Motosport General discussion tread --- Formula1, MotoGP, WTCC, ETCC, DTM.....

[goodpunt]

Very unlucky for Norris - if not for the unfortunate timing of the virtual safety car he would have won the race in dominant fashion since Antonelli could never have passed him.
In this case also quite ironic that Norris was just too fast!
If he were a bit slower he wouldn't have missed the pit lane by 2 seconds.

It also worked in my favor since I was finally able to end my fantastic run of losing F1 betslips

[karabiber]

Watching the Spanish GP made me realize that Antonelli is as lucky as he is talented. Opportunities just keep falling into his lap. Even though Norris was on track to win the race, all the circumstances aligned to hand the victory to Antonelli. I like this guy that’s a given but the fact that Russell is the only driver who could really challenge him and that he hasn’t been able to do so is one of the things making this season boring.

There’s absolutely no drama this season. The track’s dullness is just one detail. Without drivers pushing the limit, there can be no strategy. Unfortunately, I couldn’t watch the race live I had to fast forward through the replay. There was absolutely no excitement in the race, and yes, seeing Antonelli win over and over again has become boring.

[retreat]

Notice how Verstappen got good pace too.  Could he be on the podium again in the next couple of weeks? 

If you look at the car he has, it's probably not the fastest; maybe Ferrari and McLaren have a better chance of getting on the podium (Mercedes is undoubtedly). But Max's mentality is unquestionable, and that's what always makes him more competitive even when the car they have isn't the fastest. So I have a feeling that Max can still get on the podium in the next few weeks. At least we can still see a driver who is able to remain competitive even when he has a crappy car.

-snip-
It also worked in my favor since I was finally able to end my fantastic run of losing F1 betslips

Yeah, Kimi was just a really safe choice in that race. And you got $170 USD from that bet, I think that's a good thing. Congrats.

[emrecemsan]

Here is how the current standings look like after the Madrid GP...



Antonelli is in a really safe distance from Russell right now. And the way they've been racing lately just makes me think that Russell isn't likely to keep up with him in the title race. 

While there are 9 races left I don't think there'll be any other driver to catch up with Kimi either. It looks like he is getting so close to be the youngest F1 champion in history!

[goodpunt]

Yeah, Kimi was just a really safe choice in that race. And you got $170 USD from that bet, I think that's a good thing. Congrats.

Thanks mate
But if we go back to the race, I have no clue (just like Russell) why Mercedes decided to pit him 2 times.
It's like they don't really care about him anymore....but who knows, maybe there was a masterplan behind it

But what a boring track if I'm not wrong there was only one real wheel-to-wheel overtake when Lawson passed Colapinto.

[tokeweed]

Notice how Verstappen got good pace too.  Could he be on the podium again in the next couple of weeks? 

If you look at the car he has, it's probably not the fastest; maybe Ferrari and McLaren have a better chance of getting on the podium (Mercedes is undoubtedly). But Max's mentality is unquestionable, and that's what always makes him more competitive even when the car they have isn't the fastest. So I have a feeling that Max can still get on the podium in the next few weeks. At least we can still see a driver who is able to remain competitive even when he has a crappy car.

We'll see...  The thing is the next track has lots of straights and that Red Bull car's current package has good straight line speed due to it's new Ford power unit.

And that car is not 'crappy'.  Lolol.  Aston Martin's car is crappy but Red bull's is a decent mid table car.  Hopefully HL's outcome market will have F1 by the time the race weekend starts.  I've been moving all my bets in HL's outcome markets now.  Lol. 

[swogerino]

Notice how Verstappen got good pace too.  Could he be on the podium again in the next couple of weeks? 

If you look at the car he has, it's probably not the fastest; maybe Ferrari and McLaren have a better chance of getting on the podium (Mercedes is undoubtedly). But Max's mentality is unquestionable, and that's what always makes him more competitive even when the car they have isn't the fastest. So I have a feeling that Max can still get on the podium in the next few weeks. At least we can still see a driver who is able to remain competitive even when he has a crappy car.

We'll see...  The thing is the next track has lots of straights and that Red Bull car's current package has good straight line speed due to it's new Ford power unit.

And that car is not 'crappy'.  Lolol.  Aston Martin's car is crappy but Red bull's is a decent mid table car.  Hopefully HL's outcome market will have F1 by the time the race weekend starts.  I've been moving all my bets in HL's outcome markets now.  Lol. 

It is a very technical track and Redbull is a mid table car but what is this new Ford power unit, some upgrades I think as Redbull has been running on Ford engine since the beginning of the season. Redbull showed good pace yet nothing compared to McLaren or Mercedes in Spain Gp, in fact in the opening couple of laps Norris created a very big gap to Max which was second before giving positions back. Now we are in Baku where overtaking is very much possible so more action is expected.

[tokeweed]

^  Not saying Verstappen is fast all season, but the last race in Madrid shows how promising his car is getting at as the season progresses.  We might see him get another podium finish in the next couple or races me thinks. 

Verstappen top 3 finish is at 2.50 last I checked and I feel like it was higher when I checked before that from what I remember.  So it means sharp money is piling into the line.

[retreat]

We'll see...  The thing is the next track has lots of straights and that Red Bull car's current package has good straight line speed due to it's new Ford power unit.

And that car is not 'crappy'.  Lolol.  Aston Martin's car is crappy but Red bull's is a decent mid table car.

For me it's a crappy car  As for Aston Martin, there's no need to mention that, they are in a different "league" 

But yes, their package is better now. I don't know what they're doing, but it's working. But right now, Max isn't the favorite for the podium. From what I've checked, he's fifth favorite behind Hamilton. But it's always fun to bet on him to be able to get on the podium. This guy is just made for this sport.

[retreat]

So, F1 has just released its calendar for the 2027 season. It will feature 24 Grands Prix and 10 sprint events. The new calendar will see Portugal become the new host, and Madrid will continue to host the Spanish Grand Prix. It's unclear what the geopolitical situation will be in 2027, but if the Middle East situation remains tense, the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will likely be moved. This calendar will also be a calendar that is very friendly for those who watch the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Nürburgring 24 Hours (N24), it's likely that Max (and maybe Norris too) will also participate in the event.

[retreat]

So Red Bull has just signed Robin Raikkonen to their driver development programme. This young kid is the son of Kimi Raikkonen and has the potential to become one of Red Bull's drivers in the future, and he’s already earned the nickname 'Ace.' Verstappen, who was at the same location as Raikkonen at the time, joked that this Raikkonen junior might just get a seat at Red Bull once he's no longer in F1. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies also said that Robin has shown impressive skills in karting, making him one of the promising young drivers in his age group. With Robin Raikkonen joining Red Bull's driver programme, it could continue the Finnish driver potential on the grid after Bottas.

Will we have Kimi vs. Kimi's Son in F1? Can't wait to see this kid's potential.



https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1104764/1/max-verstappen-jokes-about-red-bull-f1-seat-after-robin-raikkonen-signing

[NeuroticFish]

^  Not saying Verstappen is fast all season, but the last race in Madrid shows how promising his car is getting at as the season progresses.  We might see him get another podium finish in the next couple or races me thinks. 

I would not consider Madring as a proper race to assess the car capabilities. Even Max said that all he had to do was to keep the car on the middle of the track and then nobody can overtake him (of course, that is also not easy and of course, he was only trying to make a joke on how bad Madring is).

Red Bull has (usually) good or very good race strategy and in Madring this was all he needed.

Verstappen top 3 finish is at 2.50 last I checked and I feel like it was higher when I checked before that from what I remember.  So it means sharp money is piling into the line.

It was 2.50x to be in top4 at Madring. Easy money 

It's unclear what the geopolitical situation will be in 2027, but if the Middle East situation remains tense, the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will likely be moved.

Moved? The Bahrain race will already be this year in Kuala Lumpur, it seems. So if you meant rescheduled, it looks more likely the gulf states will just make temporary agreements here and there if needed.

[tokeweed]

Here's the schedule for the upcoming race weekend guys.  Can't wait to see Verstappen and his crappy car again.    I hope there's gonna be an outcome market for this event in Hyperliquid so I could make some bets, esp who gets on the podium bets...

Would love to see Verstappen be up there again.  

2026 F1 Azerbaijan GP Schedule
Track:  Baku City Circuit



Sept 24, Friday:  Practice 1  12:30 - 13:30
Sept 24, Friday:  Practice 2  16:00 - 17:00
Sept 25, Saturday:  Practice 3  12:30 - 13:30
Sept 25, Saturday:  Qualifying  16:00 - 17:00
Sept 26, Sunday:  Race  15:00

2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix:  Extended Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YRVKNe_3_o

[retreat]

Would love to see Verstappen be up there again.  

Tbh Max is the one who always makes the fight for the podium more exciting, I'm just waiting for him to push his 'crappy car' to the podium again  . Even though I'm just waiting for Charles to get on the podium, but there's something wrong with his car, and Ferrari seems more focused on their branding than fixing it smh.


And regarding the 2027 regulations, it seems that the FIA ​​will cut the distance from 305 km to 290 km or reduce it by around 2 to 3 laps depending on the circuit in line with regulation 58-42 in 2027. There is also consideration to extend the duration of free practice sessions if there is a disruption and the gearbox restrictions will be lifted from 2027, and that will give teams the freedom to develop their gearboxes.

[tokeweed]

^  Yeah there are some tracks that deserve to be reduced by a couple or so laps...  *Cough* Monaco *cough*.  

As for the Ferrari car, how do you think would Verstappen do if he was driving that car?  Will he do better or worse than how he's doing with his crappy car?  But then again maybe Red Bull is finally making improvements and we'll start seeing Verstappen get on the podium more...

Keep an eye on the Verstappen top 3 line during every race weekend.     Anything at decent plus money would be good.

[retreat]

As for the Ferrari car, how do you think would Verstappen do if he was driving that car?  Will he do better or worse than how he's doing with his crappy car?  But then again maybe Red Bull is finally making improvements and we'll start seeing Verstappen get on the podium more...

If Max were driving a Ferrari right now, I'm sure he would be more competitive. Don't forget that Ferrari is the third fastest car on the grid at the moment. However, that's only if we're talking about Max driving a Ferrari, the "car", not the team. If Max had a team like Ferrari does now, I bet he would just end up like Lewis and Charles.

Max can be as competitive now, I think it also has the influence of his team that gives him the freedom to drive the car and also the support of his race strategist, Hannah Schmitz - in addition to the improvements they've made to the car. If he had a team like Ferrari that's too rigid and thinks it's always right, then I don't think he would get good results. At most, he would just end up frustrated every race lol.

[NeuroticFish]

Sept 24, Friday:  Practice 1  12:30 - 13:30
Sept 24, Friday:  Practice 2  16:00 - 17:00
Sept 25, Saturday:  Practice 3  12:30 - 13:30
Sept 25, Saturday:  Qualifying  16:00 - 17:00
Sept 26, Sunday:  Race  15:00

Very careful, today was 24th, Thursday!
Tomorrow - Friday - there will be the qualifying.
And the race is gonna be - ta-dam - Saturday!!!

[retreat]

It seems like Kimi was too excited to win from the back, so he tried it again this time. He got disqualified in Q3 after crashing into the barrier and had to settle for P16. As for Russell, he was lucky that Kimi failed, and he managed to get pole position. 

As for Ferrari, this time they managed to get P2 and P6. Although Charles’s position is pretty good, Ferrari can be really strong in practice and qualifying sessions, but in the race they just mess it up. I don’t really have high expectations for them. But if they can get on the podium this time, that would be great. 

As for Max, it looks like qualifying wasn't that great for him this time. Even though Isack managed to get P4, he could only settle for P8. Still, I’m confident that he will fight for the podium, even though he said his engine wasn’t working as it should.

2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Qualifying results
Pos    Driver    Nat.   Team    Q1   Q2   Q3
1   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m43.615s   1m43.462s   1m42.526s
2   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m44.360s   1m43.780s   1m43.363s
3   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m45.014s   1m43.814s   1m43.364s
4   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m44.161s   1m43.880s   1m43.500s
5   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m44.571s   1m44.020s   1m43.672s
6   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m44.260s   1m44.037s   1m43.858s
7   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m44.489s   1m44.106s   1m44.047s
8   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m44.041s   1m43.706s   1m44.081s
9   Carlos Sainz   ESP   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   1m45.104s   1m44.629s   1m44.566s
10   Franco Colapinto   ARG   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m45.106s   1m44.683s   1m44.963s

[NeuroticFish]

As for Max, it looks like qualifying wasn't that great for him this time. Even though Isack managed to get P4, he could only settle for P8. Still, I’m confident that he will fight for the podium, even though he said his engine wasn’t working as it should.

I think that RB has done something wrong with Max' setup and the result was bouncing and under-usage of engine power.
But given that Isack's setup is fine, I am confident that they'll fix Max' setup too for the race.
The only worrying part is that very long straight, where the RB cars seem to have a disadvantage.

Let's see tomorrow whether a better strategy can help. And who makes a mistake this time.

[retreat]

I think that RB has done something wrong with Max' setup and the result was bouncing and under-usage of engine power.
But given that Isack's setup is fine, I am confident that they'll fix Max' setup too for the race.
The only worrying part is that very long straight, where the RB cars seem to have a disadvantage.

Let's see tomorrow whether a better strategy can help. And who makes a mistake this time.

Yeah, there was something wrong with his setup during yesterday's qualifying session, but in this race session Max really lived up to his name. He chased Russell and almost got the podium, just 0.1s short on the run to the checkered flag. That was so close. I bet at that moment Russell's heart was beating 100x seeing Max right beside him. 


And for Kimi, this boy is still so impressive. Coming from P16, and he was still able to get P5. He can still maintain his performance even with how chaotic this race was. 

And for Ferrari. They're still yet to get a podium. Even though Charles got a good position in qualifying, their pace is still lacking and the messiness of their strategy in the last laps made them settle for P4 and P6. 

Overall, the Azerbaijan GP was pretty exciting, especially the last few laps, it just went from 0-1000.

2026 F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Race results
Pos    Driver    Nat.   Team    Laps
1   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   51 laps
2   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   0.1s
3   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   10.7s
4   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   14.1s
5   Andrea Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   14.5s
6   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   22.3s
7   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Racing Bulls   31.1s
8   Esteban Ocon   FRA   TGR Haas F1 Team   31.1s
9   Ollie Bearman   GBR   TGR Haas F1 Team   31.9s
10   Carlos Sainz   ESP   Atlassian Williams F1 Team   32.4s