Chinese GP Rundown
Pre weekend thoughts:
I am already tired.
Friday
Only having one free practice gives me so much uneasiness. It does not give me enough time to go through my whole overthinking the weekend routine. I know that free practices are not for us as fans and more for the teams and drivers but for my own sanity I need good results to come from them. So, after the one free practice session of the weekend, I am not at all surprised at the results. I am taking those results and using them to power my positive energies the rest of the weekend.
Sprint Qualifying
If I have one complaint about the graphics package it’s that they are gatekeeping the intervals. Give us the times back. It’s one of those things that I’m sure whoever is making decisions thought we wouldn’t miss. Jokes on them, every other tweet I saw was how much other people also miss seeing the times. So, moving forward, put them back.
During SQ1, the only thought I really had was Alonso what are you doing here and Ollie is starting his redemption arc.
Overall, I think Liam is truly is such a tough spot and everyone knows it. Does it help having Marko Helmut making the comments he did about the other rookies? Absolutely not. Being a rookie in this sport is impossible but being in the 2nd seat for Red Bull as a rookie? To me, it’s like you’re being set up to fail. The contrast between their performance and VCARB during sprint qualifying had a lot of people head scratching. VCARB has shown up this weekend and I am loving it so far! Isack being a team player and providing Yuki the slipstream is what I love to see. That driver duo is increasingly becoming a favorite of mine.
Lewis this entire session looked absolutely dominate. Truly, seems like Ferrari is going to be finding their stride this weekend. Hearing the joy in his voice after finding out he was on pole? He was never gone but I feel the need to say, welcome back Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Saturday
Sprint Race Live Reactions
y’all just LET ME GO TO BED
Holy crap Lewis what a start
Lando. LANDO. lando.
its 11pm and I’m fighting the urge to yell RUN at my screen when I see Lewis
“More of a mugging than an overtake”
Rookies battling oh how dear you are to me (Isack and Gabriel)
I need warnings before they give us a McLaren radio
Talk tyres to me
I can’t tell if it’s because of how tired I am that internally I’m so slow that these cars look like they are FLYING
Forgot pitting here is going to be such nightmare fuel
A 2 SECOND GAP?! What did Lewis put in his car
🙂 vs 🫥
A 4.5 second gap is madness and I need everyone to acknowledge that
Lewis is about to pull into park ferme with shreds of rubber for tires
That’s crazy. He never left he just needed to wake up
An almost 7 second gap
Race Qualifying
Going into qualifying my one thought has been that Charles has been very quiet this weekend and I hope that there is something that happens during this session that gives him decent positioning for the race.
I feel like a broken record in saying: Oh god Liam. I don’t know what else to say and I really don’t think anyone else does either.
Both Alpines going out in Q1? I really don’t know what I was expecting from them? This really shouldn’t be shocking to me because it wasn’t much to begin with but seeing it happen is odd to me.
George - I don’t know if you even mean to but you naturally provide moments that I know are going to come back throughout the season. This weekend your radio message to your team about everyone needing to stay calm I know in my bones is going to show up on socials during the later season chaotic races.
My favorite storyline of the weekend is that the VCARB boys are out to make a point. I think that inner workings of the Red Bull organization is something that a lot of people have a lot of strong feelings about and are very vocal about it too. Seeing Yuki and Isack approach this weekend after the actions of last weekend, seeing both of them make it into the top 10 is perfect. I need both of them to just keep their heads down and continue to show up because the people in the organization from their big brother team are going to get antsy very soon.
The one thing a Ferrari fan will always be worried about is that your Sunday is going to heavily rely on strategy which after this qualifying is what your reality is.
Oscar Piastri: pole sitter. What a lap. His casual calm energy is not a shock at all but this has been a long time coming. In that same vein, Lewis you having the track record was fantastic while it lasted but Oscar is now the owner of that title.
Sunday
Race Live Reactions:
Lando that was a killer start and that is redemption
I know they say George isn’t giving up without a fight but I need him to
Oh god. Charles broken front wing?!
They ran into each other?! what.
Alonso retirement - I KNOW they are counting down the days until that first round of Newey upgrades
Happy birthday Alex
My main question is how many plans do McLaren make their drivers memorize
stop the race. Alex Albon race leader.
they didn’t change the front wing?! The most delusional people in this sport aren’t the fans. They are on the Ferrari pit wall.
okay Ferrari and Lewis with the good team play. thank god.
Lap 21: it’s quiet. too quiet.
oh Ollie that is so unfortunate
Charles just giving full commentary on the radio. sir you’re in the car not the press box
they want him to go flat out? when the tires need to last another 10 ish laps? Headache incoming.
at least they are giving us the times this race
give me the fastest lap point back
“we’ve asked the car ahead of you to help” give me a break.
what is Stroll doing to his tyres omg
the absolute last thing I want to hear is there is a chance of rain
Ollie is having himself a time
“nope.”
rookie on rookie minor crimes. fair play. race on.
brake issues stress me out
Max literally where did you come from
maybe in Japan we can get all cars to finish the race
Crofty and Martin confused over the driver of the day winner is so goofy
Post race thoughts:
That was blissfully quiet.
It’s 4:30 am here in NYC and I am quite tired so forgive me for how brief I am here.
What a stunning first sprint weekend of the year - let’s all agree to reset during this off week after an eventful first two weeks of the season.
Ciao for now :)
