2017 F1 Season

[SoupyFIN]

I'll wait until at least the end of the year to buy it, most problems should be patched by then. I've bought the previous three games at release and learned from my mistakes.

 

[Siamese Dream]

Stroll is really weird in the game.

I constantly see him finishing top 6 in practice and top 10 in qualifying but then ends up 13 laps down somehow come race time.

The AI are ridiculously quick in practice (except when you're on track and they're in front of you holding you up during a practice program). Like I will get purple times in the qualifying sim but still be a second off the pace of my teammate, then beat them in actual qualifying.

A good moment I had the other day was the safety car came out and decided to stop in the middle of turn 5 in Australia (the flat-out right hander) so of course I smashed into the back of it.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Have not seen Perez try to kill Ocon yet.

4/10 on the realism scale so far.

 

[Zorf]

Honda chief has come out and said it is "very clear" that Alonso doesn't want to stay with a Honda powered car unless they really show to him that they are improving. He even hinted that they may lose McLaren as a customer too.


As for Monza this weekend, due to a hilarious amount of engine part changes, Alonso is going to have a 35 place grid penalty. Hahaha. Honda is just the worst. They brought a spec 3.5 engine, a spec 3.7, and thought about bringing a spec 4.0, but I don't think they did. Alsonso so far has used the 3.7 and the 3.5 but had to cut one of his practice sessions short so the team could do the engine swap.

That's just madness.



Red Bull has opted to change out some engine parts and take the grid place penalties at Monza because the high speed track doesnt' suit their car very well, but Singapore should be good for them. So they are biting the bullet for Monza to avoid grid penalties in Singapore. I think Ricciardo has a 20-place grid penalty. Not sure about Verstappen, but he's got some penalties too.

 

[SoupyFIN]

Honda chief has come out and said it is "very clear" that Alonso doesn't want to stay with a Honda powered car unless they really show to him that they are improving. He even hinted that they may lose McLaren as a customer too.


As for Monza this weekend, due to a hilarious amount of engine part changes, Alonso is going to have a 35 place grid penalty. Hahaha. Honda is just the worst. They brought a spec 3.5 engine, a spec 3.7, and thought about bringing a spec 4.0, but I don't think they did. Alsonso so far has used the 3.7 and the 3.5 but had to cut one of his practice sessions short so the team could do the engine swap.

That's just madness.

Honda can be blamed for going all-in this year which hasn't worked out, when they showed a lot of improvement last season compared to 2015. But Alonso's arrogant "engine retirements" when his engine hasn't actually failed, fits his M.O. like a tee. The only time he's left a team without burning bridges is the first time around with Renault. After that it's been one mess after another, always quick to point fingers at the team (or in this case, the engine supplier) and never to himself.

Red Bull has opted to change out some engine parts and take the grid place penalties at Monza because the high speed track doesnt' suit their car very well, but Singapore should be good for them. So they are biting the bullet for Monza to avoid grid penalties in Singapore. I think Ricciardo has a 20-place grid penalty. Not sure about Verstappen, but he's got some penalties too.

It makes sense for Monza because RB is probably going to finish behind Mercedes/Ferrari, as long as they keep the race clean and the engine works. RB had pretty good top speeds at Spa for a Renault powered car and a team that hasn't been known for it in the past.

 

[Siamese Dream]

I thought the Alonso retirements always just seemed part of the strategy to save the engine. They let him go all out and give him full power in the first half of the race and it seems either his engine fails or the race goes badly so he retires early to save the engine. While it seems Vandoorne keeps the engine turned down and drives more conservatively at the back to get as much data as possible.

 

[SoupyFIN]

I thought the Alonso retirements always just seemed part of the strategy to save the engine. They let him go all out and give him full power in the first half of the race and it seems either his engine fails or the race goes badly so he retires early to save the engine. While it seems Vandoorne keeps the engine turned down and drives more conservatively at the back to get as much data as possible.

I'd buy that if his engineer told him that "we need to save the engine, come back to the pits and we'll retire the car" when he's miles away from scoring points. Every time he's "retired" by coming in to the pits, it's always Alonso that says "engine problems" etc., never the team that has access to the data where they can see whether something is wrong with the car or not. I'm skeptical about some of the times he's pulled off to the side of the track too, obviously most of those were legit retirements.

I think that this is Alonso's way to put blame and pressure on Honda, they finally got tired of his BS and called him out on it. Vandoorne doesn't gain anything from these sort of mind games as a rookie and his personality seems to be closer to the Raikkonen -type anyway.

 

[Preds Partisan]

Last Sunday, Alonso asked if it was going to rain right before he stopped and blamed the engine. He may have been saving PUs in other races, but clearly he just quit last weekend.

 

[JoVel]

Force Indias could be strong this weekend. It's probably the best track for them on the calendar and Red Bulls will be starting from the back because of grid penalties. Ocon will score a podium this weekend. Book it.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Probably Sauber's best qualifying session in a long, long time so far.

 

[SoupyFIN]

motorsport.com reporting that Honda will decide on their future with McLaren this weekend, also Toro Rosso has asked about switching to Honda engines and they've set a deadline for Sunday. Toro Rosso's move to Honda would open up a spot for McLaren with Renault.

In related news, Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that if Toro Rosso partners with Honda and it proves to be a success, Red Bull would also consider making the switch. IIRC there was RB & Honda rumours already last year.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Today was a bit of a **** show ("bit" is probably an understatement) but that's still a damn impressive performance from Stroll.

Sure. Penalties and what not but still the youngest driver to start from the front row.

 

[JoVel]

1. Hamilton
2. Stroll
3. Ocon

That will be damn interesting grid tomorrow. My hopes for Ocon's podium are even higher now.

 

[Paris in Flames]

Need more rain tomorrow and make it real interesting.

I'm not counting the two Red Bull drivers out yet. Ditto Ferrari (cause what the **** was that)

 

[SoupyFIN]

If tomorrow is a dry race, which it should be according to weather reports, it's going to be same usual teams at the front less than 10 laps in. Hamilton should win easily as long as Stroll doesn't torpedo him to the first corner.

I'm impressed how Williams was this competitive, they were arguably the worst wet weather team from 2014-2016.

 

[Preds Partisan]

That was a whole bunch of nothing.

 

[JoVel]

Kimi has to be able to help Vettel if Seb wants to win the title (as in finish 2nd in Singapore and take away points from Hamilton because Vettel is pretty safe bet to win there). Bottas helped Lewis today and I hope Kimi can do the same.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

motorsport.com reporting that Honda will decide on their future with McLaren this weekend, also Toro Rosso has asked about switching to Honda engines and they've set a deadline for Sunday. Toro Rosso's move to Honda would open up a spot for McLaren with Renault.

In related news, Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that if Toro Rosso partners with Honda and it proves to be a success, Red Bull would also consider making the switch. IIRC there was RB & Honda rumours already last year.

Honda should just pack it in already. Their last good year as a powerplant was 92. Their BAR And Jordan years did no favors, and the less said about their terrible run with McLaren since their current resurfacing has been embarrassing. Like, Mecachrome in F1 bad.

McLaren would be better off with Renault or Mercedes-Benz.

PS. Any one else getting Kimi winning every GP in your Career in 2017?

 

[Paris in Flames]

Honda should just pack it in already. Their last good year as a powerplant was 92. Their BAR And Jordan years did no favors, and the less said about their terrible run with McLaren since their current resurfacing has been embarrassing. Like, Mecachrome in F1 bad.

McLaren would be better off with Renault or Mercedes-Benz.

PS. Any one else getting Kimi winning every GP in your Career in 2017?

Yeah. He's easily the top dog in my career....which is odd. Bottas/Vettel/Hamilton are the next tier then...maybe Ricciardo/Perez/Ocon/Massa/Stroll. It bums me out that Ricciardo isn't as competitive as he realistically is in real life. I made the jump to Red Bull for season 2 and he's just...stinking.

There's still some weird glitches that pop up. Yesterday I saw 3 drivers qualify at Monaco with laps under 20 seconds.

Monaco has generally been a weird/glitchy race all around...as displayed by Renault just leaving him sitting in the pits for 12 laps (I forget what driver it was).

Change your own god damned tires, bro.

 

[JoVel]

Kimi clinched his title in Mexico in my career.

 

[SoupyFIN]

motorsport.com reporting that Honda will decide on their future with McLaren this weekend, also Toro Rosso has asked about switching to Honda engines and they've set a deadline for Sunday. Toro Rosso's move to Honda would open up a spot for McLaren with Renault.

In related news, Auto Motor und Sport is reporting that if Toro Rosso partners with Honda and it proves to be a success, Red Bull would also consider making the switch. IIRC there was RB & Honda rumours already last year.

Some rumours that the above is going to happen (excluding the RB thing obviously, for now) and that Sainz is heading to Renault too.

Honda should just pack it in already. Their last good year as a powerplant was 92. Their BAR And Jordan years did no favors, and the less said about their terrible run with McLaren since their current resurfacing has been embarrassing. Like, Mecachrome in F1 bad.

McLaren would be better off with Renault or Mercedes-Benz.

Honda was headed to the right direction last year and should've just continued on that path, before they went all-in for this year and took ridiculous risks with the engine.

Now who made them take that direction, is an interesting question. Pressure from McLaren, dare I say Alonso?

 

[Albatros]

I don't think any driver has such influence, not even Alonso.

 

[Transplanted Caper]

Sainz to Renault, maybe as soon as the Malaysian Grand Prix. Red Bull junior driver Pierre Gasly could be called up to take Sainz's seat at Toro Rosso.

Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly claimed his second successive Super Formula win after an inspired decision to start the race at Autopolis on the unproven soft tyre.

The French driver, who has been linked to a mid-season call-up to Toro Rosso in Formula 1 if Carlos Sainz moves to Renault ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix, beat 2015 European Formula 3 champion and Formula E race-winner Felix Rosenqvist to the victory.

https://www.autosport.com/other/news/131732/f1linked-gasly-wins-again-in-super-formula

 

[Based Anime Fan]

I don't think any driver has such influence, not even Alonso.

I know Senna had a tonne of influence with Honda, but he was Senna, so that may be invalid.

 

[JoVel]

As expected: