The OFFICIAL 2015 Formula 1 Thread!

[Jon325i]

Mercedes dominance....especially Hamilton....is making this season a bit of a yawn at times. I know there are varied opinions about Lewis as a person but lets face it, he is good at his craft behind the wheel. That matter aside, there's been some great racing in mid-field or for the final podium spot, but the 'chase' for the title is almost a done deal at this point. Hamilton has comfortable lead now and unless he gets a couple of DNFs he is the likely champion this year. He likes the Singapore track and has good results from there so that's likely to extend his points lead.

I will agree that the changes to the rules as well as the cars has made F1 more boring in recent years. The FIA's logic is skewed at best when addressing the issue of runaway costs....rather than keep fully developed engine tech, lets throw out everything and require the manufactures to invest even more for V6 turbo "power units" (c'mon people....its a fucking engine!) which has taken away from the sensory excitement of F1. These engines don't thrill me like the screaming V10s did.

Alas, until uncle Bernie kicks the bucket and some heads roll with the FIA, we can expect the 'business as usual' spectacle that we see now.


Jon

[HennaE30]

Mercedes dominance....especially Hamilton....is making this season a bit of a yawn at times. I know there are varied opinions about Lewis as a person but lets face it, he is good at his craft behind the wheel. That matter aside, there's been some great racing in mid-field or for the final podium spot, but the 'chase' for the title is almost a done deal at this point. Hamilton has comfortable lead now and unless he gets a couple of DNFs he is the likely champion this year. He likes the Singapore track and has good results from there so that's likely to extend his points lead.

I will agree that the changes to the rules as well as the cars has made F1 more boring in recent years. The FIA's logic is skewed at best when addressing the issue of runaway costs....rather than keep fully developed engine tech, lets throw out everything and require the manufactures to invest even more for V6 turbo "power units" (c'mon people....its a fucking engine!) which has taken away from the sensory excitement of F1. These engines don't thrill me like the screaming V10s did.

Alas, until uncle Bernie kicks the bucket and some heads roll with the FIA, we can expect the 'business as usual' spectacle that we see now.


Jon

Hamilton also is benefitting from a car that's 1-2 seconds a lap faster than everyone else.. I don't think he's as good as everyone says he is. Every time something goes wrong he bitches and blames someone else.

I imagine you swap Vettel and Hamilton, or Ricciardo and Hamilton, and the story will be MUCH different.

I just watched Spa (I know, I'm behind) but am I the only one who notices how much BS the Mercs (especially Hamilton) gets away with? He got away with atleast 2 or 3 things that would result in a penalty.

It's to the point now, I was thinking of going this year, but I'm not sure I even want to watch anymore. I've been enjoying DTM and Tudor much more, even though Audi's running away with the title this year (I also feel like DTM penalty weight idea is flawed).

[SirMaxximus]

hamilton drives like a pissed off teenager everytime something doesn't go his way

[GillesBigCowboy]

F1 is far from perfect, but still the pinnacle, and this Mercedes team is truly great, but the passion of Ferrari will catch them eventually.
I am really interested to see how Ferrari does in the back of Red Bull and Haas next year.

[HennaE30]

this Mercedes team is truly great

"Great" as soon as they have problems, or are challenged by another team, they shoot themselves in the foot and start making stupid mistakes. I'm not sure I'd classify that as "truly great". They were given a handout by F1 (sitting in on engine discussions and getting allowed extra track time last year testing Pirelli's tires for them?) and soon the other teams will catch up (look at Ferrari this year, or Red Bull next year if they get a solid powerplant.)

[Jb325is]

Have you been watching F1 long? I think Hamilton is one of the best of this generation, along with Vettel and Alonso. You don't win multiple championships by getting lucky. He is clearly quicker than Rosberg, who was clearly quicker than Schumacher at the end of his career. I'm not saying Hamilton is better than Schumacher, just saying that out-gunning Rosberg consistently is no small feat

And as far as the Mercedes advantage, I would agree that they have done a GREAT job with this platform. Complete dominance is also not lucky and they have been able to keep consistently ahead of everyone else throughout the entirety of the last two seasons. There are other teams with Mercedes power units that are a long way off the pace. Do they have the best of the power units compared to the other teams? Sure. But they are not dominating F1 right now soley on horespower.

[HennaE30]

The OFFICIAL 2015 Formula 1 Thread!

Have you been watching F1 long? I think Hamilton is one of the best of this generation, along with Vettel and Alonso. You don't win multiple championships by getting lucky.

And as far as the Mercedes advantage, I would agree that they have done a GREAT job with this platform. Complete dominance is also not lucky and they have been able to keep consistently ahead of everyone else throughout the entirety of the last two seasons. There are other teams with Mercedes power units that are a long way off the pace. Do they have the best of the power units compared to the other teams? Sure. But they are not dominating F1 right now soley on horespower.

When you start off 2 steps ahead of everyone, it's easy to be dominant.

I think Hamilton is a good driver, I don't take that away from him. But I think he is benefitting from F1 giving Mercedes a handout, and essentially allowing the team to cheat (extra practice time with Pirelli, being in on the engine discussions when Ferrari and Renault, Hamiltons tires not being in spec at Spa, running people off the road, or Hamilton cutting Eau Rouge at Spa on lap 1?) and I think that it's ruining the sport.

All Hamilton proved to me last year was that he was better than Nico Rosberg, a fact I already knew was true. You could've put any driver in the paddock in that car and they would've been dominant.

And personally, last year I was much more impressed with the way Ricciardo & Bottas drove last year. Ricciardo winning while down on power and near 0 reliability? Bottas got (and continues to get) screwed by Williams (he was in the fight till the wheel incident, and they always play too conservative.)

[Reichart12]

You could've put any driver in the paddock in that car and they would've been dominant.

Maldonado?

[HennaE30]

Maldonado?

Lol.. I was sitting there thinking about him.. But if he could keep it on the track? No doubt. When he's not flipping, hitting walls or taking out the competition, he's fairly competitive. He didnt look bad at Spa.

[GillesBigCowboy]

Maldonado won in a Williams, but if teamed with Hammy, Mercedes would probably not be so dominant. Nico made a comment about how Lewis usually borrows his setup lately. Without Nico's technical prowess, would they be so dominant?

[HennaE30]

Maldonado won in a Williams, but if teamed with Hammy, Mercedes would probably not be so dominant. Nico made a comment about how Lewis usually borrows his setup lately. Without Nico's technical prowess, would they be so dominant?

If Nico has such "technical prowess" and is such a great driver, why was he never in a fight for a title before the 2014 season. There is no legal explanation for Mercedes being so far ahead of everyone else, when they weren't winning in previous years (they were somewhat competitive in 2013, but before then?).

You can't sit there and say that Mercedes hasn't cheated their way to this dominance. When the F1 (bernie is F1 lol) admits that a team cheated, and doesn't hand out a penalty of some sort? There's an issue there. You're allowing one team to get away with stuff, while penalizing others for little tic tac stuff.

[naplesE30]

Hamilton is as fast as anyone on the grid. He tied a 2 time world champion Alonso his rookie year, and should have won it all if not for a tiny gravel trap on the pit lane of China. He is by no means the best driver, or smartest at race craft, but fast yes. You can never judge who is the fastest because of the nature of F1, which I like! I would really l Ike to see Nicole Hulkenberg with a top tier team soon.

[GillesBigCowboy]

BAM!!!!
If you missed quali, watch it. Mercedes and Lewis on verge of multiple F1 dominance records.

[Jon325i]

Bringing the Maldonado topic back into the discussion. Expect more crashes in 2016....

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/pastor-maldonado-will-continue-funding-and-crashing-lot-1732015296

What does PDVSA see in this guy?


Jon

[Jon325i]

F1 silly season may not quite be totally over just yet.....

http://blackflag.jalopnik.com/jenson-button-to-announce-retirement-from-formula-one-a-1732293377

He will be missed if this is true. I know he isn't the fastest/greatest driver on the grid, but he strikes me as one of the most humble and human that's currently in F1. Maybe we'll see him in sports cars or prototypes.


Jon