Poll: Spanish Grand Prix 2019, Catalunya - Race 5/21

[JBeck]

How many years have we seen Hamilton in a Mercedes as being the benchmark driver and car across the season? Other teams (looking at you Ferrari) are going to have to do a lot better to compete.

I think this might be the second year in a row that Ferrari have a car that can compete, but they don't have the team or drivers to win in their fast car.

I think they have the drivers, the management is the problem here; it sucks.

 

[Entai]

I think this might be the second year in a row that Ferrari have a car that can compete, but they don't have the team or drivers to win in their fast car.

If this race is anything to go by, unless ferrari completely rebuild their car, then they are by no means the fastest car.

Mercs upgrades have just pushed them well ahead.

 

[Irish_Tom]

Bottas seems dejected. He knows it’s over.

I think he’ll bounce back. He said there was a clutch issue at the start and that’s where the race was lost - he just has to keep doing what he’s doing and pick himself up for the next race.

Having said that, if Lewis can do this another couple of times in a row it will no doubt start to play on Bottas’ confidence.

 

[Kelt]

Well I switched over to the footie, did I miss the race of the century?

 

[Steampunk]

Bottas seems dejected. He knows it’s over.

I think he's disappointed that he started on pole but came second. Bottas is going to keep trying, but Hamilton always gets faster as the season goes on. The more Hamilton gets challenged, the more he relishes the fight and the win. The fight seems to motivate Hamilton as much as the win.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

If this race is anything to go by, unless ferrari completely rebuild their car, then they are by no means the fastest car.

Mercs upgrades have just pushed them well ahead.

The car isn’t a diva anymore.
It doesn’t blow through tyres.
It is fast on the corners.

Surprisingly the rest haven’t copied the design philosophy.

I think he’ll bounce back. He said there was a clutch issue at the start and that’s where the race was lost - he just has to keep doing what he’s doing and pick himself up for the next race.

Having said that, if Lewis can do this another couple of times in a row it will no doubt start to play on Bottas’ confidence.

I had visions of toto pressing some kind of anti-clutch button

Even without the start Hamilton had the pace today.

 

[Steampunk]

The car isn’t a diva anymore.
It doesn’t blow through tyres.
It is fast on the corners.

Surprisingly the rest haven’t copied the design philosophy.

There's an interesting couple of articles on the BBC website from an anonymous F1 Aero designer who says that because of time constraints, everyone else has copied Red Bull's high rake philosophy as an aero starting point because it originated with Adrian Newey, except for Mercedes that is using low rake. No one is copying Mercedes because they've made their beds by copying Newey instead.

 

[V F]

Well I switched over to the footie, did I miss the race of the century?

Utter boar. I only watched one race last year because it was a Mercedes 1 - 2 nearly every race that I heard. Same for years before Mercedes when it was nearly always Red Bull 1 - 2. Don't know why I watched it today for the same results and before anyone jumps in to say I'm a Hamilton hater or Ferrari lover, I'm neither. I have no feelings to any teams or drivers but one great time I remember when F1 was exciting was 2009. You didn't know who was going to be on pole. Toyota, BMW it was pretty equal in times. Now it's follow the leader and people are enjoying this? I want to see the days like 2008 where it was wheel to wheel action and risks.

Let alone listening to that annoying David Croft who would get excited over a spilt bag of manure. To think I used to enjoy listening to him when the F1 was on the BBC in 2009.

 

[Flibster]

Nice way to wish the Doctor Zetsche a good retirement. Up on the podium, drenched with room temperature champagne and lifted onto the the drivers shoulders.

Have a good one Doc.

 

[Deleted member 651465]

Poll added

 

[Kanpai]

First time this season I didn't bother watching till the end, this is becoming really boring.

Why is nobody able to challenge Merc at all? I don't even think they went all out today which is the worrying thing.

 

[Apone70]

I don't think it was a boring race at all but can understand why people did

 

[mmj_uk]

Ferrari's problem is still backing the wrong driver, had they released Leclerc within a lap after Vettel the amateur had badly flat spotted his tyre into the first corner, he wouldn't have lost several seconds sitting behind Vettel and could maybe have challenged Verstappen for the podium. Then for some odd reason they put him on hard tyres when there was no reason to gamble with strategy, a gamble which totally backfired with the safety car. All they had to do with Leclerc was release him to challenge Verstappen early and then mirror Verstappen's strategy and a podium might have been possible. I think Ferrari seem to be more interested in keeping Leclerc out on the track on worn tyres (which the hards would have been late on the race) in order to slow people down for Vettel and of course let Vettel through as quickly as possible. It's like Ferrari care more about Vettel's points tally in the Drivers Championship than they do podiums, trophies and points in the Constructor's Championship.

 

[MissChief]

Ferrari's problem is still backing the wrong driver, had they released Leclerc within a lap after Vettel the amateur had badly flat spotted his tyre into the first corner, he wouldn't have lost several seconds sitting behind Vettel and could maybe have challenged Verstappen for the podium. Then for some odd reason they put him on hard tyres when there was no reason to gamble with strategy, a gamble which totally backfired with the safety car. All they had to do with Leclerc was release him to challenge Verstappen early and then mirror Verstappen's strategy and a podium might have been possible. I think Ferrari seem to be more interested in keeping Leclerc out on the track on worn tyres (which the hards would have been late on the race) in order to slow people down for Vettel and of course let Vettel through as quickly as possible. It's like Ferrari care more about Vettel's points tally in the Drivers Championship than they do podiums, trophies and points in the Constructor's Championship.

They seem incapable of making the right decision quickly and spend lap after lap debating over what to do before making a decision far too late for it to have any effect. I don’t know if it’s too many cooks, or fear of making the wrong decision and getting reprisals afterwards, but they need someone to stand up and make a decision quickly without fear. And stop backing Vettel over the team.

 

[J1nxy]

There will be a lot of happy people at the factory tomorrow 5 1-2 on the bounce at the start of a season...bit chuffed with that

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Ferrari's problem is still backing the wrong driver, had they released Leclerc within a lap after Vettel the amateur had badly flat spotted his tyre into the first corner, he wouldn't have lost several seconds sitting behind Vettel and could maybe have challenged Verstappen for the podium. Then for some odd reason they put him on hard tyres when there was no reason to gamble with strategy, a gamble which totally backfired with the safety car. All they had to do with Leclerc was release him to challenge Verstappen early and then mirror Verstappen's strategy and a podium might have been possible. I think Ferrari seem to be more interested in keeping Leclerc out on the track on worn tyres (which the hards would have been late on the race) in order to slow people down for Vettel and of course let Vettel through as quickly as possible. It's like Ferrari care more about Vettel's points tally in the Drivers Championship than they do podiums, trophies and points in the Constructor's Championship.

Every race that goes by shows how much those 4WDCs really flatter Vettel. Error after error. They have truly backed the wrong driver.

 

[deuse]

Another boring race.

I hope RB\Ferrari can get it together fast.

 

[pastymuncher]

That's another 1/10 and with Monaco next another snooze fest. This is shaping up to be the worse year for quite some time with regards to racing. WTF are Ferrari doing? I don't like Ferrari but in pre season testing they seemed to have a great car and was looking forward to some actual competition this year but for one reason or another the performance just isn't there and the decisions they have been making are abysmal. At this rate Merc could win every race!! I wish that idiot Croft could at least name the correct driver when he is commenting on something. I really can't stand the bloke. It's like he has joined the team and completely taken over and relegated Martin to the sidelines.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

That's another 1/10 and with Monaco next another snooze fest. This is shaping up to be the worse year for quite some time with regards to racing. WTF are Ferrari doing? I don't like Ferrari but in pre season testing they seemed to have a great car and was looking forward to some actual competition this year but for one reason or another the performance just isn't there and the decisions they have been making are abysmal. At this rate Merc could win every race!! I wish that idiot Croft could at least name the correct driver when he is commenting on something. I really can't stand the bloke. It's like he has joined the team and completely taken over and relegated Martin to the sidelines.

Agreed. Can’t stand him. He seems really arrogant too.

Fair play to Hamilton giving that kid a shout out.

You are right. Unless both cars fail or an unexpected safety car I can’t see anyone beating them. They have fixed literally every weakness.

 

[Dup]

Don't think I'll bother watching this one. Shame but with limited time with a family etc it just doesn't even feel worth watching the highlights these days

Fair play to Hamilton giving that kid a shout out.

Listen to the F1 Podcase with James Allison as guest. Hios words about Hamilton were great and nice to hear a candid account of him (as well as James Allison himself, interesting bloke).