Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix (Los Angeles - Central Park) 03.20.2016.

graniteharbor502 said:Did you actually watch what we just saw in qualifying, or are you just talking nonsense? ☕

It seems like you haven't been following Formula 1 for very long. The only real change is that results are released immediately now instead of waiting five minutes like they used to; everything else remains exactly the same. If you're struggling to be realistic and objective, that isn't my problem.

northerncobra31 said:Regarding the actual results, I have to say I am feeling rather disappointed with Ferrari; I wasn't anticipating they would be within 0.2 seconds like some people suggested, but they seem stuck in the same place, likely hovering somewhere between 0.5 and 0.8 through the season.

But they aren't actually in the same position at all. If one looks at the data after the first stint in Q3—which was the only attempt for Ferrari—Sebastian Vettel was trailing by half a second. When you consider that last year Vettel's gap at this circuit during qualifying was a full 1.4 seconds, isn't there actually significant progress being made?

Daniel James8 said:The only Seb said in German that it was actually hilarious not being out on track and missing those late-session attacks during practice.

Those two clowns are just whining about how great Mercedes is... 😢

If he finds it so funny, why didn't he just stay out and drive? Why did he make such a theatrical exit from the car five minutes before the session ended? This whole thing is a scripted fiasco.

stormybadger8 said:The season is pretty much wrapped up—Bear was just as dominant as we all expected it to be compared to last year—and honestly, I suspect Ferrari might actually struggle to hold onto second place ahead of both STR and RB... meanwhile, Williams is in a real bind, fighting Haas just to scrape together fifth in the standings...

Oh, come on, don't be so cynical! I think STR will show some real speed for maybe five to ten races, but since they can't really develop their engine, they'll eventually start sliding down the order. As for RB, they aren't quite managing to outpace last year's Ferrari engine used in the STR, let alone beating Ferrari itself.

northerncobra31 said:It seems you haven't been following Formula 1 for very long, because the only real change is that results are released instantly now rather than waiting five minutes; everything else remains fundamentally unchanged, so if you find yourself lacking realism or objectivity, I suppose that isn't my concern to fix.

Well, we have certainly seen plenty of cars out on the track, particularly during Q3, 🙏
and no, I haven't been following this sport for more than the last two and a half decades.👍

graniteharbor502 said:They aren't exactly in the same boat. After the first stint in Q3 (which was the only one for Ferrari), Vettel was trailing by half a second. Last year, Vettel's gap at this track during qualifying was 1.4 seconds.

They are, though. I was thinking about the entire last season where they were constantly hovering around the 0.5 to 0.8 mark. It'll likely be the same this season, but as a Ferrari fan, I'm really hoping I'm wrong.

graniteharbor502 said:Did you actually watch that qualifying session we just saw, or are you just talking nonsense? ☕

What could they possibly be trolling about now...
Exactly what you’d expect. Every single time, they just swap the end of the Q round with the beginning. Typical.
I told you guys. I said this whole thing was just going to be one pile of rubbish on top of another while everyone else was busy acting like geniuses, claiming this new format was going to be absolutely brilliant.🤣

This is a total reality check.
It starts off interesting, and then—boom—you're out of tires, fuel, or time. You’ve got no choice but to dive into the pits in the final few minutes. Just total chaos.

This is honestly the first and last time we’ll ever see this specific format—it's dead and buried until the next race weekend.

graniteharbor502 said:Man, we really got to see those cars out on the track, especially during Q3. 🙏
Yeah, I haven't really followed things closely for more than the last two and a half decades. 👍

We also caught a glimpse of the cars on track during Q3 last year. 👍 🙏

I've been following Formula 1 for 16 years now. 👍

northerncobra31 said:they really are, though I was actually reflecting on the entirety of last season; they seemed to be hovering right around that 0.5 to 0.8 second mark most of the time, and I fear we might see that same pattern repeat this year, though as a dedicated Ferrari supporter, I truly hope my pessimism is misplaced.

But how could one possibly claim they were moving within a 0.5 to 0.8 range when, during qualifying in Los Angeles last season, the gap was actually 1.4 seconds? 🤔

northerncobra31 said:we’ve seen more cars fighting for position on track during Q3 in previous years👍 🙏

I would argue we saw at least four times as much action in those final five minutes in past seasons compared to what we witnessed today, wouldn't you? Besides, if one were to listen to the chatter in the paddock, it seems everyone is absolutely loathing this current format; even Christian Horner has suggested that they will likely revert to the previous structure quite soon. That is really all there is to say about the matter.

I'm talking about the season average, not just Australia or one specific race. That doesn't interest me; everyone else is still at the same level.

northerncobra31 said:I am discussing the season average here, rather than focusing on Australia or any single specific race, which frankly doesn't interest me; everyone else remains at the same level

But surely you can grasp the notion that every circuit possesses its own unique characteristics that might favor one car over another to varying degrees? Consequently, wouldn't it be much more logical to compare lap times when they are recorded on the exact same track?

Good heavens, I am beginning to wonder if Lewis Hamilton actually needs glasses, or if he simply chooses to wear those high-fashion frames just for the aesthetic 🤦

I’d love to see Ferrari make more progress, but I have to stay realistic. They’ll be faster during the race, but probably not enough to fight for the title—especially since everyone was predicting a gap of 0.2 seconds.

northerncobra31 said:I suppose I am the first one here who would dearly love to see them have made more significant progress, but I find myself compelled to remain realistic; while they will undoubtedly be faster during the race, will they truly be fast enough to secure the championship? Of course, I am only suggesting this because the initial forecasts suggested they were trailing by a mere 0.2 seconds.

Out on the track in San Francisco

graniteharbor502 said:Good grief, I’m starting to think Lewis Hamilton doesn't actually need glasses—he's probably just wearing them as a high-fashion accessory at this point! 🤦

I’ve compared him to a total rookie before—and I mean that in the most literal sense. No matter how much raw speed he shows on the track, there’s just something about his whole vibe that rubs me the wrong way. 😁

It’s all going to level out anyway; those were just winter tests, and they were clearly running on lighter fuel loads.

A 0.8 gap is just way too much. Even if Sebastian Vettel managed to bring it down to 0.6, it still wouldn't be enough to fight for the championship.

northerncobra31 said:It’s all the same thing. Those were just winter tests, and obviously they were running on low fuel.

A 0.8 gap is just way too massive. Even if Vettel dropped it to 0.6, he's still not winning a title with that.

Compared to last year, the gap in qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix shrank by 0.553 sec...
By pure math, that would mean the gap in San Francisco is actually about 0.2 sec, since they were trailing by 0.7 sec there last year...
Now, whether that math actually matters or if the progress is truly identical across every single track? That's a huge question mark.

If that improvement were actually real—if they really did close the gap to Germany by 0.5 sec across the board...
Then compared to last season, Vettel would be taking Pole in:
Malaysia, Bahrain, Austria, Indianapolis, Singapore, Mexico, and Brazil...
It’d be great if that was the case, but I'm afraid we won't see anything like that except maybe in Singapore...

http://www.autosport.com/news/report...ualifying-crap