continuum16 wrote: ↑07 Apr 2025, 20:37
Mostlyeels wrote: ↑06 Apr 2025, 21:12
It most definitely is, especially when it comes to keeping the other teams behind. I doubt RB and AM will stay behind for long, but it should help keep Kick Sauber and Alpine behind.
Personally I don't see AM overtaking them if they really are dumping all their eggs in the 2026 basket, unless Newey waves his magic wand over the AMR25. The car is a mess and Lance Stroll has already had 2 out of his usual 3-4 good races a year
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Hahah on Stroll. I read over on the AM thread that Newey has cast his eye over the car and said "fix these 25 things." I'd love to see Haas keep ahead of them though. Alonso wasn't able to close the gap to Bearman, which was really good to see.
Sauber aren't as bad as last year but I doubt they will get to double-digit points on the season. Alpine don't seem to really have an upgrade plan for this year and already behind; doubly so if they change drivers (Colapinto might be better than Doohan but in general I think he is overhyped).
Minardi have a higher ceiling but less dependable drivers imo and also consistently bad strategy. Williams might be out of reach but not impossible if they don't have any updates. P7 in WCC again is fairly likely imo. Especially considering points per race will decrease for the midfield if/when Tsunoda figures out the Red Bull.
Hopefully Ocon figures the car out; he seems to have more limitations with the car than Bearman in general. Similar to Sainz in the Williams; taking a while to adapt it seems like.
Yeah, I don't see Sauber getting ahead. Alpine are a mystery: they often start badly and then pull something out by mid-year. This year they seem worse, somehow. The big early-season shunts are probably putting a dent in their finances too.
Williams seem too far ahead, and agree on Tsunoda. I think it's only a matter of time before he figures out the car and starts consistently scoring points. This early season has been a bit of a bonanza for the back marker teams when it comes to points, so an early lead might last all the way through if we're lucky.
Did Ocon get the new floor for this race? He missed out for the practice sessions, but post-race he was saying it wasn't working for him in the race?
