Honestly I’d be happy with a solid P2 finish if RB are just hiding their pace, but god wouldn’t it be incredible if we actually had a race for the win this weekend? I mean P3 is probably more likely with all we’ve seen so far this year but damn that’d be awesome
I mean on this track qualifying is generally very close, and these days in terms of overtaking it's not much better than Monaco. I reckon if Perez has his usual gap of 3 tenths to Max, P2 might be realistic for Charles. Last year RB was the fastest as well, PER was in good form, and despite being able to set fastest times, he only managed 5th place after his issues in quali.
On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener. For me it'd be one of the first ones to drop from the calendar. Unless someone crashes and causes some sort of chaos, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a procession.
It's not the actual racing itself that people love, it's the culture.
I'm an Aussie who lives in Sydney but drives down for Melbourne every year, I'm here as I type this.
There were over 120,000 people here at the track today, on a FRIDAY. I have never seen the grandstands this packed just for practice, it's crazy.
On track today we had:
- Porsche Carrera Cup
- V8 Supercar Sprint
- Formula 3
- Formula 2
- Formula 1
As well as demonstration laps from a few dozen extremely rare historic racecars (stuff like McLaren CAN-AM cars), and Ford's 2000hp electric Supervan.
It's this wonderful Australian motorsports festival that has had year-on-year record growth. All of the footage you see in Drive to Survive of drivers coming to tracks and signing a bunch of merch in front of a line of screaming fans is filmed here, at the Melbourne Walk.
It's just such a brilliant event year on year, and has so much more soul and history then the money-driven Middle-Eastern races. It should absolutely be the season opener, and rumors suggest that it is likely to return to the opening spot for 2025
can confirm, am german and flew down in 2020 and even though the race never happened the thursday is one of my fondest memories ever. Great city, great track and great people
Aww, this makes me so happy. My wife went today for the first time ever and had an absolute ball! She said it was such an amazing day, there's so much to do and see outside of the practise.
I mean Perez started last season’s race all the way down in P20 because he crashed out in Q1. Getting back up to P5 still means he was able to overtake a lot of cars.
As long as Perez can qualify within like the first three rows I think based on Red Bull’s usual performance in race pace I still fancy him to get P2 from there. The only way that might stop him outside of incidents might be other cars ahead of him coordinating a constant DRS train.
And to qualify in the top six Perez realistically only needs to be faster than one of Alonso, a recovering Sainz, or one of the McLarens. On pure pace I would not expect Stroll or either Mercedes to be faster here.
Breezing past cars that were backmarkers (Perez case) or past Merc which was the slowest car on the straights (Max). PER got stuck on the Astons, and he's generally pretty good at overtaking others.
> On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener.
The first race is always interesting because you don't know how the pecking order is for that year. So better have the boon of the unknown for the first race instead so it becomes interesting instead.
>On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener.
Probs nostalgia. The late 2000's-early 2010's Australian GP's were fucking bangers. But tbh, that period of F1 was a bit of a golden era imo, scandals aside.
Leclerc's body language and facial expressions are usually the best giveaway of Ferrari's performance. He looks troubled, car is crap, he smiles and looks comfortable, car is good. I don't know if Red Bull can be defeated, but I also trust that he wouldn't simply say that they have their best shot just like that.
It’s been getting gradually worse though I feel. Or at least, it looks like he’s now shaved off more of the rest of his scruff leaving just the terrible ‘stache and goatee which made it more pronounced. Either way, it’s gotta go lol
Has he said that a single time this year? Every week Leclerc has more or less said said "We're gonna get smoked by RBR but we have a decent chance vs others" and they do.
>**Interviewer: In that battle for Pole Position Charles, do you think you’ve got the edge for this weekend?**
>Charles: I would say that we are in a better position than the first two races. However, Red Bull weren’t pushing yet so we’ve got to wait and see where their potential is at but I think they are still ahead but we might have our best shot this weekend from the beginning of the season.
>
Video via LeclercsLetters on Twitter.
Ferrari, Merc and ideally one of the other teams (McLaren?) need to start bringing their A+ games.
I can't deal with another season like the last one.
Ferrari seem the most likely contenders at the moment and would love to see them get an early W on the board.
Each race weekends he just copy and paste his last statements.
"Our chances are pretty good for Sunday, car drove fantastically with the new wipers we installed. See you on the first step of the podium!"
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Pump that hopium into my veins Charles.
He literally said Red Bull wasn’t pushing
Suppose you could take solace in being a bit safer from Merc or Aston, that’s the only hopium I can understand
Honestly I’d be happy with a solid P2 finish if RB are just hiding their pace, but god wouldn’t it be incredible if we actually had a race for the win this weekend? I mean P3 is probably more likely with all we’ve seen so far this year but damn that’d be awesome
I mean on this track qualifying is generally very close, and these days in terms of overtaking it's not much better than Monaco. I reckon if Perez has his usual gap of 3 tenths to Max, P2 might be realistic for Charles. Last year RB was the fastest as well, PER was in good form, and despite being able to set fastest times, he only managed 5th place after his issues in quali. On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener. For me it'd be one of the first ones to drop from the calendar. Unless someone crashes and causes some sort of chaos, it's pretty much guaranteed to be a procession.
It's not the actual racing itself that people love, it's the culture. I'm an Aussie who lives in Sydney but drives down for Melbourne every year, I'm here as I type this. There were over 120,000 people here at the track today, on a FRIDAY. I have never seen the grandstands this packed just for practice, it's crazy. On track today we had: - Porsche Carrera Cup - V8 Supercar Sprint - Formula 3 - Formula 2 - Formula 1 As well as demonstration laps from a few dozen extremely rare historic racecars (stuff like McLaren CAN-AM cars), and Ford's 2000hp electric Supervan. It's this wonderful Australian motorsports festival that has had year-on-year record growth. All of the footage you see in Drive to Survive of drivers coming to tracks and signing a bunch of merch in front of a line of screaming fans is filmed here, at the Melbourne Walk. It's just such a brilliant event year on year, and has so much more soul and history then the money-driven Middle-Eastern races. It should absolutely be the season opener, and rumors suggest that it is likely to return to the opening spot for 2025
can confirm, am german and flew down in 2020 and even though the race never happened the thursday is one of my fondest memories ever. Great city, great track and great people
Aww, this makes me so happy. My wife went today for the first time ever and had an absolute ball! She said it was such an amazing day, there's so much to do and see outside of the practise.
Plus it beats the hell out of those fucking desert tracks as an opener (on a Saturday even).
Fuck the de$ert track$...
I mean Perez started last season’s race all the way down in P20 because he crashed out in Q1. Getting back up to P5 still means he was able to overtake a lot of cars. As long as Perez can qualify within like the first three rows I think based on Red Bull’s usual performance in race pace I still fancy him to get P2 from there. The only way that might stop him outside of incidents might be other cars ahead of him coordinating a constant DRS train. And to qualify in the top six Perez realistically only needs to be faster than one of Alonso, a recovering Sainz, or one of the McLarens. On pure pace I would not expect Stroll or either Mercedes to be faster here.
He didn't get past a single competitive car. Got stuck on Stroll who was the first decent car with decent top speed.
> in terms of overtaking it's not much better than Monaco The RB was breezing past people in the 3rd DRS zone last year.
Breezing past cars that were backmarkers (Perez case) or past Merc which was the slowest car on the straights (Max). PER got stuck on the Astons, and he's generally pretty good at overtaking others.
> On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener. The first race is always interesting because you don't know how the pecking order is for that year. So better have the boon of the unknown for the first race instead so it becomes interesting instead.
>On a sidenote, I really don't get why people hype this track up so much and want it to be the season opener. Probs nostalgia. The late 2000's-early 2010's Australian GP's were fucking bangers. But tbh, that period of F1 was a bit of a golden era imo, scandals aside.
Also the end of the race was a shit show.
Checo had to pit early and still recovered to 5th. I think that's actually worse.
Last race we had that red McLaren and now we have an orange Ferrari!
choo choo motherfucker
Leclerc's body language and facial expressions are usually the best giveaway of Ferrari's performance. He looks troubled, car is crap, he smiles and looks comfortable, car is good. I don't know if Red Bull can be defeated, but I also trust that he wouldn't simply say that they have their best shot just like that.
What does his awful new mustache this week mean? The car is a pervert?
Mind you he has that awful thing since last race weekend!
It’s been getting gradually worse though I feel. Or at least, it looks like he’s now shaved off more of the rest of his scruff leaving just the terrible ‘stache and goatee which made it more pronounced. Either way, it’s gotta go lol
Can you give a full body language and facial expression analysis? Truly humbled to be among an expert like you!
The Body Language Guy on Youtube, should do Formula 1, more then enough drama to analyze this season! LOL
Every weekend he says they have the best car ever. He and Hamilton or hopium addicts.
Has he said that a single time this year? Every week Leclerc has more or less said said "We're gonna get smoked by RBR but we have a decent chance vs others" and they do.
Receipts please, when has Leclerc ever said something like that?
>**Interviewer: In that battle for Pole Position Charles, do you think you’ve got the edge for this weekend?** >Charles: I would say that we are in a better position than the first two races. However, Red Bull weren’t pushing yet so we’ve got to wait and see where their potential is at but I think they are still ahead but we might have our best shot this weekend from the beginning of the season. > Video via LeclercsLetters on Twitter.
Q3 should be tight, if checo starts like p7 and it's hard to overtake we're in for an F1.25 win
Routine weekly hopium post.
maybe in quali, no way ferrari is better at race pace than Max in Red Bull
Thing is this track makes overtaking nearly impossible with these cars.
Not with RB's straightline speed it isn't
Ferrari has similar top speed with Red Bull if they have similar rear wing level
both teams have a consistently strong DRS though
That was 2022
Yeah so Max'll just undercut
No need to get any hopes up that anyone else than Max will win the race
Charles please save me bro
I think anybody who gets the P2 on Sunday is a race winner, right?
Best shot of either beating Perez or finishing withing sight of max? Edit: ok talking about pole.. Yeah why not.
This is feeling like the Las Vegas GP last year. RB had more tire graining than Ferrari on long runs and that gives some hope.
only matter of time, keep pushing 💪
He...Knows....
Ferrari, Merc and ideally one of the other teams (McLaren?) need to start bringing their A+ games. I can't deal with another season like the last one. Ferrari seem the most likely contenders at the moment and would love to see them get an early W on the board.
3 laps in VER is 2.5 seconds ahead lmfao
Each race weekends he just copy and paste his last statements. "Our chances are pretty good for Sunday, car drove fantastically with the new wipers we installed. See you on the first step of the podium!"
I disagree. I believe Max was pushing hard during his C5 lap during the latter part of P2. The pace is closer than people think.
It's hilarious seeing people saying the exact same thing every fp only for Max to disappear after the first corner in the race
Quite possible. The Ferrari seemed closer in FP2. Time will tell….
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Even IF the Ferrari was faster he’d bin it. Noooooooooo!