F1 2024: Australian GP - Melbourne (Mar 24)

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by dfox

It'll be fun to see max obsessed fans squirm if a more competitive driver than Checo takes that seat and max actually needs to earn his keep.

Hard to make any case that Max is not earning his keep. That said two roosters in the hen house often ends up with fewer eggs and two dead roosters. Choice of the right number two driver is maybe the most important choice a team can make. Ferrari is about to learn a very public lesson on that next year.

[Autobacs]

Max is always driving 100% IMO so even if they brought in ALO it's not like he's going to drive faster/better/harder because he can't as he is already driving full speed all the time.

Checo is not an elite driver BUT he is not a mediocre driver either so the gap that Max is able to put on him is not due to Checo being mediocre but really on how well Max is driving.

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by Autobacs

Max is always driving 100% IMO so even if they brought in ALO it's not like he's going to drive faster/better/harder because he can't as he is already driving full speed all the time.

Checo is not an elite driver BUT he is not a mediocre driver either so the gap that Max is able to put on him is not due to Checo being mediocre but really on how well Max is driving.

"not mediocre" fits Chico perfectly.

not a mediocre, not great....somewhere in between...closer to mediocre.

[3798j]

Is Peter Windsor the only one who's reporting that Perez' contract has been extended?

[Killed by Death]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Hard to make any case that Max is not earning his keep. That said two roosters in the hen house often ends up with fewer eggs and two dead roosters. Choice of the right number two driver is maybe the most important choice a team can make. Ferrari is about to learn a very public lesson on that next year.

How can you get rid of this guy

Ferrari

[Car-Addicted]

The Italian press and the Ferrari Tifosi will take care of that for you.

Question is who will last longer Hamilton or Fred Vasseur?

[Car-Addicted]

FIA official hits out at ‘unfair and excessive’ Fernando Alonso penalty
03/27/2024
Spanish FIA figure Joaquín Verdegay has slammed the severe penalty issued to Fernando Alonso at the Australian Grand Prix, while claiming a lack of consistency in decisions.
Alonso hit with a drive-through penalty, converted to 20 seconds, plus three points on his FIA Super Licence.
“Alonso doesn’t brake, he just lifts. He touches the brake with his foot, but the reduction in speed resulting from this is less than that of lifting his foot off the accelerator. It is a minimal reduction. Here I wonder where the limit is, you have to be very clear about it. One per cent speed loss is okay and two per cent is exaggerated? This line is not written and here we are not talking about legality, but about justice.
“I don’t know where the line is. I don’t think the penalty is fair.”
https://www.planetf1.com/news/fia-of...ian-gp-penalty

This is the kind of stuff that damages the sport. Fans pay to see racing and not political gamesmanship.

[Sneaky Pete]

I have the impression that Horner is not a man who likes to be crossed.
When he had the the Thai driver Albon foisted on him he made him look terrible by giving him low downforce set ups for nearly every race. The few good drives Albon had were when he got the same set up as Verstappen.

[Killed by Death]

[dfox]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

Hard to make any case that Max is not earning his keep. That said two roosters in the hen house often ends up with fewer eggs and two dead roosters. Choice of the right number two driver is maybe the most important choice a team can make. Ferrari is about to learn a very public lesson on that next year.

Not trying to make the case that he isn't.

But you put Sainz in that second RB, a driver who is definitely better than Checo, and yes, you're looking at a case of two roosters in the hen house. Sainz will want to prove that he's the better driver, whether he is or not, and it's going to create fireworks.

The Max obsessed need to realize that Checo is really one of the best pairings for Max right now. Before the RB was by far and away the best car on the grid, Checo helped Max win races. He's one of three drivers in the past 2 years to win a race. He's pulled 2nd in 2/3 races so far this year, despite continuous issues with single lap speed. As much as he says he wants to be 1st, he knows that he won't be but he's happy where he's at. Alonso could work, because he'd fit in just like Checo.

As far as Ferrari, I think their current pairing is more electric than it will be with Ham. I foresee Ham coming in with tons of excitement, but he'll end up fitting in behind Charles.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Killed by Death

How can you get rid of this guy

Ferrari

LEW and Charlie will be close friends !

[Car-Addicted]

Originally Posted by dfox

The Max obsessed need to realize that Checo is really one of the best pairings for Max right now.

This crowd will never understand that concept.

[HeelToeShift]

Originally Posted by dfox

Not trying to make the case that he isn't.

But you put Sainz in that second RB, a driver who is definitely better than Checo, and yes, you're looking at a case of two roosters in the hen house. Sainz will want to prove that he's the better driver, whether he is or not, and it's going to create fireworks.

The Max obsessed need to realize that Checo is really one of the best pairings for Max right now. Before the RB was by far and away the best car on the grid, Checo helped Max win races. He's one of three drivers in the past 2 years to win a race. He's pulled 2nd in 2/3 races so far this year, despite continuous issues with single lap speed. As much as he says he wants to be 1st, he knows that he won't be but he's happy where he's at. Alonso could work, because he'd fit in just like Checo.

As far as Ferrari, I think their current pairing is more electric than it will be with Ham. I foresee Ham coming in with tons of excitement, but he'll end up fitting in behind Charles.

I’ve said this before but I genuinely don’t think Sai would be any better off than Per in the RB. Sai has had much more competitive cars than Per has in his career and doesn’t have much to show for it. I think Sai would have an awfully hard time driving the RB in the same way Per does and would likely be a similar case to 2022/2023 where Sai tries to drive like Max but can’t cope with a car that pointy.
Let’s not forget that Sai prob had the faster car at Monza last year and Max played him like a fiddle pushing him to lock up into turn one. Other than that, Sai on most occasions hasn’t even been within viewing distance of Max in most races and the only races he’s won were when Max started P11 in Singapore and still managed to cut down the lead by 20 seconds at the end in 6 laps and when Max had the DNF last race. Despite Sai win last year and Lec not winning, Lec still beat him on points too. Sai is a solid driver but anyone thinking he’s even in the same league as Max is crazy. They have driven in nearly identical levels of competitive cars in their near equal amount of race starts yet the stats are stacked having to Max’s favor.

[Autobacs]

Originally Posted by dfox

Not trying to make the case that he isn't.

Alonso could work, because he'd fit in just like Checo.

I'm not sure if you are serious but if you are then I think you are wrong.

[Car-Addicted]

One also has to consider the damage being Max's team mate in the current RB team could do to a drivers career.

[Autobacs]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

One also has to consider the damage being Max's team mate in the current RB team could do to a drivers career.

Interesting point as it's true, three drivers in a row now.

But that's up to the other Driver if they are willing to take on that challenge.

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Car-Addicted

One also has to consider the damage being Max's team mate in the current RB team could do to a drivers career.

MAX has always said : I don't care who my teammate is .
I always drive to win the race..

[///M Power-Belgium]

Originally Posted by Autobacs

Interesting point as it's true, three drivers in a row now.

But that's up to the other Driver if they are willing to take on that challenge.

Three ?

1- Sainz
2- Ric
3- Gasly
4- Albon
5- Checo

[SnapperRoxGC]

The idea that people still think there is a driver out there that can compete with Max is hilarious to me. I don't care how dominant the car is, you have never seen a driver in F1 history win with this regularity for this extended period of time. And if the RB was so dominant, you'd think Checo would be at bare minimum a lock for 2nd every GP instead of fighting for his life for 3rd/4th place every weekend.

When he's not in bed, he's in a race car, SIM or otherwise. It's not that he's more talented than any other driver (I mean I think LeClerc is easily as talented), its that he outworks everyone, and by a large margin. He has a one track mind. He's not interested in the trappings of the F1 lifestyle or DTS like the other drivers on the grid. He has a one track mind. It's really quite simple.

[NickyC]

If Alonso somehow makes it to RB next year, I would be so happy. Since Kimi retired, he's really the only driver left that I cheer for. Not that I think he will give Max a huge fight, but I'd love to see the old dog up there near the top for a final hurrah. It would make a great story for sure.

[Artemis]

Originally Posted by SnapperRoxGC

The idea that people still think there is a driver out there that can compete with Max is hilarious to me. I don't care how dominant the car is, you have never seen a driver in F1 history win with this regularity for this extended period of time. And if the RB was so dominant, you'd think Checo would be at bare minimum a lock for 2nd every GP instead of fighting for his life for 3rd/4th place every weekend.

When he's not in bed, he's in a race car, SIM or otherwise. It's not that he's more talented than any other driver (I mean I think LeClerc is easily as talented), its that he outworks everyone, and by a large margin. He has a one track mind. He's not interested in the trappings of the F1 lifestyle or DTS like the other drivers on the grid. He has a one track mind. It's really quite simple.

Ain't only what you got. It's also what you can do with what you got.

Verstappen has race skills that only very few drivers have or had.

Gordo Drummer: https://youtube.com/@thedrummergordo

[Autobacs]

Originally Posted by ///M Power-Belgium

Three ?

1- Sainz
2- Ric
3- Gasly
4- Albon
5- Checo

Sainz and Ric (up to until he went to MCL where Lando did it) were not destroyed. 3, 4, and 5 were.