Inaki, hey? From what other team's garbage did they find this guy? Wasn't it Lotus - where they left Raikkonen out so long one race he lost like 10 spots on the last lap? They should let the trainer try his hand at strategy - can't be worse that Inaki and probably 50% chance at guessing a better strategy.
A question to see Ferrari answer. They appear to have a back and forth indecision matrix with Charles and employing him. All based on a Vettel is the priority box they stupidly put themselves in prior to race 1. The press knew clearly the faster pilot would be Charles. The talent is so obvious. Vettel has for 2 years lost titles with mistakes. Some from the team. Last year was more Vettel. Next press rumors moving in the paddock - Binotto status and length of life in position as the struggle shows no improvement. Testing was an illusion. China should have displayed Ferrari capability. Not at all!!
Yah I agree. Hamilton was just cruising. Botas was there to block anyone who even came close to trying. Merc could have dusted off either of them easily. I think when Ferrari saw the gap in qualifying yesterday they were just trying to play the odds who could better end up 3rd. There was no way to win China short of a Merc problem.
I think it's more to do with ferrari barely able to do the strategy for one car, and are totally inept at running a dual strategy. This strategy was Kimi-esque. They gave him these type of terrible strategies all the time. there was no reason, none, to let Leclerc running another lap when Bottas overtook him. I lost interest a bit but I think Leclerc did 2 or even 3 extra laps after being overtaken, running a deficit of 1.6 each lap! That's 4 seconds thrown away...for no reason whatsoever? Leclerc can be pissed he had to move over for Vettel but he can easily fingerpoint to the strategist being the same old useless oxygen thieves.
Yes, and I am surprised they haven't done it yet. It's the way to go for the top teams, even if it costs a lot of money. I don't know if Red Bull has anything similar to that. The way F1 goes, the speed needed to make strategic decisions is beyond the human brain power capability. It's another layer of technology. Where will it stop?
I fully expect if Ferrari's woes continue and they're not getting on Bahrain pace we'll see more internal reshuffling. People being fired, the next pope will run the team and so on. If it happens Ferrari will never win another title again.
I don’t like how all media uses Ferrari as headline clickbait for any possible story they can conjure up ignoring fact and perspective. I think the pundits and media play the game. They follow Toto’s lead and exaggerate Ferrari’s performance to create an illusion of closer competition. They do this when Ferrari is genuinely competitive and perhaps faster than Merc and also their story doesn’t change when Merc are clearly faster. I don’t think people in this forum are making excuses for Ferrari and we (most except for a few trolls here. You know who you are) want Ferrari to win.
IIRC, Leclerc's gap to VER something like tripled because they kept him out too long after VER and VET pitted. Like they can only manage one car at a time. Which once again begs comparison with Merc who planned the double stop and worked for both drivers, not just the leader.
I for one am delighted that Kimi is at Alfa. I think he once again had a lot of fun today. He's racing wheel to wheel, can do what he likes, doesn't get stressed and on top of it all he's driving absolutely beautiful. Ferrari's culture really never suited Kimi unless they had build the mother of all rocket ships (which is always unlikely). The press and fans are an unforgiving bunch. A team like Red Bull has Kimi written all over it, really.
Yep, his strategy was ruined but my point about Leclerc having no pace after his final stop still stands...he was on much newer tyres than Max and didn't make a dent.
Update on Hulks situation. It was an MGU-K issue that put him out of the race. This, after replacing both MGU-K's end of Bahrain--> double DNF. This component is supposed to be the most reliable of the bunch. It made its entry in 2009. Way to go Renault yet again.
Debatable till the end of time and we'll never know. Being relegated to #2 from day 1 certainly doesn't help. Kimi isn't stupid and knows when his strategy is being ****ed with, that he was not allowed to win. I think he played the teamgame well. The morning he got informed he was being replaced and he snatched pole said it all. The swap at Monaco 2017 after his pole there must've hurt. We can debate it till death but I think if Kimi was given proper support the numbers may have surprised people.
Another dull F1 race....I am really glad that I recorded it and did not waste losing sleep over watching it live. Has there been a team with less charisma than the Mercedes team, Hamilton and Bottas? This is starting to make watching golf on TV sound interesting, which I have always equated to watching paint dry.
I still say you can't dismiss the change in control electronics for being at least partly responsible for Ferrari's slower pace this weekend. Everything else was the same.
Red Bull must be pissing themselves with laughter. Whilst they're not winning just yet....Renault's reliability is pathetic.
Hard to say ,we will never know of course .However Kimi was WDC in 2007 for Ferrari.Yes he is now perhaps past his peak ,just like Vettel.
Sorry, but although I like Kimi I think he is old news for a long time. He might be fast at times but no way is he leading a team to a WDC nowadays. Ok, some say the same about Seb but I am certain that Kimi is further away from that since he won his title in 2007... PS: when you look at the qualy statistic of 2018 you will see Seb-Kimi 17-4. I do not know how anybody can think that Kimi is the faster driver and would have done any better than Seb if he was backed or treated equal. Just like Bottas he was not No.2 by default but he got himself into this position by simply beeing the slower driver
McLarens self consuming cannibalistic arrogant nature combined with Alonso’s foolish hot headed self serving misguidance has left McLaren where they are now. Though back in the day they were Ferrari’s arch enemy they were formidable and even respectable as a opponent. Now they aren’t even respectable.
One distinction is that Kimi raced for his championship, Seb won his by the overwhelming superiority of his car.
