Pick the Podium - F-1 - Heineken Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai, China, 2019

[Retroram52]

This could be another Bottas week-end as he is running at top speeds and Hamilton is struggling. The Ferraris aren't doing so bad and Red Bull is emerging. Should be another good race and hopefully some of us will get our first season points as forty_three is out of the blocks already. After two practices, this is the present order:

1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:33.330
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +0.027s
3 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.221s
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.707s
5 Nico Hulkenberg Renault

 

[Retroram52]

Could be a tough call on this board.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

In qualifying the pecking order seemed pretty clear, Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, Renault, Haas, everyone else, then Williams lol

will it remain that way in the race? China can sometimes get wild, a well timed safety car allowed Ricciardo to win despite this track not suiting the Red Bulls well

That being said I have a very tough time picking against a Mercedes 1-2

Hamilton
Bottas
Leclerc
Verstappen

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Shit this race is on tonight, strong possibility I watch after stumbling back from the bar

 

[forty_three]

Hamilton just doesn't seem to be able to get the car to handle to his liking. And Verstappen and Vettel are already at each other's throats. And they said that in 10 races there, Vettel has spun out of contention in 4 of them.

BOT
HAM
VER
VET

 

[Retroram52]

Yep. Bottas beats Hamilton to the pole by 0.023 of a second. Here are the rest of the standings in the top five.

1 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:31.547
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:31.570
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:31.848
4 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1:31.865
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing

 

[Retroram52]

I'll go with:

Hamilton
Bottas
Verstappen
Vettel

 

[Retroram52]

On second thought, I'll go with:

Bottas
Hamilton
Verstappen
Vettel

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Hamilton
Bottas
Vettel
Verstappen

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I'm finally on the board after this one

Once again Ferrari was the laughingstock of the garage with their team order controversy, what an unmitigated mess their season has been so far

3 races in and I think we can write Mercedes in as the Constructors champs, sure a double DNF could happen at any time and close Ferrari in....but let's face it, Ferrari's gonna piss down their leg several more times this year

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton drove around Bottas and never looked back. Bottas takes second, then Vettel for third, then Verstappen for fourth.

 

[Retroram52]

Here's How We Did:

BoiseStateFan27: 11 points- Correctly selected Hamilton for the win; Bottas for second; Verstappen for fourth
forty_three: 5 points- Skunked
Hank Kingsley: 14 points- Correctly selected Hamilton for the win; Bottas for second; Vettel for third; Verstappen for fourth; Qualifies for 1 point bonus for sweeping the podium plus fourth place.
Retroram52: 0 points- Skunked

2019 Season totals:

BoiseStateFan27: 11 points
forty_three: 5 points
Hank Kingsley: 14 points
Retroram52: 0 points

Next Race: In two weeks, April, 26-28, 2019, Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

 

[Retroram52]

Congrats to Hank for the sweep. Haven't seen that in a long time.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I almost went with Leclerc-Vettel for 3-4

But thought better of it.

Leclerc got Barrichelloed.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I almost went with Leclerc-Vettel for 3-4

But thought better of it.

Leclerc got Barrichelloed.

Taking Leclerc for 3rd was where I went wrong, he's a more steady driver than Vettel is...Ferrari is going to regret backing Vettel instead

Of course Ferrari has managed to have a season's worth of regrets in 3 races already

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Taking Leclerc for 3rd was where I went wrong, he's a more steady driver than Vettel is...Ferrari is going to regret backing Vettel instead

Of course Ferrari has managed to have a season's worth of regrets in 3 races already

Do you recall the farce the orchestrated at the US GP in 2005?

It's what they do.

Meanwhile "the Germans" are sharpening pencils, making sure past mistakes aren't happening again and for the most part letting their guys race.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Do you recall the farce the orchestrated at the US GP in 2005?

It's what they do.

Meanwhile "the Germans" are sharpening pencils, making sure past mistakes aren't happening again and for the most part letting their guys race.

What an utter disaster that was, it took years to get F1 back in the US after that mess