2018 Mexican GP: Race Thread

[IulianFerrari]

Why not? we are not signing another Kimi here.....

You are all class...

[Greig]

You are all class...

As opposed to you telling us over and over how LeClerc will fail?

[IulianFerrari]

As opposed to you telling us over and over how LeClerc will fail?

I said too much pressure on the kid to produce. Now you are talking about him beating Seb after a season at Sauber. We should take it easy on him and let him develop into what he is capable of. That's a lot different to what you said...

[Greig]

I said too much pressure on the kid to produce. Now you are talking about him beating Seb after a season at Sauber. We should take it easy on him and let him develop into what he is capable of. That's a lot different to what you said...

I doubt he would read here so let's not get too carried away lol. There is no reason he can't come in and beat Seb in my view. Hamilton done it to Alonso without even being in a F1 car before nevermind having a season at Sauber.....

I believe he will be quicker than Kimi and have more hunger.

[stefa]

I doubt he would read here so let's not get too carried away lol. There is no reason he can't come in and beat Seb in my view. Hamilton done it to Alonso without even being in a F1 car before nevermind having a season at Sauber.....

I believe he will be quicker than Kimi and have more hunger.

This for sure!

[FerrariF60]

I doubt he would read here so let's not get too carried away lol. There is no reason he can't come in and beat Seb in my view. Hamilton done it to Alonso without even being in a F1 car before nevermind having a season at Sauber.....

I believe he will be quicker than Kimi and have more hunger.

I disagree with you about Ham not being in an F1 car before joining Alo at McLaren
Some say that he may have driven around 10k in a 2006 McLaren F1 car, so not exactly new to F1 car me thinks

[Greig]

I disagree with you about Ham not being in an F1 car before joining Alo at McLaren
Some say that he may have driven around 10k in a 2006 McLaren F1 car, so not exactly new to F1 car me thinks

Yeah he tested but he still went in as a F1 rookie and challenged Alonso, no reason LeClerc can't do the same to Seb if he is good enough.

[FerrariF60]

Yeah he tested but he still went in as a F1 rookie and challenged Alonso, no reason LeClerc can't do the same to Seb if he is good enough.

Totally agree with you, we,ll see what’s gonna happen in 2019.....one thing for sure, we’re gonna give Merc a run for their money in WCC

[FerrariF60]

Yeah he tested but he still went in as a F1 rookie and challenged Alonso, no reason LeClerc can't do the same to Seb if he is good enough.

Totally agree with you, we,ll see what’s gonna happen in 2019.....one thing for sure, we’re gonna give Merc a run for their money in WCC

[jgonzalesm6]

I doubt he would read here so let's not get too carried away lol. There is no reason he can't come in and beat Seb in my view. Hamilton done it to Alonso without even being in a F1 car before nevermind having a season at Sauber.....

I believe he will be quicker than Kimi and have more hunger.

c'mon Greig, you're comparing Alonso/Lewis to Seb/Leclerc???

Ron favoured Lewis since day 1 over 2x WDC.

So you're saying Ferrari will favour Leclerc over Seb.

Leclerc has'nt sold me....yet. Yes, he's way better than his team-mate ON TOP OF its his rookie year with Ferrari. IMO for 2019, he will develop and play support role for Seb.

Then, the obvious, he has to contend with the big boys up front.

Then the unknown, Max, Gasly and Honda.

[Greig]

c'mon Greig, you're comparing Alonso/Lewis to Seb/Leclerc???

Ron favoured Lewis since day 1 over 2x WDC.

So you're saying Ferrari will favour Leclerc over Seb.

Leclerc has'nt sold me....yet. Yes, he's way better than his team-mate ON TOP OF its his rookie year with Ferrari. IMO for 2019, he will develop and play support role for Seb.

Then, the obvious, he has to contend with the big boys up front.

Then the unknown, Max, Gasly and Honda.

No I am saying it's not impossible for a new guy to come in and be quick enough to challenge an established driver, why do you think otherwise? Lewis was not favoured from day 1 at all either. I made no mention of who Ferrari will favour so not sure where you get I am saying that??? Your opinion is just that does not mean it will happen LeClerc is not coming to be 2nd to Seb in my view otherwise we would have just kept Kimi....

[Rishu]

c'mon Greig, you're comparing Alonso/Lewis to Seb/Leclerc???

Ron favoured Lewis since day 1 over 2x WDC.

So you're saying Ferrari will favour Leclerc over Seb.

Leclerc has'nt sold me....yet. Yes, he's way better than his team-mate ON TOP OF its his rookie year with Ferrari. IMO for 2019, he will develop and play support role for Seb.

Then, the obvious, he has to contend with the big boys up front.

Then the unknown, Max, Gasly and Honda.

Yes, Hamilton didn’t exactly ‘beat’ Alonso and all that what happened in McLaren garage but point is he was on the go from race 1, wheel to wheel racing, soaking up challenge from a formidable Alonso, weight of Championship on stake, he did all that.

If he can do it, why can’t LeClerc? I’m not saying LeClerc is another Hamilton but who knows? Possibility is there, his CV is impressive and he has shown signs of it in his short F1 career. We may end up in disappointment but certainly doesn’t look that way.

[Giallo 550]

Yes, Hamilton didn’t exactly ‘beat’ Alonso and all that what happened in McLaren garage but point is he was on the go from race 1, wheel to wheel racing, soaking up challenge from a formidable Alonso, weight of Championship on stake, he did all that.

If he can do it, why can’t LeClerc? I’m not saying LeClerc is another Hamilton but who knows? Possibility is there, his CV is impressive and he has shown signs of it in his short F1 career. We may end up in disappointment but certainly doesn’t look that way.

What we have on this forum are a few different factions.

Faction 1: Bitter Kimi Raikkonen fans who think he should have been retained indefinitely.

Faction 2: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc was a lousy/premature choice and wanted Ferrari to pursue Ricciardo, Verstappen, etc.

Faction 3: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc is an exciting choice and has the pedigree, resume, and fortitude to be a future champion with the Scuderia.

I think it's been fairly obvious where I stand. Verstappen said it himself that Leclerc was the only one whoever challenged him when they were kids. I'd rather Ferrari proactively see what their Academy student can do instead of continuing to opportunistically poach other teams' drivers with mixed results.

[Noquarter]

If Riccardo had no problems to ridicule Vettel why Charles would be worse. This year he showed how good Red Bull was in 2009 - 2013. Even the average driver could have been a champion.

[FerrariF60]

If Riccardo had no problems to ridicule Vettel why Charles would be worse. This year he showed how good Red Bull was in 2009 - 2013. Even the average driver could have been a champion.

Oh yeah, then how come the average driver Mark Webber wasn’t a champion in the same machinery? That’s right, because he wasn’t fast enough...that’s just me 0.02 cents

[Rishu]

What we have on this forum are a few different factions.

Faction 1: Bitter Kimi Raikkonen fans who think he should have been retained indefinitely.

Faction 2: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc was a lousy/premature choice and wanted Ferrari to pursue Ricciardo, Verstappen, etc.

Faction 3: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc is an exciting choice and has the pedigree, resume, and fortitude to be a future champion with the Scuderia.

I think it's been fairly obvious where I stand. Verstappen said it himself that Leclerc was the only one whoever challenged him when they were kids. I'd rather Ferrari proactively see what their Academy student can do instead of continuing to opportunistically poach other teams' drivers with mixed results.

Personally I don’t have issues if Ferrari poaches talent, I mean driving for Ferrari is an honour for any driver. But in case of LeClerc, I think timing is right, he is red hot & oozing confidence, Ferrari have a very good car & he has nothing to lose. Great call to sign him

[Giallo 550]

Personally I don’t have issues if Ferrari poaches talent, I mean driving for Ferrari is an honour for any driver. But in case of LeClerc, I think timing is right, he is red hot & oozing confidence, Ferrari have a very good car & he has nothing to lose. Great call to sign him

I guess what I'm saying is that I'm tired of drivers who are hired with the expectations of winning with Ferrari, and when they don't pan out, they jump ship. It happened with Alonso, and I wouldn't be surprised if it happens with Vettel. I'd rather a young, talented, and hungry driver who thinks it's a dream come true to drive for the team, as opposed to someone who previously stood on the Monza podium and said that Mercedes power is better than Ferrari power.

[IulianFerrari]

I doubt he would read here so let's not get too carried away lol. There is no reason he can't come in and beat Seb in my view. Hamilton done it to Alonso without even being in a F1 car before nevermind having a season at Sauber.....

I believe he will be quicker than Kimi and have more hunger.

It's not about him reading, it's about fans getting overly hyped and then moaning and complaining about him if he was to not deliver immediately, some here, some on race days, some on other social media.

[Greig]

It's not about him reading, it's about fans getting overly hyped and than moaning and complaining about him if he was to not deliver immediately, some here, some on race days, some on other social media.

I don't really use social media much so no idea if there is millions of other fans saying the same as me? Would it be better if we all say he will be rather hopeless and no challenge to Seb???

End of the day what you or I think might happen will make no difference to what will happen, but you have made your point plenty of time that it's not going to be good so why are you so against others who think it will be great?

[aroutis]

Nope, he drove well but not better. Hamilton had mechanical failure in Malaysia, before that it was Hamilton’s Championship to lose. Whole season, Nico zero mechanical DNFs against Hamilton's one, championship decided by 5 points

Failures is part of the game.

[Greig]

Failures is part of the game.

Maybe so, but they don't determine who is a better driver

[stefa]

Maybe so, but they don't determine who is a better driver

But influence at the end result a lot. Remember Suzuka 2006? Ferrari engine failure? If that didn't happen Michael would win another championship!

[FerrariF60]

But influence at the end result a lot. Remember Suzuka 2006? Ferrari engine failure? If that didn't happen Michael would win another championship!

yeah, but that's comparing apples to oranges.....you can NOT compare Schumi and Nico as drivers....Schumi 1000 times better then Nico, same goes, Lewis is 1000 better then Nico also...is jsut that both Lewis and Schumi had engine failures taht decided the outcome WDC in 2006 and 2016....where Lewis was by far the better driver....

but as others have pointed out, reliability issues ARE part of F1.....and at the end of the day are championship deciders, it sucks, but it's part of the GAME

[Greig]

And Alonso had problems in 2006 as well that if he never had then MS would probably not have a chance...

[FerrariF60]

And Alonso had problems in 2006 as well that if he never had then MS would probably not have a chance...

yeah, reliability in F1 has come a LONG way....just look at this year's top teams, Merc and Ferrari have been pretty much bullet proof....well at least for Ferrari; the Merc have had couple of DNF's

but back in the day, reliability was a HUGE outcome factor in championsip decider

if it wast's for Mclaren being so fragile in couple of years (especially 2003), Kimi would have had COUPLE more WDC's

[mwk360]

What we have on this forum are a few different factions.

Faction 1: Bitter Kimi Raikkonen fans who think he should have been retained indefinitely.

Faction 2: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc was a lousy/premature choice and wanted Ferrari to pursue Ricciardo, Verstappen, etc.

Faction 3: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc is an exciting choice and has the pedigree, resume, and fortitude to be a future champion with the Scuderia.

I think it's been fairly obvious where I stand. Verstappen said it himself that Leclerc was the only one whoever challenged him when they were kids. I'd rather Ferrari proactively see what their Academy student can do instead of continuing to opportunistically poach other teams' drivers with mixed results.

[mwk360]

Oh yeah, then how come the average driver Mark Webber wasn’t a champion in the same machinery? That’s right, because he wasn’t fast enough...that’s just me 0.02 cents

lol webber is so bitter now a days tbh

[Brembo]

Leclerc getting the seat is not going to change years of Ferrari's #1,#2 driving orders. It's not going to be the right thing for fans to wish Seb a bad start so Leclerc can shine. Hopefully Seb next season will be the driver Ferrari hired from R Bull, a true #1 contender. Leclerc in the points this season shows talent for sure, but there's going to be a big difference in a top car aiming at pole & winning against the top drivers each race. He's now going to be in the seat that every F-1 driver wishes for. Seb rightfully so will be day and night concentrating on WDC, not teaching his team mate the ropes of being up front with the big guys. For me it's always been Ferrari WCC first and foremost! And to get it done; the team needs points from both drivers hopefull every race. It looks like next season will be three top teams to contend with, not just two going back and forth. I only wish .... I won't mention it!!!

[IulianFerrari]

I don't really use social media much so no idea if there is millions of other fans saying the same as me? Would it be better if we all say he will be rather hopeless and no challenge to Seb???

End of the day what you or I think might happen will make no difference to what will happen, but you have made your point plenty of time that it's not going to be good so why are you so against others who think it will be great?

First I don't understand this optimism about him beating Vettel, there is nothing to suggest that, only if you think Seb or Kimi for that matter, is the same thing as Ericsson.
Just as I am not expecting him to do great in the first year, if it doesn't happen I will be one of the first to defend him and say "you should not judge him this early", while some of you will moan about what a flop he is and get Ricciardo, bring Kimi back.

[IulianFerrari]

What we have on this forum are a few different factions.

Faction 1: Bitter Kimi Raikkonen fans who think he should have been retained indefinitely.

Faction 2: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc was a lousy/premature choice and wanted Ferrari to pursue Ricciardo, Verstappen, etc.

Faction 3: Ferrari fans who think that Leclerc is an exciting choice and has the pedigree, resume, and fortitude to be a future champion with the Scuderia.

I think it's been fairly obvious where I stand. Verstappen said it himself that Leclerc was the only one whoever challenged him when they were kids. I'd rather Ferrari proactively see what their Academy student can do instead of continuing to opportunistically poach other teams' drivers with mixed results.

I am all three. Would have liked Ricciardo in a Ferrari, he has proven to be a top driver and would have done well. I would also have like another year with Kimi, he has brought a lot of points this year and with those 3DNF's by no fault of his own would have been very close to Seb. I think Leclerc can be a future WDC for Ferrari if handled well, i believe he has it in him but he still has a lot to learn. Putting him alongside Seb now can damage him. Apart from some hotheaded moves, Seb is very fast and a 4 time WDC and a 2 times runners up, someone like him can break you. I would love it if Charles does well right from the start, but the air is thin at the top with the big boys. Mercedes brought in Bottas as the best of the rest outside the top 3 teams, with experience too, but he isn't looking that great now.