:But wait, are you really not thrilled that someone finally broke the Mercedes stranglehold!?

Honestly, if anyone other than Lewis or Nico had taken the win today, I’d be just as stoked. It’s about time!

Of course...

Kyle Edwards5 said:Listening to the Sky Sports commentators today was honestly quite a trip. Even with just five laps left on the clock, they were still peddling this delusional hope that Lewis would suddenly find an extra three seconds per lap to hunt down Sebastian Vettel, despite everyone watching clearly seeing halfway through the race that he didn't have a prayer of catching him. Then they pivoted to that classic line about how the tires just weren't up to the standard required for Mercedes' pace... 😁

Exactly. It’s such a struggle listening to them when the race isn't unfolding exactly the way they imagined it would.

Drew Bennett68 said:Exactly. It’s such a struggle listening to them when the race isn't unfolding exactly the way they imagined it would.

So I guess I need to find the replay. 🤣
This was an NBC race, so I was watching on NBC 🙏🙏🙏

They're way more realistic and objective. When the pit wall sent those messages to Hamilton about catching and passing Vettel in the last five laps, the commentary was basically, "What is wrong with these people? Are they drunk?" 🤣

Usually, nobody ever comments on the officiating...
But today, it was clearly some absolute amateurs and morons calling the shots. 🤦
The Penalties for Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez were straight-up insane, but it gets worse—they actually slapped them with extra points loss too. 🤦
David Coulthard was right to say they aren't sane. He called them standard racing incidents and said this kind of officiating makes zero sense because it just discourages drivers from making actual overtakes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmWYNHGKcPM

😁

Casey Hill57 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmWYNHGKcPM

😁

Honestly, this is just plain gross. He’s easily the best driver on the grid right now, and he’s my absolute favorite, but this whole behavior is just pathetic...

Michael Diaz4 said:Honestly, this is just plain gross. He’s easily the best driver on the grid right now, and he’s my absolute favorite, but this whole behavior is just pathetic...

Are you actually kidding me right now?!😲 Daniel Ricciardo finds this absolutely loathsome.

You’ve gotta give him some credit here; he was basically just defending his home turf, rooting for the local squad with a massive fan base 😁 where it was pretty obvious that those four titles he snagged over at Red Bull Racing aren't exactly enough to satisfy a driver of his caliber. It sounds kind of backwards, I know, but that's just how it plays out. You could really see it in the way the crowd started booing like crazy.
There was just one thing missing, and that was a legendary powerhouse with iconic red cars and a wild, massive army of fans, whether they're based in the heart of Italy or spread all across the globe.

I’m honestly a little worried (well, mostly for the rest of the grid) that Sebastian Vettel is going to get fired up now. This whole feeling and the rush of euphoria might be exactly what he needs to snap out of that slump he's been stuck in lately while driving for Red Bull Racing.
Don't get me wrong, Mercedes is still DEFINITELY ahead of the pack, but this loss hit them so hard it practically knocked them sideways, and they haven't quite found their footing again yet. 👍

Casey Hill57 said:You’ve gotta give him some credit here; he was basically just defending his home turf, rooting for the local squad with a massive fan base 😁 where it was pretty obvious that those four titles he snagged over at Red Bull Racing aren't exactly enough to satisfy a driver of his caliber. It sounds kind of backwards, I know, but that's just how it plays out. You could really see it in the way the crowd started booing like crazy.
There was just one thing missing, and that was a legendary powerhouse with iconic red cars and a wild, massive army of fans, whether they're based in the heart of Italy or spread all across the globe.

I’m honestly a little worried (well, mostly for the rest of the grid) that Sebastian Vettel is going to get fired up now. This whole feeling and the rush of euphoria might be exactly what he needs to snap out of that slump he's been stuck in lately while driving for Red Bull Racing.
Don't get me wrong, Mercedes is still DEFINITELY ahead of the pack, but this loss hit them so hard it practically knocked them sideways, and they haven't quite found their footing again yet. 👍

Mercedes doesn't have top-tier DRIVERS right now, whereas today Vettel showed exactly what kind of driver he is. He's the best out there currently, no question... you saw it today. I think Nico Rosberg will step up now because he's more grounded than the arrogant and, let's be honest, not-so-bright Hamilton... Mercedes has a much better car, but they lack the drivers, which is something Vettel can exploit if he has a fast enough machine. The big question is what happens when the weather turns cold. I'm not sure if Ferrari can even compete with Mercedes then; Mercedes might actually thrive in the rain due to better grip, but they won't have Vettel...