Soldato
Which is a lot harder when you're in turbulent air... so again, what did he do that was so skillful compared to the other drivers?
Malaysian Grand Prix 2014, Kuala Lumpur - Race 2/19
- Thread starter Shimmy
- Start date
Which is a lot harder when you're in turbulent air... so again, what did he do that was so skillful compared to the other drivers?
Soldato
I disagree, he put in an amazing drive. The fact he wasn't tested is not a measure of how good he was, or perhaps it is, he was that good no one could challenge him. We don't need to debate that point to the nth degree though and maybe just agree to disagree because you know we won't agree. It's no illusion though that him and Alonso are the fastest guys on the track, all other things being equal, we all know that though. I think the comment that Lewis was the better driver of the day is much more justified than Button though?
and if you don't agree on that, then surely Hulk and Bottas over Button?Lol button was not driver of the day. Did nothing and picked up 6th because of massa not playing for the team.
I would put hulk driver of the day. Making a 2 stop work and only just missing out on 4th with a car that should be lower down.
Your obsession with button is ridiculous. Good to see that amazing suspension you where creaming about doing so well and being copied up and down the pitlane.
Caporegime
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- 18 Oct 2002
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Which is a lot harder when you're in turbulent air... so again, what did he do that was so skillful compared to the other drivers?
Was faster while using less fuel and keeping his tyres better. Okay Vettel following Rosberg for so much of the race would have to be a miracle to save his tyres better than Hamilton, but for the pace Hamilton was using his driving style to save fuel and tyres was clearly working exceptionally well. Rosberg was in clear air for the majority of the race yet was way down on pace, used more fuel and tyre was seemed to drop off before Hamilton.
It wasn't a completely tough drive, and it seems there didn't need to be a lot of fuel saving this race either. But using less fuel to end up 17 seconds ahead certainly suggests a very good drive technically.
Don't really think anyone had a brilliant drive though, which probably makes Lewis's the best, if the least exciting.
Still feel there is a lot of timidity from most teams in these first races except really from Merc. They seem by far the most prepared, have their targets, are hitting them, reliability only got caught with an exceptionally unlucky, not new or complex part at the last race.
I think other teams will improve maybe to a larger degree as I feel Merc, while they have more pace in them, are running the car with supreme confidence while everyone else is going "will we make the end, temps are too hot, we didn't test this situation in testing, will the software fail, etc".
I think the wanting the car to last for 3-4 races and with Malaysia being so hot and Bahrain being a tough race, that most teams would have pushed a heck of a lot harder well, this time next year when they have more confidence in the engines, know they can last 4 races, trust their other parts, have temps under control.
Soldato
Caporegime
I hope some of the other teams can mount a challenge to Mercedes; as much as I want to see Lewis take the championship it's not good to have a team with such a lead dominate the sport.
More bad luck for Ricciardo. Entirely fair to impose a grid penalty for unsafe release but I do wonder whether it should have been reduced because they called him back so quickly? Bianchi seemed unlucky to be penalised, it looked like Maldanado's fault to me but I'd need another look at it.
More bad luck for Ricciardo. Entirely fair to impose a grid penalty for unsafe release but I do wonder whether it should have been reduced because they called him back so quickly? Bianchi seemed unlucky to be penalised, it looked like Maldanado's fault to me but I'd need another look at it.
Soldato
I'm a massive Hamilton fan so really enjoyed the race today. He put in a mega lap at the end, to which he was told to slow down. Do you think he was trying to give everything an indication of how much he was holding back?
Certainly Mercedes has shown today how strong they are when things go right, but to be honest allot went right for them today. No rain, saftey car or pit stop screw-ups. That's allot of luck so it will be interesting to see how they react when under more pressure. The key question is whether RBR can rise to the challenge?
Agree with other that Hulks drive was impressive today.
Certainly Mercedes has shown today how strong they are when things go right, but to be honest allot went right for them today. No rain, saftey car or pit stop screw-ups. That's allot of luck so it will be interesting to see how they react when under more pressure. The key question is whether RBR can rise to the challenge?
Agree with other that Hulks drive was impressive today.
Button, driver of the day? Bottas would have been all over him had Massa not been a donkey, Button got lucky! I'd therefore put Bottas or Hulk as better drivers over Button today. Hulk was great. Clearly though Hammy was the best driver
Take a look at his sig. Answers your question
Just read about the Ricciardo grid drop... the team should be punished, not him. That is an absolute farce. Shameful FIA. Shameful.
The team does get punished by having the 10 place grid penalty. The driver is part of the team too.
The trick is to avoid punishment in the first place by not breaking the rules.
Caporegime
Not fitting the wheel properly is one of the most dangerous things a team can do. They deserve a serious punishment for it - and don't say that lost race time is enough because the fact teams continue to fail to fit wheels properly shows it isn't. It is not acceptable for teams to endanger everyone in the pit lane, the other drivers, marshals and spectators in order to shave three tenths off their pit times.
Personally I support the idea of a minimum pit time (perhaps 5s) to give teams time to check better before sending their cars out but the current penalties are entirely reasonable.
Soldato
I meant, it should be just the team - bar Ricciardo, who get punished, but I realise it's too difficult to implement, because then you could say that if it's just the right wheel man who caused the problem, just him should be punished lol
Soldato
Pick a penalty and stick with it, double penalties is beyond stupid. That's what I have issue with.
F1 got enough flack last year for not settling these things in the race and so now they've added the idea of doing a race penalty AND a post race penalty?
What sort of drugs do they smoke in their offices? That's the dumbest idea since double race points.
So gents, 2 races down.
Both races dominated by Merc.
So I think its fairly safe to say that Merc are absolutely the best...for now.
Commentators seem to be saying 1s/lap is the speed differential between Merc and RBR.
Does anybody here feel that anybody else apart from Hamilton, will win the title? Or is this a Hamilton benefit?
Both races dominated by Merc.
So I think its fairly safe to say that Merc are absolutely the best...for now.
Commentators seem to be saying 1s/lap is the speed differential between Merc and RBR.
Does anybody here feel that anybody else apart from Hamilton, will win the title? Or is this a Hamilton benefit?
At the moment it looks like Rosberg is the only man with the equipment to spoil Hamilton's party but give it a few more races, wait for RBR to moan about something like tyres that turns grid performance on it's head and then watch everyone cry as Vettel suddenly becomes competitive out of nowhere whilst Ricciardo's car explodes every race 
The teams agreed to these punishments before the start of the season.