Formula1 Talk

[MadManCK]

The first race of the season in Bahrain was dominated by Max Verstappen, who was really in a class of his own.
Just like Toto Wolff said in an interview, i hope Max will stay at the swimmingpool of his hotel, so we will have an exciting race.

Driver of the day was Carlos Sainz, who managed to compensate for his less optimal qualifying session, ending on the podium for Ferrari.



But it was the Red Bull team that score maximum points with 1-2, fastest lap and pole for max.



Next week already in Jeddah. Maybe some more excitement there.


FORMULA 1 GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX 2024 - RACE RESULT

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 57 1:31:44.742 26
2 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 57 +22.457s 18
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 57 +25.110s 15
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 57 +39.669s 12
5 63 George Russell Mercedes 57 +46.788s 10
6 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 57 +48.458s 8
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 57 +50.324s 6
8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 57 +56.082s 4
9 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 57 +74.887s 2
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 57 +93.216s 1
11 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 56 +1 lap 0
12 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 56 +1 lap 0
13 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 56 +1 lap 0
14 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 56 +1 lap 0
15 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 56 +1 lap 0
16 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 56 +1 lap 0
17 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 56 +1 lap 0
18 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 56 +1 lap 0
19 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 56 +1 lap 0
20 2 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 55 +2 laps 0

* Provisional results. Note - Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

[MadManCK]

In a few hours the Saudi GP will start. Despite all the rumors and internal affairs, Red Bull is at the front row again, flanked by a Ferrari.

It will also be interesting to see how young Oliver Bearman will do, debuting for Ferrari.
He is replacing Carlos Sainz this weekend who had an appendix surgery earlier this week.

FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2024 - QUALIFYING

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:28.171 1:28.033 1:27.472 18
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:28.318 1:28.112 1:27.791 23
3 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:28.638 1:28.467 1:27.807 19
4 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:28.706 1:28.122 1:27.846 17
5 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 1:28.755 1:28.343 1:28.089 22
6 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1:28.805 1:28.479 1:28.132 22
7 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:28.749 1:28.448 1:28.316 22
8 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:28.994 1:28.606 1:28.460 24
9 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 1:28.988 1:28.564 1:28.547 18
10 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:28.250 1:28.578 1:28.572 19
11 38 Oliver Bearman Ferrari 1:28.984 1:28.642 18
12 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1:29.107 1:28.980 16
13 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1:29.069 1:29.020 17
14 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 1:29.065 1:29.025 12
15 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 1:29.055 DNF 10
16 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 1:29.179 9
17 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 1:29.475 10
18 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 1:29.479 9
19 2 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 1:29.526 9
NC 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari DNF 2


PS The internal struggles at RBR start to look like a combination of Game of Thrones, Succession and Drive to Survive. What a mess.
And despite attempts from the British press to divert the blame on Jos Verstappen, it has all the marks of a coverup attempt by RBR, as the woman, who accused Horner of inappropriate behavior, has gone to the Police. To be continued.
At the same time, "never let a good crisis go to waste" Toto, is poking in the Red Bull bastion. If you can not beat them on the track, do it in the paddock. If that does not work, use the media. Or even worse from the inside.
Dietrich Mateschitz is desperately missed. His leadership was never questioned and there is clearly a Palace Revolution going on in the Red Bull Camp. This might end up in tears as they might lose not only Helmut Marko, but also Max Verstappen (Mercedes?) and Adrian Newey (Ferrari?).
Maybe a number of persons should think more about the team's interest and less about themselves.

[MadManCK]

Another 1-2 for Red Bull. They surely do silence the rest on the track.
LeClerc took 3rd and fastest lap.

But driver of the day was Bearman who finished 7th on his debut race with Ferrari, well done



Stroll caused the only safety car when he went straight in the tech pro barriers after clipping the wall on the inside.

And what a show in Saudi Arabia with Drones, fireworks, lights and lasers

FORMULA 1 STC SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX 2024 - RACE RESULT

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 50 1:20:43.273 25
2 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 50 +13.643s 18
3 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 50 +18.639s 16
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 50 +32.007s 12
5 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 50 +35.759s 10
6 63 George Russell Mercedes 50 +39.936s 8
7 38 Oliver Bearman Ferrari 50 +42.679s 6
8 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 50 +45.708s 4
9 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 50 +47.391s 2
10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 50 +76.996s 1
11 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 50 +88.354s 0
12 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 50 +105.737s 0
13 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 49 +1 lap 0
14 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 49 +1 lap 0
15 2 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 49 +1 lap 0
16 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 49 +1 lap 0
17 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 49 +1 lap 0
18 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 49 +1 lap 0
NC 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 5 DNF 0
NC 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 1 DNF 0

* Provisional results. Note - Leclerc scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.

A bit harsh were the total of 20 sec penalties for Magnussen.

[dpuff]

Verstappen leading, the Earth revolves around the Sun, I go to sleep.

[MadManCK]

Verstappen leading, the Earth revolves around the Sun, I go to sleep.

Yeah, the first two races were not the most exciting ones. More fireworks next to the track and in the paddock
But i'm always looking for other highlights, like Bearman. The battle at the front will become more interesting, once Ferrari finds a few tenths or another team makes a leap forwards.

In the mean time, Red Bull Racing is doing an excellent job blowing themselves up from the inside.

Sometimes it makes me wonder if they act for Netflix or for the Formula 1. A lot of scripted drama IMHO.

Some people say that if you place Max in a Ferrari or Mercedes, he will win races too. Maybe Ferrari were too quick signing Hamilton and maybe Mercedes will be the laughing third party when they sign the golden goose.

The biggest uncertain factor for Red Bull are the new engines (2026). How good will they be? We have seen in the past that both Honda and Renault were struggling, building a competitive hybrid power train.
The MGU-H will be gone from the new engines and MGU-K (K.E.R.S.) is more "easy" to manage and control.
But it is only realistic to assume that seasoned F1 engine builders will have the edge with the new regulations.
And with Honda moving to Aston Martin, i would keep my eyes on that team. Maybe Max should too.....

[MadManCK]

Some say that F1 would only become more interesting if Max had a failure somehow..
Guess what happened.

But when favorites drop out, other heroes arise. Carlos Sainz stepped up, only 2 weeks after his appendix operation. Kudos to him and what a drive. Nobody came even close. Ferrari will start to scratch their head, now they let him go.
No problem for Carlos finding a competitive seat next year.

Also voted driver of the day, who else..



Ferrari 1-2 podium was a treat for the public. Lando completing the podium with another solid drive.

Perez showed that it is not just the car but the driver that makes the difference.

Williams, despite their brutal decision to swap cars in favour of Albon, could not secure a point. Despite a massive crash from Russel in the last lap. Both Mercedes DNF. Sad day for them as well.

Aston Martin did well, however and so did HAAS with both cars in the points.
Tsunoda stepped up at RB, but Ricciardo never showed his true potential at his home race.
Helmut Marko did already warn them both and those warnings should be taken serious.

1 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 58 1:20:26.843 25
2 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 58 +2.366s 19
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 58 +5.904s 15
4 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 58 +35.770s 12
5 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 58 +56.309s 10
6 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 58 +93.222s 8
7 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 58 +95.601s 6
8 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 58 +100.992s 4
9 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 58 +104.553s 2
10 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 57 +1 lap 1
11 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 57 +1 lap 0
12 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 57 +1 lap 0
13 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 57 +1 lap 0
14 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 57 +1 lap 0
15 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 57 +1 lap 0
16 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 57 +1 lap 0
17 63 George Russell Mercedes 56 DNF 0
NC 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 15 DNF 0
NC 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 3 DNF 0

Note - Leclerc scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Car #2 (Logan Sargeant, Williams) withdrawn. Gasly received a five-second time penalty for crossing the line at the pit exit. Alonso received a drive-through penalty converted to 20-second time penalty for potentially dangerous driving.

[MadManCK]

Some nice tutorial from Cleo

[MadManCK]

[MadManCK]

FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2024 - QUALIFYING

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:28.866 1:28.740 1:28.197 12
2 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 1:29.303 1:28.752 1:28.263 12
3 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 1:29.536 1:28.940 1:28.489 13
4 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1:29.513 1:29.099 1:28.682 12
5 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:29.254 1:29.082 1:28.686 12
6 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 1:29.425 1:29.148 1:28.760 12
7 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:29.661 1:28.887 1:28.766 15
8 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:29.338 1:29.196 1:28.786 12
9 63 George Russell Mercedes 1:29.799 1:29.140 1:29.008 15
10 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 1:29.775 1:29.417 1:29.413 18
11 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 1:29.727 1:29.472 12
12 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 1:29.821 1:29.494 12
13 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 1:29.602 1:29.593 12
14 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 1:29.963 1:29.714 9
15 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 1:29.811 1:29.816 12
16 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 1:30.024 6
17 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 1:30.119 6
18 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 1:30.131 9
19 2 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 1:30.139 6
20 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 1:30.143 6

[MadManCK]

Another solid victory for the whole Red Bull Racing team (1-2), congratz.
And in striking order Ferrari (3-4) and followed by Norris' McLaren (5).

Sainz again the better Ferrari driver. Someone will scratch their heads at Maranello.

Great race on an epic track. Alonso kept hard chasing Piastri and Russel behind.
It is not easy to overtake on this track but Tsunoda showed some masterclass today. Overtaking in the esses was just epic.
A well deserved GP point for him.

FORMULA 1 MSC CRUISES JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2024 - RACE RESULT

1 1 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 53 1:54:23.566 26
2 11 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT 53 +12.535s 18
3 55 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 53 +20.866s 15
4 16 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 53 +26.522s 12
5 4 Lando Norris McLaren Mercedes 53 +29.700s 10
6 14 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 53 +44.272s 8
7 63 George Russell Mercedes 53 +45.951s 6
8 81 Oscar Piastri McLaren Mercedes 53 +47.525s 4
9 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 53 +48.626s 2
10 22 Yuki Tsunoda RB Honda RBPT 52 +1 lap 1
11 27 Nico Hulkenberg Haas Ferrari 52 +1 lap 0
12 18 Lance Stroll Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes 52 +1 lap 0
13 20 Kevin Magnussen Haas Ferrari 52 +1 lap 0
14 77 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber Ferrari 52 +1 lap 0
15 31 Esteban Ocon Alpine Renault 52 +1 lap 0
16 10 Pierre Gasly Alpine Renault 52 +1 lap 0
17 2 Logan Sargeant Williams Mercedes 52 +1 lap 0
NC 24 Zhou Guanyu Kick Sauber Ferrari 12 DNF 0
NC 3 Daniel Ricciardo RB Honda RBPT 0 DNF 0
NC 23 Alexander Albon Williams Mercedes 0 DNF 0

* Provisional results. Note - Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.