Drivers
Championship Points
Sebastian Vettel 68 Lewis Hamilton 61 Valtteri Bottas 38 Kimi Raikkonen 34 Max Verstappen 25 Daniel Ricciardo 22 Felipe Massa 16 Sergio Perez 14 Carlos Sainz 10 Romain Grosjean 4 Kevin Magnussen 4 Esteban Ocon 3 Nico Hulkenberg 2 Daniil Kvyat 2 Pascal Wehrlein 0 Antonio Giovinazzi 0 Jolyon Palmer 0 Stoffel Vandoorne 0 Fernando Alonso 0 Marcus Ericsson 0
Constructors
Championship Points
Ferrari 102 Mercedes 99 RBR 47 Force India 17 Williams 16 Toro Rosso 12 Haas 8 Renault 2 Sauber 0 Embarrassing Team "Fernando we are considering Plan B, how are ..."
"Do whatever you want, man!"
I hope that Mercedes/Lewis better give something back to Bottas for this race. I would like to seem him on pole once again and lead the race too. I'd hate to see him as the #2 driver. Ferrari and Vettel are strong. However, I think Ferrari need to make quick decisions for Kimi and call him in sooner. In the last two races, he stayed out too long on old tyres.
Are there any news about possibly banning those T-wings at the back? I think Brundle mentioned it once during the race about Fia considering it.
Has anyone determined for sure the actual function and purpose of the t-wings? I've heard a lot of speculation but no concrete theories...
This is one of the best chances of the season for Bottas to flex his muscles as a driver. It's one of his strongest tracks historically, and the circuit characteristics favor Mercedes over Ferrari.
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
Probability of Merc giving Bottas #1 driver status while Lewis is on board = zero.
Probability of Ferrari using Kimi as something other than a race spoiler when Vettel needs to jump a position = less than zero.
I honestly have no idea what those T-wings actually do. Williams have two of those. One upper and one lower. RBR don't have one.
RBR doesn't have one because they are having quite serious issues with their aero. The CFD data is not matching up with on track data so they are sort of going back to basics in trying to get the existing stuff working. Still, it's a great platform if stuff isn't working as they expect it to. I imagine quite a jump when they get it all sorted out.
The T-wings help create a little more downforce. Probably by conditioning the air ahead of the rear spoiler. I don't mind them at all - it shows that the designers are thinking.
Not that I don't like really 'em (I don't aesthetically speaking) but they're so small and flimsy looking. I guess it works like a double rear wing. The T-wing is most likely creating a low pressure area under it channeling some more airflow past it and directly to the rear wing. I'm guessing that's how they work. If somewhat true, then yeah definitely smart thinking there. Form follows function.
Fia has decided to clamp down on the t-wings and shark fins for 2018.
Fia has also enforced teams to make the driver names and numbers more clearly visible starting from Spanish GP. About time!
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/f...n-2018-897958/
Apparently, Mercedes may be helping Honda with engine development:
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/m...y-plan-897829/
Not surprisingly, RBR is against the move.
I find it hard to tell who's who out on the track or who drives this car. I can't really tell. The ever changing colorful and flashy helmets are also difficult to keep up with. There are few that I can tell. Otherwise, not really.
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
As m3fuz says, I resort to using the camera color (t-bar above the intake) if I cannot recognize the helmet. Danny's and Max's lids last year were a little close but this year it's pretty easy with Max's being predominantly orange.
I struggle the most with the STR's lids. Sainz and Kvyat are similar at first glance. Sainz has the yellow/lime Tbar (un-designated driver #2). I liked Hulks helmet last year - full on green - but this year is nice with the red and white - I very much like the more solid lid colors that are easier to identify at a glance. The RB drivers' lids are horrid - generally speaking - too busy and look too similar at a glance.
Alonso is easy to spot too with the baby blue on the top of his lid. I therefore know who the second McLaren driver is.
If I cannot make out the helmet immediately I'll just check the camera color. Black is "generally" driver #1 and yellow/lime is driver #2.
Also, I miss Vettel's different helmets. I thought it was great seeing all the designs - especially the wooden design used at CotA a few ago. My favorite was the Felix Baumgartner space helmet design. His Singapore helmets (with the lights) was
I miss Seb having a different design for each race. I looked forward to seeing what he'd come up with.
Fully agreed.
Camera bar was all that was needed, IMO. But then, I was annoyed by the 'choose your own number' crap a few years ago. The finishing order numbering system was unique and there was value in immediately being able to tell how much progress a team had made from the previous year. They need to stop watering down the sport.
^Yeah but it wasn't always by finishing order. "Red 5" and Ferrari's 27 and 28 come to mind.
I'm going to have to disagree with you all on this one. I like the unique driver numbers and "frozen" helmet designs. Makes it easier to identify with and root for a particular driver.
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
I don't like that the champion can choose not to use 1 as their number. This is probably just because Lewis didn't use it and I hate everything he does.
I think it should be just #1
Woohoo - no more Halo! But the possibility of screens.
Merc techies could start consulting at Honda to fix their PU issues.
And probably the best news prior to the start of Quali - Haas will be running Carbone industries' brakes this weekend. RoGro said the brake feel was much better for him during testing.
Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention about no more Halo cage.
^Hallelujah. Thank you FIA for seeing reason.
Grill the Grid is back! Looks like they're doing teammates now:
Best moments:
Sainz: Mansell? Mansell. Mansell. Mansell? Mansell?
Sainz: Sebastian?
Kyvat: No, I think he has kids.
Current: '94 MX-6 V6/5 • '72 240Z • '10 Mazda5
Past: '02 330i/5 • '85 RX-7 GSL-SE • '95 540i/6 • '95 525i/5 • '86 635CSi/5 • '88 JZA70 • '86 4K quattro • '85 RX-7 S
Wish list: Type 44 • Manta • Pre-'85 CGT • 405 Mi16 • SVX • W123 Coupe
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