I wish we could get that standard in politics. Awareness doesn't seem to be a prerequisite.Quote:
Originally Posted by si_the_geek
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I wish we could get that standard in politics. Awareness doesn't seem to be a prerequisite.Quote:
Originally Posted by si_the_geek
Well, looks like the top brass at Red Bull needed to knock Gasly down a notch to quell the "re-swap Gasly and Albon" crowd. Give him a crappy setup for qualifying and let him get eliminated in Q1.
Kidding, of course. I hope he can pass a few cars tomorrow and be in contention for points.
Vettel being out-qualified by Kimi is wonderful on so many levels.
I think all that Vettel is worried about is....will I look Fat in Pink.. or .... will I look pretty in Pink...:p:p:pQuote:
Originally Posted by OptionBase1
I really am disappointed about his perfomance
Not even 5 turns of green flag racing, two major crashes, a safety car, and now a red flag. At least 6 cars out, likely going to be 7, since I think Grosjean must have gotten some rear end damage.
Crazy stuff.
Edit: After seeing more replays, Grosjean wasn't really a part of the second wreck.
Another safety car! Yikes!
Edit: Red Flag #2! Chaos!!!
Bummer that Daniel Ricciardo couldn't maintain a podium position, but I'm happy that Albon was able to get his first podium.
Man I wish Russel would have had enough motor to get around Vettel for the last points place. He probably won't get a better chance for the rest of the year to score points.
If Lewis were a team all by himself he would be leading the constructor's championship by 17 points.
Bummer for Gasly that he got caught up in Max's massive mechanical issues on the initial start.
Yeah, that was a crazy race today... nearly half of the field taken out before lap 10.
For about 2 seconds on lap1 there I thought Botas was going to be able to get away and actualy lead for a while.... but nope...
-tg
I think that was the most impressive crash-fest for at least a decade!
It's one of those races where you expect the minor players like Russell to do well (and that would have been great), but it didn't quite happen... except for Ferrari, who have managed to become minor players for their 1000th race :confused:
Think Ferrari might paint their cars with camo the rest of the year, in hopes that no one will see them. lol
What an amazing lose of performance.
the diffrent color might save a few gramms in weight, should be faster on the straight then:rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by wes4dbt
My hopes for the 2021 season:
The driver in Red Bull seat #2 (whoever it ends up being) is highly competitive each and every race.
Max gets at least 3 wins and is at least in the hunt for the driver championship down the stretch.
Hamilton is back for Mercedes.
Ferrari returns to being consistently podium-ish competitive.
The midpack stays as competitive and exciting as it is this year.
The new drivers at Haas make a positive difference.
Williams is more competitive under its new leadership.
Alonso does well in his return.
Perez gets a seat.
Is that asking a lot?
Also, Albon may be the nicest guy in the world, but this is top-top-top level racing. If there's a seat open at Former-Rosso, he'd probably do ok back there. Otherwise, I don't see a seat for him anywhere next year. It would be completely insane for Red Bull to bring him back.
Most of them are likely, especially as the rules are basically staying the same (which should help Red Bull and Ferrari catch up).Quote:
Originally Posted by OptionBase1
The least likely are Alonso (probably a bit too old now) and the Red Bull #2, as depends who it is and there are no obviously good choices - Perez is consistent but not a comparable speed to Max.
He has had good races, but far too many problems lately. I agree that he probably needs to drop back to a lower level team, it might be enough for him to build himself up again.Quote:
Also, Albon may be the nicest guy in the world, but this is top-top-top level racing. If there's a seat open at Former-Rosso, he'd probably do ok back there. Otherwise, I don't see a seat for him anywhere next year. It would be completely insane for Red Bull to bring him back.
A couple minutes in to qualifying and this is absolutely insane. I love it!
Based on the qualifying order and chance for more rain, I think it is safe to say that the race tomorrow is guaranteed to be an exciting and action packed one.
It certainly does hold a lot of promise - and in addition to the rain and start positions, there is the issue of the track surface being new and slippery in the dry (so even if things are going well, anyone is capable of screwing it up without warning).
I have a feeling that I should avoid making any predictions other than: it is likely be chaotic. :)
Great race. Hamilton lapping Bottas was awesome. I guess maybe it is more than just the car, eh?
Albon blew whatever thread of a chance he had left to keep his seat for next year. I hope Perez gets that seat. I also hope Nico H. gets a seat somewhere, but I'm not sure what seats aren't spoken for. I guess the Haas lineup hasn't been officially announced.
Once again, Mercedes strategy was A++, and Red Bull was behind the curve. Nice to see Vettel back on the podium, hopefully he will be back there more often next year.
All in all, a fantastic race.
yeah my Vote,turkish gp is best Race of the Year
Hamilton was great, I think he will crack the 8th Title also
I was surprised there weren't more yellow flags. I also expected Hamilton to just "get the car home" in 6th w/o really trying to risk it, so it was good to see the strategy play out the way it did. Who would have thought a one stopper to go from full wets to inters would win the race? I think the lack of rubber on the track really threw a lot of the drivers, it wasn't something any of them had ever really experienced before.
As for Haas - no, it hasn't been officially announced, but the expected line up is to be Schumacher along side Mazepin or Ilott... Supposedly the announcement will come at Portugal or shortly thereafter. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
-tg
Shouldn't the title of this thread be changed from 5x to 8x?
I don't see any reason that Hamilton wont be champion again next year. With the major car change in 2022 I wouldn't think there would be any significant amount of time and money spent on new R & D for the current car. So, Mercedes will have the best car by far again and it will be a "rinse and repeat" of the last 7 years.
changed the Titel, I'm pretty sure the 8th Title is gonna happen.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker
It sounds like the Haas lineup is set with Mick Schumacher and another F2 driver. I wish them both well. I hope Haas can get their stuff together and at least be more in contention for points paying positions regularly.
I can't fathom Hamilton leaving Mercedes. That leaves Albon's seat at Red Bull and Kvyat's seat at Alpha Tauri as being up in the air. Albon has basically said he doesn't want to go back to AT, and I honestly can't see RB keeping him in a spot where they are wasting a podium competitive car on someone who can't get it done.
That being said, from a best driver available standpoint, Albon and Kvyat should both be gone at the end of the year, and the seats filled with Perez and Hulkenberg. I would say Perez to RB and Hulk to AT would make the most sense to me, but it's really close.
Alonso coming back out of retirement and taking up a consistent points competitive seat really screwed things up for next year, since there is a chance that Albon or Kvyat or both somehow keep their seats, and leave Perez or Hulk or both as reserve drivers or commenting for a year or something, which is borderline criminal.
I can drive a bit, but I haven't got big diamonds in my ears. I'll never be a famous person :(
Albon said a couple days ago he thinks he can still keep his job if he does well at the next three races. :rolleyes:
Then he destroys his car today in FP2.
Bottas said a couple days ago he thinks he lost the championship this year to Hamilton by a razor thin margin. :rolleyes:
They must have the same sports psychologist or something, and that person should lose their license.
Yeah, you can criticise the drivers all you want. But they don't get to see the track ahead of the RACE!
It's like going to a new supermarket when you're desperate for bog roll and christmas cards.
The best that might happen is nothing. The worst doesn't bare thinking about.
a razor margin :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by OptionBase1
what a joke
If Albon does still have a chance to keep his seat based on his performance in the last 3 races, then at least he's off to a good start. Qualifying P4 is probably the best he could have been expected to do. Now it will be interesting how the start goes tomorrow. He has a tendency to drop places in lap 1, I expect that to happen again.
Seeing Grosjean's car, I can't believe he wasn't critically injured or worse.
What a horror crash and what a miracle he was able to get out of the car with only minor injuries
I tuned in just minutes after it happened... I had flash backs to Earnhardt and Wheldon, especially after seeing the charred remains of the tub. It was good to see that he was able to get out on his own. There is no doubt that he halo did its job though, even if that wasn't exactly the original intended job of it. Ironically the failure of the barrier also ended up being a good thing. I wouldn't be surprised if he retires after this. I think he just played his "get out of jail" card.
Meanwhile Haas has tapped Fittipaldi to step in. Makes me think we're looking at a Schumacher/Fittipaldi lineup for next year at Haas.
-tg
The crash was certainly horrific, video here for those who haven't seen it: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...YD2c4fKaO.html
The Halo was certainly one of the things that saved him, and has changed his view on it: "I wasn’t for the halo some years ago but I think it’s the greatest thing we brought to Formula 1 and without it I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today."
There are many things other than the halo that helped too (such as the quality of fireproof clothing, helmet technology, and the experts in the medical car), and it's great to see how safe it can be even in extreme circumstances - and now there will presumably be some more improvements on the way.
Until yesterday, I never knew that the car at the back of the pack at the start was the medical car and that it followed behind for the first lap. I just thought that it was a collector car acting as a sort of caboose, signalling the end of the pack. And that once the race started, it peeled off into the pits. Now I see why they have it where they do.
-tg
Whelp there it is.... One of the seats for next season went to Nikita Mazepin...
https://www.haasf1team.com/news/niki...e-haas-f1-team
That takes care of the money $eat... hopefully the other will be a talent seat.
-tg
Well now.... this might make things interesting at the front of the line this weekend...
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...s-f1-sakhir-gp
Hamilton's out for at least the next race.
-tg
I know he's got some various streaks going on right now (consecutive wins, etc), it would suck if this officially breaks them. I guess it must, but I could see an argument that this year, missing a race due to covid should pause any streaks for that particular driver. Either way, another reason why the next race should be more interesting.
He's not sufficiently socially distanced in the car?
I think with racing a very strong case could be made that a driver can drive a race while Covid positive with essentially zero chance of infecting others by keeping the driver isolated from everyone while not in the car. But of course, it would be a PR nightmare, and it seems like optics rule over everything else these days, including science and logic in some cases.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shaggy Hiker
It's hard to keep the driver away from others, for example if there is a crash (even a small one) then the marshals are likely to need close contact with the driver.
There are also several instances where the team need close contact with the driver, such as when the seatbelts are put on (as they need to be really tight, they have to be done by another person).
Not to mention the car itself would become contaminated, and that's something difficult to keep in isolation away from driver and crew.
-tg
So many things to look forward to this weekend.
How well does Russell perform in a Tier 1 F1 car?
Will he beat Bottas? (would be soul crushing for Bottas probably)
Can Max pull off a win with no Hamilton to contend with?
Can Max at least tighten up the fight for second place in the drivers championship?
Does third place in the constructor's championship tighten up again?
Can Albon have another good finish and make a case for keeping his seat?
Can Racing Point bounce back from last weekends catastrophic race?
Can Ferrari bounce back from their poor performance last weekend?
How well does the Haas perform without Grosjean in the seat?
Will tire wear be an issue?
Probably lots more.
Should be pretty exciting for a race where the driver and constructor championships have long ago been clinched.
I expect George Russell to be a bit slower than Bottas, but it is a good chance for him to show off his skills - and if he does perform better than Bottas, it could boost his career a lot (maybe even a 'better' team for next season).
Max has a good chance of a win, but it depends on how much the alternative track layout works for the team, their strategy, and of course any affect that luck has.
As a McLaren fan, I hope that third place in the constructor's championship stays in McLaren's favour :)
There is certainly potential for a good race this weekend.
I probably should be rooting against Racing Point because of the "copying" shenanigans, but I'm over it. I'm just glad there has been a tight race somewhere this year, since there certainly hasn't been one at the top.
George Russell fastest in FP1 and FP2. Looking good for him for the weekend.
Nice to see a Fittipaldi back in an F1 car.
Russell was so close to getting pole position. I hope he wins tomorrow, with Verstappen 2nd and Perez 3rd.
Albon doesn't even make Q3. They need a consistent driver in that seat for next year, and Albon isn't it.
It really shows how important the car your in is. Russell usually @ 2 seconds behind the pole and today he is basically the same speed. With minimal time in the car. Hamilton is an excellent driver but without the Mercedes car he doesn't win championships. I'm amazed that Mercedes has been able to stay so dominate for so many years. It also annoys the hell out of me.
Yeah, it bugs the heck out of me when they're sitting there, waiting for the flag, and one Mercedes driver turns to another and asks, "pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?"
Left the room right after Mercedes pooched the Bottas pit stop thinking Russell now had the win in the bag, come back and Russell is behind Bottas after having pitted again, and was so bummed for him. Then was fist-pumping every overtake. Then he had the puncture. So sick.
I really hope he's in the seat again next week.
LOL @ Toto Wolff dropping an F bomb in the post-race interview. The funny thing is that his quote describing today as being "a colossal ****-up" is still a colossal understatement.
Bottas has reportedly deleted Mercedes from his Instagram profile, and George Russell has apparently deleted references to being a Williams driver from social media. Bottas is under contract for 2021, and Russell is signed for Williams next year, but as with most things in life, a pile of money can take care of all of those insignificant details.
Lewis/Russell would be epic for Mercedes in 2021. Or maybe Hamilton hangs it up and it is Russell/Bottas, in that order of course.
George had a brilliant race - shame about the team (radio fail led to the wrong tyres), and the bad luck (the puncture).
He is certainly a star of the future, and will get a good chance soon enough... probably not next year tho, as one good race isn't enough to get him a top seat (and Mercedes have already given a subtle denial), but that race might enable him to sneak into a better team than Williams for next year.
I was under the impression Botas was going to GP next year.Quote:
Bottas is under contract for 2021
Grojean is retiring, but he didn't have a seat next year anyways, so no loss there.
Mags is moving to Indy which will be interesting to say the least.
Silly season is almost upon us, and given how late this season has gone, I wonder if it'll be a short one, and things will be back in MArch, or if there will be a late start. That said, I haven't heard about a start to Formula E.
-tg
Odds that Nikita Mazepin's F1 career is over before it ever got started?
I didn't really know anything about him until today, but he sounds like he will be a disaster for Haas next year. Hotheaded, dangerous driver. Crony billionaire father. Groping a woman on camera and posting it to social media. Haas "handling internally" - translation "daddy ponied up a few more million to make this go away." The woman in question apparently posted a video saying how it was no big deal, they are old friends, etc. Even if that is true, and she wasn't "encouraged" (pressured) to post that follow-up video, you still can't post that kind of thing on social media.
I get that money talks, but, to quote Joe Biden, "come on man!"
Yeah, I dunno... seeing how long it took them to untangle from the Big Rich fiasco... I thought Haas was better than that... I also thought Haas would be secured enough that they wouldn't need a daddy warbucks for any kind of support. The fact that they've dealt with it internally and there is no public statement regarding his release I find a bit concerning. Just as concerning is Merc's silence on it... and F1's... so much for "We race as one"...
-tg
Well, you know, there is that old saying: The family that races together disgraces together.
Get in there Max!
It would be epic if Max can hold the lead and steal 2nd place in the drivers championship from Bottas. That would still require Bottas to have issues as well, but he's proven to be very capable of that lately.
If Albon had raced the same as he did today for most of the rest of the season, there wouldn't be any discussion about his seat next year. Probably too little too late, but who knows.
Bummer for Perez, he was moving up the field well before his failure.
McLaren deserved 3rd in the constructors championship, the 15 point Racing Point penalty for Brake-Duct-Gate ended up playing a role in that, as it should have.
Glad for Max to get the sweep, but man that was a boring race.
Well, that didn't take long.
Word is Perez to sign with Red Bull, Albon to stay on as the reserve driver. If Perez doesn't work out, it is Albon's seat once again.
So I think the last question is what happens to Kvyat's seat? Still hoping it goes to Hulkenberg.
Perez officially in Red Bull seat #2. I am excite.
Alpha Tauri seat #2 still up in the air, unless I've missed something.