F1 Italian GP - Monza (Sept 2, 2018)

Good grief, this guy from Chaplin is going to lose his hands at this rate 😁

I caught the start and maybe two or three laps, and honestly, as someone who currently finds myself pulling for Ferrari way more than Mercedes...
I don't think Vettel deserves to be champion. If he’d made a mistake back in Germany, fine, but a mature, seasoned driver shouldn't be making blunders like this.

He isn't driving with his head anymore; he's just driving on pure instinct, like he's some rookie in his first or second season. Hamilton had a rough start to the year, but in this second half, he's clearly become a much better, more complete driver than Vettel...
No matter how incredible Vettel's performance was last season, it's obvious he's hitting a psychological wall, and you don't win championships driving like this.
During the race, I fully expected Hamilton to overtake Raikkonen, since Kimi always struggles to match the pace of Hamilton or Vettel, though I still feel for Kimi since he couldn't even snag a single win.

I'm really hoping Leclerc joins Ferrari next year.

mellowtiger83 said:Toby, get out of here! Nobody’s asking anything of you. Let’s just focus on discussing the master himself, Sebastian Vettel, behind the wheel.🙂

Shouldn't we talk about that brilliant Ferrari qualifying strategy?😍

stormytiger4 said:Kimi was excellent ( 🙏 🙏). I don't see much reason to laugh at him for losing the win.
Vettel, on the other hand... 🤦

It isn't Vettel's fault; it was just bad luck.

Poor little thing, I almost feel bad for ya

So,
Toto Wolff was basically saying that the call they made for Valtteri Bottas was actually the best move they could have played. I mean, if you ask me, it was definitely the right play for Bottas himself.😬

Kyle Edwards5 said:I only caught the start and a couple of laps, but as someone who currently finds myself rooting for Ferrari more than Mercedes...
I don't think Vettel deserves the championship right now. Sure, if he’d made a mistake back in Germany, maybe, but a mature, seasoned driver shouldn't be making errors like this.

He isn't driving with his head; he's just driving on pure emotion, almost like he's in his first or second season. Lewis Hamilton had a rough start to the year, but in the second half, he's clearly become a much more complete driver than Vettel...
No matter how great Vettel was last season, it's obvious he's struggling mentally, and you don't win titles driving like this.
During the race, I expected Hamilton to overtake Kimi, since Kimi's pace usually trails behind Hamilton and Vettel, though I still feel for Kimi since he couldn't even grab a single win.

I really hope Leclerc joins Ferrari next year.

Nicholas Newman2 said:Vettel is going to mess up if he stays focused on Raikkonen. He needs to focus on Luja, and let the Ferkanov wall handle the rest.

yeah

Anthony Baker84 said:@Brandon Evans5/">@@Brandon Evans5, man, all this is just going to cost him the championship because he’s out there making these ridiculous mistakes during qualifying. I mean, the guy finishes about 0.1 seconds slower than Kimi Raikkonen despite all those blunders. It's honestly frustrating.

Look, he made two massive tactical errors right there, but when you realize he essentially threw away about 35 points, you see how much this reckless behavior is costing him.
He was being way too aggressive right from the jump; even in the very first lap, he was trying to dive past Kimi from an angle that wasn't even on the racing line. Because he was cutting corners through the chicane like that, Lujo was actually just helping him close the gap, so seeing him pull up closer was pretty much inevitable at that point.
Deep down, he knew that arrivaben would step in and sort things out so Kimi would let him through, so all he really needed was a bit of patience. But he just didn't have it. Sometimes he reminds me of Max; there's just something slightly off about that whole Red Bull school of thought.

Jack Kelly5 said:Toto said Valtteri Bottas's strategy was the best call they could make—definitely worked out for him!
😬

I mean, the guy climbed all the way from 4th to the podium... pretty impressive if you ask me.

This weekend was a total disaster for Vettel. He had a miserable qualifying session, a garbage start to the race, and then he basically handed it away with an amateur mistake while battling Hamilton. Honestly, the only reason he even managed to snag fourth place was because Max completely fell apart.

just sitting here waiting on Tibi

So, it turns out a black catholic scored more points at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza than Vettel did.

I’ve never been much of a Lewis Hamilton fan, but you have to give credit where it's due: he forced Vettel into that mistake. Honestly, Vettel is the one to blame here; the guy looked completely on edge all weekend.

It’s almost like he’s new to Formula 1. If he had shown even a shred of intelligence, he could have just let Hamilton pass and then used those remaining 52 laps to hunt him down. Instead, he decided it was better to play kamikaze in the opening lap rather than just being patient.

Kudos to Hamilton and Mercedes-Benz, though. Their tactical execution was flawless once they dealt with Vettel's reckless move.

So Vettel says he isn't sweating that 30-point gap—claims he can make it up easily... well, bravo, genius! 🙂

Nicholas Newman2 said:Mercedes executed their strategy almost perfectly. The only thing they should've told Bottas was to stop chasing that young Dutchman; he was going to finish third anyway. By pushing, Bottas just helped Vettel grab another two points.

👍
Yeah, Mercedes played it smart today. They stayed right on Ferrari's heels. Bottas did his usual thing. It would have been absolute chaos if it had started raining while they were waiting for Hamilton's pit stop.
But, despite the complaints here, I don't see any major blunders from Ferrari.
Kimi's pit stop was fine. You can tell because they kept their position. Lewis already had the chance to pit immediately after Kimi. But look, Mercedes' move made sense.

Vettel? I'll check the replays later, but I think Kimi is the main factor. He had a rough start. Vettel was faster, but he couldn't make the pass—not enough time. Then Kimi slowed him down again, and that leads to the incident. I don't see any glaring driving errors. Once an incident happens, damage control is a nightmare.

Another disappointment for Ferrari.
I guess the only thing left to do here is celebrate the mess.

I mean, anyone actually expecting smart, composed moves from Vettel probably just started watching Formula 1 yesterday.
#DontCrackUnderPressure

Roger Wright94 said:Vettel? I’ll have to check out the replays later, but honestly, I think Kimi's the main reason this went sideways. He had a rough start. Vettel was definitely faster, but he just couldn't find a way past him—there wasn't enough room. Then Kimi ends up slowing him down again, and that's how you get the collision.

🙏
Tibi, is that you?

Roger Wright94 said:Vettel? I'll have to check the replays later, but honestly, I think Kimi is the one to blame here. His start was just sloppy. Vettel actually had the pace to pass him, but he ran out of time. Then Kimi just gets in his way again, and that's how you end up with an incident.

Exactly, that’s it 🙏. It's always someone else's fault, never the guy at the top.

darkmarlin16 said:just waiting on the big reveal

What’s there to wait for? I suppose it’s pretty obvious—this was just Vettel's strategy today, making them look much weaker than they actually are. Then, once we hit Singapore, they'll likely catch everyone off guard by being underestimated, and hopefully, they'll just run away with it for the rest of the season. 🎉

Jack Kelly5 said:Anyone expecting smart, calm moves from Vettel clearly started watching Formula 1 yesterday.
#DontCrackUnderPressure

It’s funny how people act like Ferrari—and Vettel along with them—are suddenly the worst at handling pressure just because someone said so yesterday.

darkmarlin16 said:just waiting on the big boss

Why? Aren't you tired of all this drama yet!?