OV9

So do Mercedes have genuine rear stability issues and have been sandbagging, or have RBR really got a car to finally best the Mercs?

Would be great to see a proper scrap for the championship between Hamilton and Verstappen.

McLaren seem to be on reasonable form too, but as usual, it's too early to tell what form any of the teams have.

Guess we’ll find out tomorrow when they finally show their hands

Qually prediction top 5 Hamilton/verstappen/bottas/norris/Perez

I'll go Verstappen, Hamilton, Perez.

Mercedes seems to be a diva again but that hasn't held them back in previous years.
The Alpine seems to be a dog and about where McLaren was when Alonso last left, so far the Alonso curse seems to have paid off but at least we'll get plenty of entertaining team radio
The McLaren diffuser solution seems to be clever but we'll have to see if its any good.
Ferrari still looks shit.

The cars are a good few seconds a lap slower so I expect anyone driving them with that much downforce must feel like the cars fvcked compared to last year.

TTWBBSTTF1T

Also this:

Marv wrote: Fri Mar 26, 2021 10:20 pm
Would be great to see a proper scrap for the championship between Hamilton and Verstappen.

I'm hoping that McLaren will be up there. I'd love to see Norris and Riccardo challenging.

As with almost every year I shall begin the season with great optimism and hope it doesn't get bored out of me too quickly

It'd be lovely to see 3 or 4 teams challenging for No1.

Like everyone, I am just hoping for a scrap. I wonder if Max or Lando won whether that would encourage Lewis to hang on for an 8th or more?

Not sure Perez will qualify up front but his long run pace wasn't far off that of Max, so he will probably move forward through the race. Sainz was a surprise in 4th or 5th in FP2 as well and the Gasly Tsunoda pairing also showed strongly. It really does look like a season where a tenth could split half a dozen cars so should be a cracker!

Adverts between quali sessions are new aren’t they? Fuck Sky, it’s not free to view

Annoyed by the adverts, but quali was good!

I don’t think I’m going to get on with the new c4 commentary team. Bloke sounds like a cheesy smashy and nicey 80s radio DJ.

integrale_evo wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:42 pm I don’t think I’m going to get on with the new c4 commentary team. Bloke sounds like a cheesy smashy and nicey 80s radio DJ.

That's what I thought too. I hadn't heard of him before but seems he's been the main commentator for the GR3 and GP2 so probably has the right experience for the job, but don't like his commentory style. DC as lead with Webber and / or Monger would be good.

Pete_ wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:13 pm

integrale_evo wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:42 pm I don’t think I’m going to get on with the new c4 commentary team. Bloke sounds like a cheesy smashy and nicey 80s radio DJ.

That's what I thought too. I hadn't heard of him before but seems he's been the main commentator for the GR3 and GP2 so probably has the right experience for the job, but don't like his commentory style. DC as lead with Webber and / or Monger would be good.

Really hope Vettel can get used to the car and pick up the pace. It's like seeing an old lathargic dog at the moment.

Pete_ wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:14 pm

Pete_ wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:13 pm

integrale_evo wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 7:42 pm I don’t think I’m going to get on with the new c4 commentary team. Bloke sounds like a cheesy smashy and nicey 80s radio DJ.

That's what I thought too. I hadn't heard of him before but seems he's been the main commentator for the GR3 and GP2 so probably has the right experience for the job, but don't like his commentory style. DC as lead with Webber and / or Monger would be good.

Really hope Vettel can get used to the car and pick up the pace. It's like seeing an old lathargic dog at the moment.

He lost out with mazepin’s spin causing yellow flags. I think he’s well out of position there so hopefully he’ll be one to watch in the race

jamcg wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:22 pm

Pete_ wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:14 pm

Pete_ wrote: Sat Mar 27, 2021 8:13 pm
That's what I thought too. I hadn't heard of him before but seems he's been the main commentator for the GR3 and GP2 so probably has the right experience for the job, but don't like his commentory style. DC as lead with Webber and / or Monger would be good.

Really hope Vettel can get used to the car and pick up the pace. It's like seeing an old lathargic dog at the moment.

He lost out with mazepin’s spin causing yellow flags. I think he’s well out of position there so hopefully he’ll be one to watch in the race

I did wonder if he was one of the ones caught out by that, but the new C4 commentator didn't mention who was affected (and I don't think any of the pundits after did either).

It's always interesting compared cars year to year. Latifi's mediocre qualifying lap of 1:30.182 in the terrible Williams last year which placed him in P20 would have been enough for P8 this year. Verstappen's pole time this year would have been P11 last year. 2 seconds per lap slower + harder more durable thicker tyres might mean that almost every race is a 1 stop this year, bar extreme weather/track conditions.

Vettel was affected by 2 yellow flags, first Mazepin, then later on Sainz had to restart his car after he hit a curb and it turned off.

Whadda race.

Good stuff.

That was flipping exciting! If they keep it up we're in for a cracking season!

Would have been even better if Perez hadn’t had the problem.

Great race, proper edge of the seat stuff.

The Aston Martin safety car looks particularly cool under those lights

Dave!