US Grand Prix - Indianapolis Motor Speedway 09.02.2018

crimsonhawk23 said:Anything other than a total Ferrari takeover (P1 and P2) would be a shocker. Hamilton 3rd Place, Bottas 4th Place.

Everyone’s acting like an expert once the dust settles :P. Honestly, even before the break, it was pretty obvious Mercedes was struggling—they just got lucky when Vettel pulled off that amazing drive in the rain. I was really hoping they'd figure out how to catch up to Ferrari, but watching them at Spa was just plain sad.

Richard Walker38 said:Something is going to mess up Kimi Räikkönen again.

As if that weren't possible. Honestly, I wouldn't even be surprised if a squirrel decided to chew through his spark plug cables looking for some corn.

Gary Palmer8 said:Everyone’s acting like a general after the battle—typical. I guess it was already pretty obvious before the break that Mercedes was struggling, though they did get lucky when Vettel managed to pull off that win in the rain. I was hoping they might actually figure out how to catch up to Ferrari, but watching that performance at Spa was just... well, it was sad.

It’s probably a long way from being a victory lap after that battle—if you can even call it that, I guess. I guess I called it before Spa—maybe just a lucky guess. I guess Daniel Ricciardo shut me down regarding Kimi Räikkönen—though I still maintain he would have secured a podium spot right behind Lewis Hamilton. Aside from Spain and that strange period where Mercedes seemed untouchable, which was only made more obvious by the usual chaos in the Ferrari pit lane, the Scuderia actually held a half-step advantage in terms of raw pace. They don't exactly have a vastly superior car, but they have just enough of an edge to almost offset their own sloppy strategy calls.

Richard Walker38 said:Kimi will probably mess things up again—I guess.

It doesn't even finish? I find that hard to believe—I guess. 🤷 He’s been hitting the podium almost every single race lately—showing some serious consistency—so I guess it's just my luck that he manages to drop out twice in a row... 🤷

crimsonhawk23 said:Anything other than a total Ferrari lockout (P1 and P2) would catch me off guard. Hamilton 3rd Place, Bottas 4th Place.

If Ferrari actually dominated, I’d be shocked... though, honestly, it would be a damn good surprise.😍
But seriously, it would be a massive shocker.

Even if Mercedes shows up looking dominant—and I mean *actually* dominant, not some pathetic mess like what we saw from Ferrari at Spa—I wouldn't be surprised. It wouldn't make me think Vettel doesn't have a shot at the title either.
I’ve been waiting all season for them to absolutely crush it at Monza, and if they can't pull it off there, I might just lose my mind.🎉

stormybadger8 said:If Ferrari actually starts dominating, I’ll be floored... like, seriously, incredibly shocked and pleasantly surprised.😍
But even then, it would still be a massive shocker.

Even if Mercedes ends up being dominant—and I mean truly, utterly crushing it, not just some mediocre showing like what we saw from Ferrari at Spa—it wouldn't surprise me one bit, nor would it make me think that a title run for Vettel is out of the question.
I honestly felt like Monza was the one track where The Bear was absolutely going to steamroll the competition all season long, and man, if they can't pull it off there, I guess my luck is just non-existent.🎉

Well, look, Baku, Spa, and Silverstone were all supposed to be safe havens for Mercedes too, yet Ferrari still managed to show some real teeth this season.
Though, I gotta admit, those rainy qualifying sessions and that gray, dreary dominance during last year's race still sting a little.

Right now, I’m looking at two undeniable truths.
1) Ferrari is going to be feeling the heat: A potential win for Vettel would practically guarantee him those headlines. And if we’re talking a team victory, it wouldn't just boost Vettel's standing, it would finally put Ferrari back where they actually belong.
2) Ferrari is absolute garbage when the pressure is on: This team handles high-stakes situations about as well as snow melts in the sun—meaning, not at all. Just look at what happened this year in Germany and Canada; that was pure, unadulterated proof.

And don't even get me started on the possibility of rain. As a Ferrari fan, my role in that scenario is pretty much set based on the last three years: I just sit there and cry.

It might actually be interesting to see if Red Bull shows up with that third spec of the Renault engine. Who knows? They might actually pull an upset, which honestly sounds a lot more tolerable to me than seeing Lando win, or worse yet, that blonde guy.

neonfox65 said:You wrote Leclerc twice🤦

It’s pronounced LEKLERK

darkmarlin16 said:It's pronounced LECLERC

This is how you say it

Do you think Hamilton and Vettel are actually gonna play the slipstream game during qualifying? 🤔

Brandon Evans5 said:Look, Baku, Spa, and Silverstone were definitely Mercedes' safe havens too, so Ferrari showing some teeth this season is actually something.
Still hurts thinking about last year—those rainy qualifying sessions followed by that gray dominance during the race.

Not really...
If I were betting on Mercedes, I’d expect them to be miles ahead at Monza or Barcelona from the jump. Those tracks are their bread and butter. Anything else? Maybe. But those two are a lock.

darkmarlin16 said:Are Hamilton and Vettel going to use slipstreaming in qualifying? 🤔

Hamilton definitely wants it... because let's be real, Mercedes wasn't exactly breaking a sweat when they were ready to dump Bottas before, so why would anything change now that Wolf is out there making it public?

On the other hand, maybe Ferrari would actually want to pull that off, but I seriously doubt they have the slightest clue how to make it happen. 🤦
Maybe they'll actually try, but let's be real—those guys at the top are probably going to screw up the timing. They'll likely botch the strategy and leave Kimi stranded, either getting stuck behind someone else or letting Vettel blow past him before he even gets a chance to use the slipstream. If that happens, this whole plan is just going to be a complete disaster.

stormybadger8 said:Hamilton will definitely go for it... because we already know that The Bear wasn't having any trouble ditching Bottas before, let alone now that Wolf has actually started making it public.

On the other hand, Ferrari might want to, but I highly doubt they would be capable of pulling it off properly 🤦
They might even attempt it, but being as clumsy as they are, they'll surely mess up the timing and send Kimi out in such a way that someone else will end up between him and Vettel, or Vettel will simply overtake him before he even gets a chance at a slipstream, causing the whole plan to fail miserably...

If I recall correctly, they used to do that with Mass while Alonso was still there...

stormybadger8 said:Hamilton will definitely go for it... I mean, we already know Mercedes wasn't having any trouble cutting Bottas loose before—not to mention now that Toto has basically gone public with the idea.

On the flip side, Ferrari might want to make a move, but I honestly doubt they could actually pull it off.🤦
They might even try, but knowing how clumsy they can be, they'll probably mess up the timing—either by putting someone else between him and Vettel, or Vettel will just outpace him before he even gets a chance at a slipstream, making the whole thing a total disaster...

Yeah, true—Kimi would get the job done, but Vettel just isn't capable of making the most of it... so they won't even bother trying.

It’s honestly quite pathetic watching Hamilton fans mock Vettel. I am fully convinced that Vettel is going to take the win, and once he does, his supporters are going to be absolutely relentless in this forum.

It’s always the same story, no matter which side you look at.

The moderators will be doing their best to keep things from spiraling out of control this weekend. 😁

It would be absolutely incredible if they just cleared the way—or if someone else did it for them—so Kimi Räikkönen could finally take it.

mellowtiger83 said:Now that Hamilton's fans are busy trolling Vettel, I’m pretty sure Vettel is going to win—and his fans are going to be absolutely celebrating all over this forum.

Go ahead—try and find one single time in the last four years where I actually claimed Mercedes was the weaker team... seriously. Besides, there's really no reason to mock Vettel—he's proven what a beast he is, even if things got a little messy once that rain started falling a few races back...

Gary Palmer8 said:... I mean, he showed exactly what kind of driver he is when things went sideways during those few races once the rain started picking up...

Aside from that crash in Germany—which was entirely on him—there isn't really much to complain about regarding his performance in Canada or Belgium. It’s pretty obvious that Mercedes just has the better setup for wet, cold conditions.

Richard Walker38 said:It would be wonderful if they were out of the way, or if someone else cleared them out, allowing Kimi Räikkönen to take the lead.

Kimi starts far too cautiously; he doesn't fight for space, which usually results in him losing two positions right at the jump... unless he manages to start from the front row, then he might actually have a fighting chance... or perhaps we see a repeat of what happened in Singapore...🙂

Robert Cox46 said:Aside from his own mistake spinning out in Germany—which was totally on him—you can't really blame the driver for how things went in Canada and Belgium. It’s pretty clear Mercedes-Benz just has the superior setup for rain and cold tracks.

I mean, they have pace in the dry too—it's just that Vettel is such an overachiever that he makes up for it.

Honestly, I don't know what else it takes for people to realize that once you minimize the car's impact, Vettel is just a tier below the top guys.