The F1 thread

euan

Weird diversionary take, but okay 

Philly_Q

This is all a total mystery to me, I haven't seen any of these emails or pictures or whatever and I'm baffled by the Coco Pops thing.  I'm not going to look it up while I'm work, I shall have to find out later.

WYNIR0

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GHljEWTWsAE1m3O?format=jpg&name=large

As someone put it on Twitter. Thats aged like a seafood platter in the midday sun.

euan

https://x.com/Lawton_Times/status/1763555374810960342?s=20

Rumours of a second release…exploding…later

WYNIR0

euan said:

https://x.com/Lawton_Times/status/1763555374810960342?s=20

Rumours of a second release…exploding…later

my favourite!

Cols

WYNIR0 said:

One thing I've learnt from this thus far, no-one knows what's coming next!

I believe it was Christian Horner, with the Kleenex, in the toilets of the Red Bull private jet.

This is like playing Cluedo.

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Meanwhile, there's actually a race this weekend! Anyone else watching quali?

TimmyO

Dontgiveupyourdayjob said:

Meanwhile, there's actually a race this weekend! Anyone else watching quali?

yep.

That Sauber certainly shows up under the lights. (the kindest thing that can be said about the colour! :-) ) 

TimmyO

Sainz gambling... 

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

Wow, that Alpine really does seem to be a bit of a dog doesn't it?! 

RiftAmps

Lewis didn’t fancy pole position then?

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

TimmyO

RiftAmps said:

Lewis didn’t fancy pole position then?

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

what?

TimmyO

My main takeaways of interest from that:

Alpine - sheesh
Hulk - interesting
RIC slower than TSU
Ferrari - consistent

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

TimmyO said:

RiftAmps said:

Lewis didn’t fancy pole position then?

Hahahahahahahahahaha.

what?

Answers on a postcard....

Decent session that. Top seven drivers separated by less than 0.5s so a lot closer than I'd expected. 

Red Bull should definitely still win based on their long run pace, but as for the rest of the top 10 I think it'll be a real dog fight. Looking forward to it!

stickyfiddle

Much closer than expected, though my assumption is Max is setup for race pace and will be further ahead today. Good to see the top 10 so close at this stage though as it at least means there's a hope of some competition through the season.

Love the Sauber just for the sheer violence of that colour. Compared with 8 other blueish cars it sticks out brilliantly. 

Lols for Alpine. I feel for Gasly & Ocon but the bosses deserve everything they get. 

Hulk great in quality as usual. Will fall backwards in the race but probably still beat the Alpines and Sargeant. 

Perez is still not good enough in a field this close, but Ric isn't doing himself any favours is he? Albon would prefer the Mercedes seat, as a guess, likewise Sainz. Maybe Tsunoda should get a shot if he keeps this up?

Penn

stickyfiddle said:

Much closer than expected, though my assumption is Max is setup for race pace and will be further ahead today. Good to see the top 10 so close at this stage though as it at least means there's a hope of some competition through the season.

Love the Sauber just for the sheer violence of that colour. Compared with 8 other blueish cars it sticks out brilliantly. 

Lols for Alpine. I feel for Gasly & Ocon but the bosses deserve everything they get. 

Hulk great in quality as usual. Will fall backwards in the race but probably still beat the Alpines and Sargeant. 

Perez is still not good enough in a field this close, but Ric isn't doing himself any favours is he? Albon would prefer the Mercedes seat, as a guess, likewise Sainz. Maybe Tsunoda should get a shot if he keeps this up?

The real question is who will replace Perez next year and who will be the new team principal… now I’ve said that they are bound to keep Perez and Horner in their jobs. Although knowing how wrong I am normally… they may swap them? Perez runs the team and Horner drives? What could go wrong?

Also I think the Ferrari might do ok today and the McLaren might be better in the race. Toto said the merc is setup for the race more than qualifying. 

stickyfiddle

I feel like Sainz has the right head on him to be the new Team Principle. He could do both!  

I love that we’re all just assuming 100% that Horner is a dead man walking now as well…

Penn

stickyfiddle said:

I feel like Sainz has the right head on him to be the new Team Principle. He could do both!  

I love that we’re all just assuming 100% that Horner is a dead man walking now as well…

Ted lasso should replace him. 

Cols

Looks close, and oddly Leclerc was actually fastest in qualifying - just not in the final session, having done his best lap in Q2.  

My worry is that Red Bull are - like 2023 - set up for the race, and that today Verstappen’s going to potter off into the distance while Perez toils up through the field to join him on the podium.

stickyfiddle said:

Perez is still not good enough in a field this close, but Ric isn't doing himself any favours is he? Albon would prefer the Mercedes seat, as a guess, likewise Sainz. Maybe Tsunoda should get a shot if he keeps this up?

Indeed.  Ricciardo should be making mincemeat of Tsunoda if he wants that Red Bull seat, and he isn’t.  Meanwhile Lawson is waiting in the wings.  And I do wonder if Horner might be DR’s biggest cheerleader for a return to the senior team, and that particular ally might not be around much longer…

boogieman

Lewis’s car was running soooooo low. Hard to see how they can do that again with a fully fuelled car. And then George still beat him on pace. Can’t see Lewis doing much today, but then I’m usually wrong. The Ferraris looked to have good pace.