Bahrain Grand Prix (Outer Loop) | December 4-6, 2020

ruggedhawk20 said:Thinking the Walton family bought a team just for young Stroll to drive is a complete delusion.

The elder Stroll bought the team for himself. He’s the one living out unfulfilled dreams through his kid.

Young Stroll is basically just there to satisfy his father's twisted ego.

Nobody ever actually asked young Stroll if he even wanted to be a driver—his dad just made the call for him.

If Formula 1 was actually young Stroll's dream instead of his father's, there isn't a God alive who could force the old man to drop a single cent on his son's career.

So yeah, Aston Martin is just a toy for the father, and young Stroll is just there to fix his old man's complexes.

And that's exactly why having a top-tier first driver matters so much to the elder Stroll—he cares about the team's overall standings.

Deep down, he knows his son just doesn't have the talent.

Whoa, hold up... you're talking about them like you're part of their inner circle or something. Like you're presenting the kid as the only outlier on the grid. Most of these guys are millionaires or billionaires who wouldn't even care about Formula 1 if they didn't. And look at beloved Perez—he's being pushed around by his Mexican boss, flies to races in helicopters, and they practically kicked Esteban Ocon to the curb in India just to make room for him. Now it's coming back to bite him, I guess. Karma, right? Only a tiny handful of drivers actually "stumbled" into this without already being filthy rich. Stroll's got talent, though.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:Look, I have a soft spot for Alonso and all, but honestly, I think Lewis is just a bit more my style. I'm really looking forward to seeing him grab that eighth title and absolutely shatter every single record out there. 😁

If anyone is actually going to be in need of help, I'd say it’ll probably be you next year when the Stroll family starts acting out against Vettel. 😛

You're going to need it specifically because of Lewis Hamilton.🙂
That eighth title he sees the sky.☕

ruggedhawk20 said:Intrigued by what exactly?!

By the fact that guys like Lance Stroll, Nicholas Latifi, Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and the rest were probably never even asked if they actually wanted to be drivers. This whole "dream" is forced on them before they can even tie their own shoes. We're talking kids starting go-karts at 5 or 6 years old—no way a toddler is making career decisions, right? It’s just their dads' ambitions being shoved down their throats.

Now, the older generation—think Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet, etc.—who didn't start until they were 14 or 15? You can bet that was their choice.

But these modern drivers? They're basically just there to fix their fathers' ego issues.

Even the successful ones, like Carlos Sainz for example.

Cut the crap.

stormybadger8 said:We’ve known for ages that math isn't exactly your strong suit, but honestly, it’s wild how blind you people can be. 🤦

Fernando Alonso burned through every single new tire except the hards...
So why on earth would you try to set a fast lap on hards?
It was clearly nonsense to those Sky pundits and the crowd following them instead of using their own eyes and brains... but for anyone actually capable of thinking for themselves, it wasn't. ☕

Anyway, I expect Charles Leclerc to finish somewhere near Sebastian Vettel, if not behind him...
That one lap was fantastic, but everything leading up to it sucked, and his strategy was pure stupidity, regardless of what anyone says...
Because trashing every single tire set might make sense in Monaco, but certainly not here. ☕

The only way Charles Leclerc finishes behind Sebastian Vettel is if he retires, crashes out, spins, or ends up driving on rims. Anything else is pure science fiction; he is simply too much faster than Sebastian for that to be a reality.
They are operating in completely different worlds. For Sebastian, it’s an unreachable height.

stormybadger8 said:You're going to need it specifically because of Lewis Hamilton.🙂
That eighth title he sees the sky.☕

😁

I really think you should take a moment to think about it. I mean, the rules aren't changing from this year, and everyone will still be driving the exact same cars. Honestly, who could possibly snatch a championship away from Lewis Hamilton? Perhaps Valtteri Bottas might have a shot, though I guess I don't quite believe in that scenario, and I suspect you probably don't either 😁

As for the rest of the grid, I just don't see anyone being anywhere near him, let alone becoming a real threat.

Maybe a McLaren powered by Mečkin engines could pull something off, but honestly, that feels like even more of a fantasy than Bottas winning the title.

It looks like we are heading into a long, rather tedious season next year where we'll likely find ourselves listening to God Save the Queen weekend after weekend. I suppose the only realistic way to avoid that is if the Queen passes away, in which case we'll all be hearing God Save the King instead. 😁

A few things to chew on before the race starts;

- Expect some absolute chaos with blue flags. Kimi and the guys sitting at the back of the pack could end up getting held up for two laps or even more if things go south. Just being able to navigate through the lapped traffic might be the whole game.
- Red Bull Racing looked like they had better race pace than Mercedes during practice, but since Mercedes is starting on better rubber, that advantage might just evaporate.
- Even with the shorter lap, most drivers are still looking at a two-stop strategy.
- Half the grid absolutely trashed their floors on the curbs, so I wouldn't be surprised if we see total mayhem out there or even a Safety Car.

wiredfalcon2 said:Cut the crap.

Fine

So you’re actually claiming a five-year-old knows exactly what they want to do with their life

Like, they have this perfectly set goal to be a driver

And that desire just stays rock solid without ever shifting while they grow up

Is that really your stance?!

ruggedhawk20 said:Fine

So you’re actually claiming a five-year-old knows exactly what they want to do with their life

Like, they have this perfectly set goal to be a driver

And that desire just stays rock solid without ever shifting while they grow up

Is that really your stance?!

Look, I'm telling you—and I’ve already given you the list you just quoted, so maybe pay attention—half the grid didn't grow up with some psycho-ambitious parents forcing them into a cockpit at age five. The other half just had older brothers or sisters racing, making them heroes to a six-year-old kid who basically got hooked on the sport because of them, kind of like how Gasly or Norris ended up. Then those older siblings quit to go do literally anything else, while Gasly and Norris kept going. You'd probably know all this if you actually listened to the drivers on the Beyond the Grid podcast instead of trying these cheap psychological projections that aren't even based on reality. Go-karting is just damn fun. When you're a single-digit kid, let alone a teenager, nobody needs to hold a gun to your head to make you do it. Even Ricciardo didn't have it all figured out by fifteen, and he still turned out to be a top-tier driver.

Kenneth Cruz67 said:😁

I really think you should take a moment to think about it. I mean, the rules aren't changing from this year, and everyone will still be driving the exact same cars. Honestly, who could possibly snatch a championship away from Lewis Hamilton? Perhaps Valtteri Bottas might have a shot, though I guess I don't quite believe in that scenario, and I suspect you probably don't either 😁

As for the rest of the grid, I just don't see anyone being anywhere near him, let alone becoming a real threat.

Maybe a McLaren powered by Mečkin engines could pull something off, but honestly, that feels like even more of a fantasy than Bottas winning the title.

It looks like we are heading into a long, rather tedious season next year where we'll likely find ourselves listening to God Save the Queen weekend after weekend. I suppose the only realistic way to avoid that is if the Queen passes away, in which case we'll all be hearing God Save the King instead. 😁

I’ll believe it when I see it, but my money is on Hamilton finishing third or even lower next season...
As for Bottas, I don't see him in the top five no matter how you slice it. What kind of hype machine are you running? 🤣

mellowtiger83 said:The only way Charles Leclerc finishes behind Sebastian Vettel is if he retires, crashes out, spins, or ends up driving on rims. Anything else is pure science fiction; he is simply too much faster than Sebastian for that to be a reality.
They are operating in completely different worlds. For Sebastian, it’s an unreachable height.

Everyone’s hitting the pits at least twice. Since Leclerc won't have fresh rubber, he might end up going three times...
Expecting Ferrari to nail three consecutive pit stops without screwing up is being wildly optimistic...🤣

Get your wallet ready, because you're gonna owe me a round.😉

ruggedhawk20 said:Fine

So you’re actually claiming a five-year-old knows exactly what they want to do with their life

Like, they have this perfectly set goal to be a driver

And that desire just stays rock solid without ever shifting while they grow up

Is that really your stance?!

When I was five, I certainly had a firm desire to be a racer, a pilot, or something along those lines. However, I lacked any practical understanding of how one actually achieves such things.
Later on, my ambitions shifted toward being a 100m sprinter, aiming to outrun Carl Lewis.

ruggedhawk20 is, as usual, correct.

wisefalcon2, stop talking🙂, because beyond just being a fanboy, you're starting to genuinely concern me.

stormybadger8 said:Everyone’s hitting the pits at least twice. Since Leclerc won't have fresh rubber, he might end up going three times...
Expecting Ferrari to nail three consecutive pit stops without screwing up is being wildly optimistic...🤣

Get your wallet ready, because you're gonna owe me a round.😉

That prediction is about as reliable as the claim that Hamilton would have finished third or lower in 2021 under these exact same regulations.😁

Tibac, you seem to have forgotten how easily our local banks can just shut us down.

Sainz Sr. actually wanted his kid to go into rally racing, but Carlos grew up looking up to Alonso and always had his sights set on Formula 1.

mellowtiger83 said:That prediction is about as reliable as the claim that Hamilton would have finished third or lower in 2021 under these exact same regulations.😁

Tibac, you seem to have forgotten how easily our local banks can just shut us down.

First off, 2021 won't operate under those same regulations.
Second, these rule changes actually play right into Mercedes' hands.

wiredfalcon2 said:Look, I'm telling you—and I’ve already given you the list you just quoted, so maybe pay attention—half the grid didn't grow up with some psycho-ambitious parents forcing them into a cockpit at age five. The other half just had older brothers or sisters racing, making them heroes to a six-year-old kid who basically got hooked on the sport because of them, kind of like how Gasly or Norris ended up. Then those older siblings quit to go do literally anything else, while Gasly and Norris kept going. You'd probably know all this if you actually listened to the drivers on the Beyond the Grid podcast instead of trying these cheap psychological projections that aren't even based on reality. Go-karting is just damn fun. When you're a single-digit kid, let alone a teenager, nobody needs to hold a gun to your head to make you do it. Even Ricciardo didn't have it all figured out by fifteen, and he still turned out to be a top-tier driver.

Between ages 5 and 15, everyone changes their mind about what they want to be in life a hundred times a day.

Nobody ever gave Stroll, Norris, Latifi, Russell, Sainz, etc., a chance to change their minds. They were basically born into an assembly line for professional athletes.

It's the same in every sport. People start too early—that's why they all end up acting like idiots in the end.

ruggedhawk20 said:Between ages 5 and 15, everyone changes their mind about what they want to be in life a hundred times a day.

Nobody ever gave Stroll, Norris, Latifi, Russell, Sainz, etc., a chance to change their minds. They were basically born into an assembly line for professional athletes.

It's the same in every sport. People start too early—that's why they all end up acting like idiots in the end.

Seriously, people should actually listen to Beyond the Grid.

wiredfalcon2 said:Seriously, people should actually listen to Beyond the Grid.

I don't do propaganda.

ruggedhawk20 said:Between ages 5 and 15, everyone changes their mind about what they want to be in life a hundred times a day.

Nobody ever gave Stroll, Norris, Latifi, Russell, Sainz, etc., a chance to change their minds. They were basically born into an assembly line for professional athletes.

It's the same in every sport. People start too early—that's why they all end up acting like idiots in the end.

Think about Mozart—he was playing the piano at just 3 years old and composing music by the age of 4! 🤔

So, apparently Russell was up until like 4 AM on Friday night working on his car, just tinkering with everything he could, while the mechanics were pulling an all-nighter until 7 AM just to shift those pedals around and get things perfect. He was saying how much help he got from Bon and the four other engineers, claiming the "incredible level of detail" they put in is just on another level—definitely a massive step up from what he dealt with at Williams.

Bottas is out there today driving for his own career and Hamilton's too. The stakes couldn't be higher. This might just be the most critical race of the century.