US Grand Prix - Indianapolis Motor Speedway 09.02.2018

Jack Kelly5 said:I bet you're choking on your own spit after that disaster in the US, so maybe just stop embarrassing yourself...
🤦

And why exactly would I be choking?🤣
There was no way I could have done better in qualifying today.😁
Honestly, I'm more than happy with how it went.😁

Richard Walker38 said:I wasn't really implying they'd skip it outright—there are probably a million ways the start could play out tomorrow. I have this vague feeling that if everything goes smoothly at lights out, Sebastian Vettel might just pull ahead, and then Kimi will likely get orders to build a gap and stay glued to the back of those Mercedes cars so Sebastian has clear air.

Though, that’s just my own speculation—some might call it a conspiracy theory, I suppose. 🕺

Regardless of how the start or the first lap unfolds, the bolded part is pretty much a given. Kimi will probably be waiting quite a while for another win 👎
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Richard Walker38 said:Edit: my go-to sim is Assetto Corsa and I'm not a fan of Monza 😁

I don't hate it, per se, but it's certainly not my favorite track—mostly because there are only 11 corners and the rest is just straightaways. I'm looking forward to AC Competizione; it looks promising, though I haven't seen any sign of VR support yet 🐔
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As for tomorrow, I'd honestly be surprised if Romain Grosjean doesn't hold his own against at least two other cars right at the start 🤣
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I mean, Kimi might just cement his legend status with the fastest lap ever at Monza

crimsonhawk23 said:Come on—maybe think for a second before dropping questions like that...

I mean, you're saying everyone can use DRS, but then what's even the point? The whole idea behind DRS is so the guy chasing has the advantage. If both drivers are just using it constantly, then the whole concept loses its purpose...

stormybadger8 said:You guys are being way too naive. 🤣

This was a tactical move by Vettel, and honestly, a masterstroke. 🙏

Seriously, it was brilliant how he kept sliding off into the gravel at Lesmo during Q1, Q2, and Q3. I bet the stewards were working overtime today cleaning up after him. He even played the part perfectly at the end, acting all disappointed with his qualifying results. Man, Vettel is a genius tactician.

Oh, man... just realized I completely missed the poll. 🤣
I don't get why we even have such a brainless poll. 🤔

I mean, the answer was obvious from the jump. It was always going to be Kimi Räikkönen. There was no other way this could have gone. 😁

If they don't pull off a single win before the season wraps up, the answer is simple: it's Kimi 20 versus 3. 😁
If Valtteri Bottas wins every single race left this season, the answer is still Kimi 20 vs 11. 😁

So, just like Bottas, they're completely impossible options. 😬🤣
🎉Let's go, Kimi! 🎉

neonfox65 said:If you're saying everyone should just be able to use DRS whenever, then there’s really no point—the whole idea is that the trailing driver uses it to gain an advantage. If both drivers are using it simultaneously, the purpose is lost.

Good grief, please think for a second. Think professionally, if you will. ☕ I suggested that DRS should perhaps be allowed anytime, anywhere, without restrictions—essentially leaving the decision up to the drivers and their own judgment.

You seem focused solely on attacking versus defending.

And even when defending, unlike your view, I don't see how the leading driver could open DRS to gain the same kind of millisecond advantage as the attacker.

Richard Walker38 said:Yeah, he really nailed those repeated excursions into the gravel at Lesmo during Q1, Q2, and Q3—I suppose the stewards' cleaning crews were working overtime today.

😬

Richard Walker38 said:He played off that disappointment with the qualifying result quite well at the end; Sebastian Vettel is a brilliant tactician.

Lewis is busy working on his music career, while Seb is probably hoping to catch the eye of some Hollywood hunter who might offer him a movie role.😁

crimsonhawk23 said:Good grief, come on pro—think about this for a second. Think professionally... ☕I said we should just let them use DRS whenever and wherever they want, no restrictions. Let it be up to the drivers and their own judgment.

You're just focusing on attacking versus defending.

And even on defense—unlike you—I don't see how the guy in front could open up the same tiny gap with DRS as the guy behind who's actually using it to make a move.

😬 😁

Well, the driver in front would open it EARLIER because he'd exit the corner sooner...☕

If DRS can be used anywhere, fine—but then everyone’s just going to use it in the exact same spots, or do you really think they won't?

Quote : Elizabeth Mendoza

neonfox65 said:The driver ahead probably would have opened it up sooner—just to get out of that corner faster, I guess. ☕

It’ll be one lap ahead, maybe a couple more—just enough time before they catch up again. This driver is simply faster and stronger, closing that gap steadily. Just look at how Mercedes hunted down Red Bull—that stroll Lewis Hamilton took around Max Verstappen last weekend at Spa is a perfect example of just how much of a difference we're seeing.

neonfox65 said:If DRS were available everywhere, I guess everyone would just start using it at the exact same spots—unless you think they wouldn't?

Of course they won't. I guess Red Bull could breeze through Eau Rouge - Raidillon with the DRS open without much trouble—whereas Haas and Sauber would probably just end up in a wall. Not even all the drivers would be willing to take that kind of risk; someone would likely close the door during braking a bit too early, someone else a bit too late, and then there's Max Verstappen. 😬I suppose they'll be the last ones to finish—all of them.

Honestly, they should just give them some kind of button-activated turbo or NOS—like a rocket boost—that dumps an extra 100 hp for five seconds. They could hit it whenever they want, though maybe cap it at three uses per race. 🤣
The drivers' union would probably vote for Romain Grosjean to be the first one to test it out. 🙏

stormytiger4 said:The drivers' union would probably vote for Grosjean immediately if they had the chance to test that first. 🙏

🤣

Guenther Steiner and Zak Brown were absolutely at each other's throats over that ridiculous collision between K-Mag and Alonso. 🤣

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/13...alifying-clash

How the American commentators reacted to Kimi's pole: https://streamable.com/w7iad
😍 😍

crimsonhawk23 said:Just before that lap comes out, then a little later, maybe one more lap after that...

🤦 Ugh, when I have to deal with this kind of nonsense from you...

Look, the guy who’s physically ahead is ALWAYS going to exit the corner first because he's literally in front... please, let's stop embarrassing ourselves here...

Because that guy behind him is just faster and stronger—so he's catching up...

That’s exactly why they brought in DRS—because if he can't stay close enough through the corners, he's got zero chance of making a move on the straight. You give them both DRS and you basically end up right back where you started... just a wash.

Obviously not. Red Bull could blast through Eau Rouge - Raidillon without breaking a sweat even with the DRS wide open—but Haas and Sauber? They’ll end up face-first in the wall...

So, that would just widen the gap between the big teams and the small ones even further—and here we are, working so hard to actually close those gaps...

Not all drivers would be willing to take the same kind of risk—you’d have some closing the door a bit early during braking, others waiting a little longer, and then there's someone like Max Verstappen... 😬...later than everyone else.

Doesn't the DRS automatically close when you hit the brakes...?

You clearly have some issues with basic logic—it’s almost not worth responding to the nonsense you typed, except for this one thing:

neonfox65 said:Doesn't DRS close automatically when they brake?

For the fifth time now—there are no restrictions on usage. Maybe check a dictionary for the definition of restriction.

It turns out that despite all of Hamilton's hard work, Ferrari is still about a tenth ahead here. That pretty much feels like the final nail in the coffin for Mercedes' long-standing dominance... Given how things have looked practically since the start of the season, I honestly don't see how Mercedes can hold their own on any track from here on out. Sebastian Vettel could easily take a +7 or +10 margin tomorrow, which means he’ll likely be sitting in the lead by the time we hit Singapore. In my opinion, the only way this championship stays interesting until the last two or three races is if Vettel suffers a DNF in at least one session...

As for tomorrow's race, everything hinges on whether Ferrari can pull off a driver swap at the start without making a mess of it. I’m guessing they'll go for the classic move of sacrificing Kimi's position at all costs. If they pull that off, I expect a pretty dull race with Vettel pulling far ahead while Kimi just holds up the Mercedes drivers...
If they fail at that, though, things could get messy later on, because once you factor in both Mercedes cars using strategic plays and attacks, the race might actually get interesting...

crimsonhawk23 said:Good grief, please think about it for a second. Use some professional judgment here... ☕I wrote that DRS should be allowed whenever and wherever, without restrictions. Let the decision lie with the drivers and their own assessment of the situation.

You're just fixating on attacking and defending.

And even regarding defense, unlike your logic, I don't see how the driver in front would be able to open DRS for the exact same millisecond as the attacker who used it to move up...

He's got a point in this instance. Drivers and teams would very quickly figure out exactly which sections of the track offer the most benefit from DRS. Everyone would just trigger it precisely where they know it helps most, which would essentially nullify any significant impact...

It’s almost like people think it matters who gave whom a slipstream and when, but honestly, for Ferrari, this was just a job well done; they secured that 1-2 finish and effectively shut down Lewis Hamilton, even though he was driving like an absolute beast and squeezing every last drop of performance out of that Mercedes
we all know that if things get desperate tomorrow, Kimi Räikkönen will somehow find a way to let Sebastian Vettel through

and then you see these comments claiming Sebastian Vettel can't handle this kind of thing, as if Lewis Hamilton would be any happier having Valtteri Bottas sitting right in front of him while he's hunting down the lead in the driver's championship

Thomas Davis98 said:He’s probably right here—drivers and teams would likely figure out exactly where the DRS provides an advantage and where it doesn't quite matter. They'd just open it precisely when it helps most, which might negate any real impact.

It’s easy to say teams would figure it out, but if a driver lacks the guts to nail a section perfectly while someone else is breathing down their neck with DRS open, it won't matter. It might not change the final results drastically, but it would certainly make things more interesting. Besides, Formula 1 leadership seems keen on reducing aero and downforce—similar to how IndyCar operates—so this could potentially achieve both goals.

Since the current Mercedes-Benz wouldn't be able to handle almost an entire lap with DRS open, whereas Red Bull definitely could for at least half the tracks on the calendar, it might actually close the gap a bit. Eventually, everyone would adapt to the point where everything comes down to a driver's ability to push right to the absolute limit. I think we can all agree that Carlos Sainz is a better driver than Lance Stroll, or Daniel Ricciardo over Nico Hulkenberg. Add Max to that equation—since he’s constantly living on the edge—and you get those intense moments where one guy brakes at 40 meters and another at 34. It's simple math, I guess...

The gap between the top tier and the smaller teams will always exist; expecting equal results when budgets differ by twenty times is pretty unrealistic, regardless of regulations or restrictions. It’s hardly feasible for a privateer-style team to ever truly match a full factory team.

On this track, Mercedes should be right up there with the leaders, especially Lewis, since Valtteri just isn't contributing much right now.
Everything comes down to the launch and then how they manage until the pit stops. I have zero doubt Lewis will be driving like a man possessed...
Sebastian Vettel struggled quite a bit during qualifying, which shows he’s clearly feeling the pressure, while Kimi Raikkonen couldn't care less and just goes out and clocks the fastest lap. Truly impressive...
It’s honestly a shame that nobody is even in the same zip code as Mercedes and Ferrari. The gap to the rest of the field is just tragic...

Tomorrow’s start is basically going to decide everything, and honestly, it would be absolutely legendary if some absolute legend from the back of the pack just flies right past Vettel, or if maybe Bottas or Grosjean just absolutely steamrolls him right out of the way