Baku 2019: Race

[nani_s23]

They have changed the elements of the tyres since winter testing?

No .. nothing was changed.

[IulianFerrari]

Must hurt you to see him doing well after you predicted he would be useless

I did not say he will be useless, but that's just you spinning things to make your point. I feared he was not ready for the pressure of Ferrari. He has yet to prove me wrong on that(the wall in Baku and his reaction after hitting it shows he is feeling it). I said he is a future world champ if we nourish him correctly and I feared him coming to Ferrari so soon could jeopardise that. He has hit the 4 time wdc+Ferrari strategy combo wall and I hope he can climb it or else he will have problems. The good thing is he is fast enough to challenge Vettel from the start. I really hope he will swim and not sink. He does have everything he needs to become a champ in the future.

[alfaromeo]

Everything is on tyres.

[paolo lalli]

Baring a miracle and they do happen may be next year.

[Stormsearcher]

Baring a miracle and they do happen may be next year.

I wouldnt feel so bleak, just yet. I still believe we are at the same pace as the mercs may even be faster at times.
But clearly we are getting the strategy wrong. And i dont think everyone in the team is on the same page.

What Merc is doing better is working with what they have and making the best of it. Am not sure how, but they seem to be getting the best out of the package no matter the track. Sure, they were handed a bit of luck when Charles car had problems while leading, but they have been doing a great job. There is no taking away from that.

Gut feeling says that we will come back into the title fight. Maybe not WDC, but WCC for sure.

[Kyss4k]

Wow this hate against Vettel and fights between the fans of our two drivers is embarrassing. The are both doing what they possibly can with this disappointment of a car they are given... After the talks from the team, how they aim for the title, after the amount of money they threw into the development, after the hype they caused by probably running low fuel in the testing, the engineering team and the management deserves this "hate", not any of our drivers, who have to deal with the result which they have to use against Mercedes.

[Giallo 550]

Wow this hate against Vettel and fights between the fans of our two drivers is embarrassing. The are both doing what they possibly can with this disappointment of a car they are given... After the talks from the team, how they aim for the title, after the amount of money they threw into the development, after the hype they caused by probably running low fuel in the testing, the engineering team and the management deserves this "hate", not any of our drivers, who have to deal with the result which they have to use against Mercedes.

No one here "hates" Vettel or wishes him any ill will. Many simply do not like the way the team is handling him and Leclerc.

[Kyss4k]

No one here "hates" Vettel or wishes him any ill will. Many simply do not like the way the team is handling him and Leclerc.

Both of them were given orders to let the other one through. I don't se a problem here.

[Giallo 550]

Both of them were given orders to let the other one through. I don't se a problem here.

He was left out to hold both of the Mercedes back in China for Vettel, and the same thing possibly happened in Baku when they didn't double stop him. It may or may not have been intentional in Baku, but he was a sitting duck who was losing chunks of time without good reason.

[Kyss4k]

He was left out to hold both of the Mercedes back in China for Vettel, and the same thing possibly happened in Baku when they didn't double stop him. It may or may not have been intentional in Baku, but he was a sitting duck who was losing chunks of time without good reason.

Do you have an insider info, that you claim this with such certainty? In Baku it was clearly said, that they did not know what the softs would do. And I don't believe that he was used to hold anybody back. These conspiracy theories are tjust causing an artificial drama in our team, which is not needed. Our issue is the car. That's the end of it.

[Giallo 550]

Do you have an insider info, that you claim this with such certainty? In Baku it was clearly said, that they did not know what the softs would do. And I don't believe that he was used to hold anybody back. These conspiracy theories are tjust causing an artificial drama in our team, which is not needed. Our issue is the car. That's the end of it.

It was glaringly obvious in China, and Baku appeared quite similar. His tires were clearly shot and they waited until everyone passed to pit.

[KimiBot]

Hamilton gave Bottas a win. He is so nice guy.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14...against-bottas

[racingbradley]

No one here "hates" Vettel or wishes him any ill will. Many simply do not like the way the team is handling him and Leclerc.

Agree Most of us here support both our drivers but why are the team holding one back when he's capable of soooooo much more.

[racingbradley]

I have not said much yesterday because I did not want to over react and I wanted to hear what the teams had to say first.
2 + 2 makes 4
But nothing from our team adds up.
Apparently Charles was not so fast on the softs yet he was left out for 31 laps until Gasly passed him (he was a pitstop in front of Gasly previously)
Yet on soft tyres Charles got the fastest lap.
Now we know that Seb was low in fuel.
Charles wasn't.
He was told he had no chance of overtaking Max yet when Gasly went out Max was told to slow down.
I'm baffled.

[jgonzalesm6]

I have not said much yesterday because I did not want to over react and I wanted to hear what the teams had to say first.
2 + 2 makes 4
But nothing from our team adds up.
Apparently Charles was not so fast on the softs yet he was left out for 31 laps until Gasly passed him (he was a pitstop in front of Gasly previously)
Yet on soft tyres Charles got the fastest lap.
Now we know that Seb was low in fuel.
Charles wasn't.
He was told he had no chance of overtaking Max yet when Gasly went out Max was told to slow down.
I'm baffled.

Same here (re: not saying much)

It's getting harder for me to support this team but yet I still cling on. Anyways, the only thing I can surmise is that Ferrari strategists factored in Safety Car during the race when it comes to Leclerc being that given the tracks history and what happend in F2 then FP's and quali....it sure looked like a SC had a high probability. But, it backfired which is why they started Leclerc on mediums then kept him out for so long. That's just my opinion.

[FerrariF60]

Same here (re: not saying much)

It's getting harder for me to support this team but yet I still cling on. Anyways, the only thing I can surmise is that Ferrari strategists factored in Safety Car during the race when it comes to Leclerc being that given the tracks history and what happend in F2 then FP's and quali....it sure looked like a SC had a high probability. But, it backfired which is why they started Leclerc on mediums then kept him out for so long. That's just my opinion.

If you’re confident and fast you win on pure pace, one does NOT have to rely on safety car happening during the race in order to finish in a better position

This tells me that ferrari (in the current state of form) is neither confident nor fast....if they don’t do something FAST, it’s gonna be a long,long boring season for us tifosi

[nani_s23]

It was glaringly obvious in China, and Baku appeared quite similar. His tires were clearly shot and they waited until everyone passed to pit.

In China Vettel was faster than Lec first stint ... take the laptimes & compare.
What team has done is they didn’t pit Lec immediately after vettel stop. It’s team strategists.

In Aus GP, team did get wrong strategy with Vettel & got right with Lec. Here also it’s team strategists.

In Bahrain Lec was fast, if not the issue he would have easily on pure pace.
In Baku Lec was fast, but mistake cost the win.

[FerrariF60]

In China Vettel was faster than Lec first stint ... take the laptimes & compare.
What team has done is they didn’t pit Lec immediately after vettel stop. It’s team strategists.

In Aus GP, team did get wrong strategy with Vettel & got right with Lec. Here also it’s team strategists.

In Bahrain Lec was fast, if not the issue he would have easily on pure pace.
In Baku Lec was fast, but mistake cost the win.

you're assuming he was gonna quali on POLE, which we would have NEVER know, now do we??
even if he was gonna quali on pole, who's to say that he was not gonna be overtaken by one of the merc during the race....to many if's, and's or but's.....you're only guestimating your thoughts here...

FACT IS, we're just TOO slow compared to the mercs....weather it's the tires window of operation that's stopping us from showing our pace....but something is deff going on

[wappad]

Same here (re: not saying much)

It's getting harder for me to support this team but yet I still cling on. Anyways, the only thing I can surmise is that Ferrari strategists factored in Safety Car during the race when it comes to Leclerc being that given the tracks history and what happend in F2 then FP's and quali....it sure looked like a SC had a high probability. But, it backfired which is why they started Leclerc on mediums then kept him out for so long. That's just my opinion.

Getting harder to support 'this team'? You must be joking

We are 2nd best team since 2017 behind Mercedes. That's frustrating now and then, but I have lots of respect for the Scuderia to regain strength after the 2016 season.

Since 2017, the Saturdays for the tifosi are much more interesting resulting in 12 poles and 23 2nd. positions on the grid.

We won 11 GP's since then and I can't believe we will not win a race this year.

We have 2 great drivers, both have my full support, but this Charles..it feels for me like Gilles is back..What a man, what a racer

[IulianFerrari]

Hamilton gave Bottas a win. He is so nice guy.

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/14...against-bottas

Most Hamilton fans are the worst. They buy into whatever Lewis and Toto say, no questions asked. Just ask one who has the fastest car and they would say Ferrari. Mercedes are 2nd or 3rd. It's just our Lewis is that fast and can make up for it. When you pinpoint about Bottas beating him in the same "dog" of a car "That is how our Lewis just is. He has a heart of gold and lets his teammate win sometimes, he is a team player."

[racingbradley]

That is how our Lewis just is. He has a heart of gold and lets his teammate win sometimes, he is a team player."

I think JF Kimbot was just being sarcastic really ie poking fun at the situation. Aren't we all

[Giallo 550]

In China Vettel was faster than Lec first stint ... take the laptimes & compare.
What team has done is they didn’t pit Lec immediately after vettel stop. It’s team strategists.

In Aus GP, team did get wrong strategy with Vettel & got right with Lec. Here also it’s team strategists.

In Bahrain Lec was fast, if not the issue he would have easily on pure pace.
In Baku Lec was fast, but mistake cost the win.

I agree with everything, except I don't believe the strategists made an accident in China. That was a calculated move to hold Mercedes up and give Vettel a chance to catch them, just like Mercedes has done in the past with Bottas to Ferrari, and I believe they did the same thing again in Baku.

[Cevertmyhero]

Not wanting to cause trouble here but just how good is Seb? He seems to be strugg!ing lots recently and last year was so many unforced errors, but he's of course all drivers make errors here and there but did the red bull EBD years make him seem better then he really is?

Sure he is very good but is he top of the top? I don't know

[Stormsearcher]

Not wanting to cause trouble here but just how good is Seb?

Hes not very good. As 4 time champions go that is.

He seems to be strugg!ing lots recently and last year was so many unforced errors

cant handle pressure. needs his car to be perfect and faster than the competition by a margin

but he's of course all drivers make errors here and there but did the red bull EBD years make him seem better then he really is?

Yes People do make errors. Even schumi or Alonso made mistakes. And yes the RBR did make him look better than he is, until of course danny came along.

Sure he is very good but is he top of the top?

Errr no.

IMHO we should never had signed him (i know i will get crucified for this). Would have been better if we had signed Danny R.
But we have done the right thing with signing Charles.

[KimiBot]

I think JF Kimbot was just being sarcastic really ie poking fun at the situation. Aren't we all

Yes, I was just looking what excuses Hamilton now has, when he lost to his teammate...again.
"I would have won, but if I drove my heart out at the start, then maybe Bottas would have been behind Ferrari, and because this is a team sport, I did not want to do that, so I let him keep first place."

[Stormsearcher]

Yes, I was just looking what excuses Hamilton now has, when he lost to his teammate...again.
"I would have won, but if I drove my heart out at the start, then maybe Bottas would have been behind Ferrari, and because this is a team sport, I did not want to do that, so I let him keep first place."

lol. To be fair, i think LH has changed from those days. He was quite magnanimous last year in giving the place back to bottas, while he could easily have stolen the win (or was it 2nd?) and did say he was playing fair and thats how he wants to win the WDC. I think it was a jibe at SV, but nevertheless, he has shown more class in the last couple of years that we give him credit for.

[nani_s23]

I agree with everything, except I don't believe the strategists made an accident in China. That was a calculated move to hold Mercedes up and give Vettel a chance to catch them, just like Mercedes has done in the past with Bottas to Ferrari, and I believe they did the same thing again in Baku.

I like to tell one thing. In China they should have called Lec in immediately after vettel pit stop. They regret that decision n went along with it. On screen it looks like you are holding your rivals for ur team-mate. But think on other Side if a SC would have been deployed Leclerc would be in better position ????

In Baku, I don’t know how you feel like they wantedly delayed Lec pit stop??? It’s the same scenario.
Baku is a track of crazy things, SC chance is 80%. Also once SC is deployed, Under that SC those mediums would loose tyre temp n restart is always a problem & drama happens right there. This is where team thought they would stand chance. If u see bottas team radio, they were giving him VSC or SC window time for couple of laps.
Other factor is that, Softs would work under lower temp on this track. Team waited for the track temp to get down.

With all social media fiasco, everyone is focused on vettel vs Lec n it’s team orders. That’s it. So few of them are looking in that perspective only even before start of the race or weekend.

[Giallo 550]

I like to tell one thing. In China they should have called Lec in immediately after vettel pit stop. They regret that decision n went along with it. On screen it looks like you are holding your rivals for ur team-mate. But think on other Side if a SC would have been deployed Leclerc would be in better position ????

In Baku, I don’t know how you feel like they wantedly delayed Lec pit stop??? It’s the same scenario.
Baku is a track of crazy things, SC chance is 80%. Also once SC is deployed, Under that SC those mediums would loose tyre temp n restart is always a problem & drama happens right there. This is where team thought they would stand chance. If u see bottas team radio, they were giving him VSC or SC window time for couple of laps.
Other factor is that, Softs would work under lower temp on this track. Team waited for the track temp to get down.

With all social media fiasco, everyone is focused on vettel vs Lec n it’s team orders. That’s it. So few of them are looking in that perspective only even before start of the race or weekend.

Good points. It could be a coincidence, but at the same, given what I already know about Ferrari's pecking order from Australia and Bahrain, it was easy to make the jump I made. Regardless, they're either using him to try to protect Vettel, or it's blatant mismanaging. Both are inexcusable.

[nani_s23]

Good points. It could be a coincidence, but at the same, given what I already know about Ferrari's pecking order from Australia and Bahrain, it was easy to make the jump I made. Regardless, they're either using him to try to protect Vettel, or it's blatant mismanaging. Both are inexcusable.

Anyways moving ahead... let’s talk abt ferrari performance. We have two best drivers both are good qualifiers.
SF90 car need to be fine tuned, where our drivers can feel confidence and attack the corner entries more aggressively.

AMus reports, ferrari has edge in quali but not in race pace.
In Barcelona, ferrari are bringing new RW, bargeboards. New front suspension in pipeline for Hungary GP.

[FerrariF60]

Anyways moving ahead... let’s talk abt ferrari performance. We have two best drivers both are good qualifiers.
SF90 car need to be fine tuned, where our drivers can feel confidence and attack the corner entries more aggressively.

AMus reports, ferrari has edge in quali but not in race pace.
In Barcelona, ferrari are bringing new RW, bargeboards. New front suspension in pipeline for Hungary GP.

I think we have a good car, and is just down to the tires that we don’t seem to get them in the window of operation same way the Merc,s do...once we,ll figure that out weather it’s through suspension Chang or set up, I think we’ll give us a much better chance at matching or surpassing the mercs in pace