China Trip - Shanghai (April 19, 2009)

Samuel Cruz61 said:Long live SAF1! 😍

I've had enough of this rain; I used to pray for it back in the day, but now it just makes me feel sick. 😬

Hmm... when was the last time Webber actually stood on a podium?

2007 at the Nürburgring... if my memory isn't failing me... ☕

Race 27 was a total disaster for Webber; he didn't even have a podium to his name
The last time things got that messy was back during that rainy European GP at the Nürburgring in 2007.

Sergio Pérez 😢
Sergio Pérez😢

Kudos to Red Bull—they absolutely smoked the field. Especially Sebastian Vettel.

Word is Brawn's had some tire warming issues during the race—clearly things weren't clicking perfectly—so they probably just backed off in that last stint to lock in third and fourth. On a dry track, I wouldn't rule out them giving Red Bull Racing a run for their money, mostly because they had more grip to work with.

All in all, Red Bull did a killer job with the car, which keeps this championship fight interesting—at least for now, it's just a duel between Sebastian Vettel and Jenson Button.

I suspect this track, with all those slow corners, doesn't give much of an edge to the diffusers compared to the last two, which the results pretty much confirmed.

This is actually great news for the championship—it keeps Brawn from pulling even further ahead... gives Ferrari or McLaren a fighting chance to catch up once the circuit heads back to the States... obviously, it’ll be a massive uphill battle, but hey, that’s just F1 for you 😉

That was quite the race. Honestly, an outcome like this is exactly what the championship needs right now, isn't it? If only we could see Ferrari and McLaren actually step up and start fighting for the top spot again ☕☕ then we might actually have a season worth watching.

Everyone's going to be acting like they're experts once that first win finally happens.

But honestly, looking at that Toyota, I just don't see it ever happening.😁

Force India is going to be an absolute powerhouse😁, and I am being dead serious here, because with Adrian Sutil behind the wheel, anything is possible.

But then you’ve got Flavio over there thinking he can just toss Fisica under the bus and swap him out for Piquet...🤷
Man, someone needs to get those guys some better meds.😁

toy yoda 😍

Morgan Murphy7 said:I honestly don't know anyone who actually roots for Red Bull Racing—and you really have to respect that kind of loyalty! 🙏 🙏 🙏

Actually, there are still a few of us left pulling for Red Bull Racing... myself included! 😁👍
To be fair, I’ve always had a bit more of a soft spot for Mark Webber—but hey, I can handle it when the underdog takes the win too. 😁

That said, Kimi Räikkönen is definitely my top pick as a driver. Honestly, if they could just put Kimi Räikkönen and Mark Webber together in a Red Bull Racing car, that would be the dream lineup. 👍 I don't know—I saw a clip of Kimi sipping on a Red Bull, so maybe that's some subtle hint about a potential transfer? 😁 A swap involving Sebastian Vettel-Kimi Räikkönen would make everyone happy... well, except maybe TBF1D. 😁

On a side note, I really felt for Adrian Sutil—the guy went off track once at the absolute worst possible moment. And man, Denis Hemić was spinning around like he was on a carnival ride, and still couldn't find any grip.

So, did Lewis Hamilton actually go and smash Massine taj's record at Silverstone? Honestly, I guess Massa really did master driving in the rain back in the day, didn't he?🙂

darkmarlin16 said:...Felipe Massa learned how to drive in the rain🙂

Exactly.🤣😂

It isn't something you can just study or practice; you either have that innate instinct or you don't. Based on everything we've seen over the years, it seems pretty clear that Massa simply doesn't have it.😛

Look, Felipe Massa knows exactly what he's doing; I mean, the guy was absolutely killing it back in Brazil, and honestly, even after all this time, he’s still better than Lewis Hamilton, though we can't ignore that Sebastian Vettel definitely knows his stuff too.

darkmarlin16 said:Felipe Massa knows his stuff; he drove brilliantly back home in Brazil, and even looking back now, I’d argue he was actually better than Lewis Hamilton. Then again, Sebastian Vettel certainly has his own merits too.

Felipe Massa was better than Lewis Hamilton😕😵

I think it would be helpful if you tried to be a bit more realistic and objective here... regardless of which driver you happen to be rooting for.😉

ironfalcon43 said:Felipe Massa is better than Lewis Hamilton. Period.😕😵

Sometimes you just need to get real and look at things objectively, regardless of who you're rooting for.😉

Let's be real:

Honestly, Felipe Massa was light years ahead of everyone else today. ☕ Count up all of Lewis Hamilton's spins and pirouettes, then give me the tally for Felipe Massa. ☕

Was it Mass's engine or his gearbox that gave out?😕 It’s got nothing to do with knowing how to handle the rain.☕

Honestly, that drive from Lewis Hamilton today? To grab those points, he must have had some of the most damn luck in all of Formula 1 history. Seriously. ☕

Blazicko made a solid point today when he mentioned Kubica’s refusal to run KERS. Apparently, he just can't get the balance right with it, which explains exactly why Lewis Hamilton struggled so much during that turn. Remember, he wasn't even using KERS before, and he was driving like a master in those wet conditions.
As for Sutil, he completely lost his nerve under pressure and ended up spinning out into the gravel like a total amateur.

stormybadger8 said:Realistically speaking:

Honestly, Felipe Massa was miles ahead today. ☕Just count how many times Lewis Hamilton spun out or went off track compared to Massine's mistakes, and you'll see what I mean. ☕

Whether Mass had an engine blow or a gearbox issue😕 has absolutely nothing to do with his skill level in the rain. ☕

And that drive from Hamilton today? Scrapping for points like that? It’s easily one of the luckiest damn things I've ever seen in Formula 1 history. ☕

Yeah, I was actually thinking about that: maybe even that counts as a sign of experience and quality... Kimi Räikkönen and Hemi always manage to stay on the asphalt, while these younger, less skilled drivers keep spinning off. I guess that's their way of saying they actually know how to drive. 🤔

ironfalcon43 said:Felipe Massa is actually better than Lewis Hamilton😕😵

Look, you really need to try being a bit more grounded and objective once in a while, regardless of whose side you're actually on...😉

He's definitely been the superior driver since we hit that Brazilian GP☕in the rain☕

Blazicko and Novak were having a bit of a hard time following the broadcast today, weren't they? They seemed pretty lost during that duel between Sebastian Vettel and Buton; at one point, they actually confused them with Mark Webber and Barichel who happened to be on screen, leading to a rather bewildered scramble for the replay 😁

Morgan Murphy7 said:Blazicko and Novak were totally lost during the broadcast today, honestly, especially when they were trying to cover that Vettel vs. Buton duel and ended up mixing them up with Webber and Barichel who happened to be on screen, so they just sat there looking completely clueless while calling for a replay 😁

what absolute idiots🙂😛 😛I mean, how do you not see the cameras or even the drivers' helmets?