Pick the Podium - F-1 - Honda Japanese Grand Prix, Suzka, Japan, 2018

[Retroram52]

Hamilton comes out roaring followed by his teammate Bottas as Mercedes dominates FP2. Vettel is struggling to catch the Mercs, consistently .0833 seconds behind. Vettel might get overtaken by Verstappen and Red Bull as they are really pressing hard to finish on the podium. Should be another fun race.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Hamilton
Bottas
Verstappen
Vettel

 

[forty_three]

HAM
BOT
RAI
VER

Vettel will push too hard early trying to make up places and bin it, effectively ending the championship.

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, Vettel and his Ferrari is fading fast. Hamilton is moving full bore ahead for his fifth title!!

 

[Hank Kingsley]

5 will get you 10 the title race is already over.

They were interviewing Dutchie after the session and asked if he was going to get in the way of the battle for the title.

"Is there still a battle for the title?"

 

[Retroram52]

I'll go with:

HAMILTON
BOTTAS
VERSTAPPEN
GROSJEAN

 

[Retroram52]

Early on it is Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Vettel, Raikkonen, and Grosjean, top six.

 

[Retroram52]

Looks like the Mercs are pulling away from everyone else early on.

 

[Retroram52]

Vettel gets into with Verstappen and Grosjean moves up to 5th.

 

[Retroram52]

Grosjean is 2.5 seconds behind Raikkonen. This could be interesting as the race moves along.

 

[Retroram52]

Top six: Hamilton, Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Grosjean, Gasly. Vettel falls to 18th and is looking like his day is just about through.

 

[Retroram52]

Vettel makes another costly mistake and his championship run maybe done as well.

 

[Retroram52]

Wow, Ricciardo catches and passes Grosjean for fifth. Vettel is now 15th.

 

[Retroram52]

Hamilton still leads the field as lap 20 approches.

 

[Retroram52]

Ricciardo is running laps faster than Raikkonen right now and is closing.

 

[Retroram52]

Vettel has fought his way back to 13th. I suppose ya never count Vettel out until he actually done.

 

[Retroram52]

Raikkonen falls to tenth! Ricciardo moves into 4th!!

 

[Retroram52]

Grosjean moves into fifth as Ricciardo is running some of the fastest laps among the competitors.

 

[Retroram52]

Raikkonen is back in ninth. Vettel moves to 12th.

 

[Retroram52]

Now Raikkonen moves into 8th position at Lap 20.