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A superb race all round, a bit of luck, the misplacedof the SC on the track (placement before Max and not Lando), a Canette that wasn't as fresh as usual (as proof, Ham was able to sniff Checo's diffuser) and Lando got his 1st win.
McL's 10 new features worked!
On this race and this weekend, KMag is the F1 penalties World Champion! du jamais-vu !
Last edited by BKorsaire; 05-06-2024 at 04:39 AM.
Reason: penalties for KMag
Oh me too, delighted to see Mc back in the top like in the days of the legendary Ron Dennis, passing Féfé and a young Lando with a well-shaped head full of wisdom. Not like Carlito who, frustrated by Piastri's non-penalization, committed a contentious act that cost him 4th place, to the benefit of a moribund Checo who was almost overtaken by Lewis! The latter managed his C3 Medium very well at the start, a daring gamble that paid off!
A magnificent battle between Ocon and Zozo, Alpine makes a comeback and there's talk that Jonathan Wheatley should replace Famin if he leaves RB.
I continue to be amazed at the racing at Miami, considering it's just a combination of parking lots and feeder roads. Passing is possible, but also defendable. Some great side-by-side racing (Alpine racing each other was crazy!), Norris controlled the race, great job by McL for providing both drivers with great rides. I thought Hamilton ran a good race, Russell, not as good as usual.
Hulk had, overall, a meh race. Great defense against Hamilton, but that wreck with Sargent was just cringe-worthy. I always try to limit my interpretations of radio audio, because we only hear the snippets F1 wants us to hear, but Carlos just sounded like some entitled brat ("just tell Piastri to give me the position before he gets penalized").
Again, kudos to Miami for putting on a great race!
Some great racing, and a very entertaining event. Nice to see Lando take the win!
Should we start a pool to guess which race KMag will earn his suspension?
I say he can keep it together until Canada...
Maybe another pool for how long Ricci keeps his seat.
And how long will Perez last if he falls out of 2nd in the points?
His total points deduction now stands at 10 points, just two shy of the fateful limit which results in a suspension for one race! The enraged Viking had a very punishing weekend. He was docked 3 points for protecting his leader Hulk at all costs in Saturday's sprint race, then racked up a total of five penalty points in the space of a few hours.
The situation is all the more worrying in that KMag's penalty points will only be cancelled from the beginning of April 2025: the slightest slip-up in future races is totally forbidden if he doesn't want to stay at home. Haas will have to review the instructions given to KMag, as I imagine he doesn't drive beyond reason in a stupid way as he said himself on Saturday just for the pleasure of annoying half the field, he has instructions from Haas to protect the Hulk.
KMag is 2 points away from suspension: enough to open the door to Bearman for a race?
Bonjour ! Monza, at last! the Temple of Vitesse ! an old-fashioned circuit, with little width and gravel traps that are back this year! this year celebrating the death of Magic Senna! everyone remembers that Sunday, May 1st 1994!
With 19 mythical bends such as Aque Minerale, Variante Alta, Variante Bassa, Tosa, Rivazza and the infamous Tamburello, the Dino and Enzo Ferrari Autodrome is steeped in history. A highly technical circuit with a succession of fast corners and narrow chicanes where overtaking is particularly difficult.
The track is renowned for its top-quality asphalt, whose smooth texture and composition offer F1 cars extra grip. Hence the choice of Pirelli, which for the first time this season is bringing the softest tire compounds on the spectrum: C3, C4 and C5.
Forces and stakes
Will La Canette leave a few crumbs for Mc or Féfé?
Accustomed to reigning supreme, it was a big surprise for the Austrians to see Lando park his Mc on the P1 at the finish! And this circuit will suit them even better, and there's no sprint! Mc is bringing yet more evolutions, Aston and a huge evolution of Féfé will be present, and La Canette will also react. Last but not least, Merco will be bringing its share of evolutions, even if they don't understand anything about their 4-wheeled donkey. From Giorgio Piola
McL and Féfé are determined to topple La Canette and believe that the WDC is not yet a done deal. Stappen, two-time winner of the event, remains the favorite. If he continues his run of pole positions, he'll be ideally placed for the race, since overtaking is tricky on this track. Behind him, Merco and Aston will continue to fight for the runner-up spots, and will have to be wary of the return to form of Faënza's little can.
Weather
Instability forecast for Sunday with a moderately optimistic forecast, there is a risk of rain.
New Way
He has just admitted that it will be difficult for him to retire. He concedes, no doubt before leaving La Canette for good, that he'll still be in F1 for another 4 or 5 years! Towards Maranello?
Ah yes, beautiful, flood free, San Marino. I was there in the sad day we lost Senna. An amazing circuit indeed, and as mentioned, all the updates will be well tested as there is no sprint format this weekend. A true return to Europe in the style of old.
Mrs Newey has been caught shopping properties in the north country of Italy, so I think we can assume that is where their caravan will end its pre-retirement journey from England. Especially since Mr Newey spoke of wanting to caravan through France and then east.
What of Sainz? I can’t see any other options for him besides Audi. Him and the Hulk would make a formidable pairing there. I can see Antonelli going to Williams and Bearman to Haas, sad news for Logan. Maybe he can go to Alpine if Ocon finally gets his seat at Mercedes that was promised so long ago.
We shall see, but for now I will enjoy watching McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull pounding around one of the best(if not slightly neutered) circuits in the world.
Ah yes, beautiful, flood free, San Marino. I was there in the sad day we lost Senna. An amazing circuit indeed, and as mentioned, all the updates will be well tested as there is no sprint format this weekend. A true return to Europe in the style of old.
Mrs Newey has been caught shopping properties in the north country of Italy, so I think we can assume that is where their caravan will end its pre-retirement journey from England. Especially since Mr Newey spoke of wanting to caravan through France and then east.
What of Sainz? I can’t see any other options for him besides Audi. Him and the Hulk would make a formidable pairing there. I can see Antonelli going to Williams and Bearman to Haas, sad news for Logan. Maybe he can go to Alpine if Ocon finally gets his seat at Mercedes that was promised so long ago.
We shall see, but for now I will enjoy watching McLaren, Ferrari and Red Bull pounding around one of the best(if not slightly neutered) circuits in the world.
Forza Ferrari!!
Salut Joey,
Imola, Imola ! Emilia Romagna, a nice place, i know this region.
I think Sainz will have no choice but to :
- Merco but for one year: it's very clear, obvious that Toto is ready to wait until the end of the 2025 season, i.e., allow him to win one more WDC before the big 2026 zone of uncertainty for 2 PU F1 neophytes: RB Powertrains and Ford. When you look at Féfé and Renault Alpine, who are struggling to win a WDC despite being well-known, multi-WDC engine manufacturers, imagine the mountain in front of RB Ford and Audi too!
- Audi, however, can't hope to win - that is, win without playing the WDC - for at least 3 or 4 years, at best! The big loser in all this was Carlito.
To sum up, Carlito's options are pretty limited and if I were him, I'd choose Merco, even for a year, because if he proves his talent and improves his performance, he could be kept at Merco. It's a risk worth taking, rather than going to Audi and enduring a desert crossing!
At Audi, we're thinking more and more about Gasly, in case a contract with Carlito isn't possible.
FP1
Oliver Bearman replaces Kevin Magnussen in the Haas car for FP1.
23°C air temperature and 43°C track temperature, no risk of rain for FP1, with clear skies over the circuit this Friday.
PU issue certainly for Albon, red flag Passing over a vibrator, the engine cut out.
Féfé and Merco on top, La Canette on the back foot...for now. Lots of understeer for all drivers
- Merco but for one year: it's very clear, obvious that Toto is ready to wait until the end of the 2025 season, i.e., allow him to win one more WDC before the big 2026 zone of uncertainty for 2 PU F1 neophytes: RB Powertrains and Ford. When you look at Féfé and Renault Alpine, who are struggling to win a WDC despite being well-known, multi-WDC engine manufacturers, imagine the mountain in front of RB Ford and Audi too!
- Audi, however, can't hope to win - that is, win without playing the WDC - for at least 3 or 4 years, at best! The big loser in all this was Carlito.
To sum up, Carlito's options are pretty limited and if I were him, I'd choose Merco, even for a year, because if he proves his talent and improves his performance, he could be kept at Merco. It's a risk worth taking, rather than going to Audi and enduring a desert crossing!
At Audi, we're thinking more and more about Gasly, in case a contract with Carlito isn't possible.
BK- good points, but I believe Merco is a shadow of itself. Most of the winning team have left, including Wolfs own protege. I just can’t see Sainz jumping on a sinking ship. Gasly to Audi, that would be a surprise for sure. But anything is possible.
Insiders I know have claimed that before they left the project for AM, RBPT were hitting all of the targets they had set a year ago. The downs at RB seem to only be the totalitarian way it is run. So I think they will probably be at least contenders in 26. Especially with Verstappen.
I know nothing about the Audi project but what I read in the press, but I would say they are quietly confident in a way that reminds me of BMW 20 years ago. But I agree, at least a couple of tours before they ( and Sainz if he went there) are winning. I just don’t understand Ferraris attraction to Leclerc.
BK- good points, but I believe Merco is a shadow of itself. Most of the winning team have left, including Wolfs own protege. I just can’t see Sainz jumping on a sinking ship. Gasly to Audi, that would be a surprise for sure. But anything is possible.
Insiders I know have claimed that before they left the project for AM, RBPT were hitting all of the targets they had set a year ago. The downs at RB seem to only be the totalitarian way it is run. So I think they will probably be at least contenders in 26. Especially with Verstappen.
I know nothing about the Audi project but what I read in the press, but I would say they are quietly confident in a way that reminds me of BMW 20 years ago. But I agree, at least a couple of tours before they ( and Sainz if he went there) are winning. I just don’t understand Ferraris attraction to Leclerc.
cheers!!
I agree, i don't understand the red carpet in front of Leclerc, le Tank. For me, Carlito should have been kept! Leclerc still makes too many mistakes.
Too much to get my head around. I'll just sit back and wait for whatever bizarre developments occur.
The racing has been entertaining this year, sometimes even at the front! Hope that continues.
Maybe Merc can figure out their car and join the fun
Too bad passing at Imola is so tough, and then on to Monaco. I love a parade...
FP2
It's hard to overtake but with a great heart, not impossible.
La Canette has some difficulties. Given the old-school circuit and the size of the 2024 F1 cars, pole position is crucial here. Féfé's evolutions seem to be working well
FP3
Yesterday was one of the rare bad starts to a weekend for Stappen, who couldn't find the optimum balance to get the full potential out of his RB20. Now he has 1 hour to find it, and Féfé is firmly on his home turf.
Toto is going to have a problem: a lot of top-level engineers are escaping from his company, all of which is sweating Ham's departure.
The latest is aerodynamicist Gioacchino Gino, after Loïc Serra, Jérôme d'Ambrosio and Mike Elliott. That's a lot. The Spice Boy himself has stated that since 2021, he has recruited 220 people at Merco! that's huge, and the haemorrhage continues to Féfé and elsewhere.
Sargeant under pressure, in the graviers.
At 31 mn of the end, Zozo in the wall at the last turn, a lot of dégats on the Aston ! too bad, he was on a good time with the hard C3, probably P6. Red flag.
Leclerc with a new ICE since yesterday before verification, Féfé feared engine failure. This 2nd ICE will be checked and reintroduced for the season if all goes well. New gearbox also for Leclerc.
At 19 mn of the end
Stappen in the hard, really ! This indicates that Féfé and McL have made real progress with their evolutions, because RB has also made evolutions here! Well, I thought Stappen was the favourite here, but I have to admit that's not the case !
While Piastri, with great skill, took the P1, Checo went straight into the wall, after a call and counter-call he couldn't get the car back. This old-school track doesn't forgive mistakes, and the drivers will have to be wary of the garage drivers. Red flag. It's not a good beginning of we for La Canette !
05-05-2024, 01:33 PM
