2018 USA GP: Race Thread

[Stormsearcher]

So happy for Kimi!! A win finally. Before he moves to sauber and be winless for the rest of his career.
And he really deserved this one. Not one mistake, and really took care of his tyres and managed the pace.
Was also good to see Max being more mature and his battle with hamilton didnt end in tears for either side. Great stuff to watch really!!
Seb did what he does best. Spin the car.
The car had the pace and he could have won this race, but he wants to win everything at the first corner.

[paneristi]

KR asking LH did he win the WDC?

[killer]

Well done, Kimi! Thank you for a fantastic result!

I say we might as well get 1-2s in the last 3 races. Who knows? 66 down in WCC with 129 available. At the very least we end things on a high.

Forza Ferrari!

[Ferrarichamp]

P1. On this day in 2007 i also won the championship. Thank you Ferrari, Thank you to Italy, Thanks to a Great Team, in my heart you will always be family !!!!


https://i.imgur.com/gBM2UxS.jpg



Damn you, Kimi... I really didn't need the tears.

I didn't realize he won the title on the exact same day in 2007.
I guess he was destined to win this race

[Ferrarichamp]

the American continent has been good for us this year with wins in Canada and USA. We may as well finish the job with wins in Mexico and Brazil

[WRX202]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU KIMI, Finally he did a Bottas Ferrari style. I felt so relieved watching Hamilton struggle and Toto holding in farts while his tyres where getting destroyed behind Kimi. It was worth the whole of 2018 season. Denying Liberty Media from celebrating the pre-planned WDC on their home soil, denying MGP Silverstone and Kimi winning before he leaves.

They can shove the 2018 title where the sun don't shine at MGP for as much as I care, maybe with some tabasco sauce wrapped in a taco too this Sunday since Mexico is next.

Yesterday was such a bitter/sweet victory full of "what ifs": the re found speed, the silly Vettel mistakes (I cursed him so much after the Daniel spin), Kimi up to speed doing the perfect team play and so on. Ferrari, Kimi, Vettel & the Fans needed this victory.

[nani_s23]

Luck has nothing to do with it. Maybe you should stop being blind fanboy and acknowledge Vettel's costly mistakes.

At the same time vettel won races of his own strategies...!! Which we called great win.
There were some stupid strategies too...!! So it’s a mix of both, but still I would back him for next year with more sensible driving.

[jpalmito]

I just wanted to say THANK YOU KIMI, Finally he did a Bottas Ferrari style. I felt so relieved watching Hamilton struggle and Toto holding in farts while his tyres where getting destroyed behind Kimi. It was worth the whole of 2018 season. Denying Liberty Media from celebrating the pre-planned WDC on their home soil, denying MGP Silverstone and Kimi winning before he leaves.

They can shove the 2018 title where the sun don't shine at MGP for as much as I care, maybe with some tabasco sauce wrapped in a taco too this Sunday since Mexico is next.

Yesterday was such a bitter/sweet victory full of "what ifs": the re found speed, the silly Vettel mistakes (I cursed him so much after the Daniel spin), Kimi up to speed doing the perfect team play and so on. Ferrari, Kimi, Vettel & the Fans needed this victory.

Very happy for Kimi ,

A near 40 years old driver beating fair and square verstappen and Hamilton..
It's demonstrate this years car was championship material and leaves bad taste in my mouth.
Binotto and co have made a tremoundous job .
We just have to support them and Vettel next year and not being negative because the last step is not far away .

[Rob]

UNITED STATES GRAND PRIX – AUSTIN, 21 OCTOBER

Maurizio Arrivabene: ” Today’s win came courtesy of Kimi who drove a great race and the team, which at such a tricky time, showed great courage in taking a step back, fighting our closest rivals on equal terms. Seb was unfortunate and had to fight his way back up the order after the collision on the opening lap. In the championship, the numbers are against us, but we will knuckle down and fight all the way to the end, just as we did today. ”

Kimi Raikkonen: ”Obviously it’s a great feeling to win this race. It’s nice to prove to all the people that we can still win; that’s the reason we are here for, try to win races and Championships. It was an exciting race, not only for us but also for all those who were watching. We had a very solid weekend, I felt confident and I’m glad about that especially because lately we’ve had rough weekends for the team. I’m glad we had a fight and it’s nice to see that we still have the speed to go for it and fight has hard as we can. This weekend we found the car that we expected to have. The start was a key moment; In the first part of the race we had the speed, I tried to take care of tires and save fuel. Then the Mercedes stopped and came back on fresher tires: at that time, my target was to keep them behind before we, too, stopped for tyres. If Hamilton had passed us before our stop, it would have been a different story. We are still in the fight for both Championships and this is a good thing. We’re off to Mexico now, where we’ll try do the best we can and hopefully we can get a great result for both teams. We’ll keep fighting until the end.”

Sebastian Vettel: ”I am really, really happy for Kimi and his result today, but I am not happy with my race and I am disappointed for letting the team down today. I had a contact with Ricciardo on lap one, I am not sure he saw me when I was getting closer to him. I wanted to put him under pressure for the next corner, I wasn’t thinking about passing in that point at any rate, but I had nowhere to go, we touched wheels and I span around. I think this has been an important race for us as a team and it’s nice to see that we had a good pace during the race, even though there are still many things we need to learn and to understand. It has not been an easy time for me lately and bad results are part of the game, but I believe it’s always possible to overcome issues.”

[Rob]

[Rob]

[wisepie]

Unexpected but well-deserved victory for grande Kimi, he drove a superb race and for once we can't blame the strategy. Seb did it again on lap 1, but at least he managed to climb back up and dispose of BOT, HAM's face on the podium showed he was miffed at not taking the WDC, so a good day for Ferrari and especially Kimi, so happy to see us back on top, sadly too late to be meaningful but we can still win again this year. As for Max, it's as if everyone gets out of his way when he starts at the back and lets him go, but thanks to him for keeping HAM at bay.

[Rob]

[racingbradley]

http://i68.tinypic.com/103eerl.jpg

I am so happy for Kimi. I'm sure left to his own devices he could have won a few more races this year!
Maybe with a bit of effort And RB also on form we could still snatch the WCC but we would need 1, 2s at every race.

[stefa]

Is there, and how does SV WDC chances look like? I mean beside he needs to win all remaining races, what does LH needs to do, of course not just DNF 3 times

[Module]

Is there, and how does SV WDC chances look like? I mean beside he needs to win all remaining races, what does LH needs to do, of course not just DNF 3 times

Hamilton needs 5 points in remaining 3 races, or Vettel to not win one of them

[Ed Harley]

Slim. As far as I can tell LH needs just 5 points from the three remaining races to be WDC.

[stefa]

Hamilton needs 5 points in remaining 3 races, or Vettel to not win one of them

Slim. As far as I can tell LH needs just 5 points from the three remaining races to be WDC.

Thank you. Indeed very slim...

[jgonzalesm6]

I'm aware of that article, yes. It says "After a difficult Friday in America, the team elected to go back to the same configuration it had raced in both Russia and Japan". That explains it all then, right? Ferrari have reverted back to a package that was dead slow compared to Merc and you buy it with hook, line and sinker.

So not only was the team "incompetent" (your opinion) as they didn't react instantly after Singapore but they are now running an even worse package that was even slower. You must then clearly think the team IS incompetent because otherwise where has the new speed come from, if it has been there all the time but masked by dodgy updates? Right?

In the real world though something was obviously switched off after Monza and switched back on yesterday in FP3 and qualifying. The only question is why and why now?

from the 2018 USA GP: Practices and Qualifying thread--> page 12 post #334

Naaah, Mercs were'nt taken it easy. Q1 results of the top 4 were super tight between the times. We played around with the updates during FP's and we were'nt satisfied with the data...so we reverted to plan b which worked out. Then you throw in the track which is smooth and free flowing and everything, at this point, worked out.

Honestly, with all the inclement weather yesterday and possible inclement weather today I thought we were'nt gonna get dialed in for the race.

and now this



[AMuS] Ferrari will test on Friday in Mexico, the aero package that has been introduced in Austin but wasn‘t tested. If those updates also don‘t deliver the desired results/data on track, Ferrari knows that something in the correlation between track and wind tunnel is wrong

[Ferrarichamp]

If only Vettel had won in Germany, he'd still have a chance.

[mwk360]

from the 2018 USA GP: Practices and Qualifying thread--> page 12 post #334




and now this



[AMuS] Ferrari will test on Friday in Mexico, the aero package that has been introduced in Austin but wasn‘t tested. If those updates also don‘t deliver the desired results/data on track, Ferrari knows that something in the correlation between track and wind tunnel is wrong

would hate if i was right about that being the case, had a feeling with them keep reverting, but the worse consequence would be next years car, anything designed using the incorrect correlation data will need to be reevaluated

[mwk360]

At the same time vettel won races of his own strategies...!! Which we called great win.
There were some stupid strategies too...!! So it’s a mix of both, but still I would back him for next year with more sensible driving.

[mwk360]

Motorsport.com have understood that Mercedes had to close hub and rim holes with silicone. A move that the FIA has demanded, but without making any public communication.
And the result of that "small" change we have seen: the Mercedes went into a crisis with the management of the temperature of the rear tyres, so that Bottas was overtaken by Sebastian Vettel on his comeback to the front.

https://twitter.com/Vetteleclerc/sta...15326228361217

[512 TR]

from the 2018 USA GP: Practices and Qualifying thread--> page 12 post #334




and now this



[AMuS] Ferrari will test on Friday in Mexico, the aero package that has been introduced in Austin but wasn‘t tested. If those updates also don‘t deliver the desired results/data on track, Ferrari knows that something in the correlation between track and wind tunnel is wrong

That Lewis/Seb head-to-head clip that was posted on the F1 website clearly shows something has again been switched on in the Ferrari PU. Be it a mechanical component or something in the software, I don't know. Few do. That acceleration out of almost all slow corners on the lap has not been present since Monza and could be last seen with ones eyes at Spa because Monza doesn't have any slow corners (so one couldn't see it but it was clearly there because of the front row lockout). No aero updates can be responsible for it. Infact, aero is the least important factor in the early acceleration phase. That's where aero make the smallest impact as the air resistance is the lowest. Aero becomes much more important later on a straight and obviously in all sorts of corners, mostly high-speed ones.

Besides, even if one takes it for a fact that the post Monza updates were dodgy it couldn't still explain why Ferrari was almost 0.6-0.8 (up until 1 second) off the pace. No midseason aero updates/downgrades can be worth so much time gained or lossed. Maybe half of that, maybe 0.3-0.4. So the other half comes from something that was turned off in Singapore, Sochi and Suzuka. Clearly, without the system being turned on in Austin Lewis would have passed Kimi many laps earlier and not when Kimi went into the pits. Lewis thought he could do it anyway, earlier, so he drove too close to Kimi and cooked his tyres and lost the win. So the system delivered a double punch. Kimi could defend against a car with DRS because of the great initital acceleration out or corners which made it impossible for Lewis to make moves during breaking for the following corners and because of that he destroyed his tyres trying for too long.

Let's see if it's there in Mexico as well. There are parts of the track that it will be visable on if it's turned on. Which I think it will be as the FIA are silent now that both championships are over. If Ferrari score three 1-2 finishes, Merc score three 3rd places, one 4th place and have two DNFs, then Ferrari wins the WCC by 6 points. That will obviously not happen. I'm more intrested how the technology works and if it will be allowed next year?

[jgonzalesm6]

https://twitter.com/Vetteleclerc/sta...15326228361217

Motorsport.com have understood that Mercedes had to close hub and rim holes with silicone. A move that the FIA has demanded, but without making any public communication.
And the result of that "small" change we have seen: the Mercedes went into a crisis with the management of the temperature of the rear tyres, so that Bottas was overtaken by Sebastian Vettel on his comeback to the front.

NO WONDER THE W09 ATE IT'S TIRES AT THE USGP. Ferrari's persistence has paid off in writing a letter regarding the rims. AWESOME!!! So hopefully this goes to the end of the season.

[WRX202]

https://twitter.com/Vetteleclerc/sta...15326228361217

https://it.motorsport.com/f1/news/ca...mozzo/3200232/

And Pirelli raised the tyre pressures for all teams before the race to be safe due to the unexpected temperatures. I'd say about time but good, at least we were on even grounds fighting for the win. It was awkward seeing the Mercs not having that 0.6sec advantage so this makes sense.

[jgonzalesm6]

That Lewis/Seb head-to-head clip that was posted on the F1 website clearly shows something has again been switched on in the Ferrari PU. Be it a mechanical component or something in the software, I don't know. Few do. That acceleration out of almost all slow corners on the lap has not been present since Monza and could be last seen with ones eyes at Spa because Monza doesn't have any slow corners (so one couldn't see it but it was clearly there because of the front row lockout). No aero updates can be responsible for it. Infact, aero is the least important factor in the early acceleration phase. That's where aero make the smallest impact as the air resistance is the lowest. Aero becomes much more important later on a straight and obviously in all sorts of corners, mostly high-speed ones.

Besides, even if one takes it for a fact that the post Monza updates were dodgy it couldn't still explain why Ferrari was almost 0.6-0.8 (up until 1 second) off the pace. No midseason aero updates/downgrades can be worth so much time gained or lossed. Maybe half of that, maybe 0.3-0.4. So the other half comes from something that was turned off in Singapore, Sochi and Suzuka. Clearly, without the system being turned on in Austin Lewis would have passed Kimi many laps earlier and not when Kimi went into the pits. Lewis thought he could do it anyway, earlier, so he drove too close to Kimi and cooked his tyres and lost the win. So the system delivered a double punch. Kimi could defend against a car with DRS because of the great initital acceleration out or corners which made it impossible for Lewis to make moves during breaking for the following corners and because of that he destroyed his tyres trying for too long.

Let's see if it's there in Mexico as well. There are parts of the track that it will be visable on if it's turned on. Which I think it will be as the FIA are silent now that both championships are over. If Ferrari score three 1-2 finishes, Merc score three 3rd places, one 4th place and have two DNFs, then Ferrari wins the WCC by 6 points. That will obviously not happen. I'm more intrested how the technology works and if it will be allowed next year?

Ferrari was 4kph faster in the straights during quali. In the corners and down the straight, Lewis's car looses front end downforce being that both the Ferrari and Mercedes are pretty equal thereby ewis his tires...even with DRS activated coming out of T21. In order for Lewis to make the pass down the long straight after T21 Lewis would have to be on Kimi's butt going into T1 which did'nt happen even though Kimi had old tires that were pretty much gone...so in a sense, it's all about the aero. Even down the longer straight from T11 into T12...it did'nt happen thanks to Max as well in both instances.

[512 TR]

NO WONDER THE W09 ATE IT'S TIRES AT THE USGP. Ferrari's persistence has paid off in writing a letter regarding the rims. AWESOME!!! So hopefully this goes to the end of the season.

The new Merc rims could obviously be viewed as a movable aero device. That's what Ferrari brought up (similar to the RBR design in 2012). So why did the FIA deem them legal a few days ago and then told merc to close the holes with silicone? Either they are legal or they aren't. If they aren't, what about the three Lewis wins before yesterday?

[512 TR]

Ferrari was 4kph faster in the straights during quali. In the corners and down the straight, Lewis's car looses front end downforce being that both the Ferrari and Mercedes are pretty equal thereby ewis his tires...even with DRS activated coming out of T21. In order for Lewis to make the pass down the long straight after T21 Lewis would have to be on Kimi's butt going into T1 which did'nt happen even though Kimi had old tires that were pretty much gone...so in a sense, it's all about the aero.

Exactly. And not only faster. When both Ferraris started their laps after the line they were already running at a higher speed than Merc. That was also shown. So why was that? It couldn't be because of the aero package from Hockenheim only.

[jgonzalesm6]

The new Merc rims could obviously be viewed as a movable aero device. That's what Ferrari brought up (similar to the RBR design in 2012). So why did the FIA deem them legal a few days ago and then told merc to close the holes with silicone? Either they are legal or they aren't. If they aren't, what about the three Lewis wins before yesterday?

The FIA deemed the rims "limited illegality" which in my book is a crock of [censored by FOM] !!!!