F1 2021 - Covid 2: Viral Boogaloo

[Jimmy Floyd]

The move on Norris was like watching young Hamilton. Even better into a corner where you can hear a proper old fashioned crowd roar.

[niko_cee]

Aye, as said, that was a good sprint race [even then the papaya DRS train midfield roadblock still came into play]. Maybe 'qualifying' should be drawing balls out of a bag.

[Disco]

I was only half watching, did anything else of note happen other than Hamilton coming through the field? Seemed fairly static aside from that, and far too many mentions of reverse grids in the aftermath for my taste.

[Shindig]

They only want reverse grids because they think it guarantees more charges from the back like yesterday. In reality, most drivers would get bogged down in a midfield train with the title contenders forcing their way through. It changes very little. The cream always rises.

[Disco]

Sky are clearly frothing for it, Croft brings them up at every opportunity. Not sure if it's confirmed but I heard Kravitz saying next years' sprints would be for their own separate points/title which surely kills it as a concept and a spectacle.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Early start alert (5pm I think).

[7om]

Imagine how gut wrenching that must’ve been for Massa and his family in ‘08. Last race, last lap, thinking he’d won the title at his home race. Fuck me, it’s the kind of thing you’d need life long therapy for.

[Gray Fox]

I don't think he ever recovered.

The McLaren becoming shit after that so Lewis could keep hitting him for a while, probably made it even worse.

[Shindig]

You know how olympic medals get rejigged after doping scandals? I decided to have a look to see if doing the same for Singapore would've influenced the 2008 season in any way?

The answer is no. Although Rosberg would've got his first win and the last (to date) for Williams. Lewis would've taken second. Massa was miles off. That was his biggest problem, really. His bad days at the office were atrocious.

[Gray Fox]

What's a good result for Lewis here then? If he can avoid the carbon fiber into turn one, you'd reckon he'll get pretty much all bar the Bulls and Bottas by the end.

I suspect if he is just 1 position behind Max he'll be reasonably happy with the result. I can't see anything other than Max donning Bottas in Lap 1 and toddling off.

[Shindig]

Nothing by a win will do for him, to be honest.

[Waffdon]

Bottas should just take Max out on the first corner. I’m sure Mercedes boys will compensate him kindly enough.

Can’t believe you’re getting Max at evens

[Gray Fox]

Bottas isn't the character for it.

[Giggles]

What's a good result for Lewis here then? If he can avoid the carbon fiber into turn one, you'd reckon he'll get pretty much all bar the Bulls and Bottas by the end.

I suspect if he is just 1 position behind Max he'll be reasonably happy with the result. I can't see anything other than Max donning Bottas in Lap 1 and toddling off.

A win, which from 10th isn’t one of the unlikeliest outcomes.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hamilton needs a win with Verstappen getting the last rites in hospital, if we're talking about a title chance.

[Gray Fox]

And that’s why George Russel is coming in.

[Shindig]

Well, that's well and truly shat on.

[SincereTheRebel]

Bottas really is a certified pussy

[Giggles]

Hamilton will be 3rd in a few laps time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The start was whatever, but Bottas outbraking himself into Descida do Lago to let Perez through was properly useless.

[Gray Fox]

Bottas really is a certified pussy

The final nail in the Bottas coffin.

[Giggles]

That switch and SC is as good as Hamilton starting second on the grid. The rest of the field outside Merc and Redbull really are pitiful.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Looks like they've been Tsunoda'd again.

[Gray Fox]

Brain dead from Yuki. Toro Rosso drivers have been killed for less.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is a fabulous race but I wish the invalids at the back would stop driving into each other and sending debris everywhere.

[Giggles]

Hamilton has this. He’ll be leading before the next stops.

[Gray Fox]

I’m not sure there will be any more stops.

Max is just fast enough to keep Lewis at bay so far.

[Shindig]

2 stops for the front runners.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hamilton's going to have to hunt him down at the end again here. Dirty air, Max wins by 1.1 seconds, rinse and repeat.

[Waffdon]

Yep, Mercedes cucking it again.

Christian Horner definitely has a want about him

[Gray Fox]

Would have made more sense to leave Lewis out and wait for the inevitable VSC? Or just don't stop him.

Very strange decision.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That was dirty as fuck from Max. Should be penalised.

[Waffdon]

Definitely should be penalised but nothing will happen

[Gray Fox]

5 second penalty for me Clive.

[Shindig]

He doesn't need to fight that hard, to be honest. Embrace his inner Rosberg (2nd place for the rest of the season) and he's champion.

[Gray Fox]

The Red Bull Machine is so unlikable isn't it.

[Shindig]

After intervening all year, the stewards have bottled that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hamilton is too slow through the Senna S, he's not doing this unless he gets a dive into turn one.

[7om]

How is that not a penalty for Max. I’d be absolutely seething if I was Lewis.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How many times did Max move there? Three?

[7om]

Lewis :cool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

Full disclosure, I made a similar gesture to Toto at the TV then.

[7om]

Toto has been so fired up this weekend. I love it. Drivers and constructors has been a fantastic rivalry this year.

[Shindig]

"Valtteri, schnell!"

[Jimmy Floyd]

Taking the engine penalty here now looking an absolute masterstroke.

[Shindig]

There's going to be a real mystery about the end of the season, too. Two new tracks coming up and then the shitfest that is Yas Marina.

[7om]

Night races though. Yes I’m shallow.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What's that, 14 points? So he needs to beat him three times, still. Dunno. Could do with a mishap.

[7om]

I can’t stop watching Toto gesticulating at the camera. I love how emotional everyone is right now.

[Shindig]

Yep. So three wins and making sure none of the fastest lap points get to Verstappen. If he pulls it off, it'll be incredible.

[Gray Fox]

There's going to be a real mystery about the end of the season, too. Two new tracks coming up and then the shitfest that is Yas Marina.

They've changed 3 parts of the track to try and help it be a better race.

[Waffdon]

Max will crash out in one of the races

[SincereTheRebel]

They have Massa interviewing hamilton at Interlagos Have they forgotten what happened back in 2008 at Glock corner. Man must be having flashbacks and holding back tears.

[7om]

They have Massa interviewing hamilton at Interlagos Have they forgotten what happened back in 2008 at Glock corner. Man must be having flashbacks and holding back tears.

They had an interview with Glock pre-race about that. Guy was getting death threats and had to be smuggled out the country

[thommo]

Unreal drive from Lewis. Glad it happened as otherwise that was the Championship gone. Now Max still needs 1 win from 3.

Interlagos still remains one of the best tracks in the F1 calendar. Just brilliant.

[phonics]

Pundit predictions once again absolutely useless.

[niko_cee]

Max will crash out in one of the races

If he does it'll be into Hamilton. He definitely has the inner-Schumacher to be doing that. Has the onboard/steering footage from yesterday surfaced yet? Hopefully he saves it for the last race [which I guess would make the most sense].

[Jimmy Floyd]

Apparently no such footage exists, i.e. Michael Masi didn't even have it himself. Can only hope that some kind of Zapruder tape emerges.

[Disco]

It's physically recorded and will have to be physically recovered. The live feed chooses one in car angle at a time to broadcast and they changed to the rear view as Hamilton approached.

Either that or Alex Albon will have to do another reconstruction.

[Gray Fox]

It Max is ahead into the final race he’s 100% barrelling into the side of Lewis.

[Gray Fox]

Giovanazzi out, Zhou in at Alfa Romeo. That completes the 2022 grid I believe?

Piastri signs for Alpine but as reserve driver.

[Shindig]

I'm keen to see how Zhou gets on.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm sorry but there's no way he's better than Giovinazzi.

People get discarded way too early these days.

[Waffdon]

Giovanazzi out, Zhou in at Alfa Romeo. That completes the 2022 grid I believe?

Piastri signs for Alpine but as reserve driver.

Money making scheme.

[Disco]

Zhou is decent, about the same level as Giovanazzi but without the experience I would say. The lure of a Chinese driver who isn't terrible will get him a few years at the back of the midfield.

[Disco]

The footage is out and while he didn't open the steering he clearly chooses a line and braking point that means he's never making the corner and left no space on the outside.

https://streamable.com/tp7dub

[Jimmy Floyd]

Can all his defenders not see that he's a full car length behind going into the corner and then just doesn't brake in order to force Hamilton off the track? The steering is neither here nor there.

Like I said in the moment, it was dirty as anything.

[Shindig]

Yeah, even if he’s factoring in the available run-off, he’s lost the position. And Giovanazzi’s put in some solid results this season. It’s a shame he’s out

[Jimmy Floyd]

Zhou going in against Bottas is a hiding to nothing as well. We may lol at Bottas when he's up there dicing with the greats, but in a midfield context he's a seriously good driver.

As ever we need 3 more teams on the grid, I miss the no hopers from the 90s.

[Disco]

The worst thing you can say about Bottas is that he's fractionally worse than the most successful driver ever and the brightest prospect of the last decade.

[Jimmy Floyd]

10 race wins, the same as Hunt, Peterson, Berger and Scheckter. Pretty useful.

I can't recall more than about 2 of those Berger wins. I guess most of them were in the McLaren alongside Senna.

[SincereTheRebel]

Where does he rank with the most race winners who are without a title. The likes of Massa, Rubens, Webber and Squarehead. Is he miles ahead of them?

[Jimmy Floyd]

T6 in that regard. Moss, Coulthard, Reutemann, Massa and Barrichello ahead of him.

[SincereTheRebel]

Just checked and I would have guessed Bottas had about 20 wins. Massa on 11 is surprising. In my mind, he was at the front for years but half his victories came in the season he was champion for 14 seconds.

It goes to show how difficult it is to be a race winner.

[niko_cee]

Merc have, unsurprisingly, complained to the FIA (or whoever one complains to over such matters) about the Max defence line.

[Jimmy Floyd]

No way they'll impose a penalty now, unless they are of the 'watch the world burn' disposition.

[Disco]

At most a pointless reprimand or some of those license points that have never meant anything ever.

[Shindig]

Just checked and I would have guessed Bottas had about 20 wins. Massa on 11 is surprising. In my mind, he was at the front for years but half his victories came in the season he was champion for 14 seconds.

It goes to show how difficult it is to be a race winner.

Yeah, it was a window of opportunity for him. He was in Kimi and Schumi's shadow and Kimi suspiciously (allegedly) was off the boil in 2008. And then Fernando turned up.

One prevailing thing I'm starting see from youtube retards is how '2008 would've been so different if Alonso hadn't cheated in Singapore'.

https://www.racefans.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/racefansdotnet-20110922-153116-2.jpg

Those traffic lights were a disaster. Ferrari cost him, not Alonso.

[Jimmy Floyd]

People trying to downplay the greatness of Lewis Hamilton can safely be filed away as idiots. It's the worst kind of doublethink bullshit, looking for the facts you wish were there. There are better cases against Schumacher, but I still won't make them, because why would you? The guy was truly great.

101 wins.

[Dave.]

The problem with Schumacher is that it's widely acknowledged that he cheated his way to at least one title with Benetton due to them using technology that was against the rules, cheated to another title by blatantly taking out Damon Hill in the final Grand Prix of the 1995 (?) season and had his teammates letting him past on the final lap on races (on a reasonably regular basis) so he could win them whilst at Ferrari. They are a couple of other incidents that leave a very bad taste too.

Good driver? Yes. Had things rigged in his favour many times? Yes. Absolute twat? Yes.

[Shindig]

I've just seen Verstappen's onboard. Not much else to be said, really. He brakes too late to make the corner and barely applies any steering until he realises he's off track.

[thommo]

The steering isn't the issue, it's the lateness of the braking that guarantees both are going off. If he'd turned the wheel anymore in the braking zone, he locks up and probably ends up in Hamilton's sidepod.

[Giggles]

Didn’t Hamilton win?

[Pepe]

The steering isn't the issue, it's the lateness of the braking that guarantees both are going off. If he'd turned the wheel anymore in the braking zone, he locks up and probably ends up in Hamilton's sidepod.

Indeed. At the limit of traction, applying more steering will not get you to turn any more.

[Gray Fox]

People trying to downplay the greatness of Lewis Hamilton can safely be filed away as idiots. It's the worst kind of doublethink bullshit, looking for the facts you wish were there. There are better cases against Schumacher, but I still won't make them, because why would you? The guy was truly great.

101 wins.

I keep getting the "But he's in the best car" argument from these people. I could maybe allow that for 2 of his titles. When the hybrid era hit, it took everyone a good 2 years to even be competitive, but he still has 5 others to speak of. He came in and immediately usurped the media darling Fernando. He beat Massa to a title he didn't have much right to, in his own back yard, the next year.

In fact, it's only a genuine rookie error in China and a bit of engine trouble in 2016 that's stopped him currently being a 9-timer already.

[Dave.]

I keep getting the "But he's in the best car" argument from these people. I could maybe allow that for 2 of his titles. When the hybrid era hit, it took everyone a good 2 years to even be competitive, but he still has 5 others to speak of. He came in and immediately usurped the media darling Fernando. He beat Massa to a title he didn't have much right to, in his own back yard, the next year.

In fact, it's only a genuine rookie error in China and a bit of engine trouble in 2016 that's stopped him currently being a 9-timer already.

I don't buy the best car argument, especially if you want to argue if he is better than Hamilton because they probably had the best car for an equivalent number of years. Schumacher also deserves some credit for building up the Ferrari in his early years at the team. What grates with me is that Schumacher's teammates allowed to win races by letting him past - sometimes on the finish line. Hamilton's teammates never did this.

Also he cheated to win the title in 1994. This is a well established fact. Hamilton has never cheated his way to an F1 title.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How many times did Rubens pull over for Schumi? I know Austria 2002 sticks in the mind, but I don't think there were too many examples.

[Shindig]

There was that odd photo finish they tried at Indy but I'm not sure that's the same.

As for Hamilton not cheating his way to a title: He nearly won in Spygate. :uhoh:

[Disco]

Schumacher rarely needed people to move over and it was normally Ferrari doing the ordering rather than him. I would say Hamilton had a greater car advantage for longer but you can only beat the opposition in front of you and it's not a metric used for any of the other multiple title winners. No-one is getting at Fangio for putting himself in the best machinery every year for example, or couching any of Senna's comebacks in terms of how much of a game changer the MP4-4 was.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Senna's first title probably had the biggest car advantage ever. Second half of 1991 they were getting battered by Williams so he did well to hold on for the third.

[Disco]

Following on from that, Mansell in 92 is the biggest advantage I can think of. I reckon he could have won some of those races in reverse.

[Dave.]

How many times did Rubens pull over for Schumi? I know Austria 2002 sticks in the mind, but I don't think there were too many examples.

I'm probably misremembering the amount of times this happened but I remember both Barrichello and Eddie Irvine having to do it.

As for easiest title win. Maybe Mansell's in the Williams? Or when Button won the title maybe?

[Dave.]

Following on from that, Mansell in 92 is the biggest advantage I can think of. I reckon he could have won some of those races in reverse.

Agreed.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Following on from that, Mansell in 92 is the biggest advantage I can think of. I reckon he could have won some of those races in reverse.

If you factor in his team mate being Dicky Patrese rather than Prost, then yeah.

Hill's Williams in 1996 was also pretty useful vs the competition.

[Disco]

Button had an advantage for about 6 or 7 races but they had zero development that year so the rest caught up pretty quickly. He had to get a result in Brazil to clinch the title as I recall.

[Jimmy Floyd]

One of Vettel's titles was a total breeze. 2011 maybe?

Schumacher 02 and 04 and a couple of Hamilton's also total walkovers. I really find it difficult to distinguish between seasons in the hybrid era.

[Gray Fox]

Seb has had 2 total breezes. 2011 was great but 2013 saw him win 13 of the 19 races, including the last 9 on the bounce.

His first title was great though. There were any of about 4 drivers on the final race that could have walked away with the prize. He was also the one who was hunting Button down after the rest of the field caught on to the double diffuser. Would have caught him too but for a few retirements.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I miss the Interlagos finales. Abu Dhabi is the worst possible venue for an exciting denouement, I don't care how many corners they change, it stinks. It's too long.

[SincereTheRebel]

They have the data. What track gives the most overtakes. Put them all towards the end of the calendar.

[Disco]

Unfortunately producing a decent race is not amongst the things they take into account when putting the calendar together, sort of odd when you think about the sprint race stuff.

[Shindig]

Damon Hill's been blasted on twitter for mentioning Schumacher again in the wake of FIA's decision today. It got me thinking. He's really the only driver in the history of the sport that's been a legitimately dirty driver, right? I would probably put Senna on notice for the attempted murder At Suzuka but that's really been it.

As for the Mercedes appeal, I didn't expect FIA to punish Verstappen retrospectively. Intent's still kinda hard to prove and nobody was taken out.

[Giggles]

You'd think Hill would get over it at some stage. That's like the small time shit we get up to.

[Shindig]

If you took away the insecurity and pettiness, there's nothing of Damon left. His life is a phenomenal story but he knows it could've been so much better.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd say Piquet and Senna could be argued to be dirty at times. Before about 1990 it was mostly too dangerous to be able to get up to any of that shit. Verstappen is quite dirty.

[Disco]

In general I do not care a bit about who's wing is scuffed, scratched, or scored but Red Bull threatening to report Mercedes while obviously running a wing that is designed to fail is peak F1.

[Giggles]

This really sounds like Red Bill are clutching at straws unless there’s something really more definitive we haven’t seen.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This circuit looks like a bit of a racing stinker for me (far better for bikes with the flowing corners) but with that pit entry I doubt the undercut will be decisive either.

[Jimmy Floyd]

How has Perez managed to miss Q3?

[Shindig]

Should probably check his rear wing.

[Disco]

On the quicker tyre too #JusticeforAlbon

[Shindig]

Tom McQuillin: The fact Verstappen is leading that championship in that Red Bull is a miracle… Sergio Perez is showing that in the hands of an average driver it’s a middle of the pack car and has been all season. Verstappen doesn’t get anywhere near enough credit for how good he’s been.

He's won a race this year, Tom.

[Jimmy Floyd]

That's the sort of wank trotted out by people who will twist any logic to prove that Lewis Hamilton is actually shit at driving. Imagine the pain they must have felt at those 101 chequered flags.

[Giggles]

Verstappen will be raging that Bottas was so shite.

[Disco]

Yup, the plan will be for Bottas to follow Hamilton into T1 and shut Verstappen out.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I noticed in Brazil that Hamliton was fellating Bottas on the radio at every opportunity, he doesn't miss a trick does he.

[niko_cee]

Yup, the plan will be for Bottas to follow Hamilton into T1 and shut Verstappen out.

If he gets any sort of start Verstappen will be 'hard racing' right through the racing line in turn 1.

[phonics]

I would love one of these journalists to ask upon hearing the ‘by coming here we can influence change in the region’ with ‘would you be here if it wasn’t for all the money?

[Gray Fox]

Max summoned to the stewards for failing to slow under double waved yellows. These are usually a slam dunk too, so I expect maybe a 3 place drop?

Him doing the F1 version of sarcastically clapping the referee might come back to bite him a bit.

[Shindig]

I'm going to guess that was for when Ghasly was slowing as the rest were on their flyers.

[niko_cee]

Max summoned to the stewards for failing to slow under double waved yellows. These are usually a slam dunk too, so I expect maybe a 3 place drop?

Him doing the F1 version of sarcastically clapping the referee might come back to bite him a bit.

Were there actually waved yellows though? It showed on screen as yellows in sector 3, then green, and the commentators didn't seem to think it was under yellows when Bottas and Verstappen came through (whoever was in front of Bottas clearly lifted and became a bit of a roadblock) as Gasly was over to the side of the pitwall. I doubt anything will be done as he didn't improve his position, even if he did improve his time.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought it was odd that he improved his time while Gasly was crawling along the pit straight. What did he get in Mexico 2019, 3 place penalty or have the lap deleted? Crucial difference.

[Gray Fox]

Lap deletion tends to be for when a part is non conforming or not enough fuel for example.

I suspect it’s a 3 place drop for this one.

@Niko that’ll be the debate then. If he’s improved his time with double waves yellows in a sector he was also in, a penalty will be coming. If did look like Gasly was right at the finish line.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He might have done it deliberately to get dropped to 5th and get the start tow, as well as removing it from Bottas. Galaxy brain

[Gray Fox]

He'd still comfortably get 3rd from there you'd think, but it'd allow Hamilton to drive Bottas away with the tow.

[Giggles]

Bottas and Sainz summoned now also.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Drop them all down and get Yuki up front.

[niko_cee]

Bottas was clearly going for it and only didn't improve his time because either the lap was poor anyway, or he had to swerve around a pootler on the final straight/at the line. Makes me think the yellows weren't clear, but, at the same time, is probably easier for the stewards to impose penalties on several cars than just on Verstappen.

[Gray Fox]

Hamilton got a penalty at Monza for entering a closed pit lane when replays showed he only saw one marshalls board telling him so before he got there.

Stewards will have their on board feeds. If they saw a yellow/double yellow in front of them and still did a good qualy time, you better believe that's a paddlin'

[Disco]

The pace difference seems to have swung wildly back in Mercedes favour, if Hamilton rolls through the last few races with ease to take an 8th title they'll be crying into their stroopwafels.

[Gray Fox]

I suspect that knowing Lewis had a big deficit to make up and needing to maybe take a risk, the mode they’ve set this new engine on is quite high. They only needed it for 4 races after all.

[Shindig]

And they have the old engine as a spare if it pops.

[Gray Fox]

5 place drop for Max.

You’d imagine the same for the others.

Edit: Bottas a 3 place drop, Sainz still pending.

[Luke Emia]

Horner is seething at the minute.

[Gray Fox]

Karen Horner has gone full “it was a rogue Marshall waving a flag without authorisation “

[niko_cee]

*Images surface of Toto Wolff in rogue marshall garb.*

[Jimmy Floyd]

I love the absurdity of Gasly exploding all over the place, causing yellow flags and then ending up on the front row as a result. I know it's safety but it's ridiculously harsh on the drivers really.

Fuck David Beckham, honestly. Is he still seething about not being knighted?

[Giggles]

Like, they don't get the likes of these wrong. Shed loads of camera angles and clear rules so they can have fuck all to comlain about.

[Giggles]

Sky really need to let that Brazil incident go. There's been no action and their driver won anyway, yet they're flogging it to bits a weekend later.

[niko_cee]

I love the absurdity of Gasly exploding all over the place, causing yellow flags and then ending up on the front row as a result. I know it's safety but it's ridiculously harsh on the drivers really.


Aye. It also renders the race a bit of a dud on the face of it. Maybe Gasly has a further role to play though as the turn 1 torpedo. Bets on how long Verstappen stays behind Bottas? Zero corners?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Might have a wee punt on someone getting their 33rd F1 win today. 80/1!

[Giggles]

Alonso, Vettel, or Raikkonen?

EDIT - Bottas?

[Gray Fox]

Hamilton surrounded by soft tyre runners who give zero fucks for his title aspirations.

This will be a lot tighter into T1 than it may seem.

[Giggles]

Norris win for the bantz.

[Disco]

I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight Fernando

P1 before T1?

[Giggles]

That’s that then.

[Jimmy Floyd]

lol at that puke-worthy couple of laps, and lol at Bottas.

[Shindig]

Nah, Verstappen might decide a one-stopper.

[Gray Fox]

Seems as if they had a point when they said the odd numbered sides of the grid is where you wanted to be.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I really can't see undercut being in play with this pit lane. 2.5 seconds max.

[Gray Fox]

They reckon someone could bin it in the pit lane entry too.
10 laps and the top 2 have a pit stop over everyone up to 4th. Crazy pace.

[Giggles]

Bottas is enjoying himself.

[Giggles]

Well he was anyway.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's amazing how often that sort of thing happens to Bottas/Perez rather than Hamilton/Verstappen. Small margins I guess are what make them great.

[Gray Fox]

Looks like it’s puncture o’clock

[John Arne]

Would have been much more fun to have just left Latifi's car there until the end of the race, and let everybody get on with it for the final 3 laps.

[Gray Fox]

Alonso 😎

[Giggles]

Track worked out better for a spectacle than I thought it would.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Maybe all the non-overtaking circuits should just install massively dangerous kerbs to liven things up.

[Giggles]

Sounds a plan. Even better than the sprinklers.

[Gray Fox]

Toto just said Lewis was not running the new engine from Brazil in this race.

That could make things very interesting.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think they know they'll need it in this stupid Saudi race coming up.

[Gray Fox]

Karen Horner to the stewards for bitching about them earlier.

[niko_cee]

Toto just said Lewis was not running the new engine from Brazil in this race.

That could make things very interesting.

Yeah, I thought this was known earlier (the BBC mentioned it in their bit about Horner being less pissy because the speed differential wasn't actually that big in qualifying yesterday). Presumably Horner wasn't aware of this fact either.

[Shindig]

Ah, the world's fastest street circuit. Yep.

[Gray Fox]

I know it's in the dead thread, but Sir Frank :(

[Jimmy Floyd]

One of the great chancers, Frank Williams. I don't think he really had any money until some time into the late 80s or early 90s.

[SincereTheRebel]

I was surprised to read, that the most common F1 podiums shared is Hamilton, Bottas and Verstappen.

[niko_cee]

Team radio - Mercedes to the FIA

Mercedes sports director Ron Meadows: "Great job from the guys to get the circuit clean, Michael [Masi]. Really impressive."

:happycry:

Operation Butter-Up underway.

[Disco]

I've seen five seconds of Sharl Leglerg having a crash but I feel that qualifies me to assert that the proximity of the barriers and sandiness of the track is going to mean safety cars out the wazoo on Sunday.

[John Arne]

I'm predicting ZERO overtakes this weekend. Even though it been designed with those long, high-speed sweeping corners, it's just way too narrow.
Probably great fun to drive around during practise, but during a race, going side-by-side at 180mph with a wall 1 metre to your right... Can't see many taking that risk.

[phonics]

I can see loads of crashes leading to overtakes though.

[thommo]

This first F2 race has been fantastic viewing, fearless stuff, they've been getting so close to the wall.

[niko_cee]

Hamilton in the stewards room. :harold:

Not sure impeding Mazepin should be an offence, mind. Ignoring yellows more problematic.

[Gray Fox]

The yellow flag didn't show on his wheel system so it sounds like he's been a very lucky boy.

Slow cars are going to cause a big issue in Qualy here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm getting horrible premonitions of cars flying over those barriers after contact in sector 3. They don't look high enough.

Horrible general aesthetic at this circuit, might as well be driving around a car park.

[Waffdon]

It does indeed look absolutely awful. I’ll go over 3.5 crashes and fuck all overtakes.

[Gray Fox]

This circuit is fucking stupid.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Why does Carlos Sainz's very Spanish-sounding engineer talk to him in English? Guessing they make them speak English for the broadcast, but even so, doesn't that unfairly disadvantage those without English as a first language?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Some serious code brown moments out here. With cars side by side in the race there's going to be a massive shunt or two, surely.

[niko_cee]

Jesus, that was going to be the most epic lap for many a year from Verstappen there.

[Giggles]

He’s well fucked that.

[Gray Fox]

That was so close to mega from Max there. Just a bit too greedy in the last turn.

[Waffdon]

Offft. He looked like he was about to smash Hamilton’s time

[John Arne]

Ooof. :)

[Disco]

It sounds silly but up until he hit that wall that was immense.

[Disco]

And he's still third so he has to do the interview.

[thommo]

His dash said he was 0.38s up entering the final hairpin. The lap was genuinely insane up until that point, it was on course to be one of THE great laps.

[Giggles]

If the gearbox is done it’s game over for the championship.

[niko_cee]

His dash said he was 0.38s up entering the final hairpin. The lap was genuinely insane up until that point, it was on course to be one of THE great laps.

Aye. On the absolute edge throughout, nearly hitting every wall and then, well, shame really.

It reminded me of one Hamilton chucked in in Singapore many years ago.

[Gray Fox]

I think the gearbox will be fine. The suspension looked like it took the brunt.

[Disco]

It doesn't take much, Leclerc broke one doing the same sort of thing in Monaco. Anyway, five places is nothing, he'll have that back inside a few laps.

[Jimmy Floyd]

As Hamilton showed in Brazil, grid places for these two are only relative to each other, the other 18 drivers aren't in the same postcode.

[SincereTheRebel]

Pressure is building on the Dutch Lisp.

[Giggles]

Verstappen is getting too much credit everywhere for going fast for two sectors when the aim of the lap is to finish it the fastest, so he was obviously going faster than his talents allow.

[niko_cee]

I don't know. That level of commitment, and pure pace, particularly given the circumstances of the title race, mark him out as being pretty special. Hamilton's experience won over Verstappen's impetuosity in the end, but that was a pretty special lap up until the final corner.

[Shindig]

Agreed. It was phenomenal to watch. Totally committed and almost binned it 12 seconds in. Today's going to be carnage, though. Too many people have had moments. The speed of the track and lack of run-off is going to bring out a red flag.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've not gone into an F1 race with so much trepidation as this. I just hope no one gets hurt.

[Clunge]

Goosebumps stuff that Q3. Insane speed, insane commitment, insane bravery. Verstappen set the tone in T1/2, scraping the barriers on the exit. Brutal stuff. Do agree a bit re the danger of the track, although they're gonna be 10-11 secs down at the start of the race. But it reminds me a lot of Valencia, and we all remember the Webber incident...

[Giggles]

I don't know. That level of commitment, and pure pace, particularly given the circumstances of the title race, mark him out as being pretty special. Hamilton's experience won over Verstappen's impetuosity in the end, but that was a pretty special lap up until the final corner.

Hamilton drove the car on the edge which is what great driving is. Driving it over the edge is just bad driving, no matter how flashy it looks in parts.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I admire his chutzpah in going for it. Hamilton also did very well to put his own lap in at a time which forced/baited Verstappen to take those risks.

[Gray Fox]

There's a sweeping left-right-left sequence of the track, maybe where one of the Ferrari cars went off, but the "run off" is raised. My worry is that acting as a ramp up into the barrier fence. We don't need a Dan Wheldon style incident.

[Shindig]

Yeah, where LeClerc went off, the barrier could feed the car back into traffic.

[thommo]

I'm just grateful there aren't any sausage kerbs here, otherwise we could easily see another Sophia Floersch type crash.

[phonics]

At the parents who don’t watch the races live and wait for the highlights. How many hours between the race finishing and the highlights starting at 10pm.

[Giggles]

At the parents who don’t watch the races live and wait for the highlights. How many hours between the race finishing and the highlights starting at 10pm.
Around 3 I’d be thinking.

[Gray Fox]

Race starts at 5:30. Apparently the unusual :30 is to allow evening prayers to occur in Jeddah. Unless something stops the start, after Spa we know it's 3 hours maximum, so it'll be done in a worst case scenario at 8:30.

I suspect a 7:30 or so finish. We'll almost certainly have 1 red flag.

[Shindig]

Speaking of kerbs, I find it odd how many around Jeddah are inside track limits.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Watching the F2 race, two separate massive crashes in the first 20 seconds of the race, red flag. It just seems inevitable that the F1 will happen behind a safety car for long periods.

[Waffdon]

Yep, the race has been red flagged.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The way things are going here I could see the F1 start being delayed.

[Giggles]

Just doing a 20 min now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They managed 11 minutes of it before the next red flag.

[John Arne]

Odds of the F1 not happening? I can imagine some of the older guys (Hamilton, Vettel, Alonso, Raikkonen) perhaps having second thoughts here.

[Gray Fox]

This is absolutely stupid.

[Giggles]

Stopped again. Is this track new or what have they done before?

[John Arne]

Stopped again. Is this track new or what have they done before?

New.

F2 now cancelled.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The track is new and absolutely stupid, as exclusively called by me in post 15 of this thread.

[Gray Fox]

The track still isn't finished. But the problem is that it's such high speed, with zero run off. Just walls. The design of the place doesn't lend itself to actual racing, but racers are going to try.

[Giggles]

That Frank Williams thing has just reminded me of Ron Dennis. Is he out of the game altogether now?

[Giggles]

Also, his son looks like a Lidl Jamie Oliver.

[phonics]

That Frank Williams thing has just reminded me of Ron Dennis. Is he out of the game altogether now?

He's running the whole sport I thought.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ross Brawn is running the sport. Ron Dennis got forced out of McLaren in the end by the Bahrainis. Not sure what he's doing now, but I'm sure he's doing it using complex sentence structures.

[Gray Fox]

Ross Brawn is the guy running it.

Ron Dennis has been out of it for near 5 years now. He lost the politics game at McLaren and then sold up and left.

[phonics]

My first guess was he was dead but that was Charlie White so at least I guessed someone who had the first letter of their name the same.

[Giggles]

I actually didn’t know Brawn was running the show. I knew he had some high job because I’ve seen him lately but not the main one. Is that the one Todt used to do?

[Shindig]

Ross Brawn is boss of the technical side, Stefano Domenicali is actual President & CEO.

[Gray Fox]

Todt is President of the FIA and is stepping down at the end of the season. Expected to be replaced by someone from the Saudi/Qatar region.

[Giggles]

Will Hamilton blowing Bottas all weekend be enough for a dodgy move on Verstappen? I don’t think he’s ever acknowledged the Finns existence up to now.

[Gray Fox]

He can blow steam up Bottas all he wants, but Max will pass him and most likely T1 or Lap 1. Bottas just doesn't have that aggression to force a car off to keep a place, like a Max or Lewis would.

[Giggles]

Too much talk now about this gearbox. Wouldn’t be surprised at all to see it end up that they’d have been better taking the penalty and changing it.

[Waffdon]

Bottas to take Hamilton out on T1 trying to defend Verstappen

[Giggles]

Bottas to take Hamilton out on T1 trying to defend Verstappen

He’s set up Bottas to be a good boy.

[Shindig]

They've got a constructors title to think about.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If they get through the turn 1 complex on lap 1 without a safety car resulting then applause to all involved.

[Giggles]

Applause to all involved. It has the makings of a procession now they’re through that.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Yeah, this track has the dangerous/boring double whammy of motor racing doom.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There's the dangerous bit again. That corner is madness.

[Gray Fox]

Naughty by Bottas. Forces Max to stay out there. But you now give him ability to slow them all down.

[Giggles]

The blowing worked. Has to be a penalty though.

[Giggles]

I do love how sky are ignoring it though. It’s like they think the stewards are watching them.

[Gray Fox]

I doubt you get him there. You have to reduce pace by 40% so it'll be hard to argue.

Max now needs another VSC or SC.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Red flag because the circuit's been obliterated, for the third or so time today. What a venue.

[Gray Fox]

Okay that's pulled it all back.

[Shindig]

Red flag. Verstappen can freshen his tyres.

[Waffdon]

No chance Hamilton will overtake Max here. No wonder he’s odds on to win now.

What a call from that creep Horner

[Jimmy Floyd]

That was a basic lowish-speed spin that Mick had and it obliterated the corner safety furniture. This is the worst venue we've ever been to.

[Gray Fox]

Leaving that a good 4 laps behind the SC first is a cunts move from Masi.

Precession to the end then.

[Giggles]

No chance Hamilton will overtake Max here. No wonder he’s odds on to win now.

What a call from that creep Horner

Did he call anything?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm not sure, aren't a lot of red flags like that? The instant red flags are usually guts-on-the-road scenarios.

[Giggles]

Sky are fuming. Well apart from Brundle as always, he spends most races calming this other cunt down.