Will this post live?

Formula 1 is starting up, and looks nice a tight at the top. This season could/should prove to be very interesting. Ricciardo never seems to get lucky at home, already has a grid penalty. No shark fins, but halos to add to the cars appearance this year.

The Moto GP season started this past weekend as good as it ended, a race long battle and a failed last corner pass attempt by Marquez on Dovi and Rossi still getting podiums, I'm really hoping Dovi bests Marquez this season.

Back to trying to get up early Sunday mornings, sometimes..

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Obviously White

Kid is reckless. New year, new hate for Jorge Lorenzo.

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lol Marquez has never bothered me that much, though I was definitely against him that year Rossi should have won again! I am a Dovi fan since the 125cc days though so my tack might change on that this year. Marquez makes it work somehow, more than it should, and it makes for exciting races.

I feel kinda bad for Lorenzo sometimes, but it's not like that Ducati isn't a Championship contender anymore so it's all on him now.

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Obviously White

Because he's... well, Lorenzo. Even when he's not trying to be a douche he just can't help it. But I said all last year, the ONLY reason he wasn't excessively whining about the Ducati was because of Dovi's performances. Otherwise he would have been RAILING against them hardcore.

Anyway, like 98% of people, I desperately want Dovi to win this year--i think we all know, it's likely this year or never. (see Pedrosa, Dani circa 3 years ago)

That said, my fav these days is definitely Zarco--i like how he doesn't accept where his "place" should be and brings it right to the factory guys...I don't care if he beats Rossi, but I hope he beats Vinanles, because Zarco deserved that factory ride more.

For sure it's a decision he made, I just get the sense it's hard to go from a Yamaha to that bike for whatever reason, if you can't learn to ride it might as well leave, but now who knows where he could go.

I always wanted to see Pedrosa do even better, little dude was so good on those little bikes.

Zarco is a joy to watch, and you could tell he had attitude in Moto 2. It's hard to fault the ride decisions from last year though, Zarco's kind of a late bloomer for the lower classes and wasn't really on the radar of the premier class, and the way Vinales started last season seemed a brilliant choice, if he could have kept that form I'd be a fan of his title lol. Sometimes those Tech 3 bikes just let their riders go all out and get whatever they can out of them however they want to ride, but then when they get the factory ride they seem to lose something, they have to ride those bikes how they want to be ridden. It'd be fun to see how these top guys might get shuffled around, talk of Zarco and HRC, could spark some interesting rider movement after this season.

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Obviously White

Maybe I'm too hard on Lorenzo, but I think he's one of those guys that thrives with the electronics...years ago Stoner said if they removed the electronics a few of the top guys wouldn't be at the top anymore. People scoffed at him when he said it, but it doesn't mean he's wrong...

but on Zarco--he's got two choices KTM Factory or HRC if he can get it. As much as I'm sure he'll want to keep his current crew when they go to KTM next year, the Honda is a winning bike RIGHT NOW, vs a project that's likely a few years away. I like Pedrosa, but at this point it's an easy decision on who has the most potential of these two. Also, can you imagine Zarco and Marquez on the same squad--I don't care what their positions are in the championship, there will never be any discussions about team orders!

I can see that, it felt during the Rossi/closed garage years the idea that Lorenzo was winning on a bike that Rossi contributed more to developing to be that good had some merit. But then Rossi never did much on the Ducati either. I don't know too much about how electronics changes things and how much it's developed recently, but I feel like it's almost a safety point now and you can't go back, it's not like F1 cars deciding on TC and SC and ABS, these bikes could throw anyone off and who knows how scary that could be on a modern machine.

I never know how to interpret Stoner statements, like he left on this judge-y tone and I don't know where his loyalties lie, I know he knows how to ride but it was all a bit odd back then.

I'd love to see KTM break into this level, they've been effective in the lower classes and know their small bikes, but Moto GP is a different beast. You can't go wrong with HRC if you can get it, that team would be scary to watch though, it would risk being like Force India last season, the team would probably start discussing team orders but neither of them would listen lol.

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Obviously White

ie, some of this is rumor--Ducati wouldn't implement the BIG changes Rossi wanted (ie scrap the whole bike essentially)--so they (Rossi's camp) were forced to nibble around the edges to try and shine up a turd. Only upon his departure did they finally accept that they needed to make much, much bigger changes to the bike and their approach to design/engineering. Hence them bringing in GiGi in 2014, who essentially led them in this direction which obviously is a good package--so if all that is true, they could have done the same thing when Rossi was there, but they didn't truly accept how bad the bike was, despite the clear feedback. I dunno but it makes sense to me.

Oh, but I totally agree on TC, it would be a safety issue to remove it now. Even though some of the old guard romanticize the days of no TC, we all remember the crazy highsides that resulted--and that was when GP bikes couldn't hit 190 mph...now they're hitting what 215 or so, I for one don't want to watch carnage.

Pretty excited for Haas, actually. Be hilarious if they started finishing above Ferrari.

Stayed up to watch the race this morning. A few thoughts:

1. Melbourne is a weird track to try and judge engines, but that Ferrari PP seems a few ticks faster than what Renault could manage. Team Haas made it super difficult for RB and may have stayed that way if they didn't have pit issues

2. Speaking of said issues, the entire Haas team and the pit crew in particular have to be absolutely gutted with both cars having issues with the tires after doing so well in race. I expect every single tire gun is getting replaced right now, regardless how much it costs. Not sure what kind of penalty F1 will hand down for the unsafe releases

3. Kudos to Honda for getting one of their cars to the finish line. Hartley was lapped, but still...finishing has got to be a good sign, right? Baby steps...

4. Kudos to Alonso and McLaren for the biggest points haul in years. Having Alonso in the mix is always a good thing. I will admit I think he's a bit of an ass and wasn't exactly sad when his return stint to McLaren didn't go quite as planned, but he sheer number of DNFs he had to endure with that Honda engine (even at Indy, for goodness sakes) was hard to watch. Plus, he's a hell of a driver, so can't hold that against him.

5. It will be interesting watching to see how RB/McLaren/Renault match up through the season. For all the aero superiority RB supposedly has, that McLaren was right there. Again, not the best track to tell up front, but it could be a story as the season progresses.

6. Not sure what was going on with Mad Max or Bottas. Max kept overcooking Turn 3 (or was it 4? Need to watch replays) and couldn't quite make a good run of it. The spin didn't help matters either (but fortunately there wasn't a wreck there). As for Bottas, he only managed to move up 2 spots from his start. His Q3 wreck may have spooked him a bit. Definitely hurt Mercedes in points and strategy

7. Congrats to Vettel for the win. Yes, he definitely benefited from the VSC while in the pits and likely would have finished 3rd, but that's racing. Hamilton MIGHT have been able to catch him had he not locked up then overcooked the turn, but losing close to 3 seconds at that point was probably too much to ask on that track. Let the party/smile wiping comments continue for the next 2 weeks. I'm sure Hamilton will be stewing and do his best to show out in Bahrain.

8. Mercedes may again have the strongest car in the field. Before the VSC drama, Hamilton looked to be stretching the field being at least 4 seconds clear of Kimi. I'm betting he was cruising a bit up front with no real challenge and no reason to stress the engine. He only pushed to try to build a gap for the tire change, which it didn't look like he had much problem doing. After the VSC debacle, Vettel couldn't get too far in front of Hamilton even when Hamilton made his mistake, and only built a big gap at the end once Hamilton conceded the win. Again, Melbourne isn't the best track to suss this out entirely (and Bottas' struggles from the rear don't exactly help). Time will tell.

9. F1's online race viewing can't get here soon enough. I'm not sure what feed ESPN was using but it was crap yesterday. The commercial breaks were insufferable, and the commentators couldn't tell if they were in Australia or Mexico. Fortunately I could watch a Univision feed on cable when the commercial break came through (even though I couldn't understand a bit of it). Because of the timing of the commercial block I couldn't figure out what had happened to Grosjean, as his car stopped during the commercials. Without having a localized feed or announcer crew, they didn't get back to it to tell those watching in the States what was going on (the broadcast just picked up the feed in progress). Say what you will about Hobbs, Diffey and Matchette, but not having a localized team calling the races in the States is a horrible decision by ESPN. If they don't figure out a way to fix it, and fast, I will stream the race.

See everybody in Bahrain!

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

>5. It will be interesting watching to see how
>RB/McLaren/Renault match up through the season. For all the
>aero superiority RB supposedly has, that McLaren was right
>there. Again, not the best track to tell up front, but it
>could be a story as the season progresses.

It'd be fantastic if this didn't turn out to be 2 clear tiers, with McLaren, Renault, and perhaps Haas legitimate podium contenders. Gonna be all about development, I reckon.

>9. F1's online race viewing can't get here soon enough. I'm
>not sure what feed ESPN was using but it was crap yesterday.
>The commercial breaks were insufferable, and the commentators
>couldn't tell if they were in Australia or Mexico. Fortunately
>I could watch a Univision feed on cable when the commercial
>break came through (even though I couldn't understand a bit of
>it). Because of the timing of the commercial block I couldn't
>figure out what had happened to Grosjean, as his car stopped
>during the commercials. Without having a localized feed or
>announcer crew, they didn't get back to it to tell those
>watching in the States what was going on (the broadcast just
>picked up the feed in progress). Say what you will about
>Hobbs, Diffey and Matchette, but not having a localized team
>calling the races in the States is a horrible decision by
>ESPN. If they don't figure out a way to fix it, and fast, I
>will stream the race.

I am unsurprised ESPN sucks. I generally find a Sky stream, but yeah, man, I'd happily pay for that official stream, if it ever comes. Who are the ESPN commentators, anyway?

The Ferrarri's apparently topped every speed trap in the sessions before the race, so the engine is definitely working in that sense.

I've almost forgotten Honda's still in it, not the same exposure in that team.

Hamilton's luck in the race in Australia has got to come up soon. He's literally topped every other session for the past few years without a win there, he's pretty much the faster driver there, his pole lap was ridiculous, you could sense it, I just laughed when his time popped up across the line. It's never been a problem for him to bounce back from it though, so it almost feels normal. They did talk about the VSC thing a lot, it's happened before and could again to anyone, in general though I wouldn't mind if a rule change prevented it in the future, I don't know how those talks work behind closed doors.

---------------------
Obviously White

________________________________________
"Take the surprise out your voice Shaq."-The REAL CP3
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2H5K-BUMS0

McLaren especially need to take a long look in the mirror before they go down this road...

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/rivals-call-for-haas-ferrari-relationship-investigation-1019469/

Force India and McLaren want the Haas Formula 1 team’s technical relationship with Ferrari investigated after questioning the American team’s “magic” performance.

Haas locked out the third row of the grid in qualifying for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix and ran fourth and fifth ahead of Red Bull before pitstop mistakes condemned Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean to retirement.

It triggered fresh questions over Haas's working relationship with Ferrari, which supplies the team with parts it does not need to build itself but also allows Dallara, Haas's chassis partner, to use its windtunnel.

F1's sporting regulations strictly forbid the passing on or receiving of information on parts teams are supposed to produce themselves, a move also designed to stop personnel being rotated between projects.
Force India chief operating officer Otmar Szafnauer wants the application of those restrictions discussed in the next meeting of F1's Strategy Group.

"I don't know how they do it, it's magic," he said. "It's never been done before in Formula 1.

"I just don't know how it can be right that someone who's been in the sport for a couple of years with no resource could produce a car … does it happen by magic? 

"If it does, I want the wand."

McLaren driver Fernando Alonso labelled the 2018 Haas a "Ferrari replica" in Melbourne, and his team's executive director Zak Brown told Motorsport.com it was "something that needs to be looked at closely". 

Haas driver Romain Grosjean said the use of Ferrari's front suspension, which the regulations allow, would naturally dictate the major aerodynamic design points because of the way the air flows over the rest of the car.  

Brown admitted "I don't have any evidence" to suggest Haas was not operating within the rules, but said: "We all know they have a very close alliance with Ferrari and I think we just need to make sure it's not too close.

"There could be some influence, there's certainly some parts of the car that look very similar to last year's car. 

"But that's for the engineers and the FIA to look at more closely."
Brown and Szafnauer both said multiple teams would support a clarification over the Ferrari/Haas arrangement. 

Szafnauer said he wanted the FIA to explain the process for ensuring the guidelines were being respected. 

"All the aerodynamic surfaces have to be your own," he said. "If they're not, I don't know how you can tell unless you start investigating. 

"Scrutineering only tells you that it fits within the boxes of the regulations. 

"Is it yours or somebody else's ? That's the real question. And I don't know the answer to that. 

"Maybe it is their own, it's just suspect - how can you gain that knowledge without history and the right tools and people?"

Asked by Motorsport.com on the Ferrari comments earlier in the weekend, Steiner said: "We have a team that can be proud of what it is achieving at the moment. 

"We are not doing anything we shouldn't be doing or not allowed to do."

What would F1 be without a good round of conspiracy?

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

So far they haven't cut to commercial and just broadcast the Sky Sports feed uninterrupted. As much crap as I'm sure they took from last race, it's good to see them changing course. Had we missed Kimi's disastrous pit stop (more after the race) I'd have been livid

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Was running errands this AM, got home around lap 7, both RBRs already out. Not the path to the constructor's championship, that one.

Last lap battle was cool, though Bottas really only had the one shot at it.

Didn't see the Kimi pit thing when it happened, but since Sky never showed a replay, figured it must have been pretty bad. Glad it's just a broken leg.

Eight different teams in the points today. Badass.

Fantastic race on his part. Honda has to be happy with the pace and reliability this race. Beating McLaren was just the icing on the cake. I'd love to see Gasley and Alonso fighting for points this season (though I'm sure that's taking things a bit far at the moment).

Not sure what's up at Red Bull though. Max was out of sorts again this race and Ricciardo looked to have a system shutdown. Double DNF does no favors in the drivers or constructor's challenge for RB. And while I love the fact that Max gambles on the track and can pull of a ridiculous pass, his youth is still working against him a bit as knowing when to go for it is still an issue.

Hamilton did what he could to limit the damage to Vettel after the grid penalty. Seemed there was some communication issues between the team so he didn't know how much he needed to push. Bottas could have caught Vettel at the end but he didn't start his charge until 2 laps too late from the look of it. Interestingly, Kimi's unfortunate retirement may have given Ferrari the win. They may have tried to do a 2 stop with Vettel, but with Kimi out and both Mercedes on mediums, Vettel had no choice but to stay out there and manage his tires the best he could.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

I wish Bottas could have caught him, if only for the points difference, but I don't really know if the medium tire could've gone much faster, it seems like they needed the soft to fall off sooner for Vettel.

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Obviously White

They have the onboard of Bottas chasing Vettel down the last 2 laps. That rear end was a sneeze away from breaking loose. If Vettel wasn't a vet at this he surely would have went off. Like, if the drivers were reversed, I'm sure Vettel would have caught Bottas. But Mercedes didn't push sooner once it was clear Vettel wasn't going to pit.

I get there's a plan for managing the various parts of the car and formulas and deltas that have been worked over, but sometimes you have to trust your gut and just get the hammer down. Bottas could have caught him, and Hamilton possibly could have tussled for 2nd. But it was not to be. Vettel was quite fortunate to win both races so far. We'll see how the next 19 go

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

<--- Big Baller World Order

That was brutal to watch. Here's hoping for a full recovery. The wheel didn't release at all, and Kimi took off with 3 new and 1 old tire. Not sure if Ferrari will be penalized for an unsafe release (but considering the tire never came off and someone got hurt I don't see how they won't be hit)

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

50,000 euros, and apparently they had an unsafe release in a practice session this weekend too. He seems to get caught up in some of the worst pit incidents. I wonder why that tire never came off though.

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Obviously White

His antics all weekend were reckless. Then he blamed the BS he pulled with Rossi as "bad conditions."

I'm really beginning to loath this dude.
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lol I just wrote my message while you were it seems. I don't disagree with you. I have to hope it calms down, but that means there's going to have to be some serious discussions among people that don't want to talk. It's going to be some kind of viewing if he just runs away with it in Texas again.

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Obviously White

I don't think I can explain in words what happened on that starting grid, but it was fascinating. And then the rest of the race, with Marquez's madness. I mean, he deserves every penalty he got, possibly more because it does boil down to some unnecessary recklessness, but the fact that he was also pretty much in another league and 2 seconds faster than everyone else feels weird, like he also 'deserved' to win. I don't know if another season of Marquez/Rossi drama is good for the sport or me again, it was intense viewing the first time a couple years ago.

lol at Crutchlow thinking he was expected to beat Marquez in a normal race. Good on him for his win, but his interviews are hilarious. The top of the table is amazing, for the F1 boys its kind of like if two or three of the Force India/Toro Rosso/Haas teams were actually top 3 in the constructors championship and one of their drivers was leading the Championship after Bahrain right now. It won't last, but still.

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Obviously White

It should be an automatic podium.

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Kudos to RB for taking advantage of the SC and switching tires. That was the difference, as Vettel and Bottas couldn't do anything with the grip Danny had. You could argue on when the SC came out they didn't have the opportunity to hit the pits (and you'd be right) but that's racing. In any case, kudos go to Danny with that blazing drive, especially considering they nearly didn't make the last qualifier with that turbo rebuild.

Mercedes isn't off to a great start this season. You could argue 3 unfortunate instances or say one in Australia, bad pit wall management in Bahrain (and Lewis taking a grid penalty), and poor qualifying and bad SC timing this week. Hamilton in particular didn't have much going this past weekend for whatever reason. No doom and gloom yet, but they need to right the ship, and soon.

Another week, another Max incident. Personally, I'm happy with his tangle with Vettel insofar as Hamilton got to pick up a few points, but still... nobody needs this from Verstappen. He needs to calm down and watch how Danny can take similar chances and still keep the racing clean.Hopefully someone will get in his ear before the next race.

Alonso has more points in 3 races than he did the entire season last year. Chew on that...

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

>Another week, another Max incident. Personally, I'm happy with
>his tangle with Vettel insofar as Hamilton got to pick up a
>few points, but still... nobody needs this from Verstappen. He
>needs to calm down and watch how Danny can take similar
>chances and still keep the racing clean.Hopefully someone will
>get in his ear before the next race.

Evidently his dad did, but honestly, I don't want him to change. Sport needs more guys who take chances, even if they're bad ones. The reason the race turned out the way it did was largely because Max did something stupid. More guys doing stupid things = more exciting races.

>Alonso has more points in 3 races than he did the entire
>season last year. Chew on that...

Yeah, but RBR just won with the same engine. The engine was what was supposed to be holding McLaren back, not the chassis design.

As it stands, it looks like Alonso will be scraping with the Renault, Haas and Force India teams moreso than the top 3, at least in this stage.

Still, he's got points.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

And GRO just crashed himself, under the safety car, as I type this.

I think Christian Horner can probably take both Max and Ricciardo. Maybe not at the same time, but one at a time, yeah. Look for the drivers to come out of debrief with bloody noses, and Horner rubbing his knuckles.

lol at someone on the pit wall thinking they got hit by Ericsson.

There were things that happened in that race I don't think I ever saw while watching it. There was some penalty Magnussen's received for putting Gasly into the wall on the straight at top speed and lifting him off the ground, before the Safety Car I think, either it was hidden during commercials or they never talked about it in the live feed.

I know it was good racing mostly, but RBR should've just made a decision, even without the crash nothing they were doing was benefiting their performance in the race. I still see it as Maxed move twice, I'm not complaining because it was all good for Hamilton, but Verstappen needs to show some signs of learning from this crap soon.

I don't know what's going to happen this season, but something about Ferrari and Vettel still feel like they might 'throw' away a Championship they should win, while Hamilton and the Mercs still seem to know how get it done in the end. It's all so tight though, and who knows who's race Verstappen will ruin next!

That Bottas moment was heartbreaking.

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Obviously White

I cracked up when he took himself out.

sucks for bottas, but that's racing. he's picked a bunch of Ws when weird shit happened to lewis.

(that said, it really is awful for him and he didn't deserve that shit)


Red Bull has been eating for a minute on verstappen's ability to make his car wide, and yesterday it came back to screw them over

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

My daughter was a little scared when I shouted as loudly as I did.

Hamilton gets the win he should have had in Melbourne, but I hate he got it at Bottas' loss. Mercedes should have come in 1-2, and Bottas drove an excellent race, but to be taken out by a flat with 3 laps to go just sucks. Reminds me of Singapore last year, where Hamilton wasn't really competing for the win, but won the race due to attrition. Sometimes all you have to do is finish. It's racing...

Can't even say of Max or Danny are more to blame on that accident (though I'd say Max for that double move). Really was no way to avoid the collision unless Max yielded, and he wasn't about to do that. I wonder how Daniel was that much faster than Max during the day, as Danny was on Max's bumper a good portion of the race and threatened to pass on more than a few laps before making it stick. Let this happen again and team orders are coming down, and they may go against Max. I think he has more potential in the long run, but right now Ricciardo is the better driver on the team.

That track must have been hella cold. How do you wipe yourself out under safety?

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Why do you have to go and try to match F1's Azerbaijan drama?!? Dovi's got a lot of ground to make up now, I know they shine at later dates in the calendar but nothing's guaranteed and this just makes it way harder.

Zarco signing with KTM is pretty big. Hopefully they follow through and provide him with a competitive bike that he can do something big with. Some other factories might regret not snatching him up, but they probably don't think they're going to catch up.

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Obviously White

He's costing them millions in every race now. Don't know what his contract is like, but damn, son.

The hell happened to Ferrari?

I know I'd have no idea what to do in the cockpit of that car, but I imagine that's how the rest of the field is looking at him.

That Raikonnen retirement is scary for them, especially considering it was a new engine. Reliability messed up their title fight late in the Championship last year, the best they can hope for is to work that stuff out earlier if it's still 'in' the car.

Stroll's regular first lap performances are pretty stunning, I wonder if anyone is noticing? I just wouldn't mind being able to really root for the Canadian from up here I wonder if Kubica will ever come back, he's testing with Williams, they all just kind of agree it's a terrible car.

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Obviously White

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

His trajectory seemed to be inverse of Max's at the same time, prompting RB to make the (rightful) switch. He couldn't do worse than Grosjean. Haas can be in contention for 'best of the rest' in the field, but they have had a rough start so far. Hopefully they get some consistency before the summer break.

Ferrari just had an off day. Vettel's pit did him no favors, though I'm not sure even if he got out sooner or didn't do the tire change if he would have held off Bottas (especially considering he couldn't do anything to catch Max).

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Grosjean was a good choice at the time, a veteran guy who could help develop the car, paired with Gutierrez, but why replace a guy who's now known for crashing with another guy previously known for crashing? Better to borrow a young'un from Ferrari or somebody, like LeClerc with Sauber.

One down, two to go.

I gotta visit Monaco someday.

after his FP3 crash lead to him starting in last place and getting called out on his errors, he said this was his first drive with a margin where he was making sure he wasn't his normal risky self.

That must have been a nerve wracking race for Ricciardo, I was worried he was about to be out of the race.

---------------------
Obviously White

>after his FP3 crash lead to him starting in last place and
>getting called out on his errors, he said this was his first
>drive with a margin where he was making sure he wasn't his
>normal risky self.
>
>That must have been a nerve wracking race for Ricciardo, I was
>worried he was about to be out of the race.

Yep. Any other circuit he would have been lapped, but god bless Monaco. And good for him, in general.

Still not convinced LeClerc's brakes actually failed. Looked like he locked up on too much kerb.

No idea how a consistently top-10 Haas car could be that bad. Monaco's a one-off track, but still, damn.

>>after his FP3 crash lead to him starting in last place and
>>getting called out on his errors, he said this was his first
>>drive with a margin where he was making sure he wasn't his
>>normal risky self.
>>
>>That must have been a nerve wracking race for Ricciardo, I
>was
>>worried he was about to be out of the race.
>
>Yep. Any other circuit he would have been lapped, but god
>bless Monaco. And good for him, in general.
>
>Still not convinced LeClerc's brakes actually failed. Looked
>like he locked up on too much kerb.
>
>No idea how a consistently top-10 Haas car could be that bad.
>Monaco's a one-off track, but still, damn.

The tire situation seemed strange too, I feel like we haven't seen graining like that in a while, some teams tire selections were pretty drastic.

One of Leclerc's front tires looked like they blew up from the inside in a slow replay, it had to be more than an extreme flat spot.

Maybe Haas got rid of all the cheating bits the other teams were complaining about? lol they qualified really badly, back of the grid, I don't really know how their race went. I'm kinda liking this Gasly kid.

---------------------
Obviously White

Kudos to Fernando Alonso for driving in and winning Le Mans this year. If I had to chose between the processional parade that usually is Monaco (especially with not much chance I'm winning the championship anyway) or attempting to be only the second person to make the motorsport triple crown, I'd be at Indy every year from here on out.

It would be interesting to see if Vettel or Hamilton would follow suit in the coming years if their F1 fortunes start to wane a bit (but being top drivers on top teams there's no way they even think about it now)

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Red Bull have officially signed with Honda for the 19/20 seasons, which means they should be focusing on keeping Ricciardo now. Is there any reason to think that won't happen? If they don't deliver the car/engine he really won't deserve to be there.

Lorenzo's whole situation in Moto GP right now is fascinating, announces his switch to Honda after winning his first race for Ducati at Mugello, follows it up with a win at Catalunya where Dovi crashes again. Dominant wins to, apparently they finally gave him the bike he wanted and now he's unstoppable.

They're are about to have three F1 race weekends in a row, during the World Cup, and with the Assen GP in the middle.

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Obviously White

so...we'll see?

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

They do seem to be delivering better with Toro Rosso, and Red Bull can see that internally themselves. They brought their upgrades to Montreal successfully, something the Mercs technically couldn't even do to plan this year. Who knows how much better that engine might look in the Red Bull chassis too, its clearly still a solid car and leagues ahead of anything else with a Renault in it, especially the McLaren.

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Obviously White

https://youtu.be/74iaM4dBI7M

Those paint markings are trippy.

Vettel is a fast driver for sure. Bottas isn't as fast (though the car was damaged after the punt). Had the pit crew not have bungled his stop he could have passed Vettel . BUt they effectively gave the 5 second penalty away.

Mercedes power unit 2.1 looked silly fast. Hamilton checked out and cruised while everyone else dealt with lap 1 shenanigans. Apparently he never drove the track before, in testing or simulation. That's impressive. Championship continues to swing back and forth, which is fun.

Forget about how bad McLaren is (again) this year. What happened to Williams?

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

The big dogs were there, top fuel. holy shit, i was not prepared the first time them jokers popped off. i literally jumped out of my seat and my whole chest cavity rattled. never experienced anything like it in my life.

yall ever been to one? this was my first. it's insane.

nascar is the same way. it is bone shaking.


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

It's amazing in person. You really can't describe the noise and heat they give off on the start, or just how quick they get to the finish line.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Haas 4-5. Force India 6-7. SAUBER 9-10.

Merc got real problems if this new engine is bad.

I stopped caring after watching the Moto GP race at the Cathedral of Speed this weekend though, that was unbelievable. Top 8 battle with over 100 passes, closest top 15 ever. F1 just needs to write a rule change to only allow two wheels once their attempts at making passing viable keep failing! lol

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Obviously White

>F1 just needs to write a rule change to only allow two wheels
>once their attempts at making passing viable keep failing!
>lol

But giving them bumpers and going all "rubbing is racing" might be fun. I just love how some of the actual rule changes are written when you read them, like I wonder what "replace front wings with bumpers" would actually look like in the regulations.

---------------------
Obviously White

Take away a half-ton of downforce, the cars would be able to follow each closely, braking distances would be greatly increased, and corner speeds would be cut dramatically. All of which = easier passing.

They'll never go that far, but at least they're sort of half-assed pointing that way: http://www.racecar-engineering.com/articles/formula-1-2019-aero-changes/

It was so good the Moto GP website has made it available to watch for free (unless you hate making login information) until sometime tomorrow (10 PM CET, whatever CET is) because it was voted the Best Race ever.

http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/2018/07/01/dutch-gp-motogp-full-race/264238?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_content=NED_Assen2018Free24h_en&utm_campaign=Traffic#

If you can find 42 minutes you can spend on this, skip to the 15 minute mark and just watch it to the finish line, it really shouldn't be missed.

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Obviously White

I totally understand the point,
yet the execution just sets my OCD off so bad.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I have no idea what they are doing with their tire and pit strategies, but whatever algorithms they are running need to be tossed out the window. Ferrari is too close to them in speed and aero to make any mistakes, so bungling the pit and tire strategy isn't going to cut it. I don't know how much faster (or if it is) the new PU may be, if they don't have the grip to get to the end of the race it won't matter.

As for Silverstone, Hamilton did the best he could to recover from the early tragedy. Being 8 points back isn't insurmountable with a little more than half the season to go, but he was in a similar position last year and they sorted it out, so we will see. Every week Vettel is fast as f*ck. Do I think Hamilton is faster? Yes, but just barely in my heart of hearts, but the eye test is failing me most of this season. This will make for some epic racing through the remaining race season, but Petronas is going to need a bit of soul searching and gut checks over the summer break if they want to get Hamilton to the 5th championship before Vettel.

As for Petronas' other driver, his season may as well be called Valtteri Bottas and a Series of Unfortunate Events, as he can't seem to buy a win, points or good fortune when it counts. I'd be happy if they resign him after the season, but they are losing ground in the Constructors points with his outcomes (which again aren't all his fault).

Anyway, Kudos to Vettel and Ferrari this week. The last 12 laps were pretty epic. They definitely have things sorted out at the moment (and to be honest have benefited from a bit of good fortune), but he's definitely been extremely fast thus far. While I won't be super upset if he gets to 5 before Lewis, I can't say I'd be super happy about it either.

Petronas better go to Monza and dominate. Only thing that could take the taste of losing at Silverstone away this season

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Vettel done thrown it away. Wow.

Sad to think that might the last German GP for a while.

Going into the race I was telling my wife the best Hamilton can do is drive to 4th or 5th and hope something happens up front. Sure enough, Vettel wipes out and there's a huge swing in the points. 14th to 1st is hugely impressive. Lewis put his head down, got in position to let something happen, and took advantage to the tune of a 17 point lead in the points. I don't think it spells the end of Vettel's shot at the championship, especially the way this season has played out, but it does set him up for an uphill climb going into the break. That said, Hamilton's engine could blow next race and we're back where we were...

Not that everything was all rosy for Petronas. They nearly screwed the pooch with the aborted pit stop (and could have got a penalty from the stewarts after the race apparently). There are rumblings of 'team orders' when Bottas was having a legit go at Hamilton and the team called it off and let Lewis pass. I could easily understand if Valteri was peeved, but at the same time you have the chance to give Lewis a sizable lead in the driver standings, and leap Ferrari in the constructors standings if you avoid the mess Red Bull experienced earlier in the year when Max and Danny took each other out. With Ferrari showing they have the pace that Mercedes may or may not be able to match, ceeding the victory to Lewis was the logical choice, even if it meant Bottas sacrificed himself yet again. I think he'll catch Kimi for 3rd when it's all said and done, but not having a shot at a victory sucks, especially with the season he's had where he has led but can't seem to buy a win so far.

As much as I'm in the tank for Hamilton to win, I hated seeing Vettel DNF. He was crushed on the radio transmission when he hit the wall, sounding like he was in tears. For most of the season he's been more than a match for Hamilton, be it in Q3 or race day. While I'll say Petronas definitely gifted him at least 2 wins on bad strategy, Vettel has been flat out flying on the track when it has counted. This championship may go down to the last race, and whether Vettel or Hamilton ends up on top, they would have earned it.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

>There are rumblings of 'team orders' when Bottas was having a
>legit go at Hamilton and the team called it off and let Lewis
>pass.

Dry track, Toto might have let them race, but in those conditions, right call.

one or both of those cars was going off, and there's no way toto wolff is letting that shit happen at the home grand prix, when you just pulled a 1-2 finish out of fucking nothing by mostly luck?

no, y'all bring those cars home and stop with the bullshit.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

You saw what happened to Danny and Max. Nothing gained by having Hamilton and Bottas spar on a semi-dry track where, before Vetel's washout, best case you don't lose as many points in the drivers and constructor's championship. This win was as improbable as could be, so you maximize your points. No real problems with that.

And let's be honest. Hamilton is #1, Bottas is #2. It is what it is. Ham knows it. Bot knows it. MB knows it. We know it. Nobody can say it, and given another track they may have gone head up. But realistically... Bottas is not going to seriously challenge for the driver's championship this year. He has a shot at 3rd, but he's not going to outpoint Vettel, unless Ferrari's reliability falls off a cliff, or Hamilton, unless he has a year like 2016. And while Mercedes apparently likes him, he's not Lewis. So yes, he's #2 in the hierarchy. Give them both the best cars, teams, and strategy for the day, but if a call needs to be made in the heat of the race, it's likely going to go Lewis' way. I think everybody from the casual observer to the drivers to the owners understand that.

Now Ferrari's orders? I think those were a little more egregious. Again, I kind of understand (Vettel is trying to pull away from Hamilton in the points, and Kimi probably won't beat either of them in the standings), but Vettel complained to get ahead, and the team acquiesced and didn't man up and just tell Kimi to move. To his credit, Kimi called them out on it ('just tell me what you want me to do'). Even though he was in a better position for the win at that point, the call is the call. He probably won't have the seat next year, which is sad but probably a long time coming.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Wasn't this the same track the Alonso/Massa incident happened back when it was actually questionable within the rules? Now that it's not, I can only assume they were worried about the optics.

Hamilton defended really well when Bottas attacked right after the safety car, it's hard to say what might have happened if he had gotten past, they made it seem like the communication came in the stadium section. Bottas is pretty unfortunate to not be more in the title fight, but it's so tight at the top at this point those points will matter. He does feel like he's owed a win this season though.

---------------------
Obviously White

I've returned to levels of vettel hate that haven't been seen in many years

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

And that crash may have just cost him the chip.

She watched the rest of the race with me afterward. Absolute unforced error. Just slid off the track at the worst place and binned the front end.

I highly doubt the race is out of reach for Vettel though. The first half has been too topsy-turvy, and even if Mercedes gets their car properly sorted, I don't trust they won't screw up their strategy. Though that seems to be a running thread this year with a few teams (see: everybody that went to inters and failed miserably and Torro Rosso putting Gasly on full wets)

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

and you see just how fast it can flip.

just a couple of races ago it was Vettel coming from the back to take the series lead when Lewis broke down.


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Factory team, will they figure their engine out better than Honda? Definitely changes the landscape, who does Red Bull fill that seat with? Would Alonso think Red Bull might be closer to the front with a Honda then McLaren? Has Gasly earned it?

I guess Hamilton's rain quali masterclass and steady run at the front in Hungaroring wasn't anything special here lol

---------------------
Obviously White

I guess he's not that pissed off about how shit Renault's motor has been this year, so much that he wants more of it.

And probably less Max in his life too.

Can't see Fernando going Honda, though. Hard to see Honda going Fernando.

Jeez I just realized my mind had Alonso in a Honda still lol yeah that wouldn't make sense. The fact that he's leaving when Renault's engines are failing him is a bit of a shock, makes it seem likes he's going against the higher-up decisions being made at Red Bull.

I've always liked factory Renault teams, those two Alonso years made me a fan, it'd be fun to watch if they made Ricciardo a Champion, they definitely have a gap to make up though.

---------------------
Obviously White

>Factory team, will they figure their engine out better than
>Honda? Definitely changes the landscape, who does Red Bull
>fill that seat with? Would Alonso think Red Bull might be
>closer to the front with a Honda then McLaren? Has Gasly
>earned it?

Gasley or Alonso would seem like a good fit for RB. That said, whether Alonso wants to go back to Honda power after suffering the past few years with them (though McLaren probably has as much blame for that disaster the past 3 years) I couldn't say. Sainz could move up to RB or down to TR, or say screw them and hop to Haas. Gasley has shown flashes of being a great driver in the years to come, but he could just as easily end up like Kvyat. Having 2 young drivers could be a gift or a curse for RB

Honestly I thought Haas may have been a possibility for Ricciardo when the news first broke (you know they have the power with that Ferrari engine but still needs a bit of chassis development). Going to the Renault works team is weird, considering the engines haven't exactly proved reliable (though whether it's because of how the RB is packaged or not I'm not sure). Only things I can think that would cause the switch would be Danny

a. Knows RB thinks Max is the future and can sense the way he's being treated there and doesn't feel he's get a fair shake
b. Really doesn't trust that Honda is going to bring the heat needed to mount a championship challenge (or even best of the rest)
c. Feels the Renault engine could have a chance at mounting a competitive challenge against the front runners (or best of the rest)
d. Got offered a metric fuckton of money

Either way it is going to be interesting to see who moves where with all the drivers looking for seats or new contracts. I also wouls love to see how much support Ricciardo is going to get come the second half of the season. I'm sure RB wants to make 3rd on the constructors championship, but may not care as much is Danny comes ahead of Max going forward. I'm sure team orders would definitely will favor Max

>I guess Hamilton's rain quali masterclass and steady run at
>the front in Hungaroring wasn't anything special here lol

That rain was a huge blessing for Hamilton, who remains brilliant in wet weather.Whether he would have mounted a challenge for the win if he started on the 2nd or 3rd row I'm not sure. Fortunately for him he didn't have to find out. He built enough of a gap that he could turn his engine down, so it's hard to say whether the Mercedes or Ferrari engine was faster. I will say Lewis has been getting off the line better this season than in the past, which has been my only real knock against him the past few years. Having a 24 point lead is great, but that means absolutely nothing this season, it seems.

Next 3 races should be great. Spa is one of my favorite tracks on the schedule (if not my favorite), and I can't wait to see who has the power at Monza. Shanghai worries me, as Mercedes generally doesn't have the best results (and I'm sure Vettel won't take out the front runners for Hamilton this year)

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

Really, really hope he runs Indy full-time next year.

That opens a seat for Sainz. Assuming, of course, anybody wants to drive for McLaren.

Seriously hoping he wins Indy in the next 2 years. Having a modern day motorsport triple crown winner would be cool.

<-- Dave Thomas knows what's up...
__________________________

Jay: Look here homie, any nigga can get a hit record. This here is about respect.
Game: Like Gladys Knight.
Jay: Aretha Franklin.
Game: Word, I like her too.
Jay: Nigga...

>Having a
>modern day motorsport triple crown winner would be cool.

They're still ugly, but that's better than a dead Charles LeClerc.

Other than that, boring race. Good for the points standings though.