F1 2021 - Covid 2: Viral Boogaloo

[Disco]

Teams & Drivers:

Mercedes
44 - Lewis Hamilton
77 - Valtteri Bottas

Red Bull Honda
33 - Max Verstappen
11 - Sergio Perez

Mclaren Mercedes
4 - Lando Norris
3 - Daniel Ricciardo

Aston Martin Mercedes
18 - Lance Stroll
5 - Sebastian Vettel

Alpine Renault
31 - Esteban Ocon
14 - Fernando Alonso

Ferrari
16 - Charles Leclerc
55 - Carlos Sainz

AlphaTauri Honda
10 - Pierre Gasly
22 - Yuki Tsunoda

Alfa Romeo Ferrari
7 - Kimi Raikkonen
99 - Antonio Giovinazzi

Haas Ferrari
47 - Mick Schumacher
9 - Nikita Mazepin

Williams Mercedes
63 - George Russell
6 - Nicholas Latifi


Calendar (maybe)

12-14 March - Pre-season Testing - Bahrain International
26-28 March - Bahrain - Bahrain International
16-18 April - Emilia Romagna - Imola
30-02 May - Portugal - Portimao
07-09 May - Spain - Catalunya
20-23 May - Monaco - Monte Carlo
04-06 June - Azerbaijan - Baku
11-13 June - Canada - Montreal
25-27 June - France - Paul Ricard
02-04 July - Austria - Red Bull Ring
16-18 July - Britain - Silverstone
30-01 August - Hungary - Hungaroring
27-29 August - Belgium - Spa
03-05 September - Netherlands - Zandvoort
10-12 September - Italy - Monza
24-26 September - Russia - Sochi
01-03 October - Singapore - Marina Bay
08-10 October - Japan - Suzuka
22-24 October - USA - COTA
29-31 October - Mexico - Hermanos Rodriguez
05-07 November - Brazil - Interlagos
19-21 November - Australia - Melbourne
03-05 December - Saudi Arabia - MBS Memorial PetroDollar Autodrome
10-12 December - Abu Dhabi - Yas Marina


Predictions





Drivers Championship
1: Sir Lewis Hamilton
2: Max Verstappen
3: Sergio Perez
4: Valtteri Bottas
5: Daniel Ricciardo

Constructors Championship
1: Mercedes
2: Red Bull
3: Mclaren
4: Aston Martin
5: Alpine

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Hamilton v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Gasly v Tsunoda
Raikkonen v Giovinazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi





World Driver's Championship
1) Sir Lewis Hamilton
2) Valtteri Bottas
3) Max Verstappen
4) Sergio Perez
5) Lance Stroll

World Constructors Championship
1) Mercedes
2) Red Bull
3) Aston Martin
4) McLaren
5) Alpen

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Lewis v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Raikkonen v Giovanazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi





Drivers Championship
1: S.L.H.
2: Verstappen
3: Bottas
4: Ricciardo
5: Perez

Constructors Championship
1: Mercedes
2: R.Bull
3: McLaren
4: Aston Martin
5: the red team

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Hamilton v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Gasly v Tsunoda
Raikkonen v Giovinazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi




Hamilton to win it again
Richie Rich to beat Vettel
Norris to beat Ricc

[Disco]

I've actually watched some testing this year, it works quite well as an 8 hour podcast plus you can actually see the cars. So far I have concluded that AlphaTauri are the best due to their white wheel hubs, the AM green is too dark, and I don't hate the green bit on the Ferrari.

[Shindig]

Nah, the green logo makes me think too much of Scuderia Italia.

[Disco]

The dark gradation at the back is worse to me, it looks like someone parked it too close to the fire.

[7om]

Why are they so far off the 2020 pace?

[Jimmy Floyd]

God, that Spa-Zandvoort-Monza triple header is dreamy. Late Australia a nice dollop of nostalgia too.

[Shindig]

Yeah, I'd like to see what they've done to Albert Park. Hopefully the re-profiled corners don't shit it.

[Pleb]

They should of put Bahrain as the outside track layout for shits and giggles.

Oh wait that's Bahrain 2, as you were.

[Disco]

Yeah I don't get that decision, you'd think it sensible to have stayed there another week for a second round on the short loop. It's a race in the bag without having to go anywhere.

[Shindig]

There's something about the season ending in December that I've never liked.

[Gray Fox]

Why are they so far off the 2020 pace?

This was supposed to be the new spec era, with slim profile tyres, but COVID.

So they delayed it for a year. But there were concerns that teams would keep getting more and more grip from maximising the 2020 cars, putting a bigger load on the tyres than designed for(Pirelli didn't have a new spec lined up for this season on old spec). So these are essentially 2020 cars with a bit of downforce purposefully removed.

[Disco]

They were aiming for a 10% reduction in downforce, mostly by snipping away a bit of the floor in front of the sidepods, but the prevailing opinion is that most teams have recovered that already if not found even more. The pace could be track conditions, it was basically a sandstorm for most of yesterday.

[Shindig]

That would definitely knack the grip up.

[SincereTheRebel]

Hamilton to win it again
Richie Rich to beat Vettel
Norris to beat Ricc

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EwwC59qWgAAJkL5?format=jpg&name=large

That T1 looks cancerous. In fact, the whole circuit does. 27 corners! I suppose the combination of Hermann Tilke and Saudi Arabia was never going to lead to nice things.

[niko_cee]

It's debatable as to whether half of those are actually corners.

Flat out from 10 until you hit 13, probably the same from 16/17 through to 22, doubt 25 or 26 will see many 'braking events', surprised they didn't make that tiny kink on the finish straight No.28.

Although being a street circuit it's probably largely irrelevant whatever you do.

[John Arne]

Looks like a kitchen knife with a wobbly handle.

[Shindig]

I'm going with dead octopus.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCiNvuB56xg

It's like a fairly bland slalom.

[SincereTheRebel]

A modern F1 circuit needs mega braking zones with slow corners to encourage overtakes. Why they wouldn't give us that when you build a circuit from start to finish...

[Jimmy Floyd]

It's like an even worse Vietnam. Bland as fuck and there's nothing to look at.

A street circuit needs to have landmarks or points of interest, like Monaco does, or Singapore, otherwise you might as well be in a car park.

[Shindig]

Yeah, stick a lake in the middle of it, at least.

[-james-]

Not like Saudi Arabia is short on empty spaces in which you could build a race track.

[SincereTheRebel]

Ive been told these modernF1 cars for the best part of a decade, can drive upside down. Yet these pussy are still creating tracks without a loop-the-loop

[Disco]

They got the name of the track wrong too. Amateurs.

[Disco]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EwwC59qWgAAJkL5?format=jpg&name=large

That T1 looks cancerous. In fact, the whole circuit does. 27 corners! I suppose the combination of Hermann Tilke and Saudi Arabia was never going to lead to nice things.

Who looks at Monza and thinks the first chicane is the bit to copy. Given the car park they've built in Mecca I was hoping for 7 laps around the Kabaa or a trip along their silly city-in-a-long-line (which admittedly they haven't built yet).

[phonics]

New Drive to Survive is very 6/10. I can imagine filming was a nightmare but everything that isn't the race footage is pretty crap.

[Disco]

The narrative is obviously bobbins, and nothing new to anyone who paid the least attention over the season but I do like all the extra footage from race weekends that we'd not seen before.

[Disco]

I'm going to do some predictions so we can all laugh at how wrong I was as a nice early christmas present. I'll add them to the opening post if anyone else in interested (blank template in the spoiler).


Drivers Championship
1: Sir Lewis Hamilton
2: Max Verstappen
3: Sergio Perez
4: Valtteri Bottas
5: Daniel Ricciardo

Constructors Championship
1: Mercedes
2: Red Bull
3: Mclaren
4: Aston Martin
5: Alpine

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Hamilton v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Gasly v Tsunoda
Raikkonen v Giovinazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi


Drivers Championship
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Constructors Championship
1:
2:
3:
4:
5:

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Hamilton v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Gasly v Tsunoda
Raikkonen v Giovinazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi

[Shindig]

World Driver's Championship of Best Drivers who Drive in This

1) Sir Lewis Hamilton
2) Valtteri Bottas (Fuck You, to his critics)
3) Max Verstappen
4) Sergio Perez
5) Lance Stroll

World Constructors Championship for People Who Build Cars Well
1) Mercedes
2) Red Bull
3) Aston Martin
4) McLaren
5) Alpen

Teammates

Lewis v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez - although Perez will keep it close
Norris v Ricciardo - Lando's settled so might edge it
Stroll v Vettel - I would love Lance to gain some consistency. I have no idea what voodoo happened to stop him dominating in Turkey.
Ocon v Alonso - He'll moan his way to #1 status and leave Ocon scrapping for spare parts or something.
Leclerc v Sainz - He knows the shit he's standing in.
Raikkonen v Giovanazzi - No hypotheticals here. Kimi's just better than him in every respect.
Schumacher v Mazepin - Not seen enough of the latter to comment much but Mick's got wins under his belt.
Russell v Latifi - Like Alfa, Russell's proven he's comfortably the better driver.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'll follow you in, loser has to listen to Jacques Villeneuve's album in full.


Drivers Championship
1: S.L.H.
2: Verstappen
3: Bottas
4: Ricciardo
5: Perez

Constructors Championship
1: Mercedes
2: R.Bull
3: McLaren
4: Aston Martin
5: the red team

Teammate Head to Head (WDC points)
(winners in bold)
Hamilton v Bottas
Verstappen v Perez
Norris v Ricciardo
Stroll v Vettel
Ocon v Alonso
Leclerc v Sainz
Gasly v Tsunoda
Raikkonen v Giovinazzi
Schumacher v Mazepin
Russell v Latifi

Putting a lot of faith in Lance and Nikita (I need you so), really siding with the likeable underdogs.

[Disco]

Loser has to review Villeneuve's album, deal (scoring system will depend on how badly I'm doing).


In other news there's a NASCAR race at Bristol (Motor Speedway) this weekend and their covid restrictions are still in place. That means there's no practice sessions or qualifying, the first time you get to drive the track is in anger on lap one alongside everyone else.

Oh, and this year they've converted it into a dirt track. I'm actually quite excited.

[Shindig]

Johnny Dumfries has gone now. It's been a week, hasn't it? I've been looking at the 50's entry lists again to see how many are still around. I giggled when I saw Bernie's name on the 1958 entry list. :D

There's five of them still going.

[phonics]

Daniel Ricciardo even more unbearable than ever before in this years drive to survive. What a tosser.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Early days yet but my number one ambition for this season (the Alpeen being a shitbox and Fernando huffing his way into a 3rd/4th retirement) is already looking a step closer.

Strollmobile not looking too hot either just yet.

[Shindig]

Are Hass looking worried? There's something about them taking Mazepin's money and still winding up at the back that looks troublesome.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Don't think it's ever been in question that they'd be at the back.

[Shindig]

I thought it would've still been Williams but I've always felt Haas were midfield certainties. A quick look at their respective budgets is telling.

[Disco]

They were in the midfield for about 5 minutes, only the abject failure of Williams saved them from being dead last.

[7om]

Haas have come out and said they’ve practically written off this year already to focus on the new regs. I was quite surprised at Alfa Romeo, actually. They look like they’ve got a bit more pace.

[Disco]

Yeah Alfa look like they'll either be head of the back three or back of the shittier midfield teams (whoever that ends up being).

[John Arne]

Every year we hear the same stuff from people taking testing too seriously..."Mercedes aren't gonna be as dominant" (the floor this year), and every year they turn up to the first race, take the suitcase out of the boot and smash everyone.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Red Bull look up with them this time, or at least Max does.

[Pleb]

That Aston Martin looks slow as fuck.

[Disco]

It's all up on the air until about this time tomorrow. Red Bull do look more together than previous seasons but that could mean anything.

[Pleb]

I don't believe that the Mercs are shit. Red Bull and Ferrari are clearly trying to git gud. Vettel being a regular midfield fodder is fucking hilarious but expected now.

[Disco]

The cars are largely the same as last year so the grid should remain pretty similar, the joker card is that Mercedes are clearly trying to nail down the high rake approach in preparation for next year hence the shitty rear end throughout testing. IF that brings them closer to the pack and IF Red Bull are starting more strongly than normal then it COULD be closer at the front. Even then I would still back SLH and Mercedes, Verstappen has never been in a title race and there's a decent difference between perennial underdogs (where wins are lauded and failures more easily forgotten) and trying to actually win a title. Nobs to their famed in season development too, I think you'd have seen a different last third of the season had Mercedes actually needed any points.

[Shindig]

The Nurburgring Endurance Series starts today. Delayed start due to a blizzard. :drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

In Bottas's hands, the Merc seems to handle like a pig. Not seen a lap with Hamilton yet.

[Shindig]

I'm surprised how bad Aston look. Are they in full works mode or are they still Mercedes customers?

[Gray Fox]

F1 site says they have a Mercedes power unit in it. More likely this is the revenge of not being able to copy Mercedes again this year.

[7om]

Kimi in Q3, please.

[Pleb]

Mad Max getting fastest lap in three sessions is full of memes. I'll see it to believe it if he gets pole and wins the race for me to care about him.

[thommo]

I don't want to be too petty, but I will take some delight if Checo is miles off of Max's pace in quali, if only to prove that Albon really wasn't the issue.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He will be miles off Max and Tsunoda is looking alarmingly (if understandably) far behind Gasly.

[Disco]

Albon certainly not the issue, as Gasly has also proven.

Aston have had to choose their own development path from last years' car which could push them back a spot or two if they haven't got it right. I would imagine they will struggle more trying to transition to a higher rake than someone like Mercedes will for instance.

[thommo]

He will be miles off Max and Tsunoda is looking alarmingly (if understandably) far behind Gasly.

I thought Tsunoda has been fairly decent so far. I didn't see FP3, but on Friday he was quite solid, and he was good in testing too (although that doesn't mean too much). The AlphaTauri does look quick and I think they definitely have Q3 potential going into today.

[Disco]

He's barely ever spent more than a year in any series before being moved on/up so while he isn't going to be bothering Gasly for most of if not all of this year he is definitely there on talent rather than anything else.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Christ, that lap suggests otherwise.

Tsunoda looked great in GP2 but getting to Gasly is such a big ask.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Russell's lap there was outrageous, particularly sector 2. Bottas surely looking over his shoulder even for mid season.

Mazepin is a danger to himself and others.

[Gray Fox]

Mega laps from Tsonuda and Russell there. The former of those suggests to me Mercedes and Red Bull still have something in the pocket.

[thommo]

Russell's lap was seriously good. He left a tenth in sector 3 too judging from the last corner.

Interesting to see how cramped up the times were though, hopefully a good sign for the season.

[Shindig]

Should we be starting a sweepstake on when Mazepin loses his superlicense?

[7om]

Seb 18th. I know Mazepin fucked up a few people’s laps but Jesus Christ.

[7om]

Get Albon back in that seat immediately.

[thommo]

6 tenths between 1st and 12th. :drool:

[Gray Fox]

Oh dear Checo.

Now get the sandbags out of those top two and get looking at 1:29s.

[7om]

28.9 from Max :drool:

Fuck me, what a performance.

[Gray Fox]

Now that's a hell of a statement.

[Disco]

Woof.

[thommo]

Wow. I need to see that onboard, what a lap.

[7om]

That grid looks great for the race. Leclerc 4th, Gasly 5th and hopefully Checo can make up some places and join in the fun.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Should be great fun off the line.

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YMjw2sjXqU

Even for Netflix, this is too much. Lol at Lewis making it about himself, though. :D

[thommo]

I didn't have an issue with it personally. If it had been fatal, of course it would have been handled differently. Grosjean has given numerous interviews regarding it, even makes light of it in his livestreams/videos - I thought it was actually one of the stronger episodes of the season.

[Shindig]

It's the fact they dwell on it for five minutes that winds me up. I know Drive to Survive is not for me but that felt a little like when they sexed up Lauda's crash in Rush.

[John Arne]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YMjw2sjXqU

Even for Netflix, this is too much. Lol at Lewis making it about himself, though. :D

That's exactly what I thought about Lewis :D

[Disco]

The downside to Red Bull making this year a contest is that Christian Horner will be unbearable. They'll have to put a smug warning on DTS4.

[Shindig]

MotoGP continues to be weird without Mark Marquez. Bagnaia bags pole for Ducati. Marquez could return at Portimao in April.

[Disco]

Once I got around to watching it I really enjoyed last season without him. What's wrong anyway, the last I saw of him he was doing push ups 10 hours after arm surgery then nothing, gone for the rest of the year.

[Shindig]

The push-ups buggered his arm up even more. :D Reports came in around February that the arm was finally starting to heal.

[Disco]

Only when I read that back does it seem so obvious.

[Jimmy Floyd]

What exactly does Sir Lewis Hamilton mean when he says 'There's so much more I can do with Mercedes beyond winning championships, I want to do bigger things'? Is he going to going to drive one of their trucks into a Uighur camp and liberate them?

[Shindig]

He hasn't done a rap album yet. He's sung on stuff but not rapped. I sure hope that doesn't come back to haunt me.

[Disco]

I assume he means the promoting diversity stuff, which given F1 tv have another black lad on the team means he's already winning.

[Jimmy Floyd]

And Benjamin Zephaniah reading out the silly string-section poem beforehand, didn't have him down as an F1 man.

[SincereTheRebel]

Tuning in nlw and seeing the qualifying. I see Leclerc is still holding it down towards the front.

[SincereTheRebel]

Lol at Vettel having his hat on in all the avatar graphics that are shown.

[Gray Fox]

Welcome to Red Bull, Checo.

[Shindig]

The curse is real.

Nikita missiled. :D

[Gray Fox]

Mazepin is shite isn’t he?

[SincereTheRebel]

This Marzipan is shit based on the 12 seconds ive seen of him.

[Jimmy Floyd]

He's dreadful, doesn't seem to understand traction at all. He can't actually be that bad having made his way through F2 etc, so who knows what's going on.

He also got bodied by Taki Inoue on twitter yesterday (best account going btw).

[Shindig]

The rookies are all finding it tough, to be fair.

[Gray Fox]

Even this first 7 laps looks like we have a proper title race on our hands.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I wonder how much of this year will be Max sitting in front 'managing diff problems' and Lewis craftily plotting behind him.

[Gray Fox]

This ‘diff problem’ could be this seasons ‘Bono, me tyres!’

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't see what Red Bull are doing here. Surely they can't one stop. He's losing a second a lap at the moment.

[Gray Fox]

They must really fancy Max putting his foot down later on.

[Shindig]

Bottas was holding the gap before the stop as well. The Mercs could have this.

[Disco]

Hamilton must fancy going to the end from here.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I know the Mercs only have new hards, but Max has just spotted them 7 seconds for what appears to be no real reason.

[Gray Fox]

How long can the hards go?

Norris and LeClerc quietly having great races thus far.

[Pleb]

I forgot Sainz is in a Ferrari.

Vettel finally waking up I see.

[Pepe]

Just tuned in. WTF is Perez doing outside the top 10?

EDIT: "Car broke down on the formation lap." :face:

[Shindig]

Started from the pitlane after an engine problem on the formation lap.

[Pleb]

FIA sort out your track limit rules you fucking bag of hammers.

Mercs having tyre issues I see.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Reasonable chance of a podium here for Norris, unless the second Merc hard stint miraculously works better than the first one.

[Gray Fox]

Lewis must surely go to the end from here?

[Disco]

How are hards only doing 15-20 laps, are they made of cheese his year?

[Shindig]

The tyres won't do it.

[Pepe]

I like white wheels.

[SincereTheRebel]

Kimi with an attempt to kill Yuki under braking.

[Gray Fox]

Max has this easily by the looks of it. Unless Lewis has something in reserve.

[Jimmy Floyd]

At some tracks I'd back Lewis to hold him off, but here it's an easy DRS move.

[Pepe]

That POLICE sponsorship. :harold:

[Pepe]

Brilliant drive.

[Disco]

As good a drive as any.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Fuck me, he's a magician.

[Gray Fox]

But but, he can only win in the fastest car.

[Pepe]

Good result for Norris too. Perez aswell, all things considered.

[Disco]

That POLICE sponsorship. :harold:

I keep seeing 'Crowdstrike' on the Mercedes and thinking it's a bit unfortunate.

[SincereTheRebel]

Good result for Norris too. Perez aswell, all things considered.

Yuki and Richie Rich with good results also. Vettel though...

[Pepe]

Vettel has always been shit when it comes to racing. He will have an interesting season.

[Shindig]

Lewis shouldn't have won that. I'm not used to Race Control making that decision on the spot.

[Pepe]

I'm glad the call was made immediately and not three laps later or, even worse, after the race.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I've only seen it live, but I'm sure Max didn't need to run off the road in that incident. He then gave it back like a mong, should have done it down the back straight.

[John Arne]

Lewis shouldn't have won that. I'm not used to Race Control making that decision on the spot.

I think it was his team that made the call.

[Shindig]

The radio to him said it was from race control. I think it was the pit wall that made the call but don't want to admit it.

[John Arne]

That would be unusually quick action by Race Control.

[Jimmy Floyd]

It was clear as day that he went off the track, so probably could have made a quick decision. I could see it live and we didn't even have an angle.

[7om]

Brundle had it right on commentary. Give the place back half way down to turn 14 then get DRS on the pit straight. Great drive from Lewis, though. He’s an absolute master at getting every drop of performance out of a tyre.

[Disco]

Shindig

Have you seen the bike races from the weekend? Moto3 would appear to have another microscopic Spaniard fresh off the production line, there must be an inexhaustible supply of them somewhere.

[Shindig]

I haven't yet. They always come up with one or two every year, though.

[Disco]

Haven't seen the GP yet but the other two are well worth catching, I'm not sure I've seen a more impressive arrival into Moto3 than this so lets hope he doesn't go all Fenati on us.

[Shindig]

Ooooh. It's been a while since Maverick and Marquez came through a year or so apart.

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9shP7YLxUls

Some of the interviews he gets on this are fantastic. I love hearing drivers talk about their careers and their craft. I'll be skimming through for the rest of them. Rob Smedley's on at 11.

[Disco]

We rightly laugh at Nascar but who else is looking forward to the Pirelli Gran Premio del Made in Italy e dell'Emilia Romagna this weekend?

[Shindig]

Me. I'm always excited til we get to the back stretch with Socchi and the like.

[Disco]

I just hope there's as much rain as there was at the Blue Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500.

[Shindig]

They don't tend to race in wet conditions. Does that mean it was a washout or an early finish?

[Disco]

They come back the next day sometimes, they really don't give a fuck.

[Jimmy Floyd]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EzFYnb-WEAI_sn1?format=jpg&name=large

I'd kidded myself into thinking he had a decent junior record, but looking at it, he doesn't really. Similar perhaps to that of Ricardo Rosset or Markus Winkelhock.

[thommo]

And he puts in into the wall at the start of the main straight to end the session. At this rate I can't see him making the pitstops in any race.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't get why they all get the exit of Rivazza wrong (kept happening last year too, notably with Bottas). I know it's a high leverage exit with the long straight to come, but they all seem to get way too greedy and go stupidly deep. I supposed they're used to driving easy corners with run-off where you get away with it and the only risk is a 'track limits' sanction.

[Disco]

VER/HAM/BOT

And I reckon everyone apart from Bottas would be quite happy with that.

[7om]

Alonso behind both Williams’.

[Gray Fox]

Get Bottas out and George in, immediately.

[Shindig]

That front three is tight. If Lando gets a good start, it could be feisty.

[Disco]

I think we can cross 'getting your bum out on Netflix' off the list of things that might help you beat Lewis Hamilton.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Not sure which is more lol out of Perez > Max, Latifi > Alonso, and the grid > Bottas.

[Pepe]

Have we moved from lolling and into feeling sad re Vettel?

[7om]

I’m honestly not sure he has the pace anymore. He seems to be permanently 13th.

[Shindig]

He has to luck into strong results now. It's a shame a four-time world champion can't work that out.

[thommo]

Russell's lap on mediums was seriously good. Was ahead of a number of cars who had done a lap on the soft compound.

Norris is also impressing me massively. Could be a genuine podium contender if he continues to show that speed.

[7om]

He has to luck into strong results now. It's a shame a four-time world champion can't work that out.

Why do you think that is? Has he lost it mentally or what? It’s surely not a good sign if he gets bested by Lance bleeding Stroll this season.

[Shindig]

I wish I knew. At Red Bull, he did the damage on Saturday and had clean air to work with. Bahrain showed two sides to his racecraft. He was racey amongst Tsunoda and Alonso and then rear-ended Ocon under no pressure. Maybe he hasn't got the concentration for it? He had his mojo back at Ferrari for a couple of years and then slipped away again. It's not like it took him time to gel at Ferrari either. I can't even complain about him moaning every time he crashes, either. He's always done that and he has to be experienced enough to go back to the paddock and hash out a port-mortem.

Maybe he's just getting old. Stroll's a good lad. He quietly went about his business in Bahrain. He's matured a bit and it's a shame he didn't convert the first of half of Turkey into a win last year. Maybe Nikita Mazepin undergoes a similar arc but his drive has come 2 years too soon.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Seb has never really been the same since the blown floors went. Mark Hughes or someone clever like that could probably tell you why.

[Gray Fox]

Richie Rich isn't too bad to be fair to him. Sure we all know why he's here, but he doesn't crash people off a lot and he has at least decent pace.

[Gray Fox]

Miami confirmed for 2022.

https://i.gyazo.com/3e7e87574ba48cc114f45f071415bbe2.jpg

[7om]

I have no idea how to judge a circuit without seeing the cars on it. What should we make of that layout?

[Shindig]

I'm going to assume it's flat because it's Miami. Looks a bit like Jeddah in those corners that aren't corners way.

[Gray Fox]

They've done their best to incorporate the Dolphins stadium into the circuit which is probably not a good sign for quality of track.

[Disco]

It's in a car park around a football stadium, history would suggest only one conclusion. I know why they don't go to one of the many excellent existing US circuits but why the fuck can't they just go to one of the many excellent existing US circuits.

On Vettel: I like the idea that Stroll Snr has pulled a blinder, not by bagging a 4 time World Champion but by signing a guy everyone thinks is still really good but is actually washed up and obsessed by recycling and bees. What better way to make your bang average son look less bang average as you force him into an F1 career he doesn't really want.

Oh, and lastly, if the bolded parts of 'Yuki Tsunoda' become the accepted abbreviation I may have to quit the sport entirely.

[Shindig]

Would any circuit owner foot the bill to make them Grade 1 compliant? Only Indy and CoTAs are there are already. The rest are Grade 2.

[Disco]

Someone seems willing to build it from scratch in Miami so I don't see why not, and if you want to race in North America that badly then do a deal like one of the many they did last year. The pandemic has proven that if you really want to you can go and race pretty much anywhere.

[7om]

Disco

What did you mean by Stroll being forced into a career he doesn’t want? You reckon Lance doesn’t want this? It’s interesting because he always looks so dispassionate during interviews

[Disco]

It's a silly joke/theory that I heard somewhere and like the idea of, I don't think there's any truth to it but Lawrence Stroll mercilessly using his children to further his business/ego seemed amusingly in character.

[Gray Fox]

Daddy has bought you a toy so you'll fucking play with it!

Alonso has binned it on his out lap to the grid. It's almost full wet in Sector 1 but dry in 2 and 3.

[thommo]

:drool:

I love it when half the track is experiencing completely different weather conditions. Hopefully it stays this way for the start.

[Gray Fox]

1383758101686358021

Doesn't look like that'll clear without cars going through it. Alonso survived the binning and is back out with a new nose on full wets.

First few laps should be chaos. Pray for Nikita.

[Disco]

Fair play, that was a cracking anthem.

[SincereTheRebel]

Imola :drool:

[SincereTheRebel]

I saw some stats the other day about wet weather winners and half of Jenson Buttons 15 wins came in some sort of wet or changing weather conditions.

[Shindig]

Vettel only having 3 surprised me.

[SincereTheRebel]

These Haas newbz

[Pleb]

What a start.

[John Arne]

Hold on... Did Perez just go off track and then just merilly overtake during a safety car???

[Gray Fox]

He did. Surely you can’t do that?

[Shindig]

Ricciardo let him back past.

[Gray Fox]

Max has the race won already. Shame we’re denied a battle again.

[Shindig]

Get ahead of the Ghasly train, Russell.

[Disco]

He did. Surely you can’t do that?

You cannot.

[Shindig]

Russell in the points, then. :D

[Disco]

Hamilton is sitting just outside his normal lurking zone and Verstappen looks very comfortable. His to lose from here.

[Gray Fox]

Lewis needs a safety car and nose change from here.

[Shindig]

Has Perez been given a time penalty? He should've pitted by now. EDIT: 10 second penalty to take at a pit stop.

[Disco]

I think for a proper stop and go you have a certain amount of laps to serve it, he will just have to sit for 10 seconds at the next stop.

[Shindig]

Yeah, they just clarified it. Explains why he's gunning it ahead of his stop.

[Gray Fox]

Lewis been sitting on this pace?

[Shindig]

Fucked it, Lewis.

[Disco]

Well that's that then.

[Gray Fox]

I love mixed conditions

[Gray Fox]

What I will say is the backmarkers here have been atrocious.

They did all kinds of blocking of Max before they started on Lewis. Disgraceful.

[SincereTheRebel]

Hamilton got caught out by the backmarker. Its like a Gran Turismo lobby this race.

[Disco]

I wonder if Vettel is singing his blue flag song this time.

[Disco]

Neither Bottas nor Russell looks very good in that one.

[Serj]

Indeed. Bottas seems to veer right ever so slightly - or rather the track has a kink to the left and he goes straight. But Russell's speed and line just seems overambitious to me.

I'd like to see it from above though.

[Disco]

The move in itself was ok, he left just enough space but it was at a point where Russell wasn't going to be able to use it. On the other hand Russell put himself in that position and should have known where the edge of the track was.

[Shindig]

Boo, rolling start.

[7om]

I think that was Russell’s fault. On the Alfa Romeo onboard it looked to me like Bottas left enough room on the right and Russell just went out too wide. Great race, though.

[Gray Fox]

I think both have underestimated Russels closing speed. Bottas has moved slightly which has caused him to flinch. DRS open and on the damp part of the track, a sudden movement has sent him off balance and into the side of Bottas.

Not a good look to go seething over to Bottas still in the cockpit either.

[Shindig]

Just seen the highlights. Lewis lost it on his own and went in too hot. It's a shame because he had the pace to beat Verstappen. It's clear from everyone spinning that there was only one line and everyone seemed to take chances. Russell's been a bit of a twat. He got his rears lit up and spun into Bottas. He should've been more patient.

It felt at times like a 90s race with how different the pace was between cars. I can't remember the last time someone won by 20+ seconds in a hybrid. At the other end, Haas look well adrift. All they can hope for is attrition to bring them closer to the pack. 2 laps adrift despite getting one lap back in the restart.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Hamilton won by 30 at Istanbul (also rain affected).

[phonics]

Is there a good place to find highlights? Like I don't want to watch the full race but I think there was more than four minutes thirty six seconds of action too.

[phonics]

I'm no expert but Russell looks like a complete spoilt brat loser that absolutely fucked it then blamed someone else. Pathetic. In the bin with you George.

[Jimmy Floyd]

You've just described every single one of the current field. You should have seen them playing e-sports, as soon as one of them crashed/went off they would cry off or demand a restart.

[7om]

I'm no expert but Russell looks like a complete spoilt brat loser that absolutely fucked it then blamed someone else. Pathetic. In the bin with you George.

Lol yeah he fucked up but it’s not the end of the world.

[Shindig]

I would be a bit miffed at Williams. That was nailed on to be their first point since mid-2019. Still, 21 races to go and all that.

[Gray Fox]

Stroll and Kimi and been handed post race penalties. Knocks Kimi out of the points.

[Shindig]

Aww, track limits. Kimi was done for some restart spinny bollocks.

[Disco]

Unheralded corners in motorsport: Symmons Plains Raceway edition

https://i.imgur.com/p8ov3vs.png

That hairpin is a downhill positive camber corkscrew with at least three different lines through it. The sequence off the line is pretty great too, uses the contours of the land as every good circuit should (nobody mention Silverstone).

[Shindig]

Enjoying the historics going around Monaco at the minute. Jean Alesi's been fun to watch.

The race between Alesi and Werner just finished. A proper Monaco battle. Werner's livid.

[Gray Fox]

What a strange Q3 that was. No one able to switch the softs on and Mercedes looking very strong on the mediums.

[Disco]

It fell a bit flat at the end there didn't it, feels like a step too hard on the compounds plus the wind which is basically deleting laps at random.

[Disco]

It baffles me that after all these years of broadcasting F1 they still haven't figured out that you can ask people questions away from all the noisy machinery.

[SincereTheRebel]

Was Kimi asleep? He just drove into the back of his teammate. He didnt even try and drive around him.

[7om]

I don't know about Kimi, but I certainly was. It was boring as shit.

[Shindig]

Yeah, this was pedestrian. Russell went backwards, there wasn't that much going on in the midfield and the top three quietened right down. At least a Haas overtake happened.

In an effort to inject some excitement into it, Mazepin had the fastest lap at one point. Comparing Schumacher, Latifi and Nikita's best laps, Nikita's are all over the place. His best of the race coming on the last tap (1:23.6). Schumacher's more consistent with his best coming a few laps from the flag (1:22.7). Despite being out of sorts (ish), Latifi managed a 1:23.1.

It'd be interesting (well, maybe not) to see if those gaps come down over the season. Maybe not in terms of the Haas teammates but seeing if Nikita can close towards Latifi.

[Disco]

I thought that was a good race, am I just that sad of a cunt? Close at the front, divergent strategies through the midfield, another demonstration of Hamilton having to try, what's not to like?

In other news the americans are at it again, this afternoons viewing will be the Buschy McBusch Race 400.

[Shindig]

MotoGP's still looking odd. Ducati's are looking strong and Marquez managed another 10th place. I'll give it til the usual summer break to see if he's back to business.

[Disco]

It's felt like a complete lottery so far, some of them can't carry pace from qualy to the race and most of the rest can't do their pace without running out of grip. Suzuki being all slow and steady might just pay off again.

I love this stat; the Buschy McBusch Race 400 was won by Kyle Busch on his birthday (the reduced capacity crowd still booed him of course) thereby maintaining his 100% win record in races run on his birthday.

[Shindig]

"No, they're saying Happy Boorthday."

[SincereTheRebel]

100 poles for Hamilton.

[Shindig]

A decent stat but I'm still boggled by Senna's 65 from 162 starts.

One look at the Formula 3 grid has me doing double-takes with the amount of names in there.

Arthur Leclerc
Jack Doohan
David Schumacher
Matteo Nannini
Enzo Fittipaldi

Eduardo Barrichello's floating about in the not-Formula Renaults and Enzo Trulli, Lorenzo Patrese and Sebastien Montoya are in F4. David Schumacher looked decent until Fittipaldi biffed him in today's race. The young'ns seem to really like colliding at the first corner in Catalunya.

[SincereTheRebel]

Is it safe to say, as long as you have the funding and teaching? If you are thrown into a racing car from a baby age, you can get to a pretty high level? Actually, it is like that with most sports :face:

[Jimmy Floyd]

I would say compared to other sports it's not that competitive in terms of talent you have to beat, but it is far more competitive in terms of ever getting into a racing car at all, and those with fathers who did so obviously have a big leg up.

[Lewis]

Where did I read that Martin Brundle was shit hot and as good as anybody but just never got the right break[s]? Is that even right? If so, once you take the top, top drivers out of the equation, is there that great a talent gap between the bottom of the grid and the best people in sportscar racing (say) these days?

[Jimmy Floyd]

The top 12-14 in F1, pretty reliably through the eras, are there because they are blindingly quick and there's no real getting away from that. The pay drivers and a couple of bozos like Giovinazzi could be replaced by others to a similar level, but there's no one who could win races or take it to the top guys. The list of sportscar greats is full of people who didn't quite have the pace edge in F1 but are a mega-reliable pair of hands over endurance distance; Buemi is the current example, then you can go back to Allan McNish, Derek Bell and so on.

Brundle was very good; he took it to Senna in F3, and didn't disgrace himself against Schumacher in his only good F1 car in 1992. He may not have been world champion material but he could have won races with different luck/circumstances. He was in the 12-14 top guys.

[Shindig]

The difference now is the pay drivers are arguably better. Although that may be down to the fact the grid is tighter. Mazepin's legitimately the first one of the turbo era that looks lost.

[Disco]

Brundle was also unlucky in having his career overlap with Piquet/Prost/Mansell/Senna/Schumacher/Hakkinen. In my time watching Jonny Herbert is 'the one that got away' given that he still managed a very successful career with a total of about 1/3 of a functioning foot, Kubica too for similar reasons. Sportscars has plenty of people (Kobayashi, Buemi to name just two) who could do a decent job in F1 but the barriers to entry are so high that unless you come through the feeder series you aren't getting a chance, and if you take more than a few races to get up to speed then you're unlikely to get a second shot without a whole heap of backing. You don't even get other single seater series feeding into F1 much anymore, Super Formula and Indycar both have some excellent drivers but unless you're Mclaren and have a foot in both camps there's nobody willing to give them enough time in the car and not many drivers (in Indycar especially) willing to give up what they have in order to trundle about not scoring any points.

I'd probably say F1 has the best 10 drivers in the world at any given time, the rest are there via funding, inertia, or because they're Italian and Ferrari think we haven't noticed there are no decent Italians any more.

[Disco]

The difference now is the pay drivers are arguably better. Although that may be down to the fact the grid is tighter. Mazepin's legitimately the first one of the turbo era that looks lost.

He's actually not a bad driver either, looked good in F2 and won races last year in basically a brand new team, also tested a Mercedes quite competitively in the past. Two vastly more experienced and better drivers struggled for years to make sense of that car and never could, two rookies with little experience have no chance.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I'm a bit puzzled by how easily Mick is dunking him. I thought they'd struggle to more or less equal degrees.

[Shindig]

I'm not puzzled by it. Mick's a GP2 champion. Nikita is not. The spins I can sort of forgive because the one he had this weekend happened when he was being gentle on the throttle. He really, really dislikes driving it whereas Mick is just getting on with the job at hand.

I'd also put money on them giving Mick as much attention as he needs. They know he's the talent they have to nurture. Given their finances, they would love to move him on mid-season for the big bucks.

[SincereTheRebel]

The older heads are losing to their less experienced teammates so far on race performance.

Ocon>Alonso
RichieRich>Vettel
Norris>Ricciardo

Still lots of time left

[Disco]

I'm not sure you can draw that many conclusions, I certainly think someone has told Mick his best chance at a proper F1 career is to keep his head down and appear to make as few mistakes as possible.

[Shindig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS0dUaNi8QQ

It's this stuff that annoys me. Apologising in the moment and then blaming the team in the press is unforgivable.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Being a tit doesn't help, but I don't know where the pace is.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Great start by Max and for the race, this could get good.

[Shindig]

Schumacher up to 16th. Mazepin was on the back of Latifi but now he's a second back.

[Jimmy Floyd]

The TV direction has been awful in this race. They need to just keep it trained on Verstappen and Hamilton, who gives a fuck about Alonso pitting.

[Disco]

When they were clearly getting ready to pit we were being treated to the battle for 17th.

[Disco]

:drool:

[Jimmy Floyd]

It doesn't matter what tyres he has on, the Merc is too slow through that stupid chicane.

[Gray Fox]

Bottas with a full fuck you to Lewis there.

[Jimmy Floyd]

I don't understand why you would race Hamilton there, they're on different strategies so all it's going to do is piss the team off.

[7om]

Not sure if they had any spare sets, but I would love to have seen Red Bull react to Lewis’ second stop by waiting five laps and putting him on softs for the last 15-20. Not pitting Max at all was never going to work.

[Gray Fox]

Hamilton had more pace, to the point he could follow Max within the dirty air. Once they didn't immediately respond on the next lap the race was lost whatever they did.

The speed those two have over their team mates, but also the rest of the field is laughable.

[Disco]

It's ok guys, Checo just needs a clean weekend.

[Jimmy Floyd]

Did people think Perez would be close to Max? He's doing better than I thought, if anything.

[Shindig]

Checo's there to block Bottas rather than compete directly with Max. Bottas could compete with Lewis if he could figure out how to get off the line.