Formula 1 - 2019

[tsumini]

Saw my first F1 in Melbourne Austalia 2001. Mark Webber's 1st year. Nobody in his autograph tent. They'er all in Michael Schumacher's tent. David Coulthard, Kimi Raikkenen et al.
BINI introduction; local Celebrities racing them on a side feature. Schumacher wins again. Australian air force  flew an F18 over Albert Park (Race venue) and stalled it right over the park. (well almost). V10's earsplitting.

[BruceK]

So, I am watching a recording of today's Formula One race in Spain, it's lap 40 of 66 and quite a massive snoozefest.  Just now Sky TV is replaying video clips detailing the start of the race — for the second time in the same broadcast —  apparently to just have something interesting to talk about.  Mind you, there was nothing interesting at all about the start of the race but the broadcasters seem to be desperate to try to drum up anything to discuss during this very boring mess.   

So in 30+ years of F1 viewing I've never done this before but I'm bailing out and turning off the TV — I'm not hanging around to end of the race.

[Vikram]

Well you missed a safety car, and the ferrari's magically found pace and vettel came through to win! Shouldn't have turned it off....


Nope... A snoozefest indeed

[MiniDave]

Now I'm wondering if Mercedes can will all the races this year 1-2, wouldn't that be something?

If they did they should just quit, they've won it all, what else do they have to prove? Maybe then it could become a privateer's series instead, and we'd see small teams coming out of everywhere with new, innovative designs, they way it used to be. Those were the fun days of F1, when any team on any given day could win it all.

Wouldn't that be fun? Any chassis design, any engine - kinda like an open wheel Can-Am series? But no manufacturers allowed....engines have to be stock block and heads or something? After all, a stock LS9 makes 700 hp now, and Chrysler makes engines that make 1000 hp already, so there would be no shortage of HP.

Maybe no carbon fiber, regular steel brakes, aero wide open.....that would keep the costs down but change the tenor of the series I suppose.

Frankly, this is making me rethink my decision to go to CoTA this fall, why spend this much money to watch a parade, a not even interesting parade? Led by my least favorite team and very least favorite driver......

[Jims5543]

If Mercedes had any balls at all, once the WDC and WCC is won they pull Lewis and Valeri and put in 2 lower tier drivers, I suggest Ocon who is a reserve driver and then take a driver either from a Mercedes customer team or as I would prefer, Suzi Wolf and put them in the cars for the remaining races. I am willing to bet both cars will podium every race to the end.

There is a guy on another forum that has a theory that each driver at Mercedes gets a win each weekend. This weekend was Lewis' turn, next weekend will be Valteri's.

I watched the entire race this afternoon on my DVR in X2 and X3 speed. I slowed down maybe 2X the entire time and finished the entire race in about 15 minutes.

What used to be an afternoon with beers chips and circumstance, has turned to a quick 15 minutes for the race when I have time to squeeze it in.  Qualifying takes about 10 minutes.

I typically skip to Q3 and watch the last 5 mins, just to see which Mercedes will be in 1st and then which Ferrari will be in 3rd.

Of course the only surprise today was Max slipping by both Ferrari's and taking a podium from them.

What hollow WDC, the WCC is much deserved the Mercedes driver that wins this year should be embarrassed of the gift win.



Please, if there is a god, make Mercedes pull their main drivers and make a mockery of their dominance by putting in 2nd tier drivers for the win.

[Jims5543]

Development.


Stolen comment from a F1 forum, Look at the amazing gains from Mercedes and Ferrari.

CATALUNYA QUALIFYING COMPARISON
Powered by llllKartCMP1
Team............2018..........2019..........Net
Mercedes..-1:16.173 - 1:15.406 - 0.767 gain
Ferrari.....- 1:16.305 - 1:16.272 - 0.033 gain
Red Bull....- 1:16.816 - 1:16.357 - 0.459 gain
Haas.........- 1:17.618 - 1:16.911 - 0.707 gain
Toro Ross.- 1:18.463 - 1:17.243 - 1.220 gain
Renault.....- 1:17.790 - 1:17.299 - 0.491 gain
McLaren...- 1:17.721 - 1:17.338 - 0.383 gain
Alfa...........- 1:18.661 - 1:17.788 - 0.873 gain
Racing Po.- 1:18.696 - 1:17.886 - 0.810 gain
Williams....- 1:19.695 - 1:19.072 - 0.623 gain

**2019 Renault & Toro Rosso times taken from Q2, not Q3.

[MiniDave]

There's the .8 you were talking about.....

[gr8kornholio]

The F1 world has lost a legend.  Godspeed Niki Lauda.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/46781936

[MiniDave]

Of all the things to take him down, I never expected kidney failure......

[MiniDave]

Monaco 2019 - Qually

Same as it ever was.....2 Mercedes in front, Verstappen next and Vettel 4th

It looked like Bottas had it but the Hamster pipped him on the last run and Bottas had a mistake.

Ferrari has had a miserable weekend so far, due to a strategic error Leclerc was out in P1, put there by his teammate on the absolute last lap of qually 1.

As Jim predicted, the Mercs are .7 quicker than the Ferrari - still.

Verstappen has closed within .4 and the Red Bull continues to improve.....and there were 4 Honda engine cars in Q3.

So, unless it rains tomorrow or there are a number of safety cars, Leclerc's race will be an absolute bore as he simply parades around towards the back.

There are grid penalties coming for some drivers that may improve his starting position one or two, but he has an almost impossible task to get into the top 10 tomorrow.

So, it will most probably be yet another Merc 1-2, at this rate it's looking more and more like they will not only take both championships, but they could win them all.

[BruceK]

Pray for rain to generate some interesting racing.

[MiniDave]

Typical Monaco race, even if he's down 165 hp or on worn out tires you can't pass the leader.....

Some interesting battles but I took away this......

Two Mercedes, two Ferrari and two Renault powered cars in the top ten - 4 Honda powered cars in the top 8!

Honda is no longer the backmarker engine provider.

Leclerc decided not to simply parade around and went super aggressive, forcing his way past a couple of cars - till he met one that wouldn't be intimidated. And that was his race....

The last 6 cars were all Mercedes or Ferrari powered, I don't know what to make of that except two Mercedes powered teams have consistently been at the bottom this year - point being, While power helps,  it ain't just about the engine anymore.

I think the Constructor's Championship is done, about the only thing to be decided is who will come second.

As for the driver's Championship, unless Bottas can mount one hell of a charge the rest of the season, it's done too.

Sad, we're only 6 races into a 20 race season and it's already a foregone conclusion.

[MiniDave]

Guess what? "not-Hamilton" is on pole for the Canadian GP - in a "not-Mercedes"!

[Vikram]

Hooray, great lap by vettel!

[BruceK]

Guess what? "not-Hamilton" is on pole for the Canadian GP - in a "not-Mercedes"!

Fingers crossed for not-Hamilton (and not-Bottas too!)...

[MiniDave]

Race is just about to start.....1st lap will tell the story......

[MiniDave]

Wow, even when they lose they win......

[Vikram]

Pathetic.

Hamilton is the least genuine character I've ever witnessed.

[BruceK]

Pathetic.

Hamilton is the least genuine character I've ever witnessed.

He sure is. 

Disgusting result

[Jims5543]

We are being played.

Mercedes were faster and holding back, when Vettel made a mistake suddenly Hamilton had enough pace to run up on him like he was a back marker and hols station.


F1, thanks to Liberty, has turned into Nascar and the WWF.

I am so over it all.

 

[Jims5543]

My 550 HP 2600 lb RX7 ran on slicks on track days.

If I had an off like Vettel, which was Very rare but happens when pusing, it was like driving on ice when you came back on track, all the grass would stick your tires making the car undriveable.

What happened was a hiccup a moment of loss of concentration, seems Vettel is not a robot, like Hamilton who kept locking up in the hairpin.

Even the Sky guys who are biased Hamilton fans were amazed there was a penalty.



No matter, I am positive Mercedes were told to dial it back this weekend to draw viewership.  Once Ferrari made a mistake it was game on.

I am insulted by this display and and I am over it all

I thought NASCAR was a joke, F1 is the same now.

I am done.

Off to enjoy my summer the season is over as far as I am concerned.

[Vikram]

I'm pretty certain that the medium tyre is the only one ferrari has any race pace on. The moment they moved to hards it was over.

And yes, hamilton repeatedly locked before the hairpin and no matter what he says that certainly didn't help him get past  the ferrari on the straight. But of course that's only down to the straight line speed, not Hamilton making the same mistake over and over.

He was all over the back of vettel, but he wasn't getting by no matter what he said in his little radio message after the race. The BBC is already swinging this into another vettel mistake under presssure, because its easier to do that than blame the FIA. Yes, he made a mistake but thats what happens whrn you're racing so closely for 75 laps, it doesn't give the stewards any excuse to make a poor decision.

I really hoped vettel didn't go to the podium, but I guess he had to to avoid further penalties. As far as the championship goes, vettel himself says its not about that, it was just about getting this win and it was stolen.

Championship is over.

[MiniDave]

Wow! now that was a race!

[BruceK]

FINALLY!!  A real, exciting, suspenseful F1 race.    LeClerc drove wonderfully, but Max really shined. And Vettel drove well too.  So happy it was a not-Hamilton day. So much orange!!

[MiniDave]

I'm just annoyed by his insincere, whiny little bitch personality.....not to say others don't also have their faults, and maybe we're just exposed to it too much by the fact that he's always on the podium and getting interviewed. But when he gets a streak of non-podium finishes you should hear him whinge and complain.

As for his driving - no question he has his moments - but mostly he's just in a better car. As was Vettel with Red Bull and Michael when Ferrari reigned supreme.

This is the major thing wrong with F1 today, in order to try and contain costs and make the competition more even, all the rules have done is the opposite. It now costs hugely more and there simply is no room for the non-manufacturer, extremely deep pockets team to play except as a back marker and grid filler.

So, while it was a breath of fresh air to see Verstappen, Honda and Red Bull finally win one, it was on a track eminently suited to their package, and they also have VERY deep pockets. It's still extremely unlikely that Toro Rosso, Sauber/Alfa/Ferrari, Hass, Renault, McLaren, Williams or anyone other than the top 3 will win one this season, or next.