US Grand Prix - Indianapolis Motor Speedway 09.02.2018

It’s wild how damn close Germany and Ferrari are right now... at this rate, they might actually be closer than they were at Spa. All four of them could easily be within half a tenth, if not less. 😳
I’m pretty stoked, honestly. I fully expected Germany to absolutely hammer them... turns out they might actually have a shot. 😁

Unless someone gets incredibly lucky and catches a monster double slipstream like Vettel did on his fastest lap... but I wouldn't bet on it. He probably used up all his luck for the day.

The race pace is bizarre. Everyone is tight again, within a second or two—and it’s not just Germany and Ferrari, Red Bull is right there too. 🤔
Is someone hiding something for qualifying? Or is some kid just running sims where they're a full second slower in qualifying, but in the race sim, they're practically neck-and-neck or even the best? 😲

crimsonhawk23 said:When it comes to Kimi, I’m definitely putting my money on him. Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen | Grill the Grid: Truth or Lie?Tip is the absolute king. 🙏 😬 Seb is absolutely killing it too. 👍

They wouldn't be half as good if Vettel didn't actually view them as a threat. It’s funny how they suddenly act like best friends only when he knows everything is being handed to him on a silver platter while Kimi gets shafted.

Put Alonso back in a Ferrari and just watch how he'd absolutely tear it up.

True, though I suppose that applies to everyone except maybe Williams—between Sirotkin and the way he keeps putting Stroll through the ringer... 🤷 Kimi is the outlier, really; he just doesn't seem to care about any of it. He collects his paycheck and goes about his business. Meanwhile, with someone like Bottas, I feel like I'm just waiting for the inevitable meltdown. 😬 If Hamilton had already locked up the title, Bottas probably would have been cruising to wins through the end of the season, but under these circumstances, I guess they'll both have to wait until 2019.

Richard Walker38 said:There’s no way those two were actually good enough for Vettel to see them as a threat. They’re only "great" when he knows everything is catered to him and Kimi just doesn't give a damn about anything else.

Just put Alonso back in a Ferrari and let's see how much better things would actually be.

Kimi and Vettel have always been cool with each other, even back when Vettel was at Red Bull...
You never once saw them hanging out or joking around on those slow team buses during parades, unlike Kimi. And you almost never saw him with Alonso either. 🤣
And honestly, you didn't really see Vettel and Webber together much either... 😬

The two of them are just fine, I guess. But they probably wouldn't be nearly as successful if Vettel didn't feel threatened and Kimi wasn't the type of guy who simply couldn't care less about any of it.

Hamilton and Rosberg used to be buddies too, right up until Hamilton realized just how damn good Rosberg actually was. This sport is way too cutthroat for people to maintain both a rivalry and a friendship at the same time. Especially when you're teammates.

crimsonhawk23 said:That’s true, but honestly, that applies to everyone except maybe Williams—I mean, back when they had Sirotkin constantly putting Stroll in the hospital... 🤷 Kimi is just built different because he honestly couldn't care less about any of the drama. He just collects his paycheck and drives. With someone like Bottas, though, I feel like I'm just sitting here waiting for him to finally snap and have a total meltdown. 😬 If Hamilton had already locked down the title, Bottas would have cruised to the finish line without breaking a sweat. But since he hasn't, he’s actually going to have to step it up and grind it out through the end of the season.

Bottas is right on the edge. Honestly, I’m just sitting here waiting for things to absolutely boil over. He’s seriously stirred the pot this time. 🤣 And honestly, he’s just become such a jerk to everyone else lately, which really isn't his best look.

stormybadger8 said:Kimi and Vettel have always been tight. Seriously, they’ve had that bond since the days when Vettel was tearing it up at Red Bull Racing.
You don't see it very often on those dull commuter buses during the parades—seeing those two together and messing around. Usually, you’d never catch Kimi hanging out with Alonso like that. 🤣
And honestly, even Vettel didn't quite hold his own against Webber...😬

Those two are alright, I guess. But honestly? They probably wouldn't be half as good if Vettel actually saw them as a threat, or if Kimi wasn't the type of guy who just couldn't care less about anyone else.

Look, it’s totally obvious he wasn't clicking with Alonso. But honestly? That’s more on Alonso. The guy just lives for the competition. It’s wild—he was so hyper-focused on the rivalry that it actually took him a few minutes during a YouTube episode of Grill the Grid to realize that he and Stoffel were actually being pitted as a team against the other drivers. He keeps bringing up their head-to-head score like it's his only personality trait, and he just doesn't get it. 🤣Like he’s actually going to beat him? Please. Give me a break. 🤣

Kimi and Vettel are... well, let me tell you. It’s all about circumstances. I’m telling you right now, if they gave Kimi equal treatment and let him actually tear it up on the track next to Vettel, everyone would be losing their minds. Their faces would be bright red and the whole narrative would change instantly. For a long time now, Kimi has just been the designated number two—he stays quiet, he does his job, and honestly, he doesn't seem to give a damn. Webber was the total opposite. He’s more like a Bottas type; he keeps his head down for a while, but eventually, his ego kicks in and he's ready to boil over.

Ferrari is going to take pole tomorrow, and by a massive margin, assuming the weather stays dry.

Richard Walker38 said:Webber was the complete opposite. He’s more the Bottas type, I guess, but my ego won't let me admit it, so I'll just suffer in silence.

What do Webber and Bottas have to do with each other? 🤔
Bottas is the kind of guy who accepted being the number two driver from day one. You could see it written all over his face when he signed with Mercedes—he was totally ready for it...
And look at how he reacts to nonsense, like when Wolf calls him a wingman or scolds him like he did at Spa. It's like, "Excuse me, Mr. Wolf, that wasn't very nice, I feel quite hurt"...😁

On the flip side, Webber never truly made peace with being number two. He never could; it's just not in his nature... every single time, he’d lose his mind and tell everyone exactly where they could shove it without holding back...
Even with stuff like that famous wing that didn't fit him—he asked them to take it off, then predictably lost his cool the next day when he saw it on Vettel's car...
Bottas wouldn't lose his cool; he'd probably ask if there's anything else he should strip off his own car or if he can help with the removal process...

Seriously, I can't even imagine Webber pulling what Bottas pulled during qualifying at Spa. Even if they offered him millions or a 10% stake in Red Bull Racing, I don't think Webber would ever go for it...

At the end of the day, Webber nearly shoved Vettel off the track in the USA back in 2012 during the season finale while fighting for the title, even though he had zero chance of winning it himself. In that situation, he’s actually pushing his teammate off the track. 😍
A natural number two like Bottas would never allow that, not even in a fever dream. Webbo, however, would do it every single time...
And that's exactly why I love the stubborn guy. 🙏 Ultimately, to me, he’s like Montoya—someone who definitely should have had at least one championship under his belt.

Sure, he drove me crazy because of Vettel, but at the same time, I really liked him precisely because he didn't just roll over.
And honestly, putting Webber and Bottas in the same sentence is an insult. Webber is miles ahead of Bottas, and if we're being real, he's better than Rosberg too...
He just didn't have any luck. He was often in the right place at the absolute wrong time, right in the middle of a young, hungry Vettel's path to glory...
Basically, the same thing happened to him as it did to Alonso at McLaren, except unlike Alonso, Webber actually had the balls to stay in the team and try to help the kid succeed instead of just running for the exits.

I don't know, I just get this strong feeling that Bottas isn't exactly thrilled about being the number two driver. It’s not even some old news either—it’s happening right now, and it’s weird, everyone can see it. We’re going to find out much more next season.

If he originally agreed to take the role, it seems like something has shifted and he's totally changed his mind.

mellowtiger83 said:If it stays dry, Ferrari is going to be sitting on pole tomorrow by a mile.!

What exactly are you basing that on? 🙂
That massive 0.017 advantage Ferrari showed during Fp2 Vettel time today 🙂

Just completely ignore Vettel's time, because that entire gap came from the final sector where he had a massive double slipstream, basically like Ocon at the start of Spa,
which is a total fluke and there's practically zero chance it happens again...
The main thing is, before that, his time was basically identical to Lujo and Kimi—actually, Lujo was slightly faster than him in the first two sectors...

On top of that, Lujo's lap included a pretty significant mistake in S3...
Bottom line: nobody actually put together a legit fast lap with top-tier times across all sectors. The closest anyone got was Vettel in that specific lap thanks to that crazy anomaly that almost never happens in Q3 qualifying...

Let’s not go looking for apologies before things even happen. Right now, Ferrari has the superior car, but Mercedes holds the edge if it starts raining because their drivers just handle those wet conditions better. If the track stays dry, Ferrari should be leading the pack. If it gets wet, expect Mercedes to take over. For Ferrari, losing out on a dry track would be a total disaster, and for Mercedes, it’s all about owning the rain.

https://www.pitpass.com/62770/Italia...ess-Conference

Aldo Costa: As Mattia was saying, the two cars are very, very close.

So basically, you're saying Mercedes and Ferrari are neck and neck, with virtually no significant advantage for either side.

Or do you actually think Binotto and Costa are just talking nonsense...

Richard Walker38 said:Bottas seems to be reaching his limit—I'm honestly just waiting for an outburst. He’s clearly frustrated 🤣 and has become rather aggressive toward the others on track, which isn't exactly his usual style

Richard Walker38 said:I don't know, I get the impression that Bottas isn't exactly comfortable playing second fiddle. It's not even a new thing, really—he's been acting strange, and everyone can see it. We'll probably know more next season.

If he originally agreed to the role, it feels like something has shifted since then.

It's pretty obvious lately that he's struggling with being the obedient #2. Every interview he gives feels somewhat on edge (I'm half-expecting him to actually snap at someone asking a sensitive question 😁); plus, he's started driving quite aggressively, almost taking out Vandoorne—refusing to brake and just slamming into the Williams... 🤔

A breakdown seems inevitable unless they let him win at least once—it's just a matter of whether that happens soon or toward the end of the season.🤣🤣

crimsonhawk23 said:Lately, it’s getting pretty obvious he isn't happy playing the role of the loyal #2 driver—it's plain to see. Every interview feels a bit on edge (honestly, I'm just waiting for him to lose it and slap someone who asks one too many pointed questions 😁). On track, he's starting to get aggressive, almost trying to take out Vandoorne, and he's struggling with braking—just slamming right into the Williams... 🤔

A total meltdown is coming if they don't let him grab a win at least once. It’s really just a matter of whether that happens soon or toward the end of the season 🤣🤣

If Bottas actually had what it takes to win, he would have done it by now

Gary Palmer8 said:if Bottas were actually capable of winning, he would have done it by now

From what I can gather under the Wins category, the number sits at 3—which is nearly 43% of Ricciardo's total, or about 75% of Verstappen's. I wonder if they are truly capable of winning, too. 🤔

Then there are those two clean wins this season—though neither really counted, since he spent one playing brake-checker in Silverstone only to lose out to Hamilton, and in another, his tire gave up just a lap or two before the finish in the US.

crimsonhawk23 said:

From what I can see under that section— Wins! It says 3—which is basically 43% of what Ricciardo makes, or maybe 75% of Verstappen’s salary. Honestly, can those guys even compete at that level anymore? 🤔

He’s had two easy wins this season—but they both slipped away! One where he played it way too safe on the brakes and ended up letting Hamilton past at Silverstone—and another where his tire just gave out a couple of laps before the finish in the US.

We had three of them back in the day—this year? Zero. Honestly, it feels like the big players just aren't showing up to compete this season.

That’s a whole different story. Mercedes isn't running a dominant car this year, so grabbing a win isn't a cakewalk anymore. Plus, anyone claiming the second driver isn't even a threat is just delusional—even if you think those backmarkers are actually putting up a fight.

stormytiger4 said:That's a whole different story—Mercedes just doesn't have that dominant car this year, so grabbing a win isn't exactly a walk in the park anymore. Plus, even people who don't take the backmarkers seriously wouldn't argue against the idea that he isn't the second driver.

Yeah, but the only reason he's sitting in second is because he's actually slower than Hamilton—not because the team sat down and decided to prioritize one guy over the other right from the jump like some other teams do.

When you’re sitting on a dominant car and there’s a massive skill gap between your drivers, you can definitely afford to play pretend and act like they're equals. This year, we actually missed out on the first half of the season for the first time in this hybrid era, and once we wrap up at Indianapolis, Bottas is officially going to be the number two driver. Honestly, I'm fine with that. They’d be idiots if they acted like the McLaren crew back in 2007—letting the drivers tear each other apart until they end up throwing away the championship.

Basically, up until now, they’ve been crushing what was left of Bottas's confidence with strategic calls. From here on out, they’ll just tell him, "Move over for Hamilton so we can hold up Vettel," or some variation of that. If Ferrari has even an ounce of common sense, they’ll be doing the exact same thing.

stormytiger4 said:That’s a different story. Mercedes-Benz doesn't have a dominant car this year, so winning isn't a cakewalk anymore. Plus, even the people who don't take the backmarkers seriously wouldn't be able to deny the rumors about him not being the second driver.

Of course he's the second driver in the eyes of Mercedes-Benz, but it’s obvious something shifted. It looks like HE isn't enjoying that dynamic anymore.

It’s glaringly obvious his attitude has changed. Maybe that last straw was the penultimate race and that whole situation with Sebastian Vettel? Maybe he's just done playing the muscle man for Lewis Hamilton. 🤷