F1 2021 - Covid 2: Viral Boogaloo

[Disco]

Also, has Verstappen shagged his way into the Piquet family or the Pique (as in Gerard) family?

Kelly Piquet daughter of Nelson and who, in a beautiful irony, used to be with and has a child with Danil Kvyat.

[Gray Fox]

Okay I didn’t know that bit.

Let the man keep his title for that :D

[Shindig]

What an absolute ring rat :D

[Manc]

Any tears from Hamilton? Couldn't have happend to a nicer bloke. :harold:

[Disco]

Just imagine if they have kids, a Piquet/Verstappen hybrid could be a terrifying prospect.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Just imagine if they have kids, a Piquet/Verstappen hybrid could be a terrifying prospect.

Unless it gets the Jos and Nelsinho DNA.

[Disco]

I mean they would be an absolute cunt rather than fast.

Just spotted Sainz in third puts him above Legreg in the championship, that's quite funny.

[Giggles]

I mean they would be an absolute cunt rather than fast.

Just spotted Sainz in third puts him above Legreg in the championship, that's quite funny.
Would that not have been expected? He came from McLaren very highly rated.

[Disco]

They signed him to be slower than Prince Charles.

[Giggles]

Ah yes, I’m on the wrong forum.

[niko_cee]

Horner not exuding his usual high levels of smugness upon leaving the stewards, by the looks of things . . .

[Giggles]

Outside Jimmy obviously, would any of you really count a technicality win as a real win?

[Shindig]

I mean the alternative is the FIA making the rules up as they go along which is what they've actually managed to do.

[7om]

Ted with the interesting conspiracy theory on The Notebook. That they only fueled Checo with 3/4 of a tank to keep him close to Lewis and affect the race. Winter off season getting off to a good start :drool:

[Disco]

The best kind, if they overturn this result it will be the most hilarious thing ever, like 2008 but it takes an hour to fuck over Massa.

[Shindig]

That explains the "We're retiring the car." which flummoxed Checo.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Ted with the interesting conspiracy theory on The Notebook. That they only fueled Checo with 3/4 of a tank to keep him close to Lewis and affect the race. Winter off season getting off to a good start :drool:

I did think his surprise at being called in to retire was a bit :sherlock: but I couldn't immediately think of the shenanigans there might have been.

Is that legal? I presume it is, but it seems a bit odd to have a situation where someone could theoretically be out of gas on the straight, safety-wise.

[Giggles]

The best kind, if they overturn this result it will be the most hilarious thing ever, like 2008 but it takes an hour to fuck over Massa.

It won’t though. Well, maybe for the first evening or day it will be but after that it goes back to being a bit sad. We all know what we’re really seeing here.

[Disco]

He should be happy to have been involved, completely anonymous for the rest of the season.

[Disco]

It won’t though. Well, maybe for the first evening or day it will be but after that it goes back to being a bit sad. We all know what we’re really seeing here.

Whatever the outcome imagine that decision was made during the race. If they hadn't let the other cars go or if the race had finished under the safety car that seems like normal procedure. If someone overtakes under a safety car and is penalised that's also normal. So really all we're arguing about is the timing which doesn't really seem like such a big deal.

[niko_cee]

Outside Jimmy obviously, would any of you really count a technicality win as a real win?

There's no real winner here anyway, it would have been hard for there to have been. Perhaps finishing behind the safety car would have respected the result that the race was clearly destined to produce a bit more, but fuck that. The best way to deal with it would probably have been to chuck the red flag straight away, but they've become too liberal with those anyway and that clearly would have been a very artificial way to address the initial problem.

[Giggles]

There's no real winner here anyway, it would have been hard for there to have been. Perhaps finishing behind the safety car would have respected the result that the race was clearly destined to produce a bit more, but fuck that. The best way to deal with it would probably have been to chuck the red flag straight away, but they've become too liberal with those anyway and that clearly would have been a very artificial way to address the initial problem.

There’s no winner if it’s decided in a room full of suits. We seen a winner on the track where the racing is done.

[niko_cee]

Aye, but we didn't see that either. What we saw was a mess. They should let it stand and move on, but it's hard to see how you can really justify that other than in the 'lol car racing Toto' way Masi did.

[thommo]

Just caught up with this thread now. Fantastic reactionary takes from you all, Jimmy especially.

Some real seethe in this quote particularly:

No need to wonder.

I am now an anyone but Verstappen. If Ferrari turn up next year with a good car (farfetched I know) I'll be chucking pasta down my neck for the boys in red. Whatever it takes for this cunt to lose.

[Shindig]

They brought a barrister in. Because you just have one of those ready to go. :D

[Jimmy Floyd]

One of the things Toto did wrong was have a general purpose whine at Masi's decision. He should have been immediately on the specifics, there and then. I thought it so he should have done too. Zero emotion.

The key to the whole thing is 'why some lapped cars and not others'.

[niko_cee]

Merc having the lawyers ready to go at the track. :face:

[niko_cee]

David Coulthard

Former F1 driver on Channel 4

How else was this going to end when the stakes are so high? Sadly, if it's decided by three stewards, a drivers' steward and a load of lawyers that will leave a sour taste for me. It's not about their performances as drivers.

Single lap shoot-out with the lawyers at the wheel?

[Shindig]

The result will stand because the FIA's never been a paragon of authority. And they've announced the results on their social media and website. It just so happens the curveball was thrown in the dying minute. Masi should've red flagged it. Lewis gets to put a fresh set on and we have a 4 lap sprint. Lewis wins it, Jos thumps Kelly and then she tells Max she fell.

Everybody's happy.

[Gray Fox]

This will get dragged out to Thursday either way, but this is shite and exactly what we didn’t want regardless of the winner.

[Jimmy Floyd]

They shouldn't change the result, but it will always be a title tainted by having been won via catastrophic official error. Verstappen's 2021 title and the decision made by Masi will go hand in hand forever, removing all the gloss from his driving achievements.

That would also be the same if they overturned it now and/or if Hamilton had won in the same way.

[Disco]

Name a company the size of Mercedes without a lawyer.

[Shindig]

Greggs?

[niko_cee]

Anyway, as to the race, which seems a long time ago, I still don't really agree with the Mercedes strategy of just covering off Verstappen's pit stop straight away when they had tyres that could have run longer. Seemed to be giving away an advantage that starting on the mediums should have given them. In the end, maybe Hamilton having slightly fresher tyres might have allowed him to hold him off at the end. Although I also thought they were wrong to leave him out under the VSC and that was unarguably the right call, absent extenuating circumstances. But then, had he pitted, and Verstappen stayed out [assuming opposite strategy] he would have had him on toast [mutually assured destruction notwithstanding].

It'd be amazing if Red Bull hadn't fuelled Perez's car enough with the sole intention of him just fucking about Hamilton.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Anyway, as to the race, which seems a long time ago, I still don't really agree with the Mercedes strategy of just covering off Verstappen's pit stop straight away when they had tyres that could have run longer. Seemed to be giving away an advantage that starting on the mediums should have given them.

I agree with this, and said it at the time. Were they that scared of a six-second undercut? They were a little too much on the defensive all day, for a team that had the pace. Though without Latifi binning it late on they'd have cruised to a 10 second win, so what do I know.

[Lofty]

Wonder what the odds on Verstappen winning were immediately prior to the crash.

[Disco]

I'm sure they are arguing right now that they would have pitted Hamilton at the full safety car had they thought it would come in before the end of the race, the only reason it didn't being that Masi decided to knock a lap off the normal procedure.

[thommo]

It's a good argument but they definitely wouldn't have conceded track position to Max with only 5-6 laps left, no matter how quick the SC was going to be.

[niko_cee]

Must have been a Mercedes crew on the recovery crane as well, it took an absolute age to get going.

[Disco]

Agent Bottas should have parked it as a parting gesture.

[Disco]

Overtaking under the safety car protest has been dismissed, now we just have to wait for other clog to drop.

[Gray Fox]

I doubt highly they will accept either protest. But the one that’s left requires Masi admitting he’s wrong, then the FIA deciding to change a decision that will directly change a championship winner.

It just won’t happen. Even though Mercedes are in the right.

[Disco]

Agreed. Funny watching them flail about trying to justify it all though.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's the old Bahrain-Uzbekistan precedent in terms of referees fundamentally fucking it, most sports have safeguards in place to avoid such a shambles.

Maybe make the pair drive from Abu Dhabi back to Paris for the ceremony on Friday and whoever arrives at the gala first (in full black tie) gets the championship.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Agreed. Funny watching them flail about trying to justify it all though.

The only thing they have is some sort of variation on 'the race director's decision is final', so it'll be that, even though I'm not sure there's anything that necessarily says it is final.

[Gray Fox]

It's the old Bahrain-Uzbekistan precedent in terms of referees fundamentally fucking it, most sports have safeguards in place to avoid such a shambles.

Maybe make the pair drive from Abu Dhabi back to Paris for the ceremony on Friday and whoever arrives at the gala first (in full black tie) gets the championship.

“A 36 year old man from Stevenage has been found unresponsive in his car after appearing to crash into a wall. Sources say a can of energy drink was found at the scene”

[Pepe]

There’s no winner if it’s decided in a room full of suits. We seen a winner on the track where the racing is done.

It was guaranteed to be decided in a room full of suits when they decided to make up rules (or apply existing rules in ways that they have never been applied before, if you prefer) on the spot. Right now, even if they decide to change nothing (which they will), the room full of suits has occurred and the controversy created.

[Jimmy Floyd]

This is why the UK has an unwritten constitution, btw. Written rules are a pain in the arse under the glare of reality.

[Pepe]

It wouldn't be such a pain in the arse if they just followed the rule.

[Gray Fox]

That’s the problem. Masi doesn’t know the rules. You can hear it when they speak to him.

Decision expected any minute, though we know what it is really.

[Yevrah]

In all the excitement, I forgot to ask. What should have happened?

[SincereTheRebel]

The Canadian shouldn't have written his Williams off in the wall like an idiot.

[Disco]

Two things: You either let all the lapped cars through (and normally let them catch back up a bit) or you restart with them in place. Also, the safety car should come in the lap after the lights go out which would normally have been on the last lap of the race.

[Pepe]

Two options: One, take a lap to let the lapped cars through. Race end in yellow. The other is to not let the lapped cars. Restart with one lap to go, with the lapped cars in between Hamilton and Verstappen.

[Shindig]

All lapped cars should've been let past rather than just the ones between Lewis and Max. That would've required another lap so everyone could form up behind the safety car. Like every other safety car restart.

Pepe's covered it.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In all the excitement, I forgot to ask. What should have happened?

Any of:

1. Red flag the race and restart with 4 laps to go
2. Restart under safety car without letting any lapped cars past
3. Let all lapped cars past the safety car, which in practical terms would have resulted in finishing under the safety car.

Somehow they managed to pick a 4th option that sits outwith the written rules.

[Yevrah]

Any of:

1. Red flag the race and restart with 4 laps to go
2. Restart under safety car without letting any lapped cars past
3. Let all lapped cars past the safety car, which in practical terms would have resulted in finishing under the safety car.

Somehow they managed to pick a 4th option that sits outwith the written rules.

In all those options Hamilton wins, right? How would a restart have worked? Are they staggered to reflect the time gaps when the race stopped?

[Shindig]

Nah, it's a grid restart. Everyone has the option to put a new set of tyres on so it becomes a 4 lap sprint.

[Jimmy Floyd]

In all those options Hamilton wins, right? How would a restart have worked? Are they staggered to reflect the time gaps when the race stopped?

The only one in which Hamilton definitely wins is 3.

Red flag restart would have been from the grid.

[niko_cee]

No, red flag is a grid/standing restart, otherwise the lead car becomes the pace car and racing resumes once they cross the line/rolling start.

[Yevrah]

So there were actually two options well within the rules that would have "let them race"?

I don't have any answers but it seems grossly unfair that a crash that had nothing to do with the leader of the race who was miles ahead at the time penalises them so much. There must be a better system, surely?

[Gray Fox]

It would have been fine for him had they followed their own rules properly.

[Yevrah]

It would have been fine for him had they followed their own rules properly.

But which one, there are three options, no? And how would it have been fine if it's a grid start? I know the tyres are changed, but he's lost his mahoosive lead.

[Spikey M]

This is obviously an extreme case of it, but it's quite common for the safety car to fuck drivers over by grouping all the cars back up. It's just one of those things.

[Yevrah]

Seems the worst type of 'one of those things' I've ever come across in any sport.

Geri Halliwell is getting railed with coke and Viagra tonight.

[Adramelch]

Yeah the safety car coming out by default punishes the leader really. And a grid start doesn't make things any worse.

[Luca]

I feel like the four-lap shootout would have been better for the SPECTACLE of it all, anyways, wouldn’t it?

[Disco]

That's it, they chucked the other protest out now too.

[niko_cee]

Hopefully this sees the end of the lapped cars can unlap themselves rule/idea. What a load of shit that is anyway, has it always been the case?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The safety car itself is just shit happens. Incorrect application of the safety car regulations - and announcing one thing, then doing another - are not shit happens.

[Gray Fox]

I expect this will go on to a court proceeding of some sort.

What a shame a great title race has come to this.

[Shindig]

Not always. I think they introduced it during the hybrid era because the cars are much closer together.

[Luke Emia]

They were moaning the other week about being able to change tyres under a red flag and talking about getting rid of that why not do the same for safety cars as well?

[Giggles]

Done and dusted. Won on the track.

The way the season has been it was always going to become a crying session regardless of who won so the best thing was to entertain none of it.

[niko_cee]

:D

Hamilton shouldn't have given him the inside to go for, although presumably he'd have been ballbagged at the end of the next straight anyway.

[Adramelch]

Yeah I don't think there was any way for him to defend his position in that last lap.

[niko_cee]

Also, interesting at the end with Hamilton saying/suggesting he wants to go on for a good few years. I wonder how much the bitterness of this will encourage him to keep going if they have a winning package next season, in a spiteful sort of way.

[niko_cee]

Yeah I don't think there was any way for him to defend his position in that last lap.

Contact was his only hope.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hamilton's only 36. Could get to 9 with luck. 10 probably a stretch.

[Giggles]

Depends when the fear kicks in, though it definitely hasn’t yet.

[thommo]

Also, interesting at the end with Hamilton saying/suggesting he wants to go on for a good few years. I wonder how much the bitterness of this will encourage him to keep going if they have a winning package next season, in a spiteful sort of way.

Did he say that? In the interview with Button at the end he seemed fairly cryptic with regards to next year. Maybe I was reading too much into it.

[thommo]

Also I don't think Merc have a leg to stand on in the courts.

That clause/rule, number 15 according to some journalists, basically gives the race director full control over safety car usage. I think that's the FIA's way of easily justifying what happened today.

[Shindig]

And I can't see the FIA rulebook being legally binding in any way. It still really, really grinds my gears that Hamilton did everything right in that race and was knackered by an audible.

[Giggles]

Regardless of today, Hamilton has been the better driver this year, and by a good bit, but that not how sport and championships work.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Depends when the fear kicks in, though it definitely hasn’t yet.

No kids.

[Pepe]

Has to be said the Americans solved this issue decades ago with the green, white, checkered system.

[Shindig]

Aye, it turns on things like the magic button in Baku, the 50/50 in Silverstone, Spa's washout and so on.

[Gray Fox]

He’ll know how good that 2022 car could be and see how he feels this time next year I reckon.

The talk in the paddock is that they expect a Mercedes dominated year next year. They’ve put a lot of resources into that car. They barely touched this years one at all.

[thommo]

Regardless of today, Hamilton has been the better driver this year, and by a good bit, but that not how sport and championships work.

To be honest, I think Max has been definitely the better driver throughout the whole season. The last 6 weeks or so, Hamilton has clearly been the best and has made a great comeback, but over the European leg Max was phenomenal.

[niko_cee]

Regardless of today, Hamilton has been the better driver this year, and by a good bit, but that not how sport and championships work.

It's interesting because I was thinking to myself that the titles are the wrong way round. Red Bull have been so much better as a team this year, maximising strategy, pit work etc [whereas Merc have been far to cautious and have thrown a lot of good situations away - they started off being aggressive and it working but switched to defensive mode for some reason maybe around the Paul Ricard GP?] whereas it feels like Hamilton has really grafted for his points this year.

Some of the last 5 lap turnarounds for Verstappen have been mad - just thinking back to Russia and now this one.

[Shindig]

I honestly thought the guard was changing this season. Max was just so far ahead at Silverstone. The three DNF's he had ultimately kept it close. Lewis' only DNF was Monza, although Baku might as well have been.

[niko_cee]

Did he say that? In the interview with Button at the end he seemed fairly cryptic with regards to next year. Maybe I was reading too much into it.

He said something about looking forward to battling with Max for many years, which I took to mean he was sticking around. Obviously his pace has to stick around too, which may be an issue as time rolls on.

[Giggles]

He needs to hang around to put “George” in his box.

[Gray Fox]

I actually think George will be the end of him. That boy is mega, just hasn't had the machinery to prove it. Aside from that one race were every possible thing went wrong.

[Giggles]

He has everything but I’d still worry about the mentality. He’ll need some success in the first couple of years not to become a poison in the team.

[Gray Fox]

He beat all the current young stars in junior Formula, minus Max who got shoved in a Toro Rosso at 17.

[Pepe]

First year he is bound to get smacked around.

[Lewis]

How old was Michael Schumacher in his last two seasons pulling that shitbox around? 'Lewis' could race into his forties on the Ronaldo/Tom Brady/tennis player diet and rub that gay lad's face in it.

[Pepe]

I look forward to Verstappen wanting to move to Ferrari the second the Red Bull turns a bit slow after his whole I want to be here forever thing today.

[Disco]

He was saying only yesterday that if he had a Mercedes he'd have won easily.

[Giggles]

Not a chance he stays there for the duration.

[niko_cee]

Has Toto said anything yet or are they just straight off to Switzerland or wherever CAS is?

[Giggles]

Not a thing that I’ve seen anyway. It’ll all be lost when it wasn’t immediate, he would have been hilarious.

[Spikey M]

It'll be radio silence now there's solicitors involved. The next 2 championships will have been won before this one is left alone.

[Disco]

Is Bottas the only Mercedes employee to have spoken to any sort of media, I've not seen any others.

[Offshore Toon]

Can someone explain the mass Lewis hate? I really don't understand it.

[Waffdon]

Probably because he’s ‘woke’ or whatever the term they use is.

Speaks in favour of BLM, LGBT etc

[Offshore Toon]

That's how it feels to me. People calling him 'pretentious' because he's trying to make the world a better place.

[Jimmy Floyd]

If you go back ten years, people justified their hatred of Hamilton because of his doing outrageous, offensive things, like wearing clothes and liking music. Nowadays it's because he does/says woke things in a sport with an extremely non-woke culture. Some people say it's because they're tired of him winning all the time (I don't see this as a valid reason for personal dislike).

The truth, however much people would scream with furious indignation when it was put to them, is that it's because he's black. There are a lot of people who are (mostly subconsciously) just not happy with the idea of a black man with an 'alternative' lifestyle dominating the highly incestuous world of top level motorsport.

I loved him from the GP2 days and still do. A brilliantly exciting racing driver with genuine greatness on track and his own way of doing things off track. Would he and I be mates, doubt it, but that's not what it's about.

[Giggles]

He's an amazing driver, best ever, but if we all liked everyone then sport would be as boring as he is in an interview.

Yesterday wasn't even remotely for a lol at Hamilton, for me it was all for the fanboys and the rest for Wolf. I could listen to that "Michael" all day.

[Disco]

The non-dom tax thing is often trotted out as well, without any real appreciation of how that works or considering the multitude of other rich people who do the same and get a free pass. 90% of the time it's just another dog whistle.


I read a fun (ie very boring) thing today about the apparent re-classification of the word 'Any' as it pertains to rules and regulations of the sport. Whereas before it was taken to mean 'All/All Applicable' in the light of yesterdays rulings that may no longer be the case, which makes the Technical regs an interesting read. For example; 'Any braking must be carried out by the driver' could mean something different today than it did yesterday (dust off the ABS lads).

[Disco]

He's an amazing driver, best ever, but if we all liked everyone then sport would be as boring as he is in an interview.

Yesterday wasn't even remotely for a lol at Hamilton, for me it was all for the fanboys and the rest for Wolf. I could listen to that "Michael" all day.

I want it as a message alert.

[Giggles]

I'd never blame anyone for tax dodging. Evey last one of us would do the same if we could.

[7om]

Lando has recently moved to Monaco as well. Let’s see if he gets the same accusations thrown at him.

[Lewis]

Nobody knows who 'Lando' is. Hamilton seems like a wanker, but so does every top Formula 1 driver, so the fanboys like Floyd ('his own way of doing things off track' lol) are as weird as the seething haters.

[Waffdon]

Gamers do :cool:

[Shindig]

I hate when they bring wealth into it, as well. "He's not as common as he says he is." I might never live to see another kid from a working class background get near the grid, let alone top the tree.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Nobody knows who 'Lando' is. Hamilton seems like a wanker, but so does every top Formula 1 driver, so the fanboys like Floyd ('his own way of doing things off track' lol) are as weird as the seething haters.

He's not a clone. I respect people who are not clones. My mum seethes about him due to 'pontificating'. Good on him for producing that seethe, and frankly good on Max for making me seethe, too.

Lando and 'George' (not sure why only one gets the inverted commas, but that's how it is) are clones.

[7om]

In other news, Toto seems to have recovered. There’s a video doing the rounds of him crowdsurfing at a party after the GP.

[Lewis]

https://i.imgur.com/ZCloIov.png

'I loved him from the GP2 days...'

[Giggles]

They should all get inverted commas.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The thing is there's only 20 of them, so first name terms are kind of natural. It's not like it's football and we don't know which Carlos you're talking about.

[Shindig]

"Is that fat Lando or Crolando?"

[Giggles]

As irrational as my hatred of it is, it boils my shite. We don’t know any of them.

[Shindig]

You'd hate motorcycles, then. "It's an all Marquez front row followed by six Espargaros, a couple of Pons' and the entire Hayden family."

[7om]

What does Lewis have against Lando ‘Lando’ Norris? Sounds like a hater to me.

[Disco]

A fellow milk drinker too.

[Pepe]

I am in the pro Hamilton ('Lewis') camp. Terrific driver and I never had any issues with any off the track shit, which I rarely, if ever, follow.


That's how it feels to me. People calling him 'pretentious' because he's trying to make the world a better place.

In the most 'Hollywood' way possible. That is what is pretentious. If you are woke in the US, I assume that you are a moron. If you are woke anywhere else, you are just trying to be cool.

[Giggles]

Verstappen going straight for the number 1 on the car :D

Beta move.

[Gray Fox]

I think that's the first time since 2013 someone has used it. Lewis has used 44 the whole way and Rosberg retired immediately after winning his.

Still no word on the Mercedes official appeal yet.

They have til Thursday, but Lewis has asked them not to do it. I get why, but I think they still will. I don't think they genuinely expect the result to change, but the objective must be to end up getting Masi out of the job. It'll be an interesting 2022 if he somehow stays in the chair for it.

[Disco]

Even Red Bull (who were bitching about the stewards bias seconds before being handed the title on a plate) came out and said they would consider their future if the officiating didn't improve.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's a pretty hard one to find an obvious solution for. I don't think this series was designed for concepts like 'track limits' and 'leaving space', those things always used to happen automatically because otherwise you'd probably die.

[Gray Fox]

Another problem is when you have set rules, yet then give the race director grounds to ignore them and do whatever he wishes.

Some of you may remember, but I'm not sure if I'm right on this. But back when Ferrari were a thing, did they not threaten to pull out unless they got their way with things?
It's highly unlikely, but if Mercedes did it over this is could cause chaos.

[John Arne]

There's not a chance in hell that Masi keeps his job.

I still don't get why he was making decisions and offering deals to teams after dodgy overtakes, surely that is the remit of the race stewards? Would be interesting to hear if that was something that previous Race Directors got involved with.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Charlie Whiting probably did all of it 50 times over, the difference was they didn't air his patter to aid THE SHOW. This is all Netflix eating the sport.

Richard Williams good on this in the Guardian.

[John Arne]

Charlie Whiting probably did all of it 50 times over, the difference was they didn't air his patter to aid THE SHOW. This is all Netflix eating the sport.

Richard Williams good on this in the Guardian.

I thought that may be case - we never heard it before, I guess. I wouldn't be at all surprised if they stopped broadcasting it next season.

[Pepe]

Wouldn't firing him mean admitting that they did something wrong?

[Pepe]

Netflix eating the sport, and the show isn't even good.

[Gray Fox]

There's not a chance they fire him.

He'll resign, claiming he gave it his best but the teams wanted change etc, then be given a nice promotion to an office somewhere within the FIA.

[Giggles]

This is all basically "my team lost so it's all a big problem and everything is fucked" or "my team won so there's no problem and nothing is fucked", and the other way around it'd be the exact same. Everyone needs to settle the fuck down.

[Pepe]

Not really. Had the race restarted with the lapped cars in between, what could Red Bull possibly complain about?

[Giggles]

Not really. Had the race restarted with the lapped cars in between, what could Red Bull possibly complain about?

They were already complaining on the radio about that very thing.

It's sport all over - your team loses and everything is wrong, your team wins and everything is right. And in a couple of months everyone has calmed down and the cycle continues. All this 'the sport is dead' shite is laughable just because you're hurt at a result.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Giggles is right. Hamilton suffered from two or three spurts of extreme bad luck at the worst possible moment. That's sport. The officials were incompetent and applied the rules incorrectly, but that's nothing to do with the drivers.

In 2008 he benefited from extreme good luck to take the title, this is the other side.

[Pepe]

Well, yes, they would complain, but I do not think that there would be any grounds for any sort of formal complaint.

As to that 'being sport', well, yes.

[Disco]

I'm not that bothered who wins but this seems a very different circumstance than I've seen before. The procedure for these things should be the same on race one as they are in race 21. You can see from the reactions of the other drivers that this was a very odd way to end the race and even though I highly doubt it was in order to engineer a specific result that is the impression it left with plenty of people.

[SvN]

That's SIR Lewis, you peasants.

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/onesport/cps/976/cpsprodpb/8658/production/_122229343_hi072632834.jpg

[Lewis]

His mother is the whitest old white lady ever. No wonder he keeps her out the way.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Wasn't sure which of them you were talking about then.

[Disco]

You see her at plenty of races so not that out of the way.

[niko_cee]

Wasn't sure which of them you were talking about then.

:D

[Waffdon]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K469WuoDJTw

Vettel really needs to take over from Masi when he hangs up the boots. Daniel Ric’s radio couldn’t have summed it up better

[Jimmy Floyd]

I thought Sainz might be getting a seethe on, as he was arbitrarily given no chance to challenge for P2 or P1 at the restart.

[thommo]

Realistically he had no chance with his tyres, but if Max and Lewis had collided/gone wide, he could have potentially nabbed the win without lapped cars in the way.

Tsunoda's overtake on Bottas was pretty immense. I know he had the tyre advantage but he is ridiculously late on the brakes.

[Gray Fox]

Have we noted Sainz being best of the rest?

Consistently great this year with a very meh car.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's a very good grand prix driver, sort of in the old-fashioned sense, in that it isn't all about one lap pace (which it very much is with a few of the more 'highly-rated' talents). Has improved massively during this season at Ferrari. Kind of makes me root for them for the first time in about 25 years.

[Waffdon]

Yeah, Ferrari have the most likeable duo with mclaren just behind.

[igor_balis]

Can someone explain the mass Lewis hate? I really don't understand it.

As a VERY casual observer, well, someone who is vaguely aware of F1, I never warmed to the guy. I'm very #woke and loony lefty and would love to love Hamilton to own the gammons, but I just can't get on board. I mean I don't HATE the guy, but I sort of see it.

Maybe I'd like him if I cared about F1 but he has that hyper-focussed and super driven personality that aimless lazy pisstakers like me always find scary.

[Disco]

We should find out today if Mercedes will continue with their appeal, they haven't turned up for the end of season prize giving thing with either the F1 or FE team and they've been pretty much silent on all channels (apart from asking people to take down videos of Toto crowd surfing). Plus the FIA released a statement yesterday essentially blaming the viewers for all the controversy.

[Disco]

He's a very good grand prix driver, sort of in the old-fashioned sense, in that it isn't all about one lap pace (which it very much is with a few of the more 'highly-rated' talents). Has improved massively during this season at Ferrari. Kind of makes me root for them for the first time in about 25 years.

Of all the drivers switching not just teams but engines, he's been the most impressive.

[Ian]

Plus the FIA released a statement yesterday essentially blaming the viewers for all the controversy.

Are they being run by Vince McMahon now?

[Disco]

They did keep beating Verstappen in the run up to him winning the title so that actually fits.

[Ian]

AND it was a nonsense finish by officials acting weirdly that everyone hated so yes Vince is 100% running F1.

I look forward to 90% of races ending with the top drivers being disqualified next year, or slowing down to look at a nice cloud they've been distracted by and a nobody sneaking the win.

[niko_cee]

No appeal.

The FIA are going to take a long hard look at themselves apparently. :happycry:

[Jimmy Floyd]

If Merc get next year's car even half right he'll probably win it by 100 points.

[Offshore Toon]

I haven't followed, but it seems like a ridiculous clutch finish from Hamilton in the last few races (which should have been enough), so is there a chance next year that he gets his act right from the first race and just obliterates the opposition or is that being too kind to him?

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's possible (he has done that for about 5 of his 7 championships), but there's a lot of uncertainty about next year as the car design rules have changed significantly, so nobody really knows where they are going to be come the first race.

As drivers minus car, he and Verstappen are streets ahead of the competition to a laughable degree, think Messi and Ronaldo.

[Disco]

It's a brand new set of regulations next year so nobody knows who will have made the best car yet. Mercedes and Red Bull spend the most money so they are the most likely but we won't have a clue until February testing.

There are plenty who think Red Bull concentrated more on developing this year's car than Mercedes (who are thought to have stopped working on it very early this season) which might compromise them next year but I reality nobody knows.

[niko_cee]

It will all come down to which team manages to circumvent the rules most effectively and the length of time it takes for the field to either copy the cheating or for the cheating to be officially stopped (and then how much 'grace period' is given for the cheating to be curtailed).

Merc may make the better cars, but Red Bull are better when it comes to cleverly getting round the rules I reckon.

Would be amazing for some midfield shit kicker to come up with another double diffuser type ingeniousness but I doubt that is even possible any more.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd quite like to see Ferrari or McLaren get a lot closer, and I don't see why it isn't possible, aside from the former's comedy tendencies.

[Disco]

Not sure McLaren have the budget (unless the Audi buyout happens) to compete but closer would be good, unfortunately new regs tend to spread out the field rather than bring it together. Hamilton and Verstappen aside this season has actually been surprisingly close.

[phonics]

I thought there was a spending limit coming in?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I think the cost cap applies to R&D but not to people's salaries. Could be wrong though as I tend to nod off at first mention of the words 'cost cap'.

[Disco]

And the only way they could get the teams to agree was to make it high enough that it doesn't curtail the big boys spending very much (yet). Driver salaries and I think one or two top execs are not included.

[Shindig]

Part of me wants Red Bull to be shit at building engines, but it'll just be the same Honda blokes in different tracksuits.

[Giggles]

It's possible (he has done that for about 5 of his 7 championships), but there's a lot of uncertainty about next year as the car design rules have changed significantly, so nobody really knows where they are going to be come the first race.

As drivers minus car, he and Verstappen are streets ahead of the competition to a laughable degree, think Messi and Ronaldo.

Messi and Aguero maybe.

[Shindig]

Senna and Prost were basically Pele and Maradona.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fangio is Pele. Senna/Maradona is a very good comp (and both have the fawning Asif Kapadia movies to go with it), but Prost is more like Beckenbauer.

[7om]

On a change of subject I was thinking the other day about the log jam we’ve got with young drivers trying to get on the grid.

I would say Ilott, De Vries, Schwartzman, Ticktum, Vips and Liam Lawson all have good arguments to be given a chance. But the icing on the cake is that Oscar Piastri won back-to-back F3 and then F2 and can only get a reserve role. Criminal that he has to sit on the sidelines while wank like Latifi, Mazepin and Lance Stroll get seats.

We could easily add two more teams and keep the driving standards extremely high. It’s a shame really.

[Disco]

Getting very nervous about this. At the very least I need Lance Stroll to finish top five in Abu Dhabi to evade his countryman's presumed pop-rock warblings.

Whenever you're ready.

[Shindig]

If only he had the chance to unlap himself.

[Gray Fox]

7om Ticktum has burned too many bridges within the paddock to get his seat now.
De Vries and Piastri especially should feel aggrieved.
Stroll isn’t too bad for how bad he could have been as Richie Rich, but the likes of Mazepin and Latifi must be bringing in big sponsorship bucks as you’d think that’d be an easy swap.
There’s a few of the older guys set to pack it in over the next few years(Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel) so their patience may be rewarded.

Special shout out to Mazepin for finishing 21st in a 20 man championship.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Whenever you're ready.

I've just done the first half. My word.

Ready tomorrow, unless it has somehow infected me with Covid.

[John Arne]

Smiling Dan sums it up pretty nicely at 12:40


https://youtu.be/K469WuoDJTw

[Giggles]

This is all like the time Thierry Henry handballed and I strongly considered getting a British passport.


_

[Luca]

7om Ticktum has burned too many bridges within the paddock to get his seat now.
De Vries and Piastri especially should feel aggrieved.
Stroll isn’t too bad for how bad he could have been as Richie Rich, but the likes of Mazepin and Latifi must be bringing in big sponsorship bucks as you’d think that’d be an easy swap.
There’s a few of the older guys set to pack it in over the next few years(Hamilton, Alonso, Vettel) so their patience may be rewarded.

Special shout out to Mazepin for finishing 21st in a 20 man championship.

Latifi’s dad owns one of the largest food FMCGs in Canada, and his mum is from the family that owns the largest food FMCG.

I’d say he brings in a fair euro or two.

[Disco]

I don't think De Vries or Ticktum are likely to get a seat, one only beat Latifi and the other is a tosser. The rear are all about 23 so still time for them to make it. A couple more teams would be good but nobody is joining until the cost cap comes in properly I don't think.

[Pepe]

I have less of an issue with the likes of Stroll and Mazepin, we've always had pay drivers, than with Raikonnen, Alonso, Vettel, Kubica, and the like still getting drives. They are all done, get them out of the way.

[7om]

Another random thought: let’s say Lewis announces his retirement after 2022, who do Merc put alongside George?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Either Ocon (is he still on their books?) or they could probably take their pick from the whole field, tbh.

[Shindig]

Verstappen is the obvious choice.

[Disco]

I don't think he'd go, give it another couple of years of his engines going pop and he might consider it but not now.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You could probably get a Gasly or an O'Norris or maybe even a Sainz if you wanted one.

[Gray Fox]

They should rescue Gasly from his Dr Marko nightmare.

De Vries might finally get his chance.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'd give it to De Vries just to get in the heads of all the orange wankers at Zandvoort.

[7om]

Probably all but wrong but here’s a 2023 prediction:

Merc: Russell / Norris
Red Bull: Verstappen / Perez
Ferrari: Leclerc / Sainz
McLaren: Gasly / Ricciardo
Aston Martin: Vettel / Stroll
Alpha Tauri: Tsunoda / Vips
Alpine: Ocon / Piastri
Alfa Romeo: Bottas / Pourchaire
Williams: Albon / Sargeant
Haas: Schumacher / Mazepin

[Jimmy Floyd]

Is Jehan Daruvala quick enough? Must be tempting (instead of Vips perhaps) for monetary reasons.

[Disco]

No, Vips is an actual prospect.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I went into 'Private Paradise' with a completely open mind. After all, the idea of Jacques Villeneuve releasing an album of original songs may be utterly ridiculous, but it is not for me to pre-judge the man's musical prowess.

The first thing to say is that the album was released in 2007, at the very tail end of Villeneuve's top-level racing career but also in a sort of in-between era for mainstream music. This time saw Amy Winehouse at the very peak of her powers with the Back to Black album, and perhaps it was she who passed the torch from the era when white music still dominated the charts to a time when black music would take over in the following decade. Jacques Villeneuve, I can report, falls squarely into the former camp.

Putting the album on, I see the first track is named Foolin' around. After two minutes of not unpleasant but very bland three-chord musings, some unexpected background mouth organ heralds the first of what will become a staple feature of the album, a bizarre instrumental gear change: in this case, a 200mph electric guitar solo, presumably played by a session guitarist rather than by Jacques himself. To say it jars is a bit of an understatement. 'There's nothing left to say, say, say,' claims Jacques, a statement very much borne out by his lyrical work on the tracks to follow.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpJ41wSAl5M

The opening to the second track, You are, suggests a mellower, more reflective tone. 'I don't understand just what I'm doing here,' laments Jacques during the first verse, perhaps with good reason. He also denigrates the idea of fair weather friendships, because 'they only shine with the sun' - or, perhaps, with the grunt provided by a works Renault engine. The whining guitar line does add a hint of piquancy, but I don't think this track is Jacques's strongest vocal performance by any means. Indeed, in the final closing strain it sounds like Patrick Head has arrived and 'accidentally' trodden on his foot.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkM3dscQyKI

With track three, Father, we move into the real meat of the album. Jacques, of course, lost his father at a young age, so I came in expecting a heartfelt ballad of just what he has always longed to tell him. Sure enough, the percussion is gone and Jacques's voice rings above his industrious acoustic fiddlings. 'Like an eagle, one day you flew too high', begins JV - I presume he is referring to the Zolder catch fencing, rather than to his own vocal pitch. 'You were as endless as a dream', he goes on, accurately enough. It's probably not his best lyrical work, but, as we will discover, nor is it by any means his worst.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRV_ruf1tlM

Tout dire marks a welcome, if predictable, change of direction into French, a language that Jacques can actually speak. It also introduces a new addition to Jacques's skillset as he makes his finger-picking debut. Now, Knopfler he ain't, but I'll give him his dues - this is a fairly pleasant melody, ruined only by his clunking vocal performance. At a run time of 5:09, though, he really does dire tout and plenty more on top.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjUP3ZW825A

From that half-listenable peak, the album then plunges straight into the trough that is The ones. This is a duet with a female vocal partner in crime, and they do commit crime - serious crime. 'You're not the one I thought my heart would see,' she complains. 'I'm not the one who's making a warning sign', he retorts, presumably ruling him out of marshalling duties at future Canadian GPs. 'You're not the one who's breaking all the rules', he goes on, but he will 'climb the highest mountain to tell the world you are the one'. Let's hope the sherpas have ear muffs.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTJvQeky79w

On Accepterais-tu, Jacques changes his vocal style to mumble some almost spoken verses on top of the mind-stoppingly bland guitar riff. This new ambition-free vocal strategy works better - until he abandons it at the end, and goes for the high note again, like changing to slicks in the wet. A really bad song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ96TK6zqdU

His female foil returns on Why did you come?, and unfortunately it quickly becomes apparent that the title is very much a single entendre. Instead of the hoped risqué relief, JV's accomplice offers truly baffling statements, such as: 'I wrote my book, with all you took, just take a look today'. Jacques, after explaining at length why he came, replies in kind: 'I took a look, at life off the hook, no more playing around'. Maybe they're talking about his move to BAR. This is the album's low point so far, five minutes of truly rotten call-and-response drivel. At points on this his vocals, having not exactly shone to date, start to sink into Mr Bean territory.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Zuz40fULZQ

Having plumbed those depths, he obviously feels he has to switch things up for Vaguement, so out comes the string quartet and a competent drummer. This is a much more listenable song, something that might have come 24th in Eurovision, if Quebec were allowed to enter. Unfortunately, one gets the feeling that the percussion and strings are what rescue the number from another disastrous Villeneuve vocal.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v9kLyQnrBIA

On Lullaby, he tries to do far too much, with a cod George Harrison guitar line and vocals at their very whiniest. 'You say you want someone, but you don't want me' must be a line inspired by his chats with F1 team bosses post 2003. I hope this song isn't meant as a literal lullaby. It's more likely to provoke sleepless nights among listeners. I had hoped this would be the closer, but no, there are somehow still four tracks to go.

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

Private paradise is another 5:20 of runtime and it's clear from the beginning that it's going to feel even longer. I don't know if I just didn't notice it in the previous tracks, but on this one the truth suddenly hits me like a stray rear tyre: Jacques Villeneuve, you cannot sing. 'I'm getting a first class ticket to reach for the skies', he brags, and then hopes that his dream survives this Private Paradise. Sadly, I'm not sure it did. The guitar solo, shite, is very Kaiser Chiefs, which in the context of this piano-led whinge is not really what we were looking for. This is not the worst song on the album - amazingly, that's still to come - but it's probably the worst-executed.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMhopjlxof4

Jacques is back into French for Etrangers and to really rub home the point, there's also an accordion on this track, making its only appearance on the album. I can only assume someone found it lying around in the studio and thought fuck it, why not, this can't get any worse. A dirge of a song, and like so many on this album, it takes a terrifying wander two-thirds of the way through when the female co-vocalist tries to sing a hundred octaves higher than she should. Good news for any bats who enjoy JV's musical output, bad news for the rest of us.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc3O6wWOAlQ

Now then. Women come women go. I'll be honest, the title wasn't promising, but even that did not prepare me for the first two words from Jacques's lips to be 'Hey ladies', something he says a lot in this song. This is a very, very strange affair. The first round of the chorus ends with this line: 'Women come and women go, and I don't know why, never in or out from the front door.' It's starting to sound like this is less a problem of the heart and more to do with home security. Has he lost the back door key? Next up: 'Hey ladies of my life, do you remember all your vows?' Then, he reports, women come and women left, and they left a trace in his shattered clay heart. By the end I'm left wondering whether by 'women' he actually means talent. This is a lowlight among lowlights.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qSfYueXdnc

Finally, the end is in sight, with Mother earth. He's finger picking again. The singing is awful. The lyrics are so nonsensical that I can't even be bothered to pick out the lowlights. Then there's a stupid choral bit. The melody, even accounting for JV's tone deaf rendition of it, does not exist. This is a song that should not exist, to end an album that should not exist.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMb__CfMDJ8

Verdict: 2/10

[Giggles]

Fucking he’ll that’s some work. I’d say you put in more reviewing it than he did making it :D

[Giggles]

I only tried 4 links but it’s fucking awful. Like a really bad demo tape.

[Spikey M]

Amazing review, terrible music. I expect it to feature strongly in James' next music installment.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not even James could claim that there's anything above 3/10 on the album. 'Women come women go' is genuinely one of the worst tracks I've ever heard, I think.

[Giggles]

The quality is probably that bit too high for James.

[Disco]

That sounded awful.

[Shindig]

I don't know if the curiosity is worth ruining my youtube recommendations. Might have to balance it out with Terry Funk's album.

[phonics]

Randy Savages album is a legit banger.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't know if the curiosity is worth ruining my youtube recommendations. Might have to balance it out with Terry Funk's album.

I made sure to get it in before there was any danger of him coming up on my Spotify Wrapped 2022.

[niko_cee]

I saw the other day that outgoing FIA president the Rt Hon M. Todt was being replaced by either some English dude called [Bram?] Stocker or Sheikh Von Middle East III, so, well, we can all guess how that election went, and now the new man is bowling around threatening to 'punish' Hamilton for not attending their dinner the other night. Good to see the organisation is in safe hands.

[Shindig]

You know how Ferrari threatened to break away at every step of the 90s/00's? Mercedes should actually do it.

[Ian]

Incredible dedication to that.

Also are you into a bit of Knopfler, Jimmy, or was he just the finger picker who came to mind?

[Disco]

This is a ceremony Toto, we came here to go prize giving.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Incredible dedication to that.

Also are you into a bit of Knopfler, Jimmy, or was he just the finger picker who came to mind?

I do like him but I just thought of the first person that came to mind for finger picking, no idea if there's any justification for that.

[SincereTheRebel]

On a change of subject I was thinking the other day about the log jam we’ve got with young drivers trying to get on the grid.

I would say Ilott, De Vries, Schwartzman, Ticktum, Vips and Liam Lawson all have good arguments to be given a chance. But the icing on the cake is that Oscar Piastri won back-to-back F3 and then F2 and can only get a reserve role. Criminal that he has to sit on the sidelines while wank like Latifi, Mazepin and Lance Stroll get seats.

We could easily add two more teams and keep the driving standards extremely high. It’s a shame.

I dont pay attention to the drivers until they reach F1 but is it safe to say they are awful unless they win some type of junior ranked championship? I like to check a drivers wiki page and most have a 1st next to their name when they raced in the Renault sports cop when they were 15 for example. They all do except Mazepin who has never won any sort of racing title. Therefore dreadful.

[Ian]

I do like him but I just thought of the first person that came to mind for finger picking, no idea if there's any justification for that.

I love a bit of Knopfler. I don't think anybody considers him the best ever guitarist or anyone but I think he's up there with the finger pickers.

[Shindig]

I dont pay attention to the drivers until they reach F1 but is it safe to say they are awful unless they win some type of junior ranked championship? I like to check a drivers wiki page and most have a 1st next to their name when they raced in the Renault sports cop when they were 15 for example. They all do except Mazepin who has never won any sort of racing title. Therefore dreadful.

Vettel sort of bucks that trend with his junior record and I don't think Stroll is stealing a race seat. I think the problem is two-fold:

1) Every engine supplier has a driver academy that they blood through the junior ranks. They get to Formula 1 at a much younger age.
2) Formula 1 careers also have a longer tail end.

Alonso effectively came back twice. Raikkonen came back twice. Lewis never left and he's now 30-odd. Sebastian Vettel has been on the grid for 14 years. It holds the grid in a vice grip because they struggle to field 20 cars and only 2-3 of them are realistically up for grabs.

Journeymen like Rubens aren't a rare sight any more and unless we get 2-3 more teams on the grid, that squeeze will continue.

[Disco]

The older drivers stay on the grid because they're better, name one F2 sprog who would have been better than Fernando Alonso.

[Shindig]

Now that I think about it, there's always been a strong old guard in the sport. Prost and Senna ran forever, Mansell, Coulthard, Barrichello, Schumacher, Kimi. They definitely start way younger these days.

[phonics]

Everyone slagged off Grosjean and Errikson and their replacements whether money driver or sperm of good driver aka money driver were absolute turd.

[Disco]

I don't think anyone thought they would be better, Gene Haas didn't want to spend any more money so they got ones that paid the most. Magnussen was decent but not good enough to be crashing into people as much as he did and Grosjean was Grosjean.

[Jimmy Floyd]

There have always been good drivers who just don't make it for whatever reason. Felix da Costa. Dario Franchitti. Allan McNish (he eventually had a season as a glorified test driver). Illott will probably be another. None of these would have been world champion. The elite get drives.

[Disco]

JEV :(

Of those listed Vips, Piastri, and Lawson stand the best chance of getting in, partly because the Red Bull system tends to churn through drivers pretty quickly. Other than that there's people like Hauger, Martins, maybe the other Leclerc and Pourchaire who are worth watching. The yanks would dearly love a vaguely US related driver so don't rule out Logan Sargeant, not sure anyone will make the leap from Indy but O'Ward is probably the only one who would be anywhere near competitive.

[Jimmy Floyd]

JEV had the somewhat unique experience of doing a really good job in F1 and then getting binned anyway - albeit for Max Verstappen, but they retained Kvyat who I think was the inferior driver.

[7om]

Pourchaire will definitely get a seat at some point. I thought he’d replace Zhou for 2023 but now I’m not so sure. He must be bringing massive amounts of cash.

[Gray Fox]

Any chance anywhere of the 'Murican that Liberty Media so desperately crave?

[Jimmy Floyd]

Zhou brings more than just cash. Similarly as soon as any American is even vaguely up to speed, they will be parachuted into a seat.

[7om]

Any chance anywhere of the 'Murican that Liberty Media so desperately crave?

My prediction is that Logan Sergeant will get a Williams drive eventually. Hopefully in place of Latifi in '23.

[Disco]

The problem with that is that there's exactly one good US driver in the junior system. Making the jump from Indy is tricky as nobody is going to get enough car time to be properly prepared and anyone good enough still isn't going to get an opportunity anywhere other than a back marker or midfield team which isn't particularly tempting if you're in with a chance of winning in Indycar. The O'Ward Mclaren relationship is the most likely one to work but it would be a hell of a punt to replace either of their current drivers.

[7om]

Zhou brings more than just cash.

Not reallt that impressed with him, to be honest. Ilott and Shwartzman both deserve that seat more than him on pure driving ability.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Irrelevant, he'll get a billlion Chinese eyeballs on it. All he has to be is quick enough not to be embarrassing.

[Disco]

Zhou is decent enough, his junior career would suggest at least as good as Giovinazzi and a step better than the Mazepin/Schumacher/Latifi crowd.

[Gray Fox]

Lest we forget Mazepin finishing 21st in a 20 man championship, whilst also having recorded a fastest lap at a GP.

[Disco]

Technically true but a bit selective (Kubica got a drive in a better car and the fastest lap was meaningless), he was 'beaten' by a decidedly average Schumacher which is more damning than anything.

[Shindig]

It's probably harder than it looks to manage that under safety car conditions.

[Disco]

Someone had to get it.

[7om]

Technically true but a bit selective (Kubica got a drive in a better car and the fastest lap was meaningless), he was 'beaten' by a decidedly average Schumacher which is more damning than anything.

Schumacher is a tough to judge. Won F3 and F2 but I’m not convinced either. What is it about him?

[Jimmy Floyd]

I didn't think he was that great in F2, the season he won. Can't remember why I thought that, but I did.

[Shindig]

He's got a reputation of taking a season or two to really settle. Doesn't help that his results prior to taking a title are very hit and miss. He was more consistent in F3 but the curtailed F2 season just landed him the two wins. He won that title on consistency.

[Disco]

He's a slightly better Lance Stroll, has had every opportunity and always a safe seat. He's done better than most would but I'm not sure he goes much further than this.

[Shindig]

Remind me never to jump in a youtube comment section to suggest Lewis was also unlucky throughout the season and he would've been a worthy champion. I fucking hate F1 fandom.

[Serj]

To be honest, I'd expect irrational abuse from any youtube comment section, regardless of the topic. :D

But it is true that the fandom has become very polarized this year. The "meme subreddit" r/formuladank is basically an anti-Hamilton support group now.

[Shindig]

It's just astonishing, though. I was alright with it being teenage girls fawning over a pockmarked Lando Norris but this is spectacular retardation. "Well, erm, ackschooally, Max had a poorer stop in Monza so he was entitled to go for that gap. And Bottas took him out intentionally in Hungary and IT WAS INTENTIONAL AT SILVERSTONE erm ..... he DESERVED IT. LOOK HOW HAPPY VETTEL IS BECAUSE SCHUMACHER'S STILL ON TOP!"

[7om]

https://www.racefans.net/2021/12/20/audi-tells-fia-it-intends-to-confirm-f1-entry-early-next-year/

Please be a works team.

[Disco]

They're buying Mclaren.

[Shindig]

Auto Union and Mercedes blood feud, please.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/59742339

Okay, that might pave his way off the grid. At least in the long-term.

[Disco]

Jean Alesi has been arrested for arson.

[Shindig]

Jean Alesi and son Giuliano will appear in court after a “bad joke” in which an explosive device was set off at his brother-in-law’s office.

That's such a Balotelli prank. :D

[Disco]

https://i.imgur.com/Y3NWsLt.png

Not sure how provisional this is but there's a few on here that could be a bit more than doubtful. Australia, Miami (lol), Singapore, and Japan all seem questionable to me.

[Shindig]

Japan and Singapore's late enough in the year to probably get greenlit and the Aussies might be alright considering they'll be doing the Australian Open this month with capacity crowds. The only tricky thing is if vaccine status becomes an obstacle. Miami's daft but they let Jeddah get away with it at the 11th hour.

[Disco]

I left out Canada, that's another dodgy one.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Australia I think will be fine. Nice that they've not even pretended to have China this time, hopefully it stays that way.