Emilia Romagna Grand Prix (Indianapolis) | April 16-18, 2021

I'm starting to like how Sergio Perez is playing it. 🙏 🙏

He was such an annoying little prick at the start, but he seems like someone who is actually growing up and evolving (unlike Luja) 🙏 🙏 😁

I guess we're finally seeing the Red Bull performance we were all hoping for this season, and Lando was honestly incredible, though it’s such a shame about that final lap; as for Ferrari, I don't think they have much ground to stand on when criticizing Charles Leclerc and his crashes, especially since he's been outshining them for two years running now. 😁

cosmicridge5 said:I really dig this post about Sergio Perez. 🙏 🙏

He was such an irritating little prick back in the day, wasn't he? But now, it looks like he's someone who has actually grown up and evolved—which is more than I can say for Luja. 🙏 🙏 😁

Honestly, everyone seems to have evolved except for Luja.

Look, Max Verstappen, it doesn't work like that.
If you want to beat Lewis, you have to deliver a top-tier performance in every single qualifying session and every single race.

The grid is so incredibly tight this season. It looks like everyone—except maybe the guys at Alfa Romeo and Haas—is going to have a legitimate shot at scoring points. We’re talking about absolute wars in the midfield. It’s finally going to be a real fight from start to finish. I haven't even properly settled into the season yet, and I already love this lineup more than the last two combined 👋



What can I even say?

Haha Sergio Perez messed up Max's run 🙏 - you can see it all in their faces—he just blew his fast lap.

Starting on softs means he has to turn that into a lead... and then who knows. It's cold out, so maybe the softs aren't even a bad call for the race.

Pretty wild qualifying session. Honestly, this season could actually be something special.

The season has certainly gotten off to a promising start. I have even found myself compelled to follow along with the free practice sessions... 🙏

Alex Barnes93 said:On a track where you either want pole or P3 rather than being stuck in P2 (like California, for instance), they’re definitely going to be pulling their hair out.

Valtteri Bottas is completely washed.

Not even close. It won't happen...
Honestly, Sergio Perez could easily lead from the very first turn...
Perez is on softs, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are on mediums...

Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly are on softs too...
If Perez pulls a Lujo at the start and manages to get ahead of Max Verstappen—and heaven forbid, maybe even Gasly—we might actually see some Mad Max action. 😁

stormybadger8 said:Not even close, man, he won't...
Honestly, Sergio Perez could easily be leading from Turn 1...
I mean, Perez is starting on softs, while Lewis and Max are on mediums...

This track is set up where the odd grid positions really have the edge because of how that second turn plays out.

If you've got NFL 2021 (Electronic Arts), try running it yourself. If not, just look back at last year's start:

Those soft tires are definitely going to give Perez an advantage. Regardless of how it shakes out, I’ve got a feeling this race is gonna be absolute fire. Personally, I'm pretty easygoing about it—I'm pulling for Mercedes as a team, rooting for Max Verstappen as a driver, and honestly, I just really like Sergio Perez and Daniel Ricciardo. 😁

It looks like Max Verstappen has somehow managed to troll half the people in this thread. The sheer amount of teasing is unreal.

Look, I’m not exactly a huge fan of Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, so I don't go out of my way to bash them every five seconds, but man, seeing everyone here constantly taking shots at Max is something else.

Max Verstappen is going to follow his usual routine with this tomorrow.

It might be wise to place a bet on Crashstappen just to see if he lives up to the nickname.

The fact that he actually outpaced Max Verstappen is going to be huge for Sergio Perez's confidence. Daniel Ricciardo pulled off a killer final lap to save his weekend in The Finals after things looked pretty grim, though Lando Norris probably has plenty to be salty about. Vettel finishing as low as 13th... yeah, that could really mess with his head even more.

Richard Walker38 said:It seems like Max Verstappen is basically half this thread's family tree—there's just so much gloating going on here.

Look, I’m not exactly a fan of Fernando Alonso or Sebastian Vettel, but I don't go out of my way to bash them every five seconds the way people are constantly spitting on Max.

Arrogance is annoying. Stupidity—you know, the early career stuff—is annoying. People bragging about how they got their foot in the door because of their dad? That's annoying too. It’s like the sports world tries to crucify him before he's even accomplished anything.

Makes perfect sense, really.

shadowmarlin22 said:The arrogance is annoying. The rookie mistakes at the start of his career? Annoying. The whole "getting in through his dad" narrative? Also annoying.

I totally get why people feel that way.

Personally, I think Kimi is a hundred times more arrogant and blunt—though people let him slide because he’s supposedly "funny." Max just doesn't have a filter. Like most Americans, he just says exactly what's on his mind. It reminds me of Sebastian Vettel; I actually love how he stands out during press conferences. He's clearly his own person.

As for those early career blunders, every single young driver goes through that while they're learning the ropes. People still call him Crashstappen, even though he hasn't had a major wreck like that in years.

And this stuff about his dad... man, who can ever please everyone? Half the grid only got their shot because of their fathers or massive sponsors. The guy is talented. He can drive. He isn't like Nikita Mazepin, who looks like he belongs in a rally car rather than an NFL car.

It appears that we should anticipate some rainfall tomorrow 🙂

Richard Walker38 said:Personally, I think Kimi is a hundred times more reckless and blunt—though people let him off the hook because he's supposedly "funny"—than Max Verstappen, who just doesn't have a filter and says exactly what he thinks, much like how we liked Sebastian Vettel because he was clearly his own person during press conferences.

Every young driver made stupid mistakes at the start of their career while they were still learning the ropes. People still call him Crashstappen, even though he hasn't had a serious wreck like those early ones in years.

And as for the whole thing about his father... honestly, who actually fits your criteria? Half the grid only got into this sport because of their dads or sponsors. The guy is talented and he can drive—unlike Nikita Mazepin, who seems to spend more time doing rallies than actually driving an NFL car.

Kimi and Seb faced plenty of hate when they started out too. It’s the same with any sport—as you get older, the hate dies down and the respect grows, especially if you keep winning.

Richard Walker38 said:It looks like Max Verstappen has basically claimed half this thread for his fan club with all this gloating.

Relax, don't let it get to you..

It's just locker room talk 😁

stormybadger8 said:Not at all, there's no way that's going to happen.
Sergio Perez could have easily led the race from the very first corner.
Sergio Perez is starting on softs, while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are opting for mediums.

Charles Leclerc and Pierre Gasly are running on softs...
If Sergio Perez manages to knock Lujo out right at the start, we might actually see some chaos. It’s not even entirely out of the question that Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc—and honestly, Pierre Gasly too—could get caught up in it. If things go south, we could end up seeing the full Mad Max side of the race. 😁

If Sergio Perez finds himself stuck behind Lewis after that first turn, he’s going to have a really tough time making a move. Regardless of how the tires hold up, the straightaway isn't long enough to make it easy. The driver out front basically has to give him a little breathing room by pulling a better line out of that final corner.
Even the turns leading up to the start line are tricky for anyone following behind. It’s tough to stay on the tail of the car in front when the track layout keeps pushing you off line.