2018 United States GP

[ganesh]

Free practice 1 currently on. LH is on fire. #hammertime

1 HAM Mercedes 00:01:47.502
2 BOT Mercedes 00:01:48.806
3 VPN Red Bull 00:01:48.847
4 RIC Red Bull 00:01:49.326
5 VET Ferrari 00:01:49.489
6 RAI Ferrari 00:01:49.928
7 SAI Renault 00:01:50.665
8 GRO Haas 00:01:50.821
9 LEC Sauber 00:01:50.961
10 ERI Sauber 00:01:51.016
11 ALO McLaren 00:01:51.036
12 NOR McLaren 00:01:51.232
13 GAS Toro Rosso 00:01:51.234
14 PER Force India 00:01:51.459
15 SIR Williams 00:01:51.589
16 MAG Haas 00:01:51.614
17 OCO Force India 00:01:51.655
18 HUL Renault 00:01:51.717
19 STR Williams 00:01:51.896
20 GEL Toro Rosso 00:01:52.625

It is nice of FA to say that LH is one of the top 5 in F1.
"Alonso named Hamilton with Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost as his top five."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/45905592

[The Cosworth]

Come-on Stroll, get it together....

[ganesh]

@tonytiger55 where are you ? Are you in Austin ?

[EK 2.0]

Bye Seb...it was a good start to the season....*sigh*.....

[ganesh]

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Bye Seb...it was a good start to the season....*sigh*.....

Lol. Lets get ready for 6.....

[ganesh]

SV is summoned to the stewards for not sufficiently slowing down for a red flag. If he found guilty he will be getting a 3 grid penalty.

[phreezee]

Hoping for a wet qualifying session to mix things up. Wrap up the title for Lewis and let one of the Finns win a race.

[npham]

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Hoping for a wet qualifying session to mix things up. Wrap up the title for Lewis and let one of the Finns win a race.

Finns won't win a thing if rain is in the mix. Hamilton had the least amount of laps run in FP1 and set the fastest time by a long shot(over 1 second). I think he went out in the middle of the session as well, so the track wasn't at its fastest yet. We need it to snow to have an interesting race for the WDC.

However, the new engines in the Toro Rosso are interesting. Would love them to challenge Merc and Ferrari for a proper 3 way race next season.

[ganesh]

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SV is summoned to the stewards for not sufficiently slowing down for a red flag. If he found guilty he will be getting a 3 grid penalty.

It is confirmed that SV will get 3 grid places penalty. I kind of feel bad for him.

[npham]

He took over 20 seconds to slow down when the red flags were going, hard to feel that bad for him.

[rage2]

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It is confirmed that SV will get 3 grid places penalty. I kind of feel bad for him.

Wasn’t he up there on penalty points too?

[ganesh]

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Wasn’t he up there on penalty points too?

It looks like most of it dropped off. He got only 3 now.

[redline]

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He took over 20 seconds to slow down when the red flags were going, hard to feel that bad for him.

From the footage I saw, he immediately lifted then took 20sec to slow within the rules, but there was no one near him on or off the track.... dumb rule

[rage2]

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From the footage I saw, he immediately lifted then took 20sec to slow within the rules, but there was no one near him on or off the track.... dumb rule

There’s no one near him until there is. Kinda like how there was no JCB around Bianchi until there was. That’s why these rules are in place. It’s a red flag, he was still cruising at 170kmh according to the data.

[phreezee]

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Finns won't win a thing if rain is in the mix. Hamilton had the least amount of laps run in FP1 and set the fastest time by a long shot(over 1 second). I think he went out in the middle of the session as well, so the track wasn't at its fastest yet. We need it to snow to have an interesting race for the WDC.

However, the new engines in the Toro Rosso are interesting. Would love them to challenge Merc and Ferrari for a proper 3 way race next season.

Lewis would wrap things up by winning this race and hence the WDC in light of Vettel's grid penalty. Outside of a mechanical failure, Lewis is winning this race.
Then he wouldn't care and toss a win to Bottas in return for Russia is what I meant.

As for Kimi, just hoping for a miracle last win for him... but if Vettel is out of the WDC race, Ferrari would at least allow him to finish in front of Vettel.

[The Cosworth]

Anyone know if any networks are showing FP3? All of the coverage I seem to have starts with pre-quali.

[tonytiger55]

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@tonytiger55 where are you ? Are you in Austin ?

I wish..., I was driving around town job hunting.


The 2018 F1 soap opera continues..

USA...The land of guns, porn and burgers. The one place in the world where you will not die of starvation, but can die from the sheer mass of food. Yes my F1 people... its the Circuit of the Americas..

It was the evening of the night before the race.. the drivers, race managers and team members gathered around the F1 Canteen. They sat amongst themselves on a long bench table. The scene was almost reminiscent of the movies like Shawshank Redemption and Casio. Where everyone that is everyone meets at a giant dinner party.
The banter of the race ahead filled the room. Drivers wives, girlfriends giggled and took selfies for their Twitter and Instagram.

Goomba shuffled across the room with his dinner plate. Count Von Messerschmitt watched his every move with a steely-eyed glazed as he himself tucked into his plate of Brockwust Sausage and ribs.
Goomba sat down across Bottas and next to his pussycat doll girlfriend. Bottas did not lift his head and let out eirily hiss under his breath.
Goomba softy spoke to Bottas...'So you excited for the race tomorrow..?, should be fun..'
Without looking up from his plate Bottas hissed 'Yeesss....choke on your food '
'Im really excited, I could be crowned champion tomorrow' and Goomba cheerfully ticked into his broccoli and sprouts.
Bottas hissed under his breath 'But revenge will be mine...Hiiissssss'
Goomba looked up from his plate. 'What..?'
'Oh, nothing' said Bottas, looking up and then suddenly looking at his own plate and becoming very interested in the bland overcooked chicken.

Suddenly the entrance doors slammed open. What looked like a giant land whale slobbered across the room. Drivers looked up.
Suddenly the land whale exclaimed. 'People! I have news!
Goomba has no right to claim world champion tomorrow.'
Confused faces looked up from their dinner plates to see what the commotion was.
Goomba looked up to see who the hell was verbally attacking him.. his eyes narrowed.. and then realised.. it was his ex American girlfriend. He barely recognised her, she had gained so much weight. Perhaps it was all the burgers she used to eat..?

'Amy!!' Shouted Goomba... 'Is that you..? Oh my... you kinda let it go on the cakes a bit hun...& what are you talking about..?'

The land whale shouted.. 'People.. Goomba cannot be world champion.. He has lied to you all.. Many years ago.. I remember he picked me up for a date.. But in a FORD!'. Suddenly... the room went silent and all faces turned to Goomba..
Alonso spoke... 'You used to drive a FORD..? WTF Man..?' Other drivers stated to shout their dismay and disbelief.
One driver shouted...'Goomba, we thought you were a missunderstood homie in da hood that just drove BMWs pretending to be gangsta..?'
'She is lying! screamed Goomba!

Questions were angrily shouted to the land whale
'What kind of Ford did he drive..?!'
The land whale cried back in a girly voice fighting the tears' I dont know'
'When?'
'Im not sure of the date'
'Where?'
'I don't remember.... but I did lie detector test at my friends house, over wine and pizza. I think i remember and my friends told me I should come forward'. At this point Amy was on the verge of letting out flood of tears as her voice crackled with so much emotion.

The women in the room started to scream and shout. 'She must be telling the truth..! Goomba is unfit to be world champion!! She is the victim here!. She deserved better. He took advantage of her by picking up in a Ford and not a BMW!!'
Momentum started to build, the anger started to turn towards Goomba. Some of the guys joined in as they knew if they did not they would not be getting any pum pum that night.

A libery spokes person jumped up. 'Wait wait.. calm down people...we have to have due process and investigate this.. I say we wait till tomorrow morning.'
The crowd shouted back 'No, Goomba is unfit to be world champion, he drove a Ford, its a disgrace to the whole F1 circus'.
Toto Wolf jumped up. 'We can't just believe someone without proof, think of the implications. Are we going to just accuse people and just believe them..?'

Goomba screamed... 'How can you believe her..? Its all lies..!, she is bitter that we broke up. I told her to stop eating the cupcakes as she was geting too plump. But she said I was oppressing her. So I left and moved on. I focused on my career and new gold digger girlfriend. She is seeing me suceed. She is bitter and jealous..she does not want me to succeed in my hard work and career!'

It was all too much for Count Von Messchermitt... he suddenly jumped up and ran across the table and started to punch Goomba in the face with his midget fists. Goomba fell backwards with Count Von laying ineffective puny punches to him.
The Count screamed ..'I knew it! Lies lies.. you is stealing ze world champion from me!!!'
As the whole commotion went on. The crowd did not notice the giant land whale waddling towards exit doors as fast as her fat feet could take her. At the same time she grabbed a bunch of bread rolls from the dinner cart on the way out.

As Count Von laid into him.. he started to notice Goomba started to foam at the mouth.. and his body spasmed. A bunch of drivers pulled Count Von away and they did ..Count Von pointed and screamed! 'Goomba has been poisoned!!!'

The room fell silent, the land whale was gone. They had been duped. Some women still refused to believe the distraction that happened before them. They stood angrily at Goomba, accused him of having a hissy fit and he should man up.

Toto...'We must save him.. he must be crowned world champion tomorrow!'
Max Verstappen shouted 'Quick.. get the chicken Vindaloo from the buffet cart!'
'But he is vegan!' His girlfriend screamed!
Max grabbed her by the arm...'We have no time! The Vindaloo is the only thing strong enough to kill everything in his stomach. Its the only thing that can save him now!'
Goombas pussycat girlfriend burst into tears.
Hulkenberg ran towards the dinner cart, the crown of people made way.
As Goomba spasmed shook.. the darkness came. The last thing Goomba saw before he blacked out what Max shoving Chicken Vindaloo into his mouth.

The fight for the Circuit of the Americas had just began..

[ganesh]

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I wish..., I was driving around town job hunting.

T

You may be in luck . At the rate things are going there may be a vacancy at Ferrari.

Good luck with your job hunting.

[tonytiger55]

Do you think Ferrari are focusing now more on next years car?

[ganesh]

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Do you think Ferrari are focusing now more on next years car?

I think in the last race itself they have shown the white flag to Merc. The fact they never asked Kimmi to move over in the last race shows that they have come to the conclusion that DC is out of their hand.

Edit : I guess I spoke too soon.......FP3 is on SV is goes to the top of the time sheets. He is on Ultra Soft