F1 2021

[Jbridges522]

Tbh i dont see anything “Hamilton is a racer so he went for it” about this, fair play he smashed perez on the start and no one is going to back out when he was clearly ahead, he was going straight on regardless, wasn’t a case of him breaking really late.

 

[cauld1]

You do come across quite fan-boi. I like it, it's Cute!

Don't get me wrong, I detest Max and smiled when he went in the wall, but Lewis fkd up today for no reason other than bravado.

I'm not at all, tbh cute or otherwise , and even if i was, who gives a ****? Just pointing out the bull**** being spouted thats on par of the gibberish that Crofty screeches. The red top style 'pressure getting to him' and 'cracking' stuff is kinda cringe.

What it really should be is 'racing driver pushes for a win, even when it really isn't needed, and it didn't pay off. ' Shocked.

 

[KevM]

I'm not at all, tbh cute or otherwise , and even if i was, who gives a ****? Just pointing out the bull**** being spouted thats on par of the gibberish that Crofty screeches. The red top style 'pressure getting to him' and 'cracking' stuff is kinda cringe.

What it really should be is 'racing driver pushes for a win, even when it really isn't needed, and it didn't pay off. ' Shocked.

If you look back a few posts, im just continuing on from what I predicted would happen before the weekend with one of the two of them, after quite a catty couple of weeks!
I'm kinda shocked that it was Lewis that made a balls!

But here, it's great that we have a bit of meat on the discussion bone this year, as opposed to the bore-fest of the past few years!

 

[cauld1]

Agree, its making for an exciting season! Hopefully it continues and without them taking each other out!

 

[Blackie]

Now that was a race!

Great to see a return to form from Vettel and certainly deserved Driver Of The Day.

Two tyres “failing” just after 30 laps at over 200mph, although early claims from Pirelli are that it was debris (on Stroll’s tyre allegedly)? Too much of a coincidence both after 30 laps, both on the fastest part of the circuit, both left tears?

Gutted for Max, bewildered about Hamilton! Uncharacteristic mistake from him “accidentally flicking a switch” when Perez was alongside him??

What was going on with Bottas? Did he turn up at all this weekend?

Superb drive by Tsunoda as well!

Overall a good race, but of excitement and the Championship is not leaning anyone’s way at all!

 

[svensktoppen]

I think people are being unduly unfair on Bottas again.

The team left him on the "old" setup when they swapped Lewis to the extreme low downforce option. The latter was a gamble, presumably they kept Bottas on the original setup as a hedge.

So he was never going to finish any better than about 10th.

Then he sacrificed his first quali to give Lewis a tow. And was left to fend for himself on his second run. Where he got caught out by the red flag.

Because his different setup, he didn't have the overspeed to pass on the long straight to make up places. In fact he got mugged by other teams instead.

This is now a pattern for this season. His contract is out, Mercedes have no reason to "play nice" with him, plus they're in a tighter fight than ever and have to put all their eggs in one basket. So he's treated like a sacrificial lamb. Which makes him look like an idiot when it's the team putting him in impossible situations.

It also makes him grumpy and moody in interviews and on the radio. Which I'm sure isn't helping him within the team either...

So here we are...

 

[pablo]

nonsense, with Perez on the rise Mercedes now DESPERATELY need a solid driver to stop Lewis getting mugged up front. AND they are f**ked in the constructors now too because Bottas cant haul the best car on the grid into the points.

He is pure sh!te, no drive and no ambition. Maybe being second fiddle to Lewis has broken him but he has largely brought that upon himself (remember his comments when he was blocking his team mate a few races ago?).

I didnt see quali but did he intentionally give Lewis a tow to help him or was he just in the way as usual?

 

[svensktoppen]

He was set up to give Lewis a tow in the first quali run.

And he was left on the high downforce setup that never worked all weekend.

He had no chance. None.

Agree his attitude of late hasn't helped, lol. But it's not all on his shoulders, the team keeps putting him there too.

 

[cauld1]

Ah come on now, I'm as critical of Bottas as most, but to say he is pure ***** is utterly nonsense. He has had an utterly **** turn of luck and admittedly his attitude hasn't helped on occasion, but pure *****. Thats quite frankly utter bollocks.

Especially when said in the same breath as saying how good Perez is supposidly (wins one race this season and is on the rise - lol).

 

[pablo]

12th with 2 of the front runners out of play. COME ON! Thats garbage. He LOST places despite retirements ahead of him.

 

[cauld1]

Running the setup on the car that was proven in FP to be crap at Baku.

 

[pablo]

from Toto:

“We debated it and we had a lower downforce configuration and a higher one,” explained Wolff. “Valtteri opted for the higher downforce configuration and Lewis the lower one, but there’s not a lot in it.

 

[cauld1]

Ah, well thats that then. Must mean Valtteri is totally crap. Suppose he superglued the wheelnut on in Monaco too?

I do agree he has been weak this season so far, but 3 3rd place finishes and one bad race at Baku isn't totally **** territory. Particularly when the other 2 races were DNFs through no fault of his own.

Guessing Perez was equally not worthy of his seat finishing 11th at Emilia-Romagna or 5th in Spain?

 

[pablo]

he is now 6th in the WDC. 6th. let that sink in.

 

[cauld1]

2 non fault DNFs out of 6 races hardly help that. Important to look at the context of it really.

 

[KevM]

Covering off all eventualities in terms of setup, is something Haas or Williams might do. Not Merc. They need 1-2's, not one result and one write off. RB were on for a 1-2, just as a top tier team should.
The common denominator is Bottas. He's broken. He's like a set of brake pads. He's worn out, time to change them before they do more damage.

 

[big_pete]

Toto actually tried to lay the blame on him for Monaco too. He said Bottas wasn’t in the pit box properly and it meant they had to use the wheel gun at an odd angle and that caused the problem. Which seems incredibly unfair.

He totally out performed Lewis at Monaco. He is constantly getting poor pit stops etc, I really feel for him. I can’t imagine what that atmosphere must be like.

I wouldn’t say this season so far that Mercedes are proving to be the strongest car on the grid, RB seems to be showing pace and even Ferrari are showing real pace in the places the Mercs don’t have it.

Hell of a season so far! I’m not a Lewis fanboy but I really would love to see him get that 8th title this year, just for the utter achievement of it!

 

[cauld1]

I agree Bottas is the slight weak point for Mercs constructors hopes (not withstanding duff strategy calls). But, a bit of context is key here. 1 bad race plus 2 DNFs out of 6 races don't show a totally ***** driver.

What happens when they change the 2nd driver midway through the season and the same thing happens? Would be a shame to see Merc end up a dumping ground for 2nd drivers like Red Bull (maybe thats over now that Perez is apparently on the up).

 

[pablo]

I dont think he blamed Bottas, but said it was a contributing factor.

 

[KevM]

Grosjean isn't getting a wee go in a Merc for nothing. They could be using him as a measure for Bottas/Russell in some backend data analysis for all you know. He could be the answer to the question 'is it the car or the driver'?

 

[pablo]

I agree Bottas is the slight weak point for Mercs constructors hopes (not withstanding duff strategy calls). But, a bit of context is key here. 1 bad race plus 2 DNFs out of 6 races don't show a totally ***** driver.

What happens when they change the 2nd driver midway through the season and the same thing happens? Would be a shame to see Merc end up a dumping ground for 2nd drivers like Red Bull (maybe thats over now that Perez is apparently on the up).

well (imo) the fact that he hasnt beaten Max once is telling. Merc like their 1-2s and they havent had one this season. With a poor 2nd RB driver that was ok but with Perez now starting to settle Id be worried at Merc. Bottas rarely passes without DRS and usually loses out to a wheel to wheel fight. Max has lost out at times due to a Merc sandwich and no team mate support of his own but one of the slices is still in the bag for Merc and RB have just found a sweet bagel.

And sure he has 2 x DNFs. But in one of them he was being passed by a Williams for position (9th iirc) which isnt a good look. The monaco one Ill give you but again, had a chance to nab Max up the inside to turn 1 and failed where Max would have kept the shoe in and taken that place.

 

[cauld1]

Grosjean isn't getting a wee go in a Merc for nothing. They could be using him as a measure for Bottas/Russell in some backend data analysis for all you know. He could be the answer to the question 'is it the car or the driver'?

Or Mercedes will have a mangled wreck to add to the collection

 

[KevM]

Cat B - Breaker only

I love the WRC, but it's now as uninteresting as what F1 was last year.

Sometimes I almost wonder if Liberty Media are engineering off-track scenarios with a side-dish of Racing? I'd doubt it very much to be honest, but this year's F1 is proper cliff-hanger interesting.

 

[Crow555]

I had actually forgotten the Sardinia rally was on until yesterday morning. I flicked on BT sport to watch the power stage and it's not really as interesting (even though Evans is second in the championship).

Baku was a roller-coaster compared to it.

 

[Chris tii]