NASCAR started off their season with more than half the field wrecked. Congrats to Denny Hamlin for winning the war of attrition. Formula 1 testing has begin, with the season starting in about 3 weeks. Ferrari has come out the gates hot with Vettel and Leclerc topping the time sheets the past 2 days. Mercedes seems not interested in speed as both Bottas and Hamilton have been mid pack at best to just above the bottom at worst.I anticipate the wick being turned up quite a bit next week. Big questions for me this year:

- Will Honda and Red Bull be able to legitimately challenge for the title with Ferrari and Mercedes, or does this year become a 2 horse race?
- Can Ricciardo pull off the same winning streak as Hamilton did by jumping to Renault? If not, can he at least beat his former team and their golden boy Mad Max?
- Can Sainz help McLaren get off their F2 pace and bring the storied franchise back to respectability?
- Does Haas jump to 4th, making them Best Of The Rest, which would be a win by itself?
- How will Kvyat and Kubica do in their return to the sport?

and most importantly

- What the hell is going on at 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...

The only thing known for sure is Williams is going to be pretty far behind. At least the car finally got on the track...

Gasley and Leclerc look to have shaken off some early jitters and feel better in their new rides and high pressure teams, but it's still early. Ferrari already looks fast, but they usually do. There's been hand wringing over whether Mercedes was OK, bit they seemed to be doing long run testing this week and only got into faster lap times on the last day of testing (that on the harder tire relative to the fastest lap of the test, which means they still have some speed in the bag)

I expect times to drop a bit more next week and teams show a little more of their hand before Australia.

<-- 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...

On the plus side, all kinds of teams setting quick times. Might be some interesting names on the podium this year.

I watched Daytona. I have no thoughts.

https://youtu.be/BP_OPJoszjU

That many cars running 2-3 wide was bound to be a disaster. 21 cars is a lot at one time.

<-- 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...

Fairly interesting results, though I don't know as much about 'how' they test relative to F1 and how big those gaps are, it's cool to see Suzuki at the top trailed by two Yamaha's including a strong rookie performance from Quartararo (Vinales always tests well, he needs to bring that into the season).
Marquez did a lot of laps for someone coming off an off-season injury/shoulder surgery, Honda's all star lineup are both in questionable physical form but they both know how to ride through those things. The KTM being the slowest but only six tenths off the fastest lap is exactly what makes Moto GP exciting these days and hopefully makes for a good season to watch.

Superbike has already started and Bautista stormed their first race weekend after not getting a ride in Moto GP again, record setting win of all three races and might just outclass the field if no one has a response.

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

I use to love watching GP but too many bikes break away and it's a group of 5 every race. I'd love to see Rossi win one more but that appears to be less and less likely.

Moto2 has become the fun series to follow.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A lot of pieces definitely have to fall in to place for Rossi to win it again, along with him being in peak form, as much as I'd love to see it.

I definitely love watching the lower classes, moto 3 is fun as hell, moto 2 last season honestly seemed a bit less entertaining to me with Bagnaia looking too good a lot of the time (I am an Oliveira fan but can't deny his form). Maybe it will be different with those top guys moving up again.

I feel like Moto GP was worse for that a few years ago, at least recently when people broke away there were at least a couple battling when it really mattered at the front, some kind of dogfight. There was a period where they were so in control of races that they just constantly kept themselves 1 second apart from each other all race and nothing happened.

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

They are officially implementing a point for fastest lap at each race. Potential 21 points on offer throughout the season. You only get the point if you get the fastest lap and finish in the top 10, though they still consider there to be incentive for someone outside the top 10 to go for it to prevent someone else from getting it (like damage control on a bad day).
Apparently this actually existed back in the 50s or something. I think it's cool, if the Championship is tight, especially towards the end of the season, it could be fun to 'see' that scrap over a point that could decide something even if passing isn't involved.

Moto GP started pretty well this weekend, though I wasn't paying complete attention while watching. Dovi is always so good at Qatar and it always makes me hopeful he'll keep delivering, even knowing I'll have to wait until after Argentina and USA.

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

I'll finish the series before practice in Melborne. It does suck that Mercedes and Ferrari turned them down, and some of the narratives they set up work better than others. But there are some wonderful bits in the first few episodes I watched that I'm amped if they did another season. It's far from perfect, and doesn't give the full picture of last season, but it's beautifully shot and fills in some mid-field bits, which is fine with me


Not sure how to feel about the fastest lap bonus point.

<-- 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

It's fine. Doesn't seem like there's gonna be much a die-hard fan didn't already know, but yeah, the shots are gorgeous.

they got solid access by all the participating teams and layered the storylines well enough. there also wasn't a sugarcoating of the extreme 1%, exclusive nature that makes F1 what it is. I don't follow F1 on a week-to-week basis so it made for a nice summary (albeit inconclusive) of 2018.

agreed that there was some beautiful shots, as well.

--------

she initially was like wtf is this

but got hooked after about five minutes


very well done

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

- Can Lewis get to 6 and make it a hat trick, or will the car go up in flames like it did in 2016?
- Can Vettel make the third time the charm and get Ferrari over the hump, or will he make yet another in season mistake that costs him everything?
- Is Charles LeClerc the real deal? can he push Vettel and/or Hamilton for podium wins?
- Who comes out on top in the constructors, Renault or Red Bull?
- More importantly, can Ricciardo snag more points at the end of the season than Mad Max? That would be the sh*t that makes Horner's soul burn slow...
- Can Bottas get a win, or will he be sacked mid season (or at season's end) for Ocon?
- How well will The Iceman do at Alfa?
- Can Haas beat Renault in the constructors?
- Does Torro Rosso step up?
- Does Danny K have the mental fortitude to be competitive again?
- Can Williams manage 10 points at season's end?

<-- 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...

>- Can Lewis get to 6 and make it a hat trick,

Probably.

> or will the car
>go up in flames like it did in 2016?

Nah.

>- Can Vettel make the third time the charm and get Ferrari
>over the hump, or will he make yet another in season mistake
>that costs him everything?

Crashes out of Abu Dhabi, loses by 2 points.

>- Is Charles LeClerc the real deal? can he push Vettel and/or
>Hamilton for podium wins?

Yes.

>- Who comes out on top in the constructors, Renault or Red
>Bull?

Red Bull.

>- More importantly, can Ricciardo snag more points at the end
>of the season than Mad Max? That would be the sh*t that makes
>Horner's soul burn slow...

No.

>- Can Bottas get a win, or will he be sacked mid season (or at
>season's end) for Ocon?

Yes, no.

>- How well will The Iceman do at Alfa?

Top 10 in driver points.

>- Can Haas beat Renault in the constructors?

Yes.

>- Does Torro Rosso step up?

8th.

>- Does Danny K have the mental fortitude to be competitive
>again?

As competitive as the car is.

>- Can Williams manage 10 points at season's end?

No.

>>- Can Lewis get to 6 and make it a hat trick,
>
>Probably.

1st.

>> or will the car
>>go up in flames like it did in 2016?
>
>Nah.

Merc 217, Ferrari 121.

>>- Can Vettel make the third time the charm and get Ferrari
>>over the hump, or will he make yet another in season mistake
>>that costs him everything?
>
>Crashes out of Abu Dhabi, loses by 2 points.

Starting grid in Australia was as close as he's getting to a championship, apparently.

>>- Is Charles LeClerc the real deal? can he push Vettel
>and/or
>>Hamilton for podium wins?
>
>Yes.

Certainly can push Vettel.

>>- Who comes out on top in the constructors, Renault or Red
>>Bull?
>
>Red Bull.

RBR 87, Renault 12.

>>- More importantly, can Ricciardo snag more points at the
>end
>>of the season than Mad Max? That would be the sh*t that
>makes
>>Horner's soul burn slow...
>
>No.

VER 66, RIC 6.

>>- Can Bottas get a win, or will he be sacked mid season (or
>at
>>season's end) for Ocon?
>
>Yes, no.

The beard makes him fast.

>>- How well will The Iceman do at Alfa?
>
>Top 10 in driver points.

9th, but I'm not optimistic for Alfa.

>>- Can Haas beat Renault in the constructors?
>
>Yes.

Haas 19, Renault 12.

>>- Does Torro Rosso step up?
>
>8th.

9th.

>>- Does Danny K have the mental fortitude to be competitive
>>again?
>
>As competitive as the car is.

The car is not competitive.

>>- Can Williams manage 10 points at season's end?
>
>No.

0,

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/formula-one-charlie-whiting-dies/4352058/

Formula 1 race director Charlie Whiting has passed away at the age of 66.
A statement from the FIA confirmed that the Briton died from a pulmonary embolism in Melbourne on the eve of the Australian Grand Prix weekend.

FIA president Jean Todt said: “It is with immense sadness that I learned of Charlie’s passing.

"Charlie Whiting was a great Race Director, a central and inimitable figure in Formula One who embodied the ethics and spirit of this fantastic sport.

“Formula 1 has lost a faithful friend and a charismatic ambassador in Charlie. All my thoughts, those of the FIA and entire motor sport community go out to his family, friends, and all Formula One lovers.”

Whiting first worked in Formula 1 for Hesketh Racing in 1977, but was best known for working his way through the ranks at Brabham to become its chief mechanic.

He played a key role in helping Nelson Piquet to the world drivers’ championship in 1981 and 1983 and would stay at the team until it was sold by then owner Bernie Ecclestone in 1988.

He moved to a position as FIA technical delegate, with the blessing of Ecclestone, and then became FIA director and safety delegate from 1997.

His role included overseeing track and car safety, technical and procedural matters on grand prix weekends plus starting the race itself.

Whiting was instrumental in pushing for improved safety standards in F1, and was a driving force behind the introduction of the halo at the start of last year – which was credited with saving the life of Charles Leclerc after his crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Speaking last year, Whiting said that a number of technical advances had contributed to making F1 so safe and allowing Leclerc to walk away.

“I agree about the introduction of the halo and that played a part, but you must not forget over the years all the far less visible things that have been done to improve safety of the survival cell, side impact structures, frontal impact structures, strengthen the survival cell itself, high cockpit sides, the headrest,” he said.

“All of those things have been done gradually over the years and they also play a part in the outcome.”

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

Valtteri got off to a cracking start and never looked back or worried. Must be the beard...

Hamilton may want to think about not getting pole next season at this track. It hasn't netted him a win in 4 years. Not sure where his pace went after the pit stop, but he didn't seem too worried (at least not PR Hamilton at the post race interview). When asked about covering Max, he dismissively said that was no problem. Ouch.

Good result for Max, but more impressive for Honda. First time a Honda powered car has seen a podium in a decade. Had Horner and RB not have screwed the pooch in quali with Gasley, Ferrari may have had even more to worry about. Speaking of which...

Pornstache and The Clerk weren't in contention at all this race. Albert Park is never a great litmus test, as it's hard to pass on this track (not as bad as, say, Monaco) but to be that far off pace has to have the Tofossi concerned. I heard rumors they had to run the PU a tick lower this race. If so, that's either a blip that they figure out quickly or there are bigger development problems they aren't letting on. Personally, I think it comes down to Vettel's facial hair. Cut the 'stache man...

Other quick thoughts:
- Haas may end up best of the rest. Whether they had the same low power that Ferrari did is unclear
- Sucks to see Ricciardo with a DNF at his home race. His run with Renault didn't start the way he hoped, I"m sure
- Speaking of Renault, with Sainz and Danny retiring I wonder if they are still having PU issues. That wouldn't bode well for the season, though I'm sure C. Horner will be cackling with glee at their misfortunes. At least The Hulk made it 7th
- Norris couldn't make his Q3 run turn into points today. Still, great showing for the rookie
- Welcome back Kvyat. Managed to get the last point on the board

As noted, this isn't the best track to go predicting things. That said, if Mercedes has a car that Bottas can stretch the field by 20 seconds, it's going to be a looooong season for the rest of the field.

See everyone in 2 weeks!

<-- 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...

>That said, if Mercedes has a car that Bottas can stretch the
>field by 20 seconds, it's going to be a looooong season for
>the rest of the field.

Unfortunate for Norris, Giovinazzi screwed up a lot of people's races that day though. Was cool to see Stroll still start well and benefit from that going long, I'm just hype on seeing Canadians do well at stuff (we had an okay weekend for that in other sports).

Ferrari has usually started seasons on the front foot recently so I don't know what to expect from them now. Verstappen's knack for having pace at the end of the race could be more worrying at other tracks.

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

Red Bull coming in 3rd with the new Honda Engine.
Renault...*price is right fail horns*

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

If Albert Park is the first and only podium for RB and Honda, great. Assuming Ferrari really did turn down the PU for reasons, RB may not be as close as they were Week 1. Worst case, it shows Max is still opportunistic and may be shaking off some of his old tendencies of driving on the wrong side of the daring/reckless line. Best case we still have a legit 3 team challenge for the 'chip.

<-- 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'm not confident in Renault even with Ricciardo.
If Haas ends up being 3rd its because RB couldn't sustain.
Classic RB shooting itself in the foot.

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

Vettel spinning after getting passed by Hamilton was all driver skill. Him shaking his front wing off was bad, but a freak accident, methinks. LeClerc had the pole, led most of the race, and then had engine issues. I guess testing for reliability is better than showing top speed in pre season testings. There was absolutely nothing he could have done as Hamilton and Bottas lazily passed him with laps to spare. Had the safety car not come out he may not have made the podium, as Max was closing quickly. The youngster showed great pace and poise, but whether Ferrari has bigger problems with their car is going to be the storyline for the next few races (early talk seems to think there may be cooling issues, which won't be an easy fix or bode well for them at most races).

As fast as Ferrari was today (and they clearly were faster in the straights) you get an idea what kind of driver Lewis is after his second pit stop. Battling Vettel out of the pits on fresh boots Lewis kept at him and didn't blink, unlike Sebastian. Even if it shakes out that Ferrari is quicker (like last year) I still have confidence in Hamilton fighting for #6. LeClerc should not be apologizing to the Tifosi for this one.

The battle in the midfield was fantastic. Plenty of passes and close racing. Whether having more DRS zones is better or worse for the sport can be debated, but it did give us an exciting race. It will be interesting to see what happens on a hotter track with more grip (instead of the cool, dusty track at Bahrain)

Other thoughts:

- Verstappen is making that Honda engine work. Gasley is not. If this keeps up, RB won't make 3rd in the constructors
- Renault, WTF? Both cars DNF on the same lap, and pretty much same corner? This is not how to jump to the big leagues or stick it to Ferrari. Still, Ricciardo shouldn't be too worried. Hamilton's first year with Mercedes wasn't great, and we see how that worked out
- Bottas really wasn't in it today (though there were some great moves in the early laps of the race and a nice fight with Hamilton). Signs of things to come? As long as they get the constructors again
- Just want to laugh at Pornstache again, because screw him. Whether the pressure is getting to him or not will be a discussion in the coming weeks
- Lando Norris in 6th? Go head rookie!

<-- 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...

>- Verstappen is making that Honda engine work. Gasley is not.
>If this keeps up, RB won't make 3rd in the constructors

I feel bad for Gasly, because he's never beat Max, but yeah, he has to do better, or he's gonna lose that drive quick.

>- Renault, WTF? Both cars DNF on the same lap, and pretty much
>same corner? This is not how to jump to the big leagues or
>stick it to Ferrari. Still, Ricciardo shouldn't be too
>worried. Hamilton's first year with Mercedes wasn't great, and
>we see how that worked out

That must have brought a smile to Christian Horner's face.

>- Just want to laugh at Pornstache again, because screw him.
>Whether the pressure is getting to him or not will be a
>discussion in the coming weeks

I like him, but yeah.

>- Lando Norris in 6th? Go head rookie!

Sainz was fast too, before the contact. Very happy for McLaren. Wish Haas had shown more.

If at the end of the season Ferrari finds themselves 3rd in the cup standings, they can point to this weekend.

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

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

As for Lewis, he manages to win when he shouldn't, because he doesn't quit (unless he has the championship all wrapped up). Last year's race in Germany was a perfect example.

Only thing I can surmise so far is we're in for a wild season, even if it end up being a 2 horse race

<-- 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...

Congrats to Hamilton and Petronas for a 3rd straight 1-2 finish. Starting grid was weird, as it looked like a team photo, with each team qualified almost how they all ended the constructors last year. For as much pace as that Ferrari has, it did them no good on a track where, going into the weekend, it seemed like a safe bet for them to crush everyone in the straights. But Mercedes must have had a massive advantage in the corners as Hamilton and Bottas bolted out the gate and never looked back. Besides a few passes in the midfield (and Max's one shot at passing Pornstache) there wasn't much excitement on track. You'd want more drama for your 1000th race, but I suppose clean driving is better than dirty racing. On to 1001...

Ferrari seem to be setting themselves up a nasty driver situation between The Clerk and Pornstache. If Charles were that much slower than Seb it would have been understandable. But he wasn't, and further bungled strategy had them lose a place to Mad Max, who drove the beans off that RB. Losing the last race to mechanical problems and then losing unnecessary places the next race due to team orders is not a good look. I get Pornstache has the experience and tenure, but so far has come up short at Ferrari (partly because of Petronas' dominance this era, and partly because his cracking under pressure when it counted). Will Ferrari let their drivers race? Or will things boil over before summer break?

Other thoughts:

- Congrats to Ricciardo for coming in 7th in a mostly uneventful drive. At least he finished his first race for Renault, NOw to find some speed
- Gasley inched off the hot seat with his 6th place finish, but he was so far off Max's pace he still needs to look over his shoulder lest RB decides to promote Albon (who drove from the pit lane start to 10th place).
- Kvyat got his 'Torpedo' name back, but it wasn't completely his fault. Still, drive through penalty and DNF have to hurt
- Not sure where Haas pace has gone. I expect them or Renault to end up 'best of the rest', but neither team seem to want to make that move so far. Long season to go
- The Mercedes double stack was a thing of beauty. I'd give those guys a bonus this week.

<-- 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...

cuz le clerc isn't slow

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

It's like Leclerc is the only one not making mistakes in that team right now. Their car is still scary and if they figure their shit out and deliver anything could happen, but it's hard not to feel convinced that they're just always going to shoot their chance at the Championship in the foot, and that chance may be Leclerc.

Still, I'm hoping for a Bottas lead 1-2 at Azerbaijan this year to make up for his bad luck last year.

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

This was not that year.

Took a nap around 10 and got up before the race. I was fading the last 5 laps and may have just saw Lewis take the flag before I passed out. Good thing my TV has a timer (and I have a wife that's semi-understanding and a partial fan)

<-- 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...

Rossi has been on the podium back-to-back. Yesterday in Austin, Honda didn't have a bike in the top 10 but KTM did.

Ducati has a great bike and Suzuki won a race. Early, but it's nuts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Austin was crazy, I think every class Championship Leader crashed out of the race. Seeing Marquez go down at COTA still seems unreal, that place belonged to him. I'm happy for Rins, I was a fan of his in Moto 2, but it would have been awesome to see Rossi win! If he remains this consistent though he can fight for the championship.

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

Feel like I've seen that enough this season already.

Ferrari clearly have a fast car. All the trap speeds confirm such. However, come race day Mercedes finds pace (except for Bahrain). Couple that with Ferrari shooting themselves in the foot either with setup, equipment failure or questionable strategy. Meanwhile, Mercedes either runs flawlessly or becomes extremely opportunistic and capitalizes on Ferrari's misfortunes. Four straight 1-2 finishes with the drivers split only by the fastest lap point is pretty crazy.

The Clerk is definitely fast. Reminds me of Max when he first got to Red Bull. Methinks he probably has a better handle on the chassis that Pornstache does at this point. But playing team orders to keep Seb happy is just going to spell disaster. Were it not for faulty equipment LeClerc would have a win (maybe two if he hadn't hit the wall last race) and Vettel would not. Roll with who has the hot hand Ferrari...

Still have no clue on what Renault and Haas are doing this season. They almost seem to be regressing. Maybe it's a Netflix curse

<-- 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...

It's come out recently that the Haas chassis just doesn't get the tires into the window and working properly, which explains why that car can look top-4 in practice and end up well out of the points on race day. I suspect, given how much Ferrari is in the Haas, that the Ferrari might be having similar troubles, but up a few places on the grid. There's no other explanation for why Ferrari looks to be obviously the fastest car some days, but just blah throughout a full weekend.

Steiner was talking about this the other day: https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/haas-absolutely-worst-tyres-steiner/4379278/

My irritation is that the tires are so damned hard to get working at all, which is a problem of the current regs. If you haven't read Stefan Johansson's four-part manifesto about the state of F1, it's worth taking a look: https://www.motorsport.com/search/articles/?q=stefan

With Ferrari bringing aero and engine upgrades to a track they were dominant at over winter practice, you would think this would be a good chance for them to get a win. Nope. They were soundly beaten in practice, qualifying, and the race. Even if they didn't befuddle everyone with their race strategy (which is becoming a theme this year), they didn't have the pace to catch Mad Max, let alone either of the Petronas cars. Hamilton made it to the first corner ahead and never looked back.

At this point you have to wonder if they really got it wrong on their aero setup. They remind me of a 60's era Mopar muscle car: fast ad balls on the straights, but can't get around the corners. If Mercedes managed to keep that big of a gap between them with only aero tweaks It will be funny to see where they are once the bring their engine upgrade in (likely in Canada). So now, in addition to fighting aero issues they have to run their remaining engines longer through the season, which may bring reliability into the mix (and we've already seen late season issues from Ferrari in the past years). It may not be all doom and gloom just yet, but they are getting beat by a car with a Honda engine, even though they usually have a car with the best trap speeds. With Monaco up next, they may be looking at another weekend of pain.

5th 1-2 finish for Petronas. I'm a fan and want Hamilton to get #6, but I have to admit this race, like China, was a little on the boring side. It may be the nature of the track (like Australie), but there wasn't a lot of racing for position through the lineup. Even with the restart which bunched everyone up, the top 6 stayed in their positions.

Other bits

- Sky Sports coverage and announcing wasn't great today. They spent more time training their cameras on the Ferrari duo that they totally missed the Norris/Stroll crash, among other happenings. Brundle and Co. also seemed to mistake Vettel for Verstappen a few times when discussing the race during the broadcast.
- Kvyat managed points. Good for him
- Haas looked better. But Günther Steiner probably lit fire to K-Mag's ass for his battle with Grosjean. Racing heads up is one thing. Almost causing a wipe out unnecessarily is a no-no
- Ricciardo hasn't had a good start to his season at all
- Gasley had a better showing for RB, but he's still holding them back in the constructor's
- Why is Williams still running?

<-- 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...

>they didn't have the
>pace to catch Mad Max

Barcalona's not especially power-dependent, so an A chassis with a B engine like RBR was gonna do well. Just points to the fact that Ferrari don't quite have a A chassis.

>- Haas looked better. But Günther Steiner probably lit fire
>to K-Mag's ass for his battle with Grosjean. Racing heads up
>is one thing. Almost causing a wipe out unnecessarily is a
>no-no

Eh...I thought it was good racing. The touch was no good, and I bet Steiner let them know about that, but otherwise, it was clean and hard. Should have been 7-8 rather than 7-10, but I didn't see anything outrageous.

>- Ricciardo hasn't had a good start to his season at all

Renault is a piece of shit.

>- Gasley had a better showing for RB, but he's still holding
>them back in the constructor's

Maybe, but if Max is the benchmark, I mean, whaddya gonna do?

>- Why is Williams still running?

I wish Kubica would retire mid-season. I love the guy, but he's just too slow. They're gonna have to fire him, I think. (Ocon, maybe?)

<-- 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...

He couldn't have had a worse showing at his home race if he tried. Why Ferrari didn't send him back out in Q1 and then had to watch helplessly as Vettel took him out of contention is beyond me. There's really no excuse for that. Mind you, he did himself no favors trying to get around Hulkenberg and shredding the floor with his blown tire. Not sure what's worse, being the only DNF or finishing behind Williams. Either day, a weekend he wants to forget and plenty of strategy questions for the Tiffosi squad.

Max tried to win the race in the pits and got slapped with a time penalty, effectively dropping him off the podium Even had he got past Lewis, he wouldn't have got 5 seconds clear of him, so he couldn't win or make 3rd place with the penalty. However, he did manage to spoil another 1-2 Mercedes finish, so, progress?

Hamilton did a remarkable job keeping the car on track with tires that were toast and MAx getting punchy near the end of the race. Was it more impressive than Ricciardo's win last year with a gimped engine? Hard to say, as you don't need power around Monaco, but you do need to turn. Nikki Lauda would have been proud.

Two Torro Rossos and a McLaren in the points? Wow.

Not sure if Bottas should be more upset with Verstappen or Stroll. Either way, I don't think he could have caught Vettel (who supposedly was having overheating issues, but on this track, may not have mattered)

Honestly, I don't care much for Monaco, as unless you qualify P1 and/or manage some heroics on the first corner, the race becomes a parade for rich people on their yachats instead of an actual race. I'd have no problem if this race was dropped from the schedule, but it would never happen for historic reasons more than anything.

<-- 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...

>Not sure if Bottas should be more upset with Verstappen or
>Stroll.

He hinted that he'd left something on the table in qualifying.

Just sucked the excitement right out of it.

Not the right call, IMO.

There really wasn't anywhere for Seb to go, as he practically slid back onto the racing line where Lewis was already committed. Could he have lifted or pulled to the left and let Lewis through? I"m not entirely sure. Hamilton will take the win and points, but I'm sure he didn't want it like that much like last year's race at Sochi when Bottas had to give up his win. Had Hamilton actually passed Vettel in the closing stages of the race this would be a moot point (or less of a big deal). But with the 5 second penalty in play, there was no reason to race. Seb wasn't getting 5 seconds up, and trying to tangle with him for the lead was then pointless.

This is now the second race Ferrari had victory taken from them (though Bahrain was on them, not the stewarts). I imagine they will win at Monza, maybe Spa, but not having a win 7 races in has to suck.

As for Vettel, I'm all for his actions after this, which is rare. Not driving into parc ferme, skipping the initial interview, and switching the 1st and 2nd place signs was hilarious. I'm sure he's getting a fine, but so be it. As mad as he was at the loss, he still urged the crowd not to boo Hamilton, who really had an excellent race and was setting up for some fantastic closing laps. He was closing on Vettel every lap and setting up for an overtake every time he was in DRS range. Nice gesture for Lewis to pull Seb up on the podium, and good to see the respect the both have for each other (which is a far cry from, say, Lewis and Nico). Hopefully that continues through the season.

Other bits:

- Best result for Renault this season. Even though they were a lap down, they were best of the rest (and ahead of Gasley, who keeps letting down the side for Red Bull)
- Speaking of Red Bull, either Gasley is underperforming or Max is overperforming. He was in no man's land in 5th place, but at least stayed on the lead lap.
- Stroll finished 9th. Best result for him so far, and at his home track. Good for him
- Haas and Alfa Romeo still look like trash this year.
- K-Mag was complaining so much Steiner pretty much had to tell him STFU and drive. After all, had he not put his car in the wall the day before it wouldn't have been as bad a drive. As it stands, he had to endure being beat by a Williams. It happens.
- Bottas 1.0 seems to have returned this week. Though he did manage fastest lap with the soft tire. Hopefully that gives some idea on what the new Mercedes engine has going for 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...

>- Speaking of Red Bull, either Gasley is underperforming or
>Max is overperforming. He was in no man's land in 5th place,
>but at least stayed on the lead lap.

I wouldn't be surprised to see a swap for Kvyat at some point. That dude left F1 still a boy, but came back a man. If he keeps his head like it's been this year so far, he could probably seriously push Max.

>- Stroll finished 9th. Best result for him so far, and at his
>home track. Good for him

>- Haas and Alfa Romeo still look like trash this year.
>- K-Mag was complaining so much Steiner pretty much had to
>tell him STFU and drive. After all, had he not put his car in
>the wall the day before it wouldn't have been as bad a drive.
>As it stands, he had to endure being beat by a Williams. It
>happens.

It shouldn't, though. I'm interested to learn WTF happened to Haas on race day.

They seem to have a harder time getting in the window than Ferrari does. I'm sure some technical data will filter through both teams and they look better after the summer break, but for now? Triddash.

Alfa is more confusing. They had pace in the early races, but have fallen off a cliff. Kimi could say screw it and pass on the last 4 races (though I doubt it).

K-Mag sounds like he did apologize to everyone on his cool down lap. I'm sure Gunther still ripped him a new one once he got back to the paddock.

I am enjoying a resurgent Kvyat. He was definitely a head case when he lost his Red Bull seat, but has managed a really respectable comeback drive at Toro Rosso. Would they make the switch with Gasley? Not sure about during the season, but if all hope is lost in the constructors they might. Definitely something they will consider in the off season.

Ferrari is surely going to appeal. Whether or not they win it is harder to say. Apparently there was some video and telemetry that supports Vettel slew further to the right to impede Hamilton than is to be believed:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/reason-vettel-punished-canada/4461461/

I get it. Don't like it. If the roles were reversed I'm sure the Petronas squad would be doing the same thing (and Lewis would have pulled the same move as Seb). Still, Vettel cracked under pressure again and lost control of the car, which he's done a number of times before. Lewis, for the most part, doesn't crack, with Monaco being the most recent example of this.

<-- 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...

My attention will now turn to the race for 4th in the constructor's. McLaren lookin' goooood.

They were dominant all weekend and Lewis cane withing milliseconds of a grand slam, were it not for Vettel putting on the softs for his last lap (and then just barely got the time from Hamilton on worn hard tires). This week's race in Austria, Monza, and maybe Spa may be the best (or only) chance for Ferrari to get a win baring mechanical or driver error on the Silver Arrows squad. Not sure if a team has won every race in a season before, but Mercedes can gun for it.

From a competition standpoint, I can see why fans may be disappointed. If I know my team/driver has zero chance of seeing the podium, and that team and driver will end up on top every weekend, I'd check out too. Even trying to watch F1.5 (everybody behind Mercedes, Ferrari and RB) is difficult, as the teams can't seem to figure out who wants to make that next step (or even be the best of the rest). After this weekend McLaren may be in that spot, but seeing the regression Renault, Racing Point and Haas have taken, Afla being in a tailspin and Williams just sucking....it's a hard product to watch sometimes unless you're a Mercedes fan.

On the flipside, every team has the same regs and deal with the same issues. Teams can complain they don't like the thin tires, but every team has to use them. Figure it out like Mercedes, or lose. Every team knew the engine regs were coming. Mercedes got it sorted out first and have been mollywhopping the field. Everybody knew the areo changes for each year. RB traditionally had a leg up on that, but Mercedes isn't a slouch there, and have a better engine, so a more complete package for more of the tracks. That's not exactly their fault. You could argue resources, and that's valid. You could argue driver, and that too may be valid. But it's not like Ferrari doesn't have a crapton of money to spend, and RB isn't a slouch either. There's always going to be a dominant team. Right now, it's Petronas. Won't be that way forever.

<-- 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...

Ricciardo took two time penalties after the race, taking him out of the points. Made for a bit of consolation for Norris after that drive.

With the new live marching bands making the podium anthems sound a lot better I think, I have to wonder what combinations were missing with this dominance? What anthems would you want to hear? Finnish/German? German/Italian? French/America? If Stroll somehow won for Racing Point would that just be the Canadian anthem? Need something to talk about

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

We know Max has always been fast, but hot headed. A lot of incidents he's been in were because of him trying to force the issue and causing contact. For the most part, he's cleaned that up since the 2nd 1/2 of last season. While the Honda PU is better, it still isn't a match for Mercedes and Ferrari, but he's managed to overachieve in that RB and stay sniffing at the podium (even if it may just be 3rd, which means he managed to split the top two teams). Considering how much faster and consistent he is than his teammate Gasley (who I wouldn't be shocked if he got bumped back to TR and Kvyaat moved back up), there's not much more Max can do to improve.

Vettel, on the other hand, could be considered on a downward slide the past few seasons (or since he got to Ferrari, if you want to me harsh). We've seen over the past 2+ seasons when the pressure gets on him he cracks. Crashing out in Singapore, wiping out in Germany, taking himself out of races with spins when he really needs a win (or at least a points finish) seem to be the norm. Leclerc has more than been a match for him in his first few races at Ferrari, and while he has benefited from being the senior driver in team orders, he hasn't been able to turn that into wins. Even with an obvious HP advantage, Vettel is only ahead of Verstappen by 11 points. If Vettel has more races like Paul Ricard, I wouldn't be surprised if Max beats him.

Admittedly, it's still early, and Ferrari could possibly sort out why Mercedes is faster (or at least more consistent) on race day when Ferrari has the power advantage. But even then, we've seen Vettel in a great car crack when he gets pressed in the race. Hamilton never cracks. The new Max looks to have shaken his habits off, but who knows. Vettel has won 4 titles, but those years RB had far and away the best car on the track, so he was rarely challenged. Now that he is? You have to wonder, juts a little bit, exactly how good he is

<-- 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...

but he's also dumb for thinking he can somehow
go back to the drawing board so to speak and figure out how to beat him.

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

Don't ruin it. Leave it. Hard, good racing.

That was one wildly unexpected race. Kudos to Max for getting over his absolutely horrid start and drive for the win in front of thousands of his home fans. LeClerc has another defeat snatched out of the jaws of victory. He'll be on the top step at some point this year, but it has to hurt losing out on assured wins within a handful of laps to the checkered flag.

Petronas couldn't take the heat, literally. Hopefully the PUs didn't sustain much damage. Having to lift and coast a good deal of the race isn't good. I suspect this may be a slight blip but they should get things sorted for Silverstone. Still a lot of room between them and the other teams/drivers in the points, so I'm sure they get on top of things.

<-- 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...

>Petronas couldn't take the heat, literally. Hopefully the PUs
>didn't sustain much damage. Having to lift and coast a good
>deal of the race isn't good. I suspect this may be a slight
>blip but they should get things sorted for Silverstone. Still
>a lot of room between them and the other teams/drivers in the
>points, so I'm sure they get on top of things.

It was uncharacteristically hot in Austria, but still, if they were struggling that much, they should be pretty worried about some of the upcoming races too. Hungary is usually blazing, for example.

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

Consensus is we had four good F1 races in a row, who knows if that will continue now that the boards are back lol.

Ferrari better hope Spa and Monza are good to them, they just seem resigned to not winning right now. Hamilton made up for Germany with a pretty faultless race, and Bottas is not responding that well to his seat being under threat now. His start to the season fizzled out, I don't know if he deserves it with nothing to really go on for Ocon right now, I think he should still have a ride in F1.

Moto GP's Summer break just ended, but it is not as exciting as it started. Marquez came back to Europe and just took the Championship back over pretty much, I don't think anyone's beating him but Ducati's go well at Austria. His brother is also emulating him in Moto 2 finally by not crashing out of won races any more. Moto 3 is still the most fun thing to watch. Yamaha's 2020 bike looked good in the Brno test.

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

The obvious: Lewis probably gets #6 unless his car and team revert to 2016. Max is the future as we've known the last few years. Ferrari likely got their development wrong and put more into the engine than aero. Renault is a disappointment this far. Haas is in a tailspin. McLaren should win F1.5 and is setting up to be best of the rest for some time.

Oh, and Williams got a point

I'll go more in depth later to races, hot seat drivers, and other stray observations.

<-- 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...

If Gasly doesn't turn it around, and they don't decide to promote Kvyat. Albon probably needs more seasoning.

Further down the grid, there will probably be a seat at Haas. And maybe at Alfa, as Gio ain't been doing much compared to Kimi. And since there's no way they can bring Kubica back, he could always go back to Williams...

Ocon deserves a seat somewhere, to be sure, but really, Merc have gotta look at bringing Russell in if they decide to let Bottas go. I think he'd turn into a mini-Lewis. Right personality.

I thought about the Red Bull possibility, if they see themselves as a true title contenter as a constructor by the end of the season having that second seat not be a rookie and a top competitor would promote that. They're clearly behind Verstappen though, I can't tell how eager Bottas would be to go from following Hamilton to following that guy, but maybe he could see a new opportunity to take his chance there.

Two Finns at Alfa would be cool, but that doesn't seem like a step Bottas should be taking. Part of me wants Haas to stay the same and keep hitting each other, like some dysfunctional family. I do feel bad for Ocon who is in some weird situation himself where the only seat it seems he could have on the grid is Bottas and no one else's.

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

While Bottas is having a better season than he did last year, he still has had some unfortunate race instances that caused him to lose out come race day. He's got two wins (same as Max, BTW), though early in the season, and has looked great on quali. His results on track should keep Mercedes well out of any trouble of losing the Constructors, but on the Driver's cup, that gap has shrunk quite a bit to Max.

The question then becomes what does Petronas want out of Bottas? He's not the heir apparent to Hamilton, and I doubt anyone remotely thinks that. Can he challenge Hamilton for the Driver's cup? Better still, do they need or want him to? In Bottas they have a very good young(ish) driver that your star driver has a decent working relationship with (unlike the Rosberg situation) who can bring the car home with enough points in the constructors to win for the team. Until Lewis shows any sign of dropping off, what else do you need?

Then consider the future, short and long term. Is Ocon better than Bottas? Better still, would Ocon give Hamilton any more challenge than Bottas does? Not sure on either, so I wouldn't make a switch mid season. I think Bottas has done enough so far to keep the seat. That said, I wouldn't talk contracts over the summer either. Let the second half play out and see what Bottas can manage, then decide if signing Ocon to the seat is a good idea. I'm sure Ocon doesn't want to stay waiting in the wings, but I don't feel the urgency to make a change right now. Pressure would now be on Valtteri to have a better 2nd half.

Long term, George Russell may be the guy Mercedes is tapping. But they are not going to promote him quickly. Let him cut his teeth at Williams (yes they suck, but he's still showing promise), hone his craft a bit before bringing him up. No need to burn the young driver out before he's ready.

As for Gasley? I'll be surprised if he keeps that seat over Albon or Kvyat. Like Bottas, he has the unfortunate task of driving alongside a phenom of a teammate that he's not as good as, nor will be. That said, the gap between Lewis and Valtteri is smaller than the gap between Max and Pierre. Even if Gasley would ultimately end up 6th out of the top 3 teams (Mercedes, RB, Ferrari), he's closer to 7th (gap between him and Sainz is only 5 points) than 5th (gap between him and LeClerc is a whopping 69 points). Had Gasley stepped up RB could have jumped Ferrari in the Constructors by now. They very well may have promoted him too soon. Whether Marko and Horner admit they made a mistake and demote him to Toro Rosso or not seems more a when than if. On the other hand, they did that to Kvyat and it took a few years for him to recover, and Albon may not make the huge leap that Max did when he got Kvyat's seat. Whatever the case, something needs to change.

TL;DR - Bottas may be safe for now. Gasley, not so much.

<-- 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 decided to quash all our speculation nice and quick. Albon announced as Verstappen's teammate for Spa. I'd love to see him deliver, but I felt the same way about Gasly too.

Anyone craving some good racing over the summer break should really try to watch yesterday's Austrian Moto GP race, at least end of it. Last few laps battle between Marquez and Dovi are something else, the recent history in that literal last corner pass attempt is amazing and not easy to pull off in those downhill right handers.

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

Gasly has arguably cost RBR a shot at the constructor's, so that had to change. But while Albon's been a great rookie, Kvyat has been superb all year. Really want to hear Horner's explanation. He does like to throw kids into the deep end to see if they can swim....

Watched the last 10 laps or so like 3 different times.

----

THFC
F1
MotoGP

Dovi and Ducati need to get themselves up there more consistently if only for the great racing they bring to the table.

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

Yeah love it when Dovi and get his shit together and not get caught in the group behind Marquez, eating up energy and nuking his tires. Hasn’t happened enough though haha

----

THFC
F1
MotoGP

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This is only my second real season watching consistently, and coming from watching F1, almost every race is incredible.

----

THFC
F1
MotoGP

I haven't been to the US races in ages - since the days of Mat Mladin domination and the change of ownership. Hell, the last race I attended was the first year MotoGP went to Indy.

I'm thinking of taking a flyer and going to check it out.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mercedes retain Bottas. Ocon takes Hulkenberg's seat.

Next years 22 race calendar was released, with Thailand and the Netherlands. No Germany again.

It's just FP1, but Ferrari are favouring this track as expected. The Red Bull's are in front of the Mercedes for now, but importantly Albon kept up with Max on time already, which is something Gasly never did if he can keep it up in qualifying etc. It's possible Mercedes is working their new engines in, would be bad if any upgrades aren't working as expected. Racing Point is following in Force India's footsteps as having a decent car here outside the top 6.

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

...be he and Magnussen hate each other. Or at least they used to. Maybe they've kissed and made up. Dunno. Just doesn't seem like a harmonious paddock with those two.

Yeah, it's hard to say. Haas apparently has voiced interest in him. And I know Grosjean and Mags say there aren't actual problems between them off track, but it's not like Haas isn't used to their drivers clashing.

And shit, the F2 race just got cancelled after a red flag incident, Hubert was killed.

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

>And shit, the F2 race just got cancelled after a red flag
>incident, Hubert was killed.

Watching soccer, not the race. Reading about it now.