Best race I have seen in a long time. I think if it had stayed wet Ricciardo may well have won. As the track dried up so did Red Bulls chances. Great race, given 1 more lap I think Vettel would have passed Nico.
I know everyone is quick to blame their Renault power but I wonder whether RB's clear change in performance throughout the race was down at all to their setup. As in, maybe they gambled it would stay wet and set their cars up accordingly. I jumped to that delusion early on when they were running well at the front and Ricciardo even passed his way to the lead. Seemed even more likely when, after that great early performance when the track was at its wettest, they dropped back through the field as it dried.
I agree the Red Bulls seemed to be on a full wet setup. If only it had stayed wet. It sure wasn't the engine that put them in the front.
Petulant. [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DlTi_6jHC20"]F1 Rosberg throws hat at Lewis - YouTube[/ame] .
Congrats to Lewis. He's a great champion. Oh, and Hobbs is and always has been a useless commentator. Great racer, poor commentator.
I really hope these two really go after each other on the track for the last three races since the Constructor's and Driver's Championships are locked up.
It's often said in Formula One that second place is merely first of the losers. In Austin, Nico Rosberg's actions made the old adage truer than it's ever been.
Not like that, but I would like to see each side of the garage pick their own strategy and try to beat the other guy. I think it works on a couple of levels: 1. Gives the team a chance to really pound on both cars in preparation for next season (I think that Ferrari is going to close the gap even more over the off season). 2. Continues to stroke the competitive fire in both drivers and crews 3. Gives Nico a chance to gain some confidence when it comes to racing Lewis (weird that he seems to be fine with anybody else on his tail, but struggles if it is Lewis).
I was really looking forward to this race being the US one and then life got in the way. It's a lot easier to find the time to watch the race at 8:30 AM instead of middle of the afternoon. However, I did turn it on in the last few laps and once again it was the same outcome. From that perspective it felt to me like F1 is like watching Tom Brady and the Patriots. It's like watching WWE. Everything is pre-determined by Emperor Bernie. I am getting tired of the same ol faces on the podium. I see from other comments that it was a good race. That is a good thing. Otherwise, I am not sure if it will continue to get my attention.
That's a bit like saying "I walked into the theater during the final 5 minutes of the movie and they were rolling the credits --- it looked just like the end of every other movie." :frown2: .
Well, it's true this season is over with three races to go, but I hope Ferrari takes it to the next few - I'd like to see them finish on a strong note. With new blood coming in next season, I think we could be in for a great bunch of races....lots to watch for.
Interesting analysis. But that wasn't the intent of my comment. My point was that these races seem to come down to the players in row 1&2 at the start sprint to turn one and whoever gets the lead there is the winner 50 laps later. Maybe this race was different in the middle, but the pattern remains. I don't know what the answer is, but this is becoming to routine. I am not trying to discount the talent of a Hamilton or Vettel or the team money behind them. It's like getting tired of watching the Patriots beat everyone. It becomes a forgone conclusion.