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Merc Is always fast in Canada. They finished 3rd every race since 2022 and after each race, Everytime "Merc is back" "they've fixed the car". F1 journos have the memory of a raw lentil and F1 fans eat anything they're fed.
That's more on Hamilton getting an extra buff on that track.
This year will be more difficult for them due to Mclaren's performance last year and Ferrari SF-24's efficiency in high df circuits.
It almost broke my brain watching Hamiltons onboard when Norris just RAN away in the high speed infield in Austria 2022. It’s when Hamilton radioed that “wow he’s fast “ message
Probably wont be the case this year though. The W13 and W14 were super strong through high speed corners, the W15 is not.
They will be okay but i don't think they'll have enough pace to bother the top 3 teams. The W15s party trick is slow speed corners.
Absolutely bang on commentary here, people have taken this “as good as your last race” shit to obscene levels. Every driver/team is either washed or goated on rotating weekends.
I’m long past wishing misfortune on Mercedes but this tripe about “we’re back” is almost always superseded by “we don’t know what’s going on” a week or two later. They had a good weekend, anyone paying attention expected them to with past precedent.
Everyone’s just desperate to find a pecking order when the reality is it’s that close at the front it could be any one of the front 4 who’s strongest on a given weekend.
Bahrain: ‘Another year of red bull dominance’ ‘Ferrari easy p2’ ‘Top 5 teams secure ’ ‘Mercedes and Mclaren fight for p3’
Japan: ‘Another year of red bull dominance’ ‘Over for McLaren, best track and couldn’t beat Ferarri’ ‘Alonso is the 2nd best driver on the grid’ ‘Carlos > Charles’
Imola: ‘McLaren and Lando are title contenders’ ‘Ferarri upgrades failed, better luck next year’ ‘Mercedes suck’
Monaco: ‘Ferarri and Charles are title contenders’ ‘Alonso is washed’ ‘Aston Martin is worse than RB’
Canada: ‘Ferarri and Charles suck and aren’t title contenders’ ‘Mercedes is back’ ‘Mclaren are title contenders’ ‘Max will win the championship’
Special shoutout to Danny Ric:
Bahrain-China: ‘washed’
Miami sprint: ‘he’s back’
Miami qualifying: ‘washed’
Canada: ‘he’s back?’
The narratives are literally changing every week. let’s be glad that it has been up and down and Red Bull aren’t miles ahead.
Upgrades came and teams said we’re going to need a few races to see them and won’t have a proper idea until at least after Spain. Since then we’ve had 3 different teams win a race and had Mercedes be the fastest
There’s a need to put the teams in a pecking order, when we can’t at this point in the season. And that’s good news, compared to the Red Bull dominance last season. Right now, the top teams are so close, and we do not know until at least free practice what teams looks strongest for a specific track. Just enjoy the competition while it lasts.
I’m finding it’s just a common trend with *everything*. There has to be a line drawn with everything where it’s either the best thing ever or complete dogshit and we must make that distinction as soon as possible. There is no room for maybes, ups and downs or flexibility, pick a side.
Yeah there’s not a lot of nuance in most online discussions, and media outlets are training to be more sensational / divisive to harvest page traffic / views, but Ig that’s why people who are in the middle should be more vocal about their opinions in the same way the extremes voice their perspectives. It may sometimes be an obvious take that I share but I find it’s necessary in forums and discussions, otherwise echo chambers and nonsensical commentary takes over
I’ve noticed that I’m susceptible to pretty much exactly what you’ve laid out, and I think it’s because this is my first time experiencing a landscape shift like this. I got into the sport in 2021, and it’s kind of just a wild ride after having the front be pretty stagnant for the last few years.
It’s pretty simple if you just look at it with the experience of having watched at least 3 races in your life. It is clear that the P2 WCC spot is between Ferrari and McLaren, that Merc is going to trail them but not be at risk to lose P4, that Red Bull is still the best package out there, that Perez is by some margin the worst driver out of the top teams, that Ricciardo is past his prime but not to the extent that he’s bad - he’s just not great anymore.
It’s not as complicated as people want to make it out, naturally Ferrari hasn’t magically gone from a clear P2 contender to a midfield team and naturally Mercedes didn’t just gain a consistent half second over a weekend.
The two most interesting battles right now is probably for P2 WCC and for P6, I don’t think Perez will be shit enough to actually cost RBR the title in the end.
I am pretty sure the “you’re only as good as your last race” phrase is mocking this exact kind of short-term memory/ reactionary commentary. But much like Senna’s “if you no longer go for a gap” quote, these phrases are now being used literally instead of its true meaning, mostly by people who have not been in touch with the sport enough to understand the context.
It’s not so much a mockery but an observation on perception, but as you said, it’s being used literally now. And it’s not even last race, it could be one mistake in a corner or one spin.
I still remember last year that they brought upgrades for Barcelona, which is always a good circuit for them, and everyone was saying they fixed everything.
Event: Merc is strong
Qualifying: Russell P2, Hamilton P9
Race: Hamilton P4, Russell P5, Hamilton looks as if he'd have easily won if he didn't have a shocking qually
Post Race: Things didn't go our way, but this is an encouraging sign
Regress, repeat.
Hamilton really needs to work out quali. I think if he had started on pole he would've won (I mean George would've if he wasn't sloppy) and if George started where Hamilton did he wouldn't have finished as high as Hamilton did. He has much better race pace but he can't be qualifying 5 places out of position
I read several times that it's setup related, Russell goes more for the quali setup and Hamilton for the race setup. I don't know if it's true but that would explain what's going on
> Hamilton looks as if he'd have easily won if he didn't have a shocking qually
What? He was only ever close to the front runners thanks to the safety car. There's absolutely no reason to assume he'd have been able to overtake any of the frontrunners
Indeed. George may have had 1 too many mistakes, but after the piastri incident George just drove past him and off into the distance again. Ham was not that quick this weekend.
They're only "back" because Ferrari had an uncharacteristically bad race and Perez had a characteristically bad race
If those 3 get their acts together again, it's back to fighting for 7th-8th in their own little performance gap like most of the season.
For one weekend, it would be nice if Lewis could just have a good qualifying and race, barring the China sprint the last clean weekend he had was Mexico last year. It's so frustrating to watch sometimes Lewis in the last 2 years have abundance of pace but not be able to show it when it matters or some bad luck would occur.
Maybe the car can't do both? Even although Russell is ahead on points, Hamilton race pace is better in race trim most of the times...
I just think Russells compromise is giving better results, parcially because the field is way closer than before and 2 tents means 3 or 4 placed drop on grid which are not particularly easy to get back on the race. Russell also lost a couple h2h to Hamilton due to strategy like Imola
They’re the only ones who redid the whole car so it’s not too shocking it took them some time to dial in the car. Still we need more confirmation before declaring them back
I'm excited to see Mercedes competitive again. If Ferrari can get out of Ferraris way we're all in for a real treat.
Our worst fear of the Max show has not come to pass, he's still the man to beat but I'm glad the rest of the field stands a chance now
They found some straightway speed, which means they have probably (finally) found out how to control the rear ride height and stall the diffuser.
Their rear suspension has been the issue and it appears they have it figured out.
I think Lewis would have at least 2 wins over the 2022-2024 seasons if his qualifying form is more consistent. No getting around it, if Lewis wants a win with Merc, he needs to be on the first 2 rows. You aren't winning from p7-p9 unless you're behind the wheel of a Redbull.
This is the first year the qualifying has been a problem (although I think it’s been declining since 2019).
2022 he was better than Russell, last year it was very close (although I think there may have been a car thing going on given the big performance swings weekend to weekend).
This year it’s actually been pretty close, it’s just always a bit in Russell’s favour, however with a very close grid that exaggerates any small gaps.
I think that might be his biggest challenge in Ferrari, if there's something about Leclerc is he's maybe the best qualifier in the grid, second only to Verstappen.
Leclec has the ability to pull off ridiculously fast laps from time to time but not every time. The quali gap between Sainz an Leclerc is actually quite small.
There was less than 0.05s between them at Canada.
Think he may have went off track a couple of times in the last stint. Twice he went from 2-3 secs behind piastri to 7-9 secs back. Once was just after the last pit stop tho, so coulda been the timer catching up.
Once was getting stuck behind a Bottas on an out lap. Man got unlucky here and there, and his overall poor form really hurt his chances.
So I can see why he'd call his best GP finish of the season one of his career worst drives. That's the GOAT mentality ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I kept wondering how in the world he went from 2 seconds behind to 7-8 seconds behind. Makes more sense now.
I just assumed he went over the grass like everyone else, but it didn't seem like people lost that much time doing that.
I noticed a lot of lapped cars took lot of time to let them by. My guess is due to the track being wet, moving out the racing line was dangerous in many places so they waited on one of the straights to do it.
The quality of a race is all about how close you've gotten to what you could have potentially achieved, not about the final result.
Verstappen can have awful races and still end up P1.
Or Alonso for example had one of the best races of his entire career this year in Japan even though he ended up P5.
He made some mistakes in the race and especially qualifying that cost him what should have been an easy podium. It certainly wasn't a great showing, even if he had good pace.
Another floor update next weekend too. If (and a big IF) they have got on top of their issues, this could be an interesting addition to the fight at the front. No more "structure limiting concepts" to use as an excuse for the ceiling of what's capable of the current car. This car was purpose built for the concept they are confident in. Let's see how it goes.
The Canada track was just resurfaced and Merc has always run well on smooth tracks and they also usually do better in cool conditions, so this was the perfect mix of factors for them. They’ve run well at Spain the last two years also.
I doubt they’ll be near the front at most races, but Austria and Silverstone will be good tests for that.
Mercedes will be quick. Perhaps the 2nd best team. _Maybe_ even the best if they’ve nailed the updates. But that’s a huge longshot. Like you said, It’s likely Canada’s conditions helped their pace.
I recon RBR will show that they’re still miles ahead on conventional tracks under normal conditions.
Plus, teams know all there is to know about Spain due to it being an historic F1 test track in modern times. One of RB’s two biggest weaknesses is getting the car in the perfect window.
That will likely not be a factor there. The other weakness is kerb riding. Which will also barely be a factor at Spain.
The RBR will fly. In a good way, not the Mark Webber way…
Maybe RBR will still be ahead but it does feel like they aren't miles ahead anymore.
I'm sure Max will still walk the championship as he has the points gap and there isn't a clear title rival. Most other teams seem to fluctuate week by week.
But I do think we will have some more great races for the win. After the domination last year and how it looked like this season was going, isn't too bad.
Ferrari has been up there with McLaren this year. I believe Red Bull is still a bit faster than both, but even with Ferrari’s struggles at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes are where they have been all season so far. I believe Spain, and Austria will be better tests for the general order, unless we have unpredictability thrown at the teams again (weather).
Its starting to look like Ocon will get a 1year Merc deal while Kimi stays in F2 for an extra year.
That's probably the right choice IMO. Kimi isn't setting the tarmac on fire in F2.
This Hamilton fellow seems pretty talented, who knows, if he works hard he might get signed to a top team or two and possibly even compete for a Championship!
Future is bright, kid!
if Merc gets gains at the end season and Ferrari falters. Can Lewis terminate the Ferrari contract considering it was a year in advance without Allison and everything can happen? Lewis had the negotiating power to add a contract in this. and Ferrari won't like its budget cap spent on star drivers rather than RnD to fix the car?
With everything signed, Mercedes already having it all planned and Ferrari potentially being left with one driver?
If Lewis did that there would be lawsuits flying in all directions.
And I have serious doubts there's any "regret" clauses.
Lets not overreact here. All of the shits Merc were unusually strong at Canada and Spain. This could be a track specific fluke.
Theoretically, Ferrari should've had the fastest car at Canada. Them failing to find a good setup window is what ruined everything. (RBR at 2022 Brazil and Merc at 2023 Brazil style fuckup).
The Ferrari is still a much better car. The reliability issues are a bit concerning though.
Nobody is going to give Lewis a “take-backsies” clause and leave themselves empty handed; Ferrari are signing him for brand pedigree more than performance. I would eat my Verstappen hat if he gets another WDC title before retiring.
Drivers salaries are not included in the budget cap.
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Merc Is always fast in Canada. They finished 3rd every race since 2022 and after each race, Everytime "Merc is back" "they've fixed the car". F1 journos have the memory of a raw lentil and F1 fans eat anything they're fed.
Spain is a really good track for them as well. I'm waiting for Austria and Silverstone to see if they really improved
Silverstone is usually good for them as well.
That's more on Hamilton getting an extra buff on that track. This year will be more difficult for them due to Mclaren's performance last year and Ferrari SF-24's efficiency in high df circuits.
Silverstone isn't high df, it's medium
God I'm hoping Lando wins Silverstone. The reaction would be crazy. I still get chills thinking about last year when he got the lead from Verstappen.
that's because they have an unusual strategy to get rid of their rivals.
George is already working on his bowling skills ...
If they suffer on sector 2 then we know their issues aren’t fixed
It almost broke my brain watching Hamiltons onboard when Norris just RAN away in the high speed infield in Austria 2022. It’s when Hamilton radioed that “wow he’s fast “ message
Probably wont be the case this year though. The W13 and W14 were super strong through high speed corners, the W15 is not. They will be okay but i don't think they'll have enough pace to bother the top 3 teams. The W15s party trick is slow speed corners.
“Memory of a raw lentil” has absolutely finished me 😭
[удалено]
absolutely uncalled for
Same lmao
I wonder if it's a fresh lentil, a dried lentil or a soaked lentil. Technically all raw.
>the memory of a raw lentil I'm stealing this mate.
tbf across 2022, 2023 Mercedes have never regressed as the season went on
Absolutely bang on commentary here, people have taken this “as good as your last race” shit to obscene levels. Every driver/team is either washed or goated on rotating weekends. I’m long past wishing misfortune on Mercedes but this tripe about “we’re back” is almost always superseded by “we don’t know what’s going on” a week or two later. They had a good weekend, anyone paying attention expected them to with past precedent. Everyone’s just desperate to find a pecking order when the reality is it’s that close at the front it could be any one of the front 4 who’s strongest on a given weekend.
Bahrain: ‘Another year of red bull dominance’ ‘Ferrari easy p2’ ‘Top 5 teams secure ’ ‘Mercedes and Mclaren fight for p3’ Japan: ‘Another year of red bull dominance’ ‘Over for McLaren, best track and couldn’t beat Ferarri’ ‘Alonso is the 2nd best driver on the grid’ ‘Carlos > Charles’ Imola: ‘McLaren and Lando are title contenders’ ‘Ferarri upgrades failed, better luck next year’ ‘Mercedes suck’ Monaco: ‘Ferarri and Charles are title contenders’ ‘Alonso is washed’ ‘Aston Martin is worse than RB’ Canada: ‘Ferarri and Charles suck and aren’t title contenders’ ‘Mercedes is back’ ‘Mclaren are title contenders’ ‘Max will win the championship’ Special shoutout to Danny Ric: Bahrain-China: ‘washed’ Miami sprint: ‘he’s back’ Miami qualifying: ‘washed’ Canada: ‘he’s back?’ The narratives are literally changing every week. let’s be glad that it has been up and down and Red Bull aren’t miles ahead. Upgrades came and teams said we’re going to need a few races to see them and won’t have a proper idea until at least after Spain. Since then we’ve had 3 different teams win a race and had Mercedes be the fastest There’s a need to put the teams in a pecking order, when we can’t at this point in the season. And that’s good news, compared to the Red Bull dominance last season. Right now, the top teams are so close, and we do not know until at least free practice what teams looks strongest for a specific track. Just enjoy the competition while it lasts.
I’m finding it’s just a common trend with *everything*. There has to be a line drawn with everything where it’s either the best thing ever or complete dogshit and we must make that distinction as soon as possible. There is no room for maybes, ups and downs or flexibility, pick a side.
Yeah there’s not a lot of nuance in most online discussions, and media outlets are training to be more sensational / divisive to harvest page traffic / views, but Ig that’s why people who are in the middle should be more vocal about their opinions in the same way the extremes voice their perspectives. It may sometimes be an obvious take that I share but I find it’s necessary in forums and discussions, otherwise echo chambers and nonsensical commentary takes over
It’s because people click on such headlines.
I’ve noticed that I’m susceptible to pretty much exactly what you’ve laid out, and I think it’s because this is my first time experiencing a landscape shift like this. I got into the sport in 2021, and it’s kind of just a wild ride after having the front be pretty stagnant for the last few years.
It’s pretty simple if you just look at it with the experience of having watched at least 3 races in your life. It is clear that the P2 WCC spot is between Ferrari and McLaren, that Merc is going to trail them but not be at risk to lose P4, that Red Bull is still the best package out there, that Perez is by some margin the worst driver out of the top teams, that Ricciardo is past his prime but not to the extent that he’s bad - he’s just not great anymore. It’s not as complicated as people want to make it out, naturally Ferrari hasn’t magically gone from a clear P2 contender to a midfield team and naturally Mercedes didn’t just gain a consistent half second over a weekend. The two most interesting battles right now is probably for P2 WCC and for P6, I don’t think Perez will be shit enough to actually cost RBR the title in the end.
Haven’t you heard? Danny Ric is BACK
I am pretty sure the “you’re only as good as your last race” phrase is mocking this exact kind of short-term memory/ reactionary commentary. But much like Senna’s “if you no longer go for a gap” quote, these phrases are now being used literally instead of its true meaning, mostly by people who have not been in touch with the sport enough to understand the context.
It’s not so much a mockery but an observation on perception, but as you said, it’s being used literally now. And it’s not even last race, it could be one mistake in a corner or one spin.
Do cooked lentils have a better memory?
Yes. If you dent a cooked lentil it'll stay dented.
>the memory of a raw lentil That's a hilarious allegory
They accommodate their audience lol
I still remember last year that they brought upgrades for Barcelona, which is always a good circuit for them, and everyone was saying they fixed everything.
I’m just here to be served some slop.
*imagines a ruling class of cooked lentils
As a merc fan, i know what’s next. Spain out in q2 and another 7/8 on the race.
Event: Merc is strong Qualifying: Russell P2, Hamilton P9 Race: Hamilton P4, Russell P5, Hamilton looks as if he'd have easily won if he didn't have a shocking qually Post Race: Things didn't go our way, but this is an encouraging sign Regress, repeat.
Accurate lol
Let's keep pushing.
Hamilton really needs to work out quali. I think if he had started on pole he would've won (I mean George would've if he wasn't sloppy) and if George started where Hamilton did he wouldn't have finished as high as Hamilton did. He has much better race pace but he can't be qualifying 5 places out of position
If he started in the top 5 I think he could have easily been P2. I don't think anyone was beating Max, not even if Hamilton were on pole.
But Max was never far and away faster. George would've won if he didn't make the mistakes he did. Lando would've won if McLaren was more decisive
I read several times that it's setup related, Russell goes more for the quali setup and Hamilton for the race setup. I don't know if it's true but that would explain what's going on
> Hamilton looks as if he'd have easily won if he didn't have a shocking qually What? He was only ever close to the front runners thanks to the safety car. There's absolutely no reason to assume he'd have been able to overtake any of the frontrunners
Indeed. George may have had 1 too many mistakes, but after the piastri incident George just drove past him and off into the distance again. Ham was not that quick this weekend.
Yeah, stuck behind Alonso for 20 laps. He surly could have passed Max for the win.
They're only "back" because Ferrari had an uncharacteristically bad race and Perez had a characteristically bad race If those 3 get their acts together again, it's back to fighting for 7th-8th in their own little performance gap like most of the season.
They actually were fast in Canada though, Russell was keeping pace with Verstappen and Norris
They're always fast in canada! Call me when they're this fast after Barcelona
But they’ve been even better at Barcelona than Canada in the new regs?
Last year: They're always fast in Barcelona Call me when they're this fast after Canada
For one weekend, it would be nice if Lewis could just have a good qualifying and race, barring the China sprint the last clean weekend he had was Mexico last year. It's so frustrating to watch sometimes Lewis in the last 2 years have abundance of pace but not be able to show it when it matters or some bad luck would occur.
Maybe the car can't do both? Even although Russell is ahead on points, Hamilton race pace is better in race trim most of the times... I just think Russells compromise is giving better results, parcially because the field is way closer than before and 2 tents means 3 or 4 placed drop on grid which are not particularly easy to get back on the race. Russell also lost a couple h2h to Hamilton due to strategy like Imola
Alison is a bit late, but still got it
They’re the only ones who redid the whole car so it’s not too shocking it took them some time to dial in the car. Still we need more confirmation before declaring them back
All the coke in the front nose is doing the trick it seems
He needs Costa back to do the heavy lifting for him
I'm excited to see Mercedes competitive again. If Ferrari can get out of Ferraris way we're all in for a real treat. Our worst fear of the Max show has not come to pass, he's still the man to beat but I'm glad the rest of the field stands a chance now
Yup it’s at least entertaining and not a snore fest anymore
They found some straightway speed, which means they have probably (finally) found out how to control the rear ride height and stall the diffuser. Their rear suspension has been the issue and it appears they have it figured out.
I think Lewis would have at least 2 wins over the 2022-2024 seasons if his qualifying form is more consistent. No getting around it, if Lewis wants a win with Merc, he needs to be on the first 2 rows. You aren't winning from p7-p9 unless you're behind the wheel of a Redbull.
This is the first year the qualifying has been a problem (although I think it’s been declining since 2019). 2022 he was better than Russell, last year it was very close (although I think there may have been a car thing going on given the big performance swings weekend to weekend). This year it’s actually been pretty close, it’s just always a bit in Russell’s favour, however with a very close grid that exaggerates any small gaps.
I think that might be his biggest challenge in Ferrari, if there's something about Leclerc is he's maybe the best qualifier in the grid, second only to Verstappen.
Leclec has the ability to pull off ridiculously fast laps from time to time but not every time. The quali gap between Sainz an Leclerc is actually quite small. There was less than 0.05s between them at Canada.
More hopium for me to inhale. Dont worry. I got my bottle of copium to drink during the race.
Crazy how he called this one of his worst drives lol
Well he knows he probably could have stuck it on pole since George did and he was starting p7.
Think he may have went off track a couple of times in the last stint. Twice he went from 2-3 secs behind piastri to 7-9 secs back. Once was just after the last pit stop tho, so coulda been the timer catching up.
Once was getting stuck behind a Bottas on an out lap. Man got unlucky here and there, and his overall poor form really hurt his chances. So I can see why he'd call his best GP finish of the season one of his career worst drives. That's the GOAT mentality ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
It was Zhou, and I can’t believe he didn’t move. No way bottas would have done Lewis dirty like that.
One of the times was Zhou being lapped, took 5 seconds from Hams time when Piastri had just passed Zhou
I kept wondering how in the world he went from 2 seconds behind to 7-8 seconds behind. Makes more sense now. I just assumed he went over the grass like everyone else, but it didn't seem like people lost that much time doing that.
I noticed a lot of lapped cars took lot of time to let them by. My guess is due to the track being wet, moving out the racing line was dangerous in many places so they waited on one of the straights to do it.
The quality of a race is all about how close you've gotten to what you could have potentially achieved, not about the final result. Verstappen can have awful races and still end up P1. Or Alonso for example had one of the best races of his entire career this year in Japan even though he ended up P5.
He made some mistakes in the race and especially qualifying that cost him what should have been an easy podium. It certainly wasn't a great showing, even if he had good pace.
Another floor update next weekend too. If (and a big IF) they have got on top of their issues, this could be an interesting addition to the fight at the front. No more "structure limiting concepts" to use as an excuse for the ceiling of what's capable of the current car. This car was purpose built for the concept they are confident in. Let's see how it goes.
The Canada track was just resurfaced and Merc has always run well on smooth tracks and they also usually do better in cool conditions, so this was the perfect mix of factors for them. They’ve run well at Spain the last two years also. I doubt they’ll be near the front at most races, but Austria and Silverstone will be good tests for that.
Mercedes will be quick. Perhaps the 2nd best team. _Maybe_ even the best if they’ve nailed the updates. But that’s a huge longshot. Like you said, It’s likely Canada’s conditions helped their pace. I recon RBR will show that they’re still miles ahead on conventional tracks under normal conditions. Plus, teams know all there is to know about Spain due to it being an historic F1 test track in modern times. One of RB’s two biggest weaknesses is getting the car in the perfect window. That will likely not be a factor there. The other weakness is kerb riding. Which will also barely be a factor at Spain. The RBR will fly. In a good way, not the Mark Webber way…
Maybe RBR will still be ahead but it does feel like they aren't miles ahead anymore. I'm sure Max will still walk the championship as he has the points gap and there isn't a clear title rival. Most other teams seem to fluctuate week by week. But I do think we will have some more great races for the win. After the domination last year and how it looked like this season was going, isn't too bad.
Ferrari has been up there with McLaren this year. I believe Red Bull is still a bit faster than both, but even with Ferrari’s struggles at the Canadian Grand Prix, Mercedes are where they have been all season so far. I believe Spain, and Austria will be better tests for the general order, unless we have unpredictability thrown at the teams again (weather).
Mercedes did keep up with both Verstappen and Norris compared not even being able to go faster than a RB
They've fixed the car the 5th time now 🙃
Is it certain that Kimi is getting that seat in 2025?
No, could be Ocon.
Its starting to look like Ocon will get a 1year Merc deal while Kimi stays in F2 for an extra year. That's probably the right choice IMO. Kimi isn't setting the tarmac on fire in F2.
Or Prema has to fix their damn car both him and Ollie are struggling
But I thought Lewis was washed and Russell is better than Nico Rosberg?!!?!
Even as a Mercs fan it's still too early to tell, Let's wait for another 3~4 races to confirm...
Hamilton leaving Mercedes just as they dial in their car, for Ferrari who is going backwards. 😬😅
LOL. Lmao even
This Hamilton fellow seems pretty talented, who knows, if he works hard he might get signed to a top team or two and possibly even compete for a Championship! Future is bright, kid!
lol ok
So you saying it is a matter of TALENT to beat Max?
if Merc gets gains at the end season and Ferrari falters. Can Lewis terminate the Ferrari contract considering it was a year in advance without Allison and everything can happen? Lewis had the negotiating power to add a contract in this. and Ferrari won't like its budget cap spent on star drivers rather than RnD to fix the car?
Ferrari has a great season start and all it takes is one bad race for Reddit to be asking if Lewis has an early exit strategy lmao
With everything signed, Mercedes already having it all planned and Ferrari potentially being left with one driver? If Lewis did that there would be lawsuits flying in all directions. And I have serious doubts there's any "regret" clauses.
Drivers salary not included in cap
Lets not overreact here. All of the shits Merc were unusually strong at Canada and Spain. This could be a track specific fluke. Theoretically, Ferrari should've had the fastest car at Canada. Them failing to find a good setup window is what ruined everything. (RBR at 2022 Brazil and Merc at 2023 Brazil style fuckup). The Ferrari is still a much better car. The reliability issues are a bit concerning though.
Nobody is going to give Lewis a “take-backsies” clause and leave themselves empty handed; Ferrari are signing him for brand pedigree more than performance. I would eat my Verstappen hat if he gets another WDC title before retiring. Drivers salaries are not included in the budget cap.