Preds Partisan
Gunga galunga
- Aug 17, 2009
- 3,323
- 901
Miami could be a great destination, but yeah, this course is awful. The bridge is a cluster. Imagine 200 MPH across a windy narrow bridge and a barge based crane trying to lift a disabled car off that bridge. I have seen very few positive comments about the layout.Surely that can't be the whole track, right? Probably below 1 minute laps on that layout.
Also looking at the street view pictures of the bridge, it doesn't look wide enough to fit two cars side by side, unless your name is Verstappen or Magnussen of course. And we know how likely overtaking on a street circuit outside of the long straights is.. just a really bad proposal all around.
Tbh I wouldn't look into it too much, you're more likely to gain places in the mid-pack where most of the action is happening. At the same time you're also more likely to crash out in lap 1.I know there was first lap chaos but I'm very impressed with Stroll picking up spots on the first lap again.
The amount of 1st lap spots gained he has this season is pretty solid (though it's easier to do when you start 19th). Stuff like that gives me fleeting thoughts he might have actual potential
I said this last year (not sure about the year before that) but I'll say it again, bring back the old layout without the last chicane. It's virtually impossible to follow a car through that chicane (+ the corner before the chicane), without even mentioning how the car ahead can save all of his energy for the main straight. So you eliminate the only overtaking spot on the entire track because of those two things, brilliant work.
Mercedes & Ferrari really screwed their drivers with bad pit stops, it didn't end up costing Bottas, but Vettel was probably fuming after the race. More points thrown away to Hamilton, which Vettel can't afford to do. Grosjean is quickly driving himself out of F1, he's getting up there in age and the performances aren't there for a top10 car. Leclerc is starting to impress more & more every race, maybe he's ready for Ferrari next year after all.
Fun fact of the day, I'm 99% sure Sirotkin had a similar spin post VSC in GP2/F2, I don't remember what race it was though. He had full throttle on and didn't realise the VSC was ending, then he just lost it when the power came back lol.
Tbh I wouldn't look into it too much, you're more likely to gain places in the mid-pack where most of the action is happening. At the same time you're also more likely to crash out in lap 1.
+ Williams has decent straight line speed and the run to turn 1 in Spain is long.
I just think that the finishing position is a better indicator of success and IIRC there was two or three races last year (Canada & Italy for sure, Mexico was the 3rd race maybe?) where he actually legit beat some of the usual top10 finishing drivers to get points, otherwise Stroll got really lucky with retirements (see: the carnage in Baku). Over 20 races that just isn't enough when you consider in that Massa who had his other foot out the F1 door already managed to get points in thirteen races (worth noting that he also drove one less race, missing Hungary with illness) & came 11th twice, compared to the seven races where Stroll got points & three times 11th. Williams was good enough last year to finish in the top8-12 on a regular basis, which Massa managed to do.Yeah as I noted his starting position will inevitably help him but it's not just a one time thing. He had 38 first lap overtakes last year. Likely around 15 already this season. It's a thing. I'm not saying he's gonna win a boatload of races but it's not an unencouraging sign.
F2 Friday race was kinda mad, almost everyone of the championship leaders crashed out or finished out of the points. Albon and de Vries managed to crash at the pit entrance behind the safety car, they were leading the race at that point and both retired eventually.