2026 F1...

[ZRX61]

Merc accused of sandbagging at the test.
Aston put the frighteners on everyone
And Rainbow Sparkle is already coming up with excuses for not being able to drive a Ferrari. In related news, he's now banging Kim Kardashian... so expect an epic mid-season break up played out in the media, because no one sticks their dick in that expecting it will end in the happily ever-afters.... Assuming it's not just a pre-season willy wettener.

[Nobby]

^ is he using the Coast and Lift method ?

[mangocrazy]

Merc accused of sandbagging at the test.
Aston put the frighteners on everyone
And Rainbow Sparkle is already coming up with excuses for not being able to drive a Ferrari.

Alternative view:

Merc had two engine-related stoppages with Kimi Antonelli, drastically reducing his running time
Aston Martin have had issues with the Honda engine, and are approx 4 seconds off the pace
Lewis Hamilton still doesn't have a long term crew chief, but is working with Carlo Santi on an interim basis. Santi was last crew chief for Kimi Raikkonen, nearly a decade ago.

[ZRX61]

Alternative view:

Merc had two engine-related stoppages with Kimi Antonelli, drastically reducing his running time
Aston Martin have had issues with the Honda engine, and are approx 4 seconds off the pace
Lewis Hamilton still doesn't have a long term crew chief, but is working with Carlo Santi on an interim basis. Santi was last crew chief for Kimi Raikkonen, nearly a decade ago.

Sparkle, speaking after driving the Ferrari on the first morning of this week's pre-season test in Bahrain, said: "I sat in a meeting the other day and they're taking us through it. And yeah, it's like you need a degree to fully understand it all."

Does he have a degree?

[ZRX61]

^ is he using the Coast and Lift method ?

Does that work in the bedroom?

[Nobby]

^ is he using the Coast and Lift method ?

Does that work in the bedroom?

Yes,usually to recharge the battery before coming on the straight

[mangocrazy]

Alternative view:

Merc had two engine-related stoppages with Kimi Antonelli, drastically reducing his running time
Aston Martin have had issues with the Honda engine, and are approx 4 seconds off the pace
Lewis Hamilton still doesn't have a long term crew chief, but is working with Carlo Santi on an interim basis. Santi was last crew chief for Kimi Raikkonen, nearly a decade ago.

Sparkle, speaking after driving the Ferrari on the first morning of this week's pre-season test in Bahrain, said: "I sat in a meeting the other day and they're taking us through it. And yeah, it's like you need a degree to fully understand it all."

Does he have a degree?

Dunno. Lewis does have 7 World Championships and over 100 race wins.

[ZRX61]

Dunno. Lewis does have 7 World Championships and over 100 race wins.

None of which happened in this car... Mr "Could Win In Any Car" has done bupkus in the glorified Fiats.

[ZRX61]

Fastest times on day two of first Bahrain test

1. Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari, one minute 34.273 seconds

2. Lando Norris (GB) McLaren, +0.511

3. Oliver Bearman (GB) Haas, +1.121

4. George Russell (GB) Mercedes, +1.193

5. Isack Hadjar (Fra) Red Bull, +2.288

6. Gabriel Bortoleto (Brz) Audi, +2.397

7. Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine, +2.450

8. Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Cadillac, +2.551

9. Alex Albon (Tha) Williams, +2.956

10. Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Audi, +2.993

11. Arvid Lindblad (GB) Racing Bulls, +3.197

12. Carlos Sainz (Spa) Williams, +3.319

13. Liam Lawson (NZ) Racing Bulls, +3.744

14. Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin, +3.975

15. Sergio Perez (Mex) Cadillac, +4.380

16) Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes, no time set

Drivers who did not run on Thursday:

Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull

Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin

Esteban Ocon (Fra) Haas

Franco Colapinto (Arg) Alpine

Lewis Hamilton (GB) Ferrari

Oscar Piastri (Aus) – McLaren

[mangocrazy]

Day 3 Final times:

Bahrain_testing_Day 3 Final.JPG (105.4 KiB) Viewed 1848 times

[MingtheMerciless]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

[mangocrazy]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

How times have changed. In the 1960s the Honda sixes were revving to 17,000 rpm.

[ZRX61]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

yup, about 20kph difference on the straights, looks like they fucked themselves by going with Honda. Stroll Snr looked plenty pissed off...

[Count Steer]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

And still as fast/faster than Cadillac! (Although, tbf, Bottas is driving one of those).

Cadillac/F1?...my cognitive dissonance is in overdrive, with turbo boost.

[mangocrazy]

Honda were pretty dire in their previous incarnation when they were with McLaren, but got it sorted once they teamed up with Red Bull, so there is a degree of hope. But unfortunately the team that designed and built the RB engine have been scattered to the four winds and so it's a bunch of comparative newbies that are working with AM.

But Honda do have form in this regard. When they decided to come back into GP racing in the late 70s using four strokes (when everyone else was running 2T) they entrusted the project to graduates straight out of Uni, as they 'wouldn't have any preconceived notions'; i.e. experience...

[ZRX61]

Honda were pretty dire in their previous incarnation when they were with McLaren....

The first time they fucked over Alonso...

[ZRX61]

There was mention that the AM was running at 13k rpm later.

[ZRX61]

[Bigjawa]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

yup, about 20kph difference on the straights, looks like they fucked themselves by going with Honda. Stroll Snr looked plenty pissed off...

He needs to get rid of the idiot boy and get a proper driver in the second car before Alonso gets fed up and packs it in. There's more chance of my dog developing a race winning car than Lance Stroll.

Hamilton needs a miracle. Even if Ferrari give him a decent car, he's the #2 driver to Leclerc, he's only there to sell t-shirts at this point.

[Rockburner]

Spotted on an F1 "news" site that the Aston Honda PU is limited to 11000rpm to prevent damage/destruction and everyone else is running to 12100rpm.

yup, about 20kph difference on the straights, looks like they fucked themselves by going with Honda. Stroll Snr looked plenty pissed off...

He needs to get rid of the idiot boy and get a proper driver in the second car before Alonso gets fed up and packs it in. There's more chance of my dog developing a race winning car than Lance Stroll.

Hamilton needs a miracle. Even if Ferrari give him a decent car, he's the #2 driver to Leclerc, he's only there to sell t-shirts at this point.

You know how much money merchandising makes?