[morini]

PB, won't happen. The traces from the first three tracks show that the Ferrari has the widest operating window, much better top speed, and better cornering. The deficit is hard wired into the Mercedes DNA. I think they're cooked. We'll see how the race goes tomorrow, but I expect Vettel to scamper off into the distance and Hamilton to come under serious threat from Bottas. There is no question the Mercedes PU is still the best, what with the drag they're sticking on the car, which is waaaaaay more than everyone else, that engine is having to punch a lot of dragy bits through the air, and it's not a million miles off Ferrari still, which is quite a slippy car. However, Mercedes can't just strip off their widgets veins and wings. Why? Because that's what gives them their front and rear end. They can't just raise the cars rake (it's 1.25 degrees this year) and sort it all out. I think Mercedes are screwed. They have a clear deficit this year, last year it wasn't quite as clear, and they could just turn the engine up. Ironically I think the three engine limit this year, which they pushed for, is the reason they can't really turn it up.

Was going to post yesterday, but I thought I'd wait until after the race. I think some of that is a bit sensationalist. The top three teams are very close and it will be a development race. Mercedes dominated Melbourne (apart from the good Ferrari luck for the result).

What is obvious (and worrying) is that track position is king. Obviously the red bulls did some overtaking, but they needed a tyre advantage to do so. WIth cars on same tyres, as per first stint demonstrated today, the racing is bloody dull and the same old overtaking issues persist. This was a great race to watch, but mostly because of the tyre situation post safety car.

Well done DR, you did it with style and class today.

[LotusLover]

Daniel is so much cleaner, thought he was going to lose his left side with Bottas, Slightly flattered by fresh tyres but superb call by RB couldn't understand why Ferrari didn't do it for Kimi, he finally got a bit of luck when Max and Seb collided, Max is too bullish and Gasly hero to Zero lol. Their advantage is time lots and lots of time.
As Morini said safety car saved this race, obviously if all on same tyres soooo difficult to overtake as proved by Kim/Bottas

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Seb ruthless to his teammate at lap 1 lost him 4 places karma at the end though

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PB, won't happen. The traces from the first three tracks show that the Ferrari has the widest operating window, much better top speed, and better cornering. The deficit is hard wired into the Mercedes DNA. I think they're cooked. We'll see how the race goes tomorrow, but I expect Vettel to scamper off into the distance and Hamilton to come under serious threat from Bottas. There is no question the Mercedes PU is still the best, what with the drag they're sticking on the car, which is waaaaaay more than everyone else, that engine is having to punch a lot of dragy bits through the air, and it's not a million miles off Ferrari still, which is quite a slippy car. However, Mercedes can't just strip off their widgets veins and wings. Why? Because that's what gives them their front and rear end. They can't just raise the cars rake (it's 1.25 degrees this year) and sort it all out. I think Mercedes are screwed. They have a clear deficit this year, last year it wasn't quite as clear, and they could just turn the engine up. Ironically I think the three engine limit this year, which they pushed for, is the reason they can't really turn it up.

Was going to post yesterday, but I thought I'd wait until after the race. I think some of that is a bit sensationalist. The top three teams are very close and it will be a development race. Mercedes dominated Melbourne (apart from the good Ferrari luck for the result).

What is obvious (and worrying) is that track position is king. Obviously the red bulls did some overtaking, but they needed a tyre advantage to do so. WIth cars on same tyres, as per first stint demonstrated today, the racing is bloody dull and the same old overtaking issues persist. This was a great race to watch, but mostly because of the tyre situation post safety car.

Well done DR, you did it with style and class today.

Lovely overtake on Lewis so clean and smooth

[morini]

Lovely overtake on Lewis so clean and smooth

Two top race day drivers, some credit to Lewis for leaving him the room too. It was a great move, but very late and could have potentially ended in tears against a less experienced racer. I want to see DR and LH in the same team as I honestly think they are the two best race day drivers. Still think LH will be the quali winner if he manages to keep his form for the next few years.

[Purple-banana]

Cracking race, so pleased for Ricciardo, and great to see three different teams represented on the podium.

Poor Seb, he didn’t deserve to come home 8th. Had that SC call come a few seconds earlier it would have been a totally different story. But that’s racing! Odd that the SC call took so long to be made, that debris was there for almost two whole laps before the decision was made.

Yet again, we see Lewis sounding disinterested when falling back and rattled when trying to push. Lewis’ championship is going to be defined by whether he can qualify on pole or not.

Roll on Baku!

P.S. I was also having a good chuckle every time the Sky commentators refered to Ricciardo as the best overtaker, imagining little Bob’s head exploding and him reaching for the keyboard in a fit of rage!

[morini]

P.S. I was also having a good chuckle every time the Sky commentators refered to Ricciardo as the best overtaker, imagining little Bob’s head exploding and him reaching for the keyboard in a fit of rage!

In fairness, Lewis has a track record as an amazing overtaker as well (nobody who watched him in junior formula could say he doesn't have awesome race craft). Yes, today he was disinterested, I agree with you completely. But he was honest in his post race interview saying yesterday and today he under-performed and had no pace. I have to say VB is looking the better Mercedes driver at the moment, but I'm pretty sure LH will bounce back at some point. I'm not sacking him from my fantasy team anyway, though MV is definitely going to be toast - wish I'd done it last week but thought I'd give him another chance. Disappointed in Max, he's not living up to the early indications.

[LotusLover]

P.S. I was also having a good chuckle every time the Sky commentators refered to Ricciardo as the best overtaker, imagining little Bob’s head exploding and him reaching for the keyboard in a fit of rage!

In fairness, Lewis has a track record as an amazing overtaker as well (nobody who watched him in junior formula could say he doesn't have awesome race craft). Yes, today he was disinterested, I agree with you completely. But he was honest in his post race interview saying yesterday and today he under-performed and had no pace. I have to say VB is looking the better Mercedes driver at the moment, but I'm pretty sure LH will bounce back at some point. I'm not sacking him from my fantasy team anyway, though MV is definitely going to be toast - wish I'd done it last week but thought I'd give him another chance. Disappointed in Max, he's not living up to the early indications.

I swapped Kimi for MAX!!!! WTF

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Cracking race, so pleased for Ricciardo, and great to see three different teams represented on the podium.

Poor Seb, he didn’t deserve to come home 8th. Had that SC call come a few seconds earlier it would have been a totally different story. But that’s racing! Odd that the SC call took so long to be made, that debris was there for almost two whole laps before the decision was made.

Yet again, we see Lewis sounding disinterested when falling back and rattled when trying to push. Lewis’ championship is going to be defined by whether he can qualify on pole or not.

Roll on Baku!

P.S. I was also having a good chuckle every time the Sky commentators refered to Ricciardo as the best overtaker, imagining little Bob’s head exploding and him reaching for the keyboard in a fit of rage!

Its a shame its Baku because personally I think it is an awful track

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Is Sky thread open yet I need to see what has exploded from BOBs arse and out through his fingers

[morini]

Poor Seb, he didn’t deserve to come home 8th. Had that SC call come a few seconds earlier it would have been a totally different story.

SC, swings and roundabouts. At Melbourne it gave Vettel a race win where he really should have been third at best (if my maths are right a 17 point swing). Today, the SC went against everyone bar red bull. Vettel was then victim to a clumsy Max move, he'll be more pissed off about that and losing some points to Hamilton than the SC itself as Hamilton was still behind post SC.

[Jody Barton]

Morini you can think it is sensationalist if you like, but just look at it, two completely different types of track, and Ferrari have a 0.5 second ultimate lap pace advantage, and in this formula as you've said track position is king. Over race stints we see the teams are separated by very marginal differences, and it's clear that without a VSC or SC throwing a curve ball the car out front is pretty safe.

Talking points for me this race:

1) Why oh why didn't Ferrari react to the undercut? Mental if you ask me because I feel Ferrari had it all covered off.
2) I think Hamilton is either unhappy in his car, or it's one of his famous dips in form (sorry Morini he has them).
3) Mad Max, is he a potential Juan Pablo Montoya? Quick in clean air, but crap in close combat? We can't keep saying 'youngster' he's in his fourth season.
4) So who is going to get Ricciardo's signature. If you're both Ferrari and Mercedes today you must look at that and think, he's certainly better than their current number 2's.
5) There is clear convergence on the PU's, please, please, please don't fuck with it FIA / Liberty Media. Give them bigger batteries / energy recovery and give them more control over deployment and we're sorted.
6) Oh my God are these aero regulations awful. China historically has provided some of the best racing we've had. Yet first stint was that boring as hell. You just can't follow the car in front, and you really need a tyre advantage to get past.

So discuss.

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PS. Also a talking point why the hell didn't Mercedes bring Hamilton in India there SC? Lap deltas showed them sure via stints that the new softs would give between a 0.6 to 0.8 seconds per lap, and with them rolling nose to tail behind the SC it was too big an advantage.

[morini]

Morini you can think it is sensationalist if you like, but just look at it, two completely different types of track, and Ferrari have a 0.5 second ultimate lap pace advantage, and in this formula as you've said track position is king. Over race stints we see the teams are separated by very marginal differences, and it's clear that without a VSC or SC throwing a curve ball the car out front is pretty safe.

I don't think there really is 0.5s difference. Yesterday was bloody cold, still too early to say IMO.

1) Why oh why didn't Ferrari react to the undercut? Mental if you ask me because I feel Ferrari had it all covered off.

If's buts maybe. There was little difference in race pace between top three teams today.

2) I think Hamilton is either unhappy in his car, or it's one of his famous dips in form (sorry Morini he has them).

I'll wait until the next race to reserve judgement. LH was dominating in Aus, but lost the race through no fault of his own. Since that race he has been outperformed by VB. I hope for the sake of the championship it is not a dip in form. But its tight at the top now with 24 points separating the top five and only 9 points between SV and LH. Like I said earlier, I'm not booting him off my team just yet.

3) Mad Max, is he a potential Juan Pablo Montoya? Quick in clean air, but crap in close combat? We can't keep saying 'youngster' he's in his fourth season.

For me he shows a lack of patience. No doubt he is very fast and has all the skills, but he doesn't show good judgement in the race. One of the best in the wet though, along with Hamilton.

4) So who is going to get Ricciardo's signature. If you're both Ferrari and Mercedes today you must look at that and think, he's certainly better than their current number 2's.

I want to see him in the Merc with Hamilton. But I think he'll end up in a red car. He knows he has the measure of Vettel.

5) There is clear convergence on the PU's, please, please, please don't fuck with it FIA / Liberty Media. Give them bigger batteries / energy recovery and give them more control over deployment and we're sorted.

I said last season there wasn't much between the PU's and now they are on definately on a par. RB were just as fast on race day, but it's hard to say with certaintly as not one of the teams can use all the availble grunt, they are all in management mode for most of the race to save engine duty cycles.

6) Oh my God are these aero regulations awful. China historically has provided some of the best racing we've had. Yet first stint was that boring as hell. You just can't follow the car in front, and you really need a tyre advantage to get past.

So discuss.

Ok!

[Jody Barton]

On point 1 Morini I kinda agree, a friend has sent me an email to stints that showed on Friday during race sims the Ferrari's were chewing the mediums up. So perhaps they had to extend their Soft stints.

Point 2: I'd never write Hamilton off. I genuinely believe he is one of the all time greats. I really do. However, after Australia the psychologist in me detected a little bit of dejection, and then after Bahrain qualifying and the race his shoulders were down. Coming into China he looked not quite right. However, despite having crap results in Baku, I happen to think he's a bit of a master there. Last season he was consistently 0.5 seconds quicker in S2 alone than the rest of the grid.

Point 3: I've said now since the junior leagues he's clumsy around other cars. He should be maturing by now in wheel to wheel stuff, but he isn't. I've been told I don't know what I'm talking about, but he's starting to remind me of how clumsy, and quick, Juan Pablo Montoya was... and dare I say it... Romain Grosjean.

Point 4: I too would love to see him in a Mercedes up against Lewis. However, I too think he's likely to be wearing red next year.

Point 5: I think there is a gap when turned up between Mercedes and Ferrari to Renault and Honda. But when turned down for the races I don't think it is there at all. Just let them get on with developing them. Give the teams two more years and I think we'll have nigh on parity and these engines will be way cheaper to produce, please don't change it.

Any who, another thing my friend (who is in the F1 streaming beta) said, is that after his crash with Mad Max he didn't think Sebs ERS was deploying. He was able to go onboard with him, and he said the engine didn't have the tell tale whine out of the corners these hybrids produce. If true, and there is damage there it could spell disaster, as Ferrari have already lost one set of energy stores and an EC. Means Seb could very well be looking at multiple grid penalties for components already.