F1 2017

[madunit]

Red Bull reliability has hurt them more than they realise this year.

Only 6 of the 18 races has seen both drivers finish. They could well have been challenging Ferrari for second on the constructors.

 

[Life's Good]

HAM, quite rightly, will be considered one of the greats.
The thing I took away from USA/Mexico are the murmurs indicating Max is Red Bulls main man. Ric needs to turn things around and fast.

 

[madunit]

RIC has been pretty bloody brilliant this year, picking up wins and podiums fairly consistently despite having 4 better cars ahead of him.

Max was always going to be made the Number 1 driver, RB want to hold onto him for another ten years.

RIC doesn't need to worry about being a number 2 driver. He shat on Vettel when he was the Number 2 in his debut year at Red Bull. I can very much see him going to Mercedes long term with the hope of picking up a title or two after Hamilton retires.

Lewis is 4 years older than Ricciardo

 

[Life's Good]

I am really proud of Ric. The guy has carried Red Bull since 2014 cementing his reputation as a fabulous racer I just think he is getting unfairly squeezed by RB in their typical way.
I tend to think he will end up at Ferrari.
Mercedes have Ocon(super impressive)and George Russell in the wings. I think Ocon will end up in a switch with Bottas at the end of 18.
Kimi is only signed for 2018 leaving 19 as open. Ferrari have Leclerc, Giovinazzi, Grosjean, Perez but Ric is better than the lot. Also, Ferrari need someone putting pressure on Vettel(ala Rosberg on Hamilton)to drive the team forward(Kimi has a only done that sporadically in 3 years). Ric has been there, done that so wouldn’t have the fear of not being able to get the job done.
My two cents.

 

[madunit]

I am really proud of Ric. The guy has carried Red Bull since 2014 cementing his reputation as a fabulous racer I just think he is getting unfairly squeezed by RB in their typical way.
I tend to think he will end up at Ferrari.
Mercedes have Ocon(super impressive)and George Russell in the wings. I think Ocon will end up in a switch with Bottas at the end of 18.
Kimi is only signed for 2018 leaving 19 as open. Ferrari have Leclerc, Giovinazzi, Grosjean, Perez but Ric is better than the lot. Also, Ferrari need someone putting pressure on Vettel(ala Rosberg on Hamilton)to drive the team forward(Kimi has a only done that sporadically in 3 years). Ric has been there, done that so wouldn’t have the fear of not being able to get the job done.
My two cents.

I used to think that too.

But Mercedes have made it clear several times this year how much happier the whole place is after Rosberg left. Given that Hamilton and Ricciardo are very close, as is Ricciardo and Verstappen, and seeing how Max and Ric have functioned (fully respectful, get on well, positive atmosphere etc, and that the very few times there were issues they sorted it out like men behind the scenes and went back to getting on well), that is something Mercedes desperately wants. Hamilton seems iffy about his future, so Mercedes will like see Riccardo and Hamilton together for 1 or 2 seasons and then hope to bring probably Russell in as the Number 2 driver to Ricciardo.

Ocon is impressive but appears to be on the nose with some drivers (other than Perez). I think he'll stay at Force India for a while. Mercedes desperately need a marketable star to replace Lewis. Ricciardo fits the bill perfectly.

 

[Dodgy]

What the point of RB, or any constructor that's no chance of either title, having a designated no1?

You only commit to that if you're the best team under threat by the second best team, or you're the second best team and wanting to improve the leading driver's chance at a title. All RB would be doing is denying themselves the opportunity of a win.

That's what made Ferrari shit in the early 2000s. People actually get and accept team orders. But when it's a 1/3 of the way into the season, they're a mile in front, and they get Barrichello to slow down a 1/2 lap to give Schumacher an extra 4 point? It's just blatant disregard for what is reasonable.

Not that they wanted to win the 99 title with Irvine. But Irvine gave up points in the first half that year, which ultimately cost him the 99 title.

 

[madunit]

I'm not sure that designated 1 and 2 drivers are all that prominent nowadays anyway.

Hamilton and Rosberg never behaved like 1 and 2. Vettel and Raikkonen certainly aren't, although Kimi seems pretty happy to let Seb get his way.

Ricciardo and Verstappen also don't seem to be functioning with one driver getting the nod ahead of the other. I think it's just a wanky thing that the media love to play around with.

 

[madunit]

Interesting little squabble taking place between Renault and Toro Rosso.

Renault issues a statement amidst all the speculation of their pathetic reliability of late, stating that it's partially to do with the teams set up.

Franz replied that essentially, Renault are shithouse and f**k them.

Renault apparently threatened to deny supplying them engines for Brazil and Abu Dhabi.

 

[Life's Good]

Apart from me, who else nodded off during the borefest that was Abu Dhabi?

 

[madunit]

That was the shittiest race of the year. Made shittier by Ricciardo retiring and both Verstappen and Vettel unable to do anything.

It was just a massive procession.

 

[Life's Good]

Someone needs to take Hermann Tilke on an aerial tour of Zandvoort and show him what a real racetrack looks like.
Abu Dhabi just lacks any character you would associate with a great track - sweeping corners, undulation, off camber turns. It’s sh*t.

 

[madunit]

Yep. Made worse by the fact theres no instant penalty for leaving the track (ie sandtraps, grass or walls) close to the edge of the track.

Its just a slightly tricky nascar track.

 

[Parra]

Some changes in elevation can do wonders. Austin is a modern track that suffers none of the problems of Yas Marina

 

[jargan83]

Apart from me, who else nodded off during the borefest that was Abu Dhabi?

Once Ricciardo dropped out I went to bed. It was an absolute snoozefest.

 

[Life's Good]

Once Ricciardo dropped out I went to bed. It was an absolute snoozefest.

You’re being too kind mate.

 

[madunit]

I used to be that way cos I hate watching Vettel and Kvyat drive. Boring whingers.

But watching Max drive has been great.

I see Aston Martin are talking seriously about becoming an engine supplier for RBR.

I reckon the Doctor and Horner will be getting Aston to commit fully real soon, so as to entice Ricciardo to stay.

I think Merc will lure him if the engine changes ensure the cars remain hybrids.

If they abandon hybrids, Ferrari will lure him.

 

[Cherry_poppins]

The hybrids are a huge failure

The petrol unit is too small

 

[madunit]

The biggest problem with the hybrid experiment is that Mercedes became the best car. With their financial backing, there's f**k all chance of them agreeing to a move away from hybrids.

 

[T-Boon]

Grid girls are gone.

 

[Life's Good]

Grid girls are gone.

Crazy isn’t it. What next, scantily clad women in hip hop videos, male only movies?