F1 2019 - News & Rumours

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No need to be a killjoy man, I hope you have to eat your words sooner rather than later.

This is just a way to express a protest against Ferrari killing the joy and desire in me to watch the races. With their already tiring and boring team orders/corruption, I am not going to support them.
 

JRS

JRS

Soldato
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Only if there is a genuine competition, if not... don't bother. One second gap per lap in Australia says it all.

Question - had the positions been reversed, and Ferrari had been ahead by a second per lap in Australia, would you have been okay with that? After all, that would invite the same lack of competition as the Mercs being ahead. Is it the lack of competition for the race win that bothers you, or do you not mind one team dominating if that team is Ferrari?

Wait, people are calling the championship already? How long have I slept for?

Yep, in the Australian GP race weekend thread :rolleyes::)
 
Caporegime
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I think people need to chill a little. Australia is never a good indicator of the performance of the cars and being the first race and a flyaway race the cars are rarely complete or at their peak. Last years race was no different really.
Vettel won, but didn't win the Championship. Lewis was 5 seconds back, but no doubt Seb wasn't pushing and managing the gap. After the safety car came in on lap 31 the order didn't change. Albert park has, and likely always will be, a crap track for passing on.

1 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 58 1:29:33.283 3 25
2
44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 +5.036 1 18
3
7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 58 +6.309 2 15
4
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +7.069 8 12
5
14 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 58 +27.886 10 10
6
33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +28.945 4 8
7
27 Nico Hülkenberg Renault 58 +32.671 7 6
8
77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 58 +34.339 15 4
9
2 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 58 +34.921 11 2
10
55 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 58 +45.722 9 1
 
Soldato
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I think people need to chill a little. Australia is never a good indicator of the performance of the cars and being the first race and a flyaway race the cars are rarely complete or at their peak. Last years race was no different really.
Vettel won, but didn't win the Championship. Lewis was 5 seconds back, but no doubt Seb wasn't pushing and managing the gap. After the safety car came in on lap 31 the order didn't change. Albert park has, and likely always will be, a crap track for passing on.

1 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 58 1:29:33.283 3 25
2
44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 +5.036 1 18
3
7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 58 +6.309 2 15
4
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +7.069 8 12
5
14 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 58 +27.886 10 10
6
33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +28.945 4 8
7
27 Nico Hülkenberg Renault 58 +32.671 7 6
8
77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 58 +34.339 15 4
9
2 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 58 +34.921 11 2
10
55 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 58 +45.722 9 1

Actually Hamilton should have won that race. He just got unlucky that Vettel had the opportunity to pit under a virtual safety car. Hamilton had it won otherwise.
 
Man of Honour
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Actually Hamilton should have won that race. He just got unlucky that Vettel had the opportunity to pit under a virtual safety car. Hamilton had it won otherwise.

True, but Mercedes opened up a huge gap this year. I don't remember them having quite such a gap last year before the safety car shenanigans? I could be wrong.
 
Soldato
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Englishman in the USA
I think people need to chill a little. Australia is never a good indicator of the performance of the cars and being the first race and a flyaway race the cars are rarely complete or at their peak. Last years race was no different really.
Vettel won, but didn't win the Championship. Lewis was 5 seconds back, but no doubt Seb wasn't pushing and managing the gap. After the safety car came in on lap 31 the order didn't change. Albert park has, and likely always will be, a crap track for passing on.

1 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 58 1:29:33.283 3 25
2
44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 58 +5.036 1 18
3
7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 58 +6.309 2 15
4
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +7.069 8 12
5
14 Fernando Alonso McLaren-Renault 58 +27.886 10 10
6
33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer 58 +28.945 4 8
7
27 Nico Hülkenberg Renault 58 +32.671 7 6
8
77 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 58 +34.339 15 4
9
2 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren-Renault 58 +34.921 11 2
10
55 Carlos Sainz Jr. Renault 58 +45.722 9 1
People were calling the championship after Qualy in China saying that Hamilton was out of it and it was Vettel's year, and look how that turned out. It looks like we've upped it this year and are calling the championship after the first race. Ridiculous.

Like you said, Albert Park is a **** track to gauge performance on. It's like saying Ferrari were slower than a wounded Red Bull because they couldn't pass at Monaco. Let's see what's happening when we get to the European tracks.
 
Man of Honour
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Posts
44,880
People were calling the championship after Qualy in China saying that Hamilton was out of it and it was Vettel's year, and look how that turned out. It looks like we've upped it this year and are calling the championship after the first race. Ridiculous.

Like you said, Albert Park is a **** track to gauge performance on. It's like saying Ferrari were slower than a wounded Red Bull because they couldn't pass at Monaco. Let's see what's happening when we get to the European tracks.

It can all change with one upgrade too. I remember when Ferrari brought a new floor last year that gave them 0.5-0.7s, but then equally other upgrades put them backwards. It can all change quickly. Of course typically Mercedes develop well throughout the season and red bull even better. Who knows by the final race.
 
Soldato
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Ipswich / Bodham
That can only be a good thing, and would appear to indicate that the problems are of structure, organisation and management rather than financial.

He can steady the ship and get the team operating effectively again, but that may just mean that a slow car can run consistently.
 
Soldato
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Englishman in the USA
The rumour mill is churning this morning saying that Verstappen is set to join Mercedes for 2020. I had to check it wasn't an old article from the 1st ;)

Red Bull Racing manager Helmut Marko confirmed that Verstappen and his father, former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen, have been contacted on numerous occasions by Mercedes team principal and CEO Toto Wolff over the last several months.

He does have a performance clause in his contract so he can get out of it for next year. It would be a real kick in the nuts for Red Bull, having their golden boy leave and having no good backup.

Silly season is starting early this year and it should be interesting :)
 
Soldato
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Ipswich / Bodham
If true then that could trigger Red Bull to sell and exit the sport. I doubt that Mercedes would secure him for 2020 though - more likely 2021 when all the top drivers are out of contract due to the rule changes. Mercedes themselves are not committed beyond 2020 at the moment.

I wonder what Ocon's feeling now. He's going to have to get used to this all season.
 
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