Pick the Podium: F-1 - Gran Premio De Espana Pirelli, Barcelona, Spain, 2016

[Retroram52]

The F-1 boys return to action in Barcelona, Spain to see if Rosberg is going to make it 8-straight or Hamilton and Vettel finally get on track. We shall see as well.

 

[forty_three]

Lewis' title defense starts now!

 

[forty_three]

That Red Bull is looking sharp. Starting third and fourth.

I am going to go:

HAM
ROS
RIC


Although part of me thinks that Max is going to get a rocket start and take Nico out in turn one.

 

[Retroram52]

Yep and Hamilton returns with a vengeance. I am thinking similarly 43.

 

[IndyAndy]

I'll take:

Hamilton
Rosberg
Verstappen

 

[Hank Kingsley]

And just to be different....

Hamilton
Ricciardo
Verstappen

We lose Rosberg on a first corner incident...

 

[Retroram52]

I'll go with Hamilton, Rosberg, and Ricciardo. I think Ricciardo is finally going to put all the mistakes behind him and get back on the podium.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

What a start!!! Lewis and Rosberg out.

18 year old Verstappen could get his first podium

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

And just to be different....

Hamilton
Ricciardo
Verstappen

We lose Rosberg on a first corner incident...

You weren't far off.

 

[Retroram52]

Verstappen and Red Bull take the race as Hamilton and Rosberg take each other out on the start. Raikkonen and Vettel fill out the podium.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Wow what a race!

My opinion on the start is Hamilton panicked.

He's been acting cool and calm about the start Rosberg was off to, bad luck Hamilton would tell himself.

So finally at the start of this race, finally everything went right for Hamilton, he didn't bog down the start wasn't hit by anyone, nothing, yet still Rosberg took the lead from them at the end of the first corner. Rosberg had simply outraced him, this was not the Rosberg of old is what I think played into Hamilton's mind so when he got that run he felt like it was now or never and he refused to let off or try the outside when Rosberg blocked and protected the inside lane. I mean surely he should have known that Rosberg wasn't just going to hand him the inside lane right?

Only driver more frustrated than those two must be Ricciardo, he had this race pretty well in hand until he ended up on the worst strategy. This was fantastic news for Mercedes as with Red Bull seemingly overtaking Ferrari as Mercedes' biggest challenger, with Verstappen being in a Toro Rosso until now Riccardo was easily the closest to the Mercedes in the points and thus their biggest challenger for the championship. Verstappen winning was great for Mercedes as unless he gets on a crazy run of race wins he's not a factor for the championship.

Monaco will be one interesting race that's for sure

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Verstappen winning was great for Mercedes as unless he gets on a crazy run of race wins he's not a factor for the championship.

Verstappen won't be a big factor for the championship. Maybe has a shot at the top 3 if he wins a couple more but not this year. But he has a lot of potential for an 18 year old and if he continues like this he'll be competing for a title within the next few years.

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Verstappen and Red Bull take the race as Hamilton and Rosberg take each other out on the start. Raikkonen and Vettel fill out the podium.

Great race. And Verstappen kept his cool with Raikkonen on his tail for over 30 laps.

 

[IndyAndy]

Great drive by Verstappen, but if those Mercs hadn't taken each other out...

Here's how we did.

Hank Kingsley & IndyAndy: 1 point each - for getting Verstappen out of position
forty_three & Retroram52: blanked.

Season Totals so far:

Retroram52: 18 points
IndyAndy: 18 points
forty_three: 17 points
Hank Kingsley: 14 points

Next Up: Monaco, on May 29.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Meh.....

Lewis had a decent start, not sure how Rosberg got past him, but no way Rosberg saw him make his move until it was too late.

 

[forty_three]

That was an incredibly composed and mature drive from Max. Almost to the point where I wasn't sure it was actually Max in the car. He got some great fortune, a spectacular strategy call from Horner, and some great defending against Kimi and it added up to a magical result. Hopefully for Max the end result is "Hey, if I chill out and let the race come to me, I can succeed" and not "I am ten feet tall and bulletproof". Monaco is a different beast. Should be a good one.

As for the Merc boys, well... I think Rosberg's gonna get slapped around. That problem started at turn one. Those corners are an odd radius and the outside move on Hamilton put him at too shallow an angle on the approach and exit of 2, so he had to lift a bit and was a sitting duck. Lewis had the run (and the Red Bulls probably would have had him too when all was said and done), dove inside and it's pretty clear that Rosberg moved twice. The first might have been "He's got the run I will give him outside", but he ran all the way inside and there can't be any way he didn't see Hamilton in the mirror. I expect a bit of a grid spot punishment for Nico next time out, and I would think that he got dressed down in that trailer.

No idea what Lauda was talking about thinking it was Lewis. Unless he's referring to the standing on the gas once he hit the grass to make sure he took Nico with him

 

[forty_three]

So the car that made up ground on the start and passed Lewis ON THE OUTSIDE in turn one was "significantly" down on power?

Bullshit. Merc got FIA to believe that so they wouldn't be docked points.

 

[forty_three]

Okay, so maybe not so outlandish an idea.

 

[Retroram52]

Rosberg got caught by Hamilton with his mental pants down and then Rosberg tried to squeeze Hamilton on the natural pass that sent Hamilton into the grass. Once in the grass, wreck ensued.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Great video.