2013 Chinese Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (April 12-14)

It would’ve been wild if Sebastian Vettel had actually grabbed that wheel—or maybe if he’d just spun out trying to dodge it. It was basically one step away from Red Bull completely blowing their entire weekend, but instead, they just totally screwed Mark Webber

and btw, I don't think anyone's gonna bother playing tire games in Q3 anymore. It’s just not worth the risk. Strategy only works if you get lucky and don't end up stuck behind some guy in the Final or a Sauber—which is insanely hard to pass even in the DRS zone, just look at how Vettel and Felipe Massa got stuck during this race. Maybe McLaren will still try it, but probably only on tracks where they can pull off a one-stop strategy

and for sure, Ferrari and Lotus are getting the most out of these tires (though Lotus is struggling with straight-line speed—just look at how much that little guy got stuck in traffic)

When is that Bahrain !!!!?? thread coming back?
Is that whole thing already dead in the water? 🤦

Bring back the old threads, please...

As far as I am concerned, this race featured several drivers who were nothing short of fantastic.

Primarily, it was Fernando Alonso, who drove with such composure and tactical maturity that his victory felt truly impressive; even toward the end, while maintaining a significant gap over his pursuers, he didn't claim he wasn't pushing or that he could go even faster. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Also brilliant were Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen (assuming we view the poor start not as Kimi's fault, but rather a Renault error), as they both performed superbly under difficult circumstances. Kimi spent much of the race wrestling an aerodynamically compromised machine—and one might argue handling was a struggle too—while Lewis showed real grit to secure a podium ahead of the approaching Sebastian Vettel. 🙏 🙏

Respect to Ricciardo and Jenson Button, who both seem to have achieved results that exceed what their current machinery should allow. 🙏

On the other hand, Massa, Perez, Romain Grosjean, and Vergne look quite poor, as they appear significantly weaker than their teammates. It is hard to say exactly how much was due to their own mistakes versus how much they suffered because of strategy. This is particularly evident with Massa, who was practically invisible today despite having such a strong season otherwise.

redheron12 said:By the way, that was a pretty dull race. Jenson Button played it safe with the tires—classic move—and Sergio Pérez struggled out there. I’m really hoping they bring in Kimi Räikkönen or Sebastian Vettel next season. This current lineup just feels lackluster and uninspiring; looking at how this car performs, Lewis would likely be fighting for the win right now.

Look, he explicitly stated they had to stick to that strategy or face an absolute disaster. At one point, he actually asked if he was cleared to race, they told him yes, and then—just two messages later—they backtrack and tell him no, stay on the old plan. It's obvious the junker just eats through tires and there's no fixing it. They better come up with something for the next race because watching this is pure torture.

Brian Campbell36 said:The sheer dominance displayed by the largest presence on the grid is something that truly defies description 🙏

Driven by an almost desperate desire to secure a spot on the podium, Sebastian Vettel committed an amateurish error similar to his performance in qualifying, effectively handing Lewis Hamilton a place on the podium 🙂

Following the fallout of Multi 21, Mark Webber seems to have lost his confidence, a situation further exacerbated by some rather amateurish assessments coming from the energy drink camp

☕ I found Felipe Massa quite disappointing; I expected much more from him, but it appears he simply lacks the pace of a true world champion. Much like Mark Webber in Adrian Newey's car, it seems he will never reach that pinnacle

👋 One waits with bated breath for the GP Bahrain, eager to see if the maestro can utterly demolish Newey's car and the rest of the grid

The biggest? Who? You're talking about Fernando, aren't you?

Ashley Ramirez4 said:It would’ve been wild if Sebastian Vettel had actually grabbed that wheel—or maybe if he’d just spun out trying to dodge it. It was basically one step away from Red Bull completely blowing their entire weekend, but instead, they just totally screwed Mark Webber

and btw, I don't think anyone's gonna bother playing tire games in Q3 anymore. It’s just not worth the risk. Strategy only works if you get lucky and don't end up stuck behind some guy in the Final or a Sauber—which is insanely hard to pass even in the DRS zone, just look at how Vettel and Felipe Massa got stuck during this race. Maybe McLaren will still try it, but probably only on tracks where they can pull off a one-stop strategy

and for sure, Ferrari and Lotus are getting the most out of these tires (though Lotus is struggling with straight-line speed—just look at how much that little guy got stuck in traffic)

Who’s the slow driver? Romain?

P.S. Is there any chance Ferrari gets a little extra help from Pirelli?

Ashley Ramirez4 said:It would’ve been wild if Sebastian Vettel had actually grabbed that wheel—or maybe if he’d just spun out trying to dodge it. It was basically one step away from Red Bull completely blowing their entire weekend, but instead, they just totally screwed Mark Webber

and btw, I don't think anyone's gonna bother playing tire games in Q3 anymore. It’s just not worth the risk. Strategy only works if you get lucky and don't end up stuck behind some guy in the Final or a Sauber—which is insanely hard to pass even in the DRS zone, just look at how Vettel and Felipe Massa got stuck during this race. Maybe McLaren will still try it, but probably only on tracks where they can pull off a one-stop strategy

and for sure, Ferrari and Lotus are getting the most out of these tires (though Lotus is struggling with straight-line speed—just look at how much that little guy got stuck in traffic)

Yeah, it’s a shame 😢

Jerry Rogers6 said:Yeah, it’s a shame 😢

It’s a massive, heartbreaking loss... That German guy certainly has some luck on his side, especially since he's clearly the golden boy in Helmut Marko's eyes. 🤦

fadedwalker18 said:The biggest? Who? You're talking about Fernando, aren't you?

Who’s the slow driver? Romain?

P.S. Is there any chance Ferrari gets a little extra help from Pirelli?

Yes 😬

Ashley Ramirez4 said:Yes 😬

Hmm, since you're a woman, I assume you find it sweet—meaning, you actually like it? 🤣

nah, if you play around with his last name, you basically get grape sugar—so then you end up calling him 'sugar cube' 😬

Nathan Jones98 said:They were weak against Hulk in the DRS zone and generally looked sluggish—basically just showing off their "skill" at not actually overtaking on track.
Against Alonso, they were even worse—they basically just waited for him to pick them off in the DRS zone so he'd end up 0.3 seconds ahead of everyone else.

Exactly. And he could actually be a threat since the only cars slower than his in the speed trap were Maldonado's and Bottas's... everyone else was faster by 5 to 6.2 miles/h...

Jerry Rogers6 said:Yeah, it’s a shame 😢

He just can't catch a break... even when he takes a shot, he misses. 😬

Should probably take a page out of the Lotus drivers' book. 😁
When they take a shot, they actually hit a few people. Too bad Romain Grosjean hasn't been in top shape for ages. 😬🤣

By the way, did you know 21 is Mark Webber's unlucky number? 😬
GP China was held exactly 21 days after Malaysia.
In China, he got slapped with an official penalty "number 21."
And then Bahrain is driven like a total freak on the 21st...

stormybadger8 said:Exactly. And he could actually be a threat since the only cars slower than his in the speed trap were Maldonado's and Bottas's... everyone else was faster by 5 to 6.2 miles/h...

That puts Red Bull in a real tight spot on those medium tires. Fantastic!

stormybadger8 said:Exactly. And he could actually be a threat since the only cars slower than his in the speed trap were Maldonado's and Bottas's... everyone else was faster by 5 to 6.2 miles/h...

If he's such a genius and so incredibly powerful, why didn't someone like Kimi give it a shot?

William Bennett53 said:As far as I am concerned, this race featured several drivers who were nothing short of fantastic.

Primarily, it was Fernando Alonso, who drove with such composure and tactical maturity that his victory felt truly impressive; even toward the end, while maintaining a significant gap over his pursuers, he didn't claim he wasn't pushing or that he could go even faster. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Also brilliant were Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Raikkonen (assuming we view the poor start not as Kimi's fault, but rather a Renault error), as they both performed superbly under difficult circumstances. Kimi spent much of the race wrestling an aerodynamically compromised machine—and one might argue handling was a struggle too—while Lewis showed real grit to secure a podium ahead of the approaching Sebastian Vettel. 🙏 🙏

Respect to Ricciardo and Jenson Button, who both seem to have achieved results that exceed what their current machinery should allow. 🙏

On the other hand, Massa, Perez, Romain Grosjean, and Vergne look quite poor, as they appear significantly weaker than their teammates. It is hard to say exactly how much was due to their own mistakes versus how much they suffered because of strategy. This is particularly evident with Massa, who was practically invisible today despite having such a strong season otherwise.

My tweaks:

Alonso.
Hard to find a single thing to complain about here. He hunted down that win like a bulldog on a scent—not that he doesn't always drive like that. If you give him a decent car, like the one he had in China, beating Fernando Alonso is a tall order.

Kimi.
What an unbelievable guy. That Lotus look suits him so well that I’m actually getting worried about their pace. And with Kimi playing like this? Yeah, we're in trouble.

3. Vettel
I'm mostly on the same page as stormybadger8 here. Honestly, those pit wall calls probably cost him at least one position, if not two. To add to what stormybadger8 said, there's a good chance he could've jumped Lewis Hamilton if they'd just pulled him in for that final stop a lap earlier. It was likely right there for the taking.

Daniel Ricciardo.
Total shocker. They absolutely crushed it, from qualifying all the way to the checkered flag.

Looking at how things actually played out on the track, I honestly don't think it would be wrong to put Kimi or Ricciardo at the top of that list. Heck, they might as well just split the championship title between everyone.

stormybadger8 said:He just can't catch a break... even when he takes a shot, he misses. 😬

Should probably take a page out of the Lotus drivers' book. 😁
When they take a shot, they actually hit a few people. Too bad Romain Grosjean hasn't been in top shape for ages. 😬🤣

By the way, did you know 21 is Mark Webber's unlucky number? 😬
GP China was held exactly 21 days after Malaysia.
In China, he got slapped with an official penalty "number 21."
And then Bahrain is driven like a total freak on the 21st...

That’s exactly why he should have just slammed him into the wall—even if it was just a little bit. Honestly, I think I hit the nail on the head there. 😬🤣
It’s over now—there just isn't any way to make this work anymore.
We really should have seized that window—that one specific moment where everything lined up—to finally put this whole mess to bed once and for all. 🙂

🤣

Amanda Kelly said:My tweaks:

Alonso.
Hard to find a single thing to complain about here. He hunted down that win like a bulldog on a scent—not that he doesn't always drive like that. If you give him a decent car, like the one he had in China, beating Fernando Alonso is a tall order.

Kimi.
What an unbelievable guy. That Lotus look suits him so well that I’m actually getting worried about their pace. And with Kimi playing like this? Yeah, we're in trouble.

3. Vettel
I'm mostly on the same page as stormybadger8 here. Honestly, those pit wall calls probably cost him at least one position, if not two. To add to what stormybadger8 said, there's a good chance he could've jumped Lewis Hamilton if they'd just pulled him in for that final stop a lap earlier. It was likely right there for the taking.

Daniel Ricciardo.
Total shocker. They absolutely crushed it, from qualifying all the way to the checkered flag.

Looking at how things actually played out on the track, I honestly don't think it would be wrong to put Kimi or Ricciardo at the top of that list. Heck, they might as well just split the championship title between everyone.

By the way, this was Kimi's twentieth consecutive points finish.
Before joining Lotus, his record stood at 13, during his time with Ferrari back in '07/'08.

For context, Michael Schumacher holds the record with 24.
Does that put the scale of Kimi's achievement into perspective?

Amanda Kelly said:My tweaks:

Alonso.
Hard to find a single thing to complain about here. He hunted down that win like a bulldog on a scent—not that he doesn't always drive like that. If you give him a decent car, like the one he had in China, beating Fernando Alonso is a tall order.

Kimi.
What an unbelievable guy. That Lotus look suits him so well that I’m actually getting worried about their pace. And with Kimi playing like this? Yeah, we're in trouble.

3. Vettel
I'm mostly on the same page as stormybadger8 here. Honestly, those pit wall calls probably cost him at least one position, if not two. To add to what stormybadger8 said, there's a good chance he could've jumped Lewis Hamilton if they'd just pulled him in for that final stop a lap earlier. It was likely right there for the taking.

Daniel Ricciardo.
Total shocker. They absolutely crushed it, from qualifying all the way to the checkered flag.

Looking at how things actually played out on the track, I honestly don't think it would be wrong to put Kimi or Ricciardo at the top of that list. Heck, they might as well just split the championship title between everyone.

Vettel and Red Bull Racing did an excellent job today. Truly impressive work.
Just two specific moments defined the race:
-The late switch to option tires.
-That poor line through Turn 11 during the final lap.

Had those two things gone differently, Vettel easily could have secured second place in those closing meters.

And looking at the top five finishers—five world champions. Pretty incredible, isn't it?

stormybadger8 said:Exactly. And he could actually be a threat since the only cars slower than his in the speed trap were Maldonado's and Bottas's... everyone else was faster by 5 to 6.2 miles/h...

So why don't Mother and Father RBR A. Newey just increase the speed trap for the Can, what seems to be the issue?

For years now, they have consistently been on the slowest end of the spectrum (among those slower cars), so these desperate theories of yours simply do not hold water... I find it somewhat laughable that a three-time world champion possesses a mere "compact car" while everyone else is driving "ferocious beasts." ☕

What was Webber's top speed on the straight during the race?

I can't find the data anywhere.

hopefully this helps ☕