Soldato
A good race for a change. Hats off to Bottas for taking one for the team. I gave it 7
Poll: Spanish Grand Prix 2017, Catalunya - Race 5/20
- Thread starter Shimmy
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Soldato
8 from me. Thought it would be boring, was actually quite entertaining and some surprising results bar the top 2.
Caporegime
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Decent race for the win, Lewis better be thanking his lapdog Bottas tonight anyway
I think people need to realise that when Bottas's pace sucked, they put him on a one stop, meaning he was still potentially in the race(he was a pitstop behind intending to do a pitstop less) so when he was fighting Vettel, that wasn't just for Hamilton.
But if you're losing 2 seconds a lap to your team mate, your job is to do the best thing you can for your team. Have to see how Bottas goes for the whole season but in a couple of races his race pace has been troubling, just really poor at times, particularly his early stints.
For a Barcelona race it was pretty great, having mediums/softs significantly differ in actual performance helped create real strategy differences. With people trying longer/shorter stints, more stops, less stops, trying to hang out a one stop like Bottas. Without the speed difference Vettel wouldn't have had the exciting pass with Bottas and Hamilton wouldn't have been able to pass Vettel.
Soldato
I don't think it was a great race. People seem to rate it highly because there was a rare overtake for the lead. You've got the top two a few seconds apart, then the third place man was nearly a lap behind.
Soldato
Riccardo and Sianz are easily before Perez.
Possibly Ric but I very much doubt Sainz is in contention, he's fast but prone to some braindead moves and I think Ferrari want someone who is consistent and going to regularly score good points.
Man of Honour
While it was the best race of the year so far I still only gave it 5/10 as it was nothing special. A few laps of close action at the front does not make a exciting race. The midfield looked interesting but we didn't get to see much of it and in the end not a lot happened anyway. Congrats to Force India for a well deserved 4th and 5th but what the hell has happened to Williams? Vandoorne must be driving around with his eyes shut to have had that collision. Sky needs to get rid of that idiot Croft and Renault needs to get rid of the useless Palmer. I just can't stand him as he seems to have little talent and blames everything but himself for his performances.
Thought it was a poor race and less interesting than the Russian GP. It was pretty much all dictated by the first lap, except for the tyre strategy paying off for Mercedes and allowing Hamilton the overtake. Would have been far better if Raikonnen and Bottas stayed in the mix, and Alonso got a chance to race in the top 10.
Soldato
Good race all things considered, I gave it a 7. Lewis was gassed by the end though. Maybe he needs to get a trainer back in and not manage it himself? (Ted said in his notebook that Lewis does his own fitness now.)
It was unfortunate to lose max, Kimi and valteri but that's the luck of the draw on the first lap and aging components in Valteris case.
Now for the other drivers. Palmer, I stuck up for him last year but maybe F1 isn't for him. When your team mate is 10 places ahead and not having loads of silly issues you've got to realise your not good enough.. Stroll, he's just not good enough. Wehrlein, awesome drive. Maybe should've been given a chance in the Merc seat? Perez, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in a red car next year. He's consistently dragged his cars further up the grid than they should be, he's very consistent and isn't afraid of defending and attacking intelligently. Plus it would upset Grosjean.
It was unfortunate to lose max, Kimi and valteri but that's the luck of the draw on the first lap and aging components in Valteris case.
Now for the other drivers. Palmer, I stuck up for him last year but maybe F1 isn't for him. When your team mate is 10 places ahead and not having loads of silly issues you've got to realise your not good enough.. Stroll, he's just not good enough. Wehrlein, awesome drive. Maybe should've been given a chance in the Merc seat? Perez, I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up in a red car next year. He's consistently dragged his cars further up the grid than they should be, he's very consistent and isn't afraid of defending and attacking intelligently. Plus it would upset Grosjean.
The race had a lot of promise but it was over by the first lap. I don't really rate races by DRS overtakes which are about as exciting as a team order overtake to me.
I watched the latter half of the race but was left feeling disgusted as usual... Vettel ran Hamilton off the road and could have ended his race and gets no penalty at all. I'm sure the stewards probably let him off because they didn't want to ruin the possibility of more 'entertainment' later in the race due to tyres but while ever **** like this is ignored 'racing' will continue to be drivers not giving each other any room and stifling fair racing in the long run.
Soldato
That kinda logic is what made it so boring to begin with.
Uhhh you operated on the outside edge of the rules at 200mph under pressure of losing your lead so uh I think you should be told off by the stewards and in future please just had over your lead without contesting it that's more fair
Uhhh you operated on the outside edge of the rules at 200mph under pressure of losing your lead so uh I think you should be told off by the stewards and in future please just had over your lead without contesting it that's more fair
Don
He didn't though? Came out the pits on cold tyres and went in at a narrow angle to the corner, then didn't have enough grip so understeered rather than being able to fully make the corner.
Can I ask if you enjoyed the race in Bahrain 2014?
Soldato
Vettle is 1st in the standings? Has things been shaken up for this season?
Bet Alonso is kicking himself. Are Mclaren still a back row team?
Bet Alonso is kicking himself. Are Mclaren still a back row team?
Soldato
I did watch it live in the end and glad I did, it was quite an enjoyable race actually. Finally some decent action with the midfield teams, team of the day for me was Force India, what a result for them. Alonso did seem to have some pace at the start, I think he hit somebody though and it slowed the car.
Soldato
Those who are saying Vettel ran Hamilton off the road have a very, very short memory. It's what Hamilton has done to Rosberg in pretty much every overtake he did on him (and yes, Rosberg started trying to do the same to Hamilton last season). What Vettel did is absolutely no different.
Soldato
But if Vettel doesn't win the title, then Alonso's decision is still vindicated - Ferrari still haven't won a title since 2008 or a drivers for a decade.
Alonso was 6th in the championship in 2014 (and Raikkonen 12th!). While McLaren were further back, the potential of Honda coming in with all the design and engineering changes made the move a risk, but he was coming from a team in turmoil and struggling with no obvious signs of a big improvement, to a team that in theory had massive potential for the future. Clearly it hasn't worked out, but up until this year at least he still wouldn't have won a title or even come close.
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