Pick the Podium: F-1 - European Grand Prix, Baku City, 2016

[Retroram52]

Hamilton, Rosberg, and Perez in Practice 2. Hamilton looks as though is going to try and duplicate Rosberg's 6 straight beginning this year. Azerbaijan is sort of out in the boonies but we shall see how this one turns out.

43 has the lead going into this race. Time for a run at the leader perhaps? Again, we shall see.

 

[VFL1995]

1. Hamilton
2. Vettel
3. Rosberg

 

[Hank Kingsley]

What a silly track.

I saw a video where you go past an actual castle? And no barriers to keep you from hitting it?

Anyway in P2 Lewis was almost 7/10 of a second up on Rosberg.

 

[lakersrule]

What a silly track.

I saw a video where you go past an actual castle? And no barriers to keep you from hitting it?

Anyway in P2 Lewis was almost 7/10 of a second up on Rosberg.

Looks like a castle to me. I thought that was pretty cool.

 

[Retroram52]

I hope Hamilton and Rosberg don't wreck each other on Lap 1 like a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Looks like a castle to me. I thought that was pretty cool.

Seriously though, the video I saw had a guy going by at speed and no barrier at all around the castle.

It sounds good on paper but it's narrow as fuck. If they put armco or something there it gets even more narrow.

 

[forty_three]

This track is going to be a nightmare. That super thin cut between buildings and turn 15 that Daniel hit the outside wall on exit after nailing the apex perfectly... Jeez.

Haven't watched practice yet, but have seen a few on board laps. How in the hell are Kvyat, Nasr, and Haryanto going to get through this track with faster cars leaning on them from the back?

 

[forty_three]

A pit lane drain cover trashed Bottas' car in FP3, Hamilton tapped an inside wall in Quali and lost his RF suspension, and the GP2 had four cars not make it out of turn one.

Well done, Baku.

This is going to be a war of attrition. I'll take:
ROS (and you don't know how bad I want to say front row starter Perez, but I see him getting muscled off track by Rosberg somewhere.)
RIC
VET

Only because it will be chaos any further back.

Maybe for a bonus point, we should predict how many go out on lap 1. I say 5.

 

[IndyAndy]

Rosberg
Vettel
Ricciardo

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, Hamilton gets taken out by this track and Rosberg takes the pole. You might be right 43.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Rosberg
Perez
Vettel

 

[Retroram52]

I'll take Rosberg, Vettel, Ricciardo.

 

[Retroram52]

Right now it is Rosberg, Vettel, Perez and Hamilton has made it all the way back to fifth.

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton is now up to fourth.

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton now has Perez in his sights.

 

[Retroram52]

Rosberg is driving away from everyone. If drivers are not careful, they could easily end up inside that huge castle that sticks out into the track.

 

[Retroram52]

Looks like Rosberg takes it followed by Vettel and Perez.

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton might have had another incident. His right front suspension looked bent and Raikkonen caught him and passed him. Perhaps Hamilton never adjusted to this track and its "castles" sticking out into the track.

 

[IndyAndy]

A good race: I was expecting more carnage, but they kept the cars between the walls pretty well.

Here's how we did:

forty_three: 6 points. Picked Rosberg to win; got Vettel out of position
Retroram52 & IndyAndy: 8 points each. Picked top two steps of the podium
Hank Kingsley: 7 points. Picked Rosberg to win; got Perez & Vettel out of position
VFL1995: 4 points. Picked Vettel for 2nd; got Rosberg out of position.

Season Totals so far:

forty_three: 35 points
Retroram52: 34 points
IndyAndy: 34 points
Hank Kingsley: 31 points
VFL1995: 16 points

Next Up: Austria, on July 3

 

[Retroram52]

We are a comin' 43! The accelerator is planted to the floor.