Brand new overpowered engine vs a low powered renault with parts now held together by bandaids (renault doesn't have any more parts...one of Verstappens engine parts was discarded but they literally had to bodge repair it!) Supersofts vs soft DRS vs no DRS... List goes on. Nice drive to 4th but nothing that special. We had 3 guys retired in the 2nd sector, Ricciardo spun round and Grosjean spun. Hamilton was P15 at the end of the first lap without having to do anything. He drove 15th to 4th in 71 laps in the best car. Verstappen last year, 16th to 3rd in 16 laps in what was the 2nd/3rd best car.
Someone commented that grosjean needs mental help earlier, can't find it now. Pretty sure he does have a counsellor, he engaged them when he was busy crashing into everything that moved a few years ago, costing Alonso spa etc, maybe he fired them a bit too early. Far too highly strung for F1 Stroll...... money doesn't buy class, and it doesn't buy racecraft clearly. It does, contrary to what poor people say, at least buy happiness..... tonight, papa stroll will be able to buy his son some of the cutest girls money can buy! Those grid girls...... crikey, and the singer of the anthem too... sing all you want princess, I'll just watch thanks
Yeah, I imagine Pedro agrees through clenched teeth, but Alonso sure is showing a mature side to himself recently...... hope it continues when he gets back to the front of the grid next year..... that mclaren with a Renault in it will be nipping at red bulls heels
In addition he had apparently the best tyre strategy (softer tyres in last stint) which was not available to drivers having taken part to the qualifying session (they must use for the start the same tyres as in Q2, so the softest ones). This said it was still a nice drive.
Yeah, the softer tyres are better at the start, and then again as the fuel is burnt off at the end. The guys at the front had to burn theirs up (and ferrari had no new sets anyway) when the fuel was heavier, and then use the sorts for the final stint, the only good thing being they wouldn't burn up the soft tyres if they pushed quite as much as if they pushed the supersofts hard, even so, it gave a definite tactical advantage, which when mixed with the opportunity to alter the aero of the car (outside park ferme) and fit a new engine etc, elton had access to the full power of every system in the car, while those guys at the front had qualy aero, used tyres, and engines that had already run races and were on the downward spiral of usability. Seb had some performance in the kitty towards the end if he had needed to use it, but there was no way elton would come past Kimi, max had tyre issues, Kimi didn't, otherwise he'd have been fifth behind Maxine too
Bas, why are you wasting your breath... When Vettel was let down by his car in Malaysia starting from the back he finished 4th and we were told it is nothing special because he only overtook backmarkers...now Lewis crashed (!!!) in practice and finished 4th in the race as well you should know that it is certainly EPIC and a more than deserved "driver of the day" If you do not agree with that just because Lewis again was gifted a SC in lap one not only taking away the leeway for the start from the pitlane but also 4 of the cars in front (including Ricciardo) and then overtaking the same cars Seb did you must be a hater, shame on you You simply do not see the difference...
The Haas **** shows continue. I bet they are regretting those contract extensions. Nice redemption drives for Hamilton and Ricciardo. It was nice to see Alonso in the points but sucked to see him unable to do anything because of one straightaway. That Honda motor is a turd. Outside of the first few laps that race was a snooze fest. They seem to all be that way unless there's rain.
Vettle and Ferrari won because the best driver and the best car had to start from the pit lane. The best driver in the best car came in fourth and would have made the podium if there had been another lap. The number two drivers at Mercedes and Ferrari are in the same class as Baricello and Massa. If Vettle could beat Bottas, then Kimi should have as well.
Presumably you mean the best of the Mercedes drivers?, because only elton managed to spin his car under no pressure at all in qualy, so he isn't the best driver out there. The best driver out there is Alonso.
Vettel ,as hoped,got away at the start and was never really challenged by Bottas,Kimi looked average and couldn't mount a challenge either. Lewis was somewhat fortunate with the retirements and tyre situation etc, he got from the pit lane to 5th in 21 laps (and 4th in 71 laps). Lewis admitted that he screwed up in qualy then his tyres started to lose grip towards the end. Anyhow Ferrari have finally regained some composure and a repeat in the sand pit would be excellent for morale.
Quite possibly. Although that accolade surely goes to Williams for having to force a retired number 2 driver back into racing (Massa) and then pairing him with the most useless F1 driver of all time (Stroll).
Lewis' drive to 4th was good, as was Seb's when he started at the back and drove to 4th in Malaysia. Its what you expect from a top driver in a top car. I guess the difference is that it was Hamilton's fault that he started from the back in Brazil.
Yes it was a great race, and, nice to see Ham racing from pit lane to 4th and Ricci slicing through the field, Ferrari must be kicking themselves, the WDC could have at least gone down to the wire....
Sebastian's charge to 4th was much more spirited - passing eight cars on Lap 1 alone and later setting the fastest Lap. Lewis had a new and more powerful engine, non qualy tires, the safety car after three eliminations to help him close up and yet failed to overtake Kimi with double performance engine modes. Hardly a spirited performance for a 4xWDC.
Do you not think the incentive for having that spirited drive from Vettel verses Hamilton had a impact, Hamilton was driving for fun.
