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[Frankfurter]

Wehrlein really outperformed in that car today. That sauber had no right to be in the top 10 today.

Check this out. It like the races from 20 years ago;

Hulk and Wehrlein again outperforming their teammates by a ton.

 

[orava]

Ferrari & Kimi wins.

 

[xrnzaaas]

That kid is sooo lucky!

https://twitter.com/RenaultSportF1/status/863782287317577728

Did he manage to get a picture with Pastor?

Spoiler

And Palmer?

 

[dakun]

Hulk and Wehrlein again outperforming their teammates by a ton.

Massa too (while having a miserable race himself). He was like 50 seconds behind Stroll after the first round because of an incident. By the end he was 10 seconds in front.

Stroll & Palmer should not be in F1. Simple as that. And to be fair, i kinda forgive Williams for thinking it would work out with a pay driver. But Renault extending the contract 1 year after last year is a decision so stupid it's almost as if someone said "fuck 2017 anyway"

 

[DBT85]

Not seen the race but pleased to see a fun sounding race and Lewis take the win.

Hopefully we see more like that as the season goes on.

 

[Wellington]

What a fun race. Cool to see the strategy aspect affect so much.

Some of the overtakes and defensive driving was insane.

 

[Zaru]

Alright, next up is Monaco. Since Ferrari seems to have built an actually decent chassis this year, I expect them to take Red Bull's role from last year instead of losing out to Force India.
Red Bull on the other hand... they might be closer on that particular track, but probably not as capable as last year.

Maybe Verstappen will actually make it to the end this time, but with Stroll now on the grid, we've got another almost guaranteed crasher.
Gonna be all about that safety car luck.

What a fun race. Cool to see the strategy aspect affect so much.

I almost forgot what it's like when strategy actually affects which team wins the race. Now it seems to matter almost every race.

 

[theignoramus]

Strange you mention that considering Hamilton was able to follow Vettel all the way through the initial stint of the race and seemingly bluff Vettel into an early stop. I'd say the cars were pretty much even today.

Then again Hamilton might have disappeared into the distance had he come out of the first corner in first place so who knows. I was not surprised Vettel was not able to pull away given the FP 1 long stints the teams were putting in - track evolution not withstanding.

Hamilton would not have won the race if it werent for the virtual safety car and the cleverly timed pitstop. Vettel had him covered off while Hamilton did the stint on his mediums.

 

[PdotMichael]

Not pitting at the beginning of the VS was the big mistake.

 

[Breakage]

Damn, Ferrari threw it away today.

 

[Razgreez]

Hamilton would not have won the race if it werent for the virtual safety car and the cleverly timed pitstop. Vettel had him covered off while Hamilton did the stint on his mediums.

Suppose it depends on your definition of "covered off". If I recall correctly the largest margin between the two during the Hamilton's mediums stint was around 8 secs and was not increasing consistently - sometimes the gain would be over a second and other times less than a half even after clearing Bottas. Hamilton was also cruising as soon as he passed Vettel at the end to save the engine (in that one lap before engine/tyre saving started he literally pulled out 2.25 secs).

With those factors taken into perspective I really do not see a major advantage in favour of either team. If anything the 6-8 secs gained/lost because of the VS simply encouraged the inevitable given the large difference in performance between the medium and the soft. The real difference was perhaps Bottas holding off Vettel when his tyres were at their best and Hamilton was on the mediums. Hamilton's fastest lap at the end on well worn softs seems to underline this.

Before the race the (sky) commentators were mentioning that the fastest strategy for the race would depend on the life of the softs and would likely be SMS (with mediums being the shortest stint) if the track evolved and the tyres lasted. Reason being the mediums are/were up to 2.5 secs a lap slower than the softs.

But that's just my perspective/opinion

 

[John_B]

Not pitting at the beginning of the VS was the big mistake.

If Vettel pits then Hamilton stays out and takes the lead. Vettel is then chasing Hamilton on the same compound. Ferrari did the right thing there, Mercedes was just clever with the timing of it.

Ferrari compromised their options by going on the second set of softs early in the race.

 

[ramparter]

Didnt watch the race went to beach instead. Nice results. I wanna congratulate Force India for Ocon. Glad there are still teams who choose talent over money.

 

[Shaneus]

Worst third place ever for Ricciardo.

Give third to Ferrari kid.

Basically pulled a Bradbury with that one.

Props to people who actually get that reference.

 

[Grug]

Man Vettel's overtake on Bottas really was fantastic.

Basically pulled a Bradbury with that one.

Props to people who actually get that reference.

Fittingly, most of them will be Ricciardo fans.

 

[sTiTcH AU]

Monaco will be interesting. Wasn't always the rule that if your car was fast in sector 3 at Barcelona, you were fast at monaco?

Lots of cars and drivers struggled in sector 3 over the weekend. Could be a crazy Monaco with an unexpected winner.

 

[chadskin]

Monaco, Indy 500 and the 24 Hours Nürburgring all on the same weekend. Gonna be great.

 

[scorcher59]

I still can't figure out a way to follow what's up on long endurance races like the N24 or Le Mans, it always seems like there's so much going on it becomes overwhelming

 

[FrankCanada97]

I still can't figure out a way to follow what's up on long endurance races like the N24 or Le Mans, it always seems like there's so much going on it becomes overwhelming

I just listen to a Radio Le Mans broadcast, and if there is live timing available, have that open in another tab.

Basically pulled a Bradbury with that one.

Props to people who actually get that reference.

That still pisses me off. From that day forward, I never again watched that sport in the winter games.

 

[Shaneus]

That still pisses me off. From that day forward, I never again watched that sport in the winter games.

Carn. It was pretty funny!

Spoiler

Only expected Australians to get the reference. Sincere apols.

 

[SCHUEY F1]

I liked seeing a wild Maldonado in the Sky Pre-race show.

 

[apotema]

Oh man, what a great driver Perez is! I'm sure he would be at champion level with a proper drive

 

[DrM]

I think that we will get at least two safety car periods in Monaco

 

[Zeknurn]

Monaco, Indy 500 and the 24 Hours Nürburgring all on the same weekend. Gonna be great.

and Paris ePrix.

 

[Chuck]

and Paris ePrix.

The most prestigious of them all

 

[Tempy]

Right, Formula-E races again just a week after the last race. Because of DTM conflicts, Dillmann will be replacing Engel, and Conway replaces Duval.

 

[chadskin]

and Paris ePrix.

That's a week earlier, as in this coming weekend.

 

[Zeknurn]

That's a week earlier, as in this coming weekend.

You are indeed correct.

 

[AnkhWeasel]

Basically pulled a Bradbury with that one.

Props to people who actually get that reference.

Mandatory viewing for people who didn't, one of the best things in Winter Olympic history.

Spoiler

Unless you're from one of the countries the blokes who fell over are from, of course.

 

[Chuck]

That the third podium sitter was himself almost lapped means the sport is in a real sour position

 

[brotkasten]

That the third podium sitter was himself almost lapped means the sport is in a real sour position

He also didn't need to push himself or the car and could mostly cruise to the podium, while the two fastest teams on the grid were pushing themselves fairly high up until the last couple of laps. The gap in qualifying wasn't that large.

 

[Business]

He also didn't need to push himself or the car and could mostly cruise to the podium, while the two fastest teams on the grid were pushing themselves fairly high up until the last couple of laps. The gap in qualifying wasn't that large.

Maybe it's even worst still that RIC was cruising because the next best car is a complete non issue for RedBull too.

 

[Mastah]

Ricciardo's pace was faster compared to Hamilton (23s vs 27s) during his final 20 laps than 20 opening ones.

 

[Aiii]

RIC was a half second down on VER in qualifying (and the rest of the weekend wasn't much better for him), so there's still hope that RBR pace is actually a bit better than what we saw yesterday, aside from cruising he just seemed a bit off it.

Of course, if Bottas hadn't accidentally taken out Kimi and Verstappen and retired himself later, there would be 6 cars in front and only 7th place and lower would have been lapped.

Besides, nobody that watched yesterday's race could feasibly be sour about it, it was so much fun.

 

[FrankCanada97]

Just a reminder that the first practice session for the Indy 500 stats in about 3 hours.

You can find all the info regarding livestreams and schedule in the OT.

http://neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1373766&

 

[Business]

Just a reminder that the first practice session for the Indy 500 stats in about 3 hours.

You can find all the info regarding livestreams and schedule in the OT.

http://neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1373766&

Thanks fot the heads-up and great OT Frank.

 

[John_B]

2017 Spanish Grand Prix report by Mark Hughes
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/f1/2017-spanish-grand-prix-report

Read the article or the second quote to better understand Ferrari's decision during the period of VSC.

Between seventh and 15th fastest in Q2 there were just two-tenths, so a small under-performance could have a big competitive impact. But heading this group at the end of it all was the remarkable Fernando Alonso, seventh on the grid with the McLaren-Honda after two superb laps, one each in Q2 and Q3. He’d not even been able to complete an out-lap in first practice before the Honda engine blew up so violently its block was split in two.

Ferrari was hoping Mercedes would consider the remaining 34 laps too much for a set of softs and the mediums too slow to catch Vettel – and that they would therefore stay out, giving Ferrari no penalty for doing the same. Their hopes were raised when Hamilton stayed out under the first VSC lap. If Ferrari had then just brought Vettel in, then Mercedes would surely have left Hamilton out there – and attempted to get to the end on his mediums. It was possible to do, though would surely have entailed some robust defences late in the race. Because Ferrari was leading the race, it was at the tactical disadvantage. It had to make the first choice and Mercedes could always just respond. It did so by bringing Hamilton in for his softs at the end of lap 36. By the time Ferrari responded and brought Vettel in a lap later, the VSC had been rescinded. Hamilton’s pitting with the pack restricted to VSC speeds and Vettel not, had found him 6sec. This in addition to the 6sec Bottas had gifted him.

Bottas by this stage was gone. His old engine finally surrendered on the 38th lap, probably the consequence of how much life it had taken out of it running hot and in high power mode for the closing stages in Russia. There had been a heated discussion in the Mercedes garage at the time about that between Niki Lauda and engine boss Andy Cowell. Lauda’s prevailing had won Bottas that race, but here was the price. Valtteri would surely have accepted it.

 

[brotkasten]

Lauda squashing the Vettel-Mercedes rumors.

But despite his praise for the Ferrari driver, Lauda believes Vettel will remain with Ferrari come 2018.
“It’s all bullshit, if I may say that,” the Mercedes non-executive chairman told Sky Sports F1.
“I’m sorry but it drives me crazy and I can tell you a reason you’ll understand.
“A Ferrari driver, his head is for Ferrari, and the money in the end is also there.
“Why would Vettel leave Ferrari when he’s winning? There’s no reason.
“He will stay in his team, he loves his team, everything is right.
“So there’s no reason to think these things.”

http://www.planetf1.com/news/lauda-vettel-to-merc-rumours-bullst/

Eh.

 

[Psychotext]

Just watched the race. Shame about the strategy call, but beyond anything else, I'm really pleased that they're close as of the first race back in Europe.

 

[Xando]

Alonso tops rookie and refreshers test for Indy 500

Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Fernando Alonso put the McLaren Honda Andretti #29 entry top in the two-hour rookies and refreshers test that opened practice for the 101st Indianapolis 500.

Alonso completed 36 laps of the course with a best of 221.634mph coming on his 26th tour. That is a 40.6074sec lap of the iconic 2.5-mile oval.

Oriol Servia completed a Spanish 1-2 driving the Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing-Honda, his best being a 220.759mph from 33 laps.

Ed Jones, IndyCar’s only full-time rookie in the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series, was third fastest for Dale Coyne Racing-Honda with a 219.288mph lap, while veteran Jay Howard was fourth in the third Schmidt Peterson Motorsports entry.

Debutant IndyCar team Juncos Racing saw one of its drivers, Sebastian Saavedra clock 216.598 in the Chevrolet-powered #17 entry, and he soon completed the three phases of his refresher program.

Andretti Autosport’s sixth entry, driven by two-time Indy Lights championship runner-up Jack Harvey, was sixth quickest on 214.353.

Zach Veach, driving the third AJ Foyt Racing entry, made only a warm-up run before the session ended.

 

[Wellington]

2017 Spanish Grand Prix report by Mark Hughes
http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/reports/f1/2017-spanish-grand-prix-report

Read the article or the second quote to better understand Ferrari's decision during the period of VSC.

Ferrari was hoping Mercedes would consider the remaining 34 laps too much for a set of softs and the mediums too slow to catch Vettel – and that they would therefore stay out, giving Ferrari no penalty for doing the same.

I dont understand. Ferrari couldn't have stayed out due to going S/S instead of using a medium compound. Am I wrong?

 

[BlazeGaj]

Great race. For me the key was hamilton staying near vettel in the first stint especially in hot temp so it seems the updates helped them with tyres and race pace.

It will be interesting to se who will be faster in Monaco since you can make argument for both cars.

I dont understand. Ferrari couldn't have stayed out due to going S/S instead of using a medium compound. Am I wrong?

You have to use two different tyres during the race unless it's wet conditions. So they had to use the mediums.

 

[Wellington]

You have to use two different tyres during the race unless it's wet conditions. So they had to use the mediums.

That's my point.

 

[Mohonky]

If there was one thing I took from this race, its that the Merc didnt seem to be eating its tires like usual which was surely going to be a big issue. Thats going to be a factor this year as they should expect they could definitely be doing some following this year.

 

[John_B]

I dont understand. Ferrari couldn't have stayed out due to going S/S instead of using a medium compound. Am I wrong?

Ferrari had to go on the medium compound still, correct. If both teams stayed out two things could have happened some time later:

1. Ferrari pits for mediums and Mercedes goes to the end. The Ferrari would have a serious pace advantage. Ferrari likely overtakes and wins.

2. Ferrari pits for mediums and Mercedes pits for softs. Hamilton would have to close a big gap and then overtake Vettel. Ferrari likely holds him off and wins

 

[Razgreez]

I dont understand. Ferrari couldn't have stayed out due to going S/S instead of using a medium compound. Am I wrong?

It's the sentence structure perhaps. By "stay out" he means stay out of the pits/not pit during the VC period as not doing so would mean Mercedes would need to run 30+ laps on the soft - which they did easily. It's an ambiguous sentence which only makes a modicum of sense if taken in context.

 

[Ark]

I still can't figure out a way to follow what's up on long endurance races like the N24 or Le Mans, it always seems like there's so much going on it becomes overwhelming

I tend to find the Nurb 24 quite boring to watch, but it's fun to drive in sims. For Le Mans on the otherhand, I always buy the FIA/WEC special Le Mans pass that gives you coverage of the entire event in HD online.

I usually have it in the background when I'm doing something else, and always stay up for a few hours into the darkness because Le Mans is absolutely gorgeous in the dark.

 

[xrnzaaas]

Not sure if this was discussed here but apparently Hamilton asked to remove the fluids bottle from his car. I usually don't approve of adding new rules but in this case it should be forbidden to take them out. You can be in perfect physical health, but you can't stop your organism from dehydrating in hot conditions.

 

[Zaru]

Not sure if this was discussed here but apparently Hamilton asked to remove the fluids bottle from his car. I usually don't approve of adding new rules but in this case it should be forbidden to take them out. You can be in perfect physical health, but you can't stop your organism from dehydrating in hot conditions.

Yeah it kinda sounds dangerous, I doubt he can pull this during the hotter races. It's anyone's guess if the lack of drinking caused him to sound so exhausted on team radio, but I'm inclined to connect the two.

 

[Breakage]

Not sure if this was discussed here but apparently Hamilton asked to remove the fluids bottle from his car. I usually don't approve of adding new rules but in this case it should be forbidden to take them out. You can be in perfect physical health, but you can't stop your organism from dehydrating in hot conditions.

Why would he do this? Weight reduction?