2019 Singapore GP - Marina Bay

[Nitrodaze]

https://apicms.thestar.com.my/uploads/images/2019/09/12/266927.jpg
Giddy up !
https://updatedtrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Singapore-F1-track.jpg

We head east to the night race of the exotic street circuit of Singapore on the back of a double headline wins of Ferrari at Spa Francorchamp and Monza. Marina bay is much like Monaco, an aero track as opposed to the power tracks of Monza and spa. Layed out in a figure of eight shape, it is all about downforce at this track, hence it is weekend that is likely to be about the return to the duel between Mercedes and Redbull. Overtaking is difficult at this track but not impossible and most straights are interupted with odd kinks here and there which punishes cars with poor downforce with loss of overall performance. Ferrari may struggle this weekend but may be there about with a podium finish.

Redbull come into this weekend with their new spec Honda engines, surely with some determination to redress the one that got away from them at the hungaroring. Redbull has typically gone very well at Singapore which has been a bogey track for Mercedes in the past. But the Mercedes W10 has similar aero characteristics as the Redbull which sets us up for a battle royal between the six times constructor world champion and the four time constructor would champion. It is a race that would test Albon in the other Redbull as it would be his first real head to head race with Verstapenn on a track where Verstapenn has excelled in the past.

Verstapenn would be keen to have a clean start off the line and to avoid another Ferrari sandwich on sunday. To have half a chance of that, he has to start on pole position. This would require him to beat Hamilton or Bottas to pole on saturday. Q3 is going to be tense and possibly spectacular as the Redbulls take the fight to Mercedes on one of the few track where they have a good chance to beat Mercedes in a straight fight.

https://www.automobilsport.com/uploads/_neustart21/f1-ab-singapore/verstappen-crash-ferraris-singapore.JPG

The heat of the tropics makes this race a physically demanding race. And the Amco lined track punishes mistakes with race ending consequences. Singapore has always produced one form of drama or the other. This is the scene of Perez's side swipe into Sirotkin. And there was that spectacular crash of the two Ferraris into the Redbull of Verstapenn. You probably remember the controversial Renault scandal of Alonso's staged win where his teammate Nelson Piquet allegedly crashed to give Alonso the opportunity to win the race.

Vettel and Hamilton are the most successfull drivers to win this race on the current grid with four wins each. Mercedes are the most successful team to win this race with four wins with Ferrari and Redbull sharing 2nd place with three wins each. Hamilton was the last winner of this track. Hamilton holds the fastest ever lap on this track at 1:36.015 in 2018. But Kevin Magnussen holds the fastest race lap record at 1:41.905 in the Haas VF-18 in 2018.

This is a 61 laps race of about 1hr and 45 mins. So get your beers, kettle or coffee makers ready, it is showtime :-) Meanwhile checkout these wonderful grid girls.

https://www.straitstimes.com/sites/default/files/styles/xxx_large/public/articles/2018/02/02/grid01_2x.jpg?itok=0AXXarxG&timestamp=1517551430

[Tazio]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/hamilton-fuel-breach-stewards/4544393/

Boss' fuel found to be 11 degrees below ambient!
Most likely Kimi threw an ice cream cone into his tank!:crazy: :D

[Nitrodaze]

Hamilton seem the man to beat this weekend. He just seems untouchable at the moment. Vettel is not looking shabby either but we have not seen the true pace of the Redbull yet. And Albon is still looking good. Bottas not looking hot though.

[Bagwan]

Hamilton seem the man to beat this weekend. He just seems untouchable at the moment. Vettel is not looking shabby either but we have not seen the true pace of the Redbull yet. And Albon is still looking good. Bottas not looking hot though.

Everybody is looking hot . It's Singapore .

Hamilton is looking cool , but was penalized for being too cool .

[Nitrodaze]

Leclerc ramps up a stonker. It looks like we are in for a three way fight for pole.

[Tazio]

Yeah babe! :stareup: Looks like we are in for a real cracker!
Here we go, quali dawgz! Should be a real blood bath! :vampire:

[Tazio]

Hamilton seem the man to beat this weekend. He just seems untouchable at the moment. Vettel is not looking shabby either but we have not seen the true pace of the Redbull yet. And Albon is still looking good. Bottas not looking hot though. well he is on top with a 137.3. in q 1 I think he is bro on it!

[Tazio]

Great job by the McLaren boyz in q1 p6, and p7

[Tazio]

Wow McLerc is on fire :eek:
All cars are on soft in Q2

[airshifter]

Wow McLerc is on fire :eek:
All cars are on soft in Q2

And 4/10ths up on Seb. That was a surprising quick lap!

[airshifter]

Holy crap. Do the reds have a chance to lock out the front row?

[Tazio]

Here we go Q3!

[Nitrodaze]

The Ferrari is stonking it. They would e very hard to beat in Q3 l think. What a shocker!

[Tazio]

OMG cracking lap by Seb! Merc is a full second back!

[Nitrodaze]

Mercedes are looking slower than even the Redulls. Holy smoke, what a weird quali

[Nitrodaze]

Wow, Ferrari are back

[airshifter]

When it came down to it, Lewis upped his game and gave it a good shot. But race pace tomorrow might be a vastly different game.

[Tazio]

What can I say McLerc is a freakin' god! Credit Ferrari they have really improved their car. Let's see what 'The Boss' can do from the front row. Merc have better long run pace! Best Q' of the season!

[airshifter]

Agreed Taz. I'm so glad I didn't delay and watch that recorded.

I think race pace is going to make it hard for the reds tomorrow, but Leclerc is driving the crap out of that car.

[The Black Knight]

What can I say McLerc is a freakin' god! Credit Ferrari they have really improved their car. Let's see what 'The Boss' can do from the front row. Merc have better long run pace! Best Q' of the season!

LeClerc is amazing and he has been since his GP2 days. He’s far more impressive than Max ever has been. Great job by him. Surely on his way to become on of the GOATS.

[Tazio]

LeClerc is amazing and he has been since his GP2 days. He’s far more impressive than Max ever has been. Great job by him. Surely on his way to become on of the GOATS.Can't argue with that logic bro. The guy is just plain amazing! He has single handedly brought this season back too life.

[Nitrodaze]

Agreed Taz. I'm so glad I didn't delay and watch that recorded.

I think race pace is going to make it hard for the reds tomorrow, but Leclerc is driving the crap out of that car.

Overtaking is bloody hard on this track, if Leclerc can get it off the line well and stay in front, Mercedes would have to fiddle with their strategy to see if they can steal track position and the race. The best strategy and tyre management would determine who wins it tomorrow.

But what a lap from Leclerc!

It left Hamilton feeling humble, Vettel looking beaten and Verstapenn feeling he is in a different race. I think the narrative has changed this weekend. Verstapenn has just been given notice that Leclerc is the man he has to beat in the future. Leclerc in a fully resolved Ferrari is going to dominate the grid even as early as 2020.

[Bagwan]

Bottas isn't happy with his team-mate .

[Nitrodaze]

Bottas isn't happy with his team-mate .

With six races to go, it is a longshot for Leclerc to win the drivers title. But the two youngsters gunning for 2nd place have qualified ahead of Bottas who is currently 2nd. With only 39 points between Bottas and Leclerc, it is looking like Leclerc is going to be in 2nd place by the USA GP, l venture to estimate. If these last few performances continue.

Hamilton is not his problem at the mo. He is bleeding points and he has to get his act together before it is too late.

[The Black Knight]

Bottas isn't happy with his team-mate .

Why?

[The Black Knight]

Why?

So apparently it was a communication issue between Bottas, Hamilton and Mercedes. Bottas was waiting because a RBR was in front of him going slow, Hamilton did not have this information in hand and thought Bottas was going unnecessarily slow for no reason which was going to ruin his own qualifying lap preparation so he passed Bottas out. A misunderstanding that can be avoided in the futhre.

[Nitrodaze]

This is how the drivers championship stacks up with 7 races to go[including this one].

Maximum points available - 175 points

Current Point scores:-

LH - 284
VB - 221
MV - 185
CL - 182

Lewis Hamilton needs 113 points if Bottas wins all 7 races remaining to win the championship by one point.
Lewis Hamilton needs 77 points if Verstapenn wins all 7 races remaining to win the championship by one point.
Lewis Hamilton needs 74 points if Leclerc wins all 7 races remaining to win the championship by one point.

When Hamilton scores more than 112 points in the next few races, the 2019 driver championship would be over. Or 4 wins and one 4th place.

[airshifter]

Almost time to roll off. This will be a critical start for everyone at the front.


Let's just hope Seb doesn't manage to take out both Ferrari's. :laugh:

[Tazio]

Really excited about this race.
I hope I'm not disappointed!
......and here we go

[Tazio]

Damn it Sainz, Stupid Hulkenberg!

[Tazio]

LeClerc is amazing and he has been since his GP2 days. He’s far more impressive than Max ever has been. Great job by him. Surely on his way to become on of the GOATS.
It sure is easy liking McLerc. He manners himself in a humble way! and just gets on with it. 'stappen is a bit of a big mouth , is really into himself, and doesn't mind telling you! plus his persona is a little abrasive!

[Tazio]

This race is about to get interesting with pit stops coming up!

[Tazio]

These guys are going really freakin' slow.
only 8 seconds between the top 8!

[airshifter]

Merc rolls the dice as Vettel gets the undercut.

[truefan72]

First of all. I don't agree with that call to bottas. Let them rqce. Also shaite strategy from mercedes. They should have listened to hamilton. The undercut was the right strategy. It was so obvious. Smh

[truefan72]

That should be a penalty on vettel. Just divebombed gasly and made contact.

[airshifter]

This could come back to Merc. But Seb is putting on a charge now that he has his chance.

[truefan72]

Too aggressive ricciardo.

[truefan72]

Grosjean foolishness

[Tazio]

safety car we have a race boys!

[airshifter]

With track position being so vital at this track, I bet this restart gets dicey. Anything can happen with the top 5, maybe even 6 cars.

[Tazio]

I've lost track of all the questionable pit strategies.

[truefan72]

I've lost track of all the questionable pit strategies.

Yup

[airshifter]

Well we know Seb won't give up. Maybe now is when he takes both Ferrari's out. :)

[truefan72]

I've lost track of all the questionable pit strategies.

Yup

[Tazio]

Kimi got punked!

[truefan72]

This race was once again thrown away by mercedes. If they had pit hamilton first he would have undercut vettel and leclerc. It was the obvious thing to do but as usual the pit strategist s overthink the obvious and put themselves in an unnecessary predicament. Frustrating.

[truefan72]

Also the decision to put both mercedes cars on hards when they could have run the mediums (which work better on their cars) is also baffling. Just a shambolic day for mercedes stratrgy

[truefan72]

I would love to understand the ferrar stratrgy as well. Leclerc has been clearly been done a disservice by his team. I don't get it

[Tazio]

Congrat's to Seb, although McLerc got freakin' robbed!

[truefan72]

I wish the sky team would stop praising vettel. He literally did nothing at all to get p1 and maintaining it isn't something to regale. Its alnost like they are praising him for not crashing. Lol

[Nitrodaze]

What weird strategies by Mercedes and Ferrari. The dumb Mercedes strategist is back; the Mercedes strategist is a jackyl and Hyde character, isn't he. I think they are overdue a change in that department.

Leclerc is rightly hard done by the Ferrari strategy. Talk about having your race win taken away from you. But l understand why Ferrari did what they did. They knew Mercedes was planning something based on Leclerc and they shuffled things by doing something out of Mercedes focus. It was the old fashioned double shuffle. It was brilliant but at the expense of Leclerc.

[truefan72]

Wolff on sky talking gibberish. They just effed up in myvopinion. Poor strategy wrong tire. Blown opprtunity. Shaite weekend. There is a smack of arrogance from the mercedes side. Always trying to show everyone on the grid how clever they are and simply making strategy blunders left and right. Once again if the correct strategy is obvious to me, how is it not for them? They even left hamilton out several laps after leclerc losing 2 seconds a lap while they just sat there with bewildered looks on their face. To the point that they hadvto enact team orders to keep hamilton ahead which i absolutely did not agree with that

[Nitrodaze]

Wolff on sky talking gibberish. They just effed up in myvopinion. Poor strategy wrong tire. Blown opprtunity. Shaite weekend. There is a smack of arrogance from the mercedes side. Always trying to show everyone on the grid how clever they are and simply making strategy blunders left and right. Once again if the correct strategy is obvious to me, how is it not for them? They even left hamilton out several laps after leclerc losing 2 seconds a lap while they just sat there with bewildered looks on their face. To the point that they hadvto enact team orders to keep hamilton ahead which i absolutely did not agree with that

It is clear, Mercedes is slipping backwards now. Hamilton with fresher tyres could not pass Verstapenn in the Redbull. Which means that Redbull are well within 2 seconds of Mercedes outright pace. If Ferrari can be faster than everyone here in Singapore, they would be just as quick at all the other six races. They would be mighty at Suzuka, Russia, the US GP, Brasil and Abu Dhabi at least.

This development makes the 2020 season very interesting as it potentially might be the first season that Ferrari clearly surge ahead and win their first championship since 2007.

[Zico]

I would love to understand the ferrar stratrgy as well. Leclerc has been clearly been done a disservice by his team. I don't get it


Well, after falling away a bit, Seb needed a strong result to still be relevent and not fall into oblivion.
With Charles on a roll they might have also wanted to clip his wings a bit stop him getting too carried away?

[airshifter]

In the end, Ferrari end up taking a 1-2 at a track where everyone expected a podium to be a good result probably. And they managed to use strategy to overcome the qually that had them split by the Mercedes of Hamilton.

As for all the strategy complaints, I really don't see either team as having screwed it up. Ferrari and RB blinked first, and at that point the positions were lost for Mercedes. They played the only card that was left, which was to run longer and hope the race came back to them. Ferrari changed their finishing order, but converted a 1-3 race to a 1-2 race. Since they had no reason to take points from Leclerc they were probably just rolling the dice as well, but it worked for team points. I'm actually surprised they didn't try to reverse the finishing order towards the end, but I think we all know Seb would have just ignored the order anyway. :laugh: But since Leclerc is closer to Bottas in points it might have helped in the hopes that the Merc drivers don't finish 1-2 in the WDC standings. If not for the safety cars being later in the race the pit strategy might well have favored Mercedes. It's easy for us to complain when we have hindsight, but the teams aren't in that position. This time I think both teams made the right decisions as the hand played out.

The DOTD standings being the finishing order was comical IMO. Though none of them really put a tire wrong the entire weekend, I though Norris and Gasly were both more deserving considering the hardware they are driving. Same for Giovinazzi. Ricciardo and Hulk both raced hard but it didn't pan out that great. KMag was doing great and looking to stay in the points until the safety cars had him getting punked left and right on the restarts. Albon had a clean race as well, and considering the Mercs were the only cars between him and Max, that's a good weekend for someone in a new car.

Seb ran a really good race once the strategy went his direction. He got through the traffic better than Leclerc, but the safety cars robbed him of that time later. But he kept his head down and drove hard at the restarts as well.

I think with a few more laps Lewis would have had a real shot at Max. And with fewer safety car laps, possibly a shot at the upper two podium spots. But luck today put the strategy calls into the Ferrari camp, so we will never know for sure.

[Nitrodaze]

Well, after falling away a bit, Seb needed a strong result to still be relevent and not fall into oblivion.
With Charles on a roll they might have also wanted to clip his wings a bit stop him getting too carried away?

I don't think Ferrari planned to take the win away from Leclerc. Like everyone, they did not appreciate how powerful the undercut was. I think they were trying to undercut Hamilton but ended up undercutting both Hamilton and Leclerc. It was unfortunate for Leclerc but that is racing.

[Nitrodaze]

This is how the drivers championship stacks up with 6 races to go.

Maximum points available - 150 points

Current Point scores:-

LH - 296
VB - 231
MV - 200
CL - 200

Lewis Hamilton needs 86 (92) points if Bottas wins all 6 races remaining to win the championship by one point.
Lewis Hamilton needs 55 (61)points if Verstapenn wins all 6 races remaining to win the championship by one point.
Lewis Hamilton needs 55 (61) points if Leclerc wins all 6 races remaining to win the championship by one point.

When Hamilton scores more than 86 (92) points in the next few races, the 2019 driver championship would be over. Not including 6 fastest lap points also available.

The fastest improver is Leclerc and most likely to finish 2nd in the championship. But it ain't over till the fat lady sings.

[N. Jones]

It is clear, Mercedes is slipping backwards now. Hamilton with fresher tyres could not pass Verstapenn in the Redbull. Which means that Redbull are well within 2 seconds of Mercedes outright pace. If Ferrari can be faster than everyone here in Singapore, they would be just as quick at all the other six races. They would be mighty at Suzuka, Russia, the US GP, Brasil and Abu Dhabi at least.

This development makes the 2020 season very interesting as it potentially might be the first season that Ferrari clearly surge ahead and win their first championship since 2007.

This is my belief also - that Mercedes dominance is coming to an end. I think Ferrari did make a good call as Nitrodaze mentioned. It sucks for LeClerc but for Ferrari they get a win and a 1-2. I don't think anything is going to dislodge Merc from winning both titles but I do think this is going to setup Ferrari for a title win next season.

[The Black Knight]

This is my belief also - that Mercedes dominance is coming to an end. I think Ferrari did make a good call as Nitrodaze mentioned. It sucks for LeClerc but for Ferrari they get a win and a 1-2. I don't think anything is going to dislodge Merc from winning both titles but I do think this is going to setup Ferrari for a title win next season.

My guess is that Mercedes have already shifted focus towards 2021. They may very well sacrifice 2020 for a return to dominance in 2021. Mercedes still have the best package but Ferrari have made a massive step. Singapore, apart from last year, has never been spectacular for Mercedes. I still fancy them to win another 3-4 races this year. They only lost today because of strategy not due to lack of pace.

[Nitrodaze]

My guess is that Mercedes have already shifted focus towards 2021. They may very well sacrifice 2020 for a return to dominance in 2021. Mercedes still have the best package but Ferrari have made a massive step. Singapore, apart from last year, has never been spectacular for Mercedes. I still fancy them to win another 3-4 races this year. They only lost today because of strategy not due to lack of pace.

The 2021 regs has not been agreed yet. I don't think there is enough info to get any serious work started. I would buy the idea that they have moved their focus to the 2020 engine to try to catchup to Ferrari.

Based on the last six races, l don't think Mercedes have the best package anymore. Ferrari have caught up on the aero front, and Redbull are closing up on the power front. They are now on level terms with both Ferrari and Redbull depending on track of course. But Singapore clearly shows that Ferrari has taken a step ahead of Mercedes and Redbull, both of which have left Singapore scratching their heads with disbelief of the pace shown by the prancing horse today.

The edge that Mercedes had over Ferrari is no longer there. Ferrari have reduced the losses at the corners such that they can now deploy their power to great effect on the straight following the corners.

[Duncan]

Not a bad race. Leclerc (or l'Eclair as the Sky commentators would have it) justifiably seemed upset, but I don't think the Ferrari pit wall were trying to disadvantage him, they were just trying to undercut Hamilton and it was a much bigger effect than anybody expected. No idea why Mercedes didn't box Lewis immediately when they had timing data after Vettel's stop. Wouldn't Mercedes strategy team be looking for exactly this sort of data and adjusting as appropriate? Very strange.

[The Black Knight]

I wish the sky team would stop praising vettel. He literally did nothing at all to get p1 and maintaining it isn't something to regale. Its alnost like they are praising him for not crashing. Lol

Yeah the best part of that for me was Paul DiResta saying Vettel came to Singapore a changed man. Not sure how he figured that one out considering he was out qualified by his teammate for the 8th race in succession and LeClerc was clearly faster than him again. He lucked into this one and that’s it.

[The Black Knight]

The 2021 regs has not been agreed yet. I don't think there is enough info to get any serious work started. I would buy the idea that they have moved their focus to the 2020 engine to try to catchup to Ferrari.

Based on the last six races, l don't think Mercedes have the best package anymore. Ferrari have caught up on the aero front, and Redbull are closing up on the power front. They are now on level terms with both Ferrari and Redbull depending on track of course. But Singapore clearly shows that Ferrari has taken a step ahead of Mercedes and Redbull, both of which have left Singapore scratching their heads with disbelief of the pace shown by the prancing horse today.

The edge that Mercedes had over Ferrari is no longer there. Ferrari have reduced the losses at the corners such that they can now deploy their power to great effect on the straight following the corners.

The 2021 regs are pretty much set in stone now. It’s only fine details here and there being altered at this stage but they are pretty much 100% agreed now.

[Nitrodaze]

The 2021 regs are pretty much set in stone now. It’s only fine details here and there being altered at this stage but they are pretty much 100% agreed now.

We would have to see if all the teams sign up in October. If they do, then it is great, we can put this behind us and look forward to a new era of racing. As Hamilton emerged as the head honcho of the Hyrid era, l eagerly await to see if Leclerc can emerge and establish himself and Ferrari as new magic combination of 2021 era.

[Nitrodaze]

Yeah the best part of that for me was Paul DiResta saying Vettel came to Singapore a changed man. Not sure how he figured that one out considering he was out qualified by his teammate for the 8th race in succession and LeClerc was clearly faster than him again. He lucked into this one and that’s it.

Actually it was quite a lap that Vettel put out to undercut both Leclerc and Hamilton. Alot of people undermine that effort and forget how quick Vettel can be when he has his head in the right place. It happened at the expense of a more deserving Leclerc but that is racing, you take your opportunities and make the very best of it. And that is what Vettel did. The team aimed for between Hamilton and Leclerc, Vettel took it beyond Leclerc to steal the win. That is dope.

[The Black Knight]

Actually it was quite a lap that Vettel put out to undercut both Leclerc and Hamilton. Alot of people undermine that effort and forget how quick Vettel can be when he has his head in the right place. It happened at the expense of a more deserving Leclerc but that is racing, you take your opportunities and make the very best of it. And that is what Vettel did. The team aimed for between Hamilton and Leclerc, Vettel took it beyond Leclerc to steal the win. That is dope.

Vettel had brand spanking new tires which enabled him to go that fast. The undercut was massive in Singapore. He wasn’t quicker than LeClerc after LeClerc pitted only one lap later either. There was zero special about what he did and any attempts to explain it as only something Vettel could do is stretching... desperately. He took his opportunity but there was nothing special about it.

[Tazio]

This is my belief also - that Mercedes dominance is coming to an end.
If true, I'm looking forward to a merc melt down. I'm hoping Toto has a really nasty,utterly complete,and public one for us all to see! :p These freakin' guys have been on top for too long, and have gotten (imo) more than a little arrogant. This spectacle could be very entertaining; than maybe not!

[Nitrodaze]

Vettel had brand spanking new tires which enabled him to go that fast. The undercut was massive in Singapore. He wasn’t quicker than LeClerc after LeClerc pitted only one lap later either. There was zero special about what he did and any attempts to explain it as only something Vettel could do is stretching... desperately. He took his opportunity but there was nothing special about it.

I probably would not go as far as calling it special per se. It was good enough to win the race, which is what counts.

[Nitrodaze]

If true, I'm looking forward to a merc melt down. I'm hoping Toto has a really nasty,utterly complete,and public one for us all to see! :p These freakin' guys have been on top for too long, and have gotten (imo) more than a little arrogant. This spectacle could be very entertaining; than maybe not!

I think Mercedes has earned the right to be arrogant. But l have not seen anything arrogant about Mercedes or anyone in Mercedes. The level of excellence of Mercedes is breathtaking really. They raised the bar so high, Ferrari had to dig real deep to get on level terms. Every good thing comes to an end at some point, ask Redbull and they would tell you.

That said, Mercedes is beginning to face a character testing period. How they deal with it would say much about their resilience. Unlike Redbull, they make their own engines and chassis, so l fail to see them going through a period of dulldrum, winless years. They would be there or thereabout. And would keep Ferrari honest at every opportunity.

But being second best is going to be a very bitter pill for a team that has enjoyed so much success over the last seven years.

[zako85]

Vettel had brand spanking new tires which enabled him to go that fast. The undercut was massive in Singapore. He wasn’t quicker than LeClerc after LeClerc pitted only one lap later either. There was zero special about what he did and any attempts to explain it as only something Vettel could do is stretching... desperately. He took his opportunity but there was nothing special about it.

I would still give Vettel some credit for not making any mistakes three times in a row during the race restarts.

[Tazio]

I think Mercedes has earned the right to be arrogant. But l have not seen anything arrogant about Mercedes or anyone in Mercedes. The level of excellence of Mercedes is breathtaking really. They raised the bar so high, Ferrari had to dig real deep to get on level terms. Every good thing comes to an end at some point, ask Redbull and they would tell you.

That said, Mercedes is beginning to face a character testing period. How they deal with it would say much about their resilience. Unlike Redbull, they make their own engines and chassis, so l fail to see them going through a period of dulldrum, winless years. They would be there or thereabout. And would keep Ferrari honest at every opportunity.

But being second best is going to be a very bitter pill for a team that has enjoyed so much success over the last seven years.Well we'll just have to see. I'm not trying to take anything away from Merc. They have earned every thing they have accomplished!
But if they get whupped in Russia the shouting may well begin!

[Nitrodaze]

Well we'll just have to see. I'm not trying to take anything away from Merc. They have earned every thing they have accomplished!
But if they get whupped in Russia the shouting may well begin!

True, but they are not beat yet!

[Tazio]

True, but they are not beat yet!Very true, and it is not in any way a sure thing! One thing I do regret is; if Merc goes down, Niki isn't around to see it. That dude would go off like a neutron bomb!:bomb::wave:

[N. Jones]

Yeah the best part of that for me was Paul DiResta saying Vettel came to Singapore a changed man. Not sure how he figured that one out considering he was out qualified by his teammate for the 8th race in succession and LeClerc was clearly faster than him again. He lucked into this one and that’s it.

DiResta, Davidson, and Chandhok are useless on Sky.

[Tazio]

DiResta, Davidson, and Chandhok are useless on Sky.Yeah to have Matchett and Hobbs again. Those guys were really professional

he was out qualified by his teammate for the 8th race in succession and LeClerc was clearly faster than him again. Yup McLerc is the real goods!!

[Nitrodaze]

DiResta, Davidson, and Chandhok are useless on Sky.

These guys are in their early stages of their journalism careers. Like rookies, they are likely to have kinks in their performances, but they would grow into their various roles successfully l think. You have to give them the chance to develop their skills. Afterall, they are racers doing journalistic duties. They don't teach journalism in racing school.

I actually appreciate their insights on the various scenarios of discussion during the televised weekend. You can tell that their contributions are not quite as grounded as Brundle would deliver even when we disagree with him. But l watch them with interest as these guys embrace their respective roles and take on the challenges of performing that role. In time, we would get to see a more experienced and rounded performance from them. But meanwhile, give them a break and let them develop.

I know, l would rather have a racer give commentary to the racing situations of a race weekend than from a journalist with no racing experience. It may be clunky and unpolished, but it would be delivered with the spirit of a racer and would take you to heart of the emotions of the driver involved.

Of all of these guys, l would definitely say Davidson on the sky pad is brilliant. He picks the highlights very well and talks through the related issue with very good depth of comprehension. And he comes across very unbiased. I tip him for one most likely to evolve into another Brundle.

I wasn't very sure of Karun at first but l could see promise in his approach. He has a big shoe to fill as he takes on Ted Kravitz duties of the pit walk during racing. In time he would find a way to make it his own, but he has a tall job emulating the impressive Ted Kravitz who manufactured this aspect of show.

[The Black Knight]

DiResta, Davidson, and Chandhok are useless on Sky.

I love Davidsons analysis of qualifying laps and races to be honest. I think he’s the best member of that team by a massive margin. Brundle, Crofty, Lazenby, DiResta and Herbert can all get lost though. Utterly useless the lot of them.

[Nitrodaze]

I love Davidsons analysis of qualifying laps and races to be honest. I think he’s the best member of that team by a massive margin. Brundle, Crofty, Lazenby, DiResta and Herbert can all get lost though. Utterly useless the lot of them.

It kind of bothers me when people say the hard work of others is utter useless. I am sure neither one of us would enjoy anyone referring to our work as useless. If you are an artist or performer of any kind, you would probably appreciate this point more than others. You don't like their work just say so. There are thousands of other people who appreciate the show that these guys put out at race weekends. We may not agree with their view sometimes or some aspects of the show, but that is not enough to reduce their work to uselessness. I admit that there are scopes for improvements, but l am certain that they are not useless.

I just think some constructive criticism would be more beneficial than to denegrade them. Just saying !

[The Black Knight]

It kind of bothers me when people say the hard work of others is utter useless. I am sure neither one of us would enjoy anyone referring to our work as useless. If you are an artist or performer of any kind, you would probably appreciate this point more than others. You don't like their work just say so. There are thousands of other people who appreciate the show that these guys put out at race weekends. We may not agree with their view sometimes or some aspects of the show, but that is not enough to reduce their work to uselessness. I admit that there are scopes for improvements, but l am certain that they are not useless.

I just think some constructive criticism would be more beneficial than to denegrade them. Just saying !

Been listening to Brundle for years and the man has no guile whatsoever. Bloody hell it took him 6 months to call out Nico for what was instantly and clearly obvious he did in Monaco 2014 qualifying. I can only appreciate the work of someone when they are doing an honest job and not worrying about their paddock passes or little boys club membership for the next race. They all have it too cushy. Lazenby is a Johnny come lately supporter, only knows what he read on wikipedia about the sport. In Hungary this year he stayed Schumacher did four stops to win Hungary 98. He probBly read about Magny Cours 2004 at the same time as it and got mixed up. DiResta wants to return driving to the sport too much so avoids stepping on peoples toes. Don’t get me started on Herbert and Crofty.

[Nitrodaze]

Been listening to Brundle for years and the man has no guile whatsoever. Bloody hell it took him 6 months to call out Nico for what was instantly and clearly obvious he did in Monaco 2014 qualifying. I can only appreciate the work of someone when they are doing an honest job and not worrying about their paddock passes or little boys club membership for the next race. They all have it too cushy. Lazenby is a Johnny come lately supporter, only knows what he read on wikipedia about the sport. In Hungary this year he stayed Schumacher did four stops to win Hungary 98. He probBly read about Magny Cours 2004 at the same time as it and got mixed up. DiResta wants to return driving to the sport too much so avoids stepping on peoples toes. Don’t get me started on Herbert and Crofty.

I get your point and that aspect of the show frustrates me sometimes. I think they try to be too nice sometimes at the expense of frank journalism. But they also need access to teams to be able to have information to give us at race weekends. They try to have a balance between pissing off the teams and being frank about issues. And that is delicate and not easy. Was it 2017 that Arrivabene closed all access to sky all throughout that season because of something they said. So, there is a subtle currency between the teams and the media. Play nice to gain access.

I am sure there are many other things we can list.

[Tazio]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferrari-update-singapore-vettel-win/4547350/

A pretty decent video with Jake Boxall-Legge (of Autosport) explaining the in-season evolution of the FS90. It boggles the mind how much money Ferrari must have poured into getting on terms with Mercedes! And what tricks do Mercedes have in their pocket? I think this is going to be a little ambiguous as Mercedes can win, and probably will win both titles without necessarily jettisoning their sandbags (if they're actually carrying them) as they work on the 2020 challenger, and limp their way to both titles this season. :champion: This is JMHO of course! :andrea:

[Nitrodaze]

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/ferrari-update-singapore-vettel-win/4547350/

A pretty decent video with Jake Boxall-Legge (of Autosport) explaining the in-season evolution of the FS90. It boggles the mind how much money Ferrari must have poured into getting on terms with Mercedes! And what tricks do Mercedes have in their pocket? I think this is going to be a little ambiguous as Mercedes can win, and probably will win both titles without necessarily jettisoning their sandbags (if they're actually carrying them) as they work on the 2020 challenger, and limp their way to both titles this season. :champion: This is JMHO of course! :andrea:

Mercedes usually have at least one double DNF each season. They have not had one yet this season, so anything is possible.

[Tazio]

:stareup: I hope you are right, because I would love to see a fight to the end!