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

[tokeweed]

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!!!

Yeah..  I kinda found that out when I saw my bet at Hyperliquid's outcome market went down -50% in value on a Saturday.    And I'm like wtf...  So I checked the F1 website and got the bad news.  Antonelli was out of quali at Q1.  Lmao.

But the Verstappen to finish at top 3 went well tho.  Not bad even if he has a 'crappy car'.  Hope the bookies won't adjust and keep giving us plus money on that bet.

[karabiber]

Mercedes had an unbeatable car at the Azerbaijan GP. We saw that the soft tires lasted half the race and still performed better than the mediums. This was an unusual situation. Glimmers of hope began to shine on the Red Bull side. If the team can pull itself together a bit more and make its lineup effective, they could be in the championship fight next year. After all, the power output of internal combustion engines will increase next year, which is an advantage for Red Bull.

As for Ferrari, there’s nothing to say they’re treading water. Leclerc failed to capitalize on his advantageous position. He couldn’t keep up with the Hadjar and Verstappen duo throughout the race. Along with Hamilton, they had a mediocre race. It’s disappointing, given all their resources.

[retreat]

-snip-
Glimmers of hope began to shine on the Red Bull side. If the team can pull itself together a bit more and make its lineup effective, they could be in the championship fight next year. After all, the power output of internal combustion engines will increase next year, which is an advantage for Red Bull.

There's nothing more they need to do after their successful upgrade at the Azerbaijan GP, ​​so RB's focus right now should already be on 2027, where the power unit's energy mix leans more towards ICE, and they don't want to waste more resources just to chase Mercedes, which is already quite strong now. If their efforts are successful, they should be a strong contender for the WDC and WCC titles in 2027.

As for Ferrari, there’s nothing to say they’re treading water. Leclerc failed to capitalize on his advantageous position. He couldn’t keep up with the Hadjar and Verstappen duo throughout the race. Along with Hamilton, they had a mediocre race. It’s disappointing, given all their resources.

The current situation with Ferrari is a bit confusing. They should be able to improve their performance with the ADUO2 upgrade they've done, but the problem is that in the last race they ended up slower and it was harder for them to compete for a podium. I think it's more of an issue with their engine setup not being optimal yet. So let's just see how their performance is at the Sepang Circuit, whether it's better or just the same.

[tokeweed]

I'm surprised that we have a race immediately after a week of the last one.  Seems like it's been happening more and more this season.  I've mostly gotten used to races coming every couple of weeks.  Lol.

Anyway, haven't looked at the lines yet but hoping for a plus money line for Verstappen top 3 in his crappy car. 

2026 F1 Bahrain GP Schedule
Track:  Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia



Oct 2, Friday:  Practice 1  12:30 - 13:30
Oct 2, Friday:  Practice 2  16:00 - 17:00
Oct 3, Saturday:  Practice 3  12:30 - 13:30
Oct 3, Saturday:  Qualifying  16:00 - 17:00
Oct 4, Sunday:  Race  15:00

[alegotardo]

I'm surprised that we have a race immediately after a week of the last one.  Seems like it's been happening more and more this season.  I've mostly gotten used to races coming every couple of weeks.  Lol.

Anyway, haven't looked at the lines yet but hoping for a plus money line for Verstappen top 3 in his crappy car. 

2026 F1 Bahrain GP Schedule
Track:  Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia

So... I think the F1’s organization is trying to make the calendar more "compact", but their logistics ended up being very strange.... they leave Azerbaijan, then go to Sepang and finish in Singapore... all in three consecutive weekends!? At least the three countries are within in Asian sequence, which is better than crossing the world between each round, but even so, it is still a "heavy marathon" for teams and drivers.

And I do think Verstappen will be among the three positions, I think Sepang it is a much more favorable track, with long and speed straights, for him to recover performance than a tight circuit with lots of corners.... the Red Bull car does well in high-speed corners that require aerodynamic efficiency, the problem for them is traction and balance at low speed, or am I wrong?

Besides that, I think the weather in Sepang could bring us surprises... hopefully it does!

[tokeweed]

^  Yup, with how everything got a little boring in F1, I wouldn't mind some unpredictability via natural causes.  Lol.  But hopefully it won't be too much rain like what happened in Belgium from the years prior.  All those fans who bought tickets and traveled all the way to Spa went home with nothing but getting wet. 

If Antonelli goes through qualifying without some sht happening I think 2.35 to win the race is a fair price for him.  No value there but for a small fun bet, sure...  Verstappen top 3 is at 2.25.

[LTU_btc]

So... I think the F1’s organization is trying to make the calendar more "compact", but their logistics ended up being very strange.... they leave Azerbaijan, then go to Sepang and finish in Singapore... all in three consecutive weekends!? At least the three countries are within in Asian sequence, which is better than crossing the world between each round, but even so, it is still a "heavy marathon" for teams and drivers.

Originally schedule wasn't strange - there was 2 weeks between Azerbaijan and Singapore. While Bahrain was originally planned in first part of season. But we know what a mess started in Middle East and F1 had to look for solutions. Such logistics is smaller problem than having less races than planned.
BTW, there is still no official decision about last races of season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

[retreat]

And I do think Verstappen will be among the three positions, I think Sepang it is a much more favorable track, with long and speed straights, for him to recover performance than a tight circuit with lots of corners.... the Red Bull car does well in high-speed corners that require aerodynamic efficiency, the problem for them is traction and balance at low speed, or am I wrong?

Besides that, I think the weather in Sepang could bring us surprises... hopefully it does!

With the car they have now, it will be harder for Red Bull to perform at their best on this circuit. Because it's not just the factor of the two long straights, but also the high tire wear due to the Sepang circuit asphalt, which hasn't been replaced since 2017 and has become rougher. So theoretically, it's actually more difficult, but we don't really know what Max will do, he might surprise us. We just don't know. Especially if it rains, it could change how the race goes.

-snip-
BTW, there is still no official decision about last races of season in Qatar and Abu Dhabi.

Right now, there's still no clarity on whether the race will go ahead there, considering the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. But the decision should be made by mid-October, and if the situation is still uncertain, the race might be moved to another circuit.

But Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still trying hard to keep the race in their countries. I don't know how they'll do that, but if the situation doesn't improve, F1 should prioritize the safety of the event over forcing it to take place there.

[retreat]

Tire degradation on this track is pretty crazy. Add to that the scorching heat, I think this circuit could be really tough for the drivers. But it seems like Max did well in this first practice session - followed closely by Mercedes who also did just as well. FP2 is still going on, we'll see the results later.

2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - FP1 results
1   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m37.520s
2   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m37.903s
3   Isack Hajdar    FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m38.303s
4   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m38.367s
5   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m38.580s
6   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m38.590s
7   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m38.715s
8   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m39.106s
9   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m39.197s
10   Nico Hulkenberg   GER   Audi Revolut F1 Team   1m39.211s

[retreat]

It's so funny that this FP2 actually delivered more action than the Madrid race. I guess the Sepang circuit is still really good for F1 races, but unfortunately the Malaysian government can no longer afford to host F1 there because of costs, even though it's such a great circuit. In this practice session, Charles managed to top the standings, but I think this practice session wasn't taken too seriously, the teams were still looking for the best setup to perform better.

Actually, my city and Sepang aren't that far apart, and it just finished raining here. So I think there's still a chance of rain over there, and I hope it happens during the race later to make it way more exciting.

2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - FP2 results
1   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m37.528s
2   Isack Hajdar    FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m37.627s
3   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m37.665s
4   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m37.785s
5   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m37.833s
6   Oscar Piastri    AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m37.899s
7   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m38.020s
8   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m38.060s
9   Liam Lawson   NZL   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m38.496s
10   Pierre Gasly   FRA   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m38.588s

[tokeweed]

^  Red Bull looks promising so far...  But let's see how it goes at FP3 where the top dogs start taking the foot off the break and letting their cars go. 

Watch out for Antonelli and Russell as it could be another Mercedes 1 - 2 at qualifying.  Can't wait for the race.  But too bad I can't bet as it's not available in HL's outcome markets.  I'm too lazy to click buttons and make a transfer to a proper sports betting site. 

[LTU_btc]

Right now, there's still no clarity on whether the race will go ahead there, considering the geopolitical situation in the Middle East. But the decision should be made by mid-October, and if the situation is still uncertain, the race might be moved to another circuit.

But Qatar and Abu Dhabi are still trying hard to keep the race in their countries. I don't know how they'll do that, but if the situation doesn't improve, F1 should prioritize the safety of the event over forcing it to take place there.

I guess this situation gives lot of headache for FIA and Liberty Media. Right now situation is relatively calm there, but you never know how things will look in November or December.
There was rumours that season final can be moved from Abu Dhabi to Imola. Interesting how race in Imola would look. Probably it would be one of coldest races in F1 history.

[retreat]

^  Red Bull looks promising so far...  But let's see how it goes at FP3 where the top dogs start taking the foot off the break and letting their cars go. 

Watch out for Antonelli and Russell as it could be another Mercedes 1 - 2 at qualifying. 

Yup, Red Bull, more precisely Max, looked so promising in this practice session. I guess it’s more about his experience at Sepang that allows him to maximize his performance even when, in theory, the upgrades they made weren’t specifically meant for Sepang. Still, it seems RB is convincing enough to get a podium. But Mercedes' performance doesn't lie, Kimi was only on top in the final practice session.

2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - FP3 results
1   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m 36.302
2   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m 36.580
3   Isack Hajdar    FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m 36.860
4   George Russell   GBR   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m 36.912
5   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m 37.016
6   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m 37.041
7   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m 37.161
8   Oscar Piastri    AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   1m 37.366
9   Franco Colapinto   ARG   BWT Alpine F1 Team   1m 37.920
10   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team   1m 38.084

Qualifying is still ongoing, and Max is still on top for Q2. Let's see if Kimi can bump Max down a spot or not.

[retreat]

Experience doesn't lie. Max managed to get the pole position with a time of 1m 35.130. He managed to push in Q3 and recorded the fastest time. Hamilton tried to chase that in Q3, but the best he could get was P2. As for Hadjar, this guy was also really good, he was even able to stay consistent from Q1, then pushed in Q3 and got P3, even though he received a 5-grid penalty and might have to start from P8 tomorrow, but it's still impressive. And for the first time, we get a podium without a Mercedes engine. Sepang is really something you can't predict.

2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - Qualifying results
Pos    Driver    Nat.   Team    Q1   Q2   Q3
1   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m 36.477   1m 35.696   1m 35.130
2   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m 36.595   1m 36.032   1m 35.428
3   Isack Hadjar   JAP   Oracle Red Bull Racing   1m 36.898   1m 36.192   1m 35.558
4   Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   1m 37.041   1m 35.959   1m 35.631
5   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   1m 36.730   1m 35.970   1m 35.666

[tokeweed]

^  That's actually pretty good for Verstappen in his 'crappy car'..    I think I might have missed a nice spot by being lazy and not making a bet on Verstappen podium finish. 

Can anybody remember what the line was on Verstappen as the race winner?  He's now lined at 1.50 to win the race.  Antonelli is lined at 5.00 which is now has some value in there imho.  But let's see...

[NeuroticFish]

Antonelli is lined at 5.00 which is now has some value in there imho.  But let's see...

Kimi will start from 3rd and his fast lap was very early (because of issues in Q2), hence his starting spot doesn't reflect the car capabilities.
It will be interesting to see whether Max and Lewis experience at Sepang will matter, or they'll take each other out (!), or Kimi's Merc will prove itself to be, yet again, the strongest car.
So yes, let's see...

[karabiber]

Ferrari is an incredibly consistent team. It’s truly surprising that they manage to maintain this consistency. For example, other teams make decisions which might be the right call but they also make the wrong ones from time to time. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Ferrari. They keep making the wrong decisions, yet their consistency remains. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If someone told the team to make wrong decisions on purpose, they’d still make a mistake and get the right decision once in a while. It’s almost as if the Ferrari team came into this world to teach a lesson on how to make a complete fool of yourself with money. They’re my favorite team, but the truth hurts.

[retreat]

^  That's actually pretty good for Verstappen in his 'crappy car'..   

And with that "car", he managed to win LOL

The upgrades and strategies carried out by Red Bull seem to have been really successful in securing their position – and Max did a great job executing that. Even when Mercedes threatened his position at the start and when the late safety car came out, he was able to keep his composure and managed to win the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, just like he did back in 2017 when he won at this circuit. I guess that's just Max's really great mentality.

As for Ferrari, they only managed to get P3 and P4. But Ferrari's 'amazing' strategy, as usual, is what kept them from getting their drivers on the podium. Even getting those positions was already pretty incredible for them given all the foolish mistakes they made.

And the most unlucky of all is Russell, he had to retire from the race because of a problem with his car. He was still on course for P3, and then he got an issue with his PU and had to pull his car over. It's actually so weird, because he often gets problems like this, but I guess it was just his bad luck.

2026 F1 Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia - Race results
Pos    Driver    Nat.   Team    Laps
1   Max Verstappen   NED   Oracle Red Bull Racing   55 laps
2   Andrea Kimi Antonelli   ITA   Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team   2.3s
3   Lewis Hamilton   GBR   Scuderia Ferrari HP   4.9s
4   Charles Leclerc   MON   Scuderia Ferrari HP   7.2s
5   Isack Hadjar   FRA   Oracle Red Bull Racing   8.5s
6   Oscar Piastri   AUS   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   9.4s
7   Liam Lawson   NZD   Racing Bulls   12.7s
8   Fernando Alonso   ESP   Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team   13.3s
9   Lando Norris   GBR   McLaren Mastercard F1 Team   13.9s
10   Arvid Lindblad   GBR   Racing Bulls   15.9s

The next race is in Singapore. Hopefully it's just as unpredictable as Sepang.

[püsür]

Ferrari is an incredibly consistent team. It’s truly surprising that they manage to maintain this consistency. For example, other teams make decisions which might be the right call but they also make the wrong ones from time to time. Unfortunately, that’s not the case with Ferrari. They keep making the wrong decisions, yet their consistency remains. Wrong, wrong, wrong. If someone told the team to make wrong decisions on purpose, they’d still make a mistake and get the right decision once in a while. It’s almost as if the Ferrari team came into this world to teach a lesson on how to make a complete fool of yourself with money. They’re my favorite team, but the truth hurts.

If Ferrari hadn’t been so clumsy, it might even have been 1–2, it seems. Despite such a dreadful strategy, they managed a respectable 3–4, and the drivers are certainly doing the car justice anyway. I do like Ferrari, but unfortunately the cars aren’t up to scratch. Hamilton has fallen out of favour with me following his relationship with Kim Kardashian. As for Verstappen, I hope he secures another championship as someone who’s solely focused on his work… If Antonelli only completes his remaining races, he won’t even need to score any points. Congratulations in advance, Antonelli.

[alegotardo]

The next race is in Singapore. Hopefully it's just as unpredictable as Sepang.

Was Sepang unpredictable?
I have another name for this: "chaotic". One thing is seeing things getting out of control within what is "normal" for a race, another is seeing a race almost being canceled due to weather conditions and then making us even think about a system hack!
Honestly, I hope things like this do not happen in Singapore or any other circuit.
But, if you are referring, for example, to the mistakes in the choice of tires for Hamilton, then I agree... that is part of game.

I think Singapore has the potential to be unpredictable race too, especially in terms of strategy... with the walls very close, any mistake can cause an accident and the safety car coming out always has a big impact at results.
The problem is that Singapore has very difficult overtaking, so for those who like high speed overtakes (like me), Singapore will be boring!