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[Makariel]

Renaults update for Spain:

And Mercedes still pretending Ferrari would be really fast and therefore the silver arrows are the true underdogs...

Four 1-2 in a row, I don't remember when that last happened? Mercedes is so dominant at the moment it is laughable. Merc is also really good with the upgrades every year, so I fully expect the gap to increase after Spain, while Ferrari and Red Bull fight for the last spot on the podium. Max was pretty close to Vettel this race, without the VSC might have even troubled him the last few laps.

 

[Mohonky]

Haha

They lucked out in Bahrain though, like quite obviously lucked out, no one was catch Leclerc. The Mercs race pace in Baku was a little surprising though. They definitely don't have any obvious advantage like 2014-17 though, they've just been really tight and consistent, the fact they have 4 straight 1-2's now seems more testament to their consistency than outright pace.

 

[AlphaMale]

Renaults update for Spain:
And Mercedes still pretending Ferrari would be really fast and therefore the silver arrows are the true underdogs...
Four 1-2 in a row, I don't remember when that last happened? Mercedes is so dominant at the moment it is laughable. Merc is also really good with the upgrades every year, so I fully expect the gap to increase after Spain, while Ferrari and Red Bull fight for the last spot on the podium. Max was pretty close to Vettel this race, without the VSC might have even troubled him the last few laps.

Yeah, would be a nice change if Merc finally shuts up about how "Ferraris have so much insane pace, we don't have an answer, so this weekend will be such a struggle...blah blah blah". That same song is getting tired...

 

[Makariel]

I quite like the debrief-videos on Mercedes' YT channel.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Yeah, would be a nice change if Merc finally shuts up about how "Ferraris have so much insane pace, we don't have an answer, so this weekend will be such a struggle...blah blah blah". That same song is getting tired...

Only because Ferrari keeps failing. Mercedes is happily playing the underdog and dumping more pressure on Ferrari. Everyone thought Ferrari was the shit in testing, so they should be good at Spain.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Bearded Bottas is pretty good. Made Q3 pointless going 6 tenths faster than Hamilton early.

 

[Silentium]

Bottas had that Q3 lap absolutely dialled in. Still, its a long straight to turn 1 and Bottas's starts haven't been as good as Hamilton's this season, hopefully he can stay in front, otherwise given the Merc performance I think lap 1 leader is going to drive off into the distance.

 

[xrnzaaas]

It would be funny if Bottas won this year's WDC and then retired like Nico.

But seriously, I hope he'll continue using his advantage over Lewis for as long as it's there.

 

[Redneckerz]

It would be funny if Bottas won this year's WDC and then retired like Nico.

But seriously, I hope he'll continue using his advantage over Lewis for as long as it's there.

Seems like it, eh. What a lap.

Also surprising: Albon and Norris. The rookies are killing it this year.

Wall of shame: Stroll. More and more the blemish of being a sugardaddy driver is hoisted upon him. Also Kubica. Such talent and yet reminscent of ''driving chicanes'' like Mazzacane and Marques. Atleast Russell clearly pushing to make the most out of the car, definitely deserves a better team.

 

[Airbus Jr]

Oh theres a race today? Let me guess..mercedes 1-2?

 

[Fox Mulder]

Ferrari on their usual form, slow and shit strategy.

 

[Breakage]

So another Merc 1-2. I didn't even bother watching the highlights.

 

[Redneckerz]

Ferrari on their usual form, slow and shit strategy.

Thank the new head of Ferrari for that.

Pro's:

• Max solid win, 14th race finishing on a higher position than on what he started. Now a podium.
• Mercedes really solid once more. But to be fair, i wish there was more competition. With such boring driving, F1 is a slouch to watch.
• Rookies doing well.

Cons:

• Vettel/Ferrari. So busy covering internal issues that they forget that they are driving for a championship.
• Stroll. Always Stroll.
• Kubica and Russell. Being so dog slow that even in 15 laps after the safety car, they manage to get lapped.

 

[Makariel]

Caught up with the highlights last night. Well, highlights seems to strong of a word for it. What a bore festival, pretty much decided on the first lap. Wasn't the aero change implemented to allow more overtaking?

So we're having another season where the only question is which Mercedes comes in first, while RBR and Ferrari only fight for 3rd position.

Speaking of which, considering how good red bull is in developing the car, they might more likely challenge the silver arrows later in the year than the red bricks.

 

[Fox Mulder]

F1 officially announced Zandvoort next year. Will be a shitty race on that track, but the atmosphere should be fun.

 

[PendekarRajawali]

F1 officially announced Zandvoort next year. Will be a shitty race on that track, but the atmosphere should be fun.

I prefer the old tracks than Herman Tilke's circuits.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Of course Rich Energy, a company that doesn't make anything, also stole their logo.

Haas F1 title sponsor Rich Energy loses court case over logo

www.motorsport.com

 

[Makariel]

I prefer the old tracks than Herman Tilke's circuits.

Obviously Suzuka is the best track of all time ever, but what's wrong with the Circuit of the Americas? Definitely better than Monza or Hockenheim.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Turkey and Malaysia were the best Tilke tracks that drivers liked, but they fell off the calendar for money reasons.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Mclaren is doing quite badly at Indy 500 and may likely miss the cut for the race.

It's sad.

 

[Makariel]

Alonso fails to qualify for Indy 500

Fernando Alonso fails to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 after a humiliating return to America's biggest race for the McLaren team.

www.bbc.co.uk

That's pretty bad... not quite the triumph that Alonso was envisioning I'm sure.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Alonso fails to qualify for Indy 500

Fernando Alonso fails to qualify for the Indianapolis 500 after a humiliating return to America's biggest race for the McLaren team.

www.bbc.co.uk

That's pretty bad... not quite the triumph that Alonso was envisioning I'm sure.

Mclaren sucked ass, but he also crashed the primary car limiting their running time.

Alonso and Mclaren are only in it for the 500, it's stupid to not partner with the best teams. Alonso did great last time with an Andretti car.

 

[Fox Mulder]

McLaren's failed Indy 500 effort was a comedy of errors

McLaren head Zak Brown acknowledges the team was woefully unprepared for the Indianapolis 500 and detailed a long list of errors and oversights that sabotaged Fernando Alonso's quest to make the race.

apnews.com

panicked McLaren team begged and borrowed across the paddock for any assistance available. Alonso went out to practice Sunday with an entirely new setup, but in the frantic changeover a mistake was made in converting inches to the metric system the English team uses and the car scraped and sparked on his first lap.

What a shitshow of errors laid out in the article.

 

[Makariel]

Rest in peace Niki

'A remarkable life lived in Technicolor'

A three-time Formula 1 world champion and non-executive chairman of the Mercedes team, Niki Lauda was one of the biggest names in motorsport.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[xrnzaaas]

RIP Niki, that's the second icon of this sport we've lost this year.

 

[Grieves]

Rest in Peace, Niki.

 

[AlphaMale]

Obviously Suzuka is the best track of all time ever, but what's wrong with the Circuit of the Americas? Definitely better than Monza or Hockenheim.

I agree about Suzuka. I wish more tracks attempted a figure-8.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Leclerc out in Q1 because they're dumb.

Fuck this team.

 

[Mohonky]

So this season has turned out......weird

-Ferrari dominate pre-season testing, not that unusual, but this year more than last they REALLY seemed to have the pace.
-Ferrari no where in Australia, Bottas wins by 20sec ahead of Hamilton, wtf?
-Ferrari and Leclerc dominate Bahrain, the true pace the car seemed to have in testing. Vettel flops, Leclercs car dies in the ass.
-Merc dominate China
-Ferrari despite massive straight line speed beaten by Merc, mystery remains on this new Bottas that has appeared
-Ferrari again massive straight line speed but can't take it to RB or Merc in the corners, Hamilton does a Hamilton
-Merc never having had any real performance in slow corners, is somehow an absolute beast this year, ahead of even the shorter wheelbase RB. Ferrari strategy kills Leclerc before race even starts, Vettel slowly embracing the spirit of Maldonado.

With Ferrari being Ferrari, Verstappen is going to finish above both Vettel and Leclerc at this rate. Gasly floundering while the returning Torpedo showing great form, while newbie Albon also proves massively impressive.

Expectations all over the place this year.

 

[AeonGaidenRaiden]

Im not a pro in F1 but last night I watched the highlights of the qualifying...so what does Vettel achieving a very good time have to do with Leclerc being "shoved off" as they say. He looked royally pissed in the pits when he saw Vettel make P1.

 

[Fox Mulder]

Im not a pro in F1 but last night I watched the highlights of the qualifying...so what does Vettel achieving a very good time have to do with Leclerc being "shoved off" as they say. He looked royally pissed in the pits when he saw Vettel make P1.

Vettel setting his time just bumped Ieclerc out of the top 15 times for Q2. But Leclerc was pissed for even missing out and sitting in the garage. Ferrari is stupid.

 

[xrnzaaas]

This made me laugh.

 

[Airbus Jr]

Enough crying about ferrari strategy

No matter how good their strategy is it wont be enough to compete with mercedes

Another mercedes 1-2

 

[Makariel]

The only thing that could prevent the Mercedes 1-2 today would be torrential rain and the prince that was promised Verstappen somehow pulling something out of the bag. Other than that expect a glorified parade lap after the other, with the winner being whoever got to the first corner first.

 

[Mohonky]

Im not a pro in F1 but last night I watched the highlights of the qualifying...so what does Vettel achieving a very good time have to do with Leclerc being "shoved off" as they say. He looked royally pissed in the pits when he saw Vettel make P1.

Number of factors;
- Proves the car was good enough to make the next round of qualifying (though that's kind of obvious, the Ferrari is definitely not a bottom 5 car)
-Ferrari told Leclerc they would stay in the pits and not run anymore, because they believed the time he had already run was good enough to make it through (obviously, it wasn't). Had they sent Leclerc out, save a massive fuck up, he would easily have made it through.
- Vettels time pushed Leclerc into the bottom 5 and elimination.
- Monaco is near impossible to over take on, so starting P16, he's pretty much going to have to spend most of the race just following a bunch of much slower cars in front of him unable to do anything about it until the first round of pits, then he'll probably get a few places, but mostly he'll be lucky if he makes the top 10 in a car that should be in the top 5.
-Despite the fact that most F1 drivers live in Monaco, he was actually born there so it's his home race, so he probably feels even worse knowing he's the home town boy everyone would have been hoping to do well.

 

[Mohonky]

.......hrmmmm I reckon they've fucked Hamilton here, Merc often do this weird shit on tyre choices.

Why wouldnt you put Ham on the hard tyre knowing it will go to the end on a track where its near impossible to overtake? Seriously?

Hes on a tyre now that he has to drive slower than he would on the hard anyway, what is the logic?

 

[Mohonky]

......that tyre looks done, more concerned about it delaminating now...Vettel gonna take this race

 

[Skyr]

Yep looking good for Vettel atm.

 

[Mohonky]

Jesus christ I can breathe again....that race did nothing good for my anxiety fuck.

If Hamilton gets a penalty that'll be ridiculous, but likely (or rightly) nothing will come of it, Verstappen dived down, hit Lewis, Lewis avoids the accident by going straight on.

 

[Airbus Jr]

They seriously need to reduce the size of the car

Imposible to overtake in Monaco with F1 car wheelbase as long as Mercedes S Class

 

[Mohonky]

They seriously need to reduce the size of the car

Imposible to overtake in Monaco with F1 car wheelbase as long as Mercedes S Class

Monaco - no front or rear wings allowed? That'd be an interesting race

 

[Breakage]

Lewis was lucky to escape that incident with Max.

 

[Fox Mulder]

They seriously need to reduce the size of the car

Imposible to overtake in Monaco with F1 car wheelbase as long as Mercedes S Class

It's just the one race these cars have to deal with that. They aren't dropping the race or changing cars to fit it. It just exists as the historic spectacle it is.

 

[Mohonky]

It's just the one race these cars have to deal with that. They aren't dropping the race or changing cars to fit it. It just exists as the historic spectacle it is.

That and all the commercial and marketing pull it has. It's basically an F1 race in the background of a multi-millionaires expo.

 

[ruvikx]

They seriously need to reduce the size of the car

Imposible to overtake in Monaco with F1 car wheelbase as long as Mercedes S Class

They need the scrap the chicane after the tunnel & make that section a longer straight. That would be a decent start to improving the track. The Monaco venue is glamorous & brings big money, but there's no reason to deify the actual track itself which is no longer adapted the modern F1's. The last good race I watched in Monaco was 1996 (when only 3 cars finished in the rain).

 

[AlphaMale]

They need the scrap the chicane after the tunnel & make that section a longer straight. That would be a decent start to improving the track. The Monaco venue is glamorous & brings big money, but there's no reason to deify the actual track itself which is no longer adapted the modern F1's. The last good race I watched in Monaco was 1996 (when only 3 cars finished in the rain).

I have to agree. Weren't chicanes introduced to almost all tracks after Senna's death? With the amount of safety we have now, I think we can remove most/all of these chicanes. Would make for more interesting racing and overtakes.

 

[Airbus Jr]

Today free practice results :
Hamilton and Bottas are one seconds ahead of Leclerc at third place

Hamilton and Toto Wolf :
" We bring engine updates because we're struggling to catch Ferrari "

Ferrari be like...

 

[Breakage]

Great to see Vettel grab pole today. I hope he can convert it into a win tomorrow.

 

[Silentium]

Great qualifying lap by Ricciardo and Renault, although helped by Verstappen missing Q3 due to Magnussen's crash at the end of Q2.

 

[Airbus Jr]

Raceday is the same time as Microsoft E3?

Now this is gona be a difficult decision...

Gona sit and watch the race on my tv and E3 on my phone at the same time...