[Race] US Grand Prix

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Usain Bolt is starting the race tomorrow, and Michael Buffer will be announcing the drivers onto the grid. Are either of those also at the Longhorns' game?

Which car is he driving?

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Which car is he driving?

He shares sponsors with Vettel so I'm guessing a Ferrari?

[S griffin]

Of course the hope for Vettel is Hamilton is due a DNF, although if Hamilton is lucky, he’ll get one when Vettel doesn’t score many

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

Which car is he driving?

You beat me to it, .

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by RWill2073

The grid penalties wouldn't be so bad if they shook up the order sometimes. But the dominant team - Mercedes - never has enough trouble to get them, and when they did last year, they would make most of it up anyway. All that is happening instead is a car capable of making a podium is mired deep in the field and battles for podium positions aren't as frequent.

I do like the idea of penalizing teams that want to change tons of parts every race, because without them someone like Mercedes would just be even more dominant. But this isn't the way.

Maybe the FIA should look to other series to see how they deal with component usage? IndyCar, for example, has extensive regulations regarding engine use and yet is not plagued by grid penalties, like F1 is.

[F1Guy]

LOL, Vettel pulling up at the Red Bull pit during FP3!
It's been 2 years since he left Red Bull!

https://youtu.be/XEz7mST4lrw?t=31s

[Akrapovic]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

LOL, Vettel pulling up at the Red Bull pit during FP3!
It's been 2 years since he left Red Bull!

https://youtu.be/XEz7mST4lrw?t=31s

Aye, it'd take a right terrible driver to make such a mistake. Thankfully it was practice, rather than a race! That'd be really bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oew-leGiqk

Even worse when you do it in a race to a team you've never even driven for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M9Nwv4wes

[S griffin]

I also remember TGF strolling through the Toyota garage after crashing out of the 2006 Australian GP. Probably because he saw the name ‘Schumacher’ above it

[F1Guy]

Originally Posted by Akrapovic

Aye, it'd take a right terrible driver to make such a mistake. Thankfully it was practice, rather than a race! That'd be really bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Oew-leGiqk

Even worse when you do it in a race to a team you've never even driven for.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5M9Nwv4wes

Yep, Jenson at the 2011 Chinese GP was hilarious!
But after 6 years of pulling into the same pit, Malaysia 2013 was only Hamilton's 2nd race out of the McLaren garage.
But 2 years after leaving Red Bull is just ridiculous! It's either very funny, or very concerning. Where's Vettel's head at?

[Akrapovic]

He'll never achieve anything if he makes mistakes like that!

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by F1Guy

But after 6 years of pulling into the same pit, Malaysia 2013 was only Hamilton's 2nd race out of the McLaren garage.
But 2 years after leaving Red Bull is just ridiculous!

At what point does making that sort of mistake become unacceptable? It's a mistake many drivers have made, at many levels.

They give penalties for unsafe release, is this an unsafe entry?

[bjohnsonsmith]

I remember when Button went into the RBR pitbox in the 2011 Chinese GP.

https://youtu.be/f5M9Nwv4wes

[crmalcolm]

It sounds like a habit that WDC winners pick up - perhaps they feel entitled to use any box they like?

[crmalcolm]

A couple of impedes in Q1. Quite a few heads not in the game? Is the Timberlake concert distracting them?

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was a hairy moment, with Grosjean nearly running into Stroll, as Stroll was crawling around, or should I say strolling around, on the racing line.

[rpolinski]

I'd just like to say on behalf of everyone in Australia, thank you Justin for giving us a decent qualifying time slot.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

That was a hairy moment, with Grosjean nearly running into Stroll, as Stroll was crawling around, or should I say strolling around, on the racing line.

On Italian coverage, they are suggesting that Stroll's move to the right was an attempt to vacate the racing line, just that Grosjean came too quickly. At least GRO is in Q2, similarly Perez.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by rpolinski

I'd just like to say on behalf of everyone in Australia, thank you Justin for giving us a decent qualifying time slot.

Is your Ozzie Man making it worth it though?

[crmalcolm]

Just seen Alonso pulled into scrutineering with 5:38 left, but desperate to turn round at get out again to try and make Q3. Is the selection for scrutineering made randomly?

[crmalcolm]

Verstappen looks to be considering the grid penalty by setting his Q2 times on 'S' tyres. I wonder why more of the teens runners don't mix it up more?

[Articus]

Carlos Sainz!!

[crmalcolm]

One thing I'm noticing on Italian TV is that they are highlighting how (in their opinion) Hamilton is not as clinical as Vettel. They are highlighting missed apexes and understeers, and showing how Vettel is driving better lines. Is the same replicated elsewhere?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

One thing I'm noticing on Italian TV is that they are highlighting how (in their opinion) Hamilton is not as clinical as Vettel. They are highlighting missed apexes and understeers, and showing how Vettel is driving better lines. Is the same replicated elsewhere?

That last lap from Vettel was very smooth, hitting the apexes, not running too wide and it got him on the front row. However, not enough to pip Lewis to pole, though interestingly, Lewis couldn't improve his time on his last lap.

[crmalcolm]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

Lewis couldn't improve his time on his last lap.

Some would argue that Lewis is so good he knows that early laps are more important than later ones.
Kimi can back that up today.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by crmalcolm

Some would argue that Lewis is so good he knows that early laps are more important than later ones.
Kimi can back that up today.

There is that.

They just showed Lewis's pole lap and he was just as smooth as Vettel. Having seen both laps, the Mercedes visually looked like the quicker of the two cars.