Japanese GP 2016 - Predictions etc

https://weather.com/weather/5day/l/JAXX0112:1:JA - Just might be wet and variable. Perfect for another potential non Mercedes weekend!

Some light reading - PlanetF1 - | Formula One | News, Standings, Results, Features, Video : PlanetF1

Scenarios for title by LH or Nico - What does Lewis Hamilton need to beat Nico Rosberg to F1 title? | F1 News

Q - Ricci
Kimi
Nico

R - Nico
LH
Max

 

More Suzuka insight - Japanese Grand Prix: Why Suzuka is a challenge from start to finish - BBC Sport

 

If Ricci can make it to pole he'll walk away to finish first. A perspective I can live with.

 

Agree, I think Ricci has moved up a gear.

 

Either one of the RBR on the front row could win this. Might be wet too....in which case I'll put money on Verstappen!

Ricciardo has stepped up again from last year when he was a bit ''lazy'', compared to 2014 and this year.

That said, Verstappen was a bit more cautious with him last Sunday, really didn't want to punt him off. If it was any other driver Verstappen would've taken him. Ricciardo enjoyed a small tire advantage as well, I believe related to Verstappen doing another lap in quali.

 

Agree Bas, do we think that Versappen might just be the best thing that could've happened to ricci?

 

Well we'll have to agree to disagree on this.

Dan was cruising along until Max tried it on with Dan running older tyres only to be put in his place by Dan out-driving him at about the 35 lap mark (?)

Max did well not hitting him unlike the old Vettel-Webber days and once they both had to pull in for new tyres with the virtual safety car for Hamilton then it was all over.

If only Kimi could have made it to the podium, would have been brilliant

 

Max was quicker all race, the tyre strategy didn't play into his advantage though. The first one came just slightly too early, therefor he needed a third.

When Max catched Ricc. in Ricc's second stint, Ricc was a bit lucky Hamiltons engine blew up. Max only got once chance to pass him. RB wheeled both of them in at the same time a lap later; Ricc. got new tyres, Max's tyres were 3 laps old. Max's pitstop lasted a second longer as well (2,4 vs. 3,4). He ended up 2,3 seconds behind Ricc. on the beginning of their last stint. He regained 1.2 seconds and reduced the gap to 1.1.

We'll never know what would happen if the both of them got an equally fast pitstop. But I can live with Ricc as a winner.

 

Me too obviously, but sort of glad Rosberg is leading the Championship.

Given the Mercedes dominance and the fight Rosberg has been given to Hamilton (remember one of the GOAT's ) for the last 3 seasons, I'm just hoping he wins it.

Meanwhile Ferrari quit frankly doesn't really deserve anything more than their getting now.

 

Well, I'm hoping I can have the same luck as last time, and Elton gets another DNF, although preferably he gets his karma early on, allowing a race to develop, with a most likely rain affected race ending with Kimi, ricci, Vettel, Lil' Maxie, and Nico somewhere within the top three places around these guys to get some big points and turn the screw on eltons psyche.

If it's dry, I'd expect Nico to win though, with the car advantage, followed home in that case, assuming my luck holds out, by the red bulls and ferraris.

The force is strong in this one......... I see the implosion of a propulsion unit in eltons future! Hehehehehehe

 

Typhoon on the way according to the BBC.

 

Nico pole and win. He cant lose it now with so few races to go

 

If it's a hard driving rain then I fancy vettel. I ceased watching but if it is a rain race I will record it.

 

Lewis will win Nicole will DNF

 

You're hilarious

 

I want to see Kimi and Max duke it out! Or Max and Ricci. Or Vettel and Max with no bleeping of Vettel's comments.

 

Realistically, the Mercedes are still favourite to get the top spots in qualifs and finish 1-2.

The real threat at Mercedes comes within: in-fighting or reliability issues.

 

I predict Vettel will fail to finish... unfortunately.

But I hope I am wrong.

Nico
Richie
Hammy
Kimi

 

Japanese Grand Prix: Mercedes to run engines at a lower performance - BBC Sport

Lower power settings and different oil for Mercedes this weekend.

 

Forza Nico...... come on Britney, time to nail it! He's on the ropes

 

Media snap back at Lewis Hamilton after distracted press conference | F1 News

Thanks to DF1 for posting this in the Elton appreciation thread. For obvious reasons, I was careful in comment there. Here, however

OMG, what a tool...... is he secretly a 13 year old girl? Snapchat, making silly faces and painting bunny ears on himself is funny? For CHILDREN, maybe, for an adult, NOT AT ALL, for a world champion in the press conference? - only if he is a total wanker

Seriously, some of you guys profess that this tool is the second coming, but I don't see how you can read the above article and not want to distance yourself from anything to do with the fool

 

+1

(removing my posts from that thread and pasting them here)


''Just some snaps of us drivers, it's quite funny''

Kimi agrees. No wait. The opposite of that:

https://twitter.com/FiftyBuckss/status/783918591200653312


Hi-la-ri-ous, Elton .


His fans are praising him (they'll continue to do so, no matter what he does anyways) for ''fan interaction''. He couldn't keep his fingers of his phone for an hour? He can snapchat the other 23 hours whatever he wants. He behaves like a ****ing child. He's 31 ffs.

There is plenty of local press who haven't the chance of talking to Lewis or any other driver he's trying to distract, except for the presser, so it is disrespectful.

He behaved like a ****ing 14 year old in school, thinking he's clever/cool playing on his phone whilst the teacher didn't have the balls to take it away from him.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

How to social media 101 from the RBR boys
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Japan related! Honda - F1's sleeping giant?

 

Love Ricci