Formula One

[Jimbuna]

We had a Formula One 2019 which ended with British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton clinching his sixth world title and nothing yet for this 2020 season which is already approaching race 14.

Hamilton already has a 47 point lead so is well on his way to a seventh world title.

[Catfish]

Hamilton is an excellent driver, but why has he to drive for Mercedes? :wah:

Overpriced ugly gherkins! :O:

[Jimbuna]

The Mercedes cars are by far the most powerful on the track at but I can;t help wondering what has gone wrong at Ferrari.

It is good to see Vettel (the finger man) struggling now :03:

[Buddahaid]

Hamilton is an excellent driver, but why has he to drive for Mercedes? :wah:

Overpriced ugly gherkins! :O:

Because that's the other half of the winning formula. Lewis was a great driver, but not a dominant winning driver until he joined Mercedes.

I'm sorry to see Vettel waning but he should never have left RedBull. As far as Ferrari goes, they lost their engine advantage from last year when it was ruled illegal and I think they are putting more effort into the 2021 new rules car than this years extension chassis.

Then how about Williams selling? It's the end of a long and glorious run. Sure, it's not supposed to change much on the surface but I don't believe that will last more than a couple of years.

[Jimbuna]

After day 2 of practice for Sundays Italian GP, Hamilton leads ahead of Bottas in second.

Very predictable thus far.

[Jimbuna]

As expected, Hamilton takes pole position for tomorrows race and in doing so he drove the fastest F1 lap ever with Bottas taking second place on the grid.

This was also Mercedes first qualifying 1-2 at Monza since 2016.

Ferrari's latest difficulties in qualifying brought up another uncomfortable statistic for Formula 1's struggling giants, as they missed out on the top 10 on the grid for their home Italian GP for the first time in a generation.

Leclerc finished 13th and Vettel 17th.

[Jimbuna]

Pierre Gasly took a stunning upset win in the Italian Grand Prix for Red Bull's Alpha Tauri team in one of the most remarkable races in history.

Lewis Hamilton was dominating until he was penalised for being called in for a stop when the pit lane was closed.

Two safety cars in quick succession mixed up the order and Gasly took the lead after Hamilton served his penalty.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz closed him down but the Frenchman just held him off to take his first grand prix victory.

Hamilton fought back from last place, 18 seconds off the back of the pack, to seventh, just two places behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas.

2020 Driver Standings

POS DRIVER NATIONALITY CAR PTS
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES 164
2 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES 117
3 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL RACING HONDA 110
4 Lance Stroll CAN RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 57
5 Lando Norris GBR MCLAREN RENAULT 57
6 Alexander Albon THA RED BULL RACING HONDA 48
7 Charles Leclerc MON FERRARI 45
8 Pierre Gasly FRA ALPHATAURI HONDA 43
9 Carlos Sainz ESP MCLAREN RENAULT 41
10 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RENAULT 41
11 Sergio Perez MEX RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 34
12 Esteban Ocon FRA RENAULT 30
13 Sebastian Vettel GER FERRARI 16
14 Nico Hulkenberg GER RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 6
15 Daniil Kvyat RUS ALPHATAURI HONDA 4
16 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
17 Kevin Magnussen DEN HAAS FERRARI 1
18 Nicholas Latifi CAN WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
19 Kimi Räikkönen FIN ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 0
20 Romain Grosjean FRA HAAS FERRARI 0
21 George Russell GBR WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0

[Jimbuna]

Valtteri Bottas had led the way through practice, but Mercedes team mate Lewis Hamilton got the job done when it counted as he snatched pole for the inaugural Tuscan Grand Prix at Mugello…

Hamilton spent much of practice getting comfortable with the new track, nestled in the Tuscan hills, rather than chasing outright lap time. It was Bottas that led the way after Q1, but there was a few hundredths that separated them, and Hamilton then ramped it up in Q2 to lead a session for the first time during the weekend.

In the first runs in Q3, Hamilton once again set the pace, with Bottas within 0.06s, but all hope was not lost as there was still one run to go. However, Renault’s Esteban Ocon got it all wrong on his lap, spinning and bringing out the yellow flags, which forced much of the field to back off.

That gave Hamilton his 95th career pole position and 69th for Mercedes, the latter figure higher than the career total of any other driver. With Bottas slotting into second, it gave Mercedes their seventh consecutive front row lockout – two short of their record set in 2014-15.

[skidman]

And after the red flag Bottas politely let Hamilton pass at the restart -what a farce!

The two GT WC races in Magny-Cours last night and today were good fun. Straightforward motorsport: No DRS, no push to pass, no MickyMouse BS.

Looking forward to the 24h in LeMans next weekend.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton took his 90th career victory by beating Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas in a chaotic, incident-strewn Tuscan Grand Prix.

The race was punctuated by two red flags, the first caused by a pile-up on the pit straight, the second by a high-speed crash for Lance Stroll.

In one of the most dramatic races for years, six cars had retired before a lap of racing had completed.

Red Bull's Thai-British driver Alex Albon took a maiden podium in third.


POS DRIVER NATIONALITY CAR PTS
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES 190
2 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES 135
3 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL RACING HONDA 110
4 Lando Norris GBR MCLAREN RENAULT 65
5 Alexander Albon THA RED BULL RACING HONDA 63
6 Lance Stroll CAN RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 57
7 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RENAULT 53
8 Charles Leclerc MON FERRARI 49
9 Sergio Perez MEX RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 44
10 Pierre Gasly FRA ALPHATAURI HONDA 43
11 Carlos Sainz ESP MCLAREN RENAULT 41
12 Esteban Ocon FRA RENAULT 30
13 Sebastian Vettel GER FERRARI 17
14 Daniil Kvyat RUS ALPHATAURI HONDA 10
15 Nico Hulkenberg GER RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 6
16 Kimi Räikkönen FIN ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
17 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
18 Kevin Magnussen DEN HAAS FERRARI 1
19 Nicholas Latifi CAN WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
20 George Russell GBR WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
21 Romain Grosjean FRA HAAS FERRARI 0

[Jimbuna]

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton claimed his 96th pole position by a huge 0.563s from Max Verstappen for the Russian Grand Prix, despite coming within a matter of seconds of being knocked out of Q2 in a dramatic qualifying session at Sochi that saw Sebastian Vettel crash heavily to bring out the red flags.

Hamilton had his Q2 time deleted for a track limits infringement leaving him in the drop zone when Vettel crashed at Turn 4 with just over two minutes left of the session, bringing out the red flags.

When the session was restarted, Hamilton crossed the line with less than two seconds to spare to begin his flying run – his last chance to get into Q3. He then posted the fourth quickest time to make it to the pole position shoot out.

A stunning first lap in Q3 from the six-time champion then saw him establish a new track record with a 1m 31.391s effort, before the Briton narrowly improved it on his second run to claim what was only his second pole position at the Sochi Autodrom – while Valtteri Bottas, who’d led Q1 and looked fast all weekend, will have been hugely disappointed not to at least make the front row, at a track he’s always shone on.

[Jimbuna]

Hamilton is leading from the start so the question is...can he equal Schumacher's record?

[Moonlight]

Yeah he might equal Schumacher's record but he's not done it against other top class cars or drivers. You could put the dumbest pillock in the world in that Mercedes and they'd still win the race, wait a minute.......:O:

[Jimbuna]

The ten second penalty didn't help but a third place finish keeps him in the running for another world title. Plenty of races left for the challengers though.

POS DRIVER NATIONALITY CAR PTS
1 Lewis Hamilton GBR MERCEDES 205
2 Valtteri Bottas FIN MERCEDES 161
3 Max Verstappen NED RED BULL RACING HONDA 128
4 Lando Norris GBR MCLAREN RENAULT 65
5 Alexander Albon THA RED BULL RACING HONDA 64
6 Daniel Ricciardo AUS RENAULT 63
7 Charles Leclerc MON FERRARI 57
8 Lance Stroll CAN RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 57
9 Sergio Perez MEX RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 56
10 Pierre Gasly FRA ALPHATAURI HONDA 45
11 Carlos Sainz ESP MCLAREN RENAULT 41
12 Esteban Ocon FRA RENAULT 36
13 Sebastian Vettel GER FERRARI 17
14 Daniil Kvyat RUS ALPHATAURI HONDA 14
15 Nico Hulkenberg GER RACING POINT BWT MERCEDES 6
16 Kimi Räikkönen FIN ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
17 Antonio Giovinazzi ITA ALFA ROMEO RACING FERRARI 2
18 Kevin Magnussen DEN HAAS FERRARI 1
19 Nicholas Latifi CAN WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
20 George Russell GBR WILLIAMS MERCEDES 0
21 Romain Grosjean FRA HAAS FERRARI 0

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull's engine partner Honda is to leave Formula 1 at the end of 2021.

The move leaves Red Bull and Alpha Tauri needing to find an engine supplier and the sport with just three engine companies.

[Jimbuna]

The next race Formula 1 Aramco Grosser Preis Der Eifel 2020 is in Germany.

Practice starts tomorrow and the race is on Sunday 11th.

[Jimbuna]

Free Practice 1 and FP 2 were cancelled because of fog so hopefully FP 3 will take place tomorrow.

[Jimbuna]

FP 3 did happen and here are the top ten standings for tomorrows race.

https://i.postimg.cc/8cmmHLBL/iiiiii.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jnCfqw1j)

[Jimbuna]

Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton has matched the career win record of Michael Schumacher with his 91st F1 victory at the Eifel GP, triumphing over the Red Bull of Max Verstappen at the Nurburgring, as Daniel Ricciardo secured his first podium for the Renault squad.

Hamilton had been outmuscled by his polesitting team mate Valtteri Bottas at the start of the race, but passed the Finn on Lap 13 of 60 after Bottas locked up at Turn 1 – before a loss of power forced Bottas into retirement six laps later, Mercedes’s first DNF of 2020.

https://i.postimg.cc/gjZhVHJk/kkk.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Racing Point say they cannot do any more to protect against coronavirus, despite driver Lance Stroll testing positive after the last Grand Prix.

Stroll was confirmed to have coronavirus after the Eifel GP, where he did not race because he was unwell, but he was not tested at the event.

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer said: "If I thought our process was wrong, I would change it.

"I'm not going to do anything else. There is nothing else to do."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/54645756

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/NfNMTzp6/Untitledfff.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[skidman]

And for all those who are into real motorsports: The Total 24hrs of Spa-Francorchamps will start Saturday 15:30 CET. The Top20 qualifying was won by AKKA ASP (AMG GT3), WRT (Audi R8 LMS) in 2nd position and Team HRT (AMG GT3) in 3rd.

One of the best GT races of the season. No DRS buttons, no engineers telling their remote controlled tintookies how to drive, no letting teammates pass.

Real racing - twice around the clock.

Live stream and live timing (Because watching a endurance race without a live timing website is rather pointless):

https://www.total24hours.com/live

[Jimbuna]

Out of nowhere, Lewis Hamilton delivered his best lap of the weekend to topple Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas and take a sensational pole position for the returning Portuguese Grand Prix…

The reigning world champion was second-best to Bottas through all three practice sessions and the first two segments of qualifying, and was slower after the first runs in Q3 at Portimao.

Mercedes changed strategy for the final runs, swapping over to the medium tyres on both cars. However, Hamilton opted to head out early to squeeze in two flying laps on that compound, while Bottas went for one.

https://i.postimg.cc/RCPRspnZ/Untitled1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/5N6mZ5wq/Untitled1a.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton has become the most successful driver in terms of victories in Formula 1 history, after a dominant display at the Portuguese Grand Prix saw him claim his 92nd victory from team mate Valtteri Bottas and the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

https://i.postimg.cc/fT7RdQxg/3333.jpg (https://postimg.cc/3dRhM6fg)

https://i.postimg.cc/rwQyhGZ1/1111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/k2RdGSmG)
https://i.postimg.cc/SKRSHXHw/2222.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7Cvr2LHV)

[Buddahaid]

Domination. :Kaleun_Salute:

[Jimbuna]

Yes and still only 35 years old.

[Jimbuna]

Q1 Bottas found himself in the unusual position of being in the drop zone in Q1 with three minutes to go after a scrappy opening run, forcing him to box for fresh rubber and going again.

He made no mistake this time, the Finn going quickest, 0.008s ahead of Hamilton, with Verstappen in his customary position of third, albeit 0.8s off the pace.

Q2 There was high drama in Q2 when Verstappen sounded frantic on team radio as he warned his team he had a power issue. The Dutchman recovered to the pits and was then forced to wait as Red Bull removed bodywork and investigated the issue.

With just a few minutes to go, Verstappen got back out and pumped in a lap under pressure that was easily good enough to get into Q3 – and on the medium compound tyres to boot.

Only the Mercedes duo also managed to get through on the mediums, as Bottas led Hamilton in a one-two again.

[Jimbuna]

Q3 Beating Lewis Hamilton is no easy feat these days, but his Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas found a way to do just that at Imola as he took a sensational pole position for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

The Finn trailed Hamilton by just 0.031s after the first runs, but having topped both opening segments of qualifying, Bottas found the time when it mattered, lighting up the timesheets to take pole by 0.1s.

Mercedes were in a class of their own at the historic and picturesque Italian track, with Max Verstappen unable to get within half a second of the silver cars, but fortunate to get to Q3 at all after encountering a power issue in Q2.

https://i.postimg.cc/0ytR49sB/Untitled111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/0NFg8ZrG/Untitled222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton sealed a record-extending 93rd Formula 1 victory after recovering from third to win the Emilia-Romagna GP ahead of Valtteri Bottas, after Max Verstappen's crash led to a chaotic finish.

Mercedes, who were pushed hard by Verstappen, clinched their record seventh straight Constructors' Championship with the result, while Hamilton, 85 points clear in the standings, can wrap up his seventh title at the next race in Turkey.

https://i.postimg.cc/5ytYv9pB/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/cgVLGSpC)
https://i.postimg.cc/0jH6CgHL/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

“It’s like driving on ice,” said Max Verstappen, a statement echoed by his rivals as Formula 1 cars hit the track at Turkey’s Istanbul Park for the first time since 2011 in first practice, with Dutchman setting the pace in a Red Bull one-two…

The Turkish circuit was drafted back in F1 after Covid 19 forced sweeping changes to the 2020 calendar, leading to delight from the drivers who were excited by the challenge.

However, what they were not anticipating was just how slippery the 5.338km circuit would be, the lack of grip down in part to the surface having only been re-laid a few weeks ago and Pirelli bringing their hardest tyre compounds, having made their selection before it became clear new asphalt would be put down.

Valtteri Bottas set the early pace, but it was around 20 seconds slower than anticipated lap times, so tricky were the conditions as drivers worked the steering wheel hard in a bid to keep the car pointing in the right direction.

Practice 1

https://i.postimg.cc/VNP101Zk/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/k5NCxZLF/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Practice 2

https://i.postimg.cc/7YPV3QQ1/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/kgBvZRCB/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Practice 3

https://i.postimg.cc/HxTFMnT2/Untitled13.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/WzHyx7gW/Untitled14.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Lance Stroll produced the best lap of his career in wet and extremely challenging conditions to take a shock pole position for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix, fending of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen as world champions Mercedes struggled…

https://i.postimg.cc/W4wHsV0J/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/0Q5HQ4CX/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton clinched a seventh World Championship and became the most successful racing driver ever with a masterful victory in the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver equalled Michael Schumacher's achievement in terms of titles, after already surpassing the German's number of race wins last month.

Victory at a treacherously wet and slippery Istanbul Park track in a topsy-turvy race was the 94th of the 35-year-old Briton's career.

As he received the congratulations of his team, Hamilton was almost overcome with emotion in the car after the race, saying: "To all the kids out there, dream the impossible."

[Moonlight]

Lewis Hamilton clinched a seventh World Championship and became the most successful racing driver ever with a masterful victory in the Turkish Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver equalled Michael Schumacher's achievement in terms of titles, after already surpassing the German's number of race wins last month.

Victory at a treacherously wet and slippery Istanbul Park track in a topsy-turvy race was the 94th of the 35-year-old Briton's career.

As he received the congratulations of his team, Hamilton was almost overcome with emotion in the car after the race, saying: "To all the kids out there, dream the impossible."

Don't you mean the engineers and mechanics clinched the seventh World Championship for him, any of the F1 drivers would win it if they had that car, I'm not impressed. :O:

[Jimbuna]

Don't you mean the engineers and mechanics clinched the seventh World Championship for him, any of the F1 drivers would win it if they had that car, I'm not impressed. :O:

I'd say a mix of both actually and imho the only driver able to compete would probably be Max Verstappen because Bottas certainly can't and his car has identical specs.

[Moonlight]

^ Aye, you're probably spot on with that, I seem to have developed a bit of a bias against Hamilton, I must say I wasn't always like this towards him, perhaps its because I find him to be a massive currant on a par with that other massive currant called Beckham. :O:

[Jimbuna]

My bias is probably identical to yours now that he is a tax exile but hypocritically takes every opportunity to have a pop at the way this country is run and his blinkered support of BLM. I subscribe to the opinion that all lives matter.

[Jimbuna]

Challenger, champion, change-maker. The real Lewis Hamilton story. (According to the BBC anyway)

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/extra/c1nx5lutpg/The-real-Lewis-Hamilton-story

[Jimbuna]

BAHRAIN 2020

Hamilton tops FP1
So it is a Mercedes 1-2, with Hamilton heading his team mate by 0.449s in Bahrain, with Perez a solid third.

Practice 1

https://i.postimg.cc/7h6yb0pS/111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/62DPm26Q)

[Jimbuna]

A late effort from Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in Free Practice 2 of the Bahrain Grand Prix saw him claim a clean sweep of fastest times on the Friday, with the seven-time champion heading the Red Bull of Max Verstappen by 0.347s in the evening session, with Valtteri Bottas just 0.018s further back, in an FP2 interrupted by a big smash for Verstappen’s team mate Alex Albon.

Practice 2

https://i.postimg.cc/T3WRX8MG/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Practice 3

https://i.postimg.cc/PxXR0GYf/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/sXTNrn4Y/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen hinted he could be a thorn in the side of Mercedes in Bahrain in final practice, but when it mattered the Silver Arrows came to the fore, with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton dominating every segment of qualifying to take a stunning pole position.

The Mercedes driver was pegged to just 0.146s by Verstappen after the first runs in Q3, suggesting there could be a tight battle. But Hamilton improved by another quarter of a second on his final run, pushing pole out of reach of his rivals to take his 98th career P1 start.

His team mate Valtteri Bottas popped up into second, the Finn at a loss to explain why he simply wasn’t a threat to Hamilton throughout the session, but he did at least ensure Mercedes lock out the front row for the fifth consecutive season in Bahrain and 75th time in the team’s history.

Verstappen was forced to settle for third, though he can take comfort from starting on the cleaner side of the grid, the Dutchman suggesting the team’s greater focus in setting the car up was on the race, with tyre degradation expected to be crucial on Sunday evening.

Qualifying

https://i.postimg.cc/XJYsQf6p/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/50KnGXfp/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[skidman]

https://images.motorsport-magazin.com/images/590/395/q_80/0962437.jpg

What a relief seeing Grosjean got out of the car and walked away.

[Jimbuna]

https://images.motorsport-magazin.com/images/590/395/q_80/0962437.jpg

What a relief seeing Grosjean got out of the car and walked away.

Indeed....a race full of events, twists and turns.

I was literally glued to the tv for this one.

Looking for the results table now.

[Jimbuna]

Newly-crowned seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton has taken his 11th victory of the 2020 season, winning out over the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Alex Albon at the Bahrain Grand Prix – in a race whose start was overshadowed by a horror crash for Haas’ Romain Grosjean.

https://i.postimg.cc/Wp7qV67t/111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/c6rLM32N)

[Buddahaid]

Very lucky Romain Grojean. I don't think I've ever seen a car go through the Armco before like that and then the driver climbing out while the car burned for eighteen seconds! That is likely the best example of how the halo system can save your life.

[Jimbuna]

Agreed, all the 'experts' are saying it was down to the halo system :yep:

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton to miss Sakhir GP after testing positive for coronavirus.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/55142428

Just as well he's already clinched the title.

[Buddahaid]

Oops. That should lockdown the team for a bit.

[Jimbuna]

I'm waiting on the announcement to see who the replacement driver is going to be but I doubt they'll be anywhere near as fast as Bottas.

[Buddahaid]

George Russell. That will be interesting.

[Jimbuna]

Far too young and inexperienced but all credit to the lad.

Could you imagine the sensation if he were to beat Bottas or even win?

[Buddahaid]

I can see him beating Bottas, and I doubt it will happen, but Bottas has bad luck at times. I'm more interested in seeing what another driver can do with Lewis's car.

[Jimbuna]

I was debating whether to bother watching the race but seeing how it's a young Brit I probably will now.

[Jimbuna]

George Russell continued the impressive start to his Mercedes debut at the Sakhir Grand Prix, leading his second straight session of Friday in Free Practice 2, as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen once again took second place, ahead of the Racing Point of Sergio Perez.

It was tough for any driver to get a perfectly clean lap around the tight 3.5km Bahrain International Circuit Outer Track that stands at just 0.2km longer than Monaco. But once the qualifying simulations were complete, it was Russell who, as in FP1, headed the time sheets with a lap of 54.713s – some two-tenths slower than he managed in the opening session of the weekend.

Practice 1

https://i.postimg.cc/vDFZggVG/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/MZc0QCQL/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Practice 2

https://i.postimg.cc/BQ08nkcH/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/VksdjthN/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Well this qualifying has answered one of my questions. I know Lewis is a fantastic driver but I always wondered how much of his success was directly a result of the Mercedes car. Quite a lot apparently since George goes from being way back on the grid in a Williams to being on the front row.

[Jimbuna]

Well this qualifying has answered one of my questions. I know Lewis is a fantastic driver but I always wondered how much of his success was directly a result of the Mercedes car. Quite a lot apparently since George goes from being way back on the grid in a Williams to being on the front row.

Agreed but up until recent times it used to be Ferrari and look how far they've slipped back.

It's now up to the other teams to catch up with Mercedes.

Valtteri Bottas pipped his substitute Mercedes team mate George Russell to pole position for the Sakhir Grand Prix by just 0.026s, as the Silver Arrows set a scintillating pace in qualifying, with the top 10 separated by less than a second.

It was Russell, standing in for Lewis Hamilton who tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the weekend, who looked the quicker of the two cars on Friday, but Bottas found more pace on Saturday to set up a thrilling showdown in Bahrain.

Bottas was quickest on his second run – first on soft tyres – with Russell slotting into second, but it was the Briton who was lighting up the timesheets on the final runs.

Pole was within his grasp, but he ultimately missed out by a fraction of the second, and while P2 is his best-ever grid slot, defeat to Bottas means his run of 36 qualifying sessions having never been beaten by a team mate since his F1 debut is over.

https://i.postimg.cc/gjdhX26F/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/WznkMcMD/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

Looking forward to the race tomorrow and hopefully seeing young George beat Bottas. That is, provided the Mercedes management don't give instructions/orders in Bottas favour because of how close Verstappen is in the points table.

[Buddahaid]

I don't think Team orders a viewed favorably. There was a huge backlash years ago when Ferrari pulled that trick at Hockenheim with the fans booing the podium.

[Jimbuna]

I don't think Team orders a viewed favorably. There was a huge backlash years ago when Ferrari pulled that trick at Hockenheim with the fans booing the podium.

I think it still goes on at times but in a more clandestine way than in the past.

[Buddahaid]

Valtteri will get first call on pit strategy as the primary driver, but he could very well get beaten by having yet another bad start, and Max as well. Both of them have been having poor starts this year.

[Jimbuna]

Jut come across this a few minutes ago.

The team know Russell well, and vice versa, but Wolff said: "What is most impressive is the sheer driving. Everything else around was as expected. But the driving was impressive."

And this despite a car into which he does not fit well at all. At 6ft 1in, Russell is five inches taller than Hamilton. He is wearing boots a size too small to allow his size 11 feet to operate the pedals. There was no time to mould him a new seat, so he is using one from a year ago. He is suffering for all this.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/55203576

[Jimbuna]

34 lapa completed and Russell has led from the start.

https://i.postimg.cc/662TrBbR/angry-driver.gif (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Sergio Perez’s F1 future may be uncertain – but whatever happens, the Mexican is now an F1 winner, after he benefitted from a nightmare Sakhir Grand Prix for Mercedes to claim his first ever Formula 1 victory, as Renault’s Esteban Ocon and Racing Point’s Lance Stroll completed the podium on a wild evening in Bahrain.

It had initially looked as though George Russell was set to pull off an incredible maiden victory on his first outing for Mercedes, having aced the start to lead pole-sitter Valtteri Bottas for the majority of the Grand Prix.

But Mercedes gave Russell the wrong tyres when he was pitted under a Safety Car on Lap 63 of 87, forcing another pit stop to correct the error – while Russell then suffered a puncture that left him P9 at the flag for what was at least his first ever F1 points finish.

On his 190th F1 start, Perez had been forced to pit at the end of Lap 1, dropping to last place after getting caught up in a Turn 4 crash that eliminated Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, and was due to be investigated after the race. But an incredible turn of pace from the Mexican allowed him to benefit from Mercedes’ pit error – which also left Valtteri Bottas on old hard tyres, the Finn coming home P8 – to sensationally claim his and Racing Point’s first ever victory, a week after an MGU-K failure had robbed him of a podium.

https://i.postimg.cc/MGKMQ4FF/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/TP7yq08Y/222.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Mercedes almost never makes mistakes and they blew it for once.

[Jimbuna]

They have apologised publicly and rightly so imho.

I can see Russell replacing Bottas when his contract expires, currently at the end of this year as far as I'm aware.

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen finished fastest in first practice in Abu Dhabi, with the Red Bull driver just 0.034s ahead of Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas – while Lewis Hamilton was fifth on his return to the cockpit.

Practice 1

https://i.postimg.cc/XYkWcycX/Untitled1.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/Gp3CMhqK/Untitled22.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Practice 2

https://i.postimg.cc/cLBgzhNS/333.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/nLVjfmHQ/444.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen delivered a magical lap in qualifying to snatch a shock pole position for the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver getting the better of Mercedes for the first time in 2020 with the top three separated by just 0.086s…

Qualifying

https://i.postimg.cc/8cDRfhsH/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/d3B82LyK/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

An imperious display from Max Verstappen saw him breeze to his second victory of 2020 at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix season finale, leading home the Mercedes duo of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, who had no answer to the Red Bull’s pace around the Yas Marina Circuit.

With Mercedes having taken every pole and race win in Abu Dhabi since 2014, Verstappen reversed that trend with pole on Saturday, before converting it with a dominant performance under the floodlights, as he led home Bottas by 15 seconds, with Hamilton coming home just behind his team mate on his first race back since contracting Covid-19.

https://i.postimg.cc/8P6D8JRP/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/Dw3h7v6Q/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Good race and fun to see Mercedes on the back foot for once although they had to dial back a bit on their MGU-K for reliability. Also good to have a race with a clean start and the only safety car due to unlucky Perez's gearbox stranding his car on the track.

Next year will be a hoot with some new aero rules and Red Bull branded Aston Martin bringing the venerable British car make back to F1 after sixty some odd years. Also good to know that what started as Stewart Racing is now that Aston Martin and Seb will be driving.

Bottas will keep his seat at Mercedes while Lewis enters contract negotiations. :hmmm:

[Jimbuna]

Hamilton appeared to be far from his best especially after testing positive for the virus but I suspect he will win the title again next year but by a much tighter/shorter margin.

[Threadfin]

Perez to replace Albon for 2021. Clearly this was the move Red Bull had to make, even though I had doubts they would. Albon underperformed all season, and if they are to challenge Mercedes they needed a better driver in the second seat.

To be fair, I think the Red Bull is a tricky ride, one that Max can handle, but Albon was unable to get the most out of. It will be interesting to see whether Perez can match Max's pace in qualifying and race trim. If he does, it shows Albon underperformed. If he doesn't, it shows how good Max really is.

But to keep on with Albon, when a clearly better option existed in Perez, would have been a mistake, existing contract or no. So Red Bull did the right thing here I think. It would have been a real shame for Perez to have no seat next season after his remarkable 2020. He is fully deserving, and must feel relieved. His car has never matched his talent I don't think. Now he gets the chance to show what he can do in a top car.

[Jimbuna]

To be fair, I think the Red Bull is a tricky ride, one that Max can handle, but Albon was unable to get the most out of. It will be interesting to see whether Perez can match Max's pace in qualifying and race trim. If he does, it shows Albon underperformed. If he doesn't, it shows how good Max really is.



My thoughts precisely :yep:

[Threadfin]

The one wrinkle is that Red Bull won't be standing still. Winter development may indeed take some of the quirks out of the car, and that Perez would be driving a different car than Albon did in some respects. Not apples to apples you know? Albon has talent, but he just isn't consistent enough for a top team. At least not yet. I suspect he'll get another crack at it, maybe at Alpha Tauri again in 2022.


Aside from technical development, I think signing Perez was the best thing Red Bull could have done to close the gap. It seemed like a no-brainer, but the announcement took so long it made you think it wouldn't happen.


The thing I want to see more than anything is a proper title fight for a change. This might be the year.

[Jimbuna]

The thing I want to see more than anything is a proper title fight for a change. This might be the year.

Once again, I find myself agreeing with you....I'm not a big fan of Hamilton but he is certainly the best around atm if not in all F1 history even.

[Jimbuna]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irsRQSvX-lc

[Buddahaid]

In '81 the ambulances had to compete for position...
https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img924/4958/YNUL32.png

[Buddahaid]

Lewis Hamilton is to be knighted.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.arise-sir-lewis-hamilton-to-be-awarded-knighthood-after-historic-seventh.2oKynH8fOmJytSk8mOo0o9.html

[Jimbuna]

There are rumours the announcement hasn't gone down well in some sporting circles but I personally don't have a problem.

[Buddahaid]

Meh, footballers are wimps anyway.

[Jimbuna]

One of the most prominent nay sayers was the six time snooker world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan apparently.

[Buddahaid]

I can see that but snooker doesn't strike me as a particularly inspirational field of endeavor. Maybe I'm looking at it as more of a pub game and as such less respectable.

[Jimbuna]

I think all sports depend on the individual perceptions of all sports fans but having said that, I've played a lot of snooker in my lifetime but never driven a F1 car.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/d1Skm9jr/134401962-3619864684761014-1887462434665283701-n.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

Haha, looks like seat just opened up for Russell :D

[Jimbuna]

I'd actually prefer Russell to Bottas tbh.

[Threadfin]

Agreed. He showed me more in that penultimate race than Bottas did in the entire second half of the season.

There are rumors that Hamilton is seeking a huge pay rise and a three-year deal. Mercedes are balking at the figures, especially in the current Covid climate, and want a shorter deal.

It seemed unthinkable even a month ago, but could Mercedes just cut ties and promote Russell this year? A few weeks ago I would have said no way, but now? That door is cracked open.


Other sources say the deal is already signed and this is all marketing mirrors. F1 is rarely dull :)

[Jimbuna]

Not heard anything at this end but I'd like to see Hamilton win one more title and to do that he will need that Mercedes car.

[Threadfin]

I'd like to see him stuck on seven. That's enough innit? Let someone else have a crack lol.


Come on Max!

[Buddahaid]

I think I'll just root for Aston Martin this year and hope Haas can find some traction.

[Jimbuna]

All will become a little clearer after the Bahrain opener come 28th March.

[Threadfin]

That's true. So many interesting storylines this season, especially with the driver moves.

I am excited to see what Perez can do in the Red Bull. He has yet to drive it. You hear talk about how the chassis is tricky, prone to snap oversteer. Max can handle it, Albon didn't. Can Sergio? And anyway, perhaps Red Bull temper it a bit over the offseason and it becomes a more predictably balanced car.

I'm also intrigued by Seb's move. Not a fan honestly, and I think Force India, I mean Racing Point, I mean Aston Martin got rid of the wrong driver. Seb's horrible year wasn't just down to the rotten Fez he was driving. He was very mistake-prone. He struck me as disinterested. Will a new team shake him out of it, or is he past it?

Alonso's return is also fascinating. F1 gave him track time in the rookie test a few weeks ago, which I didn't think was right. He's no neophyte. Will Sainz flourish at Ferrari? Can they get back on track or will they wallow in the bottom of the midfield again? Ricciardo should do fine at McLaren. Will Bottas show enough to stick around? Anything short of a title and I think his seat is Russell's for 2022, depending on what Hamilton does.

Really happy to see Imola back on the schedule. Zandy too and Interlagos. Those last two are my favorite tracks to drive in F1 2020. Imola's not in the sim, but has been in others and it's a great drive. I know the drivers were singing the track's praises last year, and rightly so.

But the thing I am most looking forward to is a proper title race. I'm really hoping Red Bull push on with the new lineup and the development freeze. Their engine situation is bad, with Honda pulling out. They need to get this sorted as early as possible so it's not hanging over the team all year. I hope they can take over Honda's setup, but that's a long shot. Red Bull are positioned better than at any point in the past seven years. I hope they give a proper battle this year. Looking forward to it!

[Buddahaid]

Don't forget the aero rule changes and the Mercedes steering trick ban mixing things up as well.

[Threadfin]

Good point mate. It's hard to know what effect it will have, and which teams will be most affected and which will adapt best. The reduction in downforce is good as far as I'm concerned, as I think Formula One is too much car, not enough driver if you know what I mean, and this sort of thing helps to elevate the driver in the equation. But I think the floor change will be more detrimental to the high rake cars, like the Red Bull. Low rakes like Mercedes may not see so much change. But I'm no aero engineer. The upshot is whichever teams deal with it best will see an advantage in the early going.


Wings, diffusers and the side pods are still open game, so the best technical teams should be able to mitigate the new regs' effects to a degree.

[stork100]

Most interesting aspect for me will be seeing Kimi battling it out for 16th place against Spy-Gate/Crash-Gate/Santander-Gate Alonso. Biased? Nah. Go Ice Cream Man!:arrgh!:

[Buddahaid]

The Ice Man! I laugh at that when you see how angry and vocal he was in his early F1 days. Still, it's great to see Kimi and Fernando still competing with the kids.:Kaleun_Wink:

[Jimbuna]

Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has signed a new one-year contract with Mercedes for the 2021 season.

The 36-year-old's previous deal lapsed in 2020 but he will now race for Mercedes for a ninth season.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/55380710

[Buddahaid]

Fernando Alonso has been involved in a road cycling accident and taken to a hospital. He appears to be okay but details are not being provided.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.fernando-alonso-conscious-and-well-after-road-cycling-accident-in.74cSrq4Ys1CB6UCioVNIxn.html

[Jimbuna]

The 39-year-old will spend a further two days in hospital - with his partner Linda Morselli by his side - as he recovers from surgery on his jaw and teeth.

His Italian model girlfriend has reportedly been keeping relatives updated on his condition via WhatsApp.

Taking to social media, Alonso said: "Thanks for all your wishes, I'm OK and looking forward to getting 2021 underway."

A statement from his Alpine F1 team - formerly Renault - said: "Following his cycling accident Fernando Alonso was kept under observation in hospital in Switzerland.

"Medics discovered a fracture in his upper jaw and conducted a successful corrective operation.

"The attending medical team are satisfied with his progress. Fernando will remain under observation in hospital for a further 48 hours.

"Looking forward, after a few days of complete rest, he will be able to progressively resume training.

"We expect him to be fully operational to undertake preparation for the season."
https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/14026186/f1-alonso-feeling-ok-jaw-surgery/

[Jimbuna]

The 2021 Formula One season starts today with the first race taking place in Bahrain.

Recent practices suggest Hamilton may not have it so easy this season seeing as how Max Verstappen, Red Bull has the first pole position.

Position Driver
1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes
4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5. Pierre Gasly, AlphaTauri
6. Daniel Ricciardo, McLaren
7. Lando Norris, McLaren
8. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
9. Fernando Alonso, Alpine
10. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin
11. Sergio Perez, Red Bull
12. Antonio Giovinazzi, Alfa Romeo
13. Yuki Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
14. Kimi Raikkonen, Alfa Romeo
15. George Russell, Williams
16. Esteban Ocon, Alpine
17. Nicholas Latifi, Williams
18. Sebastian Vettel, Aston Martin
19. Mick Schumacher, Haas
20. Nikita Mazepin, Haas

[Skybird]

Look there's a Shoeme on the track again! :D

[Jimbuna]

Hopefully he'll finish ahead of Vettel 'the finger man'

[Jimbuna]

What a great opening race that was and what a fantastic season lies ahead me thinks.

https://i.postimg.cc/wxwFzkGV/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

That was fantastic. Hopefully it's like that for the entire season. A few random takeaways....


Hass' decision to chase the money and sign Mazepin will haunt them all season. They have both the worst car and the worst driver. A disastrous debut. It has to get better, but choosing drivers for financial rather than sporting reasons doesn't fly in Formula One.

McLaren picked up where they left off and look to be the leaders in the midfield. Good car, good drivers. The midfield seems a bit tighter this season, after just one race mind, with Ferrari looking more competitive.

Alfa Romeo impressed me, and it looked for most of the race like they'd score. It wasn't to be, but they may be the most improved team/car on the grid. Good for Kimi, who deserves to be fighting for points, at least.

Seb is a disaster waiting to happen. The nightmare season has just begun. Plenty of people made excuses for him at the end of his Fez run, but I suspected he is just past it. He seems uninterested, and makes far too many mistakes. Aston Martin made a big mistake here too. They should have kept Perez. When he blamed Ocon for changing lanes in to turn 1 my eyes could not have rolled farther. His fall from grace and self-inflicted wounds will be riveting television this year.

Speaking of Perez.... great drive to claim 5th from the pitlane. Watching the race I couldn't believe that Red Bull could have such a start after so much promise, and I was holding my head in my hands. I'm a little worried that he didn't show better pace through practice and qualifying, but he made it work in the race. Red Bull will be looking for improvement, but this result limited the damage in what could have been a demoralizing race weekend.

I'm a little bent out of shape over the turn 4 track limits issue. Max had to give the spot back, there's no doubt about that. That was an unfair pass. But race control allowed Mercedes to run there almost the entire race, and if each of those wide exits was good for 2 tenths per lap, then they gained a massive amount of time through the race running off-track. I could argue that had they been forced to stay on track, that Max would have not needed to chase Hamilton down from so far back at the end. If he is 3 seconds closer when he came out of the pits he wins the race.

Allowing so much grey when it should be a black and white issue is a problem that shouldn't exist. Either cars can get all four off there, or they cannot. It cannot happen that it is situational and left to the discretion of race control. If I were Horner I'd be livid over this. As a fan of Max I'm instead just ticked off over it haha. Sort it out. It's simple.

Tsunoda impressed. I read the hype, didn't buy it. But he ran a great race, showed poise and race craft. Pulled off some great overtakes. Alpha Tauri had a poor weekend, but if Gasly hadn't lost his wing I think both cars were in the points. The midfield battle is shaping up to be the best in years.


Can't wait for Imola.

[Jimbuna]

I know it's early days but who do you reckon will win the title this yer?

For me it's obviously between Hamilton and Verstappen.

[Threadfin]

It's difficult to predict, and I think we need three or four races to really get a feel for it.

For driver's title I support Max, but if I had to wager on it, I'd probably put my money on Hamilton at this point. It seems that Red Bull have gotten a handle on the balance issues that plagued them last year, and if so I expect fewer mistakes out of Max, making him a threat to Hamilton, with more consistent finishes. Just look at Imola last year.

But Mercedes are great at tweaking the car, getting the most out of it. Red Bull may have the pace advantage now, but I suspect it won't last all season.

The key to which of these drivers wins may be more down to the performances of their teammates. Whichever way it goes it is shaping up to be the first proper title battle in a long time, isn't it?

For Constructors I think I'll flip it and say Red Bull. It comes down mostly to reliability and mistakes. Perez should come good in short order, but he'll need to improve his qualifying, starting this weekend. If he can outpace Bottas every other weekend it will put the pressure on Bottas and Mercedes.

Mercedes made the right calls Sunday, and frankly I'm amazed Hamilton got 26 laps out of his last set of tyres and still didn't legally lose the lead. I was sure Max was going to blow past him. But when the margins are as fine as they now appear to be, these strategy calls are going to backfire some of the time. Mercedes cannot just rely on pace this year. Bottas is a good driver, but doesn't seem to react well when things aren't going to script, while Perez seems to thrive. With two cars suddenly fighting Mercedes for position they may force Mercedes, and Bottas in particular, in to more mistakes.

So for driver's title my heart says Max, my head says Hamilton

For constructors' I'll say Red Bull just edge it over the course of the season. But for that to happen they'll need to at least match Mercedes' reliability.

Should be a lot of fun!

[Jimbuna]

Charles Leclerc crashed his Ferrari at the end of what had been an impressive second practice session at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

Leclerc had earlier set the fastest lap time of the session, only to lose it for exceeding track limits.

Valtteri Bottas was fastest in the session, just 0.01 seconds quicker than Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Red Bull's Max Verstappen suffered a mechanical failure early in the session.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/56773159

[Threadfin]

It's tight at the top. Still concerned that Perez is so far off the pace. He's eight tenths back after P2. Max didn't have a good session obviously, but I suspect he has the pace to snag pole or thereabouts.

Mazepin is a menace, a disaster waiting to happen at every turn. That's fun to have in the field from a spectator's perspective.

Fez have really got it going. Only top will do for them, but after the past few years they must be feeling good about their improvement.

Tsunoda looked good again, and how about Giovinazzi? I said last race that they look like the most improved team and that's a great result.

At what point do Aston martin realize they wasted their money on Seb. It's going to be funny watching them say all year that he is about to come good.

[Threadfin]

So much for Alfa Romeo's improvement, right back where they started.


Interesting qualifying, and the sort of results that will keep the title fights close. Bottas in 8th with the Red Bulls 2nd and 3rd. Even without pole, this is a great Q3 for Red Bull. Very happy to see Perez show the pace when it counted. Bring on the race!

[Jimbuna]

Not sure what went wrong for Bottas but I'm looking forward to the race tomorrow and a Hamilton win :O:

[Threadfin]

Hamilton?

We have a rivalry right here! :)

Bottas said he was getting snap oversteer and had to ease off.

[Jimbuna]

Not as entertaining as I'd hoped for but well done to Verstappen who won ahead of Hamilton who made a rare mistake that possibly cost him the race.

Very good race by Norris to finish third.

Hamilton leads the points table by a solitary point so I predict more excitement ahead in future races and no runaway points leader.

https://i.postimg.cc/8PSKmS6w/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/kDTv7Lwt)
https://i.postimg.cc/sgfTb4Kh/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

Not entertaining?! Absurdly so, from my point of view, and not because Max won. I can only think your reaction is tempered by the results of the Mercedes cars. Very bad luck for Bottas, who was having a poor day anyway, and I've watched that incident a few times and still am not sure who was at fault. Must be devastating for Russell, whether he causes it or got caught up.

But the sheer number of spins, collisions, offs, overtakes and mistakes made this race a spectacle. Really enjoyed it. A few random observations....

Oh Checo. When Red Bull signed him I was the first to applaud it. Absolutely the right move for Red Bull considering all of the options in my view. But so far he has been a massive disappointment. It should have been a Red Bull one-two, and instead they only scored one car. Huge letdown and if Red Bull are to challenge this season he needs to snap out of it and start getting results. With Mercedes off colour yesterday a big opportunity was wasted.

Congrats to Kimi, and then it wasn't Disappointed to wake up and see he'd been docked. Hadn't seen the incident, but rule are rules. Alonso the beneficiary for his first point on his return.

The rookies looked every bit of it yesterday.

Lando Norris continues to impress. His pace compared to Ricciardo is startling. Great result for him even if he couldn't hold on to second from a charging Hamilton.

Hamilton could not have gotten luckier. The red flag right after his off at Tosa saved his day. Not sure why he gets to unlap himself at that point, but that was massive, and then he drove masterfully on the recovery so fair play to him. It left me feeling a little bitter, like when United score in the 12th minute of Fergie time. This really shook up the result and his fast lap near the end gave him the point which keeps him leading the title chase. If I were a neutral I'd be cheering this, but alas....

Mazepin is out of his depth. Maybe he'll come good, but I think a common thread in my after-race posts all season will be about how Haas made a fundamental mistake with his hire.

Another great team result for Ferrari. They don't quite have the straight line pace, surprisingly for them, but their car is much improved, and I think it will show in the downforce circuits. It should be a great battle all year between Fez and McLaren. That's great and a proper midfield battle makes for a better sport. I have to say Sainz is an upgrade over Vettel. Sainz had an adventure out there, but 4th and 5th is a good result.

Portugal is next, and should be interesting. Last year DRS felt overpowered down the start-finish straight. I'm hoping they shorten the zone a little to check that. This season is off to a great start.

[Threadfin]

Wasn't able to watch qualifying, but did see most of P2 and P3. Interesting results. A few observations....

Well done to Mercedes, getting the front row. Not what I wanted to see, especially at such a low-grip track, but Red Bull take the second row so it's not too bad. Just need Checo to replicate his pace during the race and not make mistakes.


Vettel in the top ten?! What in the....

Not many surprises really, though Ricciardo can't be pleased. Maybe there were mitigating circumstances? Same with Stroll. Those cars should both be higher in the order I reckon.

Mazepin dead last. Rinse, repeat.

Russell must be feeling great about this season. Williams is still Williams, yes, but he is fighting in the midfield instead of the back, and he has to be feeling good about that. I find myself pulling for him for whatever reason.

Alonso has shown some flashes of his old form, but he is yet to put it together when it counts. Ocon's result suggests Alonso should be better. He is yet to seem comfortable in the car.

I really like the way the midfield shook out with different makes interspersed, not classified by team. Should make a good battle tomorrow. Rain?

[Jimbuna]

Missed everything at this end so hoping for a good race.

https://i.postimg.cc/TPBcW7by/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/s2GYyYL3/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Watching qualifying now but I have to say I'm loving the stewards getting tough about track limits this year and looking forward to the races that will use sprints for qualifying. Also if you missed it the Monte Carlo Historique ran last weekend and is viewable on YouTube.

[Jimbuna]

Looks like I'll be channel hopping....TOON kick of an hour before the race starts.

[Buddahaid]

Good clean race overall. Mazipan is definitely not helping HAAS look better but it's an off year development wise.

I'll not talk about winners and losers as some may not have watched it yet.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton fought back to pass both Valtteri Bottas and Max Verstappen for a brilliant victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix.

The seven-time champion fell to third as Verstappen's Red Bull overtook him at a restart after an early safety car.

But he passed Verstappen four laps later and then hunted down and did the same to his Mercedes team-mate before moving on to control the race.

The win gives Hamilton an eight-point championship lead over Verstappen.

https://i.postimg.cc/8CqYL8nW/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/NFtPP6tj/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

Hamilton deserved it, he ran a great race. Now, this was a race short on excitement, and not just because Merc came out on top. A few random observations....

I said earlier in the thread that last year the pitstraight DRS zone was overpowered. It was shortened this year and much better. Cars were not being overtaken on the straight, but it gave enough to allow passing through turn one, and we saw many overtakes around the outside.

Oh Kimi... when it happened I said I bet he was head down on the wheel fiddling with something, and sure enough. Far too much experience to allow that to happen. They were fortunate he didn't take out his teammate.

I watched the race and saw Max got fast lap after his late stop. The results on F1.com said Bottas got it. Who got fast lap? Did Bottas pip it at the flag?

I expected Fez to be strong here, but they will be disappointed with the result. Sainz struggled and out of the points. Leclerc sixth.

Good result for Alpine, two cars in the points and Alonso looked much better.

Lando is putting together a great season, off to a fine start. He has really come on, and he is getting results. Ricciardo had a good run too, but he will be wanting to start stringing them together and a little higher in the order.

Force India, I mean Racing Point, sorry, Aston Martin look a mess. This team was the class of the midfield a year ago and now cannot do anything right. Is it that their rivals, in particular McLaren, got that much better? Or is something wrong within the team? Did the car fail to improve? Is Vettel a curse? Hard to say, but morale must be sinking over there.

I was hyping Russell ahead of this race and he had a terrible run. Same with Alfa Romeo. I had said they looked most improved at Bahrain, but they are reverting to form.

Mazepin is a menace. Seriously, this guy may have talent, or potential, but he doesn't belong out there. I know his pop is bankrolling them with his oil-soaked cash, but I find it all objectionable from a sporting point of view. Just a matter of time before Mazepin causes a disaster. I suspect he will at Monaco. There are more deserving drivers of that seat, they just don't come with the cash in tow. If Urakali's money is keeping the team in the sport I'll give them a pass, but just.

Overall I have to be disappointed with this result. I expect that today's finishing order will be a common sight, but Red Bull need to flip the script every other race if they are to be in with a shot at the end. Mercedes deserved their result, and Red Bull need to find that little bit extra to get the results that keep them in the hunt or Mercedes will keep opening the gap.

[Jimbuna]

I watched the race and saw Max got fast lap after his late stop. The results on F1.com said Bottas got it. Who got fast lap? Did Bottas pip it at the flag?




It was taken off Verstappen after race control reported that he had broken track limits at Turn 14, causing the time to be deleted.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton took a 100th career pole position by edging out Red Bull's Max Verstappen in qualifying at the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton's Mercedes was just 0.036 seconds faster than Verstappen, who was in turn 0.096secs ahead of the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc pulled out one of his trademark stellar laps on his last run to take fourth from Alpine's Esteban Ocon.

Ferrari's Carlos Sainz was sixth ahead of McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo.

The second Red Bull of Sergio Perez took eighth, nearly 0.8secs adrift of Verstappen, with McLaren's Lando Norris and Alpine's Fernando Alonso completing the top 10.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes produced a brilliant, attacking, strategic race to beat Red Bull's Max Verstappen in the Spanish Grand Prix.

Hamilton's third win in four races this season came despite losing the lead to Verstappen at the first corner.

Mercedes put Hamilton on a two-stop strategy and the seven-time champion closed a 23-second deficit in 18 laps to pass the Red Bull with six laps to go.

Verstappen bailed on his one-stop strategy after losing the lead and took second and the point for fastest lap as consolation.

Hamilton's victory was the 98th of his career, after he set his 100th pole position on Saturday, and it extends his championship lead to 14 points.

https://i.postimg.cc/BZm5ZBGH/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)
https://i.postimg.cc/ncM4X9H5/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Good to see Ferrari in the mix but I can't wait for next year. You can't take anything away from Mercedes with Hamilton driving but it's wearing on my interest and I'm missing the days when after five races you could have five different winners.

[Jimbuna]

Already a two-horse race imho.

[Threadfin]

Very disappointing result from my perspective. Mercedes deserves this result as their strategy was perfectly executed, and left Red Bull damned if they do and damned if they don't. It was gutting to watch the interval drop so quickly at the end. Max was a sitting duck at that point.

But it's all possible because Perez just isn't in the fight. Were he closer to the front then Mercedes would have thought twice about pitting Lewis and maybe the race result turns out differently. I like Perez and think they made the right decision with this hire. But he isn't taking advantage. That's five races done now, and he has yet to look anything like a challenger, and if Red Bull are to have a shot at this they need both cars in the mix. They aren't getting that right now and it needs to change starting at Monaco. We all expect a bedding-in period when a driver changes teams, but Red Bull no longer have the luxury of time if they are to stay in the title fight. It is quickly slipping away. Red Bull have the machinery to win the title, but they have to match that with winning strategy and driver performances. And the fact is that they are not, and honestly Mercedes made them look like amateurs yesterday.

Fez and especially Leclerc continue to impress. The Ferrari's aero package seems especially good, and with their power plant problems seemingly in the past the Fez is looking strong again. Leclerc is driving great, and while it is still early days, it looks to be shaping up as a great battle between him and Lando for the best of the rest title. Some of the shine came off Norris this weekend, but 8th is still in the points and combined with Sainz's and Ricciardo's results this is shaping up to be a great midfield battle, with just five points between the two teams. I'm tempted to throw Alpine in that mix, but they are only showing flashes and Alonso is feast or famine it seems, and anyway they are now 45 points back of Ferrari already. Alonso's retreat through the pack yesterday was painful to watch. They'll need more consistency to be in the mix.

One of the biggest surprises for me so far has been Aston Martin's fall. They have in no way carried their momentum from last season and look out of sorts. Stroll is driving well, but the car seems well off the standard they set last year. This is the team I expected to emerge as midfield boss, and they been anything but. Vettel has strung together some competent performances instead of being a trainwreck, which is good, but they need to find some pace.

Mazepin did not finish last and I hardly noticed him, which I guess is progress haha. Mick Schumacher seems the most polished of the rookie class, or maybe the least volatile, and in that seat he'll not get anything done, but so far he looks the most likely to stick around.

At the moment it feels like Red Bull are all promise and little product. Mercedes have their fangs out under a genuine title threat, and the fact is they are executing better, they look like a title-caliber team, while Red Bull look like pretenders. A long way to go, but they need to start getting results.

[Threadfin]

Interesting sessions and results. I've been saying Fez looked to have a great aero package this year, and it sure seemed to be borne out today. This is the type of track that will reveal it.

The McLaren livery looks awesome.

I predicted Mazepin would be a menace around Moncao, but it was the other rookies having shunts. Far from over though.

Monaco is such a horrible racing track, but the event is iconic, and I look forward to it every year. Qualifying should be fantastic. Everyone knows how crucial it is at Monaco.

P3 should be enlightening.

[Jimbuna]

Yes, Ferrari have surprised me but I notice the three 'usual suspects' are right behind them.

[Threadfin]

Wow!

Ferrari's for real. You could see it coming. Well done to Leclerc who must be over the moon.

Bitter sweet result for Red Bull. Verstappen strong, as expected. Perez not strong, as expected. Ninth is just not good enough. On a day when Hamilton struggled, the door was wide open but once again Perez fails to shine and it will cost them in the race (probably).

Giovinazzi. Wut. Well I've been saying they look improved, and then they don't. But tenth on the grid is outrageous for Alfa. Fantastic result. He'll need to start on softs though, and I always say that eleventh is better than tenth because of that. Still, top ten at Moncao is a fantastic result for him.

Sainz, Gasly, Norris all had a good session, and once again I love seeing the marks shuffled up, makes for a better race than having classification by team.

Disappointed to see Kimi so far back, considering his teammate's result. Alonso must be wondering what he needs to do. To fail to make Q2 again has to be demoralizing, especially as Ocon is outdriving him every weekend. Same exact scenario over at McLaren with Ricciardo, who surely didn't expect to struggle so much.

I guess Shumacher gets special dispensation? There's no chance he doesn't start, is there?

Can't wait for the race.

[Threadfin]

Leclerc crashed with a minute to go and busted up his car. That could change things, especially if any fix falls outside parc ferme and he could get a grid penatly. Max was purple first sector at the time and that's just rotten luck.


So depending on the ruling it could be max and Bottas on the front row tomorrow. Great stuff! Gotta love F1 :)

[Buddahaid]

So much for my prediction that Max and Lewis will take each other out at Sainte Devote tomorrow but I still expect a first corner mess.

[Jimbuna]

Missed it all, watching the mackems lose in the semi final playoff place.

Looking at the final pole positions I really can't see Hamilton making it onto the podium this time around.

[Buddahaid]

Well that wasn't the race I was expecting. Mercedes dropped the ball and I can't help feeling really bad for Bottas but have no sympathy for Lewis's crocodile tears because he didn't make a podium for once.

Vettal finally shows pace for Aston Martin with a P5 finish and Norris's star just keeps rising.

Also I'm amazed the race had no safety cars to scramble the results.

[Jimbuna]

^ Yep, fully agree :yep:

[Threadfin]

What a result!

Where to start? The race itself was about as expected, I don't recall seeing a single overtake aside from those resulting from pit strategy.

But it was the drama surrounding the race that stands out. Ferrari really bottled it. There is talk that the problem forcing Leclerc from the race was unrelated to the crash. Maybe. But if not they took way too big of chance, having said they would not. To not make the start is a massive mistake. Sainz helped mitigate the damage with his impressive drive, but they had two podium cars this weekend and to let it slip in such a fashion seems inexcusable.

I was shocked and delighted with Bottas' pitstop. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Incredibly unfortunate for him and Mercedes, who have a very tight pitcrew, maybe the finest on the grid. If it was a cross-thread it's on them. But that is really poor luck that has huge ramifications in the title chase. Bottas had a potential winning car and to fail to score is a massive blow.

Combined with Hamilton's pedestrian drive it was a nightmare weekend for Mercedes.

Red Bull however had a fantastic weekend. Partly it was due to the misfortune of their rivals, and partly due to what they got right. First, Max drove a great race. Very focused, fast, consistent and he showed great patience to temper his pace, yet turn it on when needed. It was a masterful drive and well done to him for his first Monaco podium. It was nail-biting stuff in the final part of the race, as I expected disaster when so much was on offer.

Secondly, Perez once again showed good racecraft, turning his lackluster ninth on the grid in to a solid fourth at the flag. Great strategy to overcut the midfield and take more points than I thought possible at the start. But he must improve on Saturday's with his one lap pace to turn these good drives in to podiums.

Still, Red Bull emerge in the lead in both titles chases, which is insane and way more than they could have dreamed of heading in to Monaco. My posts earlier were warning against it slowly slipping away as Mercedes were more polished each race. But this result tears it all up and we have a right proper title fight once again. Great for the sport, for the fans and for Red Bull supporters :)

Lando again. What a great drive, and he is putting together a hugely impressive season. Vettel really redeemed himself, and Aston Martin had a great race. Alfa scored and Kimi nearly did. Seems like he is 11th every weekend, doesn't it?

Lastly, and Buddahaid touched on it, is the fact that the race was so clean. No safety car, not even a yellow flag, right? Unbelievable. I expected carnage. Nope. This had to have been the fastest Monaco Grand Prix in history. Well done to all the drivers for such a clean race, which is so difficult to do here.

[Threadfin]

Bring on Baku! Not a big fan of the track itself, but its nature produces some great races, mostly due to the carnage. It's a very interesting circuit from a setup perspective, as it is the one track that demands Monaco wings and Monza wings, ya know? It allows the most leeway for chassis setup, as you can get very similar laptimes from two very different approaches. But I know from racing there in Codemasters sims that you really must set it up low drag for the race or the other cars will eat you up on the start-finish straight. Qualifying is a different thing, but with Parc Ferme rules I suspect most teams will tilt their wings back in favor of top end. I'm curious to see how the DRS zone is configured this year.

In general I am not a big fan of street courses, but the oddly shaped corners, narrow sections and two-wide entries in Azerbaijan do make for a great racing spectacle, not to mention the absurd straight.

It will be interesting too to see what comes of the flexi-wing controversy. Whether Red Bull (and others) will run it. Toto is raising his concerns, threatening a protest. If there is any track where such a concept would pay the biggest dividends it is Baku. But then again, these wings have passed all scrutineering, and do not appear to run afoul of the regulations as they are. It may add a touch of off-track drama to the proceedings.

[Threadfin]

It's looking good at Baku for Red Bull (and Fez) through FP2. Mercedes were off the pace, but looks like they're running mediums, while Red Bull ran softs. Ferrari also ran mediums and turned in some impressive times.

The most encouraging thing for me is seeing Checo at the top of the speed chart for FP2. None of this ultimately matters all that much, only Q2 and Q3 really matter. But you try to gauge things based on these sessions, which reveal some, but not all.

These practices are also a bit chaotic, with plenty of spins and drives in to the run-off. This race is going to be fun. All the carnage missing from Monaco is going to make an appearance here I think :)

[Jimbuna]

The Singapore Grand Prix has been called off this year and Formula 1 is assessing its options to replace the race.

F1 and the Singapore authorities agreed it will not be possible to hold the event in the context of immigration restrictions in the city state.

Other races later in 2021 could also fall prey to the coronavirus pandemic.

Turkey, China and a second race at Austin in the USA are all under consideration as replacements.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/57360662

[Threadfin]

No big loss. A lousy circuit and I doubt the teams will be mourning this.

Except of course we do not know which track will fill in. it was to be Russia>Singapore>Japan, which is fairly manageable from a logistics point of view considering the massive distances involved. If they need to fly to Italy or Germany or wherever instead, and then on to Japan it makes it more of an issue.

We will probably see more schedule juggling before the season's out.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/jdnT33ft/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/MvwgvDtF)

[Threadfin]

Q2 was amazing with just .035 covering the top five cars. I cannot recall ever seeing that many cars that close in qualifying. Remarkable.

Q3 results are a bit more spread out, and not great for Red Bull, but not bad either. Baku has overtaking, so Max sitting third isn't ideal, but not the end of the world either. I suspect he has the fastest car but the mayhem in Q3 prevented him from showing it.

Not sure where Hamilton pulled out these laps. Great driving, and especially with Bottas well off the pace in tenth. Perez was super fast all weekend, topping the charts at times. And then when it matters most he can't put it together. Very disappointing, but he is ahead of Bottas which is good. But had Bottas matched Hamilton then Perez's result would be bad, once again. I expect his race pace will be good, but he can't keep stacking the deck against himself.

Ferrari feel like they are sandbagging us. Their improvement is stunning and each weekend now you expect this will be the one where they revert to form and boom, right near the top, and that makes back to back poles for Leclerc. If Fez got zero poles this season I wouldn't have been surprised. but two in two races? Unreal.

But the real amazing results are Alpha Tauri. Out of nowhere. Tsunoda was fourth in Q2, and while he slipped to eighth in Q3, Gasly pulled out all the stops to claim that fourth spot on the grid. Fantastic. Gasly is a driver I find myself pulling for, and it's great to see his hard work and obvious improvement pay off with a second row.

Alonso had a good session, ninth. he'll be encouraged by this result. Ricciardo is beginning to look like a lost cause. I know changing teams is a challenge. New car, different handling and balance, new engineers. But he's had a couple months now to get up to speed and has yet to impress. I can't believe he won't come good, but I think it should have happened already. McLaren are in a tight tussle with Ferrari, and like Perez at Red Bull, they need their second car in the mix not only for points, but also for the strategy options it opens up. Thirteenth is not good enough. It has to be frustrating for him and the whole team, particularly when you look at Lando's good results every weekend.

One interesting thing about this event so far is the fact that the best times are well off what the top cars were running in 2019. Bottas took pole that year with a 1:40.495. Leclerc was seven tenths off that pace, suggesting to me the grip levels at the track are significantly lower. A dirty track? Temperature? A different tire compound? I would have expected the fastest cars to at least match Bottas' record. It looked throughout the weekend that grip is pretty low.

All in all not a bad session for Red Bull even if neither driver could put it all together for Q3. As a team they have a starting edge over Silver Arrows due to Bottas' pedestrian effort. In the grand scheme this is good, even if I would have preferred each car to be a little higher in the order. But Baku serves up plenty of drama and carnage (four red flags in Q3 is a record) and it's all there for the taking.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/tJvxRqt1/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/tnPT2Hcy)

[Threadfin]

Lando got a grid penalty for remaining on track for Giovinazzi's red flag. But they reduced it to three places due to having so little time to react as he was already on the start-finish straight. A bit odd, that, but I think it's fair for that reason, and I'm OK with the call.

That means Perez, Tsunoda and Alonso all move up one spot, which is great for Red Bull of course as it puts one more grid position between Perez and Bottas.


Hamilton's found that pace it turns out, by switching rear wings to a lower downforce one. That worked out well for one lap pace on an open track, but could possibly hamper him in the race, in the twisty sectors, and especially in the dirty air in the opening stages.

[Buddahaid]

Wonderful mix of car and drivers on the grid. :Kaleun_Applaud:

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen looked set to take his first first-ever Azerbaijan Grand Prix victory before he crashed out from the lead with just five laps to go – giving Sergio Perez a second career victory, as Lewis Hamilton locked up on the penultimate lap to finish 16th in a hugely dramatic race in Baku.

For the first time this season, Charles Leclerc led away from pole, but he was passed for the lead by Lewis Hamilton with no need for DRS, so strong was the tow, on Lap 2. Verstappen then swept by the Ferrari man on Lap 7.

Verstappen took the lead after a crucial sequence of pit stops, Hamilton starting that sequence on Lap 12 with a slow switch for hards thanks to traffic in the pit lane. Verstappen pitted a lap later and emerged first, followed by Perez who split the championship rivals. And the Dutchman seemed to have victory in the bag, mastering a Lap 35 Safety Car restart after Lance Stroll's terrifying accident, when the Aston Martin driver's left-rear tyre appeared to gave way on the pit straight.

That was until Verstappen himself, comfortably in the lead on Lap 47, spun and crashed after an apparent tyre issue of his own. Unhurt, but shaken, his crash triggered the Safety Car, which turned into a red flag that suspended the race on Lap 48. The race resumed with a standing start 35 minutes later on Lap 50, giving us two laps of flat-out action, the field all having switched tyres during the stoppage.

Perez would lead Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Pierre Gasly and Leclerc off the line for the re-start. Hamilton got away well, his nose seemingly ahead of Perez's, but the Briton locked-up heavily and went into the Turn 1 run-off. He finished 16th, leaving Perez in the lead, Vettel second and Gasly – having held off a charging Leclerc in the final laps – to take the final podium place.

Vettel started 11th but finished a brilliant second as he pitted 18 laps later than anyone else, and emerged sixth. On the re-start after Stroll's crash, he took P4 off Leclerc and Gasly, and was promoted to the podium by Verstappen's retirement.

Leclerc finished fourth as his Lap 10 undercut attempt on Gasly didn't pay off. While he tried to wrestle P3 off the Frenchman after the final re-start, his efforts were in vain and the Ferrari driver finished fourth.

Lando Norris shrugged off a three-place penalty and undercut his rivals having started P9 to take fifth ahead of Fernando Alonso, both movers in that final re-start, while AlphaTauri's rookie Yuki Tsunoda started seventh and finished there having pitted early on Lap 9.

Rounding out the top 10 was Ferrari's Carlos Sainz in P8 – who bounced back on hard tyres after a huge Lap 11 lock-up that left him as low as 15th – Daniel Ricciardo, up to ninth from 13th, and Alpine's Fernando Alonso in P10 having badgered the P9 McLaren driver throughout the race.

But the headline story was Verstappen's retirement from the lead, and Hamilton's shocking late lock-up that cost him a shot at re-taking the championship lead after this astonishing Azerbaijan Grand Prix finish.

https://i.postimg.cc/jSyHRDvW/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/G4h8QhWr)

[Threadfin]

I have many thoughts on the race, but I'll save it, no one engages with my commentary anyway :)

So one word

Cruel

[Jimbuna]

Should be a crackin race between the two at the font in France today.

https://i.postimg.cc/2yZ1mhBH/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimg.cc/m1TLycjM)

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull took their third consecutive win of the season at a cracking French Grand Prix courtesy of Max Verstappen, who passed Lewis Hamilton with two laps to go to claim the thirteenth victory of his career, Hamilton finishing second as the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez completed the podium.

In a mirror of the Spanish Grand Prix – when Mercedes out-strategised Red Bull to claim the victory – Verstappen stopped twice to Hamilton’s one-stop, with the Dutchman then using his fresher tyres to close up to the Mercedes, passing on Lap 52 of 53 to check out for his third win of the year.

It more than made up for Verstappen losing out to Hamilton from pole at the race start, Verstappen taking the win as well as the extra point for fastest lap – with the result also marking the first time Red Bull have won three races on the bounce in the turbo-hybrid era.

Behind, Valtteri Bottas ended up a disgruntled fourth behind Perez, having complained to Mercedes that he was ignored when he advised them to switch to a two-stop, as Red Bull did with Verstappen.

https://i.postimg.cc/Rh3yCQ9n/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen gave Red Bull the perfect start to the first of two races on home soil by delivering a scintillating lap to fend off Mercedes duo Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton to snatch pole position for the Styrian Grand Prix - his second in a row.

https://i.postimg.cc/xCHH10n0/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Again, I like how the FIA is enforcing track limits this year. Sure it's hurting some drivers but too bad, stay on the track. In the eighties you rarely crossed the white line because you'd break your car or put a wheel on the grass and then break your car.

Bottas is feeling picked on with his three place grid penalty for spinning his car in the pit lane. Too bad, people can get injured and the FIA is making that message clear.

And I find it refreshing that Mercedes is looking a bit confused in a season where they have a spending cap and aren't dominating the field. It's making better races to watch.

Vettal seems much more relaxed and appers to be enjoying driving more than he has been of late with Ferrari and it's nice to see. Alonso is right there as well just having fun being there with nothing to prove.

How about George Russell just missing out on Q3? Great drive for Williams and nice to see for the venerable team.

Alpha Tauri are also doing great and Tsunoda kept his nose clean for qualifying although Bottas called him an idiot for messing up his hot lap at turn three.

[Jimbuna]

Still early days in the season but if Hamilton fails to win this afternoon I'll start to wonder if we will have a new champion come the end of the season.

[Threadfin]

Still 2/3 of the points to play for, but Red Bull have come storming back from their slow start in the first few races. Having Checo in the mix at the front makes a huge difference.

Paul Ricard was a big litmus test and when Red Bull came through looking so good there it showed they'll be in this fight all year long. If France had gone like Spain then I'd be leaning toward Mercedes over the course of the calendar.

Red Bull just look like the better package at the moment. And with teams focusing on 2022 perhaps there's less potential for bigger shifts in relative performance between teams. We'll see. But the signs all look good for Red Bull.

It's really been a great season so far and I'm hoping it's tight all the way.

Lando continues to impress and Ricciardo a mess. If Ricciardo was anywhere near Lando right now they'd be well clear of Fez. And Ferrari are all at sea at times and it's a dramatic vein in the season's narrative, whether they'll be on pole or retreating through the field from week to week.

Vettel's made me eat my words, and Budda has it right. He seemed so disinterested in his last year with Fez, he was a mess, lacked focus and made a lot of unforced errors. But he's really been good over the last few races and looks rejuvenated. I think he has also elevated the entire team with his approach to practice, debriefs and car setup. I was critical of Aston Martin making this move and giving Perez the boot. But it's paid off I think for all concerned. Stroll will benefit too with an on-song world champion to learn from.

I'm pulling for Max today of course, but for me the thing I am hoping to see is Russell scoring. No driver deserves it more at this point, he's so good on Saturdays, and deserves to have that pay. And he still gets free tyre choice even bumped to tenth, right? He's never been in a better position (aside from Sakir at the end of last year of course). Williams will be interesting to watch. You can feel they are about to return to the battle. The new owners seem committed and capable of making that happen. There's a different vibe about them at the moment.

Red Bull Ring is a fantastic track, and this should be a cracking race.

[Buddahaid]

I think the jury is out and Red Bull has the better car this year as well as a great driver which has been the Mercedes win formula for years. Lewis is certainly getting his wish welcoming a tighter championship. I believe this is the longest gap between P1 and P2 at this track ever, or at least in it's current form and the first time since 2014 that Mercedes has failed to win four races in a row.

No real strategy mistakes and Mercedes did opt for the fastest lap at the end this time. I never understood why they didn't do that with Bottas in France.

Norris is showing very strong again while Russell's luck fizzles away.

No safety cars again!

[Jimbuna]

As I suspected/feared.

Max Verstappen claimed a second win in seven days with victory at the Styrian Grand Prix, enjoying a dominant lights-to-flag performance at the Red Bull Ring over the Mercedes of title rival Lewis Hamilton, as Valtteri Bottas claimed third ahead of Sergio Perez.

Following on from his win in the French Grand Prix, Verstappen led away from pole position at a dry Red Bull Ring, leading every lap of the race to claim his 14th career win, and his third at his team’s Red Bull Ring home track.

The Dutchman duly stretched his lead over Hamilton to 18 points in the drivers’ standings, after the Mercedes driver was unable to offer any serious answer to Verstappen’s pace on race day, although he was at least able to limit the damage after taking the bonus point for fastest lap thanks to a late pit stop.

Having started P5 after his grid drop for spinning in the pit lane on Friday, Bottas was able to claim third, holding off a late charge by the second Red Bull of Perez for the Finn’s first podium since the Spanish Grand Prix.

https://i.postimg.cc/W4v0ynz1/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

Not exactly the cracking race I anticipated. Max had too much pace for the field. He lapped everyone aside from Perez, Bottas and Hamilton. Now normally I'd say you can't take too much from one race, that the next track presents different challenges and everyone is starting over in a sense. But of course we're right back at it next round at the A1 Ring next weekend. That shades well for Red Bull.

I expected Mercedes to have better race pace, but Max was already out of DRS range within a lap or two and it was hardly in doubt from there. His radio transmissions give me ulcers because he sounds so distraught on the radio and I expect disaster is imminent since I don't understand half of what he saying.

Perez needed another lap or two but that's how it goes. His first stop took too long and with Bottas running a good race it was just a bridge too far wasn't it? Maybe if they had brought him in a lap or two sooner it would have been enough, but fourth is a good result and ensured Red Bull extended their lead, if only by three points.

Lando solid again. It was interesting to see how uninterested he was in defending against the Red Bulls and Mercs. But McLaren aren't in a fight with those guys so in a strategic sense it seems smart. But I'd still rather see everyone fighting for position. Ricciardo again disappoints, but I guess his ICE had issues and cost him track position he was unable to recover.

Fez again rip up the form books. What to make of this team? On the weekends they have great single-lap pace their race pace is short. When they have good race pace they struggle to put it up on the grid. After France it seemed they were a mess, but yesterday they looked great, especially Leclerc who must be kicking himself for running up the back of Gasly. It seems that McLaren should be well clear by now but it's still very tight between these teams.

Gutted for Russell and Gasly. Both deserved better and had showed impressive speed throughout the weekend but it wasn't to be. Alpha Tauri have quietly put together an impressive package, with some very fast flashes of pace, but are struggling to get the results their car seems to warrant. Tsunoda has looked better, more consistent, and Gasly just has had some rotten luck.

Aston Martin fell out of it a bit after their encouraging run of results. Kimi was 11th once again, it's amazing.

Mercedes have a challenge on their hands to close the gap ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, but Red Bull look to be favorites based on what we saw yesterday.

[Threadfin]

That was a great qualifying.

Max on pole with a fantastic lap and on mediums to start the race. Softer compounds this weekend but I think they'll still be able to get a one-stopper on medium-hard, but we'll see which direction they choose to go.

Perez! Finally, a good Q3. Wasn't looking like it then he nailed one at the death. Lando had a blistering lap, nearly on pole, but if not for that it's a Red Bull one-two. Well done to Lando, who gets better every race. McLaren nearly snagging pole on pace merit is amazing. Ricciardo down in 13th by contrast. It's now a serious problem for McLaren to have him fail to shine.

I mentioned Alpha Tauri last week and how they have quietly put together a great package and man did it show today. Sixth and seventh is a cracking result for them. I expect them to be right in it.

Mercedes have to be scratching their heads. They thought (I suspect) they had it sorted after FP2, and then go fourth/fifth in Q3. While that's not bad, they had to be expecting better. Now both will need to get past Sergio and Lando to challenge Max and that will be a tall order with the pace those two are showing at the moment. It's a grid that looks to be ready for a spark. I expect a very contentious opening few laps, elbows out as the Mercs look to get up front. Perez will have his hands full and needs a perfect start. If he can do that he'll protect Max and give himself a great shot at the rostrum and maybe the win even.


George Russell ninth on merit. Just amazing in that Williams and I said there's a different vibe around them and this result has to have them flying high. Is that his first Q3 appearance in a Williams? I think it is. Failure to score now would be gutting.

Fez once again boggle the mind. There's no predicting where they'll be, although if form holds I expect their race pace will be strong, since their one-lap pace wasn't. But failing to get either car in to Q3 has to be demoralizing after their strong showing in last week's race.

And well done to Aston martin, with both cars in Q3 and looking good to score them both.

Looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully another good drive from Max and from Checo. Would love to see the one-two their performances and pace have hinted is coming soon. It won't be easy, and with the weather and softer compounds it could get shaken up. I think it will be very important to preserve tyres and manage degradation. The cars that do that best and maybe can make this a one-stop are going to have the upper hand.

[Jimbuna]

If Hamilton doesn't beat the Red Bull tomorrow (which it is beginning to look like) then the seeds of defeat in the championship outcome will have been planted.

It is being rumoured that Mercedes are already preparing a new car for next season having taken the current one as far as they believe they can.

[Threadfin]

Well, that's what Toto would have us believe, but someone from the team has said there are indeed improvements for the 2021 car in the pipeline and they won't go until the end of the year without putting new parts on. Development will be minimal by necessity (new 2022 regs and spending cap this season) but I doubt they'll not make any changes this season.

Toto likes to throw a little light around and shift the gaze. I'd be quite surprised if they did not make changes, but it is possible I suppose. Red Bull certainly are.

But it's a balancing act with the cap. Every dime spent now eats in to the 2022 development. Red Bull are more willing to go this route since they have a title within view, and given the gap to their last one, are willing to roll the dice a bit.

[Threadfin]

Norris' scintillating lap puts a McLaren on the front row for the first time since 2012 when it was Hamilton and Button!

That was indeed Russell's first Q3 for WIlliams. And it is Williams' best start since 2017 in Brazil. And he progressed to Q3 on mediums.

Fourth is Hamilton’s lowest result in Q3 at the Red Bull Ring since 2014, and it is the first time Mercedes missed out on a top three spot with either car on a dry track since the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.


It's possible that Vettel gets a grid penalty, I don't know if there's an investigation. But if you saw him binding up Alonso it seems certain, as it was way worse than what Tsunoda was tagged for last week.

[Buddahaid]

Vettel gets a three place grid penalty for his trouble and Norris on the front row! I wonder how long before Hamilton passes him?

[Jimbuna]

It doesn't look too promising for Mercedes after this statement by Hamilton.

In fact I'm not all that sure I'll bother watching it noe....perhaps the highlights later.

Hamilton said: "I don't have an answer. We were just not any quicker. We have put in the time and worked hard to improve the car. I don't know if they have improved their car again this weekend but we haven't and we just have to keep working.

"We definitely can't take it to the Red Bulls [in the race]. They are just too fast. My race is with the two guys ahead of me, trying to get past them."

https://i.postimg.cc/Hn5Xs6BR/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Fkr7TVtV)

[Buddahaid]

The penalty race of the year. I was pissed Norris was penalized for the turn four incident with Perez but then Perez doubled down on it with LeClerc. I'm remembering back to this race in 2019 when Verstappen forced LeClerc off the track in turn three to take the lead without penalty.
https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.austrian-gp-contact-as-verstappen-passes-leclerc-for-the-lead.6060939848001.html

Tsunoda penalized twice for crossing the pit lane line and Gasly for speeding in the pit lane.

Great race between Russel and Alonso showing Perez how it's done now. Too bad Russel just missed the points.

Ocon needs to know when to back out it seems.

Bottas gets some over Hamilton at last as Mercedes couldn't find the race pace to win again. I do expect Silverstone to be a win for Mercedes.

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen dominated at his team's own track for the second time in a week to take control of the drivers' championship.

Verstappen's victory in the Austrian Grand Prix was his fourth in five races and moves him into a 32-point lead over title rival Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes driver had a troubled race and finished fourth behind team-mate Valtteri Bottas and McLaren's Lando Norris.

And Verstappen's domination raises questions as to the state of Hamilton's hopes of an eighth title this year.

Further down the field, George Russell agonisingly missed out on scoring a point for Williams for the first time when he was passed for 10th place by Alpine's Fernando Alonso with three laps to go after holding the two-time champion at bay for 10 laps.

And there was a bizarre incident on the final lap when Kimi Raikkonen appeared to make a misjudgement and drove his Alfa Romeo into Sebastian Vettel's Aston Martin as they were fighting with Russell, taking both cars out.

https://i.postimg.cc/KzY1TNFq/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

I was wondering about that yellow flag but didn't find out the cause.

[Jimbuna]

I doubt many if any were looking at that part of the race field at that point in the race.

[Threadfin]

Another clinical victory for Max, I guess, since he's out in front so much he doesn't actually appear on the broadcast I watch. If I saw his car for more than four minutes yesterday I'd be surprised. So judging by the margin of victory I'd say he probably drove it well haha. Clearly he's in the fastest car, but he is making that count. To illustrate how good he was, his fastest lap was 1.5 seconds faster than the second-best (Norris) and nearly 2 seconds faster than any other car.

Perez showed poor judgement with the attempt to go around Norris in turn 4. Too early to be trying something like that, and so hard to make it stick. But if you can get alongside you're then on the inside on the entrance to turn 5 so it can work.

As to the penalty-fest, that's not what I want to see. But my view is that if another car is alongside you must leave a lane. Norris' left front was on the red and white kerb on the exit and there was no track, let alone a lane. I don't see how anything else is acceptable, and the commentators in the broadcast felt it was hard racing and legit. I think the car on the inside must leave a car's width. This is nothing to do with it being a Red Bull, but just what is needed to ensure cars aren't pushed in to traps, walls and run-offs. The stewards seem to agree. No matter how harebrained, aggressive or stupid the other driver is, he has to be given room to stay on the track.

Ricciardo had a good run. I've been critical, but he looked good yesterday and scored the car and good points. McLaren need both cars in the mix and got that yesterday.

Alpha Tauri didn't justify my expectation. Maybe because they started on softs, but just a P9 after their excellent qualifying is a disappointment. Ferrari again did well. They'd love to be a little higher in the finishing order, but scoring both cars week in, week out is the primary objective as they try to hunt down the Mclarens. Still, they went backwards this week, with Lando's great drive to the podium. Lando's 101 points are not far away from both Ferrari's total of 122. If Ricciardo had hit the ground running this season McLaren would be out of sight.

Gutted for Russell, who came oh so close. His points are surely coming. Kimi nearly finished 11th, but didn't. Alonso scored, taking that point away from Williams, and he seems to be on a streak. Must be four or five races straight now. The Alpine is the best sounding car on the grid too.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes will continue their immensely successful partnership in Formula 1 beyond this season, with the reigning seven-time world champion signing a two-year contract that will keep him in F1 with the Silver Arrows until at least the end of 2023.

It is the second contract Hamilton has done with Mercedes in six months, the Briton only putting pen to paper on his current one-year term a few weeks before pre-season testing began.

Both Hamilton and Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff were keen to avoid the contract saga dragging on again, so began talks much earlier and they were concluded within weeks before being announced on Saturday morning of the Austrian Grand Prix.

[Buddahaid]

Yes, the rules require one to leave room for the car alongside but I think this is the first time I've watched it enforced that way. Usually if one car is ahead and on the racing line they can use the racing line and the other car needs to back out. Still you have to keep to the racing line.

As I showed in the video I posted above, Max did the very same thing to LeClerc in 2019 at the same track without penalty so why would anyone expect to be penalized. I think the stewards were made aware of that and as a result were forced to judge harshly rather than retract a penalty already given. Even Christian Horner indicated the outside car usually comes off worse in these situations when being interviewed during the race and made no mention of complaining to the stewards.

[Threadfin]

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article.he-put-himself-in-the-gravel-norris-hits-out-at-perez-penalty-after-having.5vEdumF8FStuthftpR0oSm.html


That article has a video of this incident. If you pause it at 53 seconds it shows Perez on the track side by side. At 54 seconds he is in the gravel and Lando's on the kerb, leaving no space at all. For my money it's a clear violation and the stewards got it right. Of course Perez did exactly the same thing to Leclerc later on and rightfully also got a penalty.


I also expect Mercedes to be stronger at Silverstone, but don't forget this race is sprint qualifying and then anything can happen and probably will.

[Buddahaid]

Sure but Lando has the racing line and is ahead having outbraked Perez.

In this video at 12 seconds, Max has the racing line but isn't as far ahead. Max pushed LeClerc off the track to take the lead and was not penalized. I believe the stewards called this a racing incident so obviously there seems to be room for interpretation, or favoritism at red Bulls home track. The other consideration is at turn three there is a run off area which to me makes no difference. Getting pushed out of the track limits is getting pushed out of track limits. What if this was a street track with Armco for track limits?

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/video.austrian-gp-contact-as-verstappen-passes-leclerc-for-the-lead.6060939848001.html

[Buddahaid]

Okay! Lewis finds his legs again and Russell flies. I'm liking the trial format so far and can't wait to see the sprint tomorrow.

[Cyborg322]

Great to see Williams in Q3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCiwg9QJywU

[Threadfin]

I like this format too. All the teams are scrambling a bit, which is good, and anything can happen in a sprint race and so theoretically the order could be quite shuffled. All it takes is one spin or trip trough the gravel to slide way down the order, and in a 100km race there's little time for recovery.

I want to see how it shakes out at all three venues, but so far I am liking what this format has brought to the division.

[Jimbuna]

This may turn out to be the most interesting race so far this season.

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) off line to win sprint.

https://i.postimg.cc/hGpQzy9C/Untitled22.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Threadfin]

Well done to Max. Perez kills them. Can't let that happen.


In the end I don't think there are too many surprises other than Perez. Biggest thing I take from it is Mercedes brought upgrades to Silverstone and they look to have narrowed the gap after Austria.



Maybe Sainz down in P11 is a bit of a surprise given the Fez pace through the practice sessions. Good result for McLaren. If anything sprint racing gives a better preview of race pace than standard qualifying does, so I think it may be easier to get a feel for things tomorrow as a result. But it's F1, and anything can, and does, happen.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/9QqjqrZs/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Cyborg322]

F1 CONSTRUCTOR STANDINGS
POS Team Points
1 Red Bull 289
2 Mercedes 245
3 McLaren 141
4 Ferrari 122
5 AlphaTauri 48
6 Aston Martin 44
7 Alpine 32
8 Alfa Romeo 2
9 Williams 0
10 Haas 0

F1 DRIVER STANDINGS

2021
POS Driver Team Points
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull 185
2 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 152
3 Sergio Perez Red Bull 104
4 Lando Norris McLaren 101
5 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 93
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 62
7 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 60
8 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 40
9 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 39
10 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 30
11 Fernando Alonso Alpine 20
12 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 14
13 Esteban Ocon Alpine 12
14 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 9
15 Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1
16 Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1
17 George Russell Williams 0
18 Mick Schumacher Haas 0
19 Nikita Mazepin Haas 0
20 Nicholas Latifi Williams 0

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton fought back from a 10-second penalty for a crash with title rival Max Verstappen to pass Ferrari's Charles Leclerc for a dramatic victory in the British Grand Prix.

Hamilton was blamed for a collision with Verstappen's Red Bull at Copse corner on the first lap of the race, which led to the Dutchman crashing out.

Verstappen, 23, was taken to hospital for precautionary tests after the accident while Hamilton set about trying to win the race.

The Grand Prix was stopped after the incident with Leclerc in the lead from Hamilton and the Ferrari driver held that position until two laps from the end, when the Mercedes driver passed him, ironically, at the same corner at which he had crashed with Verstappen.

The controversial win, in front of a crowd of 140,0000, was Hamilton's eighth in the British Grand Prix and cuts Verstappen's championship lead to eight points after a race that will go down in the annals of F1 history.

https://i.postimg.cc/q7YTxxbG/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/f3xpwmh3)
https://i.postimg.cc/HxyCZ8F1/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/15PZBtHb/Untitled13.jpg (https://postimg.cc/hhCwPKN0)
https://i.postimg.cc/dtBcxYN3/Untitled14.jpg (https://postimg.cc/1ffd8LQ1)

[Buddahaid]

Booo!

[Jimbuna]

^ For Hamilton or Verstappen? :hmmm:

[Buddahaid]

^ For Hamilton or Verstappen? :hmmm:

You can argue it was just a racing incident but as Christian Horner said, you don't try to stick a wheel on the inside of that high speed corner and the stewards agreed slapping Lewis on the wrist while Max is out of the race. The only fair outcome would have been both cars retiring. As it was Lewis CAUSING an accident resulted in his gaining better tha 25 points and more likely 35 points on his rival.

[Cyborg322]

^ Don't disagree with most of that but I don't think it was deliberate Hamilton had to go for lead position in those first few corners using the slipstream or the quicker Red Bull would of got too far ahead on the long straights once that gap had opened up it would of been difficult for Hamilton to get in front of Verstappen. Does not seem fair I know but it tends to be swings and roundabouts with these incidents. It will be interesting to see how both drivers tackle the next race. I think this incident was almost inevitable at some point given both guys driving styles

Simon

[Buddahaid]

^ Don't disagree with most of that but I don't think it was deliberate Hamilton had to go for lead position in those first few corners using the slipstream or the quicker Red Bull would of got too far ahead on the long straights once that gap had opened up it would of been difficult for Hamilton to get in front of Verstappen. Does not seem fair I know but it tends to be swings and roundabouts with these incidents. It will be interesting to see how both drivers tackle the next race. I think this incident was almost inevitable at some point given both guys driving styles

Simon

I hear you and the sprint definetly gave a hint into the future, still, it shows Lewis was desperate enough for the lead to the point of losing sight of position. I don't blame him at all as it was a fair gamble, but the result was overbalanced in Lewis's favour. Lewis was rewarded by knocking the lead car out of the race and I hope he chokes on the victory.

[HunterICX]

^ Don't disagree with most of that but I don't think it was deliberate


No Hamilton would never do that:
https://i.imgur.com/clu6fDr.png


Just another one he gets away with (that 10 sec penalty is a laugh, a black flag was in place for this kind of action), the guy has a weak character especially how he behaved after he basically crashed someone 300km/h into wall of tires having to experience roughly 50G's of an impact and claims he's not at fault.

[stork100]

^ Agreed 100% @HunterICX. Not clean racing.

[Threadfin]

Max left him room and still got punted off the track at high speed. All on Hamilton in my view and the slap on the wrist penalty does not fit the crime.


When Hamilton was doing his victory lap, flag streaming, I flipped him off and switched the channel. Here's hoping this bad juju follows him to season's end.

[Skybird]

Foul manouver by Hamilton.
Foul play by the officials letting him get away with it.
Most disgusting his arrogant posing afterwards.

Awful.

[MGR1]

Not good.:timeout:

The sheer dominance of the Mercedes/Hamilton combination put me off F1 just before live race coverage went completely pay-per-view here in the UK.

Good to see that the other big teams are managing to get back to being competitive again.:yeah:

Mike.

[Jimbuna]

I see merit in all the posts above but don't think Hamilton acted as he did with dark motives in his head.

People want to see more risks taken in F1 and this certainly lit up the race straight from the off.

Not going to lecture anyone regarding one driver or the other but if you look up previous race crashes with Verstappen behind the wheel you soon reach the point where "Oh he's still young and inexperienced" start sounding lame.

I'm still of the opinion Verstappen is the current favourite for this years title but there is a long way to go yet and these two are clear firm favourites/contenders, so more of what happened yesterday may well be on the books.

[HunterICX]

I see merit in all the posts above but don't think Hamilton acted as he did with dark motives in his head.


As stated before, this is not his first time where he puts his wheel against the other's rear wheel when there's plenty of space.


Not going to lecture anyone regarding one driver or the other but if you look up previous race crashes with Verstappen behind the wheel you soon reach the point where "Oh he's still young and inexperienced" start sounding lame.



But you forget a mayor difference, FIA punishes Verstappen for those crashes regardless him being young and inexperienced and rightfully so.

[Buddahaid]

"The stewards’ verdict deemed that Hamilton had been ‘predominantly’, rather than ‘wholly’, at fault in the incident."

“Similar to what happened with Charles [Leclerc] later on [when Hamilton passed the Monegasque for the lead at the same corner], he could have stayed tucked in closer to the apex, and that was where they found [the issue]. I think the wording was clear as per the regulations, he was ‘predominantly to blame’, not ‘wholly to blame’ for it."

FIA Race Director Michael Masi

Remember LeClerc had to run wide with Lewis pushing through the inside.

[Cyborg322]

It makes no sense it was deliberate. Hamiltons Mercedes probably had equal chance of coming off worse with car positioned slightly further behind and damaging the front wing with little or no damage to the Red Bull. His car was understeering when the contact occurred because he committed himself to get past and was going too fast to do anything about it. This is more to do with his choice of making the attempt to pass on this high speed bend in the first instance. Verstappens driving style where he changes direction under hard braking almost invites this but is not against the rules. A few years back Mercedes where going to make an official complaint about this but backed out. In this instance that may not of been the case but its a consideration

Hamilton should of held back it was a poor decision which could of potentially been much worse for Verstapppen. I'm just glad his was not seriously hurt and that modern F1 cars have such good protection against high impact collisions

After the race he should of just returned to the grid without the flag waving. In my opinion this was not pertinent at the time. He should have also consulted with his team before making any comments.

I respect both drivers equally this is not a case bias they both make F1 more exciting to watch. Mercedes dominance for many years made F1 far too predictable. When you have drivers so equally committed to winning the odds of collisions is greatly increased.

[Skybird]

I think he pressed for a win at his home GP after the season has not gone so well for him and him not being in the fornt anyway. Shooting verstappen off may have been an expression of frustration and rage to enforce a scoring this time at the top. That Verstappen was additonally unable to score minor points him self, is an additional plus. That Hamilton afetzr the race posed and "celebrated"excessively again may be a result of human psychology: posing as the innocent man who knows of no own faults to send the message that everything is alright. But he may know himself that he did wrong there, pushed way too aggressively at least, and later again, I see in TV snippets, against LeClerk.



And no, I am not a Verstappen fan, that guy has drivenm me off long time ago already.

The whole F1 however is a joke nowadays. I do not seriously care.

[Jimbuna]

Alpine’s Esteban Ocon has claimed his maiden Formula 1 victory in what was without doubt one of the most thrilling Hungarian Grands Prix of all time, ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel – while Lewis Hamilton recovered from being last at one point to claim P3, as Max Verstappen could only take 10th after Lap 1 contact in a crash that triggered a red flag.

A wild and wet start to the Hungarian Grand Prix saw five drivers eliminated on the first lap, as Valtteri Bottas locked up and wiped out Lando Norris and Sergio Perez – as well as hitting Verstappen – while Lance Stroll also locked up and hit Charles Leclerc, who spun around Daniel Ricciardo, with Bottas, Perez, Norris, Stroll and Leclerc all forced into retirement as the race was red flagged.

Polesitter Hamilton had made it through unscathed, but Mercedes misjudged track conditions at the race restart, keeping Hamilton out for the standing start on intermediates as the entire rest of the field pitted for mediums, Hamilton forced to pit a lap later and dropping to the back of the pack.

That allowed Ocon to take a lead that he’d hold for almost all the 70 laps at the Hungarian, holding off the race-long advances of Vettel to take his first single seater win since 2015, as Vettel secured his second P2 of the season after a fine drive.

https://i.postimg.cc/v8NhmZ3p/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/jCyPgtVX)

https://i.postimg.cc/02KfK14r/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimg.cc/ykB92tsz)

https://i.postimg.cc/KzsP40rn/Untitled13.png (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

That was ugly and I was actually hoping Alonso and Sainz would keep Lewis off the podium although that would be punishing Lewis for his teamates huge error. A five place grid penalty is big but not as big as getting several cars to DNF and nearly putting Verstapen out. The Mercedes merely put Max out of the running this time and I hope they choke on their podium finish.

Mercedes is fast becoming my top choice for most disliked team.

[Jimbuna]

Aston Martin's Sebastian Vettel has been disqualified after finishing second in the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Officials were unable to take the mandatory one-litre sample of fuel from Vettel's car after the race.

The decision would promote Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to second place and extend his championship lead over Red Bull's Max Verstappen to eight points.

But, unconventionally, for the time being Vettel has been left in the final results pending the appeal outcome.

Governing body the FIA said it was possible to pump out only 0.3 litres from Vettel's car, and that it was no defence to claim no performance advantage was obtained.

F1 rules dictate teams must ensure a one-litre sample of fuel can be taken from the car at any time during the event.

Running less fuel can give a performance advantage as each 1kg of fuel equates to an average of about 0.035secs a lap.

Hungarian Grand Prix stewards said: "The team was given several opportunities to attempt to remove the required amount of fuel from the tank, however it was only possible to pump 0.3 litres out."

Team principal Otmar Szafnauer and technical director Andrew Green said there was 1.44 litres left in the car, but they were unable to extract that much. https://www.bbc.com/sport/formula1/58050375

[CheckSix]

I see merit in all the posts above but don't think Hamilton acted as he did with dark motives in his head.


I would respectfully suggest that his entering the corner 20kmh faster than he had at any time previously during the weekend (according to Red Bull) is more than just a coincidental discrepancy.

[Threadfin]

Mercedes is fast becoming my top choice for most disliked team.

Welcome to the club :)

Nothing malicious in it, but that's two weeks straight where Merc took out the competition and then went on to score big points themselves. Surely the gods will be making good on what has transpired over the past two events.

Congrats to Ocon for his win. While events had to conspire to hand him the victory, he still took it with both hands and was relentless. A fantastic drive with the focus and pressure squarely on him. Vettel was nipping at his exhaust the entire way but Ocon didn't put a foot wrong and deserves his moment in the sun.

And it wouldn't have been possible had Alonso not got his elbows out defending against Hamilton. Their battle was thrilling and I was on the edge of my seat. That was F1 at its finest. Ironically it was the fact that Hungary is such a lousy race track that we ended up with such thrilling racing. At just about any other track, save Monaco perhaps, Hamilton would have quickly gotten by I think.

That start. My goodness. Bottas got it all wrong after a terrible start and took out half the top of the order. I just couldn't believe it, as the broadcast view went wide and I watched as first Max then Perez were clobbered boom, boom. Real head in the hands stuff. Max had gotten a great start, not to mentioned Lando, and Bottas just bottled it and ruined all their races. That's two weeks in a row that Merc took their competition out of the race. Bottas is far too experienced for that. Max did well to at least finish in the points, but with that massive damage on a track with little overtaking he was doomed. Beyond the race, the cost of these repairs is a killer, as we are under a spending cap and that's a few million in damage over the past two races. Money Red Bull cannot now spend on 2022. And two ICE's which are limited to three for each car for the season, likely leading to some grid penalties down the line for Red Bull. None of it was intentional on Merc's part I don't think, but the damage is still done and it's massively frustrating. Stroll's spearing of Lerlerc was boneheaded, to add to the carnage.

Kimi finished 11th. Haha, see I told you. But that becomes a 10th if Vettel's DQ stands. Both Williams in the points! Both Alpha Tauris too.

Ocon's win was the first for a French driver, with a French car with a French engine since Prost in 1983.

But yeah, another day when I wish I were a neutral. Max has had horrible luck. First his left rear explodes in Baku from the lead. Then Hamilton punts him off the track at Silverstone. Then Bottas takes him out in Hungary. He managed to finish, but still. That leaves Hamilton leading the championship and it feels unwarranted. Here's hoping for better fortune ahead.

[Cyborg322]

Best race of the season so far, can't help feeling sorry for Vettel this should not of happened the technology is there to allow less fuel consumption the pit control should of done that. Rules are rules tho.

Just as a point of intertest the Alpine is not strictly a 100% french car. Its Anglo-French. The factories are in Viry-Chatillon France and the Enstone factory in the UK . A lot of the chasis development for F1 cars are in the UK . It is of course a Renualt powerplant

Simon

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen was declared the winner of a Belgian Grand Prix that lasted two laps behind the safety car.

Heavy rain prevented any competitive racing at the Spa-Francorchamps track.

The start was delayed by half an hour before two attempts were made to start the race - with a gap of nearly three hours between them.

But conditions were deemed too dangerous and the red flag was flown after two and a half laps behind the safety car.

The result was therefore declared from the grid order, with Verstappen ahead of Williams driver George Russell and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.

Two laps was enough to award half points, according to the regulations, so Verstappen has cut Hamilton's championship lead to three points.

What a shambles :nope:

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/63jfqh1G/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Cyborg322]

Ridiculous result, how is that fair ? Why start the race in the first place ? :06:

[Buddahaid]

You try one last time to start on the chance enough water will be dispersed. It wasn't.

Fair? As fair as any qualifying session can be considered fair. At least Red Bull didn't get taken out by Mercedes.

[Threadfin]

Not sure what the better alternative is to what was done. Zero points? OK, maybe. Hard to argue that it is better or worse than what was done. I don't know what the answer is frankly, but I'm OK with what was done. Max outscored everyone, so that's good from my point of view, but no one wants it this way.


If the race cannot be run but qualifying is complete I think this is probably the best way to go about it rather than just strike the event from the record. I can see merit in the claim that no points should be awarded, but they were forced to go with one or the other, and I don't have a problem with this decision on what was a unique set of circumstances.

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen has moved back to the head of the drivers’ standings, after winning the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort over title rival Lewis Hamilton, sending his home fans into ecstasy, as the second Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas completed the podium.

In the first Dutch Grand Prix since 1985, Verstappen led away from pole, keeping Hamilton at bay throughout the 72-lap encounter around the sweeping Zandvoort track, to bring home his seventh win of the season, as Hamilton had to settle for second, the seven-time champion stopping with two laps to go for softs.

Bottas was a comfortable third, despite his own late stop for soft tyres, with Bottas appearing to then ignore team orders not to attempt to take the fastest lap bonus point away from Hamilton – only for Hamilton to claim it anyway on the final lap.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/Bbg4xR36/111.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/ZKwJ0kjs/111.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Czn36Q3b)
https://i.postimg.cc/dVDwyWxs/222.jpg (https://postimg.cc/NKh3hxtS)

[Buddahaid]

Finally a clean race with no safety cars or red flags on a track I thought would have several of each on race day.

Now for Monza where Mercedes will flip the title back.

[Buddahaid]

Mercedes lock out the first row for the sprint qualifying tomorrow as expected except that Bottas has pole over Hamilton.

Plenty of mix up pulling out of garages from teams waiting to see who blinks first and who gets the best tow. I can't recall what race it was but maybe the Argentine when everybody waited so long nobody got a time. That was in the seventies or eighties.

[Jimbuna]

Valtteri Bottas will start Sunday's Italian Grand Prix from the back of the grid having taken a raft of new power unit components, but, after taking P1 in qualifying on Friday, the Mercedes driver is still convinced he can score solidly in Sunday's race.

This being Bottas last season with Mercedes means imho anything can be expected from him....I simply don't trust him.

[Jimbuna]

Red Bull's Max Verstappen will start the Italian Grand Prix from pole with title rival Lewis Hamilton only fourth.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas won the 'sprint' qualifying race but will start last after taking a penalty for a power unit change.

Hamilton finished behind McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris after an uncharacteristically poor start.

Verstappen now leads Hamilton by five points in the title race after taking two points for second in the sprint.

Bottas took three points for first and Ricciardo one for third.

[Buddahaid]

I knew McClaren were going to be competative but I'm still surprised Lewis couldn't find a way past Lando.

[Buddahaid]

McClaren one two finish with Riccardo taking first place from the start and fun to see a shoey again.

Lewis and Max. What can you say? Amazing that they both have terrible pit stops and find themselves for the second time this race locking horns in a chicane! I don't know this will be ruled but at least they both had DNFs unlike Silverstone and the halo again proves it's worth.

[Jimbuna]

McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo won the Italian Grand Prix after a frightening crash between title rivals Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen.

Red Bull's Verstappen flipped up beside Hamilton as the pair battled for position, the rear of Verstappen's car landing on Hamilton's Mercedes, the halo head protection device possibly saving the seven-time champion from injury.

Both retired, beached in the gravel, meaning Verstappen remains five points ahead of Hamilton in the title race.

However, the Dutchman was handed a three-place grid penalty by stewards after the race, to be taken at the Russian Grand Prix in two weeks' time.

Ricciardo's British team-mate Lando Norris was second after a brilliant late overtake, handing the team a first one-two since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix and their first victory in nearly a decade.

Ricciardo screamed over team radio as he crossed the line: "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Yes! For anyone who thought I left, I never left. Thanks guys."

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/pXLCgJc9/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

https://i.postimg.cc/qMDw06W1/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton becomes the first F1 driver ever to reach 100 wins.

https://i.postimg.cc/KzX9xM1X/FANw-KZ1-X0-AUj-CIr.jpg (https://postimg.cc/Jyq3Qt3K)

https://i.postimg.cc/MKZ96xpG/e4c22942-3d9b-4b23-95e7-a1e5fd83a6b2.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/PJXQ5zh7/Untitled22.jpg (https://postimg.cc/LYW1yPJk)

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/8kxL3Sf3/Untitled22.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Poor Lando and McClaren muff the final laps and a very good chance for the win. Max drives a fine race going from last on the grid to second place finish. Thankfully all the drama did not involve collisions.

[Jimbuna]

Valtteri Bottas won the Turkish Grand Prix as second place for Max Verstappen returned the Red Bull driver to the championship lead.

Lewis Hamilton was fifth, disagreeing with his team over the radio over their decision to make a late pit stop for tyres that dropped him down from third.

Verstappen leads Hamilton by six points with six races remaining this season.

In a tense race on a slippery track, Red Bull's Sergio Perez took third ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.

Bottas drove an impressively dominant race for Mercedes to take his first win of the season, comfortably able to stay ahead of Verstappen, who was not able to take advantage of the wet track to challenge the Finn.

Hamilton, who started 11th after a penalty for using too many engine parts, was up to third with 10 laps to go after a strong drive and some impressive overtaking moves, and wanted to hang on to the end on the same set of intermediate tyres on which he started the race.

Hamilton fought against a series of calls from Mercedes to call him into the pits, as the team feared his tyres dropping off badly in the closing laps and leaving him vulnerable to Perez, Leclerc and Alpha Tauri's Pierre Gasly behind.

Eventually, Mercedes ordered Hamilton in with eight laps to go, but he ran into problems with his new tyres and expressed his anger over the radio as he fought to hold off Gasly, having lost places to Perez and Leclerc.

"We shouldn't have come in, man," Hamilton said. "I have massive graining. I told you."

Had he been able to hold in third place, Hamilton would have trailed Verstappen by only one point.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/Y9WzCks4/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/r0qrh6cc)

https://i.postimg.cc/1X1cgTkv/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

The United States Grand Prix was a race that encapsulated the 2021 Formula 1 season so far - incredibly close, tense and gripping, decided by fine margins, and ending with Max Verstappen's Red Bull on top.

Verstappen's eighth victory in 17 races was one of the best of his career. It was founded on typically aggressive and dynamic Red Bull strategy.

And, in burying the impression that Mercedes were building a potentially title-winning advantage with their car, it re-established Verstappen as the man with the strongest hand as one of the best title battles for years heads into its climax.

At Mercedes, meanwhile, they were left asking themselves questions as to whether, after Lewis Hamilton took the lead at the start, they could have done anything to win the race.

Had Hamilton won, he would have retaken the championship lead.

Instead, the 14-point net swing that Verstappen secured by holding off the charging seven-time champion in an exciting finale secured the Dutchman a 12-point lead heading into the final five races and arguably re-established him as the favourite to win his first world title.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/BZ10bNXy/Untitled11.png (https://postimg.cc/K4FVsP7r)

https://i.postimg.cc/ncbtD7mL/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[aedanthecelt]

The United States Grand Prix was a race that encapsulated the 2021 Formula 1 season so far - incredibly close, tense and gripping, decided by fine margins, and ending with Max Verstappen's Red Bull on top.

Completely agree. That's what I felt at the end, like this is what is was like at the beginning of the season before all the safety cars and wrecks/DNF's.

[Threadfin]

I think that quote is just copied and pasted from the beeb. Although it gets it right.

Max won that race on strategy, the undercut at the first stop was powerful, and gave Red Bull track position that they did not relinquish. Top drive out of Max, brilliant stuff. He out-Hamiltoned Hamilton, preserving enough tyre to keep Lewis out of DRS range over the last five laps.

Friday morning I was giving Merc the race and just hoped Red Bull could limit the damage to get to the next two high-altitude circuits. But the entire team, including Checo!, did a fantastic job in getting back on top, and turned what could have been a losing weekend in to one where they extended the drivers' and narrowed the contructors' races.

And top marks to the American promoters for a great event, a fantastic race and I hope COTA extends its contract. Great racing track. Such a variety of turns, similar to Paul Ricard in that sense, but with elevation and not dead-flat like Paul Ricard. Awesome to see such a massive turn out from the fans there.

[Threadfin]

Another brilliant drive from Max. Very brave in to the first turn, and it all worked out beautifully, especially after Red Bull's poor qualifying. Perez getting it squared away at the business end of the season is massive, and now just a single point's in it for the constructors.


Best F1 season in memory. And not just at the top of the table, but for third and for fifth too.


Gap for first place = 1 point
Gap for third = 10 points
Gap for fifth place = level


Four to go!

[Jimbuna]

Been a bit busy the last couple of days but all I will add is.....Max will be the next champion.

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton passed title rival Max Verstappen after an intense battle to take one of his greatest victories and win the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Hamilton took the lead with 12 laps to go after fighting up from 10th place on the grid and cut Verstappen's advantage in the championship to 14 points.

His move on Verstappen came 11 laps after the Dutchman forced him off track when Hamilton made another attempt.

His victory came after starting 20th and last for Saturday's 'sprint' event.

It was a gripping conclusion to a weekend of bitterness and rancour between the two teams contesting the championship, and controversy both on and off the track.

The 101st victory of Hamilton's career sent a powerful message of intent and is a potentially critical moment in the championship.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/j26kwDSd/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/fSLv1Td6)

https://i.postimg.cc/tRFcmMNQ/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Jimbuna]

Formula 1 officials have rejected Mercedes' request for a review of Max Verstappen's driving during the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.

Stewards in Brazil ruled that there was no investigation necessary after Verstappen appeared to force Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes wide.

Governing body the FIA said Mercedes' appeal failed the test of raising significant new evidence into the case.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59348132

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton took a comfortable win in the Qatar Grand Prix to close the gap to Max Verstappen in their fight for the drivers' world championship.

Verstappen fought his way to second after a five-place grid penalty and took the point for fastest lap.

The win cuts the deficit to Verstappen to eight points with two races to go in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi next month.

Alpine's Fernando Alonso took a superb third, his first podium since the 2014 Hungarian Grand Prix.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/x8fdWJZw/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/2btmW6rG)

https://i.postimg.cc/HWznbzcd/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[Buddahaid]

Sir Frank Williams passes away.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59453378

[Jimbuna]

One of my favourite F1 individuals.

RIP Sir

[Buddahaid]

Well that was pretty crazy....

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton beat Max Verstappen in a chaotic and controversial Saudi Arabian Grand Prix to set up a winner-takes-all title finale in Abu Dhabi next weekend.

In one of the most dramatic grands prix in years, the race was stopped twice, featured three starts and had an extraordinary series of events between the title contenders.

Hamilton won despite crashing into the back of Verstappen at one point during a race in which the Dutchman twice had to cede a position to the Mercedes driver that he had gained illegally.

And it ended with the two drivers tied on points heading into the last race of the season.

So much happened in the course of the race that it was hard to keep up, as the advantage swung wildly back and forth between Hamilton and Verstappen.

But in the defining moment, Verstappen was ordered to hand the lead to Hamilton because he had held it by forcing the seven-time champion off the track at Turn One with 13 laps to go.

It did not happen immediately though. After Red Bull were told to hand the lead to Hamilton, Verstappen slowed to do so on the run to the last corner and the Briton ran into the back of him and damaged his front wing.

They continued with Verstappen in the lead until the Dutchman did finally hand over the lead six laps later.

The nature of Verstappen's conduct will revive debate about whether it is fair for him to drive the way he does, always refusing to back down in wheel-to-wheel incidents, even when other drivers would recognise their rival had won the corner.

[Jimbuna]

https://i.postimg.cc/VvYtbH73/Untitled11.jpg (https://postimg.cc/YGs058B3)

https://i.postimg.cc/8ct6dB9s/Untitled12.jpg (https://postimages.org/)

[HW3]

https://www.facebook.com/Formula1/photos/a.570461836444136/2320030324820603/

[Jimbuna]

Max Verstappen secured his maiden World Championship with victory in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton finishing second as the race ended in a nail-biting one-lap sprint after a late Safety Car. The result, which saw Valtteri Bottas finish sixth and Sergio Perez retire, means Mercedes have clinched a record eighth consecutive constructors’ championship.

Medium-tyred Hamilton jumped soft-shod Verstappen at the start, while the Dutchman came back in Turn 6, nudging him wide and over the run-off, but the Mercedes driver continued in the lead. Stewards decided not to investigate. The pit window opened when Verstappen came in on Lap 13, Hamilton a lap later, leaving Sergio Perez in the lead with the mission to hold off Hamilton.

Perez did exactly that, on Laps 20 to 21 – being dubbed a “legend” by his team mate as he let him past to continue the chase, before pitting on Lap 22. The podium looked certain until he retired on Lap 56 under a Safety Car, which was brought out for a Nicholas Latifi crash.

That Safety Car, during which Verstappen pitted for soft tyres, left the race with just one lap of green flag racing remaining, producing another memorable moment in this epic season. Verstappen did make the pass on Hamilton into Lap 5, the decisive move, and while Hamilton attempted to come back towards Turn 9, there was nothing doing. History was made, as it was always going to be, and the trophy went to the Dutchman for the first time.

[Buddahaid]

That was a pretty exciting end to a crazy season that will likely lead to sporting regulation changes. In a way I think Lewis was cheated of the win but I also think back to Silverstone and how unbalanced that decision was and how it fueled the whole battle. I doubt the FIA wil reverse any decisions but I'm curious about the fallout.

[Aktungbby]

:spammm:

[Threadfin]

Max! Well done to him and Red Bull. Congrats to Merc for their title and to Ferrari for turning around their terrible season last year to be best of the rest.

Congrats to Hamilton too for an epic fight to the final lap. I want to make a villain out of him, but it's hard to do when he conducts himself with such class, grace and professionalism. He would have been a worthy champion this year.

Best F1 season I've ever witnessed and I've been doing this a long time. More of this please.

[Jimbuna]

Formula 1 could have a new race director in 2022 following the controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the FIA's head of single-seater says.

The sport's governing body is conducting a review into 2021's final race, when the safety car rules were not followed correctly by race director Michael Masi.

Peter Bayer, newly appointed as the FIA's head of F1, said: "Michael did a super job in many ways. We told him that.

"But also that there is a possibility there could be a new race director."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/60170232

[Threadfin]

Fine with me. He's simply too meek for me. I want a director with more of a commanding presence. I also think that F1 should consider splitting duties, and having a safety director to lessen the demands on the race director.


Car reveals in two weeks. The season starts in March!

[Jimbuna]

Lewis Hamilton has declared he is "back" in his first social media post since Formula 1's controversial Abu Dhabi GP title decider.

[Buddahaid]

Lewis Hamilton has declared he is "back" in his first social media post since Formula 1's controversial Abu Dhabi GP title decider.

I would have been disappointed if he retired. It would have seemed like a childish tantrum even if justified and not in line with his current social status.

[Jimbuna]

I would have been disappointed if he retired. It would have seemed like a childish tantrum even if justified and not in line with his current social status.

Agreed :yep:

I'm now awaiting the decision regarding Mr Masi. Hamilton may well have been given a clue as to what if anything is going to transpire from all of this.