Well, Charlie Leclerc was doing the same...
Well, Charlie Leclerc was doing the same...
Didn't he massively outperform his car last week?
They aren't similar enough for it to help, he's 'mentally attuned' to playing iRacing at 4am not driving a proper car. Anyway, the only F1 cars they'll have driven virtually are in a Codemasters game and they can't even get their tracks the right shape.
Ooooh, tell me more.
Sounds like a quality product.
Don't all teams have real simulators? I bet most of them spent plenty of time on those. Running the iRacing 24 hours of Spa on a GT3 while getting penalties for running wide on each corner can't be all that helpful.
At best, you get some racecraft out of it. Although the professional drivers on a real track are more interested in self-preservation than sim racers.
Last edited by Shindig; 13-07-2020 at 09:25 PM.
“Couldn’t”.
Haas is offering Vettel a seat.
Buckle up.
Just like my wife has not been able to go on campus all summer, yet there we are every single day.
You love to see it.
Russell confirmed at Williams for next year which suggests Bottas will get an extension at Mercedes.
I reckon Russell is absolutely right up there in the 5 fastest current drivers, along with Hamilton, Max, Leclerc and Bottas. Would have Albon, Sainz, Norris and dad-of-3 Vettel on a tier below those 5.
I think Ricciardo would be in there somewhere, ahead of Albon at least.
I'd just have Danny Ric in that second tier, not convinced he has the blistering pace of those other 5. Admittedly we haven't seen how Russell really deals with racing for position yet but his base pace seems mighty in that tugboat he has to drive.
To be fair to Williams they look in better shape this year. I really wouldn't be too surprised to see them surpass Alfa Romeo and Haas by the end of the season.
Williams are tough to judge because we don't really know how good their drivers are. Russell beat Norris and Albon in F2 but has only been up against Dr Claw and Latifi (who was runner up in a fairly weak F2 field last year).
I suspect we'll see one of them ahead of Haas and the odd Alfa and the other one behind.
I'd like to see a couple of on board laps with Russell to test my theory, but I don't know if they even bother mounting cameras on the Williams.
Yes boys.
My take on current driver tiers for what it's worth.
Hamilton
Leclerc
Russell
Verstappen
Ricciardo
Bottas
Vettel
Norris
Sainz
Albon
Perez
Ocon
Gasly
Kvyat
Magnussen
Grosjean
Raikkonen
Giovanazzi
Stroll
Latifi
S-Rank - Hamilton
Not quite Schumi levels in terms of toiling away at a mediocre team to turn a corner but he got some joy out of a downward McLaren.
A-Rank - Vestappen, Leclerc
Effectively the heirs apparent when Lewis packs in and never leaves home without a hat. Verstappen's better but Leclerc will give him a run for his money.
B-Rank - Bottas, Norris, Vettel, Sainz, Albon, Perez
I feel Bottas will wither in a dogfight but he has proper pace to occasionally keep Hamilton honest. He's not going to get fighty like Rosberg did, sadly. The McLaren duo has some pace about them. If Lando keeps pulling out mad laps then I might start putting him up a peg. Albon's fine but he can disappear from races. Perez doesn't get enough credit at Force India Point. He's still good enough for a top drive but age goes against him with all these kids about.
C-Rank - Ocon, Ghasly, Kvyat, Russell, Magnussen, Raikkonen, Stroll, Giovanazzi
Team midfield. If it looks like I'm undervaluing Russell it's because, until I get to see him in the points, I'll pass him up. The rest are just kinda there, although I think Stroll is trying his hardest. If Vettel's moving to Aston Martin, Stroll should take a testing roll. Maybe he can slot back in a better driver once Seb fails.
D-Rank - Latifi, Grosjean
I'll not be too harsh on Latifi because he's just got to the party. Grosjean's had a decade though. He can't stay out of trouble long enough.
Verstappen could drive Leclerc under the table.
I rate Bottas slightly higher than above, I think he might have a bit of divorced dad who-gives-a-fuck about him this year as well, might run Lewis close-ish until whenever the latter starts bothering.
Switch teams and your opinions switches though, guaranteed.
Anyway, it’s:
1. Hamilton.
2. A bunch of mongs.
Verstappen was better at 16 than LeClerc is at however old he is now. Kid looked like Senna with less skills before he was allowed to have alcohol on the podium. It's easy to forget, Max Verstappen is 22. He's the same age as George Russell, that's how good he's been. An absolute prodigy.
I agree with Shindig's list almost entirely, but I also agree that Verstappen is much better than Leclerc.
So do I, to be fair. Leclerc needs a good Ferrari under him to really get at Verstappen. The only worry with Max is the idea that all those years at Red Bull might ultimately feel wasted. Imagine him moving to Mercedes at 30+ just to get a title under his belt. Or him not even getting that opportunity.
You were ranking the drivers though.
It’s a bit of a shit tier system if we’re assuming different cars.
I mean, it's not a single-make series and he did come to prominence driving a Ferrari that wasn't shit.
Verstappen will win his title(s) when Hamilton retires, either through moving to Mercedes, or through them no longer being top dogs post-Hamilton. I suspect that once either Hamilton and/or Toto move on, the crown will slip.
There will be other rivals on the scene by then mind. Leclerc has stapled his nuts to Ferrari which may or may not prove a good decision; Russell will presumably follow Hamilton in the Merc, and who knows who else might build a good car by then.
Will this one be on channel 4?
What is going on with Red Bull? Car looks so unstable this weekend.
Understeer on the way in and oversteer mid corner, looks like a pig to drive.
Tracing Point trying to qualify on mediums is ballsy, who do they think they're racing here?
Albon "I told you not to put me in traffic"
The way it’s going with Albon reminds me of Gasly last year. I feel sorry for him because the pressure is building.
Hamilton through turn 4 was nuts. He basically just downshifted and through it into the corner.
There was a a touch of the brake. It all looks so smooth and stable though.
Russell faster than Albon. Fuck me that’s shocking.
Do you thin Christian Horner likes having a small child to bully and spends friday night taking pieces out of his second drivers car.
I'm sure of it. All that bitterness just stems from his days as a driver. Being outclassed by Ricardo Rosset would turn anyone psychotic.
I saw the result but have only just seen the timings. 2 rows of Mercedes at the front and the main 2 a full second a lap faster than everyone else.
A short lap not driven by engine performance either.
I don't understand how the Red Bull is that dogshit. Normally this would be the sort of place where Newey comes into his own.
Max crashing on the way to the grid
Suspension arm that connects the car to the wheel has snapped. Don't know if that is fixable quick time
Verstappen
Has anyone ever crashed on an installation lap before?
Grosjean, inevitably, and I want to say Massa and Barrichello have done similar.