2017 F1 General Discussion Topic

[camelspyyder]

HONDA still in cloud-cuckoo land.

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132332/honda-very-close-to-matching-renault-power

 

Have they not noticed every other car breezing past them on the straight to accompanying "This is embarrassing..." comment from their $40 million-a-year driver.

 

They have been making this stupid statement with every update this year, and still the Renault's steam on past.

 

Lucky for STR, your new engine supplier is the best... at denial.

 

 

Edited 11 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[LightRain]

47 minutes ago, camelspyyder said:

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132332/honda-very-close-to-matching-renault-power

 

If that's the case not only must the Red Bull be literally crafted by the hands of God, but the McLaren designs got mixed up with those dummy Manor chassis that were sold recently.

[S00perb]

You can't blame Honda, the mechanics or the engine

The drivers just don't pedal fast enough

 

[camelspyyder]

Honda should just STFU and go and build a decent engine.

 

SInce the divorce they have publicly blamed Mclaren for being inflexible (even though Mclaren built an ERS for them when the Honda one didn't work), and now trotted out their repeated obvious lie about being on the pace with Renault.

 

I take it embarrassment isn't a concept in Japan?

 

 

Edited 11 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[camelspyyder]

Now RBR join Mclaren in trying political moaning to slow down anyone with a faster engine - That's all of Merc, Williams, FI, Ferrari, Haas & Sauber then.

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132373/red-bull-oil-burn-mocks-f1-green-credentials

 

Losers.

 

Why don't they both just aim for an F1 ban on anything painted red or silver?

 

It's not the fault of Merc or Ferrari that some teams are contracted to uncompetitive engine builders is it?

 

 

 

Edited 13 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[camelspyyder]

STR running Kvyat and Brendon Hartley in USGP. Gasly off to chase the title in Superformula finale instead.

 

 

Edited 13 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[LightRain]

2 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

STR running Kvyat and Brendon Hartley in USGP. Gasly off to chase the title in Superformula finale instead.

 

 

 

That could be quite interesting. Kvyat will be the usual, but Hartley I'm curious about.

[camelspyyder]

yeah. who else has ever been invited back several years after being chucked off the RedBull ladder.

[camelspyyder]

RBR sign Max up till 2020:

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132523/verstappen-extends-red-bull-f1-deal-to-2020

 

 

[camelspyyder]

Ferrari's new aero package seen in FP1 looks like a major change. If it works, their performance advantage could get even bigger (It's already the fastest car I think).

 

 

[lol-lol]

15 hours ago, camelspyyder said:

Ferrari's new aero package seen in FP1 looks like a major change. If it works, their performance advantage could get even bigger (It's already the fastest car I think).

 

If Ferrari have dialled back their engine, as its rumored, then they have given up on this year and are more looking backward to defend their second position from Red Bull-Renault-TAG.

 

Max looked absolutely on fire and now signed an extension to hist contract with Red Bull (strategic move perhaps to up his price and compensation to RB if he is wanted),  

 

Ricardo to replace the flopping Fins Bottas or Räikkönen at Ferrari/Merc ?    

[moley]

6 hours ago, lol-lol said:

Ricardo to replace the flopping Fins Bottas or Räikkönen at Ferrari/Merc ?    

Bottas  flopping????? 13 points behind Vettel, 42 ahead of Ricciardo and 123 ahead of Verstappen.

Mercedes and Ferrari appear to be happy with their current driver line up's. For Mercedes it looks likely that the team will win the constructors championship and one of their drivers will be F1 champion, what more could they ask for? Meanwhile Red Bull have one more season with a Renault engine, so Ricciardo might jump ship when his contract expires before the Honda engine arrives.

 

1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES  306

2 Sebastian Vettel GER FERRARI     247

3 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES     234

4 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RED BULL  192

5 Kimi Räikkönen FIN FERRARI       148

6 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL 111

[camelspyyder]

Riccardo is in a great position now. His RBR contract expiry coincides with Kimi and Bottas.  All 3 top team with vacancies for '19.

[lol-lol]

6 hours ago, moley said:

Bottas  flopping????? 13 points behind Vettel, 42 ahead of Ricciardo and 123 ahead of Verstappen.

Mercedes and Ferrari appear to be happy with their current driver line up's. For Mercedes it looks likely that the team will win the constructors championship and one of their drivers will be F1 champion, what more could they ask for? Meanwhile Red Bull have one more season with a Renault engine, so Ricciardo might jump ship when his contract expires before the Honda engine arrives.

 

1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES  306

2 Sebastian Vettel GER FERRARI     247

3 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES     234

4 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RED BULL  192

5 Kimi Räikkönen FIN FERRARI       148

6 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL 111

 

Considering the equipment Bottas and Raikkonen have ie the same as their team mates, being up to half a second slower per lap, is not so good, perhaps Lewis and Seb like having B drivers.

 

Well done Ricardo getting on the second row and Sainz is proving to be a very good choice to replace Palmer and with the new Renault plant with another 10 to 20 hp and reckoned to be 0.2 second a lap quicker and the Hulk look good for the 7th and 8th place putting the Mercedes powered Force India to the back of the points and at least the Austin track facilitate passing !

 

Might be another good race and especially if the forecast cooler weather giv es Max more opportunity to coem from the back like in Brazil last year.         

Edited 21 October, 2017 by lol-lol

[camelspyyder]

Both Mercs and Kimi messed up their second runs in Q3 - Vettel should really have had pole in that scenario.

 

Riccardo had been slow all day but him finding a lap from absolutely nowhere to beat Verstappen in Q3 was the best drive of the day for me, closely followed by Sainz Jr.

 

Real shame we didn't get to see how Sainz vs Hulk worked out, Carlos has done brilliantly though first time in the Renault.

 

 

 

 

[moley]

7 minutes ago, lol-lol said:

 Sainz is proving to be a very good choice to replace Palmer and with the new Renault plant with another ten to 20 hp and reckoned to be 0.2 second a lap he and the Hulk look good for the 7th and 8th place putting the Mercedes powered Force India to the back of the points and at least the Austin track facilitate passing !       

Where did you see those results????

Sainz qualified 8th, Hulkenberg 15th, Ocon in the Force India was 7th. 7th usually comes before 8th.

Verstappen and Hulkenberg were using the new engine parts and both were slower than their team mates with the old engine parts.

[lol-lol]

8 hours ago, moley said:

Where did you see those results????

Sainz qualified 8th, Hulkenberg 15th, Ocon in the Force India was 7th. 7th usually comes before 8th.

Verstappen and Hulkenberg were using the new engine parts and both were slower than their team mates with the old engine parts.

 

Sky F1 covered mentioned the improved in the Renault power.

 

The Hulk did not try in Q2 as he knew he was getting a penalty to put him near the back of the grid.  

 

Sainz Jnr and Hulk now looking a team of A drivers unlike the A/B combination that all the other teams, bar Red Bull, seem to have.

 

Frenchman Ocon, like the big guy the Hulk, did so well when it is such a disadvantage for being so heavy and/or tall in this world of light/short drivers.     

 

Edited 22 October, 2017 by lol-lol

[camelspyyder]

Well done Mercedes-AMG - champions 2017

 

Disappointing Finns again - Max and Carlos both excellent. (is that the 2019 RBR line-up?)

Edited 22 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[camelspyyder]

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/132565/williams-exploring-kubica-f1-journey

 

Unfortunately the tone of this Williams statement just doesn't sound like they are going to give a 32 year-old disabled driver a race seat.

[moley]

11 minutes ago, camelspyyder said:

Disappointing Finns again 

I don't understand why the teams did not pit Kimi and Bottas when Verstappen and Vettel had pitted.

As for the Verstappen penalty.... unbelievable

[camelspyyder]

Ferrari kept Kimi out to stop Hamilton pitting. He was only about 10 seconds behind the leader.

 

Bottas just gambled on tyres lasting.

 

The stewards are crap. Verstappen penalised for overtake and robbed of podium :(

 

Edited 22 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[lol-lol]

11 hours ago, moley said:

I don't understand why the teams did not pit Kimi and Bottas when Verstappen and Vettel had pitted.

As for the Verstappen penalty.... unbelievable

 

I switched off shortly after the race finished so only just heard about the  Vestappen penalty.

 

I will not watch F1 again until it gets its acted together.

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https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/lauda-verstappen-us-gp-penalty-worst-decision-969285/

Mercedes Formula 1 chairman Niki Lauda has labelled the call to penalise Max Verstappen in the United States Grand Prix as the worst decision he’s ever seen.

Red Bull driver Verstappen was given a five-second penalty after passing the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen down the inside of COTA's Turn 17 on the last lap of the race.

This dropped him back from third to fourth, as he had been deemed to have gained an advantage by putting all four wheels off-track.

Reacting to the penalty, Lauda said: "This decision is the worst I’ve ever seen. He [Verstappen] did nothing wrong. We’re racing drivers, we’re not on a normal road.

"It’s ridiculous to destroy the sport with this kind of decision."

 

[camelspyyder]

Charlie Whiting was quoted earlier in the weekend saying there would be no penalties for running off the track.

 

During the race cars went off frequently at Turns 1, 9, 11, 12, &19 without sanction, but Max did it at 17/18 and got penalised.

 

Shockingly (or not) the driver steward for the weekend was an ex-Ferrari F1 driver.

 

 

Edited 23 October, 2017 by camelspyyder

[LightRain]

12 minutes ago, camelspyyder said:

Shockingly (or not) the driver steward for the weekend was an ex-Ferrari F1 driver.

For less than half a season at the tail end of his career. I don't think there was any bias in that regard, just sloppy inconsistent stewarding.

Edited 23 October, 2017 by LightRain
Regardless, if he'd not gone for it he'd still have finished in the same position. Noting ventured nothing gained.

[Wet Kipper]

is there a difference between "running off the track" because someone is pushing you wide (like Ricc and Verst did on Bottas) and deliberately cutting the inside of a corner in order to overtake ?

Should there be ?