Ferrari was just sleeping today. Cocky or sleeping? With the bulls having pitted the pace of the undercut was very clear, then Hamilton pitted....and they had that info. Then Bottas pitted...THEN they finally pitted Vettel. By this time it was far too late. Kimi had a better start than Vettel, but he got squeezed. Understand it but also Vettel should've realized that it should be preferable to have Kimi in front of him than have Kimi 3 places back. Ferrari would always get the preferred stop for Vettel so they'd have switched around there. Ferrari's ''strategy'' with Kimi basically became ''sacrifice Kimi at all cost and hope he blocks Bottas long enough''. Kimi did a great job doing just that but his race was ****ed at that point. He was already 6th by this point...not his fault just Ferrari once again putting all their eggs in one basket. Ferrari was unlucky with the SC window for Vettel, but they could easily have pitted Kimi and he'd have won the race. Horner made the decision to pit their drivers in T1, if the SC came out...it did and he did. Ferrari was caught in a coma when it came to Kimi at least. And that's what I don't understand about Ferrari. Yes I fully understand backing Vettel, he is their #1 driver, he IS the more consistent driver, and typically has faster race pace. But when your #1 driver is stuck behind another driver, not winning the race....and you have an opportunity to win with the other driver, surely you'd take it? So far we've completed 3 races yet in 4 instances they've already ****ed Kimi so far. Quite a record! And that's just this year. What they risk doing here is basically encourage the mid to end season slump, why should Kimi even bother racing at 100% when he knows he'll get ****ed by the team anyhow? Kimi is not stupid, he wasn't born yesterday and is fully aware of these things.
The way Ferrari is treating Kimi, at this stage of the season, makes me feel that it is very unlikely that Daniel will want to join us next year.
And this is exactly why it would be unwise for Ferrari to take him...Ricciardo is way too hungry to let a win go away, and even if Ferrari say to keep position he'll simply go for it. All it'll bring is tears and lost championships. Ferrari doesn't really care about the WCC, so in that way Vettel/Kimi combination actually works well. But they need to stop ****ing Kimi. Don't wreck his race at every given opportunity...give him the chance to finish as well as possible (so long Vettel finishes ahead, I guess).
So Ferrari thought 3.5 seconds would be enough to cover the undercut but obviously it was not because the stop was to slow and Sebs inlap as well... Remains the question whether Seb was not able to pull a bigger gap before or whether he is like Lewis in Melbourne victim of this ****ty fuel- and engine-saving managing the gap calculated by the pit wall with the least efforts...today the races are not decided on track but in a computer behind the pit wall. And we see (Max) what happens when the drivers want to take it in their own hands Gesendet von meinem SM-G930F mit Tapatalk
I don't think Max and Ham touched. Max lost the car by being on a line you don't want to be on. I think it was Hamilton himself early in the race that backed away from using that line. Max got schooled a bit there.
I see Kimi leaving more than being replaced. How much more does he take from a team that finds him expendable or useless in a race other than to support Vettel. Ferrari driver management needs to grow up and evolve. I dont see Bottas leaving Mercedes at all. He is carrying them along and is capable. If anything I could see Ricci replacing Kimi or does LH leave and make music and sad fashion his new life LOL
Late entry, back in the hotel. I enjoyed the race that appeared initially to be a Vettel walk away. There's so much one doesn't hear with all the noise on track. It was an exciting beginning, then boring but impressive run by Ferrari. The SC and RB pit strategy made for a surprising and fun race. I was thinking, where did Rici come from? What happened to Vettel? Why is Max gaining? Both RB's were adding to the mix as it were. I knew Vettel was PO'd with Max's dive. All in all I would have lost a lot of money on this race. Hammy looked helpless and un-Champion-like. RB and Ricci looked hopeful and fun to watch...an added excitement...for a change. Vettel looked so strong in the beginning but I was confused as to why he dropped back so much so that Alonso could pass... Finally, Chinese fans love Ferrari. The roar I heard when Vettel or Kimi went by was noticeable. Even though Kimi came in 3rd he got more vocals than Ricci with the win.
I said this in the qually thread... I just hope Ferrari don’t snatch defeat from the hands of victory. The guys running things from the pit wall have been a bit suspect. I got my fingers crossed because rarely do thing go like they should. How many times have we thought “this one is in the bag” and the car goes boom, Max gets into the mix and cause a collision, or they just make the wrong calls. Nothing more to say I guess I really. This race wasn’t hard to predict. Ferrari have the car, they have the drivers, but they are inept at understanding the finer strategic needs as a race unfolds it seems. Max... well Max is what he is. His bravado has a lot more horsepower and downforce than his capabilities.
Yeah... this race was a snapshot of last season. Strong out of the box and then it all went south. Lets hope its not a repeat season.
Ice showed his willingness to support the team rather than himself when Massa had his only chance in 2008 to become WDC. Ferrari receive great PR having Kimi on the team and naturally Kid Index (and the team) don’t want him to be replaced because he’ll obviously honour his contract and remain in the support role with minimum complaint, while fans take it to Ferrari on his behalf. Given the benefits Ferrari receives from a complicit sidekick, outraged fans are the least of their worries. Ice can drive as he sees fit given the level of humiliation he’s accepted to maintain a front row car. No different from the successful Shoe - Rubinho combination culminating with the infamous 2002 Austrian farce recreated before our eyes a few hours ago.
I take it all back. Ferrari strategy is still rubbish. Such a disappointment. This one was there for Vettel to take and make it 3 our of 3. Grrrrrr. Congrats to Ric. Superb victory. And now in the hunt for the championship. At least for a few races. Ofcourse, he is fatally compromised by his engine issues and will have to face reliability penalties later in the season, but he should enjoy his moment in the sunshine whilst it lasts. Alonso - where does he keep making the points? The guy is a magician. Max - detention and no milk or cookies tonight. Kimi - has every right to feel robbed today. Drove really well. And I don’t even like him... Vet - cool after the race. Well done under the circumstances. Toro Rosso - what happened?! This weeks disaster team. The rest - who cares.
10 second penalty for Max is absurd. He should've had a 60 second stop and go. 10 seconds is a joke. what kind of lesson is that? an ilegal pass you go back behind the guy,... you punt a gut off the tack,... you finish you stay ahead of him the rest of the way. B***S***.
Hamilton forced max on that line....but I guess that goes back to my earlier comments that that overtake was never going to work anyways as he was always going to be forced wide there. It's dirty as **** on that line, full of marbles.
"They told me on the radio OK, Brendon is going to let you pass, at the end of the straight' so I expected him to let me by, I went on the inside...I was on the inside, [it] was too late and there was nothing I could do" - Gasly Immature move and the placement of that move Pierre..live and learn.
Thank you for this thread. I did not watch the race and I was glad. Reading this thread is ever so much more fun than watching the race: thanks!
It was painful to watch. It was becoming clear strategic decisions were going to come into play and I just could tell Ferrari were not going to be up to task.
Hats off to Red Bull pit strategy and Ricciardo, and the pit crew for getting RIC out for qualifying. Tough day at the office for Kimi, so close to being on pole in the first place. Bottas, again out qualifies and finishes ahead of his team mate. Max: Just clean it up. HAM: Not having a good day turns him into a grumpy 80 year old. When Max was trying to go around him it seemed to me that HAM gave him a flick of the steering wheel and MAX over reacted to that and went off track. Renault another good day ALO keeps scoring points, hey, maybe he really is a good driver! HAAS started 10-11 and at least MAG finished 10th to get another point, which is more than Force India/Toro Rosso and 2 other teams can say. Not sure if GRO made another pit stop or his tires just fell off once MAG got past him. Fun to have 3 teams and all 6 drivers fighting at the front, but the fresher softs of RB made the race over older mediums of Ferrari and Mercedes.