Even buying tickets to the F1 in Vegas is a gamble.
Baku 2019- George Russell the victim of the jumping drain covers. The recovery vehicle then hit a bridge with its crane and leaked hydraulic fluid into his car. Not sure how much the chuckle brothers charged for this service but worth every penny!
The letter from the Stewards was basically
Just watched it on catch up. Probably the best race this season but that really isn’t saying much. Hope Lando’s ok.
:.So while day 1 of this 3 day test is still running, I thought I'd take a stab at some pre-season predictions for the season ahead based on not much at all evidence
1. (Red Bull will start the season with the fastest car), but their wind tunnel / CFD penalty for overspending in 2020 will affect their development rate [
] and they'll be caught in the second half of the season [
2. Hamilton wins races (multiple) and is in the title fight deep into the season. [
3. Ferrari are right in the hunt on pace [
4. The threat of Ricciardo taking his seat hangs around like a bad smell that Perez just can't get rid of. Rumours begin swirling as soon as Perez has a few bad races [
5. Williams become regular points contenders, constantly on a pace (with Albon) for finishes in the 8th-12th range [
6. (Aston Martin take a step forward
7. McLaren's struggles from 2022 carry over into 2023 for at least the first 5 races. (Norris and Piastri both complain of strange car characteristics that hamper the handling
8. Sargeant struggles and is replaced by Mick Schumacher mid-season [
9. De Vries handily beats Tsunoda, resulting in the latter losing his seat at the end of 2023 (if not before the end of the season) and is replaced by whichever Red Bull junior aces F2 (or possibly Mick Schumacher if prediction 8 doesn't happen) [
10. The WDC title fight goes down to the last race [
Still not a bad effort. As someone who was closely following Lando this season I did remember your McLaren prediction a couple of times during the season.So, with the season done and dusted, let's take a look back and laugh at my pre-season predictions
On Prediction 1: Bzzzt, fail.
On Prediction 2: Bzzzt, fail.
On Prediction 3: Partial, but more fail than success in the end.
On Prediction 4: I'm going to claim this one as a success. Especially with the latest rumour being that Ricciardo's 2024 contract specifically covers the possibility of him replacing Checo during 2024.
On Prediction 5: Claiming this as well, I think a 7th place WCC finish and some of Albon's heroic drives scores this one as a success.
On Prediction 6: More success than fail. AM lost their way a little and surrendered what looked to be a very secure top-4 WCC result, but form came back a little late season. Alonso, as predicted, led the charge. Failed on the element of Alpine also being a P4 challenger, although they were (a long way back!) the closest team behind AM.
On Prediction 7: Success. Car was a lemon initially, transformed into what would have been a P2 WCC contender if they'd had it from race 1. Both drivers have commented multiple times during the year about the unusual handling characteristics (apparently still there even in the updated car).
On Prediction 8: Sargeant struggled, but was not replaced. So, a fail.
On Prediction 9: Spectacular fail
On Prediction 10: Big fail here as well. Red Bull did start making noises about the impact of the penalty, but it all went quiet once it was clear they were so far out front they were never getting caught.
Score: 4/10 (3x correct, 1x 0.33, 1x 0.66).
Assessment: Must do better in 2024.
I rather hope you're not a betting man.So, with the season done and dusted, let's take a look back and laugh at my pre-season predictions
On Prediction 1: Bzzzt, fail.
On Prediction 2: Bzzzt, fail.
On Prediction 3: Partial, but more fail than success in the end.
On Prediction 4: I'm going to claim this one as a success. Especially with the latest rumour being that Ricciardo's 2024 contract specifically covers the possibility of him replacing Checo during 2024.
On Prediction 5: Claiming this as well, I think a 7th place WCC finish and some of Albon's heroic drives scores this one as a success.
On Prediction 6: More success than fail. AM lost their way a little and surrendered what looked to be a very secure top-4 WCC result, but form came back a little late season. Alonso, as predicted, led the charge. Failed on the element of Alpine also being a P4 challenger, although they were (a long way back!) the closest team behind AM.
On Prediction 7: Success. Car was a lemon initially, transformed into what would have been a P2 WCC contender if they'd had it from race 1. Both drivers have commented multiple times during the year about the unusual handling characteristics (apparently still there even in the updated car).
On Prediction 8: Sargeant struggled, but was not replaced. So, a fail.
On Prediction 9: Spectacular fail
On Prediction 10: Big fail here as well. Red Bull did start making noises about the impact of the penalty, but it all went quiet once it was clear they were so far out front they were never getting caught.
Score: 4/10 (3x correct, 1x 0.33, 1x 0.66).
Assessment: Must do better in 2024.
