On 5/5/2025 at 10:23 AM, Purple88 said:

Next race is at Imola.  A legendary race course named after the founder of Ferrari, Enzo Ferrari.

The track was originally built for motorcycle racing and had its first race in 1953.  It would go on to host many "non-championship" F1 races.  But safety concerns were raised in the 80s and 90s and in particular the very high speed "Tamburello corner", where legendary driver Ayrton Senna sadly passed away in 1994.

And as an indirect result of this F1 stopped racing here in 2007 forcing the track owners to undertake a major renovation project.  And the track returned to F1 in 2017, but legal disputes was not allow this and the race didn't officially return to the F1 calendar until 2020. 

It is a great track and one of the better venues on the F1 calendar IMO.  

From F1:

What’s the circuit like?

A thrill ride. After testing his AlphaTauri AT01 at the track in the build-up to the 2020 season, Pierre Gasly called the experience one of the best he’d ever had in a Formula 1 car, while his then-team mate Daniil Kvyat remarked that “an F1 car through corners like Acque Minerali – the entrance is so fast, it’s so cool. It really gives you a lot of adrenaline.” The anti-clockwise circuit is certainly fast, with an old-school feel as the drivers put it on the line in iconic corners like the aforementioned Acque Minerali and Piratella.

I like how they call it an anti-clockwise circuit, lol.

On 5/2/2025 at 8:29 AM, Purple88 said:

I can see the bolded above, but I had Piastri in my Fantasy League so I was good with it.  Laughing!

@theguru who is your 4th guy in the championship fight besides Max, Piastri and Norris?

 

On 5/2/2025 at 8:32 AM, Purple88 said:

They started building this temporary circuit in April 2021 and raced on it the following year.

I'd say that's quite a bit of pressure to get it right.

Oh and I saw where I think you meant Russell in the top 4.  I suppose that's fair.  He is driving well, just doesn't quite have the car to stay above that level though.  Still good effort!

Yes on Russell although like you I doubt he figures in the end.  On the Silver Arrow's, the fact that Kimi Antonelli is performing so well has me thinking at least in part that the Benz's are better than we think.

46 minutes ago, theguru said:

Yes on Russell although like you I doubt he figures in the end.  On the Silver Arrow's, the fact that Kimi Antonelli is performing so well has me thinking at least in part that the Benz's are better than we think.

Well said G!  I think Antonelli is the real deal and Toto Wolff is one of the very best managers of any F1 Team and he demands results and I think he is getting them.  After the turbo-hybrid years where they absolutely dominated with Hamilton killing every one, they have struggled with the new regulations.  But I think they are catching up.  I think the new man at McLaren (Stella) has done an absolutely awesome job engaging the orange cars and pushing them to the front.  But Merc is coming and they have great drivers.

Red Bull is gone all in on just having a pretty good car and just letting Verstappen make it work.

Ferrari is in a pickle.  They went out on a limb and paid alot of money for Lewis Hamilton, who is likely worth most of that, but they don't have the pace to use his talent.  He was in 3rd and charging in the Sprint race, so he can make things happen, but just don't get the feel they have it all together right now.

Down the road comment for Astin Martin, they paid alot of money for genius designer Adrian Newey.  He has only been on the job for about a Month or so.  With the new regs getting ready to drop in the 26 Season, do you just tank this 25 car and have Newey working on the design of the new car?  I think I would do taht.  I mean 5th is your absolute ceiling for team order this year and IMO I don't think they can catch Williams even with Newey and their current car, but they could likely catch and pass Haas.  Something to keep an eye on.

Breaking:   Alpine to swoop Colapinto for Doohan for the next 5 races to see who can give them the best results.  I like this.  Colapinto is a gritty racer from Argentina and he battles out there.  Doohan has done nothing wrong, but just doesn't seem to have much luck.

1 minute ago, Purple88 said:

Well said G!  I think Antonelli is the real deal and Toto Wolff is one of the very best managers of any F1 Team and he demands results and I think he is getting them.  After the turbo-hybrid years where they absolutely dominated with Hamilton killing every one, they have struggled with the new regulations.  But I think they are catching up.  I think the new man at McLaren (Stella) has done an absolutely awesome job engaging the orange cars and pushing them to the front.  But Merc is coming and they have great drivers.

Red Bull is gone all in on just having a pretty good car and just letting Verstappen make it work.

Ferrari is in a pickle.  They went out on a limb and paid alot of money for Lewis Hamilton, who is likely worth most of that, but they don't have the pace to use his talent.  He was in 3rd and charging in the Sprint race, so he can make things happen, but just don't get the feel they have it all together right now.

Down the road comment for Astin Martin, they paid alot of money for genius designer Adrian Newey.  He has only been on the job for about a Month or so.  With the new regs getting ready to drop in the 26 Season, do you just tank this 25 car and have Newey working on the design of the new car?  I think I would do taht.  I mean 5th is your absolute ceiling for team order this year and IMO I don't think they can catch Williams even with Newey and their current car, but they could likely catch and pass Haas.  Something to keep an eye on.

Breaking:   Alpine to swoop Colapinto for Doohan for the next 5 races to see who can give them the best results.  I like this.  Colapinto is a gritty racer from Argentina and he battles out there.  Doohan has done nothing wrong, but just doesn't seem to have much luck.

Right, I sort of feel like 2025 is a "stand alone year" in F1 as we look to 2026.

On Hamilton, I think it is a combination of losing a half step and not being in the best equipment.  It is frustrating as a fan and OMG on imagining what Hamilton is going through.  Some of the radio traffic is not optimistic for Hamilton/Ferrari.

This year is shaping up to be Max vs. the two Orange Cars ?‍♂️ and everything else is a touch superfluous.

13 minutes ago, theguru said:

Right, I sort of feel like 2025 is a "stand alone year" in F1 as we look to 2026.

On Hamilton, I think it is a combination of losing a half step and not being in the best equipment.  It is frustrating as a fan and OMG on imagining what Hamilton is going through.  Some of the radio traffic is not optimistic for Hamilton/Ferrari.

This year is shaping up to be Max vs. the two Orange Cars ?‍♂️ and everything else is a touch superfluous.

All good stuff.  It is kinda a buffer year.  2026 will be totally new.

I like Hamilton, and I think your comment on him losing a half step is fair.  We are all going to lose a half step to when we were first having a lot of success and in the best car vs you don't have the best car and your instincts simply aren't exactly there.

The Tifosi or Italian Ferrari Mafia really are pretty darn ruthless and I can imagine they barbeque Hamilton on a daily basis.  But the man has been driving a Mercedes for 12 seasons, he comes over to a completely new car and he's supposed to be F1 Jesus - Come on man!!!

But it's tough at the top and why I follow it to a degree I guess.  

I came across the article below regarding Adrian Newey, the greatest F1 car designer, of at a minimum this age.  Billionaire Laurance Stroll owns the Aston Martin team, and he is a shrewd businessman.  While most see he let's his son keep his seat with the team; well, that's the perks of owning the team, I guess.

But the guy knows a winner when he sees one.  Stroll specifically sought out Newey to come to Aston Martin to improve their Mid-pack status.  And what's reported as "up to 30 million pounds annually" later, Newey has started a new venture with Aston Martin.  And they have done something I feel is VERY smart for them as they have Newey's team focused solely on the 2026 car NEW regulations/specifications.  Meaning all teams will have to comply with new regulations in the 2026 season.  Aston Martin isn't going to catch anyone but Haas maybe this year.  Why not put your top guy on the new car?  And that is exactly what they are doing!  I look for Aston Martin to be the MOST improved car on the grid next year!  And that should keep Fernando Alsonso around for a few more years than he otherwise would have.  And that's worth a lot for fans IMO.  2026 will be a great year for F-1.  

Revealed: Adrian Newey’s first ‘huge influence’ on Aston Martin team

 

On 5/7/2025 at 4:55 PM, Purple88 said:

I like Hamilton, and I think your comment on him losing a half step is fair.  We are all going to lose a half step to when we were first having a lot of success and in the best car vs you don't have the best car and your instincts simply aren't exactly there.

One of two Ferrari Home Races ran yesterday, this one at Imola.  It is a classic track.  I unfortunately had lacrosse things to do, but did see the highlights.

Beginning in Qualifying on Saturday, the McLaren of Oscar Piastri seized the day and gained pole ahead of Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and George Russell (Mercedes).  Fernando Alonso had his best qualifying of the season for Aston Martin in 5th with the Williams cars running well in 6th and 7th.  With the Ferrari's WAY down in 11th and 12th.  Not good on home soil.

The start of the race on Sunday was really exciting.  George Russell in 3rd had the best start, but Piastri held him up and because he needed to block Russell, he didn't check Verstappen who was in second and he brilliantly sped around the outside of Turn 1 and around the McLaren.  It really was a great move.  Simply no question Verstappen is the best driver in the field.  His car isn't best IMO, but close enough to keep him in the picture to challenge every race.

That left Russell in 3rd with Lando Norris behind him and those 2 began to battle with Norris eventually using DRS to get around the really quick Mercedes car.  Estaban Ocon would go out on Lap 27 and this jumbled up the pit strategy with cars coming into the pits for what they refer to as a "cheap pit stop" meaning due to the lower speeds mandated through the safety car out on track it doesn't cost as much track position when you go in the pits.  This caused the McLarens to swope positions to get Piastri on the right tyres for the end of the race.  

And in what was an inspired effort, Lewis Hamilton just kept charging from well down in 12th position to pass his team mate (LeClerc) and Alex Albon (Williams) late and earn a great 4th place!

George Russell (Mercedes) has to be disappointed as his car ran really well most of the day, but couldn't finish better than 7th today.  And his teammate and hometown star rookie Antonelli sadly went out of the race on lap 44.  

Fun race!

On to Monaco!  The old school "Crown Jewel" of F1, but due to low competitiveness on track the race is basically over after qualifying as the size of the cars and the width of the track simply can't compromise.  It is a great spectacle though on the Monaco coast line as the biggest yatch's I've ever seen are parked there to watch the race and gamble at the casinos!  Plus it's the first real holiday weekend of the calendar year!  So that's exciting too!

On 5/19/2025 at 10:36 AM, Purple88 said:

The start of the race on Sunday was really exciting.  George Russell in 3rd had the best start, but Piastri held him up and because he needed to block Russell, he didn't check Verstappen who was in second and he brilliantly sped around the outside of Turn 1 and around the McLaren.  It really was a great move.  Simply no question Verstappen is the best driver in the field.  His car isn't best IMO, but close enough to keep him in the picture to challenge every race.

On to Monaco!  The old school "Crown Jewel" of F1, but due to low competitiveness on track the race is basically over after qualifying as the size of the cars and the width of the track simply can't compromise.  It is a great spectacle though on the Monaco coast line as the biggest yatch's I've ever seen are parked there to watch the race and gamble at the casinos!  Plus it's the first real holiday weekend of the calendar year!  So that's exciting too!

Round the Outside, Round the Outside.  Max won the race in Turn 1.

And Monaco, ugh, the worst track on the F1 calendar...

As @theguru alluded to above, Monaco probably has the most iconic sightlines of any race nestled in the coastline of Monaco along the Mediterranean Sea with a gaggle of the finest yachts in the world moored up tight watching the action!  Really cool, BUT the racing has been on a downhill trajectory for years.  And this year was really no different.

The biggest competition is the Qualifying Session on Saturday and not the race on Sunday, which is really sad.  McLaren had a typical good showing, but up until the last runs the Ferrari of Charles LeClerc was on pole.  The Monaco Native certainly knows this course and wanted to put his best foot forward and he certainly did.  But Lando Norris nipped him on the last flying lap to take pole ahead of LeClerc and his teammate Piastri with world champion Verstappen back in 4th. 

The Racing Bulls (Red Bull's little brother team) had a great showing with rookie Isack Hadjar qualifying 5 and his teammate (recently demoted) Liam Lawson down in 9th.  Ahead of the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda, which is still proving a bear to drive.

For the race, they ended the way they started basically.  The first switch saw Lewis Hamilton get by Isack Hadjar for 5th and Liam Lawson move up to 8th.  The rest was pretty stale really.

F1 is in a tough spot here; the racing sucks; the venue is iconic/legendary really/and a staple on the schedule from the beginning in 1950.  BUT the track hasn't changed (it's literally the streets of Monaco) AND the cars have getting bigger and heavier creating no real place to pass.  There has been "some" talk of expanding the course to include a straight stretch down the coastline, which would be cool, but the safety requirements and the space available are problematic.  So, I don't know.  I think they make Monaco the place they hold all their meetings and award events and just move on sounds the easiest, but I bet Monaco is a cash cow for them and they don't want to lose that.  We'll see what happens for next year.

 

7 hours ago, Purple88 said:

As @theguru alluded to above, Monaco probably has the most iconic sightlines of any race nestled in the coastline of Monaco along the Mediterranean Sea with a gaggle of the finest yachts in the world moored up tight watching the action!  Really cool, BUT the racing has been on a downhill trajectory for years.  And this year was really no different.

The biggest competition is the Qualifying Session on Saturday and not the race on Sunday, which is really sad.  McLaren had a typical good showing, but up until the last runs the Ferrari of Charles LeClerc was on pole.  The Monaco Native certainly knows this course and wanted to put his best foot forward and he certainly did.  But Lando Norris nipped him on the last flying lap to take pole ahead of LeClerc and his teammate Piastri with world champion Verstappen back in 4th. 

The Racing Bulls (Red Bull's little brother team) had a great showing with rookie Isack Hadjar qualifying 5 and his teammate (recently demoted) Liam Lawson down in 9th.  Ahead of the second Red Bull of Yuki Tsunoda, which is still proving a bear to drive.

For the race, they ended the way they started basically.  The first switch saw Lewis Hamilton get by Isack Hadjar for 5th and Liam Lawson move up to 8th.  The rest was pretty stale really.

F1 is in a tough spot here; the racing sucks; the venue is iconic/legendary really/and a staple on the schedule from the beginning in 1950.  BUT the track hasn't changed (it's literally the streets of Monaco) AND the cars have getting bigger and heavier creating no real place to pass.  There has been "some" talk of expanding the course to include a straight stretch down the coastline, which would be cool, but the safety requirements and the space available are problematic.  So, I don't know.  I think they make Monaco the place they hold all their meetings and award events and just move on sounds the easiest, but I bet Monaco is a cash cow for them and they don't want to lose that.  We'll see what happens for next year.

 

Such an excellent summary, thanks 88!

I am sure it is a cash cow and I totally understand that aspect of things.  My proposal would be to run F2, F3, and F4 at Monaco every year and move the F1 race to a purpose built F1 track anywhere in the world. 

@Purple88, did you mention something about the view. ?

13 hours ago, theguru said:

Such an excellent summary, thanks 88!

I am sure it is a cash cow and I totally understand that aspect of things.  My proposal would be to run F2, F3, and F4 at Monaco every year and move the F1 race to a purpose built F1 track anywhere in the world. 

@Purple88, did you mention something about the view. ?

I don't disagree with any of this!  This would certainly be on my bucket list just to get the chance to go to such a unique place, nevermind the racing.  But it does seem F1 has thrown in the towel the past, oh say, 5-10 years here as when has there been any significant passing the whole race?  I don't recall that and it won't get better if everything else stays the same.

On to Spain, which is this weekend!

9 hours ago, Purple88 said:

I don't disagree with any of this!  This would certainly be on my bucket list just to get the chance to go to such a unique place, nevermind the racing.  But it does seem F1 has thrown in the towel the past, oh say, 5-10 years here as when has there been any significant passing the whole race?  I don't recall that and it won't get better if everything else stays the same.

On to Spain, which is this weekend!

Great minds, lol!

Monaco sure is beautiful and that is one of the highlights of this race each year.  In some virtual way I feel like I am there for a minute here and a minute there.  And, the 2 pit stop requirement this year did make the race a bit more interesting but I hate to see that type of manipulation of F1.  I mean, if you have to make up crazy requirements like that, I think you are admitting the race circuit is not up to F1 standards.

Like you said, on to Spain!

13 hours ago, theguru said:

Great minds, lol!

Monaco sure is beautiful and that is one of the highlights of this race each year.  In some virtual way I feel like I am there for a minute here and a minute there.  And, the 2 pit stop requirement this year did make the race a bit more interesting but I hate to see that type of manipulation of F1.  I mean, if you have to make up crazy requirements like that, I think you are admitting the race circuit is not up to F1 standards.

Like you said, on to Spain!

Ya know, I feel like that too that just for an instant watching the race that I'm there.  Guess that is a tip of the cap to the ESPN folks and Sky Sports folks.  They really do provide a great product on race weekends!

Another things is many drivers have homes in Monaco and just another draw to the historic venue, but as you say it is past its useful run as a competent F1 venue sad to say.