The Official Formula One Thread!

[Rock]

Better than seeing the same guy win race after race because he has the best car, Steve.

[swatty]

Safety car just about every race Steve so you should have a strategy for it

[Andad]

Anyway Peter....

WE WON.

[goin camping]

That was a great race. Sadly Hamilton did not win... But a great race with lots of action.

Steve, If it wasn't the safety car it would be a breakdown, accident or pit strategy. There is always something that aids one driver over another. Such is racing.

[Dr.Brian]

That was a strategy. Dive into the pit for new tires. Mercedes and Ferrari chose track position over tires and it cost them the race. Max might have won if he didn’t jump at the first opportunity to try to pass.
There was a 60% chance of a safety car in China. They all had a safety car strategy.
Good race! He may get a couple more this year! And then maybe to a better car next year.
Mercedes and Lewis were definitely off their game and the Ferrari tires we’re toast at the end.

[jatco]

It was a great race...a lot of dicing
and 'racing'. Red Bulls pit stop was all about timing And being at the right place at the right time.
Win some, loose some. Kudos to Ricciardo..and great drive by Bottas holding Kimi off. Should be interesting to see how the season goes.. .

[SDRider]

Good race. Started out kind of boring but once Mercedes pit and undercut Ferrari it became interesting. Then the safety car and the Red Bull call to pit both their cars was genius and ended up completely changing the dynamic of the race. Happy to see Ricciardo win but would have preferred a Hamilton victory or Bottas. Really showed how much the pace drops off when you're on older rubber vs fresh.

[dba]

Originally Posted by Dr.Brian

That was a strategy. Dive into the pit for new tires. Mercedes and Ferrari chose track position over tires and it cost them the race.

I'm not so sure if it wasn't that track position chose Mercedes and Ferrari. When the safety car came out, Mercedes and Ferrari had already passed the pit entrance; thus, necessitating another 3.5 miles to get in and change tires.

Red Bull was just approaching pit in when the safety car came out, so it was much more advantageous for them to jump in. Brilliant call on their part.

[Razorsedge1]

Safety car definitely made it a more exciting race. Looks like season will be more interesting than recent years. Still trying to get used to announcers on ESPN2. The NBC crew was a lot better.

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by dba

I'm not so sure if it wasn't that track position chose Mercedes and Ferrari. When the safety car came out, Mercedes and Ferrari had already passed the pit entrance; thus, necessitating another 3.5 miles to get in and change tires.

Red Bull was just approaching pit in when the safety car came out, so it was much more advantageous for them to jump in. Brilliant call on their part.

Max was ahead of Lewis before the safety car so if he could come in then so lewis.

[texasmade]

Bottas and Vettel couldn't pit because they had already passed pit lane entrance when the SC was deployed. Max, Hamilton, and Ricc all could've pitted and the 2 RB did. Mercedes thought track position was more important or were asleep at the wheel and didn't pit Hamilton. In hindsight that was a bad decision as he had no chance to hold off either driver.

[goin camping]

Very exciting race at a very unatractive track.

Have to admit Vettel trying to pass on lap 48 really made my day as a Hamilton fan.

Fate was needlessly cruel to Bottas. And can you believe Red Bull?

[OmegaJJH]

The U.K. C4 post race interview with Christian Horner is worthy of a watch. He is fuming!!


Sent from my iPhone

[texasmade]

Max with the double move blocking his teammate. Grosjean crashing under SC was a big wtf.

[Rock]

I think if I was Christian Horner I would be putting Max back on training wheels. He is just too much of a hothead to call the shots himself.

[zama]

Verstappen seems to e a sociopath when it comes to his teamate, he has on multiple occasions caused crashed with Dan, yet he let the Renault's cruise past him today. He only seems to fight his own team mate.

[1st amg]

Originally Posted by Rock

I think if I was Christian Horner I would be putting Max back on training wheels. He is just too much of a hothead to call the shots himself.

They have their hands full. The team principal is losing his marbles, and tones of money on heavily damaged cars.

[jatco]

That was one Crazy race... a few faux pas' that shouldn't have been but happened causing some caos on the track. My heart goes out to Bottas; drove a perfect race until the end. A lucky win for Hamilton.
The track should've been cleaned up better while under the Yellow.
A tough day for many.

[The Joker]

Originally Posted by Rock

I think if I was Christian Horner I would be putting Max back on training wheels. He is just too much of a hothead to call the shots himself.

Not possible, Max just resigned with them, Daniels contract is up at end of the year. Max is the future at Red Bull.

Would you want to tame him, he'll learn as he gets older.

Red Bull has the strongest lineup on the grid, and if they find themselves on the same bit of tarmac then there will be trouble, the only way to stop this happening is team orders and not to overtake each other.

[Razorsedge1]

It isn't only his teammate that Verstappen wreaks havoc upon. It seems like every week he is apologizing. Curious to see what happens with Ricciardo next season.

[texasmade]

Originally Posted by Razorsedge1

It isn't only his teammate that Verstappen wreaks havoc upon. It seems like every week he is apologizing. Curious to see what happens with Ricciardo next season.

I wouldn't stay if I were him. RB won't admit it but they're betting their future on Max and consider Ricciardo an after thought.

[jatco]

Originally Posted by texasmade

I wouldn't stay if I were him. RB won't admit it but they're betting their future on Max and consider Ricciardo an after thought.

Ricciardo an 'Afterthought'. - Doubt that. - He is good... One of the best on the circuit who brought RB to the top finishers in the past few years. He'll be around for awhile I'm sure.
As for Kimi.. he too is one to be reckoned with. One of the Only 'retirees' who has come back to show his 'mettle' and be competitive.
This season could be an interesting one... !

[goin camping]

Kimi is an odd one. He qualifies much better than he finishes.

[Rock]

Max is talented, for sure, but lacks 'instinct' and self-control that tells the top drivers when to make a stand and when to acquiesce. Just watch Hamilton and Ricciardo or Bottas duke it out. Maybe Max will gain this with experience.
There are times when you need to go "This guy is going faster, I'll let him by and if he slows, I'll get him before the end." It's not like Max doesn't have some great passing manoeuvres himself.

[SDRider]

Originally Posted by The Joker

Not possible, Max just resigned with them, Daniels contract is up at end of the year. Max is the future at Red Bull.

Would you want to tame him, he'll learn as he gets older.

Red Bull has the strongest lineup on the grid, and if they find themselves on the same bit of tarmac then there will be trouble, the only way to stop this happening is team orders and not to overtake each other.

I don't think I'd go that far. Maybe tell them that you're allowed ONE blocking move but that's it (which is basically what the rules say anyway). None of this weaving back and forth across the track because once Ricciardo moved back to try the inside line it was a done deal, he was so close that a crash really was unavoidable. Max moving over again to defend the inside line is what caused that crash.

[Vanessa CW21]

That was definitely one crazy race last Sunday! I'm excited for all the drivers who were finally in the points
Happy for Perez finishing third as well

[bondtoys]

Originally Posted by SearChart

You should listen to the German announcers, they are obvious fanboys for everything German. The Verstappen hate was unbearable last season.

Seems that the only-german Verstappen critics are on it again this year
Niki Lauda (the austrian Mario Andretti if you want, RB is from Austria) mentioned a „brain-issue“ some weeks ago....

[Vanessa CW21]

Originally Posted by bondtoys

Seems that the only-german Verstappen critics are on it again this year
Niki Lauda (the austrian Mario Andretti if you want, RB is from Austria) mentioned a „brain-issue“ some weeks ago....

I thought is was funny when Hamilton said "What a dick" in the winners lounge a couple of weeks ago when they showed a replay of another move from Verstappen on the big screens. I'm just glad he decided to represent The Netherlands, and not Belgium!

[goin camping]

I cannot be the only one who's favorite race of the season is Monaco.

Love the track. Love the strategy on a track that is almost impossible to pass on and I love to that there will be grid girls in Monaco.

Maybe the Prince insisted. I really don't know but I love the pageantry of Monaco and glad the grid girls will be back.

I also love yacht shopping as the cars go by. Remember Kimi crashing out and hopping on a yacht for the rest of the race or Shumacher's "Accident" in qualifying that put him at the back of the grid and he came in second. Stunning driving there. Or the fatal Hamilton and Riccardo pit stops in the last few years.

With Monaco you never know what will happen.

[jatco]

I agree \/...
Been to the Monaco GP twice and each time was a spectacular spectacle. The pageantry and racing strategies are what makes it so. One of the best circuits of the series imo...