It's early, but the speculation about Lewis seems worth bringing up. Is he gonna drive, or has he had enough? Hard to see him going out like that...gotta think he wouldn't mind retiring without another title, but only after—in his mind—a fair fight. Then again, maybe he's just that pissed off.

Either way, F1 testing is 2/23-25, back at Barcelona. Daytona stuff starts 2/20, and they have that weird LA Coliseum thing on 2/6. IndyCar 2/26.

Brand new cars in both F1 and NASCAR. Hilarity should ensue.

I don't know how to feel about the whole Hamilton thing anymore. I hope he comes back, I want him to win it again. If he doesn't, will it be like a power play, will he ask fans not to watch? I don't know, I might not, I have enough Moto GP Sunday I could use some more to myself. See how things shake out in testing, hope these cars achieve what they're supposed to. The Saudi Arabia race is like the third one in the calendar this year.

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

>I don't know how to feel about the whole Hamilton thing
>anymore. I hope he comes back, I want him to win it again. If
>he doesn't, will it be like a power play, will he ask fans not
>to watch?

That would seem pretty out of character for him...maybe when he was younger and less...temperate, I guess, but not now, I don't think. If he does quit, I imagine it'll he'll do it with class. Hope he gives it another year or two though.

Fair. I guess it's really about how this whole FIA thing plays out, hopefully they don't find a way to make it worse at least.

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

I will say this is the longest I've seen him keep a low profile in public and social media. But I highly doubt this is the way he wants to end his career. He can still get 8 chips and get that last unobtainable record. He can prove it was not just the car as everyone is driving into the unknown with the new regs. And I'm sure he's not going to have any scuttlebutt that Max and Christian sent him out of F1 because he can't hack it.

It may be a media training play to just say nothing, as anything uttered is going to be twisted and misinterpreted. Wait for the official investigation to wind down, refer back to the ruling, and get back on the track. Anything else is just going to stir the pot, which is already toxic AF

I'm kinda amped to see the Coliseum Clash though. Looks like some crazy short track racing

<-- 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...

Quite a few takes on front wings and side pods. Will be interesting to see whether the racing will actually be close. I'm sure the amount of 'porpoising' will be cleared up by testing in 2 weeks, as I'm sure most teams were trying to see what the limit of their suspension tuning windows are.

Max is funning #1 on the car this year. Haven't seen that in 7 years. Good for them

<-- 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...

>whether the racing will actually be close.

Marquez is back! For real this time. Also the new Honda looks good... maybe Pol can actually stay on the bike for more than two races this year.

Of course the ducs look incredible, but I've got a feeling they aren't light years ahead of the rest as they seem. I think they have a tenth or two over the comp... which is the case every year... there's always a bike with a hair better engineering the start of each year. That said, pecco looks like this is his year.

Oh and Quartarro is champ and all, so the Yamaha can't be THAT bad. I think their top speed woes are overblown.

My only preseason testing comment is that vinales is fools gold. He'll be fast. He'll win a couple races. But he'll find a way to get grumpy and throw a tantrum. He's got all the talent in the world, but he'll never be a champion.

Got the schedule bookmarked and pirate sites all lined up.

and yeah, those euros are expensive I used to get a discount in Canada when there was actually no valid way to watch here, but that's changed recently but I'm still not clear who has the rights lol.

The opener this weekend is nice and early, it's usually a good race. I'm annoyed that the next race is on F1's opening weekend. They used to schedule themselves on different weekends more consistently in the past, now it seems like they race on the same weekends more often.

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

I pay for the F1 package, but someone's always got a good NBCSN stream...I'll be availing myself of it this weekend. Been desperate for more racing this winter, even more than usual.

Got Australian relatives, so gonna pull for Miller and Gardner.

The older I get, I only have bandwidth to follow one racing series at a time, and that's been F1 the last 7 years or so. I've watched quite a bit: Indy, NHRA, GT, Touring Car, but it's depended on how easy it is to watch coverage (not the easiest pre-Speed TV days) and scheduled, racing and mine.

<-- 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...

Once upon a time I watched quite a bit more racing, WSBK, motocross, some F1 and BSB...I pretty much just watch GP and a F1 or WSB race every blue moon.

Pretty dramatic, and a feel good win, though maybe not the race I or new people would expect.

If you have Amazon Prime, apparently Moto GP has their own little series coming out there soon along the lines of Drive to Survive.

It's kinda funny that last year's Ducati won the race, apparently there were rumours Bagnaia was asking the factory team for last year's engine. Feels like an anything could happen season, depending on who figures their bikes out, and whether Honda really is in form again. Maybe this is why they left F1 lol

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

Gonna take me a while to catch up with all the storylines.

Also need to get a better technical grasp. Obviously the broad areas are the same as any 4-wheel series, like tire pressures and brake balances and such, but while I know a whole lot about how F1 cars are set up, know virtually nothing about bikes.

And the Australians did not fare well...

Watched the first three last night. I get the feeling Horner wakes up every morning, looks in the mirror, and thinks, "yes, this is the role I was born to play."

And the Mazepins...just glad to be rid of that gangster and his awful, spoiled kid. (And happy that Magnusson is back, now.)

I just watched an Alfa, a Haas, and an Alpine out-qualify a Merc.

So if you take the fastest time recorded by the teams, you get:

Ferrari (LEC)
RBR (VER)
Merc (HAM)
Alfa (BOT)
Haas (MAG)
Alpine (ALO)
Alpha (GAS)
McLaren (NOR)
Williams (ALB)
Aston (HUL)

If you average the times for each driver, you get:

Ferrari (1'30.623)
RBR (1'30.801)
Merc (1'31.727)
Haas (1'31.903)
Alpine (1.31.989)
McLaren (1'32.477)
Alpha (1'32.544)
Alfa (1'32.552)
Aston (1'32.905)
Williams (1'33.149)

So past the top 3...that's a either hero drive for Bottas, or that's actually the pace of the Alfa, and Zhou just doesn't know what he's doing yet, which is probably true. The Haas must legitimately be that quick, as Schumacher was only 0.2 off Mag's best lap. (And damn...how quick did he get up to speed? Dude was unemployed two weeks ago.)

Makes me think it's no coincidence that Alfa and Haas are both Ferrari-powered...

Aston Martin are nowhere. Some allowance for Vettel being out, but still. Williams must be disappointed, and McLaren...that's just unacceptable.

Bottas being in front of Russell is definitely amusing. Ferrari def seem to have a universally strong engine again, sounds like this Ethanol stuff might have a part in Merc engine dev in comparison. Hamilton sounds worried the top 4 are just going to drive away from them, hopefully the Ferraris give Verstappen a race then. I might join my old university friend in cheering for them!

Moto GP having its second race this weekend too at a brand new circuit. I don't really watch the quali for them, but Quartararo found pole setting pace again after Yamaha looked well off in Qatar. Honda did not seem to like the track and Marquez crashed twice. Pramac Ducati's are still quicker than the factory rider's, but that can change in the race, and the KTM's aren't taking half a season to figure out their bike this time it seems. Hopefully I have a lot of exciting races to watch tomorrow.

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

>Moto GP having its second race this weekend too at a brand new
>circuit.

Watched highlights though. That Marquez warm-up crash was nasty.

but the Moto GP videopass no spoiler thing is convenient. Start of the Moto GP race got delayed awhile due to the weather. Marquez crashing all weekend is disappointing, he hasn't figured out hot to stop it seems, not that I"m even necessarily rooting for him but he's a big missing piece of the grid.

Happy to see Oliveira win again, been rooting for him since the lower classes. The points situation is interesting, only two races in but it feels like it could stay this crazy. Quartaroro finding that rain pace was impressive for someone whose never had it.

A Thai rider won the Moto 2 GP, first thai rider ever, was nice to see, usually they show up in the wet but he seems like he might have good form from testing after missing the first race.

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

That's all I will say for now.

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

Ferrari strikes first blood. 1-2 finish and first race win since, what, 2019? Congrats. Leclerc has always been fast, but Ferrari has been crap. Apparently, they figured something out with the new regs and that engine is not slow (see K. Mag finishing in the points for Haas). After years of Ferrari not being in the mix, it's nice to see them strike first.

The W13 of Hamilton and Russell still needs work, quite apparently. But quality drives from the two Mercedes drivers saw them benefit from Red Bull's demise. Lewis knows how to capitalize on other driver's mistakes and was in the right place when the RB spun. Would he have caught Perez by the end of the lap if he didn't have the lockup? We'll never know. George had a crap qualifying, but good work making it back to 4th in his first drive with the team. This is the best the team could have hoped for. Once they get the setup and porpoising, they will be a threat again. Keep your heads down boys and get to work. It's a long season.

While I'm trying hard not to root against Red Bull, I cheered so loud when Max's car let him down and Checo's car locked up into Turn 1. Those messages between Max and Christian were great. Horner knew the car was toast and there wasn't anything they could do about it, but he could only tell Max to keep his head down and push through. 3 out of 4 RB drivetrains went out, with Gasley's catching fire. Definitely not the way RB wanted their season to start, but the way I am not mad at all about. Max's post race debrief should be hilarious

Other bits:
- Welcome back K-Mag!Being out for a year to finishing in 5th.
- Bottas in 6th with his first proper stint at Alfa. I hope he has success through the year
- No clue what happened to McLaren. Are those brake issues that serious?
- There were a LOT of Mercedes engined cars at the back of the pack. That can't be good

<-- 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...

Looked like it was a lot easier to follow, especially in those early VER/LEC battles. We get that kind of racing all year, I'd call it a success.

Fun race, though I had to watch it on my phone, as F1TV was effing up on the PC browser. Hate that.

Getting ahead of this only because there's some fighting going on nearby, and some fire. I don't know how bad it really is but FIA has had to address it and say they've been assured its safe by the country, which isn't actually a nice sign lol. There were talks early on, even in pre-show stuff last weekend, about why we were still going here and this reinforces that even more.

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

I'd hoped when the Liberty came in, that they'd take a stronger stance on what sort of venues/countries were acceptable, as opposed to Bernie's "we'll race anywhere, as long as the check clears" attitude. That hasn't been the case.

The current situation aside, not sure where you draw the line though. Is China too distasteful? Azerbaijan is pretty repressive too...

Interested to see what the drivers/GPDA says tomorrow. I do trust Alex Wurz to find the smartest way through, if he's involved.

Horrible crash.

ugh the Schumacher one? yeah that wasn't pretty to watch. Something about this whole Jeddah track being such a fast street track just sits weird, they've tried to reference other street tracks in comparison but it doesn't feel the same.

I 'get' why they can't be too picky about countries in one sense. Honestly, going to Texas last year around that whole abortion mess time felt weird, and its not like USA doesn't have its hands in all kinds of conflict. The fact that the oil fire was caused by an missile strike nearby was just too on the nose sign of war regardless of ideology. I can't remember, is China back on the calendar yet? I assume that track would be at some point.

Sunday race was a race. I get that there are signs its good and the battles and following are a good start, but something about the commentary is starting to feel like it's trying to push a narrative lol. Sucks Hamilton got a bit screwed by the pit lane closure, would've salvaged sixth instead, though they obviously still need work. Actually Perez got the most screwed, I would rather see him win

Verstappen sounds like he's still too used to the FIA helping him win on the radio...

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

My main problem with the track as a TV spectator is that it has no sense of place: it's just a long tunnel of high safety fencing, no matter where you are on the track. A lot of that problem is because it's at night, but even still, it's just flat and seemingly featureless. At Monaco and Baku you know exactly where you are on the circuit because you can see the buildings and get a feel for the place. Even Singapore has the bridge and the underpasses...SA is just nothing. It's fast, but so what?

They're definitely pushing a narrative, but on the other hand, there's no doubt in my mind that the racing is better. We'd never see the close following through fast corners like we've seen in the first two, and as Jenson was talking about a lot yesterday, drivers can actually fight back after being passed. Multiple lead swaps in the space of a couple of laps were unheard of in the previous spec. On tracks that actually have multiple lines, like COTA and Silverstone, it should be amazing.

That Latifi crash hurt my soul. Really wanted to see Checo take it.

You explained the track problems well, I forgot about Singapore, that was a nice night city track. I think Jeddah thought it would be cool to fit in fast flowing stuff in a 'street' circuit, but honestly real city tracks feel cool and unique when they have that 'square' feel to them I think.

Yeah, I hope it keeps improving. I guess part of my frustration is in terms of the front two, and comparing it to Verstappen/Hamilton battles last season its arguable which one was better and I feel like they let Verstappen get away with his crap even more last season now. Oh, and that DRS line thing at the end of Jeddah just seems stupid now, I don't know how to fix it, move the line or something, but I lol'd when they both locked up.

Man Latifi crashing twice this weekend and not "getting" why either time is hilarious. I mean, they seemed like weird crashes, but they both just happened to him. The fact that he messed up Abu Dhabi too is just worse, he might need security again soon before the title is even close to decided lol

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

Even in 2 weeks, I think Mercedes still has pain, either the works team or anyone with their engines at this point. I do believe Petronas can figure this out. Can they do it in time to mount a comeback? Harder to say, even with their 2nd half track record. They feel like RB was in 2016-2019 - clearly ahead of the midpack, but not challenging for a win unless a ton of things go wrong with the frontrunners. I believe they can get on top of this (this is the team that designed DAS, which was a one off that was barely used after all, and a possible show of arrogance that could be biting them in the ass now, but that's another story), but do it in time? Who knows.

Meanwhile, the Leclerc and Verstappen battle looks to meet the potential that was hinted at years ago. Afla looks semi competent. KMag is back like he never left. Racing is a bit closer, but realistically it's still haves and have nots, so I don't see huge shakeups in podium places after all 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...

We'll see what the new track changes lead to. Not sure longer straights will be nice for the bouncy card

Haas already out of parts and apparently breaking curfew after a crash. Not sure how that is going to play out.

Moto GP is in Texas this week. Was in Argentina last weekend. Really competitive season, 9 different podium finished in the first three races. 5 different manufacturers in the top 5, Honda/Yamaha bottom of constructors, Europe in top is pretty crazy. The fact that it actually feels like it could stay this way is wild.

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

>Moto GP is in Texas this week. Was in Argentina last weekend.
> Really competitive season, 9 different podium finished in the
>first three races. 5 different manufacturers in the top 5,
>Honda/Yamaha bottom of constructors, Europe in top is pretty
>crazy. The fact that it actually feels like it could stay
>this way is wild.

RBR racking up the DNFs ain't gonna win any silverware.

Other than that and a couple of wrecks, not much happened. Had a hard time paying attention. Some decent midfield battles.

LeClerc's title to lose, at this early stage.

it was more incredulous laughter from me instead of evil laughter like Bahrain. Ferrari/Leclerc definitely look solid enough right now, unless RB find reliability and clearly superior pace. I'm hoping Mercs find something while having these unexpected opportunities and podiums. Its pretty amusing since Lewis above Verstappen in the standings.

It's getting a big embarassing watching my Canadians in F1! I hear them mention how little passing there was in Australia in the past, obviously haven't been there in a while, hard to say what to do about the track. If anything Turn 3 needs a bit more 'safe space' maybe to inspire passing, it is a passing spot if you're faster but it seems a risky corridor still.

Just finished watching the Motorcycle races, good timing at COTA. Ducati's quite liked the circuit, though Bastianinni on last year's bike, and consistently good late race pace, took his second win of the season. Marquez's race was pretty stunning despite that start problem, he still seems capable of greatness but not consistently enough anymore.

It was a 500th GP anniversary of the modern era organization wise, since 500 ccs, pretty cool highlight video of the past going right now, if it wasn't such a time sink I wish I could watch old seasons again.

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

Marquez was a man possessed. Didn't hear what his start problem was.

This has been a strange set of opening races. Ferrari absolutely has the opening track on the regs, and LeClerc is reminding all he's a damn good driver. Honestly, if Petronas doesn't get right, I'll pull for the red team. They have suffered long enough.

3 races and 3 DNFs isn't a good look for RB. Mind you, I'm laughing all the way to the bank because of their misfortune, but still...reliability concerns are not fun at all. Supposedly none are serious powertrain issues, but none of the issues can be good for the life of the PU no matter how you slice it. Max gets to feel what it's like when the target is on his back. Let's see how it shakes out.

Still don't know what to make of Mercedes. They seem to be making some improvements week over week, and the car looked decent this weekend. But they still need their upgrade package, and still aren't quite ready to challenge the front runners (but can still keep mid pack at bay). They definitely got better from qualis, but realistically would have still been in 4/5 finish had the RB not crap the bed. I hope the car has a massive upside once they get a grip on everything. It's possible, but getting a full second out of that package is asking a lot.

Albon should have been driver of the day, full stop. 57 laps on hard tires? That's a drive

Midfield battles are great this year. But, so far it hasn't amounted to much up front

<-- 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 was going to come back to mention Albon, that was impressive and cool, was glad he still came out in 10th. was surprised the vote didn't go his way, usually they notice that stuff, especially when Leclerc is barely on screen. I don't vote though lol apparently the Williams love that hard tire so maybe we'll see more of it.

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

Qualifying was earlier today. Had it on, but wasn't paying close attention while in a work meeting. Reg flag nightmare, both Mercs only in Q2. Magnussen P4. Weather definitely played a part, not sure how a Sprint will go at this track tomorrow, could get messy.

Moto GP at the 'Rollercoaster' Portugal Portimao track. Was second last race of the season last year and had some excitement but won't have titles on the line this time.

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

Some good battles up and down the field. That DRS effect is massive here.

I'm still tryna adjust to Merc being absolutely nowhere...maybe they can strategize their way into something respectable tomorrow, but damn, they are sloooooow.

Russell got a stunning start and lucked up a bit higher at the end there so there's that. Norris on the podium, Merc's not even looking like quite the best Merc engine car this weekend. Not having DRS for a lot of the race and the weather seemed to tease the potential of the race a bit, but it had some exciting moments.

I may not like to see it but Red Bull deserved a no-bad luck weekend at least. Ferrari probably wished it didn't happen in Italy though.

Moto GP Championship is tied at the top with two riders on 69 points

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

Sprint weekends are going to suck for Petronas this year. There's no time to try to get any race pace setup, and they cannot pull a hot lap right now. Add the variable weather and there was no chance the W13 would do anything in Imola.

<-- 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...

Interesting battles from 2-10, seemed like. Slowly getting a grip on the names and manufacturers...

Looks like RBR vs. Ferrari dor the duration, but cool to see all the shuffling below that. No clear favorite in the midfield...got Alfa and McLaren up there this week, AM looking better, Haas back up in the points. New regs have really mixed things up. Good fun.

That little rivalry goes back a while, they had a weird interaction during an opening race a season or two ago and honestly Miller's actions were really questionable, he didn't like Mir's passes but he just drove into him on the straight. He had to own that one though but they should probably avoid each other on track somehow.

The form of the bikes on different tracks this year is really volatile, like I really don't know who's going to have pace, Quartararo either seems unbeatable or struggling on a Yamaha no one else has pace with. Honda's seem like they have something sometimes. The odd Ducati's are a bit crash prone again but there are so many.

Apparently Miami is next for F1 in two weeks. I think I confused it with the Vegas announcement, thought they were both a year or two off. We'll see how that goes.

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

Miami Friday is fun already! Mercedes back??? lol Russell tops a practice session, somethings working, possible they won't quite be there come Q3/race but its a positive sign they are in the right direction.

Sainz's crap weekends haven't ended but hopefully he's getting the crashes out earlier. Verstappen having some mechanical issues again. Hamilton got up to 4th in Practice 2 but Russell still seems to have some tenths on him.

Qualifying at 4 pm tomorrow, feels weird.

Jerez Moto GP race last week had some stellar rides, Bagnaia winning like his old self finally but still injured is cool to see. Canet in Moto 2 finishing second after surgery on a broken bone in like his wrist/hand earlier in the week was amazing, kept expecting him to fall off the pace.

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

Miami, Canada, Texas, Mexico? Makes up for the 1am Australia start

Let's hope the Petronas bros give their fans some hope. A DNF for Max wouldn't be a bad thing either

<-- 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...

Generally the schedule aims for a maximum western European audience, but 4 pm EDT is 9 pm in London, 10 in Maranello. I guess the Italians are up that late anyway, but it does seem weird.

Some longish straights, some squiggly bits...good midfield action. Don't really have much more of an opinion beyond that. About as good a track as you can draw out in the middle of a parking lot, I guess. Would have been more interesting if a two-stop strategy were the better choice.

5/10.

Yeah, when a really weird safety car that everyone was waiting for saves your race (other than Hamilton's again lol) it's kind of a problem. Felt particularly modern social media American (not that it's just America, but that bit in the first lap with a camera in the bandstand when everyone was taking selfies and not watching the track was amusing) with the track having 'set pieces' around it that weren't really relevant to driving. I guess if we're not going to Sochi we needed a flat track around some other sporting stadium lol.

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

Track usually seems to make for good racing.

Pretty surprising news that Suzuki plans to pull out of Moto GP at the end of this year, won the title in 2020 and still seemed solid, almost like Honda pulling their engines from F1 or whatever, but it's an entire team. They've come and gone before, same with Kawasaki ages ago, I guess they just can't always commit to this class, they usually still have superbikes since its just street bikes in racing kit and not prototypes.

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

>Pretty surprising news that Suzuki plans to pull out of Moto
>GP at the end of this year

Compared to any top-flight 4-wheel series, expenses have to be comparatively minimal—not cheap, obviously, but nothing like F1 or even Indy. And relative to the marketing value of being in the series (and winning a championship), it does seem an odd move.

Bagnaia...lol. Dude.

Yeah it's definitely relatively cheaper, the FIM has been concerned with costs earlier than F1 too. It's possibly Suzuki still just isn't as big a company as the others, who knows. Their riders definitely didn't have a good weekend after.

Sucks for Bagnaia, seems like seeing Bastiannini do what he does well on last years bike now seems to annoy the Factory guys. When Enea had the 2020 bike last year it was not that good, though he still showed the late race pace often, but would come from outside the top 10 to almost a podium instead.

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

About all you can say about that.

so good of you to stop by

KMag took an entirely bizarre angle around that turn? Lewis could've stayed another inch or two right maybe, but he had hella space

Lewis wanting to retire the car and finishing 5th is absolutely classic stuff, same for Verstappen shitting on the entire garage and then getting handed the W


and nice fuckin drive for Russell

Sainz my man, where are you at? You're better than just fucking bottas'ing around the track all day

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

>Sainz my man, where are you at? You're better than just fucking bottas'ing around the track all day

He was saying something in the press conference post-quali that he just wasn't feeling the car as well as LeClerc yet. Wonder if that squirrelly back end is a big part of that.

and as we've seen with lewis/max

that frequently equals a teammate who just can't get as much out of the car

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

Like, he was setting fastest laps for a while on worn mediums with a setup that still isn't optimized and a car with diffuser damage. Were it not for the water leak, he had 4th in the bag as Sainz would not have got back past him. No VSC, no safety cars, just head down and drive. To be fair, because where he was and hoe the pit stops worked out he was in clear air most of the time, but still, that's one hell of a recovery and a ton of data. We've all seen 2nd 1/2 Lewis, so if Mercedes can fine tune this setup it will make a very interesting championship on either side. For the constructors, Ferrari and RB have their issues, with one Ferrari driver not quite having a great set of results and with RB having wonky reliability. Meanwhile, Mercedes keeps finishing with both cars. The Driver's 'chip may be a bridge too far, but again, 2nd 1/2 Lewis, and other teams having issues. Will have to see

Max is such an ass. Kinda love it, kinda annoyed by it at the same time, kinda mad Lewis wouldn't quite get the same reaction if he was cursing out his pit crew (but we know what that is). Not that I blame Max; he should have breezed past Russell if his DRS was working. But it didn't and he didn't.

Speaking of Georgie, that was some brilliant defending against Max for those few laps. Although right at the edge of the rules once or twice, his timing and positioning his car at the end of the straight to keep Max at bay was magnificent. When Max DID get beside him in the corner he didn't flinch either and kept his lead for a few laps more. He's been pretty consistent and plenty fast so far. Faster than Lewis? Eh....no. Better qualifier, yes. Benefitted for some fortuitous safety cars? Absolutely. But he wasn't lapping faster than Lewis yesterday by any stretch.

Sainz is faster than he's showing, or at least Ferrari better hope he is. He's had a number of unfortunate breaks so far, but you have to think the Tifosi want him a little closer to Leclerc for the Constructors points. Maybe he'll find a groove.

Team Orders rear their ugly head again. I get it, as Max needs all the points he can get given the reliability issues RB has shown thus far, so any opportunity to get more points than Charles they will take. Still, it sucks, as Checo was moving, didn't spin like Max and would have been overtaken Georgie as his car was working. I'm sure discussions will be had. Good times

Lando gutting it out with tonsillitis? That kid has some stones, doesn't he?

Monaco up next. Don't care for the processional race much and wouldn't be mad if it were removed from the schedule, but that will never happen, I understand why and am fine in the end. Let's see what Mercedes can do about their slow speed corner setup and just finish with both cars in the 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...

Went to a cookout instead. Even I have a limit on how much racing I can ingest in one day.

I was getting really aggravated by the delayed (and then rolling) start in Monaco. But saw Ted's Notebook where he said the starting lights were broken, which is why there was the initial delay, then pushed again once the monsoon came. Guess that's okay. Made for an exciting race, by Monaco standards. Happy to see Checo nail it. Unhappy to see the Haas double DNF.

That may have been the last Monte Carlo race, evidently, if the head dudes can't sort out the problems. Mixed feelings...the calendar will seem lesser without it, but some changes would be good.

Think that was Marquez's last race for the year? Having surgery this week?

Carlos and Checo ending up 1-2 after that ending to qualifying is amusing. Feels bad for Leclerc. Alonso's pace in that last stint has to be the most annoying thing for me on race day.

Yeah, Marquez traveling to the States for surgery that will hopefully have him back to full-fitness in the future, but on hiatus after Mugello. Pretty exciting start of the race, Bagnaia ended up controlling it pretty well towards the end.

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

Monaco
Indy
Nürburgring 24 Hours
MotoGp
Coke 600

It was hot and I was cooking. After the rain delay in Monaco I knew I wasn't gonna make it through the day


IF Monaco isn't on the schedule, I won't miss it. I simply can't see it ever not being on the schedule, because traditions and there's a ton of money being thrown around. Besides, a number of drivers could leave parc ferme and walk to their home. But it does not make for an exciting race, especially with the bigger wider cars.

<-- 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 a crap race most of the time, but it's also the connection to F1's history...track virtually unchanged since Fangio and Moss and Clark drove it. And it's also the best representation of the old-school glamour of F1, which I get that the younger generations don't care about, but to me, I like the cars whizzing past the casino and past Tiffany and Cartier stores, and the whole vibe of it. And nothing else on the calendar has that—real old-world glamour and wealth, as opposed to dressing up a parking lot in Miami....

I was kinda bored watching Quartarnaro ride around unmolested, and was doing a crossword puzzle, until suddenly the announcers started yelling...not sure if that was him or the team, but damn....

Definitely unfortunate. That crash at the start and Quartararo's pace definitely spread the race out, lots of other crashed as well. I know Nakagami's to blame but his face to the back of that tire was scary.

Apparently Catalunya is the only circuit where the lap counter on the tower works differently, last lap is L0 instead of L1, it's thrown people off in the past on occasion but usually at a lower level.

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

Both their works drivers and two of their customers retire in the same race? I sure hope the famed 'Italian reliability' isn't a real thing. LeClerc would have been in a fight, but had a good chance for a win, rather than his 2nd DNF in 3 races. The Tifosi have to be sick today. That said, it's not like RB have been bulletproof either, so it could slide back the other way soon.

Meanwhile, Petronas, the little team that can't, continues to finish races and are firmly in 3rd place. Hell, if Ferrari has another DNF weekend they could jump them for 2nd, all while driving a car that bounces like a jackhammer. I felt terrible for Lewis, as he looked like he could barely walk at the end of the race. Montreal may not be much better. Shoutout to Russell for staying with a top 5 finish so far. Definitely been more fortunate than Hamilton on a number of races, but the way the car has been set up it doesn't even matter. I'm hoping the W13 concept has a huge upside that, even if this year is a wash, turns out a great W14 (or 13B, if they can sort it by the mid year break, which I'm not exactly hopeful on). The slimmed sidepods and floor setup had to have worked in their projections, just not in real world practice. Assuming they can get a handle on the porpoursing, they can sort the suspension tuning, then the drag, and then act like a competetive race team.

<-- 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 bouncing thing, I feel for the guys who are suffering, but Horner's also correct: some teams figured it out, and Merc's (and others') failure to find a solution isn't something for the FIA/F1, but for their own engineering team.

Dozed off around lap 30 of Canada, but woke back up in time to see the safety car and Max holding off Carlos. Been cool to see Carlos at least get a chance at a lunge, but Max was faultless.

Bikes: is the title now Quartarnaro's?

Really hard to see Fabio throwing this lead away, he was consistent under more pressure last year when the Ducati's kinda gave it to him later in the season. Even when he has a track where he doesn't seem unbeatable, he usually brings home some solid points. I don't think Aleix/Aprilia can take a step to challenge what he can do. He's carrying Yamaha the way Marquez years ago.

The Cathedral of Speed at Assen next weekend is a must watch, longest running Grand Prix in history. There's always the hope that it lives up to that greatest race of all time from a few seasons ago.

Can Silverstone and an non-street track be good for the Mercs again? Hopefully...

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

>Really hard to see Fabio throwing this lead away

Hell of a ride for Aleix just staying upright in the first place and then plowing all the way to 4th. That last pass was awesome.

lol had to make me come back here and rethink everything!

It was good to see Bagnaia have such a strong race to the finish again, he's great at leading but it seems like when he needs to catch up to someone he might overdo it. Aleix having that comeback was good and deserving for the Championship fight, and that they seemed alright about everything when Fabio went to apologize. Was cool to see Maverick on the podium, and Bezzechi for Rossi's team!

The Moto 2 championship is crazy tight, top two tied on points and third 1 point behind. The Summer breaks feels long compared to F1's schedule these days, but it's probably better for them.

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

Watched enough now that I'm getting a better sense of the personalities and backstories...takes a while. All the intangibles I unconsciously understand about F1 are slightly different in bikes. Trying to get that deeper appreciation.

Hamilton's had a busy week, hasn't he? I don't care much for old tweets being dug up months or years later, but Piquet kinda stepped in it. Can't really be surprised though. All the more reason I want Lewis to get 8 chips and leave, as at that point you have no reason not to call him the GOAT except racial bias. I also have a weird feeling about the social media posts that every driver and team seem to make. On the one hand, it does make Lewis seem to be this golden child, which probably wasn't meant. On the other hand, he's STILL the only black driver out there, so all the hits are coming his way. Gotta tip my hat to him for dealing with it professionally for so long

As for on track, it will be interesting to see if the upgrades bring Mercedes closer to RB and Ferrari. Practice looks promising so far, but practice also means nothing come Sunday. Would love to see Lewis on the podium, but who knows.

<-- 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...

Great for Sainz. Ferrari still dumb though.

Glad Zhou isn't dead. Halo keeps on saving lives. Good on Russell for being one of the first on scene. Very old school.

Great for Mick too, and Haas generally.

Lando solid, but really worried about Ric. starting to wonder if he's just past it. Or so stuck in his own head that he can't find his way out.

MB got that bouncing mostly sorted. Could be a race winner by season's end.

Protesters...holy fuck. There's stupidity, and then there's that.

I thought Hamilton and Mercedes had a great chance to win with that late safety car. Hamilton can outclass either Ferrari driver and the Mercedes team strategy and execution is generally better as a team.

Then I saw Perez was in 4th and I said "Fuck!". He's been a consistent thorn in Hamilton's side for the last season and a half.

<-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><->
<-><-><-><-><-><-><-><-><->

I thought Racing Point/Aston Martin were so dumb to get rid of him...I get that Big Stroll just couldn't axe his own kid, but Checo's miles better than Lance. Thrilled when RBR picked him up. Perfect situation.

I still think he should have had to give Leclerc that position back after cutting the corner! lol mainly cuz that would have given Hamilton some breathing room. I know it was good racing, but I still feel uncertain about what track boundaries are in F1.

The race was so crazy I practically forgot what was up with Perez before he showed up in 4th at the SC, I thought he was in the same boat as Verstappen.

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