Official F1 Topic

[Jay]

Any Ferrari success this year will be good in my opinion. Charles needs some results to reflect his talent and Lewis could use results to justify his switch over.

 

Because if the rumours are to be believed, 2026 may very well be a new era of Merc dominance

[WALEAD99]

14 minutes ago, Jay said:

Any Ferrari success this year will be good in my opinion. Charles needs some results to reflect his talent and Lewis could use results to justify his switch over.

 

Because if the rumours are to be believed, 2026 may very well be a new era of Merc dominance

for 2026 i think aston martin or ferrari will dominace (for aston because the legend andry newey and alonso ofc not stroll and for ferrari hamilton will back to 2020 era with ferrari or maybe charles

but who knows who will dominance next season cause everything is new

for ferrari i wish win any racer specially monaco , silvestone and monza and imola ofc

[Jay]

Thoroughly enjoying the one-off liveries, race suits and helmets being revealed in the lead up to this race.

 

Best: Lando's disco ball helmet.

 

Worst: Ferrari's corporate copout 'not-actually-blue-but-we-made-you-think-it-would-be' livery again.

[Jason]

Yea I like the suit/livery variety. Makes races feel a bit more unique, and lets teams be creative.

 

Anyway, Toto Wolff right now:

 

[smokeless6]

That's exactly how he looked at the end of SQ3. Arms folded, smug gob

 

And I would too. Antonelli has been super impressive from the off. He is very likeable, humble and quick. Faster than Hamilton too

 

[Jay]

Ohhh wow if Merc really smash the new regs in 2026 we'll get Kimi lifting trophies next year and that's amazing.

 

He may even do it this year.

[Jason]

50 minutes ago, smokeless6 said:

Faster than Hamilton too

 

Pains me to say it as a fan of British drivers and Hamilton, but he looks like he's lost that edge completely. His qualifying is terrible and constantly sets him back and while he's shown glimpses of his old brilliance from time to time on the Sunday with these regs he more often than not can't pull magic out of a hat anymore.

 

But I do think F1's future at the moment is very bright in terms of drivers. Verstappen's still incredible but even if he takes a sabbatical at the end of next season I think between George, Lando, Piastri, Leclerc and Antonelli alone we've got a great line up of very competitive drivers. I just hope the new regs don't result in 1 team demolishing the field for the first season or two.

[Dostoyevskiy]

 

3 hours ago, Jason said:

 

Pains me to say it as a fan of British drivers and Hamilton, but he looks like he's lost that edge completely. His qualifying is terrible and constantly sets him back and while he's shown glimpses of his old brilliance from time to time on the Sunday with these regs he more often than not can't pull magic out of a hat anymore.

 

But I do think F1's future at the moment is very bright in terms of drivers. Verstappen's still incredible but even if he takes a sabbatical at the end of next season I think between George, Lando, Piastri, Leclerc and Antonelli alone we've got a great line up of very competitive drivers. I just hope the new regs don't result in 1 team demolishing the field for the first season or two.

how beautiful that statements like these ages like milk after a short time. he could've won today if it wasn't for Safety Car. Faster than Oscar by almost an second per lap before SC happened. He is still GOAT in these conditions and when he feels the grip. Next year will be his year as cars are going to lose big amount of downforce in high speed and downforce in high speed is something that makes things easier for drivers and benefits slower drivers.

[Jason]

He was fastest because before the SC he was one of the few drivers up the field on slicks. Oscar hadn't finished his outlap by the time the SC kicked in and Lando's last lap in race conditions was on the intermeds, it's no certainty at all that he would've won without the SC but it would have been a nice fight to watch.

 

Lando lucked it, Piastri got f*cked, Hamilton lucked it and behind him was an absolute disaster for most of the grid. Verstappen's early release, Antonelli getting messed up by the early release and having to skip his pit stop wasting tons of time, the crashes, contact, etc.

 

One of the more entertaining sprints but I don't think anyone can look at it and go "x driver had an amazing race". The whole thing was a chaotic clusterf*ck.

[Jay]

Just watched the highlights of the sprint, absolute clusterf*ck yes.

 

Nando binning it changed the timing of Lando's pitstop from a bit too late to just in time.

[Jason]

Ferrari are incompetent. They take ages to make decisions which means they always end up making them too late, but the two sides of the garage don't seem to talk to each other at all, and they've been that way for years now.

 

They need a serious overhaul if they wanna compete.

[Jay]

5 hours ago, Jason said:

Ferrari are incompetent. They take ages to make decisions which means they always end up making them too late, but the two sides of the garage don't seem to talk to each other at all, and they've been that way for years now.

 

They need a serious overhaul if they wanna compete.

 

I love Lewis and wish him the best life as a Ferrari ambassador post F1 but the graft he's going through to get that right now is harsh.

 

We're barely into the season and he's already sparring with the pit wall. What's it going to be like by the end of the year?

 

And we're not even surprise, right? We all knew this was happening?

[Ehrmantraut]

Ferrari are unexplainable, they just never f*cking learn with their own mistakes.

 

Its like they enjoy being made fun of and memed to death.

[Nico]

It was painful to watch Lando struggling so much fighting with Max on dying tires, illegal overtake included with return of position (something Max wouldn't have done). Ultimately he was able to do what Perez couldn't; maximize the results of having such a winning car, so I have to give credit where it's due. But Oscar is on another level.

 

Yeah, Ferrari is horrible right now. The hype built over the whole last season shattered in six races, if not less. This is why you need a clear number two driver; both Leclerc and Hamilton are worthy of preferential treatment for various reasons. And that Sainz move at the very end of the race might show Carlos wanting to finish some business. Although being at Williams might be helpful to him in the end. I wanted to be supportive of Lawson and Doohan but... man.

[Jason]

Williams is really good at the moment, seems like the teams all on the same page with a very decent car and two really good drivers.

 

Teams giving chances to a load of rookies is really cool but we're seeing why we have spells where teams are very hesitant to. Teams who have two rookies or even a single rookie are struggling where as Williams with two very good and very experienced drivers are competing with Merc and Ferrari. I really hope they're able to pick up a podium or two, especially Sainz.

 

Ferrari's problems are far more than having two "first choice" drivers. The team orders couldn't been handled so much better but the communication between the two sides of the garage seems like a disaster - at one point Leclerc was Hamilton will let him pass except Ham hadn't been told this himself lol.

[Ehrmantraut]

For some reason I thought Merc could battle McLaren for the title but they really can't, unless Mc f*cks up monumentally. They'll probably be the runner-ups though.

[beneksy]

2 minutes ago, Ehrmantraut said:

For some reason I thought Merc could battle McLaren for the title but they really can't, unless Mc f*cks up monumentally. They'll probably be the runner-ups though.

Merc have the second best line-up in terms of drivers and cars atm imo. Car itself isn't as good as McLaren for now. But it's too late to have a chance in a championship race.  

[Jason]

McLaren are clear favourites but Merc are constantly up there, it's still early in the season and with some good upgrades they could challenge.

[Ehrmantraut]

3 hours ago, Jason said:

McLaren are clear favourites but Merc are constantly up there, it's still early in the season and with some good upgrades they could challenge.

Its obviously very early but I don't see much changing. Merc will have to do a really good upgrade if they want to compete.

[Jason]

This time last season we thought RB would win every race, by the end of it McLaren had the better car just lacked a bit of quality from both Lando and Piastri.

 

It could be the same this season, but the big question is will it happen soon enough that McLaren don't run way with both titles leaving the last few races a formality.

[Eutyphro]

I'm losing my trust in Red Bulls ability to build a winning car after Newey's departure. I think it's time for Max to move to preferably Merc.

[Nico]

6 hours ago, Eutyphro said:

I'm losing my trust in Red Bulls ability to build a winning car after Newey's departure. I think it's time for Max to move to preferably Merc.

Does Toto want that, though? Kimi is rapidly learning the ropes of the business, best rookie of the season so far, and George isn't doing things too bad either. Max might have been a target of Toto as long as Antonelli was still unproven goods, but that is no longer the case. I don't think pulling a Ferrari and needlessly rocking the boat at Mercedes would be a good thing right now. Also, we have to wonder if Max really wants to continue in F1. He has said he doesn't have interest in breaking records; he just became a dad, has more fun doing sim-racing, wants to try other series, and like any decent person he doesn't seem particularly thrilled by the 2026 F1 ruleset.

 

People were suggesting a move of Max to Aston Martin but that would be so ridiculous. That team is so fundamentally wrong in many aspects. He deserves much, much more than being the Stroll's premium butler.

[beneksy]

6 hours ago, Jason said:

This time last season we thought RB would win every race, by the end of it McLaren had the better car just lacked a bit of quality from both Lando and Piastri.

 

It could be the same this season, but the big question is will it happen soon enough that McLaren don't run way with both titles leaving the last few races a formality.

This is accurate. Don't forget last year RedBull had only Max, as a contender and driver that's meaning something in both Championships. McLaren has two great drivers, one is better than another. As a team, they are running away, they are racing in their own league imo. There is McLaren and there is the rest fighting for positions on a podium and below.  That's for now ofc, it may change in a next delivery of upgrades throughout the season.  Let's see, anyway im exited for the fight at the front. 

Forza ferrari  

[Jay]

On 5/8/2025 at 8:54 AM, Nico said:

Does Toto want that, though? Kimi is rapidly learning the ropes of the business, best rookie of the season so far, and George isn't doing things too bad either. Max might have been a target of Toto as long as Antonelli was still unproven goods, but that is no longer the case. I don't think pulling a Ferrari and needlessly rocking the boat at Mercedes would be a good thing right now. Also, we have to wonder if Max really wants to continue in F1. He has said he doesn't have interest in breaking records; he just became a dad, has more fun doing sim-racing, wants to try other series, and like any decent person he doesn't seem particularly thrilled by the 2026 F1 ruleset.

 

People were suggesting a move of Max to Aston Martin but that would be so ridiculous. That team is so fundamentally wrong in many aspects. He deserves much, much more than being the Stroll's premium butler.

 

I like the thought of Max taking a sabbatical in 2026 to see how the cards lay, then deciding who to drive for after that.

 

Won't happen though.

[Nico]

Yeah no, if Max hangs the helmet he's doing it for good, at least F1-wise.

[Stahli]

He's definitely already planning something for his future after F1, even though it's still a few years away.  Today, he took part in the official NLS (VLN) test and setup sessions on the Nürburgring Nordschleife and did a few laps in the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3.  He drove under the pseudonym Franz Hermann. However, since his real name was visible on his helmet and racing overalls, his cover was quickly blown.

[Jason]

Once you're out of F1 it's generally tricky to get back in... though Verstappen is probably the exception to that rule if he were to take a sabbatical in the near future.

 

I do think if he leaves RB in the next two years it'll be to another team, likely Merc, rather than him leaving F1 altogether. It would be really cool to see him in another team and car honestly, like Hamilton to Ferrari (even if Ferrari have been poor) it'd be such a good move for F1.

 

I don't think he has any long term goal of matching/beating Schu and Ham's 7 WDC or anything like that, he definitely could do it if he stayed long term but yea I don't necessarily think it's a goal of his. I'll be surprised if he's still in F1 in his mid 30's going by stuff he's said in the past.

[Jay]

On 5/9/2025 at 9:44 PM, Stahli said:

However, since his real name was visible on his helmet and racing overalls, his cover was quickly blown.

 

Oh don't forget his name all over the car livery as well! The pseudonym was to keep the hype away in the leadup to the day but once he got there, the cat was out of the bag.

 

I did love the shitposts updating everyone on what 'Franz' was doing.

[Stahli]

That's actually the regular livery of Emil Frey Racing. They also race in the DTM with a similar livery. It also has Verstappen.com written all over it.

[Jason]

Yea he obviously didn't expect to walk about a race track, let alone one of the famous tracks in the world, and not get recognised, it was probably just done to keep how crazy it got to a minimum.