Pick the Podium - F-1 - Socar Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Baku, Azerbaijan,2019

[Retroram52]

This weekend is the race in Azerbaijan. Apparently Ferrari is bringing "Step One" in the development of the sf90 Ferrari. Don't know if they are tanking the year or just taking steps. Should be interesting to see how this affects the racing quality of LeClerc and Vettel going forward or whether the Mercs have the boys in red covered-AGAIN!

Azerbaijan Grand Prix: Ferrari to bring first 2019 in-season updates to Baku | Formula 1®

 

[Retroram52]

Azerbaijan has a rep of crazy things happening especially as the race goes onward. Things like this:

Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2019: Hamilton wary of Ferrari and Red Bull upgrades in Baku | Formula 1®

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

I don't know why my weekends are always extremely preoccupied the weekend of the Baku race

Not going to have the chance to get on here tomorrow or Saturday so looks like I'm throwing darts at the board. This race is usually wild so who knows what happens

Hamilton
Leclerc
Verstappen
Perez

 

[Retroram52]

At the rate you are going BSF, you'll probably sweep.

 

[Retroram52]

We have witnessed this before and then Hamilton exclaiming that the gap between the Mercs and Ferrari is widening (which he also stated again) and then he goes out and kicks their asses.

After P2, here is the way they stand.

1 Leclerc Ferrari 1:42.872
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +0.324s
3 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.669s
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.921s
5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes

 

[forty_three]

The craziness at Baku continues.

HAM
BOT
VET
VER

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Hamilton
Bottas
Verstappen
Vettel

Ferrari once again have disappointed.

AMG once again surprise.

Dutchie out of nowhere.

 

[Retroram52]

Ill go:

Hamilton
Bottas
Verstappen
Vettel

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Our lack of faith in Bottas really cost us all

My guesses were far off lol

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Ill go:

Hamilton
Bottas
Verstappen
Vettel

Same loser picks as me.

But the whole race the switcheroo was there, tantalizingly close.

I think the Virtual Safety car fucked things up. For both Hamilton and Verstappen. Both somehow lost ground during it.

 

[Retroram52]

Bottas takes the win followed by Hamilton, Vettel and Verstappen. The Ferraris still postulating about dominance, but the Mercs continue to spank them in the race.

 

[Retroram52]

Here's How We Did:

BoiseStateFan27: 0 points- Skunked
forty_three: 3 points- Correctly selected Vettel for third; Verstappen for fourth
Hank Kingsley: 0 points- Skunked
Retroram52: 0 points- Skunked

2019 Season totals:

BoiseStateFan27: 11 points
forty_three: 8 points
Hank Kingsley: 14 points
Retroram52: 0 points

Next Race: In two weeks, Spain Grand Prix, May 10-12, 2019.

 

[Retroram52]

If this keeps up, I am going to be mathematically eliminated by mid-season. If that happens, I'll turn the moderator reins over to someone and you guys can finish out the season to crown the champ.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

It's feast or famine for me.

 

[forty_three]

Our lack of faith in Bottas really cost us all

My guesses were far off lol

Wasn't so much a lack of faith in Bottas for me as much as it was a feeling that Mercedes would never let him stay ahead of Hamilton.



By the way - quick thought. Do we want to add a bonus point in our game here for guessing fastest lap?

 

[Hank Kingsley]

Wasn't so much a lack of faith in Bottas for me as much as it was a feeling that Mercedes would never let him stay ahead of Hamilton.



By the way - quick thought. Do we want to add a bonus point in our game here for guessing fastest lap?

MB is not Ferrari. Not yet anyway.

They actually seem to have a clue when to use team orders.

Ferrari, no clue. If they aren't fast enough, no rabbit in the hat. Little up the sleeve.

What MB doesn't want is a feud between Hamilton and Bottas. They can't let things deteriorate like with Rosberg. I think they will be fair and examine the situation at the time, if it comes.

I still say the VSC took away a great finish. Both Verstappen and Lewis were flying.


Fastest lap? Sure.

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Fastest lap could be a nice way to generate some point, we certainly aren't lighting up the scoreboard right now lol

Pretty wild, I think Forty_three is the only person to score points in two races so far, yet is in 3rd place because Hank and I had one good race

RetroRam hasn't scored a single point yet, pretty sure the longest run he's ever had without scoring in this competition

this lack of scoring is all in spite of all 4 races being Mercedes 1-2s... perplexing start to say the least but the championship is wide open for all 4 of us and any race can change the leaderboard

 

[BoiseStateFan27]

Wasn't so much a lack of faith in Bottas for me as much as it was a feeling that Mercedes would never let him stay ahead of Hamilton.



By the way - quick thought. Do we want to add a bonus point in our game here for guessing fastest lap?

I thought this could be a place where misfortune strikes Bottas, we'll see if it does going forward

I feel like it's safe to say Bottas will have more retirements than Hamilton this year

 

[Retroram52]

I am voting against fastest lap. That would make my moderator job with this competition a nightmare for each race and I really don't want to have to work that hard in something I do as a hobby.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I am voting against fastest lap. That would make my moderator job with this competition a nightmare for each race and I really don't want to have to work that hard in something I do as a hobby.

I'm flexible.

I'm also against more work....